ClarkCast Chapter 10: Eve Bauer isAawesome!

Eve Elias Bauer is the owner of Studio E, a popular dance company in Long Beach. She recently launched a dance clothing line, Leap. For almost 20 years, Eve has been the Regional Director for the American Heart Association. She's also an amazing human being and one of my good friends. Eve Bauer is on the ClarkCast Podcast.

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Eve, you're walking into a room, you're doing something cool, playing baseball, playing tug of war with the kids, like I I knew you did at Field Day. You're doing something awesome. What's your walk-up music?

SPEAKER_02 0:13

Okay, so don't laugh at me.

SPEAKER_05 0:14

I would never do that.

SPEAKER_02 0:16

My friends that know me well, it's the Tootsie Roll.

SPEAKER_05 0:19

Right on. Great.

SPEAKER_02 0:21

That that is my favorite song of all time. That is my walk-up song.

SPEAKER_05 0:25

And that's that's a perfect choice.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Welcome to podcasts. Like, my guest tonight is my good friend Eve Bauer.

SPEAKER_05 1:08

Eve is the owner of Studio E. Um, she just launched a new dance clothing line. What's that called, Eve? Leap. And we're going to talk about Leap. Um, Eve is one of the greatest, coolest people I know. We go to church together. Our kids go to school together. Uh, she's worked for the American Heart Association for 18 years, which is amazing. And uh, Eve, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Thank you, my friend. I'm honored.

SPEAKER_05 1:37

Um, let's kind of start in the beginning. You grew up in Long Beach, right? Did you graduate from Long Beach High School?

SPEAKER_02 1:43

I sure did. Grew up in Long Beach. I have three siblings, and uh, my parents raised us right here in Long Beach, went to Long Beach High School and grew up at St. Thomas.

SPEAKER_05 1:52

And your brother Matt, he was the named the principal of the year last year, and we were very excited about that. That was awesome.

SPEAKER_02 1:58

Yes, we all look up to him. We say he's our younger brother, but he is our role model. So he sets a good example.

SPEAKER_05 2:05

He is one of the most he is one of the most calming presents of anybody I've ever met. You know, I've never seen him get too excited about anything. You know, was is that Matt? Is that just him?

SPEAKER_02 2:17

That is Matthew, Matthew Ryan, as I like to call him. I call him with everything that I have that I need to think on before I speak. Any big decision I have, he and my father both. But Matthew is just uh a calming to every situation. He and he always makes good decisions and has others there that he just really thinks everything through to make sure it's right for everyone. And I think that's why he's so good at his role because he takes care of those children.

SPEAKER_05 2:45

Right on. Um and he he has an amazing wife. We'll talk about that. He does, yes, business partner. Um you you told me earlier after uh you graduated Long Beach High, then you went to uh Southern Mist to the top booty's job.

SPEAKER_02 2:59

That's right. And and Southern Mist to the top, love our golden eagles. Right on I went to school at Southern. Um, my dad was in administration with USM Gulf Coast for my whole life. So he actually taught at USM and he was um their vice president there over development. So uh I didn't have a big decision in that. So I went to Southern Mist and my younger brother went to Southern Miss. My older brother was in law enforcement at the age of 18, and then my sister played soccer at William Carey. So um, but I do love Southern Miss.

SPEAKER_05 3:32

You know, you're uh uh a quick story about Lewis. So when I was working at Engalls, so I worked in Engels and Community Relations for like a year, it was a lot, it was a uh it was an intense thing. I worked in Kimberly, Kimberly Nastasi's department, she's lovely, worked for Lisa Bradley, just like amazing people. So anyway, every day I would park, and uh, you know, we had to park in like the kind of same area and stuff, and there was always like a white SUV that had a Lewis Elias for Sheriff's thing on it. I noticed it every every time I'd always parked by it purposely. And uh then I found out just at uh at John Sandel's birthday party that that would be Christy's sister, Claudia. That was her car.

SPEAKER_02 4:16

So laughter, what a small world.

SPEAKER_05 4:18

For real. And like she was telling me, she's like, Yeah, I used to work at Ingalls, I worked for Carrie, I was her chief of staff, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, Really? I was like, Do you drive a white SUV? And she's like, Well, yes, we weirdo, why? And I'm like, Ah, because I parked by you every day. Small world, you know.

SPEAKER_02 4:32

That is pretty great.

SPEAKER_05 4:33

Did you ever like uh consider going into education like your dad or or Matthew, Matt?

SPEAKER_02 4:38

Honestly, um, I did not. So I always looked up to them for that. They have a lot more patience than I do. And as I said, they're just the calming factor and everything. I was more um, I I like to say I'm a little bit more type A than they are. So I I love taking leadership roles. I love, but you know, education to me is so very important. So I think that it's um it's made me who I am today, my dad instilling that in us. And I think it takes a special person to be an educator, very special person. I'm very grateful for every teacher and administrator out there.

SPEAKER_05 5:13

So you're also telling me earlier, like, you know, you opened up your first business when you were 22, like right out of school, I'm guessing, right?

SPEAKER_02 5:21

I did. I um, and you know what's funny is one of my first jobs was actually with Kimberly Nastasi. She had left the Mississippi Seawolves, and I took over as the director of community relations for the back in the day. I want to say it was in the late 90s. So yes, but just small world. Um, I did. I opened up a clothing boutique. It's named Eve Marie's. Um, didn't think really long and hard on the name. That is my name.

SPEAKER_05 5:45

Right on.

SPEAKER_02 5:46

And it is uh it sounds fancy too.

SPEAKER_05 5:48

Like what a great name for a boutique. Sure.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

It was so much fun. I made so many friends in Hattiesburg, um, just right out of college, and it's actually still there today. I sold it when I moved back to the coast. I think it was around 06 or 07. But it's exciting. I got to take my daughter there not too long ago, and um, she thinks I'm kind of cool now. So the mom that doesn't know anything about fashion.

SPEAKER_05 6:09

Right on. So you so you stayed in Hattiesburg for a while, huh?

SPEAKER_02 6:12

I did. I I went to school there and then I um worked on my master's at William Carey there and uh opened up the clothing boutique and then decided to move back home and start a family.

unknown 6:24

Right.

SPEAKER_02 6:24

There's no better place than the coast to raise a family. So I do still cover Hattiesburg with my American Heart Association job and love the people there.

SPEAKER_05 6:33

Yeah, I saw that. Like you can't you cover Forest County as well as right on. So you covered Forest and Lauren Jones. Right on.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

Yes, so Hattersburg is my second home.

SPEAKER_05 6:44

And tell me about that. Like that that's a really interesting thing to me personally. You you know my history with this, so thank you for the work that you do for the Heart Association. And you're you coordinate volunteers. What do you well?

SPEAKER_02 6:59

Thank you. Thank you for um for taking your health and as a top priority. I think it's so important. And your story is really inspiring, and I really do want you to come share your story with some of my volunteers and survivors.

SPEAKER_05 7:12

So so just trying not to die, you know. That's so impressive. That's my motion.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

And Charlie needs you.

SPEAKER_05 7:18

So yeah, absolutely. Found that out the uh the hard way, right?

SPEAKER_02 7:22

So impressive, though, because a lot of people don't until it's too late. So um, it's just my job inspires me. So I I love waking up every day and doing what I do. I love the people I work with, and my volunteers have become my best friends. So it's hard for me to ever leave my role with the American Heart Association because they truly are some very special people. These people, I say it all the time, it's my job to raise funds for the American Heart Association, which I truly believe in. But the volunteers for us are just really impressive. They have day jobs and then they put their all into our organization in order to fund it. So I I'm very blessed to have the role that I have and to work with the people I work with. And I get excited to say that we fund more research in the state of Mississippi than we raise in the state of Mississippi. So that's pretty impressive. We've been to the um UMC. They have I'm I'm not sure that I'm right on the numbers today, but there were 13 researchers there, and we got to actually go visit what you know their labs there, and what they're doing is just so impressive, but it's only possible because of volunteers. So I always say thank you.

SPEAKER_05 8:30

You know, and I know you're not like a a medical expert on this, but in the almost 20 years that you've been there, heart care has changed greatly. Greatly. You know, like I just from when I had and I told you I had Quintuple bypass surgery in 2020. Oh, impressive. The technology has changed, you know, so much since then. It has. You know, it was it was uh recovery on that for me was intense, you know, it's an advanced, and there now there's like Ozimpic, and there's a lot of things that people that that are helping with with heart stuff. Like, what have been some of the some of the success stories you've seen in your job, you know, over the years just because of the technology changing?

SPEAKER_02 9:12

I'll say just even like we have volunteers, several that have children, they were able to know before these children were born in the womb what type of surgery they were going to need, either in the womb or as soon as they came out of the womb. So they didn't just die like they used to. They are living now, they are they are thriving, and um, it's just really exciting to me to see these kids grow up and live normal lives because of the advancements made. And then two, just simple, I I had a heart ablation. So in Hattiesburg, um, I had atrial tachycardia, a really fast heart rate. And he was Dr. Borgonelli there was able to go in and ablate the problem. So I did not have to be on medication the rest of my life. So I would say, you know, just the medical advances around our state, it's really impressive. And um, CPR to me is very important. Um, I have a friend here that I used to work with at the Seawolves, his wife, they're from Biloxi, she uh had cardiac arrest. And thankfully, he knew hands-only CPR and he immediately started CPR and saved her life. And she's just a walking miracle because of it. So I just really advocate for CPR training. Um, my my 11-year-old daughter knows it and knows what to do.

SPEAKER_05 10:26

And and that's something else that's changed over you know, over time. It used to be a blow and pump thing, and now it's strictly a pump in the heart thing, right?

SPEAKER_02 10:35

And it's just so much easier. And I think you're more apt to do it on a stranger if you don't have to give those breaths. So anyone can be a lifesaver, and that's what we're trying to do is train a nation of lifesavers.

SPEAKER_05 10:45

You know, like when I was a kid and I took swimming lessons, like we had to through the Red Cross, we had to bring the dummy and do mouth to mouth and stuff, and you know, and it's definitely, you know, progressed and moved on.

SPEAKER_02 10:56

It has, and it's easier too. It's easier for kids to remember what to do and always keep the song staying alive in my mind.

SPEAKER_05 11:03

It's like you're reading my questions, right? Like I was gonna, I was just gonna mention staying alive. Like, I always think I like them. There was a great episode of The Office where they were, you know, all of that. What what led you to that? Like, did you have someone in your in your family who was affected by heart disease?

SPEAKER_02 11:17

I know I do. That's not what led me to it. My my great aunt was a big volunteer with the American Heart Association, and um my mom actually had a stroke in 2000, and we still do not know why, but I thank God she's here and and healthy um due to medical advancements and the medications she was able to take. And she actually has a little loop recorder in that monitors her heart rate so they know if anything's wrong. Um, my dad has AFib, and he has great cardiologists here that are able to help him um with with keep his AFib under control and keep him healthy. So I have a uh I do have a lot of heart disease in my family, but I would say just watching the volunteers and um getting to know people that worked with the heart association just intrigued me.

SPEAKER_05 12:00

You know, Dr. Baruti, that I that's my my cardiologist. And when I went through great man, when I went through through my heart attack in 23, he told me if you will do everything I tell you to do, I'm going to get you out of heart failure because I was in congestive heart failure at the time. And he's like, But you're gonna have to do everything I tell you to do.

SPEAKER_02 12:19

What were those things, Jeff?

SPEAKER_05 12:20

You know, diet, exercise, lose weight, like he was adamant, you know, and I've lost like 125 pounds. That's you know, so incredible, and I've kept it off, you know, because I'm like I'm scared to death of the case.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Yeah, tell me, tell me again, what is your diet during the day?

SPEAKER_05 12:34

Like, you don't my diet during the day, like so along with Dr. Baruti, I had, you know, I I had this happened while I was at Engels. Not blaming you, Ingalls. I mean, it was intense, but I don't think it was like a heart attack. I mean, I have some people who think up now, I'm just kidding. But um, and through Ingalls, I I had a uh primary care doctor because Ingalls has his own clinic and stuff. And so he told me, he's like, if you will, best thing you can do is go on a uh like a meat-free diet, quit eating sugar, quit eating carbs, fast, blah, blah, blah. So I still do that uh to this day. So like I get up at four because I'm an old man, and that's when I have to make lunch and I have to get Dana and Charlie up, and I have to do all this stuff. So I get up at four. You're a good man. I do, I'm a crazy man. I do all of my eating between 4 a.m. and noon, or I try to. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

And I and what is what does it consist of? What do you like to eat?

SPEAKER_05 13:28

I eat basically the I what I like to eat and what I eat, you know, is different things. Totally different. Because I don't like I just don't look at food as like anything special or delicious or comforting or anything anymore. There's no endorphins or chartonin rush. I'm getting out of it. It's just so I eat keto cereal, um, I drink, you know, I which I use with almond milk. I still take some dairy, but then I eat, you know, I eat vegetables, I'll eat cottage cheese, or I'll eat yogurt. That's it, you know.

SPEAKER_02 14:00

So that is that's just incredible. Yeah, we need more people to take after you.

SPEAKER_05 14:05

It's a very boring thing. Like, I don't eat in restaurants, uh, you know, because I don't trust people putting sodium or sugar in my food or anything like that.

SPEAKER_02 14:13

So it just became pretty scary, even when you look at these healthy meals that you can buy, right sodium is outrageous.

SPEAKER_05 14:20

Yeah, like lean cuisine, that at least a lot those me too. But the sodium in it, it's crazy. And it that's another thing. It taught me like how to read labels, right? Like I look at processed sugar, I look at all of that now, you know, and the heart check on foods, yeah. And even that can be, you know, it's like it to me, it's just looking at that sodium level, carbohydrates, and and added sugars, you know.

SPEAKER_02 14:44

So smart.

SPEAKER_05 14:45

And you're the picture of health. Uh I'm the I'm the picture of okayness, you know. I'm just uh I'm proud of what a good and uh you know, hopefully uh other people will follow.

SPEAKER_02 14:58

Follow exactly.

SPEAKER_04 15:01

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SPEAKER_05 16:00

Now, the one of the more interesting things about you, and I I've talked to Christy about this and gotten her perfect perspective on it. So I'm talking about Christy Elias, who's on a podcast we did uh a few months ago, and is Eve's sister-in-law, and a good friend of mine. We all attend St. Thomas together. But you uh in what 2021 decided you were gonna open a dance studio.

SPEAKER_02 16:23

Isn't that crazy?

SPEAKER_05 16:24

Are you a dancer? Do you have any kind of background in that at all, other than the two?

SPEAKER_02 16:29

Other than when I was younger. Um I do love Miss Diane Desport, who's from Long Beach, and I went to get her blessing before we opened the dance studio. So back in my day, I'm I'm old. We did not have we didn't have all of the dance they have now. We did not have competitive dance. Um, we went to dance one day a week and you know, just did a few little classes. So I would say I don't have a lot of dance experience, but I feel like I do now having a daughter that's been dancing since she was three. So very interesting. I um Jeff, I just one day I had a crazy thought and said, you know what? I just want a wonderful place for my daughter to go because she's going to spend a lot of time there because she loves it. I need an uplifting environment. Our youth today are just put under such scrutiny and they they have enough negative in their life. So I just wanted a place for her to go that was safe, happy, uplifting, and that would teach her to be a good human. That's my biggest thing. I always tell her, you can be beautiful on the outside, but if you're ugly on the inside, you're ugly. So kindness to me goes a long way.

SPEAKER_05 17:32

I I'm the I'm the same. I tell my son, like, and he he is smart and he does very well in school. But like, yeah, he's he's a good kid, but like, all I want you to be in life is kind.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

Kind. You never know what the person next to you is going through. So be kind, even if they're not kind to you, be kind, pray for them.

SPEAKER_05 17:51

So, so how do you keep keep that attitude and that spirit in a competitive environment?

SPEAKER_02 17:58

Because you know, obviously, there's that TV show, the dance mom or whatever the hell that's called, and you know, but like I've only watched it once or twice, and my dad watched it with me while we were actually at Nationals for dance, and he said, Oh, is this the way y'all are?

SPEAKER_05 18:12

Right. And then that's like the perspective or perception people have of that kind of thing. Obviously, it's a TV show and it's not you at all.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

You know, I can see where it can get that way, but we really strive not to have any of that in our studio. So no bullying is tolerated. I would say we have a really great, I mean, we have over 300 students and we have wonderful families. Our parents, we truly are a dance family. So I hope everybody else feels that way too. But I truly feel these moms are in it for the right reasons. They're um, they're really pushing their daughters or sons to be their best, but yet our kids are learning to cheer for their team as a whole. So we want to see everyone succeed. That's our biggest thing. And I think if you just set that precedent going in, you're gonna be successful and you're gonna raise good humans, which is what we're trying to do.

SPEAKER_05 19:07

And Caitlin Nikase, that's your chief choreographer, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:11

She's incredible. So Caitlin taught Gianna since she was three, and she just has a heart of gold and an impeccable talent that I do not know how she does what she does. So I'm blown away every year at her choreography. She and Brittany, her sister-in-law, choreograph all of the dances that we have. I think we're close to 50 dances this year just for competition. Now we do have teachers, you know, Angelica, she's one of our teachers. So we do have different teachers for recital, and they all choreograph their own dances for recital. But Caitlin, I just can't speak enough good about her and her husband, Ty.

SPEAKER_05 19:48

And I I I came to the to your the recital last year. It was like New York themed. It was impressive. It was amazing, it was really, really good. It was amazing.

SPEAKER_02 19:56

You know, it was she I I hats off to Caitlin. You know, Christy and I do the behind the scenes work, and Christy makes everything look really pretty, I say, and I keep the finances straight, but Caitlin is the executive producer, so she puts on the show.

SPEAKER_05 20:12

And that's what I was gonna ask you about that relationship with with with Christy or the roles that y'all play in this.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

So so really Christy is, as you know, uh amazing graphic designer. She has several accounts on the Gulf Coast and and in Hattiesburg. Um, and she just uh she's taken us to a different level, I believe, with social media, which I'm not so good at. As I said, I'm old. And uh she just really puts it out there, she lets the girls shine. She's always shining a spotlight on someone or something good that's happening. And she just uh she's amazing. I love my sister-in-law to death. Blessed that my brother picked her. And then Caitlin, of course, does all of the classroom and teachers and choreography, and then like I said, I just kind of do the boring stuff.

SPEAKER_05 20:59

And there's a huge difference in you not being good at social media, which I think you would be great at social media and just like not doing it, like you know.

SPEAKER_02 21:07

I'm just not I just am not good at it, Jeff.

SPEAKER_05 21:10

You you have a lot going on. You're busy.

SPEAKER_02 21:12

Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 21:12

That's a good excuse. Yeah, absolutely. I mean very good excuse.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

And I've become a little too uh I'm a little too ADD. I can't sit there on that one thing before I'm moving to the next.

SPEAKER_05 21:22

You know, I I like to tell this story about Christy. So she fired me one time. It was uh it was last year, um, right before Easter when the bishop comes and all the confirmation candidates were were at St. Thomas'. Well, she's like, Hey, can um I'm not gonna be able to make it. Will you because I, you know, I do social media stuff, you know. I try to promote my podcast and stuff. She's like, Will you will you take oh thank you? Will you take photos of the bishop for me? And I'm like, Oh yeah, how hard could that be, right? So then it's like go time, and I'm like, you know, it's church, it's mass, it's a Eucharist. I'm like, I can't. Be up like doing this. The bishop's got a photographer, yeah, like all this stuff. So I'm like, surely I can just get some photos from the photographer and we'll be fine. You know, I've got in trouble. I did, I did. She was she fired me.

SPEAKER_02 22:13

She was not happy.

SPEAKER_05 22:14

I I literally was on her social media. She she can get away with that. Me, I'm I'm awkward and tall. You know, and so anyway, I was on the social media team at St. Thomas Church for about an hour and then I got fired. Right. By one of my favorite human beings. So it was a very gentle firing, but uh, but a business. I will never forget it because she was disappointed in me.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

Well, here you go. We have a social media team with the studio, and guess who's not on it?

SPEAKER_05 22:42

There you go. Right.

SPEAKER_02 22:43

I didn't even get asked to be on it.

SPEAKER_05 22:45

Like, I could handle Christy being upset with me, but being disappointed in me, that's like a whole other thing, you know. It's like, and I hope I never have to feel that way again. So the way I'm not gonna feel that way is not being on the social media team again, you know.

SPEAKER_02 22:58

So great.

SPEAKER_05 22:59

But you are on the Valentine's cruise, so uh yeah, I I get to be an honorary donut mom, which is your stuff with us. How have you gone to St. Thomas all your life?

SPEAKER_02 23:09

I have. I've been there, I was baptized there and have been there through every sacrament. So um, been through a lot of priests, and I think that we we have the best church on the Gulf Coast. I love our church so much.

SPEAKER_05 23:21

Me too. I love it. You know, I really do. Born or raised rather a Southern Baptist. Were you really? I I was, and then I got when I be got in my older teens, I was like, this maybe is not how I think. So I became an Episcopalian. Yes. Um, when we got married, especially when we were having Charlie Dana was like, would you consider becoming a Catholic? And I was like, of course, because I don't want to go to a different church in my family. Like, that's not who I am, it's not what I want to do. So I went through RCIA, which is what they called it at the time.

SPEAKER_03 23:53

What year was this?

SPEAKER_05 23:55

Uh 2014. No, no, no, 2015. So my mother-in-law in Columbus, my mother-in-law would drive up, she was my sponsor. And then I had the like absolute blessing of getting confirmed on the night Charlie was baptized.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

So my goodness, how special is that?

SPEAKER_05 24:13

It was, it was amazing. And then, you know, I'll say this, you know, I know we're not supposed to put a lot of emphasis on priest or whatever, but I just I love Father Satish and I love Father Braxton, and I'm very vocal about that. Yes, and I feel like they've really just re-energized.

SPEAKER_02 24:29

They have, you know, I'm 100% with you. As I said, I've been through a lot of priests. It's we have many, many good ones that we still keep in contact with. And of course, the beloved Father Louie, who I have started anybody that had to follow in his footsteps. Sure. Uh, Father Cuddy was fantastic. Father Satish and Father Braxton have brought the youth back to church, and that just enlightens me. I love seeing the energy. I love I can't wait for my daughter to be able to attend. And Charlie, next year they'll get to go to Edge.

SPEAKER_03 24:59

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 25:04

Watching the people come back is it's incredible because after Katrina, it was hard.

SPEAKER_05 25:08

It was. I've I've heard those stories about meeting in the Bolin Alley and and all of that, you know.

SPEAKER_02 25:13

It was really different, and uh I'm I'm excited about it.

SPEAKER_05 25:18

As I'm I'm hard enough on myself in life, obviously. So like I appreciate the gentle messaging of Father Satish and Father Braxton. And if I ever feel like I'm losing my way, I have Deacon Jerry and Deacon Buddy to give me a good you're gonna burn in hell banger, and you know, it's like it just it keeps me going, right? Like it's like, okay, I'm not doing as well as I thought I was.

SPEAKER_02 25:43

It is so true though, but I feel like they speak right to you. You know, sometimes it can be repetitive. Growing up, I call myself a cradle Catholic. My husband converted because it's the same way you were. He was Lutheran, but he wanted to go to church with us. And, you know, I've it was hard for me to switch. So he went through our CIA. But being a cradle Catholic, I do feel like sometimes it can be repetitive. So I tried to be aware of that and to really focus on letting them talk and these two priests, both of them, they always and our deacons, they have a fantastic message every Sunday if you just let them in. So I really love that they're able to get through to everyone.

SPEAKER_05 26:19

You know, I love being at this point in my life, and I I've told you this in person before, but like 98% of my friends are either parents from Charlie's school or people I go to church with, or mostly both. You know, what a blessing, man.

SPEAKER_02 26:34

It is a blessing. I feel like we're surrounding ourselves with the people we were always told by our parents to surround ourselves with, right?

SPEAKER_05 26:40

And and I'll I've made this joke to you before and I'll make it again, see if I can get you to laugh, but like I I have all the I feel like I finally have all the people I've ever wanted around me in my life, right? Amen, Jeff. Like, I don't even want to like accept Facebook requests anymore.

SPEAKER_03 26:55

No, we have everybody we need.

SPEAKER_05 26:57

I do, man. I'm I'm good. I'm not looking for friends. No, my you know, I'm so blessed. My childhood best friend, we were babies together in North Mississippi. Uh-huh. He and his family moved here probably 20, 25 years ago. He does the uh does the drumline that Charlie's in. So like I have my my my childhood best friends here. I have all my friends from the church. I'm good.

SPEAKER_02 27:20

And that's all you need.

SPEAKER_05 27:21

It is, it's all the people that I need. Like, there's that book, the whatever number of people you meet in heaven, or whatever. So I've met like those number of people in my life right now, you know.

SPEAKER_02 27:32

I'm with you, and you're content.

SPEAKER_05 27:33

I am, and I'm not meaning that. Ugly, like I don't want to talk to any, you know, it's not that, but I just I I'm really happy with my friend group. You have your people.

SPEAKER_02 27:42

I have my I'm with you, and I'm glad you're one of my people.

SPEAKER_05 27:45

Yeah, same Eve. I mean, I'm serious. And your husband, you know, Gavin, who's a lovely guy. We uh thank you. We have North Mississippi in common. Yeah, so did you you he you met him down here though, right?

SPEAKER_02 27:58

So Gavin went to Mississippi State um for college, and then he came here to work at Wind Dance, and he's been there over 20 years now, um, as a golf course superintendent. So he was actually good friends with one of my family's good friends. So we met through mutual friends, and what a blessing it was. You know, we met later in life and had kids starting late in life. So we're older parents, but I wouldn't change a thing. I'm very grateful.

SPEAKER_05 28:22

And thank God he didn't take that job or get that job at Old Waverly, right?

SPEAKER_02 28:26

So right, you're so right.

SPEAKER_05 28:28

I'm grateful for that.

SPEAKER_02 28:29

So it would have been a totally different story.

SPEAKER_05 28:31

Isn't it crazy? How I can just it just, you know, these decisions. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 28:37

Amen.

SPEAKER_05 28:39

What uh oh, you started leaked. I wanted to talk to you about that. So you didn't have enough going on raising three kids, and we're gonna talk about that in a minute. Then you you and Christy, who's also an overachiever, just decide to open up a dance wear line.

SPEAKER_02 28:52

Are we crazy?

SPEAKER_05 28:53

No, you're admirable. You're you're you're like y'all are my heroes.

SPEAKER_02 28:56

You're very kind to say that. Christy said, quit giving me more jobs. It's a lot of fun. You know, I loved my clothing boutique in Hattiesburg, and I think I still had a little bit of that drive in me. So just to be able, honestly, this is more so to be convenient for our dancers. It's strictly dancewear and gifts. We do have some really cute gifts there. But for a dancer to be able to walk in and say, which we had a lot of this week, my tap shoes are too small, or my ballet shoes are too small, or I need new tights, they can just walk right in the store and we can accommodate them. So at a reasonable price instead of going to the big box stores like Amazon, which everybody does. So, you know, shop local. But I I feel like it's a very small store within our studio, but it's really here for our dancers, and I would love for other dancers along the Gulf Coast to come check us out too.

SPEAKER_05 29:45

I was actually gonna crack wise about tap shoes because I I took tap for about a year when I was seven or eight. Like I think I learned how to do the shuffle ball change. Is that like the thing?

SPEAKER_02 29:58

Yeah, well, maybe you can do it together. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 30:01

I mean, that's it. That's the extent. That's all I know. That and you know, like I think we need to stick to one of the dances. The only dance that I know is the Cupid Shuffle because I love the Cupid Shuffle. It's it's the best. You if you're gonna live on the coast, you gotta know that you gotta know it. You have to.

SPEAKER_02 30:16

Okay, our next party, we're playing it.

SPEAKER_05 30:18

Oh, absolutely. So, my uh my friend Brian, who I was telling you about, who runs the Bay Rats, he and his wife have the same birthday, and it happened to be on Mardi Grad Day in like 2018-2019. So they had a big party on Mardi Grad Day at Hunter Men Hall. So I knew that Cupid Shuffle would be there. So Charlie and I watched a YouTube video and learned how to do it.

SPEAKER_02 30:40

Learned it, and Charlie did it with you.

SPEAKER_05 30:41

And Dana, like Dana actually has a degree in dance from Tulane. You know, she does she really?

SPEAKER_02 30:47

I had no clue.

SPEAKER_05 30:48

She was a did hello, Dana.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

She needs to come to our studio and teaching.

SPEAKER_05 30:52

She's lovely too. She's she's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 30:54

Dana is so smart.

SPEAKER_05 30:55

She is, you know, she just got her.

SPEAKER_02 30:57

I had no clue what all she did.

SPEAKER_05 30:59

Yeah, she uh finished her doctorate last year. She's worked in special education, like for Matthew is saying her praises.

SPEAKER_02 31:07

Yeah, good.

SPEAKER_05 31:08

You know, she uh she's a special person. It takes a special person to do that, you know.

SPEAKER_02 31:12

Yeah, it takes a very special person and a very driven person, and and a very patient person.

SPEAKER_05 31:17

And I'm not that, right?

SPEAKER_02 31:19

Me either, Jeff. I think we're a lot of light, but I'm thankful for them.

SPEAKER_05 31:22

Yeah, I'm thankful for the people who ground me and who make me be better, you know.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Same. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 31:28

Um, Gianna, your your lovely daughter, you know, she and Charlie have gone to school together for for a long time. We're we're we're raising preteens now, Eve. How how is that for you with with a daughter?

SPEAKER_02 31:43

It's difficult. I said, uh, it's I was asking my mom the other day, like when she said between the ages of 13 and 18, it was difficult because she didn't know anything, you know.

SPEAKER_03 31:53

Right.

SPEAKER_02 31:54

I knew everything at that time. I think it's starting a little earlier. But I will say I'm I'm very grateful. I have such a lovely daughter. She is, uh I believe, very kind and loving.

SPEAKER_05 32:05

She is, she's a lovely child. I mean, she is.

SPEAKER_02 32:07

I hope so. I always say I better know if she's not. But um, you know, we're all gonna go through our times. I just I pray for her to surround herself with good people. I think that's the most important piece of advice that my dad gave me was you are who you surround yourself with. So choose your friends wisely. And it's so true, like you you seem to navigate in life however your group navigates. So I was very grateful that I had a great group of friends that I grew up with that I'm still best friends with. And we get to raise our kids together now, so they give me a lot of pointers too. But Gianna's a good kid, she's she's a big kid. We spend a lot of time together, you know. We're at the dance studio like five nights a week, and then we go out of town to dance, and so you know, she still likes me right now.

SPEAKER_05 32:53

And I was gonna ask that, like, does she still like hanging out with you and being a bit?

SPEAKER_02 32:56

She does. Like, Charlie loves hanging out with you, and I love it. She does, you know, he just says I'm gonna take it as long as I can.

SPEAKER_05 33:02

Absolutely. Like every night, just a moment ago, he's taking his bath and he taps on the toilet and wants to come and hear about my day, you know.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

I love that.

SPEAKER_05 33:10

I do too.

SPEAKER_02 33:10

It's it's very special, and I think we need to just take those moments in because who knows how long they'll last.

SPEAKER_05 33:16

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 33:16

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_05 33:17

So then one day you go to the doctor, and the doctor's like, hey, guess what? You're having twins.

SPEAKER_02 33:22

So guess what? We actually we had Gianna. We were able to have her with no help. Well, then we were 39. I was 39. Gavin was in his 40s, and we had trouble having children after Gianna, and we really wanted another. So Dr. Kuleanos and Mobile is an amazing Christian man, and he helped to bring our twins into this world. So we went through IVF and were able to um our last two embryos are Grant and Gray, and we're just so blessed that they're here with us.

SPEAKER_05 33:53

That's awesome. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 33:55

You know, it was a journey, it was a big journey, and I'm an open book to anybody that struggles with fertility because I feel like we're waiting later in life nowadays, and it is a little bit harder when you wait. So um, you know, he just he it's it's a miracle, and we're very grateful.

SPEAKER_05 34:10

You know, before, and Charlie has doesn't know this, and I don't think he'll listen to this, but we'd had a you know, we had a miscarriage before before we had Charlie. And like I had no idea how impactful that was. You know, you hear about other people having it, and you know, it's easy to be dismissive of it, right? Like, oh, it's but it's a huge deal, you know.

SPEAKER_02 34:31

It's huge, you it's a true loss. You never know that until you and gratefully I never had to go through that. It was just the disappointment of never being able to say, which I think is easier than losing one. I always afraid that I would not have to go through that, so that's a hard journey.

SPEAKER_05 34:49

And um, you know, then we we were the same way. We were, you know, we had I'm older, Dana's older. She had Charlie when she was like 36, so there's a lot of like, oh goodness, you know, but and you pray about it and you're just like, whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 35:03

You're right, and everybody's journey is different. I say, you know, there's no right way to do it, and I think that God just leads you where you need to be.

SPEAKER_05 35:12

Right. It's uh, and and and thank God. And I'm I'm I'm grateful for that, you know.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

Yes, very grateful.

SPEAKER_05 35:17

Now we have two awesome kids. I agree to get to go up. Three awesome kids, I got an awesome kid, they're all you know, it's good.

SPEAKER_02 35:24

I can't wait to watch what Charlie and Gianna do.

SPEAKER_05 35:26

Yeah, absolutely. They're definitely going places. Yeah, and I'll say Gianna's a good kid because you know, I go on a lot of field trips, and and you and I do these chaperone things together, but there are times when you're not around and she's the same, same kid.

SPEAKER_02 35:40

Well, I feel the same way about Charlie, and my favorites when I look back at Beta Convention and he is breaking it down. I said, That is my boy. He doesn't care, he's gonna make everybody smile in the room.

SPEAKER_05 35:50

He does not have that like self-conscious filter at all, and I'm so grateful.

SPEAKER_02 35:55

I'm so grateful for that too. He's just always smiling, he always brings joy, and I remember everything he does. I remember Mr. Rogers because he portrayed him so well.

SPEAKER_05 36:05

You know, he went to school, so this is she's he's talking about the uh wax museum that the fifth graders put on at St. Vincent de Paul, where they act out historical figures. So he actually went to Ms. Ms. and Mrs. Mink and wanted to be Freddie Mercury of Queen. And I, you know, I was like, that's what you want to do. There's such a cool kid. Some some discussions we're gonna have, but you know, and they immediately shot it down. Like, no, no, no, no, no, no. And Elizabeth's like, hey, how about Mr. Rogers? Right, and he's like, You remie me and Mr. Rogers want you try that.

SPEAKER_03 36:38

So well, he he mailed it.

SPEAKER_05 36:40

Yeah, and he did a great job. And it's because Buddy Conrad was uh was Bob Ross, and I have this photo. I'm gonna text it to you when I'm done, where please do we went to Mabel's uh after that date at the end of after the thing, and they were both still in costume and they were sitting outside in the sun setting and they're eating ice cream together.

SPEAKER_02 36:57

Okay, that's the best.

SPEAKER_05 36:58

And I was like, this is this is the best. I I I did, and I'm gonna send it to you because it was it was awesome. Please do.

SPEAKER_02 37:04

I love those kids.

SPEAKER_05 37:06

So you you've got studio E, you just started your dance line, you you have your professional, all this stuff. What what's next? Do you have any other plans to to expand the dance any further?

SPEAKER_02 37:18

Or oh, I think we are good. I think that we have expanded as much as we want to expand, and I'm thankful for that. We now have three studios in one. Um, so we're able to run three classes at one time. Our competition team has grown from 20-something kids the first year to 70 this year.

SPEAKER_03 37:37

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 37:38

I just feel like we're at a good place, and I I want to make sure everybody's happy that that are with us and that they stay happy. So I feel like we're good there. And I think I'm good. I I don't think I need to take on anything else at this point in my life.

SPEAKER_05 37:52

Well, what a what a great spot, right? Like finally to be content, like it's enough, you know. Just enjoy what's going on.

SPEAKER_02 37:59

And I think my parents are getting older, so it's just nice to be able, we live right around the corner from them. And I say they're getting older. My dad cleans the studio for us every single day, along with my mom's help. My mom picks up my children every day and does their homework with them and cooks dinner for us. So I'm very, I'm a very blessed person, and I know that I can never say thank you enough to everybody in my life.

SPEAKER_05 38:23

So, do you you live in the same neighborhood with your parents and Christy?

SPEAKER_02 38:26

So I do. I actually live like two streets over, so we can ride the golf cart over. We lived here before they built. So that kind of persuaded them to move closer.

SPEAKER_05 38:36

So, do you have that pressure of having to be a part of the Christmas light show as well?

SPEAKER_02 38:40

No, my husband would not do that. So that's why we do not live on that road. Okay, okay. It is a lot of work, although we go over and help them. I don't know how those people do that. It is a lot of work. It is beautiful.

SPEAKER_05 38:53

It is, it's amazing. It's like it's such a Christmas tradition, you know, here on the coast. But yeah, it's it's a lot.

SPEAKER_02 38:59

It's a whole lot of work, and Gavin is like uh it takes a lot for me to get them to put some white lights outside.

SPEAKER_05 39:04

Yeah, plus it's just a lot of people in your yard or in your neighborhood, and there's other stuff.

SPEAKER_02 39:09

Non-stop traffic, and yes, it's a lot. So we kind of like that we can sneak in the back way and sneak back home.

SPEAKER_05 39:16

The last thing I want to ask you, and I ask everyone this because look, you're you've been working all day, you have kids you need to see. There's other stuff you want to be doing besides talking to me.

SPEAKER_02 39:23

Love talking to you.

SPEAKER_05 39:24

I love talking to you too. You're like one of my favorite people. I'd probably don't tell you about it. And uh, but I'm glad every time I see you is just a real joy and a real blessing. You know, same with Gavin, same with your entire family. How do you stay awesome?

SPEAKER_02 39:39

I love you. Whoo! How do I stay awesome by everybody around me and by Jesus?

SPEAKER_03 39:46

That's it.

SPEAKER_02 39:46

I always say, you know, that's it. It's plain and simple. My family, my friends, and Jesus. That's my life.

SPEAKER_05 39:52

Right on. And and and there's nothing else that that we could say that's gonna top that.

SPEAKER_02 39:57

Nope, nothing at all. And I think at this point in my life, I've realized that, and my life is fulfilled, and I am grateful and content.

SPEAKER_05 40:06

Awesome. Steve, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02 40:09

How do you stay awesome?

SPEAKER_05 40:10

You know, saying I just surround myself with with good people, with great people, or God surrounded my me with great people.

SPEAKER_02 40:16

Absolutely. He put just the right people in your life at just the right time.

SPEAKER_05 40:19

Right. I have the I have a great wife, I have a great son. You do. I attend an amazing church.

SPEAKER_02 40:24

You know, I feel like that's how we've all become such good friends, and I love it. I do too. I wouldn't change a thing.

SPEAKER_05 40:30

Nor nor would I. Eve, thank you so much for your time. Thank you, Jeff. I could talk to you forever, but you know.

SPEAKER_02 40:36

We'll do it again one day. Absolutely. Next time I'm turning it to you, I'm gonna ask you all the questions because you're very interesting.

SPEAKER_05 40:43

I will bore you to tears, but that's okay.

SPEAKER_02 40:45

We're gonna do that soon.

SPEAKER_05 40:46

Awesome. Hey, have a great night. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02 40:49

Tell everybody hey.