Spark Series, Episode 1: The Wind Beneath My Wings

Introduction
The Sparks Series is a special series within The SoulFire Sessions.

While our regular episodes explore a wide range of conversations around purpose, leadership, and growth, the Sparks Series is dedicated to spotlighting purpose-driven leaders who are creating meaningful impact in their work and communities. Each episode centers on their story, their leadership, and the moments that sparked the work they’re doing today.

Summary
In this SoulFire Sparks episode, Mariah Newman honors the people who became the wind beneath her wings...the mentors, family members, and quiet encouragers who helped her rise long before she believed she could, and who shaped her life and leadership.

Through heartfelt stories and reflections, Mariah honors the sparks who showed up with belief, safety, and unwavering support during pivotal seasons of her life. From professional mentors who helped her see her courage and potential, to family members who stood in the gap during difficult chapters, this episode is a reminder that leadership is never a solo journey. 

This episode is a love letter to the unseen mentors, the ones who don't seek recognition but whose presence changes everything. 

Takeaways

~ Not all mentors have titles—some simply show up and stay.
~ Safety and belief can change the trajectory of a life.
~ Being seen is often the first step toward courage.
~ Our “sparks” help us rise before we know how to fly on our own.
~ Gratitude deepens when we acknowledge the people who carried us through.

Connect with Mariah

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariahnewman12321/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariah.e.cline 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariah-newman-ed-s-05054071/ 

Connect with The SoulFire Collective

Website: thesoulfire.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesoulfireco/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577017224180
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-soulfire-collective/

Chapters

00:00 – Introducing Sparks & the Power of Influence
01:00 – No One Becomes a Leader Alone
01:40 – Ken Henson on Courage and Leadership
05:39 – Todd Carter: Courage in the Face of Change
09:34 – The Ripple Effect of Being a Spark
11:25 – Seeing Yourself for the First Time
15:32 – Friendship, Authenticity, and Resilience at Work
19:20 – Miss Sharon: Love Without Conditions
25:02 – Family Who Stood in the Gap
27:50 – Persistence, Care, and Growing Up Too Soon
33:35 – Gratitude for the Sparks Who Raised Her
38:37 – Messages of Love & Affirmation
39:37 – The Wind Beneath My Wings
41:08 – Closing Reflection & Invitation to Honor Your Sparks

Keywords
Mentorship, personal growth, life mentors, support systems, influential people, gratitude, belonging, leadership development, emotional safety, confidence building, courage, influence, community support, chosen family, the wind beneath my wings

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome to Sparks, a Soulfire series dedicated to showcasing leaders who inspire, ignite, and light the way for others. Each month we highlight someone whose presence, wisdom, or work creates an impact in their community. Today's episode is a special compilation, a heartfelt look at the people who have shaped, supported, and inspired Mariah on her journey. You'll hear stories, reflections, and moments that reveal the mentors and guides who helped build the woman and leader that she is today. So settle in, take a breath, and let these sparks of influence remind you of the power of the people who walk with us.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

They were not getting the credit. Because there's not any self-made leaders. And in the sense that they're real leaders that drive real impact and make a lasting difference and truly care about people, they're not just born. There's people that come into their life that help shape them and help them to evolve into the best version of themselves.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

So, first I know how you know Mariah, but other people do not. So tell me how you know Mariah.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

When I was vice president of instruction at Surge County Community College, Mariah was head counselor at our local high school. And I did a lot of work with her because she was um she headed up the concurrent enrollment and also uh the technical program there at LHS. Um so I met with her frequently to make sure that our processes were working appropriately, that the student experience was a good experience for them at LHS.

SPEAKER_03 2:21

And then she eventually started working at Seward County.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

I might have encouraged her to apply, if I recall correctly, because she's a very dynamic person and was somebody that I thought would be a good fit, and she never missed a beat when she came into Seward.

SPEAKER_03 2:37

Okay, this is one of my favorite questions that we're asking. What do you think Mariah's superpower is?

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Her superpower is her courage. She's fearless. Now I know that's not the case, but that's what it looks like on the outside, and the way that she carries herself and the way that she interacts with people, is that she's ready to tackle all of these different situations. She's always looking for ways to improve and is is not afraid to take those steps.

SPEAKER_03 3:10

Tell me if you can think about a time that Mariah maybe empowered you or empowered someone else that you got to be a witness of, if you can think of something along those lines.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

Probably the first thing that comes to mind is actually working with men's sports and the and the the players and and the coaches in those situations. Um and the tough part for her coming in was to be able to develop those relationships and have um have input on those players' schedules and their futures and making sure that they were staying on track to graduate while at the same time not stepping on the coach's toes and and that whole dynamic on their interaction with their players. In all the years that I was at Seward, that was really the first time that I saw that that counseling office was an open door, and there were players hanging out in there all the time. They were visiting with Mariah. She's a very supportive, very outgoing person, and had no issue at all visiting with them, getting to know them, and providing that support that they need in that environment. So that's one of the things that really pops into my head. The other one, too, is is being uh being the support person across the campus with advising as well. It took her a little bit to learn, you know, the system and what we were after because we had just revamped that advising process, but then she was the champion for it on campus and really helped make that work for our students and for our advisors.

SPEAKER_03 5:02

She was a safe space for them, and it really changed the culture between athletics and advising and counseling, and I I was grateful for that.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

Yeah, yeah, I was too. You're right, it did change the culture between between those two groups, which was great to see because as you mentioned, those players needed that support. Yeah, they needed someplace that they could go and they felt safe. Uh and and she provided that. And that to me was another example of courage and being fearless.

SPEAKER_02 5:39

And Todd was a sounding board. There were days that I would just cry in his office about the stories I would hear, or the experiences that they were having, or interactions that they had had, or choices that they would make, or um hardships that they were facing. And Todd was an educator for me, a sounding board for me. He was a thought partner, and he asked me questions through the experience that expanded my thought and my perspective on the human race overall, on adversity overall, on overcoming adversity. And through that, we had conversations about my a little bit, about my personal life and some of the challenges I was facing. I didn't go into a lot of depth because I don't think I had a lot of depth at that time. I was just scratching the surface, but recognized that there were some things that probably should be different. And as we were talking about overcoming adversity and things like that, he started to build within me this belief that I was courageous. Told me at one point when I was offered a job that would move my family to a different state, to corporate America out of education. I said, What do I do? You know, like this job where I'm at, I feel like I'm making a difference. I feel like it's at the pinnacle of my career. Like I've worked really hard to be here. I'm really excited about the opportunities I have in this role and the things I can do. And he said, You need to move to Arkansas and figure out how they treat single parents. And I need you to remember that you are the most courageous person I've ever met. And I remember thinking that's the nicest compliment anyone has ever given me. And I knew he meant it because he just didn't say things like that. And that's not a surface compliment. That's not how someone looks or something like achievement-based, you know, it was like who who I am. I think that's the first one of the first times I ever felt seen, really seen, courageous. That is doing something, even though it's scary, because you believe in it. That is something that I was like, that's that's a core value. And I didn't even know what those were or I had core values until that chapter. And my first six months in Arkansas were excruciating. And Todd called me, I think, every day for the first six months. And even if it was just to tell me that he believed in me. And some days when I didn't want to talk about stuff, he would just tell me what was going on with him. It just was a sounding board and it was a get yourself over the hump period. And he reminded me regularly that I could do hard things and that he was proud of me. And those words coming from him were like the rocket fuel underneath of a rocket ship, were exactly what I needed to keep going. It would have been a lot easier to pack up and say, I can't do this and go back because I could have found a job back in that community, but I needed to be where I was, even though it was hard and it was scary.

SPEAKER_04 9:34

Mariah has identified you as someone who's sparked her. And so oftentimes that's a two-way street. And so I wanted to know a little bit more about the impact she's had on you personally and what that's been like for you.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

She's very transparent with me about that too. How how she thinks, you know, the world of me because I was there for her and you know, helped her when her light was not as bright. And, you know, I I tell her she gives me too much credit for that. I mean, I think I was just giving her support and encouragement in a safe space where she could kind of find herself and get her feet, you know, back underneath her and that sort of thing. But she does credit me with really helping her kind of find her light and helping it to burn bright. I don't think she fully appreciates the way that she's impacted me in the same fashion. As I said, just not only seeing what she does in other people, but recognizing it and what she did with me. And I was a far better manager when Mariah was on my team. I was a far better people leader. She helped me be a better person, a better leader, a better husband, right? A better father. It all really is tied together. And so when you do find that spark inside of you and you recognize it and you're able to let it kind of flow, it really does cascade across across all portions of your life. And so I don't think she probably fully appreciates the the impact that she had on me in that regard, but she certainly did. It's often hard to put in appropriate words, you know, when when someone's in your life like Mariah's in mine, like the impact she's had, not just on me, but that I've witnessed her have on so many other people, you know, we've probably undersold it. And I don't necessarily have the right words to do it justice, but I just can't say enough great things about her. She's just she's just a genuinely good, kind, caring, thoughtful, you know, passionate person who I'm so glad I know.

SPEAKER_04 11:16

Awesome. Thank you so much, Ken. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

I'm honored to do it. Hopefully, hopefully you got something you can use.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

Ken helped me to see myself for the first time in my life. And he helped me to, I'm not, I'm probably gonna cry, but he helped me appreciate who I am and the differences that I bring to the table and celebrated my uniqueness and put me in a position to shine on this team where I was a hundred percent different um than everyone else, but celebrated because of my differences and almost like designed this team with people's unique strengths in mind so that we could be better together as a unit. And I'd never seen a leader do that before. I'd certainly never been a part of it, and I'd certainly never felt like I could be myself in any shape or fashion, and it was okay, and not only okay, but safe and expected. I often said things like, I'm awkward, or I'm weird, or I'm the odd one. And he would tell me to stop saying that. And he started telling me things like, you're amazing and you're incredible, and I want you to stop speaking those things because they're not true. And the part that I was saying I didn't really want to say out loud, I'm the one that filed for divorce, and I'm not sure that I would have done that without Ken. And he would probably feel bad about me saying that somehow, um, because there's this stigma around divorce, and there's trauma that comes with divorce and hurt that comes with divorce. But I don't think I would have stayed married as long as I did if I would have seen what I was worth and seen what I deserved and seen how much good I have to offer and how much I was capable of, but I didn't see that before. Not in childhood, not in that marriage, and until kin. And it didn't take very long for me to feel these shackles of shame and embarrassment and hurt and limitations start to fall away while on that team. And it was the psychological safety, it was the physical safety, it was the changing my mindset, um, being around people that truly believe in you and truly celebrate you and accept you and support you, and a whole team of them is something I still haven't experienced outside of that environment, but believe it was 100% meant to be part of my journey because it changed me. It changed my girls, it it changed my career, it changed relationships, it changed how I view myself, how I talk to myself, it changed my potential, um, enhanced my strengths, my confidence. 100% changed me. And it what's interesting is Ken is the most different person from me in the way he thinks, the way he acts, the way he speaks, the way he goes about life, very routine, orderly. But he made me feel safe and accepted, and that my uniqueness was special. And that kind of safety and support is something that I aspire to give every single person that I meet, and has changed me as a leader, changed me as a mom, changed me as a human. And I am forever indebted to this man um for taking a chance on me and believing in me.

SPEAKER_05 15:32

So uh I would love to start if you could just tell us how you met Mariah.

SPEAKER_06 15:37

She got transferred over to our team. And she came in like a wrecking ball, and she would say that. And we had had that before. Each person that came in said, Oh, we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this. Mariah came in with that same, and so one of my my teammates and I, we were going, okay, it it's this is it again, here we are. But there was something different about Mariah. She not only came in like that, but everything she did, she she what she said she was gonna do, she did. And I think when she came in, she was saying, We're gonna change the world. And we may not have changed the world, but she helped change our team, everybody's mindset. Um my team in particular, with their like three separate teams. My separate team had a I guess you'd say a bad reputation for some reason. There was this like gray cloud hanging over us with and and Mariah was the one person that was able to go out and say, That is so wrong. And she changed everybody's mind, and she got us on the right track, and it was just it was a godsend to have her there. Um and during that time, she just became my friend. I mean, there yes, she came in like a wrecking ball, but it was just something about her, and we clicked, and it was just it was great. I mean, I just I am very thankful.

SPEAKER_05 17:13

That's amazing. Is there anything more you'd like to share about how Mariah has been a spark for you?

SPEAKER_06 17:20

Yes, um she's just authentically herself. Um, and you get you know, you just get Mariah, and that's what she expects from you. Just your authentic self. And there's I mean, yeah, there's some people that you can be that way with, but she's one of those. She's like it's it's very easy to be with her. Um she brings out a good part of you.

SPEAKER_05 17:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 17:52

Um not only for like our team, but like for me in particular. She finds those things that you are good at or those things that make you shine, and she brings that out of you. So I think that's what she's helped me with. It's helped me to shine not only here at work, but just in myself, feeling better about myself.

SPEAKER_05 18:15

That's lovely. So she feels like a safe space, and when you can be authentically yourself, that's when you can shine. That's lovely. We've also been asking if Mariah had a superpower, what do you think it would be?

SPEAKER_06 18:32

Her superpower is one is is just making people feel comfortable for one. Absolutely. Um it's there's no there's no boundaries. I mean, she just when she loves you, she loves you. Um other than that, she's she's resilient. She's just resilient. She I started thinking about this when you when you asked about the interview and you're talking about. I mean, I just started thinking about all the things that she's gone through over the since I've known her, and it's I don't know, several years, but um she's gone through a lot, and she's resilient, and and now to see what she's doing is amazing. Amazing.

SPEAKER_02 19:20

What's interesting and what might be a good follow is that Miss Sharon is somebody who was on Ken's team with me. Miss Sharon, as I call her, um, her name is Sharon Pitt, and Ken had not communicated very well to the team that I was starting. And so I came over with a box of things and probably, you know, hot mess status. There's no cubicles, just open area, and there's this open desk next to Ken, actually, between two lawyers, two leaders that are lawyers, and Miss Sharon, and some other people were in the pod area. And I was like, Hi guys, I'm Mariah. I'm starting on Monday and I'm bringing my stuff and moving in. And they didn't even know that someone had been hired, any of the things. And here I am, probably wearing orange and with buttons unbuttoned and things, and they're looking at me like, what on earth is happening? Like, what job is she here to do? Is there a mistake? Is she in the wrong place? Ken is not here. Do we need to guide her somewhere? Like it was all of the things, and you could just read it on their faces. And Miss Sharon was kind to me and just asked me about myself and talked to me a little bit. Warm is the word that I would use for her. She was interested in me and cared about me. She taught me, invested in me. And I remember when I got divorced, you know, I was struggling and just trying to figure out how to breathe and put one foot in front of the other. I remember wearing this green jumpsuit thing that's like a one piece that you like pull up, and there's like little like buttons in the back, but that makes it really freaking hard when you have to go to the bathroom, and you're like trying to do the things, but you can't. And I had gone to the bathroom and I can't get the thing down. And I remember going to Miss Sharon and being like, I'm really embarrassed to ask you this, but I need your help. Like, can you unbutton me so that I can like go to the bathroom? And she was like, Yes. So she unbuttoned me. I came back, she buttoned me, and I just felt like she cared. And then COVID happened, uh, divorce was final, and she would bring over food for me and the girls. And the girls were young, and we're from a community, and I'm from an upbringing where you were. Your elders have your kids respect their elders, whether the person is 20 years old or 30 years old or 40 years old, and they are Miss or Mr. So it was like Mr. Ken, Miss Sharon. And my girls took a very big liking to Miss Sharon, and because they were young, she was Miss Sharon, and that just the name stuck, but she stepped into me and the girls' life in such a profound way that she on days that I didn't feel like cooking for the girls because I was sad or tired or alone, she showed up with food, and I was really struggling with being a single mom and trying to be successful at work in a corporate environment and like homework and extracurriculars and drop-offs and have this meeting, but I've got to get them to school at this time and things like that. And she would help me with transporting them and picking them up. And if they forgot something, and she never complained, she never asked for anything, she loves my kids like family loves kids. She has just loved them and loved me at my worst and at my most vulnerable on days where I didn't think I could get out of bed. Um, she was there. And on my birthday, I remember during COVID after the divorce, she brought some of our team over and they sang happy birthday to me and had a cake. Everyone was six feet apart the entire time. And she got me Christmas presents when when you first get divorced and you're all alone and things like that, and your kids are little, it's like there's no one to get you anything, you know, and she did that, and she didn't have to, she did way more than she had to, and she has always been someone that I could count on to support me and to love me, and to be the first person in the front row of any event I put on, and to be the loudest cheerleader. And I don't know in my life that I've experienced love like that and nurturing like that from someone that wasn't blood related. She did more than I could have ever asked for, prayed for, expected, and became my family. She's been the wind beneath my wings and a constant supporter, and that's just who she is. She's just, you know, the best kind of human.

SPEAKER_03 24:58

I know it's probably a very easy thing for you to talk about.

SPEAKER_07 25:02

She's very special.

SPEAKER_03 25:03

Yes. So tell me first, how are you related to Mariah?

SPEAKER_07 25:07

Okay, I'm married to her uncle.

SPEAKER_03 25:09

Okay. On her mom's side or her dad's side?

SPEAKER_07 25:12

Her dad's side.

SPEAKER_03 25:12

On her dad's side. Very good. Okay, we love Rob. We love Rob a lot.

unknown 25:16

Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:18

Just like how have you been there for her? How what does she mean to you?

SPEAKER_07 25:23

Um, well, she's very special. Um, and like when they were growing up, um, sometimes the girls, the three girls would spend the weekend with us, um, and got to do different things like making cookies and and butterhorns, which is the family recipe, um, and bowling, um, different things like that, and and having fun. Um, and we always had a a toy room and and Mariah and her sisters really liked going in there and finding different things to play with when they were younger.

SPEAKER_03 25:54

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_07 25:55

Oh, and I think um or we had um an old computer that had um Oregon Trail on it.

SPEAKER_03 26:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_07 26:05

And that was a game that she liked playing.

SPEAKER_03 26:07

That's great. I remember Oregon Trail.

SPEAKER_07 26:10

It was here for Thanksgiving. Um you know, and and and then we would be down their house sometimes. Um and it's I know it was really hard for her with her mom.

SPEAKER_03 26:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 26:20

Her mom really tried, but um just her health. Yes was was a big problem.

SPEAKER_03 26:27

Yes. But I think that's why she she reached out to you and Barb, just because you guys sort of filled that uh void a little bit for her.

SPEAKER_07 26:37

Right. Yeah. Yeah, because because um you know, it was it it was hard and and Mariah had a mature because she had to grow up so soon on that. Um she was a really good student in high school and college. And then after she graduated from college, she lived with us for a short time when she had a job here in the Kansas City area. Um and then and then she got another job and moved away. That's kind of sad. It was really nice to have her here.

SPEAKER_03 27:14

What do you think Mariah's superpower is?

SPEAKER_07 27:18

Persistence. Um, you know, she doesn't let something go. She figures out how to how to fix something. So I I feel other than being such a warm-loving person, I think that's her her superpower is being persistent and and knowing how to fix things.

SPEAKER_03 27:41

That's a good one. Yeah, that's good.

SPEAKER_07 27:45

Okay, thanks, Alex. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 27:46

Have a good day.

SPEAKER_07 27:47

You too.

SPEAKER_03 27:50

So first tell me how are you related to Mariah?

SPEAKER_08 27:53

I'm her aunt. Her dad is my brother, my little brother.

SPEAKER_03 27:57

We love Rob so much. I've met Rob several times.

SPEAKER_08 28:03

He is a unique character.

SPEAKER_03 28:05

I love it. Yes, he is. So she's not you guys this beautiful text just saying that she was so grateful for you and Jackie for sort of stepping in as a mom role for her growing up. And so, how would you respond to that?

SPEAKER_08 28:22

Well, I was surprised at that. I mean, she's really close to her mom Lori, and and they spent a lot of time together, but I cherished any time that we got to spend with Mariah and you know, with her sisters. The pictures that I sent you, like the one of the trip we took to Uray Silverton. My daughter Jeanette was 14. She was standing next to me and to see Mariah in front of me. But it was always just fun to spend time with them, to watch her grow up, you know, to hear what was going on in her life. I was just really happy to know her, not just happy to be her aunt.

SPEAKER_03 29:12

That's amazing. I love that. Thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_07 29:16

Sure.

SPEAKER_03 29:16

Um so how, like, what does she mean to you? I guess that'd be another question.

SPEAKER_08 29:22

You know, it it's it's hard to put that stuff into words, Alex. It's it's the way that your heart just feels happy when you think of someone, and when I'm so proud of the woman she's become. And she was always very determined and bright. And but to see those qualities emerge in an adult when she worked as in liberal in the school district and was so clever about finding resources for an underserved community. Um just so many ways in which she just showed that character. And we've just had a special closeness, she and I. So I I would say that that that's you know, you just have sort of that hard connection with some people that that you can't put into words, but it's really there.

SPEAKER_03 30:30

Yeah, absolutely. I think you did put it into words beautifully, so that was good. Yes. If you could tell her one thing, what would you tell her?

SPEAKER_08 30:44

I'm so happy for our hard connection. And for the chances I've been able to serve her in some of the ways. I'm sure she may have mentioned about the time that she broke her back. Oh okay, so I was in Kansas City for Thanksgiving and staying at Jack and Jackie's, and we get a call at 7 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, and it's Mariah and this little bitty boy saying, Gamb, I'm in the hospital. Can you come? Well, of course, we just dropped everything and went over there. And she had the night before a big long story, but had gone to stay at a friend's house, but she hadn't been to that house before. And so she feeling her way along the wall and fell down a basement stairs and broke her broke her back. And so she she was okay, but she couldn't go home to liberal. And so I changed my travel plans and could stay at Chuck and Jackie's and they have a ground floor bedroom. And so I got to take care of Mariah for, you know, I don't know, a week, maybe more, before she was able to travel. And it was just to be able to, you know, unexpected things happen and to be able to serve her was was a special special way that we connected.

SPEAKER_03 32:17

That's that's really beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. That almost gave that gave me tears.

SPEAKER_08 32:22

Yeah, really. But I mean that phone call, you know. And of course, what you gotta know that Chuck and Jackie's Thanksgiving can sometimes be enormous.

SPEAKER_03 32:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 32:32

So many people. Some of those years back then, there'd be maybe thirty or forty people coming, and Jackie was still working, and so we were cooking and baking and doing all this stuff ahead of time. We just rearranged all the plans as like family comes first.

SPEAKER_03 32:51

Absolutely. Or to her, you are a spark in her life, but it also sounds like she's a spark in your life.

SPEAKER_08 32:57

For sure. Absolutely. Um it also we have a a connection because we have a strong faith in God, and um that is is a powerful connection and encourager, you know, where we can encourage each other.

SPEAKER_03 33:23

Thank you. That was amazing.

SPEAKER_08 33:25

You're welcome. You're welcome, Alex. It's so nice to talk to you.

SPEAKER_03 33:29

It's so nice to meet you, and we'll talk soon. Bye. Okay, bye.

SPEAKER_02 33:35

There's two people that I know that Alex talked to that are my blood relatives, that are my Aunt Jackie and my Aunt Barb, and were a big part of my childhood and part of my life now. And many who know me know that my mom was sick my entire life, and she had debilitating diseases that caused mental illness, emotional illness, physical ailments that were a challenge for me and for my family and for her, caused major depression for her, in as I'm sure any of us would probably experience being trapped in a body that doesn't work. And for some of my life, she was bedbound and not able to leave the house. And when she was able to leave the house, it was very limited growing up. But my aunts, my Aunt Jackie and my Aunt Barb, stood in the gap, and they loved me and were kind to me and expressed love to me. In neither of them lived in the community where I was raised, but they made an active effort towards me to show up for me, to cheer for me, to be what I needed them to be. At my first wedding, they that sounds so weird, but at my first wedding, they were the ones that were getting everything ready for the wedding uh reception and taking care of the cake and the flowers and all of those things, and just mommy me in a way that was a gift. And I also remember after my wedding to Caleb, my first husband, I planned to go on this cruise and I had saved for two years for this cruise, and I'd really built it up in my in my mind, and I had these formal dresses that I had, of course, gotten from thrift stores and borrowed from friends to wear on the formal nights. My Uncle Chuck was going to take me and my ex-husband to the airport after our wedding night to our honeymoon, and I left my formal dresses behind, and I remember calling my aunt bar from the airport and sobbing. They're not gonna let me into the formal stuff, and I have these formal dresses, and I don't know what to do, and I don't have any money. I've spent all my money on this wedding and this vacation that's supposed to be all inclusive, and I can't buy a dress, and he's got all his formal stuff, and I just to somebody else it may have been nothing, but to me it just sucked, and I remember them telling me that it was gonna be okay, and that there they would figure something out, and there wasn't anything that they could do to get me the dresses, but it was gonna be okay. And when I checked in on the cruise ship, they said uh your Aunt Barb has sent you$300 credit, and she wasn't didn't have$300 to send me. Um but she did, um, so that I could get a dress to wear on formal night, and it was maybe a little thing, and maybe she doesn't even remember it, but to me it was life-changing in that kind of generosity, and to know that money was tight for her, and she probably had to sacrifice because of that choice, but I just knew that that is what love was in that moment, and I hadn't always felt love growing up. Um, and I don't mean to say anything bad about either of my parents because they're great people. We talk about my dad on this podcast all the time, but I didn't always feel love, and with my Aunt Jackie and my Aunt Barb, I never had to question whether or not I was loved. My Aunt Jackie is the first to make sure that everyone's included and everyone feels welcome, and she has always made me feel like if I needed anything, that she would be there. I lived with her after I graduated with my undergrad, and she and my uncle Chuck, and they treated me like their own, and they are the people that if I needed something, I would call. They were my family and still are, and I love them dearly.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

Raya, I just want to thank you for being a part of my life, your encouragement and your courage and your energy, getting to know you. Such a blessing. Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 38:51

Thank you so much for always just being you. Thank you for being my friend, even though I'm old enough to be your mom. Thank you for being my friend. Um, and um I love that you are authentically you, which helps me to be myself as well. I love you, I love your family, I love being your second family, and you're my second family. And as we always say, I love you and I love you more.

SPEAKER_08 39:19

I love you. Mariah, your heart and my heart are connected so deeply, and I cherish knowing you and having you in my life, I'm so happy to be your aunt and your friend.

SPEAKER_02 39:37

People like Todd and Miss Sharon and my aunts and kin are a gift, and in moments where life feels shitty and hard and broken and messy, there's gratitude still for those people. So I'm eternally blessed, endlessly blessed for those people that love me as I am mess and all, and have helped me to realize my potential and enable my gift of loving people and connecting people and being a light for people, and for recognizing that talent and success and leadership doesn't come in a package that is defined by anyone except ourselves, and each of us has what it takes. We just need the support system and safety and the belief in ourselves to be what we're supposed to. So I just am grateful, overwhelmed with gratitude.

SPEAKER_04 41:08

Thank you for joining us for this special Sparks compilation. These stories remind us that leadership is never a solo act. We are all shaped by the people who see us, support us, and walk with us through life. If this episode resonated with you, take a moment to reflect on who has helped fan your flame, maybe even reach out and say thank you. To connect with Soulfire, you can find us at these soulfire.com. Maybe even nominate your own spark. Until next time, keep showing up as you are, choose encourage, and keep fanning the flames within yourself and within others.