Our Love Story Offended More People Than You'd Think | Flip That Switch Podcast

In this episode we explored the inspiring journey of Mariyah and Peter, a talented interracial couple and professional skaters, sharing their experiences with love, cultural challenges, and supporting each other's dreams. They shared their insights on overcoming societal stereotypes, raising multicultural children, and pursuing ambitious goals like Ironman competitions and careers in entertainment.

00:00
Introduction to Peter and Mariyah
02:31
Navigating Interracial Relationships
07:10
Family Dynamics and Acceptance
11:35
How They Met: A Love Story
13:15
The Beginning of a Connection
16:11
Navigating Relationships and Ice Skating
22:41
Choosing Each Other Over Careers
28:36
The Importance of Support in Marriage
31:40
Raising Mixed-Race Children
37:17
Confronting Stereotypes in Relationships
39:27
Navigating Interracial Relationships
44:14
Cultural Sensitivity and Learning
48:36
Future Aspirations and Goals
54:11
Advice for Young Interracial Couples

Follow me on my socials to stay connected
IG @FlipThatSwitchPodcast, @Sudduth84
Mariyah and Peter's IG @mariyahgerber
Peter's IG @petrgerber
Youtube Channel  ⁨@mariyah.gerber⁩  


#interracialrelationship, #skating, #diversity, #love, #support, #culturalchallenges, #Ironman, #socialmedia, #family, #representation #socialmediagrowth #disneyonice #professionalskating #marriage #relationships #relationship 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

The first thing that I learned or was taught is that you do not touch a black person's hair. You do not touch the hair on their head. And I I could not believe it, but there was this one time we were at the airport with Aiden, and Aiden was still pretty small. I think he was walking at the time. He got a little too close to people. I was watching him, but he got a little too close. And this woman reached out and was like attempting to pat his head, his hair. And I'm like, I at the time I didn't make a scene, but I was pretty loud about it. I was like, uh, no.

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

No. And like, not not only is it is it a black child, but it's a child. You don't touch another person's child. And so, yeah, just that was that was my one and only experience.

SPEAKER_04 0:45

Yeah, well, and you also start. What were we talking about the other day? And oh, you were saying we were laughing about that because you're like, you do not touch a black person's hair. And he was like, I actually didn't touch your hair for a long time. I never noticed that.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

I didn't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:05

What's up, you guys? Welcome back to another episode of Flip That Switch. I'm your host, Brandon, aka B to the Cis Nai, and we're back with another episode. If you want to be a guest on the Flip That Switch podcast, you have a story that you think may resonate with the masses, please hit me in the comments or you can DM me at Flip That Switch on IG. One way or the other, if you want to be a guest, let me know. But today we're going to be diving into a new episode, and the couple that's stopping by to interview with me today is Peter and Mariah, who they are a great, great couple on social media doing their thing. Um beautiful family. Um they are professional skaters. I like to use the word professional because they've done Disney on Ice, they've been skating, and this I it's how you met each other, right? Skating?

SPEAKER_04 1:52

Yes. We met each other while working for Disney on Ice.

SPEAKER_03 1:55

Okay. So yeah, so they are just a dope couple. Um they're content creators, they have a great following on social media, and me and my wife got the pleasure of seeing them and meeting them when we went to VidCon. And as authentic as they are on social media, they're that in person as well. So just had a great, great, awesome time connecting with them, and um, we just love their content. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce Mariah and Peter to the show. How y'all doing?

SPEAKER_04 2:26

Hey, we're good. Thanks for having us. Yeah, thank you for having us.

SPEAKER_03 2:30

For sure, for sure. And thank you for taking the time out. I know you guys are busy, so we will just dive right in. Your relationship obviously is an interracial relationship, and sometimes that relationship can rub people the wrong way or make people uncomfortable. Can you tell me about a time where you felt that your relationship made people uncomfortable?

SPEAKER_04 2:57

Should I go first? Yeah. Yeah. I honestly feel very fortunate for my family and how they were and how they raised me because I knew going into this relationship with Peter, people were gonna be uncomfortable. And as those little moments happened, whether it was like us going to the grocery store and someone assuming that we're not together, or us, you know, out and about and someone making a comment, I feel like Peter got his first introduction, and I remember the exact day that it happened.

SPEAKER_02 3:27

Which one? Minneapolis?

SPEAKER_04 3:29

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

Yeah, we were walking down the street out with memorized hand. Uh, it was like early winter, it was a little cold, and a group of uh young kids, like they were walking the opposite direction of us. We passed them, and just within yearshot, all I heard was, oh, they're taking our women.

SPEAKER_04 3:45

Yep. And he was just he was so surprised. I feel like that was the thing. You were so surprised and stunned. And you're from like a small town in Canada. I mean, literally, we joke about it, but I'm his first black friend. So, like, I was his first introduction into our community and our culture, so he just really didn't know what to expect.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

I didn't know what to say. I didn't say anything back, but I was just like, I looked at Mariah and I was like, What was that? Why?

SPEAKER_05 4:12

And I was like, Oh, here we go.

SPEAKER_03 4:16

Wow. Peter, when that situation happened and you said you looked back at Mariah and you were like, What was that? At any moment during that, did you kind of second guess the relationship?

SPEAKER_02 4:31

Second guessing, not at all. Um, even though our relationship at at the time was was pretty new. Um not once. Like once once Mariah and I got together, once we started talking, once I got to know her, there was no going back. Uh no one could change my mind. And other outside opinions, they don't bother me. You know, like to each their own. Um, you know, everyone's got an opinion. So for me, I mean, look at it. Like, I I ain't going nowhere.

SPEAKER_03 5:02

No, I love it. I love it. I truly love that because a lot of people they kind of succumb to the external influences and it start they start to feed into that, right? And the next thing you know, it causes them to not be in that relationship, it causes them to block that blessing. So glad that you stuck with your guns and was like, you know what? I am going to, no matter what, people say, I love this woman, I'm in love with her, and I'm not gonna let that affect or ruin anything that we have going on. So I can appreciate that, bro. Like for real. Do you think any do you, and you don't have to name names or anything, but do you think there was any close friends or family members that secretly didn't want you guys to work out?

SPEAKER_05 5:46

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

Didn't want us to work out, they didn't believe in it. And you know, I'm not gonna name names, but yeah, my family. Right. I'm not I'm not afraid to let that out in the open. Like when we first got together, there were um doubts, uh, nothing was ever really said out loud, but you know, like I'll give you an example. Like for me, when I first announced that I was uh going to propose to Mariah, I had stuff in my head. You know, you see things um on TV, in the movies, um, other experiences. I don't feel I got the experience that I was hoping for. Um, but that I didn't let that affect me, like I said before. Like, regardless of the affiliation, whether it's family, a uh close friend, or or a stranger on the street, saying their opinion. You know, for me, I I wasn't bothered by it, I wasn't gonna back down and I wasn't gonna let anything change.

SPEAKER_04 6:41

I definitely feel like you have to, you know, we were so locked in, and I told him very early on, I was like, hey, just so you know, this could be the way that things are gonna be. So basically kind of be prepared, but I definitely feel like for his family, they had to get used to the idea. Um, you know, I think for some, yeah, they just had to get used to the idea, and I think that's hard. Having kids having kids, and over the years, I feel like we've really made a lot of progress. Like, I don't think it's as much of I wouldn't even say, I don't know, but your parent his parents are very stuck in their ways, and I think that that's one of the things. Yeah, they're from Poland, they you know, like really Poland, there's no diversity. We went there and I was like, dang, I saw one black person the whole time I was there. I was like, oh hey, you know. So I think for particularly his mom, she had an idea of what her future daughter-in-law would look like, and even living in Canada, they all have married Polish. So, like, I think the fact that I wasn't Polish and then I was black and then I was from the US, like there were just so many factors that I think it was just a lot. And so I as much as it was frustrating for a long time, I try to give her grace because I do think sometimes people have an idea of what they envision for their children, and then when it changes, they have to adapt, and it's easier for some people than others. So I think really the biggest lesson for me is just not to have a an idea. Like it's like who love who you love. I'm excited to see who this person is that's gonna come into our lives, and so I think that is where both of us are now because we've seen the other side of it.

SPEAKER_03 8:34

I love it. Mariah, how did your friends and family um take to Peter in the beginning?

SPEAKER_04 8:43

You know, I was really nervous about my grandma, actually. I was so nervous about my grandma, and my grandma and I are very close. Um, but obviously she is older and she grew up at a time where there was segregation and and you know, all of that. So she's was actually very, very open to Peter. Like she loved, I obviously I prepared. I was like, hey, just so you know, you know, he's white. Um but she loves him, like they're super close, and you know, she's actually taken time to there's been a couple times where she's like educated him on some things, taught him how to make greens, taught him how to make gumbo. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:27

Okay, so you okay, so you cook some mean greens, huh?

SPEAKER_02 9:32

Okay. It's not it's not up to par, but it's like it's it's right up there.

SPEAKER_05 9:37

I mean, you made the greens for Thanksgiving.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

For Thanksgiving, that's a big deal.

SPEAKER_05 9:40

That's an honor.

SPEAKER_03 9:41

You know what's crazy? And a lot of people they they they said they're gonna pull my car for this, but I don't even like greens.

SPEAKER_02 9:47

Oh you know, it is acquired taste. I I will give you that.

SPEAKER_03 9:51

I cannot stand greens at all. And people think I'm so weird for that, but I just I've never I've never been a green guy. I don't like peach cobbler. I get flack for that.

SPEAKER_02 10:05

I don't understand that. And I don't understand sweet potato pie. I don't understand okay.

SPEAKER_03 10:09

That's my favorite pie. The pie is my favorite pie, but yeah, I don't I don't I think it's just a just a combination of pie and peaches. Like, that's just yeah, you're I'm good on that.

SPEAKER_02 10:22

I didn't want to mention one thing because uh Mariah said that she was most nervous about her grandma, but um in due time I actually called grandma first for Mariah's hand, you know. Grandma and mom. I called her mom.

SPEAKER_03 10:36

Yeah, like what was that conversation like?

SPEAKER_02 10:39

It was uh I maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves, but like the the whole thing, because we were working on cruise ships at the time, and I had I had like a small window. I had maybe like six hours to get everything done. Um I got off the ship, I got into an Uber, and then I immediately on the way to the place where I was getting the the ring, I called grandma and I called mom that same day and asked for information. I like yes. I didn't question nothing, you know. Like I knew I was gonna get the yes uh already on the way. That that was my confidence, you know. And uh a little bit of nerves in there, but uh yeah, that's that's really the reader's digest right there. Is uh I called them up on the way, picked up the ring, hid it in our we had a little shoebox of a cabin, and I hid it in my backpack for that week. I proposed later in that week, and yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:29

Wow, and then look at y'all, y'all are here today. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:35

So talk to me a little bit about how you guys met. Because I mentioned earlier you guys were skating, and you like you said, Peter, you worked on a cruise ship. Talk to me about how you guys met and what that was like at first.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

It's it's my favorite love story. We we met um touring uh East Coast and it was for Disney on Ice. Uh we met first day we met, Locked Eyes, Pensacola Beach, Florida. Uh Mariah had a whole bunch of body jewelry, and I was just in awe. I was struck. Love struck.

SPEAKER_04 12:09

Uh yeah, we I actually toured with Disney on Ice for five years, and I met him, I met him my fifth year. So I had kind of given up on because when it comes to touring, you're on tour with like a hundred people, and really you meet someone at the beginning of the tour, and if you don't, then you're usually single for the rest of the tour unless you're dating someone off tour. And so in those five years, I hadn't met anyone that I had made a connection with. And so I when I met him, I was like, Oh, I you know, I really like him, but we were only together for three weeks, and then we got split up because there's like eight or nine Disney on ice shows, and so we just stayed in contact for a while, and I made the executive decision, and I didn't tell him. I asked to be on the same show as him, and I was like, it'll either work or it won't.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

That was stalker status, stage five player. She found out where I worked in a lifetime. And she came out, she followed me, you know.

SPEAKER_05 13:09

You know, it was a calculated risk, and it worked out. It worked out.

SPEAKER_03 13:14

So wait, so you asked to be on the same show as him. Peter, you had no idea what was going on, but Mariah, you knew that you wanted to get to know him. We were in contact over the summer, and I didn't know.

SPEAKER_04 13:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 13:29

I didn't tell him. Um, honestly, there was a lot because there's also like roles, and they cast you for there, you're you're getting casted based off of a role. And the Tiana role at the time that was like the biggest and everything was on his show. So there were a lot of pros to me being on that show, but also he was gonna be there. So I was like, okay, we'll see if this works out. But I didn't tell him beforehand because he was still new to this job, and I was like, you don't even know how this works, and I don't want it to seem like we're asking to be together, and then it doesn't work out.

SPEAKER_02 14:02

Not to scare me off.

SPEAKER_04 14:03

Yeah, so I was like, What? Strategy, strategy, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:07

Wow, that's awesome, man. And so you so you guys are obviously you meet, you're you're connecting, you're talking, Peter, you don't know that she actually likes you. Um you and then, you know, like you said, you asked to be on the same show. What what was the final or what was the moment where you realize, you know what? I actually want to be with this person.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

Um Albany, New York, New Year's. She's laughing because New Year's, New Year's Eve, she couldn't find me. I was running around, I was all over the place. I was having a good time. Hootin', hollering, I called my brother, I was out and about, whatever. And the next day, we got into a fight. She was walking like 20 yards in front of me on the way to the venue, and um the in the cold, in the blistering cold, too, by herself. And we get there and uh we get onto the warm-up ice and I play a song by Enrique Glacius. I'm blanking on the name right now. Why?

SPEAKER_05 15:09

You can't escape my love. I'll never forget.

SPEAKER_02 15:13

You can element or you can hide, but you can't escape my love. And that was it. That was that was a moment.

SPEAKER_05 15:19

That was a moment, yeah. You know, in my defense, I was so excited to have a boyfriend on New Year's, so I had a whole vision of what it was gonna be like. He was drinking, taking shots, doing all the things, and it came to midnight. He was there for midnight, but I didn't see him for I didn't see him for anything else, and I was like, Where were you? And so yeah, I was upset.

SPEAKER_03 15:42

Wow. Dang, that is well, well, I mean, you sometimes sometimes that's the best time to you know figure things out, especially when you guys are mad at each other, when there's an argument, when there's fighting, that's when you're like, you know what? The passion that I have, I actually might like this person, I actually might love this person. And so I mean, whenever it happens, whenever it happens, it happens, but it's it's good that you recognize it. And now um how long you guys been married?

SPEAKER_02 16:11

We have two weddings, so that's yeah, that's always always also a loaded question. Sorry. Um our wedding certificate, because I'm Canadian and I had to apply for citizenship and everything. Eight years to get our wedding license, uh seven years for uh big ceremony anniversary that we just celebrated last week.

SPEAKER_04 16:30

Yeah, so we have um we've been together for 11 years and then we've been married eight. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:37

10 points.

SPEAKER_04 16:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:39

Very awesome. What was what was the reason you guys chose ice skating? Um, was that something that you were doing as kids? Was it a did it become a passion? Talk a little bit about why that was a passion for you guys.

SPEAKER_04 16:55

Um, for me, so when I was five, my grandma always loved ice skating, and they opened a rank by our house, and she signed me up for lessons. I actually was not very good, but I loved it. And so I continued to skate, and then I feel like as time went on, especially with skating, there's not a lot of diversity. Um, and so I do think part of my entire journey was wanting to like be the representation that I didn't see, and so I feel like it didn't obviously that didn't start from childhood, but as I got older, like I, you know, you're looking around, you're not really seeing many people who look like you, you realize that like this is bigger than you, and so I definitely feel like over the years, even now, I still skate. So I'm like, I want to make sure that um, you know, with the platform that I have, it's such a blessing, and like people are able to see me. And a lot of times I'll get comments like, oh my gosh, I'm so excited to see a little black skater. I always dreams of skating, and I quit because of X, Y, and Z. Like I hear stories like that all the time. So I definitely think there is a level of I love it, and then there's a level of a giving back.

SPEAKER_03 18:12

What about you, Peter?

SPEAKER_02 18:14

For me, I was seven, eight years old. I always changed the story on the age, but uh around that time it was a school trip at my local ice arena, and I saw the famous world Olympic I figure skater Elvis Stoiko. He was jumping in uh in the corner, just flying, soaring through the air. And I told my mom that I wanted to do that. And uh the funny part about that is I never took off as a freestyle skater, as a single skater, I ended up being a dancer, so I was skating with somebody.

SPEAKER_01 18:42

He doesn't jump. I don't jump at all.

SPEAKER_03 18:46

Okay. Is there ever a moment where you guys have had to choose between skating and your marriage? Has there ever been a situation where you've had to choose, okay, I'm gonna protect my marriage or I'm gonna choose the skating career? Has that ever been a topic?

SPEAKER_04 19:04

You know, so one when we first met that first year, the show actually ended, which shows usually run for years and years, but it just so happened the show ended, and we had to make a decision if we wanted to stay together, we had to learn how to skate together. Neither of us, Peter was an ice dancer, and I was a single skater, and I knew some like Adagio, but not enough to be like casted for a ship contract, or which is what we wanted to do. So we actually had to stay mornings, nights, learn how to skate together so that we could be together.

SPEAKER_02 19:39

Adagio is a form of skating where it's it's uh it's also called pairs. So essentially, like for me, ice dance, all my lifts are no higher than the shoulder, and a lot of our doggio lifts, everything is up overhead. Yes, and so that's where both of us had to learn something completely brand new.

SPEAKER_04 19:55

Yeah, and it was mornings, nights, but ultimately it ended up being worth it. We got an opportunity to be casted on a ship contract, and that I guess would count as a time where we had to decide like we're either gonna stay together or we're gonna break up. Um but as far as once we were like professional, I feel like because we worked so hard to be together, we were always casted together and we were able to stay together the whole time.

SPEAKER_02 20:21

And we actually got married uh in between contracts um when we were working in Europe, right?

SPEAKER_04 20:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

From one contract in between, that's where we got married, our actual wedding ceremony.

SPEAKER_04 20:33

Happened, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

And um, from there it was just off to the races. We did one more professional contract right after our wedding, and then I would consider ourselves retired after that because that's when COVID and everyone had three different lives.

SPEAKER_05 20:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:50

Yeah. So that that time that you had to choose between being together or parting ways, were you married at the time?

SPEAKER_04 20:57

No. We've been dating for like six months.

SPEAKER_02 21:00

Yeah, it was very fresh, very new. That like, so exactly what Mariah was saying, like that was definitely a uh testing moment for us. And uh questions did arise like, are we staying together? Do you want to continue? Um it was early.

SPEAKER_04 21:15

I feel like I mean to be dating someone for six months and be like having to make such a decision like that.

SPEAKER_03 21:21

Career changing decision. Did you and so I'm um did you choose the skating or what did you choose?

SPEAKER_04 21:27

Yeah, I I remember very, very clearly we had what they call end-of-the-year meetings. So you have like these contract meetings, they tell you what your options are for the next season. And I got back to my contract meeting and I sat on the edge of the bed and I said, Okay, well, do you want to learn to skate together so that we can stay together? And I was expecting Peter to say no. And he actually looked at me and he was like, Yeah, let's try. And so I feel like that was actually her inkling in the fact that, like, I'm always like Have all these big crazy ideas, and Peter will be so supportive and like go along with it. And I feel like that was the first time where I was like, Okay, well, if I say let's go to the moon, he's like, Yeah, let's go.

SPEAKER_03 22:12

Let's roll. I don't know how we go get there, but let's figure it out.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:16

Yeah. But I think to answer your question, maybe later on, in between like that second to last contract, us getting married, and then that last contract. Um, you know, we even from the very beginning, we chose us. We chose us together. You know, uh, we didn't let skating get in between us. If anything, skating helped us get to where we are today, uh, especially living on cruise ships in that little shoebox of a cabin. Um, we our relationship really got fast-tracked compared to anybody else, you know, like within six months to a year, I proposed to Mariah.

SPEAKER_04 22:50

Yeah, I mean, I feel like you know, if you can live in a shoebox with somebody, you know that that can that can work.

SPEAKER_03 22:57

Yeah, no, for sure. For sure. I I when me and Destiny first got together, I took her to Barbados, um, and we had literally been knowing each other a few months. And I was like, hey, you want to go to Barbados? And she was like, wait, what? Like, didn't her barely knew me. And but I knew like I knew within a short amount of time that I wanted to be with her long term. Um, and on top of that, I asked her that because I needed to know if I could travel with you. Like, if I can't travel with you, it's not gonna work. I we we pay too much money. And if if this if this is not if if we can't travel, then no. No parts of it. So there was a motive behind it. She doesn't, I mean, she found I told her later on, but I had to know, like, can can I travel with you?

SPEAKER_02 23:50

You know, it's the same, like, can can we live together, you know?

SPEAKER_03 23:53

And I'm not yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I gotta know. Yeah, I mean, I love you, but I I I'm not willing to sacrifice those type of things just for love. Like, you know, at the time I'm young, you know, I'm I'm I had been married before, I was single, doing my single thing, and then she came along, and so I had to know.

SPEAKER_05 24:13

Yeah, and the trip went well.

SPEAKER_03 24:16

Oh, the trip was dope. Oh, yeah, the trip was dope. The trip was crazy, and and it was with it was with a travel group that I was a part of, so she got to meet those friends too, the ones because I had been traveling with them for years, solo, single. Oh wow, and that's how they had known me. They had known me as the single solo party turn-up. I mean, you know, you know those cruise ships, they get kind of they get crazy.

SPEAKER_01 24:39

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:40

And so when they met her, they were like, dang, okay, Brandon's turning over a new leaf. Now Brandon's the relationship guy, the it's all about her guy, you know. So they got to see both sides of me, which that helped kind of ease it into things as well. So it was pretty good experience, you know.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

All of your wingmen in there too.

SPEAKER_03 25:00

Oh, for sure. Yeah, yeah. Um, you know what I like that you guys mentioned earlier about being a support system? Um, Mariah, you said, you know, you could you could say, I want to go to the boon, and Peter's like, all right, let's go, right? Why is it because I feel like in marriage, um, there are a lot of couples who one is trying to get things done for them, the other's trying to get things done for them, and they're kind of like in this selfish um, you know, mentality, right? But why is it so important if you're married to someone for your spouse to support what you're doing? Why is that so key for marriages?

SPEAKER_04 25:43

I really feel like, for one, mentally, if you have somebody in your ear constantly not supporting your dreams or your goals, you're gonna doubt yourself, which then will mean that it's gonna be harder for you to achieve those goals. But also, I feel like having the support, it just helps so much with motivation because if you know you have really, really big dreams that almost feel delusional, and you have, you know, somebody who's there cheering you on in your corner. I just feel like the path to getting there, even if it's not a super straight line or there's bumps in the road, you'll you'll stay the path. And um, you know, we have changed careers, we've changed jobs, we have invested in things that haven't been great. And I feel like at the end of the day, what has always kind of like helped us is us both being like, you know what, this is all a journey, and we're getting to our destination, and it it helped. I think we're both like in a good space and we're able to like come and talk and to each other and not bicker and be like, well, this is my thing and this is your thing. And I think something that's important in our relationship too, is we will say, like, okay, right now we're gonna focus on my thing, and then we'll focus on your thing, and we kind of switch back and forth, and I feel like that really works well for our relationship.

SPEAKER_02 27:03

I I can't imagine sitting next to her and not being supportive, you know. It's I I have my own uh hobbies and things that I like to do, um, and that's that's for my own sanity and everything, but I'll also latch on the Mariah and follow her along her her path, her journey as well. You know, I I will be there 100% to support you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:25

And vice versa. I'm always there. I was just at a marathon.

SPEAKER_03 27:30

Awesome. That is awesome. Yeah, you're you're absolutely right. Like, if you don't have that encouragement support, you're you're gonna start doubting yourself and your vision that you were so high on, every single time it starts to come lower, lower, lower, lower, lower. And then you get to a point where you're like, you know what, I don't even want that vision anymore because I didn't get the encouragement, I didn't get the motivation, I didn't get the boost that I needed. And so I asked you guys that to tell people like, hey, look, if you're in a marriage, you have to support your spouse. No matter what their dreams and goals are. Even if, you know what's funny, even if you think they're far-fetched, you still gotta be like, you know what? I'll support you here until you know, until you either figure it out or you don't. And then when it's time to move on to the next thing, I'll support you there. But if you don't have the support of your spouse, then you're right. You'll the confidence, you'll lose esteem, self-esteem, you'll lose confidence. The next thing you know, you guys are sitting in misery because I don't have anybody there to support my passion or what I'm excited to be doing, you know? So I love that. I'm gonna do it.

SPEAKER_04 28:38

It takes courage. It takes courage to have passion and to pursue it. And I feel like if, you know, sometimes it's scary to tell people, other people around you. So if you can't lean on the one person that you've decided to spend the rest of your life with, then you know, that is just like the ultimate, that's like that, that's like the ultimate betrayal.

SPEAKER_03 28:56

I'm like, for sure. You guys have two lovely kids, and obviously the kid your kids are mixed, right? And so they'll they'll forever be mixed. Um what is it that you guys are teaching them? And I know they're they're still young, obviously, um, but okay, let me take that back. What is it that you plan to teach them about being okay with being mixed? Because you know, they're gonna identify with being black, they're gonna identify with being white. In certain situations, uh they'll probably lean one way or the other in certain situations because society, social media, and everything is I mean, they're gonna have those influences, unfortunately, right? But what do you plan to teach them about? You know what, it's okay for us to be black and white and embrace both cultures, embrace both sides, and and be comfortable in our skin.

SPEAKER_02 29:57

Truthfully, for me, I'm still learning as well. And so a lot of the times uh with this topic of conversation, I will let Mariah take the lead on that because I whatever she's teaching the boys, I'm taking in as well. Uh I'm paying attention more, you know, uh, because a lot of things that I think are okay, you know, there there's some I don't know what the word is, um, but I'm I'm I'm taking two steps back to see how Mariah wants to teach the boys. And I I will always respect that. I love it.

SPEAKER_04 30:32

I mean, I definitely feel like especially with, I mean, we have boys, so I think that's the other thing that is like very, very important to me is raising them so that they understand the outside world. I don't want them to necessarily feel at home that they can't embrace both cultures, but like how they're viewed in society, I don't have as much control over that. So Peter and I have lots of conversations. You actually go and you lean on um like Aiden's godfather, he is really, really great. So he'll like go and talk to other men and just get different perspectives. Because I think when you are when you grow up and you have a family that's like, this is what society is gonna view you as, this is what you are. I think it just prepares them because I have met people who are mixed and their parents didn't necessarily prepare them for society, and then they have this rude awakening of like, oh my gosh, you don't see me as white, and really, no, like that's just how society is. So I think really we're trying to make sure that our kids know that you know, mom's black, dad's white, but at the end of the day, you are a person of color, people are gonna view you as a person of color, and we're just gonna make sure that they're prepared for that. And I feel like we're doing a really good job. Like we're starting out just, you know, talking about, you know, mommy's skin is brown and eight, you know, and eight, and and my skin is a little bit lighter brown, you know. So just I mean, there's still so little. But as they get older, I think the biggest thing is like the open communication between us, and he's not resisting me and making me feel like I'm crazy for thinking something that came up maybe was racist, or you know, kids on the park are treating them differently, like he's like, Oh, I see it, or like is able to respect my upbringing.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

I think for me, the first thing that I learned or was taught is that you do not touch a black person's hair. Do not touch the hair on their head. And I I could not believe it, but there was this one time we were at the airport with Aiden, and Aiden was still pretty small. I think he was walking at the time. He got a little too close to people. I was watching him, but he got a little too close, and this woman reached out and was like attempting to pat his head, his hair. And I'm like, I at the time I didn't make a scene, but I was pretty loud about it. I was like, uh, no. Yeah, no. And so, yeah, I just that was that was my one and only experience.

SPEAKER_04 33:10

Yeah, well, and you also start what were we talking about the other day? And oh, you were saying we were laughing about that because you're like, you do not touch a black person's hair. And he was like, I actually didn't touch your hair for a long time. I never noticed.

SPEAKER_02 33:21

I didn't know.

SPEAKER_03 33:22

I didn't know, you know, what I remember y'all did a video on that. Um it was a while back. I can't remember, but I think y'all did a video on something like that where it was about I can't remember, but anyway, yeah. No, that's that's that's good that you stood in there, Peter, and was like, and because I'm sure the lady looked at you like, well, wait a minute. Well, you're telling me I can't so yeah, no, that's that's a few different factors.

SPEAKER_02 33:51

Like, not not only is it is it a uh a black child, but it's a child. You don't touch another person's child.

SPEAKER_04 33:56

Yeah, I definitely think that's a some people that's a boundary that they struggle to respect. I think they're like, oh cute baby.

SPEAKER_02 34:04

Older people, yeah. Oh, cute baby, you know. Oh, I have I have two grandkids of my own, you know. Like, you know, if we don't know you, you're not related, don't touch my kids. That's it.

SPEAKER_03 34:14

That is hilarious. No, I I feel that. That is awesome. You know, I remember I remember you guys did a uh um because I I obviously we we watch each other's content and yeah, your content is so dope. I remember you did a video where you and Peter had gotten to an argument and then you walked in the house and your family was embracing Peter. You remember that?

SPEAKER_01 34:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:39

Is that real? Like, do they really like him like that? Do they really uh side with him over you?

SPEAKER_04 34:45

My family loves Peter, and I am very close to my family, but they love Peter. And I feel like honestly, my mom's a single mom. My grandma's husband's passed away, and so when he comes over, they're like, Oh, Peter, we got projects, we got things like you know, like not that.

SPEAKER_02 35:03

I don't just work at the house, but they feed me, they feed me. Unlike some people, Ryan is gonna fix me plants ever. No.

SPEAKER_04 35:10

My mom's like, oh, you're not gonna fix him a plate. I'm like, he can fix it all away.

SPEAKER_03 35:16

That is hilarious.

SPEAKER_04 35:18

But yeah, I mean, we don't really, I feel like honestly, most of our arguments we pretty much I would say, like keep them in-house. Like, I don't think that we necessarily feel like we need to, but they my family does love Peter. Like they have just embraced him and like he's cool, and um, yeah, it's been it's been beautiful to see.

SPEAKER_03 35:37

I love it. I love it. Two different backgrounds coming together, and that can it can be a hit or a miss.

SPEAKER_05 35:42

Very true, very true.

SPEAKER_03 35:44

And it, you know, even if it doesn't work out, it I mean, sometimes it takes a while for people to finally start embracing that hey, this is who my husband is, or this or Peter, this is who my wife is, and you either you're gonna deal with it or you're not gonna deal with it, but you have to you need you need to be accepting. You know, if you don't you can't love my husband or my wife, then you really don't love me. You know, because you gotta love, you gotta trust and love who I'm you gotta trust who I'm with. You gotta trust that I'm not gonna make a bad decision, right? If I chose to love this individual, this is what it is. So you just have to be trusting of that.

SPEAKER_04 36:23

You know, and I feel like people too, like, I mean, I've I definitely have had people in my messages and stuff telling me about their own personal situations. And some people like they cut their family off or they've you know cut friends off. And I really do think at the end of the day, it's about you and the person that you're with, and if you love them, then you know it's okay to choose them. And I think sometimes people really struggle with that decision. They're like, okay, well, if I if my family doesn't expect accept them, or if my friend doesn't accept them, then maybe we can't be together, and then you end up living this life where you're missing your other half because you're trying to do what everyone else wants you to do, and I think we've really learned in our relationship do what makes us happy first, and then everything else will fall into place, and it always has.

SPEAKER_03 37:17

Yeah, no, that's awesome. That is awesome. Okay, so I got a I got a tough one for you guys, okay? Have you ever caught yourself becoming a stereotype of who you were warned about? So for example, if Mariah, let's say you're let's say you were warned about being in a relationship with Peter because he's Caucasian. And Peter, have you ever caught yourself doing something or or or you know where you are being the stereotype that other people warn Mariah about? Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_02 37:59

Um it in what what case? In what what sense? Like how to carry myself, personality or whatever.

SPEAKER_03 38:05

Yeah, so so Mariah, if someone came to you and said, you know what, being with a Caucasian man, it's gonna come with X, Y, Z- Problems or issues. Have you ever has Peter ever demonstrated what you were warned about being with him, or vice versa, Peter, Peter, have you ever been uh have you ever caught Mariah being something that you were warned about, maybe from a family member because of her being African American?

SPEAKER_02 38:34

I think I have an idea, but let me gauge what your answer is.

SPEAKER_04 38:37

Okay, so I I'll never forget, I got this comment. It was this person, they were like, I don't want to date anybody white because I don't want to be teaching them things all the time. Okay. And you know, it is it is true. There are definitely I mean it's not all the time, but there like Peter didn't know what a bonnet was, he didn't know what a pressing comb was. I mean, I guess maybe that was but he didn't know what a pressing comb was, he didn't know it was gonna take seven hours for me to get my hair done. Like there was that was the big one.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

That was the big one, uh, really quick because it was the day or two days before our wedding ceremony, and you were out to get your hair done. I had no idea it was gonna take her six hours. Legitimately. I I have no idea. I walked in there like, are you done with it? Like, that was my first experience because like she she was wearing natural hair for a long time. And uh that was, yeah, sorry.

SPEAKER_04 39:28

Yeah, I I mean I definitely feel like it doesn't matter who you date, you probably are gonna be, you have to teach them about yourself because it's been so many years before you actually met. But I definitely think there have been moments where I'm like, oh, like you, you really don't know anything about this, and I have to, you know, teach you or educate you. But I would say, especially when it comes to social media and interracial couples, because I think that that's a really interesting, like hot topic where people will come and be like, stop forcing this on us, we don't want to see this, you know. And um for one, I think social media a lot of it is is curated and it's not real. Like, I think there are some of it's like trends and whatever, some of it is real, and I think we we really do try to share like our real experience in our real life, and like, but when it comes down to like trends and stuff and all that, like a lot of that is it's kind of made up. And I feel like, particularly on social media, people view interracial couples a specific way, and it's interesting because some interracial couples do fall into a certain category. Like, I have met, for example, black women who've married someone white to get away from the culture and like really like you know, get try as as much as they can to morph themselves into something that honestly just they aren't. But I have also met a lot of black women that has have found love and they truly just they found love and they were not expecting this white man to come in and they're like, oh, okay, well, here we go, you know, and so I think that it's really important to recognize that not every single situation is black and white.

SPEAKER_01 41:16

Black and white.

SPEAKER_04 41:20

But it's true. I think a lot of people think when they see interracial couples, like one of them is trying to like run away from their like culture. And I think at the end of the day, and the more couples I've met, because I've met a lot more through social media, and I've realized that a lot of people who are in interracial relationships, they truly just fell in love, and it has nothing to do with that. There are a small percentage that that isn't the case, but it's not as common as people make it seem.

SPEAKER_03 41:48

Yeah, yeah, no, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 41:49

I'll piggyback off that in just saying that uh I have learned a lot of things. Um, I'm not afraid of seasonings anymore. I freehand the seasonings. I'll follow the recipe, but then I'll I'll add a little bit more, you know what I mean? Um yeah, like I've I've learned everything with open arms.

SPEAKER_04 42:05

And I think that's another thing too that I want to mention is a lot of times too, when people are like, oh, you know, if you start dating outside your race, there's gonna be a level of kind of like almost disrespect in the questions that they're asking and the way that they, you know, these one-liners or these comments that they've been hearing throughout their life. I really feel like somebody who genuinely wants to be in a relationship with somebody who is of a different race, the way they ask those questions is very different. Somebody who is there and they're like, oh, I just always wanted to date a black girl, that's a very different type of questioning. And I think I've noticed that from Peter where it's like, I genuinely don't want, I I genuinely don't know and I want to learn, versus I don't know, I don't know how to describe the other way, but it's a it's there's a way where it's like it is intentionally disrespectful because I have been talking to guys before I met Peter that were that were not that were disrespectful. And I remember specifically my girlfriend being like Mariah, like, did you hear what he just said? You know, so I think there's there's a difference.

SPEAKER_02 43:18

That reminds me of the time we were out uh still on Disney uh on tour that first year. We were out uh at a party at a at a club.

SPEAKER_05 43:25

I know exactly what you're saying.

SPEAKER_02 43:26

And um it was there was another uh white guy, black girl together, and the guy comes up to me and he's he's like tapping me on the shoulder and he's like, You want to switch? You know, like as if he's like doing some bucket list thing, you know. And and I even just thinking about it, like I didn't know what to think or or say in that moment, but I looked over at Mariah, I was just I remember like this, just this disgust kind of, you know. Yeah. With with with her with his date at the time, I don't know, and I never talked to him, but like. Right there. Yeah. She saw everything, you know?

SPEAKER_04 44:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:03

People are.

SPEAKER_04 44:04

And those are the types of those are the types of guys where I'm like, immediately no.

SPEAKER_03 44:09

Yeah. No, for sure. Were you each other's first interracial relationship? Yes.

SPEAKER_04 44:14

For me, yes. Yeah. I was just I so I was on tour um for the five years, and I definitely had like been talking to people, but like never in an actual relationship. Technically, Peter's my first boyfriend, where we were like officially together. But before that, being on tour specifically, I was like in here. I was in a lot of white spaces. I was like, so every guy for the most part, with the exception of I think one, um, was white. So I feel like the um guys that I was around, that's where I was able to recognize that big difference between the way Peter asked me a question about my hair or about things versus them. Like, remember that guy who was like, ooh, girl new weave. This wasn't a guy he's done. Like Peter would never say that. Like he he gets it, you know.

SPEAKER_02 45:04

There was one time where I will admit, like um super early, like I I never had these experiences. I wasn't exposed to to this. And I said like a one-liner, a joke where it was like we were in the dark, and I told Mariah, smile, I can't see you. You know, that was to me at the time it was fun, it was funny, it was a joke, but thinking back on it, like that that was and then those are times where you have a conversation, you're like, hey, like you can't say that.

SPEAKER_04 45:33

Like, don't yeah, like and and then I think that those are the moments too where you're able to be like, how is that being perceived? If it's being perceived as a ha ha, um, you know, it was just a joke, those are the moments where you're like, yeah, no, this is probably not gonna work out, versus like, oh wow, I didn't realize that that was offensive because this is what I grew up around. So now I'm gonna be better. And so I feel like we've had a I would say like I can count on one hand moments like that. Like Peter, I really tried again, I give him so much grace because he grew up in a small town in Canada. I don't did you have any black friends? I mean, we already talked about this. You didn't have any black friends, so I'm the first.

SPEAKER_03 46:15

Well, there you go. Well, there you go. No, that's awesome. Like you said, you have a conversation and you move on, you know. I mean, it is what it is. There's I'm sure there's gonna be times on either side where I mean, you know, I wouldn't even necessarily call it ignorance, it's just you just don't know. Like, and maybe people will proceed. I I hate the word ignorance because it's such a negative connotation, you know what I'm saying? But there's just times where you just, you know, you just think you're just being funny and ha and ha ha ha hee heeing, and you know, if it's not, you just have a conversation, you move on, no harm, no foul. Um, a lot of people are too they're too sensitive these days, man. They're just I don't know. And I don't know. I I I feel like we're in a very sensitive society now where the littlest thing will get you canceled or get you cussed out or get you somebody have an attitude. I'm just like, relax, people, relax. There's too much, it's too much going on a world for us to be worried about a little bitty joke, but you know, I get it. You know, you like it's a conversation and you just move on.

SPEAKER_02 47:20

Well, with all with all that said, like the big difference is that it's one thing to listen, it's another to learn, you know, and why what you are listening to, you know, and and learn from it.

SPEAKER_04 47:31

Yeah, yeah. And we've like, we really, I feel like everyone is so sensitive, so you're like really afraid, like, well, what can I say, what can't I say it? But I think a lot of people's reality is if you don't know something, you don't know something. If you didn't grow up around people who are of a different culture, like not necessarily black or white, you're not gonna know about their culture. You're not gonna know if there's something that people have, like, especially one-liners. People have all these one-liners that they say all the time that could potentially be offensive to another culture. But if you weren't taught that and you were taught the one-liner, you have to go back and unlearn it. And then it's really that, like you said, listening versus learning. After you learn, you don't say it anymore. And I think that that's where that growth happens versus the people who like learn something and then they're like they laugh it off and they don't.

SPEAKER_02 48:25

You don't know what you don't know.

SPEAKER_04 48:27

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 48:28

Yeah, no, I get it. I love it. I love it. What does the next three to five years look like for you guys? Like, what are some things you want to accomplish?

SPEAKER_02 48:36

Uh, you want me to pull out the uh vision boards and everything? Lots of things, lots, lots of things, lots of great things.

SPEAKER_04 48:43

Um my my biggest dream in my biggest goal is to work up into the TV and film space. I really want to tell outhold stories, especially with skating. I feel like I see so many movies of the same kind of story of, you know, like a little white skater and she falls in love. And, you know, I think I would love to see some kind of story about a black skater. I would love to see, you know, like a hot chocolate factory for like the skating community where there's potentially a show of filled with diversity, like an ice show filled with diversity. Like I really want to work towards being more in that space where I'm helping to change the future of bigger skating and inspiring younger people to be like, hey, I can be a part of this. And I want to tell our stories because I feel like skating is such a beautiful sport, and there's so much beautiful movement in the sport, and I really feel like it can be for everyone, but for the longest time it's really been framed as you know, almost exclusive, and you can't really be in the club. And so I want people to feel like they can come in and enjoy the beauty of the sport, and I think the best way to do that is going to be trying to get more media around that.

SPEAKER_03 50:02

I love it. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 50:05

Thanks.

SPEAKER_03 50:05

I think there, I yeah, I think there is a gap that needs to be bridged with that. Because to me, when I look at when I look at the uh when I look at female skaters, this to me it's like either the white skater or there's a foreign skater.

SPEAKER_01 50:20

You know?

SPEAKER_03 50:21

Yeah. Not to me. And I, you know, I I mean I'm I'm not gonna be the first person to say I'm just I just watch skating like that. It's just from when I've watched it. So being able to have that story told from to me, a black skater, from their point of view, from their perspective, how things kind of go, I think that would be awesome. I really do.

SPEAKER_04 50:42

Yeah, I think it would be so cool, so important. And I think so many young children would be like, sign me up for skating lessons, you know.

SPEAKER_03 50:51

Yeah, no, for sure.

SPEAKER_04 50:53

Yeah, so hopefully that that's the next three to five years for me. Um, and then also doing events. I would love to do events and like meet people in our communities from social media, maybe some skate parties where people can come down and we can skate and hang out and learn about other people's lives. Like, I really am passionate about learning about other people's walks of lives. Um yeah, so I think that that could be in the future too.

SPEAKER_03 51:22

Awesome. What about you, Peter? What you what you got going on?

SPEAKER_02 51:25

For me, like, you know, I get caught up in standing on the sidelines there and being the Mariah's biggest supporter, but there's definitely things that I want to do for me. Um, I would love to complete uh an Iron Man in the next two to five years, uh, a lot of training there. But also um in terms of like contributing to our business, I really want to get into real estate. I've been talking about it for ages. Um, I sometimes I'm afraid if I've missed the boat or not, but like real estate's always changing. I want to invest in properties, I want to be that uh caring, keyword is caring, landlord for people, and um really expand on that. Uh not necessarily Airbnbs, we did try that very briefly, um, but I want to um invest in property, flip it, rent it out, and do things like that. You cannot wet uh let private equity win and own all the properties, all the houses.

SPEAKER_03 52:16

All of us and for those who don't know, remind people what an Iron Man uh competition is.

SPEAKER_02 52:24

I know what it is, but just tell for those who actually uh I still don't know all the specifics, but it's essentially uh a triathlon, and for those that did Ironman's, I might get crucified or whatever. But my understanding is that it's a swim first, a bike, and a run. It's uh 70, 70.3, 70.1 miles. Iron Man, um, it's a lot of training, very intense. I've seen constant like amp up videos, you know, uh, even even David Goggins videos are up in there, and just the amount of training that go is involved, like you should be doing uh minimum 12 hours training uh if you don't want to compete in an Iron Man uh week, 12 hours training a week. Wow. I have a lot of work to do. I I swim, but I can't lap swim, so I would love to take lessons and actually learn how to do the stroke and the breath and everything. I love mountain biking. I just did a half marathon. I gotta do a marathon first before I do an Iron Man. And so for me, but um three to five years is what I'm thinking. I can I can do an Iron Man for sure.

SPEAKER_03 53:32

Oh, that's good stuff, man. Y'all, y'all are gonna be able to do it. Y'all are I I love you guys, man. Y'all are motivated, and the most important thing is you got each other's backs, and so you're going to push each other, you're gonna motivate each other to succeed, you're gonna give each other the energy and the confidence that each other needs, and that like when you have that, you can't the sky's the limit, you can't fail, you know.

SPEAKER_04 53:57

Yeah, I definitely yes. We uh always tell people like if the number one thing you need in a partner is someone who can support you and you're doing it, and yeah, it makes a big difference.

SPEAKER_03 54:10

It may oh my gosh, it makes such a big difference. Oh man, oh man. Well, I'm gonna get y'all out of here on this last question. Um, Mariah and Peter, say you're sitting across the table from 20-year-old Mariah and Peter, and they're in an interracial relationship, and they are getting a lot of flack for it. Um I mean, flack from every witch away, family, friends, people just don't have confidence in it. They don't think they're gonna last. They, you know, they are just stuck right now, and they're they're almost at the point where they want to give it up because the negative energy that they're getting is just not worth it to them. And they come to you for one piece of advice. What's one piece of advice that each of you would give them?

SPEAKER_04 54:59

I feel like for me, it would be that your love is stronger than anything around you. I feel like you might think that what your mom thinks, what your friend thinks, what anyone thinks, it sounds so loud and it can be really discouraging. But if you love someone and they support you, at the end of the day, you want you and your person, that's who you're gonna be living your life with. That's the person that you're gonna be seeing every single day. That's the person you're gonna be waking up with, that's the person you're gonna be having kids with. So if you can have strength in that relationship and you trust and believe that that person's always gonna be there for you no matter what, that is the most important thing. And choose love first.

SPEAKER_02 55:50

Use your gut for trust, and for me, not to sound cliche, but follow your heart. Um I'm I've been here and I'm not going anywhere anywhere because I am following my heart. And that's the the deep, deep admiration and love that I have for Mariah.

SPEAKER_04 56:08

And I think most people do, they don't realize too, that like if you love someone and you feel like it's the right relationship for you, and all the pieces of the puzzle are there, honestly, you can't fail because you have someone that will work with you through anything, and that'll truly be your partner. And I I think that that is the most it's just the most important thing.

SPEAKER_03 56:32

It is, it is, and wow, follow your heart is is it's so cliche, but it's so meaningful, man. It's like if you it's like why would you choose anything over your heart? Yeah, but sometimes you get brainwashed to where you start doubting your heart, and you're like, well, dang, is this gonna work out when your heart is telling you, bro, like yes.

SPEAKER_01 56:58

Yeah, you'll be okay. You'll be okay.

SPEAKER_03 57:03

Yeah, you'll be okay no matter what. This is this is your vision, right? So if you've been given this vision, it's not as long as you execute it, it's gonna work out. No matter what people say, no matter how people feel about it, who cares? It's love.

SPEAKER_04 57:18

The most interesting thing is usually people will come around. Like, I think you you think like, oh, this is their forever. Like, once they see you, they see you winning, they see you love, they see you, you know, doing all these things that you said you were gonna do, they then they're gonna be like, oh, well, how do I do that too? You know, so they come around and you're like, man, I'm so happy I did not listen to you.

SPEAKER_03 57:44

Yeah. And you guys are and you guys are winning. Y'all are winning. Y'all, y'all are y'all are y'all are so dope, man. We me and my wife, we love you guys. Y'all are so freaking dope. And y'all are y'all, y'all doing what y'all gotta do. Y'all are doing what you guys have to do. And, you know, you've been given a vision and you're you're doing it. And you have like you have two beautiful, like you're you have a beautiful family.

SPEAKER_01 58:09

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 58:10

You showcase it. And, you know, a lot of people, they g it's a lot of people they look at social media like, oh, it's this, it's this fake, phony, whatever the case may be. But people don't understand and realize that your relationship is not phony, your kids are not phony, right? These are things that are actually happening in your lives, and you're just choosing to give people a a snippet of what's going on. But there's nothing fake or phony about being a family. Yeah, or you know, embracing your relationship. So you guys are so dope and you guys are doing it, and like you said, either people are gonna come on board or or not.

SPEAKER_04 58:51

Yeah, that's very, very true. And I do think, like you said, like with it when it comes to social media, I feel like a lot of people have a lot of different opinions. So you're letting a lot of people in. But I do think, you know, people when they choose to share their lives, it's actually a very brave thing to do, to allow that many opinions. And I don't know, a lot of people aren't required to accept that many opinions. Um but I I think again it goes back to having like a strong foundation of who you are, a strong foundation in your relationship and your family, and that's how you that's how you survive.

SPEAKER_03 59:29

Yeah, thick skin, man. But you're right, strong foundation.

SPEAKER_01 59:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 59:35

Well, this was good, man. I appreciate you guys. I appreciate y'all coming on, giving your journey and perspective. And I love, I just love what you're doing. Keep doing it, keep going, keep grinding, keep being each other's support system, each other's foundation. Just keep going and don't let anybody, any negative outside influence, affect what you got going on. Keep the train moving. The train is gonna move through any and everything. What happens when you try to put something in a train's way? It's gonna go right through it and demolish it.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:06

Stop this train.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:07

I can't stop it. Yeah, you can't stop it. The only person that can stop it is you.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:12

You know, that's so true. That's so true.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:15

Keep going. I love I'm a fan of you guys. My wife is a fan of you guys, so keep going, please. Okay?

SPEAKER_04 1:00:23

Same, same. We are fans of you guys. We love your content and we really appreciate you having us.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:28

Thank you. Yes, thank you for the opportunity. Yeah, absolutely. Well, make sure you guys are following us on IG where we post reels from the episodes. And if you can't watch us, you can listen to us wherever you get your podcast at flip that switch. So whether you're watching or listening, please make sure you're tapping in. And Mariah and Peter, thank you so much again. And uh, we're gonna see y'all for the next video. And we're out. Peace. Peace.