Welcome, Sponsor, And Guest Setup

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Check us out to get the latest online in the volunteer today. Yavonka and her guests discuss everything from life, love, and business with the Tennessee player. The Tennessee Buff! Always relatable, always relevant, and always a good time. This is Talkin Tennessee, and now your host, Yavonka.

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This episode is brought to you by the Landis Team, your go-to real estate family in East Tennessee. If you are looking to buy or sell, we are the ones you should call. Give us a call at 865-660-1186 or check out our website at yavonka salesrealestate.com. That's yavonka y v-o-n-n-c-a salesrealestate.com.

Pat Summitt And Choosing Who Stays

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Welcome back to Talk in Tennessee with Yavonka. I'm your host, and I am here with my dear friend Liz for part two of Liz Dowers interview. Welcome back. Thank you. Well, who inspires or inspired, either way?

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Um, Liz, who inspires you? You know, I was trying to make this transition in my life. Uh got to hear a couple times, which was a real um honor, uh, Coach Pet Summit. Uh I just loved her can-do attitude. Um, read her book, Reach for the Summit, the 10 Things That She Believed In, her 10 uh pillars. And I love the one surround yourself with people who are successful. And she goes, I'm a type A personality, and I'm gonna surround myself with people who have the same kind of work ethic that I do. And I think it's well, I love diversity of personalities because I think they help you grow. I don't I tell people, I don't want a room full of me at all. Um, we'll never get anything done. So I love having someone who's totally opposite of me when I'm trying to make decisions or trying to figure out a certain path. But but I do believe in there are toxic vampires out there. There is I I agree. That hold you back. There's many. And I think as you get older, you start to recognize what those patterns are. And sometimes you want to hold on to something that's familiar, even though it's it's hurting you and preventing you from moving forward. So I think the more that you can recognize as you as you and you need to go through those toxic relationships, otherwise you don't know what it looks like. That's true. So now your radar can be up. Okay, I see this, I've seen this pattern before, and I I I need to stop this.

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And I don't like the treatment of it.

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Right, right, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

I think uh I agree with that because even in my life, I will say um in the past seven to ten years, I've had to reevaluate relationships that were working at a certain time of my life, but they don't work now. Right. And it doesn't mean the person is a bad person, it may just be that person's not for your life where God is taking you in your future. And I think a lot of times people look at timing, how many years you've known someone, even down to family. I I'm a firm believer. Uh sometimes you got to disconnect with some family members. You know, if they are toxic, uh, they're not peaceful people, they're uh always, there's always a problem, there's always something that you have to work through. They may not be the best person that's gonna bring the best of you out. And I think that with Pat had Summit, I got to meet her as well. Um, and matter of fact, she picked me up. I went to her basketball camp, she picked me up uh on Cumberland and took me back to my dorm. I didn't know her, she didn't know me, um, but I I knew who she was because I was at her camp, but I didn't know her, know her. And that five minute of conversation really and truly helped me a lot. And one of the things she said to me is, believe in yourself, kid. If nobody believes in you, you better believe in yourself. And I would at the time I didn't know what she was trying to say, but the older I got, I go back to that, and I'm like, she's dead right. And you've got to find people that believe in you. And sometimes uh you find people that can't believe in you because they don't believe in their self, or they find their self competing with you in their mind, and that's the worst thing to have, worst thing I I think um to have in your life.

The Rope Metaphor For Boundaries

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So I I also firmly believe hurt people hurt people. I I do. I believe that too. If somebody is trying to be hurtful to you, sometimes there have so much chaos inside of them and they're so badly hurt that they want to project that feeling on you. So now it feels normal. Yes. You know, my normal world is now dysfunctional, and that's what I'm comfortable with. And you know, to be able to recognize that sometimes I call them transitional friends. Sometimes you have transitional friends where in the moment they were there, but you've outgrown them. And that doesn't mean you need to hold on to them. Oh, she's speaking to me. That's what happened to me in the last three years. Oh, wow. You've speaking to me. You just there's a great metaphor from um my dear friend George Dobler, who told me to read this book. Uh there's a story of someone going down a path, and they go, I need to go to that mountain right there. And it's you know, about a mile away. It's like, I'm getting to get to the summit of that mountain. And you start walking and you start crossing a bridge, and you see someone coming over to you um from the opposite side and they're carrying a rope. It's like, well, that's kind of strange. And he goes, Will you hold this rope for me? I was like, Yeah, sure, I'll be happy to help. And then he jumps over the bridge. And he's holding on the other end of the rope, and you're like, you know, hanging over the bridge, going, What are you doing? And he goes, If you let go of this rope, I'm gonna die. And so you hold on and hold on, and you try and talk him out of it, and you can't. And so I'm I'm very much uh doing the reader's digest, but the end of the story is you have to let go of the rope. You gotta let go. You gotta let and I tell my daughters, I I said, is this a friendship where you gotta let go of the rope? Yes. Because they're gonna keep you from moving forward, even though it's comfortable. And I think women especially feel this need to fix people, help people to the detriment of their own self. Oh so I girl. It's just culturally what we're taught to do. And if you don't help that person, there's something wrong with you. But that's true. Men don't do that.

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I've said, and you know what? My husband and uh David has told me this. He goes, You can't help everybody, right, and everybody doesn't want help. And he and he literally said, he goes, even like relationships. I see spouses all the time trying to fix their spouse, but that spouse is okay where they're at. They're okay. So you have to figure out okay, am I okay to stay with this person that is okay with with where they're at, but it's not making me happy.

SPEAKER_03 7:44

Well, it's codependency. I mean, it's not your job to fix or make them happy. That's it. That is the biggest thing I've learned. It is not my job to make you happy. Your happiness comes from inside of you. It's not my responsibility.

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It's not your responsibility, plus it's like, okay, if you're trying to make this person happy, how are you going to make yourself happy?

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Because you get pulled down with them.

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You really do. And I think when it comes to friendships, I think that w what you were saying about women, we do feel like we're supposed to fix. And my pastor said this um years ago to me. Um, when I accepted the prophetic calling on my life, um, I felt like I was supposed to help everybody. So one day he calls me, Liz out of the blue, and I was just really, really, my spirit was vexed. And I told him and shared with him and everything, and he goes, Is it a burden, Yavonka? And I said, What do you mean? He goes, Is it a burden trying to help all these people? And I said, It's turned into that. And he goes, God never intended you to help everybody. He said, It's God's timing to help everybody. He said, You help the ones that you can and you leave the rest of them to God. He said, when it becomes a burden, it was never intended for you to touch. That was like life-changing for me because it was like, okay, I can let go. I don't have to feel like I have to help everybody or want more for them than they want for themselves. And so when he said that to me, I started applying that. And then it was like the shackles came off my feet and off my hands and and my mind and my emotions. And I'm like, it's okay. It's not my job. It's their job. If they if they feel like they're happy with that, you know, in in relationships, in friendships, I'm okay with it, but it's just not good for me. And so I moved on. And so I think that's the biggest thing is you have to learn how to move on.

SPEAKER_03 10:01

Or to recognize that you're taking that person's struggle, is what they're supposed to go through. So now you're taking that self-awareness journey away from them, and that's demeaning to someone.

When Helping Turns Into Burden

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Yes. And I think sometimes that people think that they're supposed to bail out whoever, and God is taking them down a journey, and you could be blocking them, their breakthrough, because you're trying to fix something that God never told you to fix, or God never told you to get involved. That's right. You know, that type thing. So I I try my best to hold myself accountable more of what I allow myself to get involved with.

SPEAKER_03 10:47

And I think this is a a real problem with um if we're gonna be on the subject of women with brothers these days, is I I spoke to a group just a little while ago. I just see more and more parents like trying to keep their kids not only from failure, but from disappointment. And I always told people, you should prepare your child for the road, not the road for your child. When you try to artificially create this perfect world where they're now the valedictorian because you went to the principal and got the GPA up, you know, a couple tenths of a point. That all comes back to haunt. It does. Now that child is I'm not capable. I I now I guess it goes back to moving back to Knoxville, and it's like asking parents permission when you're an adult. It's like my parents were out of my life when I was 16. I was earning my own money. I was, you know, living kind of on my own. I just never thought to ask my parents these things. But peop children are so tied to their parents. Yes. But more, the parents are still tied to their children because they want it to be perfect.

Parenting Without Enabling

Leadership Knoxville And Mentors

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But I think that we are we should help our children, but not enable our children. Yeah. It's like what we had a conversation, viewers off uh line about Jaden. And my son, y'all know, uh, my son spoke about him being an introvert and that he thought it was easier for me because I'm a talkative person and he's not. And so I explained to him as extrovert, some a lot of extroverts get tired of talking. We get tired of, you know, starting the conversation sometimes, but in rooms that are quiet, we just feel led to try to keep get the conversation started so that everybody can enjoy. Um, and so I told him that is a responsibility that sometimes we don't want. Uh, and so I was telling Jaden with Leadership Youth. I told him flat out, I thought that he should try out, I mean, apply for it. And I didn't know if he was gonna get in or not. I said, but at least you can say you applied. And I will tell you publicly that my son, when he came home and I handed him my phone from the email, Jaden, that was his breakthrough that Jaden got to see. That was something he applied for. He got accepted and he had to go in that room. Mom wasn't going to be in that room for him. Mom didn't get him in that room. But the biggest thing is Jaden got to see, you know what, I don't have to speak like my mom. I don't have to do these certain things, but I can find my comfort. So I thank you for and everybody at Leadership Knoxville for helping my son find his way and hopefully he'll keep going. And while we're talking about Leadership Knoxville, let's talk about you trail blazing in Leadership Knoxville. Tell me about your journey and what what have you learned and what do you want to do? Because she's gonna be the next board chair.

SPEAKER_03 14:02

You know, I I was telling Ivanka that I I really think I found my people in my Leadership Knoxville class that n not just women, but especially men. I I just think I I've I've had a lot of stories, I've heard a lot of stories that sometimes successful women in history have had I know this is gonna not come out the right way, but have had a man pushing them forward. I think we all need each other. Women need women, but I think women especially need I I mean for me, my mentors have been men that said, you can do this, I see this in you, um, and have have really pushed me on some of these boards to just take a more of a leadership position, which I didn't think I had in me. Yeah, sometimes scared to death. Yes. But they but and I would just look at them and that sense of calm would come over me that okay, I can do this.

SPEAKER_02 15:07

Well, I'll tell you this with my husband. I David met you um at the grand opening of Range Rover, okay? And you remember we had already met and all that stuff, and I'll never forget David when we left that night. He said, She is everything that you said she is. And I said, What do you mean? And he goes, I love to hear her talk. He said, You can hear the passion. Because I told him you're a very passionate person. And I said, Whatever she's doing, it just seems like that she is so passionate about whatever it is. And he said, You can hear it. It's like a rattle. And I was like, it is. And he goes, I love he loves to talk to you. So I want you to know that. Yeah. So speaking of men, and look at um the mark that you're making on men. You know, I'm saying my husband is an introvert and he's came out so much uh with his leadership knocks all class, and and David has he's so brilliant. Uh, but I think that just having women like you that he can respect, that he says, you know, she has substance, she's bringing substance, she is passionate about what she's bringing. I think that speaks volume in you, and I think you're gonna be a great board chair. So when you were in class at Leadership National, what did you learn that you didn't already know?

SPEAKER_03 16:31

Uh learned what this great community is. Things I've been here 25 years, every week I hear it from everyone, that there are things I had no idea existed. I think one of the most profound experiences I had was doing my school visit to Lonsdale. Okay. And I went in with a certain uh, should we say, bias. I expected that community to be African American. Okay. Um went in, the first, so there were five of us, very tall, we just happened to all be white. Um, we went in the pre-K room, and about four of the little three-year-olds just started crying when we walked in the room. And the teacher's like, and I'm like, what did we do? And she said, We don't know what happened to these children. We're trying to piece things together. So my bias was, I'm just thinking, this is what the the school population looks like. Half of the school population are Guatemalan immigrants. They don't speak Spanish, they don't speak English, they speak Guatemalan dialects. Okay. So you talk about a challenge for teachers when people look at these test scores, it's like they're dealing with people. Oh, and the up like so that's half their population. 20% of their population are people from Africa. Okay. Not African American, from Africa. Yes. So now they're speaking in French dialects. Yes, yes. That these teachers don't know. Great. And then like the small percentage are black Americans. Yes. So I'm like, wow. Nothing what you thought. Nothing what I thought. Um, so apparently these children that were crying had been in transition with law enforcement. Oh, gosh. And it was scary to them. Yeah, and they were scared. And they were scared. So they thought it might be us. So when you were Oh Yeah. Okay. Because we didn't look like people in their school.

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So they thought you were probably the authorities coming to get them. Oh wow.

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And they're three. You know, they don't know.

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A three-year-old scary.

Toxic Charity And Dignity-Based Giving

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Oh. That really rocked my world. Um, another one that just totally, I'm like, are you kidding me? My dear classmate, Daniel Watson, uh, introduced me to the topic of toxic charities. And this goes back to like That's a good class. That was a good one. It ruffles some people's feathers because you're expected to do the angel tree where you give kids things. And he grew up in that environment where churches came and they gave. And he said, There are literally groups that we know where the well-meaning people come in with the bikes and the Christmas presents, and the dad goes out the back door. And he said, You know, I just noticed with my mother, her dignity was being taken away every time that happened. It's like, I can't provide for my kids like that. Somebody else has to do that for me. Yes. So the five steps, and I and I really try and incorporate this, especially, you know, when you're transitioning an adult child, you know, helping hurts sometimes. It does. And that's when you need to learn when to step back and when to be there as a support system. So the first step in in all this one-way giving is um is appreciation, then it's anticipation, then it's expectation, then it's entitlement, and then it's total dependency. So when you keep giving, whether it's emotionally, physically, materially, and that person isn't putting skin in the game, they become very dependent on you. I agree. So what you need to do is start empowering. So what Daniel Watson did when he was at Restoration House, they would bring in brand new items and sell them at garage sale prices for the moms.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

So they they could afford them and they are truly giving them to their children. Right. And not degrading them.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

Right, not leaving them out of the picture. Yes. So they either have to work at the properties, weeding, cleaning, whatever, or taking some from their job. Right. One of the really lovely things is that now, you know, we're we're trying to break that generational entitlement that goes on. And one of these moms said, My son wants that bicycle that's in your store, but he's gonna have to sign a contract with me and you to get that bicycle. I love that. So now it's not, he's just not given this box with no expectation. He's got to earn it. So I I've even tried incorporate this to my grandson. We just had this conversation yesterday. He goes, I want to stay up till nine at nine o'clock at night, and my mom won't let me because I have to go to bed when my little brother goes to bed. I go, why don't you draw up a contract with your mom? That's what most adults do. Yes. Just say, This is what I expect, and let him negotiate. And then you both come to agreement and you both sign it. Oh, see, that's good.

SPEAKER_02 21:39

And he's like, Well, see, I know when Adrian was in high school, I never forget her junior year, her coming home and saying to me, Why do I have to work for everything? You make me work for everything. And she was angry. She was like, Why? My friends don't have to do that.

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And I said, So if I hear my friends don't have to do that, one more time.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

Friends, da da da da. And I said, for one, I'm not your friend's parent. Right. And I said, for two, you will uh appreciate it one day. Yes. And I said, this is just the way it's going to be. You know, because I do believe that you should teach your children how to be independent. Teach them how to pay their own stuff, do their own things, that type of thing. Because if you don't teach your kids that, then you're, I'm not saying that you don't love your child. No, but I but I yes, that's a part of love is you're showing them you love them enough and that you believe in them enough that they can do it. Right. And I think a lot of parents nowadays, they they want to just write a check and be done with it. It's a good idea. And you know, and you can't do it that way because your kids are going to go out in the community, out in the world, and they won't know how to take care of their self. And you know, life is short. There's a lot of people that have passed away. Uh, my hometown has got hit so hard from last June to now, literally, Rome County, in well, Harriman. Um, I know of over 50 deaths in Harriman alone. Okay. And a lot of these people I know, I grew up with, they taught me a lot of things. And I'm just like, life is so short and you never know. I want my kids to be prepared. I talked to Adrian, I talked to Jaden a lot about if something ever happened to me, I need to know you can take care of yourself, that you're not going to fall, you know, that type of thing. And I think when you're giving your kids everything, you're setting them up for that because you don't know if you're gonna be there forever.

SPEAKER_03 23:50

Right.

How To Start Serving Locally

SPEAKER_02 23:51

Do you agree with that? Right. And I think with the community service thing is that your kids going out. Teach your kids, let them see you, because you got to be an example. Let's talk about this. You have to be the example for your kids. You can tell your kids to go volunteer and do this and all that, but if they don't see you doing it, kids are not going to grasp building up their community. And we have to build up leaders and we have to show them so they have to see it in the parents. You can't sit on the couch and tell your kids to go out there and volunteer and think that they're going to get it. So the biggest thing I would say is if you want your community, I'm a believer that change starts with you. If you want your community to change or or improve in something, why are you not bringing whatever it is? So can you speak on what would you say the best way to get involved in your community? What would be your idea of someone that's just starting out?

SPEAKER_03 24:52

I think the biggest thing is, you know, your husband recognizing passion in me. I don't take on anything I'm not passionate about.

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See me too.

SPEAKER_03 25:00

And when people call and they're like, well, would you do this for us? Like, oh, I'm very upfront. I said, I when I when I say yes to something, you're gonna get 110% of me, and I'm gonna be very passionate. And I'm gonna say no to a lot of other people. So so part of my part of who I am too is um because I speak French. Um I love the French philosophy of no doesn't mean no. Uh-huh. It means seduce me, win me over. Time isn't right yet. Yes. Maybe later. So for me, no doesn't mean no.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

And she's being serious because I asked her about the podcast, and she she she didn't say no, but she didn't say yes either. You know, I think it just it was timing, and I think this is the best time. Um, think about when I first mentioned it to you.

SPEAKER_03 25:53

You uh you didn't just it was something I'd never done before. And I don't like talking about myself. Right. So it was like, okay, I'm gonna be uncomfortable, but I've learned um when I'm take on something I'm not comfortable with, I'm I'm gonna grow.

SPEAKER_02 26:09

And the biggest thing, the reason why I wanted uh you to come on my podcast was more to show other women you can go out there and win. You can go out there and win, you can be strong in your community, you can be strong in your family, but you have to find your place. Your place is it what is in you, and you have to be confident. And confidence doesn't happen overnight. It just doesn't. And I think it's something that you have to build every day.

SPEAKER_03 26:38

Totally.

McNabb Center Leadership And Diverse Voices

SPEAKER_02 26:38

Okay. Confidence is not something once you conquer it, okay, it stays there. No, you got to keep working at it and truly realizing that you're worth it. And I think with Liz, you and this community and all the things that you have done, you know, even the McNab Center, you've done so much for the McNabb Center. Let's talk about that. What have you done and what did you what is your takeaway from the McNabb Center?

SPEAKER_03 27:07

So I've got so that, you know, I was trying to while you were speaking, talk, you know, try and think back when these seeds were planted as far as community service. Um so our family is third generation family charity of choice. Everyone in our family is involved with McNabb Center. How we got involved is my father-in-law. He was very, very few charities, but he really bought into the McNabb Center's mission. So I got a phone call that they asked me to be on the board, and I was on zero boards at that point. Okay. I got a phone call that said, Um, Liz, we really want you on the board. I told this person whose daughter was in my Girl Scout troop. I said, Well, you know, he goes, I really need women on my board. And I said, Okay, well, I I don't think I'm really your typical woman. Um, I'm pretty up front and kind of straightforward. He goes, Liz, that's exactly why I'm calling you.

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She's like, I'm outspoken and I'm gonna say, I'm gonna call it for what it is.

SPEAKER_03 28:13

I go, I don't know, I don't know what you mean by I need women on my board, but it this is what you're gonna get if you ask me. Um so I went to my first board meeting, and I had no idea what they were talking about. They use an acronyms for mental health issues, substance abuse issues. I'm like, I am way over my head. I don't know what's going on, I don't understand it. Uh I went up to Andy Black, who was probably the first mentor who believed in me. Um he knows that. I praise him all the time. Okay. Thank him, grateful. Uh I went up to him and I said, Andy, I said, I am not the right fit, this is not the right fit for me. Um, I don't know what you're talking about. And I said, I'm just a mom. And he literally stopped and he looked at me and he goes, Liz, I need a mom. I've got enough attorneys, I've got enough physicians, I've got enough bankers, I need a mom. And after that, I went, well, I guess there is value in having that emotional intelligence and maybe seeing, and that's one of the things I learned through Leadership Knoxville, have those different voices in the room. What is that perspective you're missing that maybe um you never thought about it? Yeah, it really is. I've gotten to the point now, I'm not comfortable unless I have a team of diverse voices around me. Yes. Because just going on my own, I know it's not going to be that great. And that's one of the things that theater taught me. It's like, well, when you start, you know, throwing the stuff in the room and seeing what comes and what sticks, all of a sudden it was something magical and beautiful that nobody in the room thought would happen. But yet it's so beautiful when all these diverse opinions, no matter how wild they are, and that's why I love yes and with improv, is don't ever shoot down a crazy idea because it might be something that's the impetus of something that no one ever thought of before.

SPEAKER_02 30:11

Yeah. And I I challenge myself to not allow my insecurities to close doors that God wants me to walk through so I can relate to what you're saying. Because there's a lot of times as women that if it's not something that we're comfortable about that we feel like that we don't have substance to offer to that racial. Or yeah, that type thing, or the or the umpting degrees and all the different things. But a lot of times, like I'm about to speak for um tickle engineering um at the end of the month. And I asked them, I said, I didn't graduate from University of Tennessee. I said, I'm not an engineer. I said, why would why do you want me? You know, because I just really wanted to know. And they said, we don't need you to be an engineer. And you don't have to uh we would love that you graduated from UT, but that's not what we're geared for. Um the Hannah who asked me, Hannah said, we need a leader. We need a leader that is going to speak up, speak out, and say how to lead and how to find their way and teach these engineers that are about to graduate how to find their place in their community. And I was like, then I'm your person.

SPEAKER_03 31:31

You know, it's really funny you said that because I'm going to be part of a panel for scholarships at Tickle. Are you? So I have a named scholarship. It's a Liz Stowers scholarship for a woman in engineering.

SPEAKER_02 31:44

Really?

SPEAKER_03 31:45

Because I was really good at math in high school, and no one ever told because I build things now. Yes. Um, I never I'm like, you know, I think I could have been an engineer and really loved it, but no one said, have you ever thought it'd be about engineer? And so I thought, you know, there were so many incredible young women in that school, college medicine. So many. My father.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

My father-in-law taught 30 years in that uh department. Oh, are you 10 years? Yeah, so it it felt really good for me to call. He lives in Florida now. And my father-in-law is very famous in his in that field, and he travels all over the world, and he speaks. My father-in-law is 82 years old, and he still speaks and does uh, you know, his community service and everything. And it felt so good for me to be able to call my father-in-law and say, you know, the very department, the very school where you put your heart and soul in, another land this is coming right behind you. And and thank you for paving the way for me. Right. You know, and he was so excited to know that, you know, that I'm going to be speaking. But I just really want to uh walk in that room and tell the women in that room, just go out there and win and get out in your community and find your way. Introduce yourself to people, be open to relationships and see where it carries you. But if you stay behind closed doors, stay on the couch and you don't allow yourself to engage with people, it will hold you back. And Liz, you have done so much engagement. You have done so much for this community. And I want to give you your flowers and say to you, you know, you inspire me from the day I met you. You inspired me. Um, and you inspired me to do more. You know, and you showed me just with your walk and just, you know, standing up in front of that class and you teaching our class and answering questions. I'll never forget you coming out from speaking to our class and you didn't walk out. You stayed right in that room. You allowed us, you were approachable, you answered every question for us, you got to know us, you asked each one of us, what is your name? You know, da-da-da-da-da. And I want you to know that there was a lot of speakers during our class. But you're top tier. And it was because you taught us something, but you got to meet us too, and you got to, you know, give us our moment. So I want to give you your moment and your flowers and to tell you, I thank you for everything that you're doing for this community. And I want you to know that none of your work is in vain. And I know that when you go be the board chair for Leadership Knoxville, I know it's gonna be the best it can be because you're passionate and you love what you do. And I love our community. You love your community. So as we end this, what's next? Besides, I know the Leadership Knoxville uh board. What's next for Liz in this community? And what's for the community, and then personally, what's next for you?

SPEAKER_03 34:57

So we didn't get to touch on this, but I am producing a play for the Baker School. Um, it is about the 19th Amendment. Let's talk about it. And Tennessee's very pivotal role. I heard this story in Nashville in 2014, and as the Centennial for the Women's Right to Vote was coming up in August of 2020, I went to the Clarence Brown and I said, you know, let's do a play about this really amazing story. And I said, No, we're not interested in that. So I commissioned my own musical with River and Rail Theater. Really um had people crying, I could hear people sobbing in the back because it's a really sweet story of a mother and son, but it also had huge global impulcations. So about a month later, uh Marianne Wanamaker called me from the Baker School. She said, We want to take that play across the state of Tennessee to teach civic responsibility to high school students.

SPEAKER_02 35:54

And the play is?

SPEAKER_03 35:55

Uh it's called The 19th. And uh I said, Well, don't take that play because it's a musical, and I work with a 16 years with a lot of high school students. I know what they like. They're gonna want something sharp and snarky and funny. I want mean girls, I want high-rolling teenagers, I want all that stuff. So uh She said, I know what they won't. Uh Jed Diamond with the theater department found me an unbelievably fantastic playwright. We've already had our stage reading at the at the Baker School. It was unbelievably well received. Men had tears in their eyes. Um, it needs some fine-tuning, but it is going to premiere in June of 27. And if you don't know the story June of 27. June of 27 in the Jenny Boyd Theater. Okay. Um, just every American woman has the right to vote because of a 24-year-old man from Niota, Tennessee. Really? It is. Every time I say that, I get goosebumps. Um, it he was the swing vote. It's just a long story, but if you have time to read about Harry and Feb Byrne, Feb is his mother. Okay. There's a bronze statue off of Market Square where Feb is seated in a in a chair and Harry's behind her. What happened was the vote was tied twice, and he went out for recess and reached in his pocket a letter from his mom, and she said, after eight pages of just gossip, said, be a good boy and vote for ratification. And he went back in and changed his vote. Oh, wow. Yes. A week later, all all that paperwork went up by train to Washington, D.C. and the 19th Amendment was passed.

SPEAKER_02 37:32

Well, I'll tell you this when that comes out in June of 2027, I want you to come back. Okay and I want to help promote it.

SPEAKER_03 37:40

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 37:41

And I would love to help promote it and uh get my uh viewership to support it. Thank you because that is such a great uh thing, and I think it's going to be a great success.

SPEAKER_03 37:53

Well, thank you so much. I mean, if this is successful, we'll do the Clinton 12 next.

SPEAKER_02 37:58

The Clinton 12, okay. Okay. So we've got some great things that is going to be coming down the pike with Liz, because I'm going to have Liz on one of my panels as well for this podcast for season eight. She doesn't know that yeah, I just said it publicly, so she can't say no. But tune in and just know that Liz Stours is a trailblazer, a pioneer in this community, and she is here to inspire you to win and win big. Bye, guys.

SPEAKER_00 38:33

Thanks for listening to Talk in Tennessee with Yavonka. Watch out for our weekly episodes from the first family of real estate. And check us out on the web, www.yavanka stylesrealestate.com. See our videos on Yavonka's YouTube channel or find us on Facebook under Yavonka Landed and Twitter at YavonkaLanded. And don't forget to tell a friend about it. Until next time, Yavonka signing off.