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Interesting discussions aimed at gathering women together to engage as powerful forces for good in their homes, communities, and world.
Episodes
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
Tuesday Jan 02, 2024
“It's one of my son's birthdays today. And I was saying to my husband, I have never given him a present he actually likes. I don't know how to do that. And I felt kind of discouraged by that because I just can't figure it out.
And he is old enough now. He has his own career. He doesn't really need something from me. But I realized as I was driving other kids around today that he gives him actually his love language. And so once I put that together, I realized, oh, I can give him the things that he needs or wants in some ways. There are other ways to give. He loves hearing how awesome he is. He calls us every week. And I make time for that. And so where I could focus on the scarcity mentality of I am never enough in this one area, I then, if I switch it around and think, Oh, there's another way to have abundance with him.” -Angela
“When I was a kid my [parents] had four of us and they quickly had another child in about nine months. And two years in, my dad was getting his PhD and my mom was getting her bachelor's degree. So there really wasn't any money. And we all talk about this one Christmas where our presents were, I got a jar of pickles, two of my siblings got ketchup, and one sibling got some cereal. It was all our own. And that is one of our favorite, favorite Christmases. We always talk about that. So out of this time when I'm sure my parents felt like we have nothing to give these kids. They actually turned it into this abundant experience that has lasted. Those memories have lasted almost 40 years now.” -Angela
“That's what abundance is. It's about expanding what you believe is possible. Right. And so when you're living in a constant state of scarcity, and we all get there sometimes, I feel like that's a natural feeling you've all expressed and maybe some doubts or thoughts or concerns you've had specifically during these holidays.
And I think that's appropriate and normal. And there's nothing that makes you different from anyone else in that respect, but believing what is possible is a difference. If you're staying in that lane of I can't, I don't, I won't, I should not mentality versus shifting to what is possible, anything is possible if I believe it to be so.” -Shannon
“Many years ago, we were having kind of a rough time in our family, and I was praying a lot, so fervently, to know what our family needed, and specifically, specific children in my family needed. And I feel like I received very clear inspiration that our family should get involved in refugee work here in the United States. And so that is something that is really important in our family culture and that we've been doing over the years.” -Vanessa
“Last year we were having Christmas and I'm [had] the mindset: I'm going to completely rethink Christmas, like from the bottom up, what's really important for our family for Christmas this year. And I felt inspired that first we should do homemade Christmas. So everyone in the family was making, making gifts for everyone else in the family. I am not a crafty person. So this was like a huge goal for me to help all five of my children, 15 and under make crafts for each other, but we can do it. We can do it. And that was a really beautiful part of our Christmas.” -Vanessa
“The other idea that I felt that our family should do is we did a giving tree in years past, I've been involved in helping resettle refugees into apartments in our community. And when we, when they move into their apartment, there's so many things that they need. They need beds and pillows and blankets and pans and bowls and plates and deodorant and razors and just everything, everything. They need everything.
We got a Christmas tree and we got all these little ornaments and on every ornament, these little dollar tree ornaments, we wrote one thing that a refugee family would need to set up an apartment. A rice cooker or a rug or A vacuum, things like that.
And we put them on a tree and we took them to our neighborhood party. We were supposed to bring a snack or a crust, but instead we brought the giving tree and we set up our lousy little Walmart Christmas tree there in the neighborhood intersection and we invited people to take stuff off the tree. And we are very blessed to live in the most wonderful neighborhood full of the best people. And over the course of that day, we gave away all of our giving tree ornaments…
over the next two weeks we had a big bin on our front porch and it was like, Santa came every single day to our house because every time the kids would walk outside, there'd be something new in the bin on the porch. And so my kids were running out there checking like 400 times a day to see if something new was in the giving tree box. And then we bring it inside. And at first we started stacking it next to the door, but then the stack got so big that we couldn't fit it.
So finally we decided that we were just going to put all the refugee stuff under our Christmas tree, and our Christmas tree was completely subsumed under refugee donations, and it was the most magical Christmas we've ever had. And five days before Christmas, we got to take all of our donations... down to the warehouse where they collect refugee supplies. And when we came home, there was nothing under the Christmas tree. But it was the best Christmas ever. And pretty soon we had little tiny homemade crafts under the Christmas tree. And that was great too.
But having that perspective of all of a sudden my kids were no longer thinking about what am I getting for Christmas and all the things I want for Christmas but oh my gosh it's so exciting we're getting something else for someone for Christmas completely reframed our Christmas experience…And I just love that that is the focus of our Christmas now. The joy of giving.. So I just feel so blessed by that opportunity that we had last year.” -Vanessa
“We have listeners from all over the world who have different challenges than we do. Each of our situations are different in life. But the one thing that we all have in common is that we all need to have the hope that all things are possible if we have enough faith in [the concept of abundance.]” -Shannon
“If you can tap into that love, and if you can have the outlook of love, meaning I'm going to give good for good and good for evil in every area of my life. And that even has to do with my thinking. And so maybe I have not been as good at managing my money or whatever it is. I'm not going to say, Oh no, I'm not going to freak out and think I deserve what happens to me.This is going to be so bad. I'm going to think no. It's all going to work out as long as I'm tapping into that love. And as long as I'm willing to love others, no matter what, and to give of what I have, it's all going to manifest in every aspect of my life. One of my favorite scriptures in my book of beliefs is that God had not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” -Martha
“I can't be in Gaza and help all of the people that are suffering there, but I can be there for my child who I'm too busy for right now. I can choose to stop and be there for them. I can help. I can take hot bread to the neighbor across the street. And even though I can't help the people across the world, as long as I'm doing that, as long as all of us are doing that, abundance and love will abound no matter what. Because we choose to give love for love and love for evil. We break all the cycles of war and hate. And even the small things like depression and the feeling of not being worthy, I'm not enough, I'm ruining my children, you know, all those things that mothers feel, we break those cycles as well, all of it. It's all broken by this feeling of love and abundance. That's what I've been learning this year and hopefully will carry me through” -Martha
“We feel like there's not enough of us to go around. There's not enough. We are not enough. And I realized maybe just a few years ago, it took me a long time to learn this. But one of the miracles that we read about in the New Testament is, the fishes and the loaves, right? There's a few fish and a few loaves, and we feed, and he feeds 5, 000, and And when we were reading about that at Christmas time I realized that there was a new level to that miracle that I had not considered for myself. And that was that I could be made more through serving and loving other people, that what the gifts I had or even the lack that I had could be multiplied. And I think we see that especially when we talk about how we love other people. My ability to love other people actually gets multiplied as I love them.” -Angela
“I believe that God wants us to be happy, and He wants us to have abundant meaning and purpose in our lives. And I truly think that if we ask Him, And tell him we want to have an abundant life, he will reveal to us what we need individually. [Our] answers of what we need to see and do in our lives so that we can have joy and purpose pressed down overflowing in our lives, that he is intimately aware of us, and that he can answer our prayers and help us to find what we need.” -Vanessa
“Scarcity mentality limits our belief of joy and love, whatever success might look like whatever opportunities. It limits our ability to grow in our spiritual capacity. And sometimes it's hard to get out of that mindset. Everyone's situations are different.
And some are dealing with much more complicated issues than others in the moment. And for some reason, at this time of year, it kind of can put a microscope on it. But whether you're a mother or a caretaker, or whatever your capacity of leadership is in your community, if you're a woman, you're an influencer in some way.” -Shannon
“Having an abundance mentality doesn't mean that you'll never feel sad or that things are going to always go your way, but that you will overcome whatever it is that's standing in your way to fill that joy, to receive that inspiration from your higher power.” -Shannon
My name is Vanessa Stanfill. I’m a noisy person who likes to have fun and eat good food. I homeschool my five kids. I am an avid cyclist, reader, Asian drama watcher, and socializer. I am an enthusiastic member of the Church of Jesus a Christ of Latter-day Saints. I volunteer teaching English through ENGin Ukraine and support a local humanitarian aid organization, Lifting Hands International. I lead a homeschool group for mothers, and teach geography, geopolitics and current events classes for high school kids. I enlist my darling husband Michael into all sorts of harebrained schemes that make him roll his eyes in love and adoration. We have a great life here in Orem, Utah
Martha Levie
Martha Levie lives in Salem Utah, she co-owns and operates a sourdough bakery called Abigail’s Oven with her husband Allen. They have been married for 24 years and have 10 children and 1 grandson. Martha was homeschooled in the 80’s and 90’s by a public school teacher and my stay-at-home mom. She homeschools her children who range from 23-4 years old. She has a BA in Literature and Statesmanship from GWC.
Martha loves to climb trees and read, the first book she remembers reading on her own was Mrs Pigglewiggle and she read it at the top of her grandmother's golden rain tree. Poetry and good books make her life feel rich. She is a girl of the mountains and loves flowers. Her children are her besties, most of the time. She loves to study the theology of her LDS religion. Martha is an extrovert and expresses her opinions freely, and she is working on listening and valuing all opinions. She loves mint and chocolate, preferably together. She can’t stop reading about women's issues and The Barbie Movie is her current favorite. Feeding people nourishing food is an art that she wants to perfect. Martha loves to travel and have adventures. She has discovered that the greatest adventure is learning to love others.
Saturday Dec 30, 2023
Saturday Dec 30, 2023
Dana Robb and Carolina Allen are joined by Sharon Slater to discuss the Model of Powerful Impact.
“If you have a willing heart, somehow God puts you at the right place at the right time with the right tools.” - Carolina Allen
“Just one individual can make such a difference when you … take opportunities and just think, ‘What if my gifts and my talents and my willingness were to be used for a greater purpose?’” - Carolina Allen
Stop Comprehensive Sexuality Education
“We’ve got to immunize our children against this by helping them understand the threats, understand who’s behind it, understand where this goes.” - Sharon Slater
“The number one defense is to find out what is happening at your school. And if you find something offensive, go to the Stop CSE website and go through the tools and start with a Stop CSE action plan. It will take you step by step. It even gives you talking points to use at a board meeting, at your school, or wherever you need to be.” - Sharon Slater
“Just be aware. Become aware. Educate yourself. Find all the information you can.” - Sharon Slater
“We can reframe those challenges, and we can use that knowledge and information to have heart to heart conversations in the sanctity and safety of our homes with our children. We can talk to them about their value that they have as [future] mothers and fathers. And we can talk about reproduction; we can talk about sex. We can talk about all of these things that other people would have us outsource to more professional people, but that we can share those things in a very personal way and in a way that really honors our value system, and that we can strengthen our children to be able to understand and then also stand for their values when they are faced with challenges.” - Carolina Allen
“There’s a lot of things - just spending time with our children - that can immunize them, just our influence and our power and our love, like you said, which can continue through the generations.” - Sharon Slater
“It’s worth it. Our children need us, they need our time, and that’s my message.” - Sharon Slater
Whenever presented with the opportunity for adventure, Dana Robb is all in. Currently, this includes riding the local mountain biking trails with her husband, canyoneering, and climbing the hills of southern Utah. She loves to learn and explore with her six kids. She is drawn to the opportunities being involved with Big Ocean Women provides. Dana loves connecting to a global sisterhood where women’s issues are being addressed through reframing and an abundance mindset.
Carolina Allen is the founder and leader of Big Ocean Women, the international maternal feminist organization representing perspectives of faith, family, and motherhood throughout civil society. Carolina holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Utah with an emphasis in cultural religions and philosophy of science. Her inspirational and philosophical work has been presented at various international U.N. conferences. She is a native of Brazil, and a fluent trilingual. She and her husband Kawika are parents to 7 children. She is an avid soccer fan and had a brief career as a semi-professional player.
Sharon Slater is the president of Family Watch International (FamilyWatch.org), a nonprofit organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. She also chairs the UN Family Rights Caucus (UNFamilyRightsCaucus.org) and is a consultant to multiple UN Member States.
Sharon writes a regular column for “The Family Watch,” an online publication read in over 170 countries, and she has authored numerous policy briefs on family issues. She also chairs the Global Family Policy Forum for UN ambassadors and delegates held annually.
She her husband Greg are the parents of seven children, including three siblings from Mozambique orphaned by HIV/AIDS whom they adopted, and they have five grandchildren.
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Monday Dec 18, 2023
Dana and Gloria discuss the Model of Powerful Impact
“We do live in difficult times, and there’s so much conflict in the world and there’s a lot of divisiveness… there’s never been a greater opportunity to do good, to influence others in a positive way across the globe.” - Dana Robb
“You think, well, there's 7 billion people. And who are you? You're just one little dust mote among that 7 billion. So it doesn't really matter what you do or don't do, but that's simply not the case. It's the wrong model because you're at the center of a network. You're a node in a network. Of course, that's even more true now that we have social media, you'll know 1000 people, at least over the course of your life, and they'll know 1000 people each, and that puts you one person away from a million. And two persons away from a billion. That's how you're connected. And the things you do, they're like dropping a stone in a pond. The ripples move outward and they affect things in ways that you can't fully comprehend. And it means that the things that you do and that you don't do are far more important than you think.” - Jordan Peterson
“I know that I've been a huge influence in the lives of my children because I see my role as a mother as a huge vocation and responsibility that I actually take quite seriously, but with a lot of joy, a lot of hope, um, a lot of dedication and consistency.” - Gloria Ezeonyeasi
“When I see a person, I think of a family, I think of what they can bring to their family or even to the larger community, because even the community itself, we’re one family, so that's who I am, really.” - Gloria Ezeonyeasi
“And you strengthen a family and that will strengthen the community.” - Dana Robb
“We all have different time frames when we have the time and the ability to serve. And I think that's a beautiful thing [to] just present it and make it available. And I think that also plays into our impact that sometimes it takes time for our impact to be seen.” - Dana Robb
“I don't like the idea of holding everything onto myself and, and just think I can be the one and only source. No, I can actually fill up and make somebody else the reservoir and that person can fill up.” - Gloria Ezeonyeasi
“You empower somebody else to be a leader in their community, and as they grow as a leader, then they're going to empower somebody else to be a leader. And that just ripples out, and the effect really becomes so much greater than if you tried to do it all yourself.” - Dana Robb
“Each one, teach one.” - Gloria Ezeonyeasi
“Sometimes you might think you can't do something, but if somebody is there to sort of hold your hand, encourage you, and you can see other women and look up to them [and think] that they've done it. You'll be propelled, you'll be motivated and empowered to also step out and do something that you thought you could never do before.” - Gloria Ezeonyeasi
“I find creating the time to do things for other people as a ‘me’ time is a refreshing time. And I can only say that that's how I create the time; you have to create time for, for others.” - Gloria Ezeonyeasi
“I don't want to ever be indispensable, and that's why I like empowering others. Any group I am in, and I see somebody trying to make themselves indispensable, I tell them, I tell them upfront, you know, you cannot be indispensable. Nobody should make anybody else less capable of doing things. Let's empower each other. Let's encourage each other…Empower each other, equip each other, encourage each other, so that if I'm not there, somebody else can step in and do even better than I could have done.” - Gloria Ezeonyeasi
“I think there's a huge need, and it's crucial, crucially important that we empower each other, we equip each other so that we're all able and ready and available to serve the community really, you know, to serve wherever we are.” - Gloria Ezeonyeasi
Gloria Ezeonyeasi is 51 years old and married with daughters aged 23, 21, 20 and a 17 year old son. She has lived in London, UK since 1993. She has a Masters degree and presently works as a Social Worker with Children and Families. She is an active member of her Church and has the privilege of serving in different groups in the parish. She has an unwavering passion for education and lifelong learning as well as a special love for young people and the whole family. Her mission as a Big Ocean Women WAVE leader, is to empower women and girls to live their fullest potential as women. Her vision is to start a WAVE wherever she goes.
Whenever presented with the opportunity for adventure, Dana Robb is all in. Currently, this includes riding the local mountain biking trails with her husband, canyoneering, and climbing the hills of southern Utah. She loves to learn and explore with her six kids. She is drawn to the opportunities being involved with Big Ocean Women provides. Dana loves connecting to a global sisterhood where women’s issues are being addressed through reframing and an abundance mindset.
Monday Dec 04, 2023
Monday Dec 04, 2023
Dana Robb and Carolina Allen discuss the Model of Powerful Impact with Karen Ashton.
“I really have a perspective that maybe a lot of people don’t have, and the longer I live, the more I understand how rich our life is when we take care of that which is most important, which is our relationships within our very own families.” - Karen Ashton
“It is so difficult for us to make the changes that [coming into motherhood] requires that sometimes we can be a little bit resentful over that kind of sacrifice. I think it’s an honest thing to openly say that. Because suddenly your life is not your own. Your body is not your own, and that’s a significant thing, and someone else is depending on you totally and absolutely for their nourishment and for every blessing that they can have. So you really need the perspective that comes from somebody really old, the old woman in the tribe, the one that’s sitting in her tent far away all by herself. She might have something really wonderful to tell you, mostly what I think she would tell you is, ‘Give some time, take some time to look at what you are really doing, and value it, because it is so glorious and so beautiful to welcome the soul, a soul from God into your home, and to watch the unfolding of a human soul is really a remarkable experience.’” - Karen Ashton
“I try to tell young women that this change from being a single woman to a kind of shared intimacy in marriage and then this shared intimacy with a child is a sacred and a holy thing. It might feel oppressive to you, but it’s such a blessing in the end.” - Karen Ashton
“I decided every morning when I got up, and you do have to decide, that I was going to love someone that day. And I think when we express our love openly to our children, it gives them wings.” - Karen Ashton
“Don’t ever give out participation awards for your children, because they know what participation awards are. What they want is for you to have noticed something beautiful and unique about them.” - Karen Ashton
“As mothers, we need to know how influential we are, and that maybe there’s somebody at home who needs to know that we are cheering for them. It’s such a powerful position to be in life, and you will give them the wings that they will carry with them, and use all of their life.” - Karen Ashton
“There have been many moments where I have healed myself by being generous to my children.” - Carolina Allen
“What is it that you would have wished someone had done for you as a child? Make sure it doesn’t go undone for your children.” - Karen Ashton
“When we talk about creating a home, it really has nothing to do with the sofas or the furniture we put in our house. A home is this feeling of safety some place, or encouragement, or praise.” - Karen Ashton
“Love is an amazing thing. The more you express it, the more you give it away, the more it grows inside the walls of your own home.” - Karen Ashton
“You’re a wise woman if you know what replenishes you yourself, what gives you back, but you’ve got to be so careful, because if you spend so much time with your friends away from home, you’re going to start feeling worse, not better.” - Karen Ashton
“We need to trust that giving up something doesn’t mean letting go, but it’s actually opening the door for something different that might even be better than what we’re currently experiencing.” - Dana Robb
“It is your intentional development of an atmosphere, that’s what a home is.” - Karen Ashton
“The little child who can call out, “Mom!” and she answers, is the richest kid on the block.” - Karen Ashton
https://www.youtube.com/@MakingHomeWithGrammie
Instagram: makinghomewithgrammie
Books by Karen Ashton:
The Christmas That Changed Everything
Karen Ashton was born and raised in Salt Lake City. She met her future husband, Alan, on a blind date and they were married on March 15, 1968, in the Salt Lake City Temple. Karen is the mother of 11 children and the proud grandmother of 60 grandchildren. In 1997, Karen was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from Utah Valley State College. In 1998, she was recognized with Alan by the BYU Marriott School of Management as Utahns of the Year and, in 2012, they were recognized by the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce as the Pillars of the Valley. Karen has also received the Senator Arthur B. Watkins Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cultural Arts. Karen has spent many hours serving her community and church. In 1990, Karen accepted the challenge from the Orem City Council to raise funds to build a children’s library. To help accomplish this goal, she established the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. This fundraiser made it possible for the Friends of the Orem Public Library to achieve their goal, and the children’s library was successfully completed in 1995. The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival continues to be a successful annual fund raiser. It provides additional books, a storytelling theater, and many other educational resources for children throughout the Utah County area.
In 1995, Karen and Alan founded Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah as an expression of gratitude for all that they had received through the years with WordPerfect, the company that Alan co-founded.
Despite her busy agenda, Karen makes sure that her husband and their children come first. According to Karen, family is her most important asset. Karen also enjoys quilting, knitting, photography, and working on her family history.
Whenever presented with the opportunity for adventure, Dana Robb is all in. Currently, this includes riding the local mountain biking trails with her husband, canyoneering, and climbing the hills of southern Utah. She loves to learn and explore with her six kids. She is drawn to the opportunities being involved with Big Ocean Women provides. Dana loves connecting to a global sisterhood where women’s issues are being addressed through reframing and an abundance mindset.
Carolina Allen is the founder and leader of Big Ocean Women, the international maternal feminist organization representing perspectives of faith, family, and motherhood throughout civil society. Carolina holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Utah with an emphasis in cultural religions and philosophy of science. Her inspirational and philosophical work has been presented at various international U.N. conferences. She is a native of Brazil, and a fluent trilingual. She and her husband Kawika are parents to 7 children. She is an avid soccer fan and had a brief career as a semi-professional player.
Friday Dec 01, 2023
Friday Dec 01, 2023
Carol and Kim discuss the Model of Powerful Impact.
Powerful Impact is the idea that we can make the greatest impact when we prioritize and allow for a natural flow of energy to do its thing, essentially. We have outlined three very key ways that we can do that and will discuss it through the month, “…but the very first one, the greatest and deepest and most profound kind of impact we can make is when we are filled, when we are impacted ourselves, by the source of all energy itself, which is God. So it’s the idea that when we can reach out to God, or allow God to influence us, that that creates the very impetus for all other ways that we can impact.” - Carolina Allen
“...Mahatma Gandhi said you’ve got to be the change you want to see in the world, but it supersedes that … it’s not just the individual and the power of the individual, which, it’s clearly important, but it’s the ability of the divine source to work within humanity on an individual level that then impacts the greater community…” - Kim Landeen
“When your family knows that you’re prioritizing them, you have this inner confidence that things are in order, even though they’re imperfect.” - Carolina Allen
“Things don’t have to be perfect to be awesome.” - Carolina Allen
“When you prioritize that first impact that you have, everything else ripples out in a very orderly way - that’s this energy flow - it is productive, and that’s where the influence comes from.” - Carolina Allen
“It is important that people stand up. It is important that people that are centered are standing up. People that are centered in faith and family, and motherhood.” - Kim Landeen
“God wants to give me all within His power to allow me to succeed. And so even if I’m in a moment of drought or a moment of distance from God, God still loves me and wants me to succeed.” - Carolina Allen
“As Big Ocean Women, we are women of faith, and that needs to be more than just a statement. That needs to be more than just a tenet that’s on our walls. That needs to be the very core of who we are.” - Kim Landeen
“The big thing I think that we need to recognize in the world today that I see that could change everything is if women stepped into this power and because of who we are, we know the price of life. We know intimately how sacred it is, and we would move mountains to preserve peace on earth for all of our children.” Carolina Allen
“You don’t need to feel worthy of your calling. In fact, it’s often those that feel least worthy that are the most powerful in the way they interact.” - Kim Landeen
If you are interested in being part of a WAVE, please reach out! www.BigOceanWomen.org
“I think Kim and I speak from just every fiber of our being that when we can align ourselves with this natural flow of energy, with the impact we have, it may take a little while for us to recognize the impact, but it transcends space and time. …there’s no greater influence you can have than generational impact.” - Carolina Allen
Carolina is the founder and leader of Big Ocean Women, the international maternal feminist organization representing perspectives of faith, family, and motherhood throughout civil society. Carolina holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Utah with an emphasis in cultural religions and philosophy of science. Her inspirational and philosophical work has been presented at various international U.N. conferences. She is a native of Brazil, and a fluent trilingual. She and her husband Kawika are parents to 7 children. She is an avid soccer fan and had a brief career as a semi-professional player.
Kim Landeen is a founding member and a Global Team Director of Big Ocean Women, the international maternal feminist organization representing perspectives of faith, family, and motherhood throughout civil society. Kim has a deep love for the natural world. She lives in Alaska with her family where she enjoys spending the slower paced life with her children combing the beach for treasures, gardening, picking wild berries, and spending rainy lazy days making bread, reading books, and watching movies. She is an ecotour captain in Glacier Bay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site where she helps educate her clients on the relationship between humanity and the larger eco-environment. In addition to her love of nature, she also enjoys studying theology and the inner workings of the soul as well as tracking global political and social movements. Her love for God, people, and this world drives her to continually seek to improve her own circumstances and the circumstances of all those with whom she comes in contact.
Friday Nov 24, 2023
Friday Nov 24, 2023
Margo Watson and Ann Takasaki are joined by Kathie Horman, LaReita Berky, and Dennis Lifferth to discuss the Model of Powerful Impact and the power of charitable giving.
“Charity, being charitable, is critical to our well being, our soul, who we are as people, and being part of the human race.” - Margo Watson
“I have MS, and I struggle with it, but I’m doing great. And I thought I can give what I can while I still can. And so it’s been a real joy to me… I just love doing it, is what it boils down to.” - Kathie Horman
“When you meet these people who come in with different objectives, some are providing for others and some are picking them (computers) up, and you see the spark of hope and happiness in their lives, it just makes you want to do it again. … And so I’m grateful for this idea, that within each person is this spark of divinity. And if we can see that and help them feel better when they leave, with a little more confidence, it makes this effort well worthwhile.” - Dennis Lifferth
“I know we have a duty. That’s true. We all have a duty to help one another. But there’s more to it than just a duty. There’s the feeling that comes when we’re of service to somebody else.” - Dennis Lifferth
“It takes a lot of people to make a system work, and they all make a very important contribution.” - Dennis Lifferth
“This is an actual part of our family mode. This is what we do. We help. We help where we can help, when we can help, with what we can help with.” - LaReita Berky
“Some people are able to give large donations. Some give small, some just give monthly, and some just give frequent flier miles. I mean, there’s all kinds of ways to donate.” - Margo Watson
“I’ve given a lot of time. And when I developed MS, I could no longer play my violin … so I donated it to a student who didn’t have one. And she’s been so thrilled. … There are definitely ways you can help. Sometimes it’s just a pat on the back or a hug.” - Kathie Horman
“The main body of human beings on this earth are so grateful to be tied to each other through family.” - Ann Takasaki
“When people think, “donation,” the immediate thought is cash, right? Card, cash, check. But there’s so many other types of donations. There’s the in-kind donations, which is what Dennis is doing with the laptops. There’s, for our organization, we receive book donations because our focus is literacy, because we believe that when a woman is empowered and knows how to read, then that changes her life and her family’s trajectory, of what’s going to become of them. You know, reading opens up a world of possibilities.” - LaReita Berky
“Receiving donations for what an organization is needing, not just cash, cash is always appreciated, but for what specifically an organization needs, not just what you think they need, but ask, “What do you need?” That’s one of the greatest things.” - LaReita Berky
“Other ways that people can donate besides the money … is time. Is there something that you can do to help the organization with donating an hour or two a week or more if you are able?” - LaReita Berky
“I think one of the fears people have in donating their time is they don’t feel like they’re qualified, when in fact, the one on one is very simple, just to listen, just to help. Most people are grateful for any attention they may receive. … To volunteer doesn’t take money, doesn’t take thing, but sometimes it’s just your time and your interest in that person.” - Dennis Lifferth
“It combats depression when you see that you can help somebody else. It combats self absorption. It just makes you a better person when you can help somebody else realize their dreams.” - Margo Watson
Margo Watson is the Director of Outreach Marketing and Fundraising for Big Ocean Women. Her background is quite diverse. She has a Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications and Music. Her dynamic talents led her first to critically acclaimed performances in countless Theater and Concert stages around the country as a soprano soloist and lead actress which included musicals, opera, operetta, orchestral works, comedies, movies, commercials and on-camera TV host. These experiences helped prepare her later as a young widow to work in the fields of in-house public relations and marketing for high tech, retail, medical industries and promotion for celebrities, so she could support her young family. Margo has had extensive experience as an on-camera talent, marketing, advertising, public relations-internal and external, public speaking, production, diverse writing for magazines, commercials, press releases, infomercials, books, press kits, speeches and such. She hopes her skills will be useful to help Big Ocean Women spread their mission of empowering women worldwide, through education, training and support, to recognize their divine worth, abilities and capabilities to change their homes, their communities and the world. Margo has six adult children and 9 grandchildren which are the most precious gifts to her. She also loves her dear husband Jay D Blades, her dog Toby and two horses, Noche and Goldie.
Ann Takasaki and her husband, Roman are Japanese Americans with three adopted children, also Japanese Americans. This Japanese heritage is not the most important piece of Ann's identity, but it is valued and preserved. Ann also values faith, immediate and extended family relationships, and friendships. Big Ocean Women provides meaningful and important experiences for all of these. Ann strives to give her time to God's work, and sees Big Ocean Women as an important vehicle to do that work.
Dennis Lifferth is a Co-founder of Applied Technology Foundation a non-profit doing business as TechCharities. He is the Former Managing Director of LDS Welfare and Humanitarian Services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President of LDS Charities, and a former secretary to the LDS Presiding Bishopric. He has a PhD in Economics from Iowa State University and is an Assistant Professor at Cornell University. He is married to Margaret R. Lifferth. They are parents of 7 children and 34 grandchildren.
LaReita Berky, Vice President of Operations for Families Mentoring Families, is a wife of an entrepreneur, and mother of 6 sons. She graduated 22 years ago from San Francisco Conservatory of Music with a Bachelors of Music in Cello Performance. She had a private studio, performed as principal cellist with the Utah Valley Symphony, Utah Baroque Ensemble, and was the chair for the Utah Valley String Festival for 17 years. All of that changed when in 2016 she started talking with Becky Rogers about Africa and humanitarian work. LaReita has been to Ghana 9 times (as of 2023), each time taking some family members with her. She recently sustained an irreversible ear injury which altered her life course. LaReita now has a Masters of Social Work. She is credentialed as a CSW and works in a clinical setting as a counselor/therapist to help clients embrace their strengths. Then utilizing various research-based methods, including EMDR, LaReita assists clients in moving through their trauma or other difficult life experiences. Her social work education, training, and hands-on experience bring a unique perspective to Families Mentoring Families to achieve their goals.
Kathie K. Horman was raised in St. Louis, Missouri and is married to Charles H. Horman. They have four children and thirteen grandchildren. Kathie Graduated from University of Utah with a B.A. in Music with an emphasis in Piano Performance, she earned her teaching certificate in elementary education from the University of Utah and is a member of Chi Omega Sorority. Her life has been filled with public service as a president, chairman, board member, leader, or contributing member to over 40 organizations. She is a dedicated supporter of the arts and has performed in various capacities. Beyond the performing arts, she enjoys creating beauty in many mediums, experiencing life through travel and adventure, and reading. She has been honored by many organizations and received many awards including the Hands and Heart Award twice, Certificate of Recognition for Service and Volunteerism from the State of Utah, and the George Washington Medal of Honor from the Freedoms Foundation.
Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
Tuesday Nov 21, 2023
Christy by Catherine Marshall is a historical fiction book that follows the fictional character of Christy who decides to serve as a teacher in the Appalachian Mountains. It was based partially on reality and the experiences of Catherine Marshall’s mother. She goes thinking she has so much to give and ends up finding there is so much more for her to learn.
“I love how she goes in with the intent of, ‘I’m going to help these people,’ and ultimately, it’s them helping her.” - Dana Robb
“It’s one of the reasons I love this book because it’s a really good look, and a really honest look at what richness and abundance people have within themselves and within their communities that people from the outside maybe don’t recognize because it doesn’t look like the richness and abundance that they have in their lives, and so because it’s different and it’s dissimilar, they assume that somehow these people are lacking, and that’s not always the case, and it’s not always true.” - Shelli Spotts
“Our journey is not always going to look like everyone else’s.” - Shelli Spotts
“I love that it kind of tells you a little bit of the kind of feelings you might have with that internal compass, and that once she decides to go with it, she never wavers in that decision.” - Monica Anderson
“I really see this book as a journey that she goes on to connect with her inner compass, to connect with God.” - Dana Robb
“We have to allow love to guide our reactions to people, and then we don’t see them as problems, and we don’t see them as projects, and we don’t see them as obstacles to be overcome, but we see them as they are: human!” - Shelli Spotts
“I love thinking about the multiplying power of love.” - Dana Robb
“And that’s going to happen when you’re inviting God into your life more, you’re listening to your inner compass more, your love is growing, when you’ve got Him on your side, that power is immense.” - Monica Anderson
“I just love this idea that something very simple can make a huge difference.” - Shelli Spotts
“Frequently, what a community needs is not someone coming in from without to change them, but help to change themselves.” - Shelli Spotts
“This assumption that you’re the one that has something to teach and that you don’t have anything to learn, I think devalues great stores of wisdom and knowledge that other people have. We do have to go into situations where we’re open to reciprocation, and we’re open to learning just as much as we’re hoping to teach others.” - Shelli Spotts
“Every interaction we have can be a type of ministry, and especially this theme of love. We can minister with love, we can minister love.” - Shelli Spotts
“By the end of the book, it just changed me. I felt like I walked there … seeing those delightful moments … I couldn’t help but be affected by it.” - Monica Anderson
“I realized, by reading this book, that my imperfect effort is enough. What I have to offer, it’s going to be enough, and that it’s better to fumble on my way through, then to not offer anything at all.” - Dana Robb
Monica Anderson married her high school sweetheart. They have 3 children together, girl, boy, girl. She loves to spend time with her family and friends. She also loves working with animals, especially dogs and cats. She is continuing her education to gain more wisdom and knowledge so she can share that with others through teaching, mentoring, or discussions. This last passion is actually a new found love when she decided to invest in herself and took a Mission Driven Mom class. Monica is naturally happy, positive, courteous, and helpful. That being said, she also suffered greatly from victim mentality. She learned about many great tools to help her to be a better person for herself and those around her. Ironically enough one of the books required for the course was Christy. She fell in love with this book!
Whenever Dana Robb is presented with the opportunity for adventure, she is all in. Currently, this includes riding the local mountain biking trails with her husband, canyoneering, and climbing the hills of southern Utah. She loves to learn and explore with her six kids. She is drawn to the opportunities being involved with Big Ocean Women provides. Dana loves connecting to a global sisterhood where women’s issues are being addressed through reframing and an abundance mindset.
Shelli Spotts is an advocacy writer and creative writing teacher. She loves to spend time with her husband (usually in the garden) and their four almost adult children. She also loves to sew, to read, to write, and to drag her family outside to look at the sky. Shelli is passionate about poetry, Broadway show tunes, and telling stories—of ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Tuesday Nov 14, 2023
Tuesday Nov 14, 2023
Margo Watson, Debbie Hart, and Dr. Tabitha Campbell discuss the tenet, “We seek after knowledge and wisdom.”
“Education is power, and it also helps us to overcome fear. Oftentimes we have fear of the unknown. So the more that we know, the better prepared we are.” - Debbie Hart
“You have to take care of your physical health in order to take care of your mental health and vice versa.” - Dr. Tabitha Campbell
“Education is truly a springboard for opportunity.” - Margo Watson
“Wisdom comes with experience. And as you have more experience, you gain wisdom. You can read about something and learn about it, but until you kind of experience it and go through it in your life, then I think that becomes wisdom. When you have knowledge, it leads to making choices that take you down a path in your life, often brings you personal success and personal fulfillment, and joy and happiness. With that, you gain the wisdom of those years of doing the things that you learned to do.” - Debbie Hart
“There is an infusion of problem solving that comes with self reliance.” - Margo Watson
“I think it is important that women recognize that you don’t necessarily have to go to University to get an education. There are great programs and technical programs and other ways to gain education and to gain professional ability that you might use. … Look around and see where the opportunities are … to get an education.” - Debbie Hart
“Really find something that you may be passionate about, it may be something completely out of left field, but there is a way that you can gain knowledge and gain power and wisdom through that passion.” - Dr. Tabitha Campbell
Debbie Hart is a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She and her husband Keven have been married 47 years. They have 5 adult children plus their spouses and 11 grandchildren. She and her husband recently retired and are enjoying traveling to many countries around the world. They love seeing the UNESCO World Heritage sites and learning about world history, civilizations and religions. They enjoy meeting people of other cultures and diverse backgrounds. They feel like travel is another form of education and personal development. Debbie says that she has discovered that most people around the world have many of the same desires to find joy and happiness in their families.
Dr. Tabitha Campbell received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Kansas City Medical and Biosciences School. She currently is working on her post doctoral education in Neuropsychology, testing the behaviors that result following traumas. Tabitha is an avid horse rider, outdoor enthusiast and traveler. She and her husband Jake are parents to their darling 2 1/2 year old son Matix.
Margo Watson is the Marketing Director for Big Ocean Women. With a Bachelors in Communications and a Masters in Fine Arts/Media, Margo hopes to expand this new division of Big Ocean Women with creative, resourceful individuals, coordinating with the Communications Division to give BOW more exposure. A few goals include finding raving fans in businesses, media, fundraising donors that share similar values that society is better when safeguarding Faith, Family and Motherhood and empowering Men to protect those entities. Margo has worked for 35 years in Marketing, Public Relations, Advertising, Politics, Theater, Television, Production, Real Estate and the Arts. She is a former soloist with national orchestras and musicals, pageant judge, and a former Mrs. Utah. She has five talented, married children and nine irresistible grandchildren. She passionately wants them to have a Great America like she had so volunteers in political outreach as well. Her husband Jay D. Blades is a constant support!
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Friday Oct 13, 2023
Dana Robb, Shannon Russell, Andrea Garn, and Grace Raje discuss the tenet, “We recognize and follow our internal compass to speak and act with integrity.”
“One thing is certain, [this internal compass] is like your own personal language, if you will. The more you learn to understand this language, speak it, and more importantly, act upon it, the better your choices become.” – Shannon Russell
“Choosing to listen to your inner compass will help you to heal, and it will allow you to feel the most beautiful joy that there is to offer in your life.” – Shannon Russell
“That’s what we want most, isn’t it? As moms is that our kids find their compass and find their connection with love.” –Andrea Garn
“As we’re talking about finding your inner compass and learning to listen to it, I thought it would be really important to bring that up for any listeners to maybe be able to identify times of dissociation in their life, especially if they’ve been through some trauma.” – Grace Raje
“Grace and I felt like this really goes along with finding your inner compass because it’s hard to listen to what your body is telling you when there’s dissociation, when there’s trauma. It takes more practice and more love to get those answers.” – Andrea Garn
“In eating disorder recovery, even just with like basic anxiety management, understanding my body’s cues has been one of the most helpful things.” – Grace Raje
“Everything is a system. You know, the universe is a system, our society, our family, and inside of ourselves. We are the manager of our heart and of our emotions, and of the parts of us that are holding onto the trauma and the parts that are protecting ourselves by holding on in different ways. And so as we find that inner compass, we’re able to create safety in all of the systems and creating safety in our internal system, can create it in our family and in the world.” – Andrea Garn
“Sometimes we look to external sources, and those are important when you’re trying to gather tools, right? But sometimes we put so much into the external sources that we deplete our own empowerment… we have that within us to heal.” – Shannon Russell
“It’s really the way we can heal. Nothing outside of us can do it for us. It’s our work to do, and that’s very empowering and beautiful.” – Andrea Garn
“Take deep breaths, take time in nature, find out what things help you feel calm and help you feel better and feed you just like you would find out what your child likes or what your plant needs to grow” – Andrea Garn
“When you take a walk to sort something out, that is literally therapy, because the movement of your feet back and forth is helping your mind untangle and process emotions and thoughts and feelings.” – Andrea Garn
“As you listen to your inner compass and take action on that, the voices will get stronger. You’ll start to notice and pay attention to when you’re feeling calm, when you’re feeling connected to nature, connected to your family, connected to your higher power.” – Andrea Garn
“Surrounding yourself with people who are intentionally trying to tap into that inner compass is a huge support” – Grace Raje
Andrea Garn, LCSW, has been a supporter and participant in Big Ocean Women for 7 years. She is trained in trauma and EMDR therapy, Internal Family Systems, and specializes in supporting periods of transition in hospice care and as a licensed birth doula. She believes finding our inner compass is the way to heal ourselves, our families, and the world.
Grace Raje has been a leader with Big Ocean Women for 7 years occupying various roles along the way. She is passionate about the global sisterhood Big Ocean Women has built and loves nothing more than connecting with new women wherever and whenever she can.
Whenever presented with the opportunity for adventure, Dana is all in. Currently, this includes riding the local mountain biking trails with her husband, canyoneering, and climbing the hills of southern Utah. She loves to learn and explore with her six kids. She is drawn to the opportunities being involved with Big Ocean Women provides. Dana loves connecting to a global sisterhood where women’s issues are being addressed through reframing and an abundance mindset.
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
We seek after wisdom, and we believe wisdom is the highest possible form of knowledge.
Brittany Homer from the Raising Today’s Kids podcast and Project Stand.
“I remember when I was young, realizing the importance of giving children a good foundation, how if they are given a good foundation in their life, then there is no limit to their potential.” – Brittany Homer
“Anytime you try to change the economy of God, you’re doing it wrong.” – Haitian guide as remembered by Brittany Homer
“In order to help children be successful, in order to help them reach their potential, parents have to do their job, and parents have to know how to do their job, and parents have to feel empowered.” – Brittany Homer
“If I’m going to prevent human trafficking, I’ve got to address pornography exposure and help people prevent that or address that.” – Brittany Homer
“We felt like, in order to keep kids safe from all of these forms of sexual exploitation that are out there, we’ve got to help them be safe online.” – Brittany Homer
“Really the most important factor is that parent-child relationship.” – Brittany Homer
Some organizations that Brittany mentioned include the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Fight the New Drug, White Ribbon Week, Defend Young Minds, The Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation, the Utah Coalition Against Pornography, Utah PTA Digital Wellness Committee, and Safeguard Alliance.
“I love how we are all in the business of trying to help children and strengthen families.” – Brittany Homer
“I feel like God is at the core of everything that I do, and so I find a lot of strength in Him, and I feel like sometimes He guides me to spend some time learning, and sometimes He guides me to just slow down and focus on the people.” – Brittany Homer
“Too much screen time can be related to sleep. Problems, aggression, desensitization, nightmares, fear, impulsivity, depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, low attention span. I mean, there's so, so many negative things that are associated with too much screen time.” – Brittany Homer
“The more time someone uses social media, the more likely they are to be depressed. Social media increases the risk of bullying, clique forming, sexual experimentation. It leads to privacy issues, Internet addiction, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression.” – Brittany Homer
“Cyberbullying – One in four children has experienced cyberbullying, and cyberbullying victims are two times more likely to commit suicide.” – Brittany Homer
“This statistic blew my mind: 27% of all video content online is pornographic.” – Brittany Homer
“I’m very hopeful, because I know that children can be resilient.” – Brittany Homer
“I believe that an educated parent can just be so powerful in the lives of their kids and protecting them.” – Brittany Homer
“I’m just so glad that you followed up those statistics with hope and that idea that if we can teach them to use their screen time wisely, then there’s nothing that they can’t do. I think that’s really encouraging and exciting. It puts a lot of pressure on us parents, but it’s exciting. We can become educated.” – Dana Robb
Healthy Technology Path
“Take ‘Just a SEC’ – Stop, Evaluate, Choose – whenever you’re going to post or search or share something online.” – Brittany Homer
“I love your approach to questions. It’s not accusatory. It’s not assuming that they’re doing something bad or dumb, and you’re allowing them to collaborate with you and to share their inner selves. And I love the section where you focus on values and helping them discover their own. I think, as parents so many times we assume that we’re going to instill in them our values and what’s important to us is going to be important to them, but it’s so much more powerful to discover where they’re at and help them decide on their values, and there’s such a range of good values out there. We don’t have to have all the same things.” – Dana Robb
“Parents are the most important protective factor, and you are qualified to be the parent of your children. And not only are you qualified, but you're qualified today right now.” – Brittany Homer
“Wisdom is achieved by uniting our internal compass or conscience with our life experiences.” – Dana Robb
Brittany has always believed that with the right tools and support there is no limit to a child’s potential. She has a master's degree in Family and Human Development, is a Certified Family Life Educator, and is creator and host of the podcast, Raising Today’s Kids where she shares her deep belief in the power of parents. Brittany has also served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), Sexual Assault (SANE) Advocate, and is actively involved in the Safeguard Alliance (a task force of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation).
Brittany has a bucket list the length of Montana. She would love to experience every adventure from learning to yodel, to running an ultra-marathon, to seeing the northern lights from a hot spring. She loves to travel and integrate with the locals wherever she goes and has had life-changing conversations in cultures from Israel to Haiti. The experience that trumps all others though, is that of being a mother. She and her husband feel so blessed to have four children who inspire her to fight to protect all children.