Do you ever wonder why some people who are more thankful seem more happy than you? In this episode, Lori, Ashley, and Jimmy share their favorite ideas for being and remaining a more thankful person.
Episode Keys:
- Ashley finds her peace during the day when the winds of disruption are blowing violently!
- Why it is vital that you control your emotions and feed your mind positive information.
- How to become a more thankful person by showing gratitude toward others in your life.
- When you should be honing your focus and skills to become a better person of gratitude.
- Who you spend your time with most are the people you will emulate. Spend time with positively, powerful and grateful people!
Podcast Transcription
LF:
Good Monday morning everyone, and welcome to Thanksgiving week! This morning, Jimmy and I are being joined by avery special guest, Ashley Stieb, Marketing Director for Compass Capital Management. Thank you for joining us, Ashley!
AS:
Thank you for having me!
LF:
So today we’re celebrating one of our favorite holidays. Well, it’s my birthday, so that’s kind of an important holiday, isn’t it?
AS:
Oh, yeah. Oh yeah.
LF:
I’m, let’s see, I’m 29 for the… sixth time? Seventh time? I don’t know, I’m not good with math, but I’m 29.
JW:
Let’s just say her husband never has to buy more candles. He just puts the same ones on every year on the cake.
LF:
That’s absolutely true. We’re we’re big, big environmental friendly people and we just recycle those schedules every year.
AS:
Absolutely.
LF:
But seriously, Thanksgiving Day is coming in the United States, and it’s a time for putting aside all of our differences and gathering with family and friends to eat way too much food, watch way too much football. However, thankfulness is an attitude that we should enjoy all year round, all 365 days of the year. So to start off our Thanksgiving episode, Ashley, what are you most thankful for this year?
AS:
I think that this year I am most thankful that the world has kind of, uh, been put back together after the chaos of the last two and a half years. Yeah.
JW:
You know, that’s a good answer, but I’m gonna ask, like I say on tv. Is that your final answer?
AS:
That is my final answer, because I got to go on vacation finally.
JW:
Yeah, she, she sent back this very, very terse message on a text from The Bahamas and said, it’s been nice knowing you, Jimmy. But anyway,.
AS:
If you need me, I’ll be in Nassau.
JW:
That’s right. Hey, you should be thankful for that trip, for sure. Right? Isn’t that a great time?
AS:
Nice.
JW:
Wow. Well, you know, let’s turn it on. Lori here a little bit. Ashley, this is her birthday and we want her to, we want her to experience the best of birthdays today here on Live Life by Design. And so Lori, you have such a crazy lifestyle. You’re busy with your philanthropy, with your career, with your family, and to be very frank with this show, and I appreciate this. What are you most thankful for this year, in addition to your family?
LF:
Well, oh gosh, this is always such a tough one because there’s part of me that wants to be, you know, serious. And because I am, there are so many, you know, different things to be thankful for. And I absolutely agree with Ashley. I’m thankful that the world is kind of settling back into a good place. But honestly, this time of year, um, I’m thankful for Butter Beer.
JW:
Oh, dude, that’s, no, hey, that’s serious. That is serious.
LF:
Yeah. So my, my family and I started a Thanksgiving tradition, um, about six years ago that we travel to Orlando, Florida to Universal Studios. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, my son, obviously we’ve talked about numerous signs as a dinosaur fanatic. Um, so we marry the best of both worlds by going to see Harry Potter and Jurassic Park at Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida. And our tradition is that we have, uh, butter beer. And it’s amazing and it cannot be replicated. I do not know why we’ve tried to make it at home. I’ve tried to have it at different establishments that claim to have a butter beer. It’s not the same. It’s, it’s a magical cup and you can only get it at Hogwarts.
JW:
I gotta tell you, um, that is something that we do every time we go and we don’t go every year because, you know, we do try to spray the love to other places, Lori, when we go somewhere. But, but I will tell you, like, um, my good friend Ashley that just got back from Nassau, we always find something really unique to eat everywhere we go that’s kind of indigenous to the region, if you will. You know, so we were in Nassau, we ate a lot of different types of fish that we don’t normally get, or we had fish tacos made to different weight from the street vendor, which reminds me, always pack your Imodium ad Ashley if you go to some country. Anyway, I digress. But anyway, I’m not going any deeper. That’s a true story right there for Ms. Williams. But anyway, um, the other thing too about it is, is I love the fact that when you go and experience that butter beer or whatever, it’s the ambience around you that really brings out what I consider the taste of the, the wonderful drink. What do you think
LF:
About that? Absolutely. I, I totally agree. I wanna be standing there in my Gryffindor robe with my wand. I’m like a kid at heart. Uh, you know, we have a, a great time when we go and we just laugh and it, it’s, it is a true experience and I, I do, it tastes better when you are actually there.
JW:
So let me ask you, did you ride the Harry Potter ride, uh, when you were there last?
LF:
Uh, yes. We rode Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure and I got the pleasure of riding with a complete stranger who did not give me any spoilers. We wound up in the very front of the ride in the front car, he was on the motorbike and I was in the little cart next to him and, uh, I heard my son and my husband screaming all the way to the back, uh, bloody murder because it was just intense. But it was a great ride. Loved it.
JW:
So I rode that one. But the before that I rode the one where you go through all these floating chairs, it’s like you’re flying through Hogwarts and all this stuff. You remember the original Harry Potter ride? Yeah. And I gotta tell you, I don’t know if it was sweat or tears, cuz I mean, it had me go, it turned me sideways, it turned me nearly upside down. And my wife wife said, why? Why is there such a grin on your face? I said, is that what I’ve got a grid? Cause I think that my face is froze like this. I’m telling you, that was one wild, whoever designed that, Ashley, it was one. Have you been on it?
AS:
I haven’t been able to go to Wizarding World yet.
LF:
Yes, you need to definitely bucket list that. Oh,
AS:
I’ll be going in. Um, when is Ignite next year?
JW:
Yeah, we’re going. Yes, we’re taking the whole team by the way, next year.
LF:
Oh. Fun!
JW:
Yes. And, and that team means you, Lori. So you just come right along. I will say this, and I mean this with all sincerity. Ashley, here on a day we’re talking of gratitude and thankfulness. I am thankful that I have found my wand according to Gabrielle, my daughter. And I hope and trust that your wand finds you when you get there. Okay? So that’s
AS:
Always been, I’m excited. Yeah, can’t wait. Jimmy always tells people that he hasn’t had a bad day in his life. Just that some are better than others. Um, so behind the man with a persistent smile is a charitable and exceptional leader. Jimmy, what are you most thankful for other than your family and of course your wonderful Compass Capital Management team?
JW:
Gosh, you know, if I could only shake the hand of the man that writes these bill scripts and things,
AS:
What do you mean? I spoke those words from my heart.
JW:
You did you, well, I, on a serious note, let me tell you what I am thankful for. I am thankful for, uh, my mom’s chocolate pie. Now you, I know what you’re saying. That’s not a very, you know, that’s not a very big thing to be thankful for, but I gotta tell you, I don’t normally have chocolate pie except for one time. And going back to the butter beer discussion, the reason that what to me tastes so just, or delicious, it’s cuz I’m normally eating it and enjoying it with all my family gathered around a giant table. And we’re just having a good time reminiscing and talking about stuff. And, and to me that chocolate pie means so much more than just something to eat that day. It means that’s a heritage of our family that I enjoy chocolate pie on that particular day. Now, of course, yes, Ashley, I do have some pumpkin pie with whipped cream as well. Cause who wants to offend anyone at Thanksgiving by not having pumpkin pies? So, by the way, Ashley, what is your favorite pie at Thanksgiving?
AS:
Oh, pumpkin pie for sure. For
JW:
Sure. Lori, you too.
LF:
Oh, definitely pumpkin pie.
JW:
Okay, now I’m gonna blow your mind just a little bit. We, uh, my mother is a prolific baker. This, this lady can bake anything. And so we have pumpkin pie, don’t laugh, sweet potato pie, which is pumpkin, but a little better I think. And then we have pecan pie. Mother makes a rhubarb pie, which is really good. And then a chocolate pie. She makes a banana cream a lemon pie. And then, I’m trying to think, I’m missing one. There’s one other one. She makes a Mississippi mud. So by the time I leave there, I normally go by the hospital to get the stomach pumped.
LF:
Well, I was gonna say, what is that? Uh, what is that quote from John Wayne? I never met a man I didn’t like.
JW:
Yeah,
LF:
Well I’ve never met a pie that I didn’t like. So I mean,
JW:
Yeah, let me just tell you that at the end of the day, this is embarrassing to say, but you know, here on Live a Life by Design, we tell the unvarnished truth, Ashley. So here it goes. I’m a little bit embarrassed to say if you’re riding in the car with me as my wife and daughters typically are, they’ll go, dad, how embarrassing. And I have unbuttoned my pants and loosen my belt. I cannot drive home if I can’t breathe. You know what I mean? It’s that bad. Oh man. And you know what I do you guys eat Thursday evening meal? Or do you just have lunch for Thanksgiving? What, what do you eat?
AS:
So my family, we normally eat around like two o’clock because we’re gonna get super stuffed and then we’ll just have like a snack later on in the evening.
JW:
How about you, Lori? When do you eat
LF:
Your family? Yeah, same. I mean, we, we pregame a little bit, do some breakfast and then, you know, we have a big lunch and then everybody’s kind of comatose. But it’s funny because like about seven o’clock, everybody kind of makes a round the second go at it and it’s like we’re all miserable, but no one can stop
AS:
Yes.
JW:
I I gotta tell you, you you’re so funny too because we, we all have a strategy to how to tackle the Thanksgiving day, uh, Fiesta, right? And so what I do that morning, every Thanksgiving morning I get up and I walk like four miles. I mean, I just get up and go, I’ve got to get rid of whatever I’ve got now because I’m gonna fill up my stomach down to my legs. And so what I do is we actually eat around that, you know, noon to one time with mother and then we come back home and we’ll eat of the evening at our house with perhaps my mother and father-in-law or whatever. And so by about eight o’clock, I’m just being very honest, by eight o’clock I’m sitting in my sauna trying to melt this stuff away and sweating bullets going, man, that last bottom ring on that pie, I should not have had,
AS:
Should.
JW:
But, you know, at the end of the day, that’s what I’m thankful for. I really am. I’m thankful for those good times you can have around families because what that is is a memory you can’t buy with no matter how much money you’ve got is the fun of having family around.
LF:
It’s so true, but now we’re gonna play a game. Are we ready?
JW:
Uh, I play a game.
LF:
Yes. Oh, you just didn’t, you just didn’t know what kind of tricks I have up my sleeve
AS:
This
JW:
Morning. You know, it’s her birthday. I expect anything could happen today.
LF:
So we’re gonna do a speed round. Thank Yeah, a speed round, a thankfulness and gratitude between Ashley and Jimmy. This is a full on 110% participation, so I expect you both to bring it. Each of you will be,
JW:
Wait a minute, I need to do some pushups on the ground. Get up. You know, I’m competitive, Lori. Okay. Take
LF:
A lot. Take a, are
JW:
You ready? Neck ringers. Okay,
AS:
I’m
LF:
Ready. Get, get loose, get ready. Okay. So each of you will be asked for a certain area of gratitude. You will only have five seconds to answer. The person who answers more questions that are accepted by the judge, which is me, will be the winner. And there is a grand prize. Woo. Are you ready?
JW:
I’m in a constant state of readiness.
AS:
I’m ready!
LF:
For the official time keeper score. I’ll try to do my best. Although I’m not gonna be, I can’t hold myself 100% accountable. Okay! First area of gratitude. What are you most grateful for in your job?
JW:
The United States of America.
AS:
Um… Jimmy.
JW:
Oh! She wins that round. I’m sorry.
LF:
Ok, round one goes to Ashley.
JW:
The country of Jimmy wins every time.
LF:
Okay. Round two. What are you most thankful for in your personal life? Aside from family.
JW:
The United States of America.
AS:
Books.
JW:
Doggone it. She wins again. Books. Where can you read about the United States of America? Books. Ashley, you were practicing? Did you two get together on this before the show ?
LF:
No, there was no pre-discussion about this at all.
AS:
I’m just playing smarter, you know.
JW:
I would agree with that and may say very modest.
AS:
LF:
Okay. Round three. What would your family say you’re most thankful for?
JW:
United States of America.
AS:
Um, coffee.
JW:
Oh, I may have won that one Ashley.
LF:
All right. Round three goes to Jimmy.
AS:
You can have one.
LF:
After three after three attempts of the same answer.
JW:
It reminds me of that Jeopardy show on Saturday Night Live. The guys says the same answer. That’s right. I’m saying that. I can’t confess it came from my mind. It was so funny.
JW:
Every answer was the same for him no matter what they asked.
LF:
I love it because the final Jeopardy and Will Ferrell, you know, who’s playing Alex Trebek, he says, write down a number. Any number. And he goes through at the end of Burt Reynolds writes thrive.
LF:
A mash betwen three and five and he’s like, “I’ll take it.”
JW:
I love that. That’s so funny. I’m gonna concede.
LF:
Ok, well, so two to one, obviously Ashley is our grand prize winner. And here’s what she’s gonna win. I am gonna gift her, with Jimmy’s permission. A day off work.
JW:
Yes, take Sunday and enjoy it. I mean, reason Lori’s doing that actually is I worked my skills of negotiation on her supervisor, the superintendent of schools, and got her a half day off on Sunday.
LF:
Yeah, a half a day on Sunday was so gracious.
JW:
How about I – I don’t want to say as the loser, but as the person who came second of a two-person race – can I say this?
JW:
I will forward to Ms. Ashley as a concession, the grand prize of a gift card to the Starbucks of her choice. So I’ll get that sent to her. I am nothing if not gracious in my loss.
AS:
And like I said, coffee.
JW:
You know, we’re having a lot of fun, a lot of fun today. But I I will ask you this or, or say this, that maintaining, you know, a a thankful mindset to me is a purposeful decision. You know, it’s easy to take the easy road, right? It’s, it’s always the person that takes the easy road has a very, what I consider to be a small reward. But the person that takes that road that’s a little more difficult perhaps, or the high road as we say, to make sure others are before themselves, always seems to be the winner in my book. But if you listen to the world, you will not be thankful, but probably rather resentful, you know, chaos, disruption, inhumane treatment of individuals, or reported every day by the news channels. I would rather read a great biography, learn a new skill, or simply find a place of quiet contentment and think then to fill my mind with dysfunction and disaster.
JW:
So today’s a new day, Lori Ashley, this week is a special week in the United States. You heard my answers while I go to trivia be United States of America every time. The reason being is I do believe, and I am very thankful this week that we live in such a great country. Even though we may not be perfect, we have all the freedoms and rights that most people wish they had. And that is a great thing as a citizen of this country. Um, so starting now, fill your mind with the most powerful and thankful thoughts that you can keep your smile on your face and tackle the day knowing that you are already a step ahead of most people on this planet because you, Lori, and Ashley, are a person filled with gratitude.
LF:
And can I make one request?
JW:
Please. You want a coffee card too, right?
LF:
No, I – well, I mean, if you’re offering, of course.
JW:
You’re gonna get one cause you’re the grand Master, so I will get that to you.
LF:
But in all actuality and seriousness, I would, I would like to request one thing because it is my birthday and it is the week of Thanksgiving. Tell someone, anyone, anyone that has made an impact on your life, anyone that has done something that you remember, kindness, gratitude, appreciation. This is the week to be thankful, especially this week, but also throughout the year. So today, this week, in honor of my birthday, tell someone how much they mean to you and how grateful you are and how thankful you are for all the things that they’ve done.
JW:
Wow. That is powerful. Ashley, take it away forth this episode.
AS:
All right, so I guess this is almost like a second challenge for the week. Our challenge is for you to keep in mind the positive and powerful outcomes in your life and the people that you can count on that we call family.
JW:
Go ahead…
ALL:
Live your life by design!
