I Learned To Lift Others And Found My Own Strength

Music

My free gift to the company

Show end

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Upcoming Guests
• 3:29 Gratitude For iHeartRadio And Buzzsprout
• 5:24 Holidays, Loss, And Finding Purpose
• 9:39 Encouragement As A Calling
• 13:44 Why Audio Matters More Than Looks
• 17:39 Considering A Return To Radio
• 21:11 Momentum And Inbound Guest Requests
• 24:11 Embracing Petite Identity And AI Imagery
• 29:11 Lifting Others Through Hard Seasons
• 32:21 Thanks To Guests And Theme Composer

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 1:10

Hello everyone, I'm Retina Sworn. Welcome back to another episode of Retina Sworn Audio Series Presents. We are shaping up to some wonderful interviews. Some wonderful conversations I like to say. Um going into December. But November's not gone yet. So I do still have a couple of wonderful interviews for November. But going into December, I have some biographers, some novelists, some singers, some um record labels, some CEOs, some founders, some singers, gospel. Just so many great, great people going forward. And yeah, some more great ministers as well. Um if you guys can only see my email, it is like jam-packed. But I'm so thankful that people I'm I'm really happy to be up at um iHeartRadio because I've experienced a whole new level. It's like it's another level. I don't know, but it's like a whole nother level being at iHeartRadio. And it's a it's a great blessing at the same time. So I am I'm very thankful for that opportunity because um I don't think I've ever been more happy than I am now to be with a certain um site as I am with iHeartRadio. I'm really happy about that. And um, so yeah, it's really good to when you plug into my podcast, it just takes you right to iHeartRadio. Um super, super thankful to BuzzSprout because they are the ones that open a lot of the doors for me, you know. They still do a lot of stuff, so Buzz Sprout. Buzz. I'm gonna say it really slow because I don't want to make a mistake and say it wrong, but they are really wonderful. They're really wonderful. If you haven't checked them out, go check them out. And if you're looking for a podcasting host, I think Buzz Sprout is the best. I really do. Um, so I'm really grateful to them for every everything. Again, going forward, looking forward, Laura's willing. Um I was speaking to someone the other day, and I felt like when I was talking to this guy, and I felt like we connected on so many levels because Thanksgiving used to be my most favorite time of the year. Really, it did. Uh I would always cook, and everybody would come and eat Gina's sweet potato pies, and you know, cook dinner. Uh, my brother and all of them uh would go and buy the food and I cook it, you know, and and everybody came over and they would eat and they would take home pies that make so many pot sweet potato pies, and a lot of my family are gone now, you know. My sister Laura and my mu mother and my dad and uh even my pastor, you know, people that that was around fifteen years ago, 10, 15 years ago. Um, so well, I have to say my dad's been gone a lot longer than that, but you know, it's it's um it it's I I connected so wonderfully the other day speaking with a person that worked very closely beside me, and he just lost his wife. And we were just talking, we just had had had this conversation, and I was talking to him, and I didn't realize that I was encouraging him. At the end of the conversation, he said, you know what? He said, I was feeling so sad before I talked to you. He said, That is a gift you should really, you know, really take very very seriously. And I do take it seriously. He said, but you encourage people without even trying to. He said, You don't even know my my situation, you know. You knew I lost my wife, but he said, But you don't know my whole situation, how upset I'd been, and and I really didn't. All I know is, you know, I I heard about it, but I didn't really know. So he just told me how much I encouraged him, and it made me feel good. Because sometimes by me, I'm so glad that I do this podcast. When I talk to other people, when I get the stories of other people's when I get other people's stories, in other words, it lifts my spirit. You know, I don't have time to feel sorry or sad for myself because I'm too busy trying to make sure the other person that I'm speaking to gets an encouraging word. And he told me, he said, you do not you don't know the gift that you got. He said, You got a great gift. He said it's a gift from God. He said, Because before we started talking, I said I see you all the time, you know, I see you every day. He said, but before we started talking, he said, I knew it was something about you, though. I said, I knew it was something strange about you, but I didn't know what it was. He said, now that I talked to you, I see now that you are very you're that's part of your gift. And and as Laura told me, you know, when I would first started the podcast, because I was gonna end it. I've said that many times before. Um, but she explained it to me, she broke it down to me so clearly. She said, You are like a butterfly, you cannot see the beautiful colors on your you know, your wings. You can't see the beautiful colors on your wings or your back or whatever. She said, You can't see that, but other people can see that. It's like a butterfly. She referred to me as a butterfly, and this is this is a true story. She referred to me as a butterfly. She said, You cannot see the beautiful colors that you you got. Other people can see that, but you can't see that. And she said, oftentimes a person cannot see their value, but other people can see that their value. So, you know, I got I guess this time of year, it makes me it lift my spirit. Normally it would be such a sad time of year. Like a couple years ago, I was just so coming back from a nervous breakdown and trying to deal with it, trying to figure out how am I gonna do this without Laura, without um mom, dad, you know, Mother Jackson, you know, trying to come back from that thinking, how am I gonna do this? But the podcast has really helped me so much because I spend the time talking to other people and lifting their spirits, not even thinking once about myself. And it makes me feel good when someone says, You really encouraged me today. You really lifted my spirit. So again, I'm gonna forever thank my sister Laura because I would have given this podcast up. I was so close to just pulling the plug in the beginning. I was gonna pull the plug. It was like, nobody's listening. I mean, come on, you gotta give things time, right? Here I am wanting to just pull the plug after like a couple of episodes, but she said no, don't do it. And if she was here today, I know she would be so happy for me because she was always my biggest supporter. And so I feel like somewhere, somewhere out there in the in the atmosphere, she's she's somewhere cheering me on still, and I and I can feel it, I can feel her around me, you know. So I my I'm not gonna say my job, but I I feel like my responsibility um for the holidays is to just be of encouragement to other people and spend that time encouraging someone who's going through a very tough time because this again, this time of year is the highest rate of suicide, it's the highest rate of depression, it's the highest rate of all the bad things. You got whereas there are good things, when you see other people celebrating their good times, then you got people who are equally as sad out there. And so I'm so glad that I have a platform where I could talk to people, encourage them, bring you other people's story because I just want to bring other people's story to the front, you know, and share my platform. It's just a little small platform. It's not a I'll always say it's not a Joe Rogan. I'm not trying to be like all of that, but I'm just so happy to have a platform where people can listen and and and and that's why I like audio, because again, it has nothing to do with my looks or uh is she afraid to be on camera? Is she shy? Look, I was never shy, guys. I was never shy. If if I used to always be the first person in front of the camera to take a picture. I loved taking photos, I love being the ham, if that makes any sense. I love being the star of the video. I love that. But now doing the audio, I like doing audio because it focuses on the conversation. You're not looking at um how I'm wearing my hair, what color I'm wearing, uh what outfit I got on. You're listening to the conversation, and that means everything to me. It doesn't matter. I'd have I have nothing to hide, you know? And I'll I'll say this without being vain, and I hope people don't think I'm being vain when I say this. I look fair. I look fair. I look okay, I think. I think I look okay. I think I can get a date if I wanted one. But it's not about me and the way I look. I don't want people to focus on that. I want them to focus on what I am saying. That means more to me than anything. And bringing your story, bringing your story to life means everything to me. Because the one person said, you know, I want to look in your eyes and I want to look in your beautiful eyes while we're having a conversation. And I'm thinking to myself, then I probably won't be interviewing that person because it's not about looking into my eyes and getting a conversation out of me, you know. That would make me very, very nervous. Very, very nervous. I would not be able to concentrate, and I want to be able to give of myself as much as I can. So which is why I love audio. Why do you think I call it Regina Sworn Audio? Audio, people. I call it that for a reason. Regina Sworn Audio series. It's been that from the start. Audio. I want people to focus on what I am saying. I want you to focus on the conversation that I'm having with another person. I don't want someone sitting there looking into my eyes and oh, and your eyes are pretty, and oh that would I mean that would make me so nervous. That would just make me nervous. And I know me, I would I would get I would just freeze up. So I prefer to do interviews or to have a conversation with a person, knowing that we don't have to concentrate on that. We can concentrate on whatever topic that we are talking about. And that's why I like audio, and that's why I still love the idea of radio. So going forward, I have some wonderful guests. I'm so glad they signed on to be a part of the um of the podcast. Now, I wanted to save this news for last, and I probably still should. I'm not sure how I feel about getting back into radio. Again, I've been offered uh to do radio once or twice a week, you know, whichever one I decide to, you know, to go with. It's something that I I've kind of like it's like a toss-up right now. I'm not sure if I want to get back into radio. I'm just not so sure because podcasts is just something that I love. I can take it at my own speed. And but radio is a whole different ballgame, you know. And so, but the individuals said that we will work with you, we were train you, we would do everything we need to do to help you. So they they said, well, just at least think about it. So it's kind of it's kind of a a secondary thing beside the back burner. Um I'm definitely thinking about it. But um podcast is number one still, but I'm definitely thinking about it. Especially when they said we're gonna be patient with you, we'll do everything, you don't have to do anything, but just show up and you know do your radio. So yeah, I I wasn't sure I wanted to really get back into that as that aspect of it, that era of it. I really wasn't so sure. But um, you know, they made it very clear that they would be working with me and doing whatever they needed to do to make things comfortable for me. So yeah. So it's just it's a toss-up right now. I haven't decided completely, but it's definitely uh there in the back of my thoughts. It's it's a secondary thought, but it's definitely there. So I'm just happy that people uh really remember what I was doing for the radio and uh it said, hey, you you know how to draw an audience, you know. So hey, thank you. Thank you so much. So um, but yeah, that's just a that's just uh we're just kind of playing around with that idea right now, but um but I'm so pleased with the uh podcast. I really am. It's working out the way I want it, it's going the way I want it. Uh people are contacting me now. In the beginning, I was like, rah-rah, rah, rah, you know, contacting other people, but they've they started I still contact other people by the way, but it's more or less like a 60 40 people contacting me now, asking me how can I be a part of your your podcast? What does it take to be on your podcast? And that that means a lot because that makes me feel like I am on that side of side of it where people really you know value my podcasting, I guess you could call it. So um, so going forward, we got December coming up. I want to be an encouragement to people because it's a very sad time of year, you know. Um as happy as it is a time, it's also a very sad time, you know, for a lot of people. And I'm just happy that I would be able to, you know, help people. And if my gift talking to them, you're listening to my voice, and you are soaking up all of the words that God has given me on this end to say to you or through one of my guests, then that makes me that's all the better. That makes me feel good. It makes me feel good. And yes, for those out there who are wondering, um how do I feel about if you notice on my Facebook fan page I have like all of these beautiful generated black and white uh photos, and and it's uh it's kind of an AI thing, but it's my real picture, guys. It is my picture, okay?

SPEAKER_00: 19:35

So a lot of people say Gina, oh god, Gina, is that you, baby? Listen. As I said before, people Yeah, it's my s it's my image.

SPEAKER_01: 19:50

And I'm so glad that AI could come in and and fit me with the clothes that I so love. I love you notice I do the black and white because I like the black and white era, and I choose the era. Um, most of them are back like in the in the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, some 60s. Um and I'm so glad that they can fit me into those de style um perfect size and everything. Um five feet. A lot of people don't know only five feet. Five zero. So everybody is so much taller than me. I was telling the person one day, he said, Oh your pictures you just look tall. This this was just face, you know, headshots. The guy said, He said, Well, on your pictures, you look so tall. I'm like, Really? I look tall on my pictures? I mean, how do you look tall on your pictures? I don't understand that. When all you could see was my my face shot, you know, in the past. So, but yeah, I'm only five feet, which is why I love Sabrina Carpenter, because she brought style back. So what I love about AI, I gotta throw this in there. What I love about AI is because I love Sabrina Carpenter's style so much, because she's also very petite, she got the most beautiful outfits that's tailored for her. And so with AI, AI, it's like they choose the perfect, the perfect outfits for my petite little body. And I say that not to be funny, but you know, when you fly feet, I I I always had to shop in the um in the little kids section for this is real, or in the teenage, you know, the the petite teens of the you know the the the the 12 and 13-year-old section. Um but you know, but I'm so glad that Sabrina Carpenter came along. She's been around for a while. But I made, if you haven't heard that podcast about short and sweet, go check it out. I had a podcast called Short and Sweet, and I talk about how at one point I I didn't embrace it. I I used to hate because people were so much taller than me. And and and they would say, Hey little shorty, that pat you on the top of your head, and things like that. And one lady asked me one day, she said, she said, how tall are you? And I I guess it offended me. You know, this just a few years ago, not lately. Now I embrace it. But a few years ago she said, Gina, how tall are you? I said, Okay, I'll tell you what, let's make a deal. You tell me how much you weigh, and I'll tell you how tall how tall I am. Is that fair game? And then from my understanding, they say the lady was like 20 minutes later over in the corner crying. And I asked the guy, he said it was something that you said to her. I said, Well what did I say to her? I see you see people sometimes they say things to you and and they could hurt your feelings. That's why it's good just to be careful what you say to people. You know, I didn't mean to hurt our feelings, but I guess I I was so tired of people like a little shorty, a little shorty this, little shorty that. That used to really bother me. It don't bother me anymore, but it used to. I'm being honest with you, go check out my podcast, Short and Sweet. Go check that out. As a matter of fact, I maybe I should put that into the um description here. Um and you'll hear how much that really used to bother me because everybody in my family are so much taller than I am. And and I take after on my dad's side, my dad's side, they were a lot, you know, shorter on my dad's side. My mom was a very tall lady. My grandfather, my mom's dad was 6'5 or 6'7, one or the other. So on my dad's side, on the other hand, they were more on the shortest side. So that's the side that I take after. But I'm telling you right now, it was like, man, it just seemed like everybody always tower over me. And it was like, it really used to bother me. But I learned to embrace it. You know, I'm like, I can fit into anything I want. I I'm cute, as they say. Excuse me, I didn't mean to say it like that, but but that's what people say. So, but used to be one of the words they say, you're cute, you know. I used to hate those words because I wasn't pleased with myself. I didn't like myself. But I'm so happy that I I embrace that now and it's not a big deal anymore. But um, but go check out the podcast, Short and Sweet, and you will hear my story uh about short and sweet. Go check it out. But going into uh December, I do want to focus on uh people out there who are really suffering, who's going through depression, people who are, you know, taking it really hard this time of year, because as I said, this once upon a time was my favorite time of the year. It was my favorite. So and it it's taken me a long time to really pick back up. It's taken a while. And um if you can just imagine growing up with a sister like I had with Laura, growing up as little kids, and then as we got older, we did everything together, we we did our music together, we was in a studio together, we went to church together, you know, we did everything together. And to have her taken away is like a part of me. You know, it was taken away. And so hearing that song by the Carpenters every year used to just crack me up so bad. Have yourself up, merry little Christmas. When I hear that it may even think about it, it gives me goosebumps right now. But again, I I just feel like I've gone through everything that I've gone through. The Lord has let me went through that just to say I did that so that you could be an encouragement to other people. And so I'm really thankful to the Lord for that because it could be so much worse. It could be so much worse. So I still have so much to be thankful for. So yeah, I got some really cool interviews in December, but again, November's not over. We got Thanksgiving's coming up on uh this week. We got Thanksgiving's. Uh I just want to say be safe out there, be careful. And uh thanks again. Thank you to all the people who have been on my show so far on my podcast. I want to thank all the guests who've been on. You know, you know who you are. I I I thank the speakers. I thank uh Elder Davis, I thank uh Murphy Elliott, I think uh Apostle Ford, I think um Um Sister Joretta Taylor, I just think everyone who's um Catherine Dayson, I mean I thank all of the people who have been on my podcast so far. I I really truly thank you for just taking the time to stop by and chat with me. And I'm thankful for the ones who are going to be a part of my podcast moving forward. Uh, I want to thank Jerry Clay Hayes with Rescue Cats uh in Fayetteville, Georgia. I was reading uh a post, uh I think it was over at X, about how the uh shelters are s are running over right now with with with cats and and and animals. And so I I want to do another show with Jerry because we we really connected on many, many levels, you know, dealing with the animals in this time of year. A lot of people they can't afford the animals, either they've lost their jobs or they've made um, you know, some adjustments in their lives. So I need to do another show with her as well. So uh yeah. But I just want to thank everyone that's been a part of my podcast. Thank you so much. Thank you to iHeartRadio for uh for taking the chance on me. I I like that. I really like it. And thank you, thank you. Thank you to Chris Murphy Elliott for my theme song that was composed 10 years ago for my radio show. Ten years ago, can you believe it? It was composed ten years ago for my radio show. But sometimes things can be ahead of their time, and I truly believe that music was ahead of its time. Thankfully, it is perfect timing now for my podcast. So thank you, Chris. Thank you, and I hope I can interview you. I hope I do. And for all of those who think that you don't have a happy ending to a story, uh one of my co-workers I spoke with one of the teachers I used to work with, um, she said, I'm retired now, you know, I I don't have anything to really talk about. And I like to remind people that if you got blood running warm in your veins and you don't have to bathe worry about somebody bathing you or feeding you or changing your clothes, your diapers, or anything like that, you're blessed. You're blessed, and it's so much that we can talk about. You know, it may not be you might not want to talk about this, but maybe you can talk about this. You may not want to may not want to talk about that, but maybe you want to talk about this over here. So it's so many things that we can actually talk about. So yeah. Still so much to be thankful for, and I have to remind myself of that. Thank you all so much for listening. I'm Regina Sworn. You can contact me at SwornRetina at gmail.com. And again, for those who have been tuning into my podcast week after week, I thank you. Have a great day. Be safe out there this week, be safe this Christmas holiday season. Just be safe. I just feel like I need to say that. Be safe and take care.