They Call Me Mista Yu
“They Call Me Mista Yu” is a Christian podcast whose topics include: family, faith, relationships, gardening, and even sports and pop culture! We're the All Purpose Pod for an All Purpose Life discussing topics that affect the whole person. Check our weekly episodes wherever you enjoy your podcasts!
Listen and subscribe to our full length episodes on Apple Podcasts at They Call Me Mista Yu: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/they-call-me-mista-yu/id1535535535?i=1000495069095
Or watch us on our YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@Theycallmemistayu
Follow the show at any of these locations: https://theycallmemistayu.buzzsprout.com/follow
They Call Me Mista Yu
TCMMY One On One - Restoration from Within - Kat Ponds
Journey alongside Kat as she shares her rich cultural heritage and the profound influence of her grandparents in Puerto Rico. Moving to Florida and later serving in the military, Kat recounts her cultural adjustments, the passion for gardening passed down from her grandparents, and the lasting impact of her grandfather's agricultural wisdom. We delve into personal stories of balancing life as a mom and entrepreneur, the importance of seeking divine guidance, and prioritizing tasks through different seasons of life. Our conversation extends to the impactful topic of PTSD, exploring holistic healing through therapy and faith, and the vision for global missions and life support centers.
The episode also highlights the journey toward holistic health, driven by faith and personal challenges, including infertility. We discuss the creation of "Reclaiming my Time," a coaching program designed to help individuals align their lives with divine purpose and manage their time
Have a question for Mista Yu? Text the show and he’ll answer it personally.
Thank you for listening to the All Purpose Pod for an All Purpose Life and your Weekly Mirror Check before you go change the world! You can find and subscribe to our show on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Theycallmemistayu
We're LIVE every Monday at 9am EST and the Wednesday Wrap-Up at 9am EST every Wednesday as well as our Facebook, IG, Linked In, and X platforms @theycallmemistayu. For audio listeners, TCMMY is everywhere you enjoy your podcasts.
Hope you enjoyed today's episode! You can find and subscribe to our show on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Theycallmemistayu
Follow us Monday-Thursday on our Youtube, Facebook, IG, Linked In, and X platforms @theycallmemistayu. For audio listeners, TCMMY is everywhere you enjoy your podcasts.
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Thank you for supporting They Call Me Mista Yu! We love hearing from you!
As a listener, you can also support our show financially. Every dollar goes into show improvements and to further local ministry/community efforts. We want to change the world too! Here’s how you can help us ---> www.buzzsprout.com/1222796/supporters/new
We're the All Purpose Pod for an All Purpose Life because we talk about topics and provide information that affects the whole person. Health, nutrition, family, sports, relationships. Live eps on Monday morning at 9am EST and multiple live shows during the week!
>>Watch and subscribe to the TCMMY YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theycallmemistayu
>>For audio listeners, please listen and subscribe anywhere you enjoy your podcast listening.
Pandora: https://pandora.app.link/fIB21E0ayJb
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/they-call-me-mista-yu/id1535535535
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/56P5vA0TeLkeRsFcGci1b2?si=uLe3fRz2TIWltydE8ipN3Q5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theycallmemistayu
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theycallmemistayu
Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/theycallmemryu
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theycallmemistayu
Go Change The World! Coach Out!
Welcome, Welcome back to the All Purpose Pod for an all-purpose life. Wherever you are and however you are listening to the Call Me, Mr U, the podcast. We thank you once again for making us a part of your morning, your day and your week. We are your weekly mirror. Check before you go change the world. We are here one-on-one with another one session about time together, one-on-one discussion with a good friend of mine, entrepreneur, mother, business person. Thank you All that stuff. Cap Pons is in the house. Sister, good morning, Well afternoon now. How are you doing?
Speaker 2:Yeah, hello, hello, hello, and thank you so much for the opportunity to come here and chop it up with you today on this one-on-one podcast. But before we continue, we got to give you a shout out my brother.
Speaker 1:One year.
Speaker 2:One year on the podcast Firm, firm, firm. Come on y'all All the heart.
Speaker 1:I ain't got no cool music. I don't have no confetti, then fireworks, then nothing.
Speaker 2:Did you hear the old school dance hall? That's my horns right there. We good, we good man, so congratulations.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, man, I'm excited. Thank you, I appreciate it I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Those guys that are watching live. Put on them horns up there and congratulate Mr U. Yes, congratulate.
Speaker 1:The introvert in me didn't want no part of this from the start. But God is doing something in this. I can see it through the teachings and even through the stuff we do with sports. God is doing something in this and that kind of messes with the religious mindset of people, absolutely.
Speaker 2:They can't see that.
Speaker 1:Like what I ain't working through? No sports.
Speaker 2:We're disruptors. That's what you're here for and that's what he called the section to disrupt the. The status quo is it's kingdom counterculture and you're doing an amazing job, I know I know we hit me, but I got a question for you. I got a question for you, so how do you?
Speaker 1:get you for me, interview me okay, I'll do my best answer okay all right how do you?
Speaker 2:feel. Okay, all right, how do you feel? Um, uh, you shared with me before we went live that you were, you know, going through the old shows and reminisce and so, now that you look, have had like a quick look back of the past year. Um, how do you feel about this past year of the past year?
Speaker 1:How do you feel about this past year? This could be emotional here, but it's awesome because most of the times and I've said this a lot, even in the teachings that some of our biggest challenges right behind those are our biggest breakthroughs. And the show was formed at one of the worst times, not only in my life personally, but even in our country's timeline One of the worst times in our country's history in 2020. That's when this was formed. So I was in some really low moments and that probably shouldn't happen. We got so many people around us that love us and pray for us us but it was one of the lowest moments ever and I was like I think I'm giving up on a whole bunch of stuff and a whole bunch of people and this, this vision came out of that.
Speaker 1:Uh, through some fasting and praying, this vision came out of that and, like I said, introverted and want no part of none. Have my voice on where people can hear it as much as they want my voice. No, I don't think so. I don't like hearing my single voice after I sung something. I don't want to hear the recording of me singing.
Speaker 1:I don't want to hear it, but that's a me thing and you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's not pride, it's just a me thing, like uh, you know, but this came out of that. So, going back and looking those years well over a year, almost a year now of of it's been about 12 months of going back and seeing the episode and what I was teaching and sharing, I'm like, wow, I was receiving, I was learning, I was growing and I heard it. And looking at the old episodes, I'm like, oh, wow, and the audio podcast, those man, those crushed me man.
Speaker 1:Speaking of the YouTube video, that's good, but the audio side on the apple podcast side, and so it was. It's deep man like where's all this stuff coming from? I'm amazed by working on my own mouth, teaching people. So I was. This is a. This is a big move, right here, for me to even be doing this. I don't know what folk think, but this is a big thing for me to do this. I ain't trying to get famous. I don't want to be internet famous. I don't care about that.
Speaker 1:I ain't looking at my analytics, I'm not worried about it. I'm like this is the God, this meeting right here, this opportunity to discuss this, this is the God so thank you for coming on and doing this with us.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, well, I mean welcome, yeah, I still and I just wanted to add to what you said like what I hear is a lot of uh, obedience, because you said you, you know there was a lot of maturity and a lot of growth and a lot of things that, um, hindsight, now, looking back, you're like, oh, there, I was growing. You know, like this is the blessing and the breakthrough that came out of what I consider, you know, one of the lowest moments in my life. And that's one of the things that I have learned from an amazing friend of mine. She's an amazing coach as well LaVonda Lynn, saying kids shout out to you, I love you to life, and one of the lessons that she taught me when she was my life coach. In a season of my life she was like what's the blessing out of this situation? And I was going through one of the worst moments of my life and I got offended with her.
Speaker 2:I was like what you mean? What's the blessing out of this I'm going through right now, man? What are you talking about? You know? But that that shifted my perspective, you know, and that's what I heard when you was talking, like the blessings that you know, even though you wanted to give up this isn't, this wasn't what you wanted to do, but you still pressed on and out of that obedience and one of the things that God has been dealing with me in this season is like obedience in the middle of it, you know, is the word die right. I'm not going to get dark on you, I'm not, but you know I was like die God like what are you?
Speaker 1:going to do.
Speaker 2:Exactly Right and so and it was was like. It's like you in this season, in this past 12 months, you've had to die to self and then grow into what God has has prospered you in. And this is what success looks like. It's not the status quo, it's not the analytics, but this is what success looks like in this season for your life. And this is just the. It's not even the pinnacle. This is just we're just scratching the surface of what's to come, because when the times that are supposed to come and we know, as kingdom believers, that's supposed to come people are going to get online and they're going to be desperate to hear a word. They're going to be desperate to just even hear sports and in the midst of that, you know, you throw in the good news and they don't even know they got hit with the good news.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying, so I thank you for your obedience. You know some people. I tell people you know that cliche when they say, yeah, some people still in the couch trying to figure it out. You got off the couch and you did something about it. Happy anniversary. I decree and declare Genesis 26 and 12, because all the seeds that you have sown in this season. May they return to you this year. Most importantly, may God amplify your voice for His glory. Congratulations, sam, come on.
Speaker 1:I ain't crying on my own show. I'm going to say that right now. I'm crying on somebody else's show, but not on this one. Here there's some love that's coming through for you. Already, 180 Productions says go Chat Pond.
Speaker 2:Hey man, how you doing One of the best, yes.
Speaker 1:Hey, Chat Pond, get some love coming in. I love this. That's so awesome. Let's jump into some chit-chat. I think you left before I did or I left before you, I'm not quite sure about that one, but share a little bit about your upbringing during those times up in the Northeast.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 2:So, to be honest with you, when I was younger I moved around a lot. So, yes, I was born in New York City and I did spend some time there. However, my mom and dad, we moved around a lot. I didn't really get a stability in my life until my mom in my life. Until my mom, she gave me to my grandparents on my father's side to raise me. That's when I had more stability.
Speaker 2:But, yes, I've stomped some grounds in the New York City area. It's like, yeah, it's something that if you're from there, it just it's in your blood. You know, whether you live there for a long time or a short period of time, it's still in your blood. So, so, yes, so, my grandparents I think I was, I was off and on with my grandparents and then I think around seven or eight years old I don't my memory, I don't know the exact frame yes, my mom, she was like okay, I want you to full-time take care of her. And so they did.
Speaker 2:And so I lived in Puerto Rico for some time and then then Florida became my home and then I traveled the military after that, you know. So I was up and down the East coast with my mom and then we lived in puerto rico for some time and then, um, my, I lived with my grandparents in puerto rico, then I, I did, I lived in florida, and then I joined the military, and so then I traveled, you know, overseas as well everywhere everywhere, yeah we'll come back to that in a little bit.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I have to always tell the story because and people who are watching this or listening to this it might be news to them, even though I've been saying it for a while when you say my name, I'm strict about that because it has a certain meaning. Okay, if you say my name differently, you change the meaning. My name is pronounced Yusef. You change the meaning. My name is pronounced Yusef. If you say Yusef, that means, translated in Hebrew, aramaic, as God shall increase. If you say Yusef or Yusef, it changes it and it takes God out. All it means is increase. That's a battle I fought for a long time once I realized the meaning of it.
Speaker 1:okay, I can't tell everybody I meet all the time. It's too, it's too much work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Talk to me about the meaning of your name. Yes, with how you pronounce it and where did it come from? I'd love to hear that.
Speaker 2:Okay, so, um, my mom named me Katiria. Uh, it's Katiria Teresa Pons. Well, you know, pons is because I'm married, but Katiria Teresa is my middle name, so Katiria it's a derivative in English for Catherine and it means pure, and so Catiria was a distinctive name that was not really heard of, but my mom heard it from a famous. She was a Vedette singer, iris Chacon. My people in Puerto Rico know who that is.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1:I was thinking different things back then because I was a young kid.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly so. Edie Chacon had a daughter and my mom. She was like, she said her name and my mom fell in love with the name, so she gave me that name. But, lo and behold, god had other intentions. So you know, catherine, or the in English, or Kathy means pure and so. And then Teresa, it's my grandmother, her mom's name. So she gave me her name as a middle name, but it means harvester, so it means harvester. So, yes, oh, I like that.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, I like that. Yes, I'm still, I'm still. I'm still adjusting. Even though I've been down here since 96, I'm still adjusting. I can't. I haven't become the southerner that others around me have become. I still haven't gotten. I don't know if it's ever going to happen, but I've been getting involved with a lot of farming and doing stuff like that. It's a big part of our life, farming, of course, on a smaller level, absolutely. Are you doing anything like that since you moved down here? What kind of things have you adopted as a northerner coming down here to the South? Have you adopted any of the practices?
Speaker 2:I do say y'all a lot, you know. I do say that they got you.
Speaker 1:They got you.
Speaker 2:I say that. And then I do say big man, I do say that when somebody's really upset they, you know, I've learned from the locals, even the Geechies oh you, big man, you, big man. I was like oh you, big man.
Speaker 1:That's me and KJ, yeah, it's me and KJ, and then what else?
Speaker 2:Which other one, dang? Which one is it? I can't remember. So, big man, oh, and boxing, boxing in your mouth. I'm boxing, which is like, you know, like fighting. So you know I'll be messing with my kids sometimes, you know I'll be like I bought you, you know, and, and so I, I do mess. I do mess around and say those words, um, that I've learned from my, you know, my local friends that you know they be knowing they stuff, and I love them to life. Um, so, uh, well, culturally, um, my grandparents were the ones that showed that, introduced me to my passion to like gardening or harvesting or plants, because even when we moved from Puerto Rico to Florida, my grandfather just started growing plants. To this day we have avocado plants in the back of the house. He germinated an orange with a grapefruit and made his own type of fruit. He knew how to do all that stuff, and so you know he, yeah, he nourished the land. We had chickens one time, but you know, I guess somebody got tired of the rooster.
Speaker 1:That's why I got a line.
Speaker 2:Somebody got tired of the rooster in the neighborhood and the rooster disappeared because you know they'd be crowing at five in the morning, so back in those days I was just coming from the club and the thing was crowing and I'm like, shut up, you're going to tell on me and you know. But the neighbors just hated it and so but my passion really came from there, the love of the plants, like you know, like I would come home from school or I would say, oh, mom, something's going on with my ear, my grandma would be like what, what you got going on? She'll go to the back of the yard and you know she'll concoct something and then she'll, you know put it in my ear?
Speaker 2:yeah, there's. I can't remember the name of the leaf, but I really. What the sad part is is that I saw it, I witnessed it, but I didn't really appreciate it to take like really true notes about it. And that's one of you know, if I have any regrets, that's the only regret that I have. Um, but one time, um, I, I had pink eye or something and so, and then she went and there's a leaf that when you squeeze it it squeezes like a white milky content but it heals pink eye and so you know. So I knew, like, if anything was wrong with me, I knew to hit up my grandmother because she was going to do something, and to this day I still use her expectorant. Like I make her expectorant. I have the recipe. It's just three ingredients aloe vera, honey and lemon. If you have a heavy congestion in your chest, that bad boy is gone, definitely.
Speaker 1:I don't think we got enough time to get into all of this. This is good. Yes, I'm going to try to come back to this. I'm going to do my best. A lot I want to ask you about, so let me see if I can try to get back to it. Hopefully, we can Describe the journey for me as brief as you can, from being a veteran to a mompreneur. What happened between? Oh, like, why the decision?
Speaker 2:How'd you get from veteran to mompreneur, yeah, okay. So I served my country for about 10 years. I was a security forces member, and I also had the opportunity to go outside my career field and be an instructor. I taught supervisors, first-time supervisors, leadership, communications and military science skills, and so it was a great experience, but it was time for me to go. I had a dream, and that dream shifted everything and I had to throw the deuces, and so entrepreneurship was already in my blood. Because I'm going back to my grandparents. They, um, they they've always were entrepreneurs Like my grandmother.
Speaker 2:She, um, she went to school to be a hairstylist and then, after that, you know, um, her and my father, they always had that hustle in them, you know to to make money, even though if they had a job, they always had a, you know, side job my grandparents to make a, you know, to have a job. Like my grandfather, when we moved from Puerto Rico to Florida, he worked at the Marriott as a sous chef, which was a hard job to get, but he got it. Yeah, he got as a sous chef, but he also had a hot dog stand that he used to work down in OBT, and if you know anything about OBT in Florida. It used to be the hot spot, so he used to have a hot dog stand. They had a nursing home for over 20 years Before that. They used to have a restaurant slash club in Puerto Rico. So you know, it's been in there, it's entrepreneurship has been there, so it was nothing new to me, you know.
Speaker 2:So when I, when I got out and and I went through my own restoration from within wellness journey, restoration from within wellness journey I was just like, okay, well, you know, this was my purpose and this is my purpose in this season is to, you know, help busy moms and mompreneurs restore from within, spiritually, physically and emotionally so that they can return back to their original plan. For you know, for God's, that God has created them to be into flourishing areas of their lives. Because, you know, motherhood and being a mompreneur can be tough to try to, you know, balance it out, but not with me, not with with the coaching I'm saying. What I do is is to put God in the center of it all and do life with him in every area, not just on Sundays.
Speaker 1:I love that we hear about all the time how busy we are. I even got a couple of podcast episodes where I'm kind of sarcastic. Somebody says I'm busy, I'm busy, that's why this didn't get done. I'm like, okay, let's slow, let's go down a little deeper and find out. Find out why you're so busy. But you definitely are busy, being a mom and a business owner, among other things. Yes, how are you balancing all these things and staying consistent without sacrificing the important stuff in life? How, if you can answer that for me in a nutshell, how? How are you doing that?
Speaker 2:I consistently have to go back to the to, to the source and to the drawing board.
Speaker 2:Thanks, nikki.
Speaker 2:So when I say to the source, I mean to God. I got to constantly go back to God because everything that I'm busy doing in this season in my life is really because well productive in my life right now is because God has called me to do that. So when I go back to the source, to him, I'm always you know, okay, what do I need? I bring my life to him and I say, okay, what do I need to cut off, what do I need to add, what do I need to delegate or what do I need to take away. And then once I do that, or what do I need to take away, and then once I do that, then my framework is when I do that, my framework supports that season in my life because we're in different seasons. So that's why I say I always try to stay plugged into the source and also be mindful of the framework that I have so it can support the season that I'm in and I can show up in every area of my life that he's called me to be in.
Speaker 1:That's good Now being in the military. We kind of discussed this in our pre-production meeting. Being in the military puts you in a lot of places internationally. Obviously you have to name all those places. It's not really needed right now, but do you feel a strong pull or call toward global missions work at all? You mentioned some things about a support center. I kind of wanted to hear more about that. I think that would be some value Can you share? That Is that okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. So I do feel a call to missions or to, you know, share the good news, you know, globally. I do feel that, um, there is uh something that is on my heart and it's to develop life support centers across the nation and the globe. And so so that is more to serve what to serve?
Speaker 2:the overlooked and and um and the underserved spiritually and physically, so that they can be equipped to be what God created them to be with not just, you know, spiritual tools, but also the the practical side of things. You know, if they need counseling, there's a, there's an area for counseling. If they need to support with with food, they have a food pantry or a food center. But it's not just me showing up and oh, I'm planting this because I want this to. This is something that I envision into, partnering with the local communities and organizations that already been doing this, that got skin in the game, and so that I could join forces with them to empower them with resources or finances or whatever it is needed, so that we can unify and uplift the community and power it to the capability that God created that community to be individually and collectively.
Speaker 1:Okay, now, I love this and we did talk a little bit too about, you know, the impact of serving in the military and first responders and that kind of stuff. We do take it for granted, a lot of us who are not doing it. We do take it for granted, the experiences that they have and what they feel. You want to talk a little bit about the impacts of ptsd? Talk to me about that a little bit with.
Speaker 1:I want to hear I'm not looking to bring value to a lot I have plenty of friends that watch this show and support all of our shows, the sports, the wrestling, the whole deal, and a lot of them deal with that and they weren't in the military. So I'd love to hear the impacts of that from your vantage point and share that wisdom with us, if you can.
Speaker 2:Okay, all right. So there's two aspects of it, but I'm going to answer the military first, but there's another aspect of PTSD that I would like to address as well. So PTSD was heightened when I joined the military because I already was challenged with PTSD. So, and then I'm going to talk about that in here in the future. However, there are some things when you are in the military, when you're in the process, when you're in the thick of it, you're only trained.
Speaker 2:Well, security forces are those people who work alongside with the like. You know feet in the ground, boots in the ground, marines and Army, and you know medical personnel and doing that type of high level. And you know medical personnel and doing that type of high level, having to deal with things immediately. You're taught to put that away and you've got to work. You know work hard and not address those things. But there's going to come a time, and for every veteran that has this challenge with PTSD, that you're going to have to face that, because it's not, it's going to show up regardless of how you do it. Face that because it's not. It's going to show up regardless of how you do it, and so um.
Speaker 2:So yes, I was, I I had to, uh, thank God for um, guiding me, and I truly believe that therapy and God go together. You know like it go together. God heals you and then the therapy, like, helps you to break down. Why is it that you doing the things that you're doing Helps you to think about what you're thinking about and help you to deal with those emotions? And then, when you bring God in the natural, the natural meets the super and then you have a supernatural experience of healing, deliverance and restoration. That comes into process. Ask me how? I know? You know this is not something that you know, this is not something that you know, this is not something that I'm just saying, but I've.
Speaker 2:I've seen that because, um, I told God when, um, I was like, well, I don't need therapy. I don't need therapy because of my cultural background and the association with therapy. You know, and then also being in the military, that it was something that was not as as receptive as it was as it is now. You know it was a sign of weakness if you got help through mental health and I was very hesitant. But and I told God, god, I don't want to open this Pandora's box and lose my mind. You're going to have to help me the whole process and I could tell you that when I went through the cause, I went through intensive therapy, and when I went through that therapy, god was with me every step of the way and every session I had. And the only reason why I believe that this happened is because I invited him in and I trusted the process with him there.
Speaker 2:You know, I had a breakthrough. Every session, and every session I had a breakthrough. And so, and and so I encourage all my vets that are listening, or anybody who has suffered PTSD and they're thinking, oh, I can get over this, or just work hard or focus on something else and not focus on that. That's going to show up with irritation. It's going to show up with hypervigilance. You know, there's a reason why you can't go to uh, to the fair when there's a whole bunch of people around you. There's a reason why you always have to sit with your, with your back against the wall when you go to any facility. There's a reason why you check all the exit points.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's why I don't know why we're doing that. Okay, that helps. Now I understand. I do all that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so there's, there's a reason why that is, you know, and it's it's a good thing to have as far as security. However, if it takes over your life that hinders you to connect with others or to do the things that you love, then you got to seek help. Yes, oh, look look at Nikki. She's, she, yep, she's one of my counselors too, there. I love her to life. She's one of my best friends that has help.
Speaker 1:Yes, I'm telling you.
Speaker 2:Okay, nikki is awesome. Listen, that's the wisdom rushing right there. Yep, she says a wise man, a woman, listens, seeks advice and counseling when needed. The Holy Spirit will be very present, yes, very present help. And so even her, like she's the one, she's the one that was like you got to go, you got to do that, and so that's also important to have people who are accountable to you that are not yes, men or yes, women, and they're like and coddle the areas that you need to be held accountable. You know that they lovingly tell you that you need to seek help and they're there for you for the betterment of your growth. You need accountability around people around you, people who generally love you, not love you just to tolerate you, or love you to tolerate what you're going through and not want you to level up to the level of excellence that God wants for you. So and so that's that's what I say.
Speaker 2:As far as, like PTSD and um and and getting support and how, even even that that the trauma cause it's post-traumatic stress syndrome, so that that stress and that trauma has turned into you know, I know it's a cliche. You know my message to a message. You know my testimony, but it is because now I can speak to others from a, from a perspective, and it's a growing process, you know, because it's layered, you know, and so, and so the other aspect that I wanted to speak about is, as minorities, you know, as black and brown as black and brown men and women and I'm not saying that other cultures or races do not is that we as minorities have to acknowledge, especially those who have lived in impoverished communities or in inner cities or in domestic violence situations or toxic environments.
Speaker 2:We have to go back and address those issues because, if not, if you know that that is true, whatever happened in your childhood is going to show up in your adulthood and how you manage things or how you deal with things, and then you're going to pass that on. Hence, generational, you know, yeah, that's generational curses or blessings. Really, it's not just a spiritual thing, it's also a physical thing. You have to address that thing because it's habitual. You know obesity is habitual, this eases are it's habitual, habits are habitual and that's you know, and habits also is part of generational curses or generational blessings.
Speaker 2:So we have to address those things that we experienced. I mean, I remember you know, like people who haven't been in the military, but you hear something pop, they go down. But I do know that they lived in the city, I do know that. Or they lived in an area where you know gunshots. They had to be. You know, like there's certain things that you couldn't do and if gunshots were heard or you heard it near around your house, you had to go into the bathtub or into the closet, an area where the bullets won't those stray bullets won't get you. So we have to address those things to heal. So that's what I was saying, that I already what I already had some traumatic events before I joined the military that heightened my PTSD and and I thank God that I addressed them and not, you know, tried to hide them under the you know, dig them deep and grow deeper roots of that. But I decided to, you know, uproot those things and heal.
Speaker 1:I love that. This is pretty deep. I want to try to share some things to myself. My veteran friends that I know deal share. Some of my veteran friends that I know deal with some of this stuff too. I guess I deal with it as well in some areas too, so it helps me too. I got so many more questions to ask. I got a little bit more to go here. In your opinion, what do you think the push towards holistic health came from? You might have answered some of that already, but kind of help me out with what you think the push came from towards holistic health.
Speaker 2:Okay, so, um, two things, uh, my grandfather who raised me, um, uh, God rest his soul. He passed away from brain cancer, so that was, um, that was, uh, was, that was like the thing that pushed me over, you know. However, before that, I felt like there was more to life. I just couldn't put my finger to it. And so, and then I I was, I was challenged with infertility. There was a season in my life I was challenged with infertility. There was a season in my life I was challenged with infertility and I became obsessed with it. And so, god, he dealt with me. He's like are you going to trust me or are you going to, you know, or are you going to continue to be obsessed with this? You know? So I had to release it to God.
Speaker 2:And once I released it to God, then the Holy Spirit started guiding me. He started talking to me about holistic health, you know, about being healthy and so. And then, once he started doing that, I started. You remember WJNI 106.7? Yeah, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay, so you know, so, um, they used to have this gentleman. Oh my gosh, I can't, I can't forget, I can't believe I forgot his name. Well, he was a believer and he had a natural store downtown Charleston um books herbs and spices yeah, books, herbs and spices, and he would have.
Speaker 1:Yeah listen, I've been here since 2004.
Speaker 2:that one. Listen, I've been here since.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 12 years, is that long enough?
Speaker 2:for that. Oh four, yeah, he was here. He was here for a while. I forgot his name but he was an amazing gentleman and so his book. He was in downtown Charleston and his store was called Books, herbs and Spices and he was a believer and I used to go there and I just ask questions and he will always teach me. And he shared his testimony about his wife dealing with infertility and I think they have double digit kids. Ok, so you know. So I was like OK, you know you know, yeah, it works.
Speaker 2:But he taught me. And so I just started going in there reading books, um, taking care of my health, and, um, and God, uh, before, uh, a month before my 30th birthday, he blessed me. Um, I, I, he, he gave me a word and I knew that that, um, the whole thing about healing holistically is like your soul, your, your spirit and your body. And I was already going through my deliverance journey and so, um, he gave me a word. And so he says, uh, I forgot where it was, but it's an Isaiah. And so he it talks about you know the woman he's talking to, the woman that was barren, and he said, and she, and he's telling her uh, you know, enlarge your tent, because it's going to grow, you know. And so, and that's what the word he gave me.
Speaker 2:And then, on my birthday, I knew, the day that I did, my daughter was conceived. I knew I was pregnant, I just knew it. I know that's crazy to say, but I just knew it. And then he, cause, he gave me that word. And then, on my birthday, I found out that I was pregnant. So and so, that was, that was my miracle. Yeah, and so, and then, with my grandfather, I was hesitant to tell people about health. You know like this has worked for me.
Speaker 2:It can work for you and because I don't want to offend nobody. But then, when he passed away, I promised myself that I would never allow nobody else to cross my path, that if I can change their life, I'm not going to be afraid to share the gift of health. And so that's. That's what got me to holistic.
Speaker 1:OK, I love that. I love that. A lot Talk to me about restoration from within. I heard you got some kind of five day challenge going on. What's happening with that?
Speaker 2:OK, so. So we do have a coaching program coming up, and it's called Reclaiming my Time, and so God's been really dealing with me about time, right? And so I'm like.
Speaker 2:OK, so and and it's. I believe it's Ephesians Look, he got me reading this one thing he says be mindful, like something about. I know Psalms 90 and 12. It talks about teach me to number your days and I will grow a heart of wisdom. That's something that he's always been teaching me, but in Ephesians I forgot it talks about. It says be mindful of what you're doing and be intentional. Pretty much I'm paraphrasing it and I'm so sorry and I'll share it once we're done here in the comment section.
Speaker 1:But it talks about because the days are 15 months.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, I think it's because the days are evil. Yeah, because the days are evil, I know it ends like that 15 and 16.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's what we're living right now. So we have to be intentional about that. So the coaching program is five days and we're going to go from God's perspective, like you know how to center our lives for what God wants us to do in this season and stop wasting time and be intentional, because it's super important for us to do that and, of course, it's anybody that desires to take it. However, I do cater to my mompreneurs and to my moms, you know, and so my team and I were working on the planner, because it comes with a planner as well. You can buy it separately a 12 month planner for 2025. And so and then we're also going to, as a gift, you also get a downloadable planner for the rest of 2024.
Speaker 2:So, it's yeah, it's like the coaching five-day coaching, it's on-demand coaching and then you get the hard copy planner in January 2020. Well, you know soon before that and the 2025 planner and then you get a downloadable 2024 one, um. But so that's just an aspect. So, um, in this season, right now, restoration from within has different aspects. So it's the coaching which we do, the group coaching, or we do wellness workshops and um, or I do speaking engagements or interviews like this. And then the other side is RFW, bath and Body Care, where it's clean products.
Speaker 2:I want to introduce my clients and others of the same clean experience that I'm having with clean products, because it's not just restoring yourself from the inside, but also the outside, because it's just as important. We tend to forget that our largest organ we don't, we don't give that TLC that we need to our largest organ, which is the skin, and your skin will always tell on you, your skin will always tell on you. I'm telling you, yeah, and so we just recently also expanded to holistic care. So that's where we have. I know right, I'm just like God you are doing this all by yourself.
Speaker 2:No, my team, which is the family, yeah.
Speaker 1:I do?
Speaker 2:I have a team, so it's a family, yeah, so everybody works in this house, everybody get their coins somewhere in this house, so my team is my family, and I do also have some other team members that don't live in the same household as me, and so we do the production side of things and everybody's responsible for one area. But I did, I partnered. Going back to the, the harvester name, um, I always have a desire to have my own farm. I will have, you know, my own farm here in the states. However, I've partnered with shalom farms in malawi, africa, and so, because I've had that opportunity, yes, I've um I know, thank you, god be the glory.
Speaker 2:We've partnered with them and I. It's commercial farming and we've they've grown our hibiscus flowers from there. So and that's what's what's created our holistic care line, which is our tinctures. We have a wild oil of oregano extract and we also have our hibiscus tincture and our hibiscus tea and we've had some amazing results, some really really amazing results with that of what the health potential and benefits you know, potential benefits that you can receive just by incorporating these two aspects. But we do plan to expand our holistic care, which is taking our time with nurturing what we have now and sharing the gift of health through our hibiscus tincture, our wild oregano oil extract and also our teas.
Speaker 1:Okay, I love this and I told you this during our pre-production meeting. I tell everybody that when we have pre-production meetings, I say you know what? This is an opportunity for you to kind of have a platform. I want you to share what you've got going on, and there's going to be some times where I'm going to say what you won't say. I take care of my people. I take care of my people. I don't expect you to say it, I'm going to say it for you and I'll take all the bullets that come with it. Okay, anybody listening that want to be interviewed by me at some point in the conversation for that 60 minutes, I'm going to say something that you were thinking anyway, probably, and you would never say it. I'm going to say it out here and I don't care what happens. Now is that moment. I know that several might think that, and you never said it I'm going to sit out here and I don't care what happens.
Speaker 2:Now is that moment.
Speaker 1:Now I know that people might think that the work that you're doing is similar to theirs. You might go on Facebook or Instagram or whatever and you see something that is similar and they might think, oh, my stuff is just like that, but they're not ascribing to biblical principles like you are, so it's not the same y'all. Just to get it clear you might got some soaps and some skin scrubs and stuff, but it's not the same. You understand, this is different. It's coming from a different place. Why do you think the biblical side is an important separator from what's out there right now? Why is that important that that's ingrained and embedded in what you're doing right now? Why is that?
Speaker 2:important. I forgot the term. Lord, holy Spirit, bring it to me. Okay, all right, he did, okay. So in the health and wellness arena there's a lot of different beliefs. There's not many kingdom individuals, you know I can, I can that I personally know. I only know of probably one outside of me, and we both know Chevy, you know Chevy, noble, um, she's kingdom Um, and then the people who, my group of uh, of colleagues that we work with, the hibiscus, care their kingdom, you know. So there's not many in that, in that, uh, in that field, in the health and wellness field, that are kingdom, and so that's, that is our. Our common core here at restoration from within is the kingdom path to holistic wellness, and so, um, a lot has been um, stolen from biblical principles and established into other belief systems, and because we are a business that is heavily owned and locally operated, we follow the biblical principles of what God has. And so, if you do not want to be part of the I just lost the word again. I was just talking to a priest about this.
Speaker 2:It's called synchronism. So synchronism is when you mix faiths and beliefs and, you know, create your own. You know so, and you're not going to find that here at Restoration From Within, you know so. It's straight up prayer the Holy Spirit. You know the Trinity, god, jesus and the Holy Spirit. You know and if you don't like the word, listen. The blood of Jesus.
Speaker 1:Yes, what the Bible say yes.
Speaker 2:I'm going to be declaring and declaring all of these products. I'm going to meet with the Holy Spirit, and that's that's my secret. You know, if you want to know, what's the secret sauce over here is is bible and the holy spirit. You know. So you don't have to worry, you don't? You don't have to concern yourself that, um, that the products that are created at restoration from within have served other gods I love that.
Speaker 1:I love that. All right, we still a whole bunch more. I want to ask you I hope we can get it in. I mean, I'm not. I'm not sure we do, but I'm going to do my best though. You were very excited about an upcoming project. You mentioned reclaiming your time. Can you share a little bit about that? Is that something you can share this early, or is it kind of need to stay on the wraps for right now? Can you talk about it?
Speaker 2:No, no yeah, we can Luc, for right now, can you talk about that? No, no, yeah, we can Lucrece, if you can, if you could please put the link in the comment section. So, yeah, so, reclaiming your Time is a coaching program. It's a five-day coaching program and it's on demand. So, because moms, well, everybody lives busy lives and, like I said, it's catered to moms.
Speaker 2:But the biblical principles that I'm teaching and the practical thing, the practical coaching that I'm also sharing, is it can be, it can be done with for anybody. And so, yeah, it's straight up, bible is neck deep in Bible. Because, you know, that's where we come from, from our belief system. We, we center, we return every back. We our goal, one of our founding um beliefs, is that we return back to God's original plan for our lives. You know, and one of the ways that you do that is by Bible, reading the Bible.
Speaker 2:What does the Bible say about this?
Speaker 2:And because, if the Bible is the truth and it sets you free, well, we're going to start there.
Speaker 2:And so then, and so that's we're going to do. We're going to talk about the biblical principles and some strategies that you can implement so that you can be intentional, so that you can reclaim that, that, that that terrain, that distraction has stolen from you, you know, or that life in itself, the chaos of life, has stolen from you, can reclaim back that time that God has given you, because we all have 24 hours in a day, right? And one of the things that I have learned in in creating this, this, the coaching program, is that everybody you, you might, you might perceive time as short increments, some people might perceive time as long increments, but one thing that cannot be changed is that our time, the way we spend our time is, is directly related to our perception and our passion, which creates the productivity that we desire in our lives. So, when our passion that it should be at the core, it should be our passion for whatever God has intended us to do and be in alignment with his will.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we'll feed into the perception. And now we're not perceiving things through our eyes, through our culture or through the world, because the world is going to try to drag you everywhere, saying this is important, this is important, this is important. No, what you do is you create that productivity that God intended for you to have by removing your hand from the world trying to drag you everywhere, and you place it in your heart and you say no, this is important for me, and you grow and you manage, you reclaim your time by doing what's important for you and not what the culture or what the world desires for you to do.
Speaker 1:That makes sense. It makes a lot of sense. I like that. Okay, thank you. That's good. Yes, I hope everybody's hearing that. Hopefully we'll have it on the YouTube channel in the comments under the episode. If you want to get everything you've been sharing everything about RFW and reclaiming your time. I want to get whatever you have in the form of a link or website. Please drop it in the comments section under the episode for today. I want everybody to be able to see that, so that's really important that that happens. Episode for today. I want everybody to be able to see that, so that's really important that that happens Now in our time together. You also mentioned a break from social media. I can tell, because when I post something about the podcast, you never like it or share it, so I know you're not on there.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, oh, I didn't share what you did because I'm actually in consecration right now. My, I am present as far as, like you know, reclaiming your time. I have scheduled my posts, but I have to.
Speaker 1:That ain't shade, I'm just. I'm just saying are you on a break? I wanted to hear, I wanted you to share. If you can share with it, share with us.
Speaker 2:It was part of my, it was part of the team strategy. We shared it in our emails, we shared it on our social media outlets, we scheduled it and then today I actually came on and physically shared it. But it was in our emails last week and our newsletter and our email this week, oh, and in our itinerary right, yep, thank you. Thank you, lucretia.
Speaker 1:So it wasn't the kind of break like people just get tired of people uh not agreeing with them and they and they log off. It wasn't that kind of break.
Speaker 2:It was like a oh, no, god told me to. Yeah, god told me to. He's like get off that, get off that book and get in my book. I was like okay, sir no worries, no worries.
Speaker 1:Now we had a funny part of our conversation offline. This is I feel like this was a New Yorker talking to a New Yorker. This is just what I thought. I don't know if people are going to stop, if they're going to feel funny about this or not. They're going to look at us funny, but again, I'll say what you want to say and I'll bring up the topic. If you don't want to go there, we won't go there. Ain't no worries here, it's all good.
Speaker 1:I ain't never going to be scared. That's why this is always happening. You made some very pointed comments about getting too familiar. Now, I think I understand what that means, because it's been discussed in my household at a time or two. But explain that for our audience. If you think it's going to bring value anyway, Only if you think that's going to bring value anywhere. Or if you think that, what do you mean by getting too familiar? Why is that important to you for that not to happen? Can you break that down a little bit?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so one of and I learned it. I learned it through a hard lesson. It's like getting too familiar, and what I meant by like in relationships, whether it's a working relationship, at church or at a workplace, or even business, if you have a personal relationship with someone and that turns into a business relationship. On another perspective, even with personal relationships, we should not get too familiar with people you know to the capacity that we devalue what they bring to the table or limit them by our view of them, because we've had a backstage access to some areas that they need to grow into. Does that make sense?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, but I need you to push it out. I'm here, I get it, but I don't want to try to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, no, no, okay, I got you.
Speaker 2:Yeah because I'm defining it. I'm defining it because you have to know and understand that, regardless of how you see a person, you need to see them through God's perspective. You need to still honor that individual, especially if you, if God has even given you a insight on seeing the gift of that individual, and in that season they might not be as mature as they want to be. Or sometimes, because you become too familiar with an individual and you know and, and you, you forget that they're an asset to you or they're an asset to the kingdom, and you don't utilize them to that capacity or that you devalue them. But honestly, when it comes to that perspective, I think that there's an internal issue going on with the person that's doing the devaluing. So you know, like something on the inside, yeah, so you must have professional and personal boundaries and so and once you, once you see that you can't, you to me.
Speaker 2:I learned that in the military you can't get too familiar with people and then think that you've got it going on and you're the best thing to slice bread because you have a relationship with this individual. And then, when it comes time for you know, for work to be work or for you to be professional. You over here acting like you know, y'all just buddy buddy. But this is a professional environment that you need to separate your your personal relationship from your professional relationship.
Speaker 1:I wish I can borrow that first part of what you said, because that's the part right there. A lot of times people they avoid getting too familiar because they worry about somebody hurting them. But what you said was even deeper than that. You don't want to kind of. It's almost like people who we could use ministry as an example, or maybe it's an organization where you got somebody who has a level of influence and fame and they're part of the organization. If you get too familiar, you won't be able to receive what they have, you won't be able to respect the gifts that they have. You kind of look at them like, oh, that's just so-and-so, and you call them by their first name as opposed to the title and office that they're in at that time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if it's a professional environment, yeah.
Speaker 1:My wife loves to tell the story. If she's not here to tell us, I'm going to tell her, for her yeah. She always say that you know that when dad was alive, when they were at church, they were never to call him dad. When they were at church, they were never to call him dad. It was Reverend Geiger. I thought that was so awesome that while he was in the office that he was in, you called him by the name. In respect of that office.
Speaker 1:Now we get familiar. We call people by their first name and we just forget that this is our pastor or this is our leader, or this is the president or the CEO, and we call them by the first name and then we talk about him at the water cooler, like, like they don't have no officer, don't have no one else yeah.
Speaker 1:I have no call. You know it's like I love, I can't keep going. If you guys stop, that will be ready. Go some places now. What asked cat? What does cat do for relaxation and fun? What do you do to relax and have fun? When's the last time that happened? Can you remember that far back?
Speaker 2:It was yesterday. I ain't going to lie, it was yesterday. I took the day off yesterday. Yeah, I did. I'm not going to lie, it was yes. I like to take naps, I like to.
Speaker 1:I like to take naps. I like to. I like to take naps. That's a t-shirt I've never heard of. Wear that t-shirt one day. I like to take naps.
Speaker 2:I do, I'm not going to lie. I like to take naps and I like to ride, you know. So I like to like yeah, not me drive, but I want to be on the passenger side and I just like to ride, and you know, with my kids or with my family, and you know we just, you know, do stuff, just the actual riding, because you know conversations are had, I don't know, it's just like the motion, the being in motion, feeling it relaxes me. So, outside of taking naps, yeah, that's.
Speaker 1:Oh, and reading, I love to read, I do, I love to read, that's relaxing as long as it's not raining in Charleston, I think the driving part sounds cool. This is raining in Charleston. Yes, I'm not driving, I'm stressed.
Speaker 2:I'm like this driving when it's raining, because it's like cats and dogs out here People.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we can talk about them. They can't drive out here. It's just the bottom line. What's Kat's favorite food, your favorite guilty pleasure in food? You can't have it. What's your favorite food guilty pleasure? I?
Speaker 2:can't have it. A good pizza. Okay, all right, I'm a mofongo. It's a smashed plantain. I know what?
Speaker 1:mofongo is, but go ahead and explain it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a smashed plantain and you can have it either with sauteed shrimp yeah, I forgot you were chef and you from New York too. Sauteed shrimp, or chicken or pork. I usually get it with the sauteed shrimp. I don't eat shrimp all the time, but when I do go home I either get the juice or the saute. But yeah, mofongo.
Speaker 1:Are you putting the mofongo recipe on the YouTube channel?
Speaker 2:Not me.
Speaker 1:I got a spot, I go to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, listen, I got a spot I go to and I'm still trying to find one here that has a good mofongo.
Speaker 1:Here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's some Puerto Rican spots here. You'd be surprised I follow.
Speaker 1:I'm part of this. I haven't seen one yet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going to add you to. It's like a restaurant spot, like it shares all the restaurants here in Charleston, like you know, like all the restaurants and what good spots to go to eat. So definitely that's where I found them. I haven't eaten there yet, but that's one of my things. Oh, food trucks, I love food trucks. I love visiting food trucks. Yeah, that's my answer, for here In Florida it's the Mofongo. Here is food trucks. I love visiting food trucks.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I can do it. I used to work at some of the restaurants and I seen the food trucks. I'm like I don't know if I can do that. If you want to do that, that's fine. I don't. What is Nikki talking about? Chipotle, chipotle listen the one around me is hit or miss, sis.
Speaker 2:The one around me is hit or miss. I just be like man.
Speaker 1:You never know, it could be good and it could be not so good.
Speaker 2:Yes, one of my favorite spots here is my homegirl, cheryl Alkaline Chef Cheryl. So yeah, so she's a vegan queen and she has a truck. Oh my gosh, she got these mushrooms. Oh, okay, let me get back. Let me get back. It's a truck queen and she has a truck. Oh my gosh, she got these mushrooms.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, let me get back. Let me get back and banging vegan Is her truck clean? I'm going to ask this on the air because I don't care what happens.
Speaker 2:No, she is. She's very clean. I know her personally, so, yes, she will not get me.
Speaker 1:They call them road coaches for a reason. It's made-up names. For a reason. They call it Roach Coach for a reason.
Speaker 2:I know, but these are not Roach Coaches, they're food trucks. Hers is the bomb. I like Banging Vegans too. They're pretty good, I like them.
Speaker 1:Banging.
Speaker 2:Yes, Banging Vegan. Listen, they got these wingless.
Speaker 1:It's really cauliflower Meatless wings no, it's like cauliflower fried cauliflower Meatless wings yeah, no, they got.
Speaker 2:It's like cauliflower fried cauliflower, and then they have this amazing Asian sauce with it. Yo, oh, my goodness, it's so good.
Speaker 1:I like good food. Most of our listeners are foodies, so I know they're getting with it, but y'all ain't turning me into no vegan. I'm going to tell you that right now. I like me some meat, but you don't have to. I'm telling you I will eat it, but I don't think it's going to be a lifestyle.
Speaker 2:You can't knock it until you try my.
Speaker 1:Cheryl's. I've tried people's stuff. I want to try Cheryl's stuff.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, I'm telling you, Cheryl got this same portobello mushroom, mushroom burger, that thing is.
Speaker 1:I ain't trying to chipotle, I don't know, but I think I'm out on that for good now. I think I'm done with chipotle I'm tired of. I think I'm done with that completely. But it's a whole lifestyle change that's happening.
Speaker 1:I'm just cutting up a whole bunch of stuff because oh yeah, I get it feeling good, so I gotta quit that, but I love the healthy ideas and healthy lifestyle that you're living and leading and teaching about. This is an awesome conversation. I appreciate it so much. It's really, really awesome. Thank you, so much fun. We got to do it again down the line when you got some more stuff going on. I want to promote you as much as possible.
Speaker 1:Um, for all you guys that are listening audio only wise, this episode is going to be on Apple podcast. You can subscribe to our show. Please do that If you get a moment. Of course we just listen. You already subscribed to Spotify, iheartradio, pandora, amazon Music, wherever you get your podcast from audio wise. We are there, of course, our YouTube channel to have all of these comments from Casa Ventures and some of her business dealings and her teachings and stuff and the coaching. It's going to all be in the comment section under the episode on our YouTube channel, youtubecom at. They call me Mr. You Please subscribe there if you can, but come on here in the comments section and don't subscribe now.
Speaker 1:I'm watching you. I'm watching y'all. Your comments are awesome. Don't come in here. Don't subscribe All y'all. Your comments are awesome. Don't come in here. Don't subscribe All y'all, I'm just playing. Please subscribe if you can. Fried cauliflower might be delicious, but I'm going to try some stuff out. I'm getting old. Thanks again for doing this and, wherever you are and however you guys are hearing, we miss you. The podcast. Thanks again for making us a part of your morning, your day and your week. We're your weekly mirror check before you change the web. Thanks again, kat. This has been awesome.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:This is great.
Speaker 2:Hey, see you later. It's not goodbye, it's see you later.
Speaker 1:Oh, no, see you later. Bye everybody, we'll be right back.
