The Let's Get Comfy Podcast
Hosted by Founder and CEO of Comfort Measures Consulting LLC, Norman Harris. The Official Healthcare Edutainment station. Empowering listeners with the knowledge and resources to age comfortably. The podcast platform will uniquely provide laughter, peace, joy, resources and most of all COMFORT. Fostering professional partnerships and engaging the audience by providing them access to a REAL family-like conversation. That gives them the REAL reasons. Connects them to REAL reliable resources. To get REAL results. For REAL Comfort! Through interviews with C-suite healthcare leaders, experts, caregivers, founders, authors, educators, and thought leaders who are doing incredible work for older adults, family caregivers, and the healthcare community.
The Let's Get Comfy Podcast
The Power of Your Comeback: Rising Strong with the Queen of Comeback, Jasmar Bennett
Caregiving can be both a rewarding and overwhelming experience, but there is power in community support and self-care. Jazmar Bennett shares her journey of resilience and motivation as a caregiver and offers valuable insights on the importance of prioritizing mental health and utilizing available resources. The conversation emphasizes that every caregiver has the potential to make a significant comeback, urging listeners to embrace their strength and passion in their journey.
• Caregiver's need for a support system
• Jazmar's experiences with her father's health decline
• Importance of mental health awareness in seniors
• Utilizing community resources effectively
• Jazmar's podcast journey and its inspiration
• The role of resilience in caregiving
• Hosting community events for health education
• Transformation and personal growth are always possible
• Encouragement to seek help and prioritize self-care
• Jazmar's empowering message on comebacks through faith
You truly want to be there for your loved one. You got to preserve you, so I would say build that core group. But I'm being realistic because we have too many free resources. We have YouTube university. You just have to dedicate that time to making that comeback. So, whatever it is that you want to do, it got so hard for me it got so hard for me and I was like I cannot believe I'm catching this type of hell and all I want to do is educate kids. It's like all I want to do.
Speaker 2:Welcome to another episode of the let's Get Comfy podcast. I'm your host, norman Harris, sole proprietor of Comfort Measures Consulting. We have a wonderful guest here today, a legend, with us sharing a different perspective. Right, most of our guests are more so healthcare related, but we have a coach here today. We have someone that's being into motivation, mentorship and leadership as well, and I want to welcome to the show for you all, our comfy listeners, the legend Jazmar Bennett. Thank you for joining me.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you yes ma'am, yes, ma'am, the legend. Oh yeah, I have that, I have that right now you have that right now. Yeah, for sure, for sure, for sure. So I want to start off with just. I always start off with proper introductions. I'm going to let you introduce yourself.
Speaker 1:Okay. So thank you so much, first and foremost, for having me on your podcast. It's such an honor, it's a pleasure. My name is Jazmar Bennett and I am a mother of two boys a 10 year old and a 16 year old. I am an educational leader. I am also a podcast and event host.
Speaker 1:I am a proud graduate of Florida A&M University, where I majored in broadcast journalism. From there, I started subbing, teaching, reading coach, assistant principal, all those good things, different caveats in education, but I never lost my passion for broadcasting. So when people ask me who I am, I always just state I'm a mother, I'm an educator at heart and I am definitely always going to be a host. I am also a member of Alpha Kappa, alpha Sorority Incorporated. I am also the program director at GLAM, which is Girls Leave a Mark, where we help teen moms to get resources to basically continue to enhance their lives, whether we are providing things from the pantry or different resources to get them back on track to be whatever they would like to be, and I just I love being an inspiration to people. Definitely, this coin phrase of now is the time for don't come back. I just truly believe that you can come back from anything with God, the right resources, knowing how to use those resources effectively and just putting in the necessary work. So that's me in a nutshell.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am, yeah, so today Comfort Listeners. Ms Bennett here. She's going to talk to us about how our caregivers can have a comeback. That's going to be one of our focuses, or a show, but miss bennett left out something.
Speaker 1:What did I leave?
Speaker 2:out. Yeah, she also won the 2022 leadership and media award by the lakeland naacp. That's a a really big honor.
Speaker 1:Um, I haven't won no awards yet you're yes, it's coming, it's coming, it's coming.
Speaker 2:Tell us how that made you feel winning that award.
Speaker 1:Oh man, it was surprising to be nominated. It's just surprising because you, just you hear that people are watching. You never know who's watching. It's definitely what you hear. But then it's like, oh my gosh, like they nominated me, voted and I won the award and got awarded at their annual gala that they have and it was just amazing.
Speaker 1:It's amazing to be recognized by your peers because I know the people who've gotten that award prior to and you know when God tells you to do something and it's implanted in you. What you don't need the the affiliations of networks. You don't need the affiliations of, like the things that you think you need. You know how people don't start until I got to have everything ready.
Speaker 1:I just started, you just did it. I was passionate behind it and I put all I had into it and I just trusted God and it's just like he made so many provisions for me. So, you know, I'm competing against people who are at news stations, people who are, you know, with affiliates in our, in our county, and it's like, okay, they nominated me. So you know, thank you, like I truly appreciate that.
Speaker 2:so yes, that's big. I'm happy about it. I didn't want to let you leave that out. Also, the leadership in lakeland uh, class excel yes, the best class ever, class 40.
Speaker 1:Yes the best class ever Class 40. Leadership Lakeland. So yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:But it's good to have the accolades and accomplishments you have. It goes to show, following your mission and your dreams and not chasing the money necessarily, can lead you just a wonderful life and a wonderful accomplishments and experiences. So I admire you for that. So I want to start by just with us. You know, yeah, I wouldn't treat you about, you know, reaching out to me, what just like me to do that, because it meant a lot to me because me I'd started with my podcast.
Speaker 2:August 19th was my first episode and then I really started. I launched the whole company almost like June 30th, so it was an honor to have, uh, you reach out to me, yeah, at my early infinite stages, you know so it meant a lot to me so well, you know what?
Speaker 1:because I, so it's weird. So that day I was just like you know what. I have a podcast anniversary show coming up, and so it like you can do your Facebook ads, you can do your IG ads, you can, you know, just pay influencers to promote your event, et cetera, and just I'm thankful because, organically, I'm able to vibe with people who are in my city. But I wanted to get an array of people. It's like I know that what I am doing, the content that I'm creating, I want it to expand across the masses. Central Florida. So I'm like okay, central Florida, polk County is great because Polk County is in the building. All right, got to shout that out.
Speaker 1:But I'm like okay, polk County, I can check that off. Let's move Central Florida and beyond. And so you know, you're a part of all these facebook groups and so I'm like, okay, let's, let's make it work, let's make it do what it do.
Speaker 1:And so if you are a part of my orlando, my tampa, my riverview, etc. I just started doing a in search of. So I did it in the orlando group and I'm like, hey, I'm in search of fellow podcasters, because if I'm having a podcast event and we're talking about networking, we're talking about resources right, why not try to get those resources in other cities, right? And so I did that and I'm like I'm just gonna sit back and I'm gonna see who bites, I'm gonna see who who who's about their business. Because I know, if somebody did that to me, I'm gonna put my business and I'm gonna say, hey, let me fill her out, let me see what, what, what is she looking for?
Speaker 1:And so you, norman, you were the person. I feel that that really stood out, because I had a lot of people who have podcast studios in Orlando, but it was more so like they were advertising without saying anything. And I'm like you you're just posting what you do, but you're not telling me who you are Like. How can we connect? And so you know you go down these rabbit holes where you do, but you're not telling me who you are like, how can we connect? And so you know you go down these rabbit holes where you do research on each and every one of them. Then I came to you. First of all, the orange set caught my eye because I'm a rattler, right. So I'm like, okay, let me see, let me see, because I thought you were a rattler at first. So I'm like, yeah, I am clip, I know, and so that's why I'm like my guess is we're right and I'm okay.
Speaker 1:So I started looking at your content and I'm like yo for him. It was reminiscent to me because when I first started out, I was in a studio, I was doing all of these things and I had a guest that came on. They had been podcasting for like two years and they came on. They started with anchor and they were just like jazz if this is your start, just imagine how much you're going to grow. And so it was almost like I was going to say the same thing to you that someone had said to me like two years ago, and so, really, that's what really sparked me, to spark a conversation with you. And then when you reached out, it was just like, okay, he seems like he's about his business. So yeah, let me, let me take the call.
Speaker 1:You just were about your business, and so I appreciated that, so I was was like that's how it started.
Speaker 2:I thank you for giving me a chance yeah like when you started out.
Speaker 2:I mean, as you know, you started out, but I take you very seriously. The people that I start with, yeah, like a lot of people that have been on the show, if people that gave me an opportunity to open the door for me, yeah, those who I want to be my first guest because they, yeah, have an impact on just everything my family life, like how I pay my bills. Right opportunity takes you just people, don't. I don't take opportunities for granted. Yeah, somebody give me a chance so I always like to share that. Yeah, uh, so, going back away from me okay, back to you, but the ebony fashion impact.
Speaker 2:Who, uh? What was the ebonyony Fashion Fair impact on you?
Speaker 1:Okay, so, with Alpha Kappa, Alpha Sorority Incorporated in our chapters back in Polk County, I remember being like the age of my son, like my youngest son right now, being 8, 9, 10. I didn't know it was a fundraising event and all of that and what it meant. All I remember is my family, my mom, my sisters because I have two sisters who are members of their AKAs as well church members, et cetera. So it's like fashion you know the Ebony Fashion Fair. It's like you know we get the books, because my mom subscribed to the books now.
Speaker 1:So I remember just looking through the pictures and seeing and they would always do like an annual ad that the Ebony fashion show would be hitting different cities, and I wanted to be a fashion designer back then, so I couldn't wait to Easter. I get to put on my little socks, my little gloves so.
Speaker 1:I couldn't wait. You know, I'm a girly girl and so my first time ever going to that fashion show changed my life. I just remember sitting in the audience, I had on my little fake fur because my mom kept me decked out, and it was just like, oh my gosh, like I remember the opening scenes. I remember how crisp and sharp those models were. I remember the host, the MC. Her name was Shayla Simpson, and Shayla Simpsonayla simpson was beautiful, I'm talking. She just reminded me of the main character of eddie murphy's wife, who eventually became his wife on coming to america.
Speaker 1:That's who she reminded me of, and it's like she would just sit in a chair, just like this hmm, that became his wife well on the show, but she looked like him, like she looked like the wife in coming to America, like that's I'm trying like, if you don't know who Shayla Simpson is like she looks like him, she looks like her. No, she actually looks like um. I don't know if you remember the ending scene of coming to America, where the family's doing they may be so follow me.
Speaker 1:So they've got the end of the movie, they've gotten married and the king and the queen are standing there, and then you have John Amos, who's you know he's cutting up or whatever and then it's this beautiful lady and she's just demure and she's just standing and I don't think she said anything in the movie but he's who shayla simpson really looks like right.
Speaker 2:Okay, so she was just demure.
Speaker 1:And I just remember I don't think that lady looked at a card like she had cards in her hand. It's just like out of all those models they were captivating, like they did their turns, their scenes and all of that, but it's like she was just on that stage. She was beautiful in her voice. I will never forget what her voice sounded like. She had cue cards, but I never saw her look at the cue cards and I was just sitting there like it was just like a magnetic attraction to what she was doing.
Speaker 1:I'm like she is carrying this show and in my little brain I'm like how is she remembering all of this? Like she narrated the entire show and from there I was like I want to do what she does. I was like I want to, I want to host a fashion show, like it just wasn't planted in me. I wanted to be a fashion designer. I thought I wanted to be an architect at one time. I thought I wanted to be a obstetrician at one time. But going back to being a, an emcee, a host, I was like I gotta do something with a microphone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm glad you said that's a's a good story, so yeah, so do you remember what age that was?
Speaker 1:So I was like around they continued the Ebony Fashion Show from the time I was like eight until maybe like 11. Like it was like an annual fundraiser that they did for the sorority and so it was like it was held at. It was held at Florida Southern University, and so I just remember people. It was just like, okay, this is like the Black Oscars.
Speaker 2:That's what it made me feel like, I'm like people just came dapper.
Speaker 1:It was like it was a packed house and it's like I don't know. I feel that we kind of lost that. It's like I just remember it just being magical for me.
Speaker 2:Got it Okay, well, that's a good story. Yeah, got it okay, well, that's a good story. Yeah, um, but that that impact just goes to show how important it is to put your kids in different atmospheres right and have them through different experiences. You never know them going at one time, the the impact it had can have on right like today you have your kids with you right and I do as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um so, and I do that for a reason like they, they need to see hard work. They they need to see like when, when? Because you have a career right, your wife has a career but you're doing something that you, that you also love, and they're watching you start it from the ground up. So they need to see mommy and daddy like they're buying all this equipment, they're bringing these guests in. Why are they doing it like this? This is what it takes in order to make your dreams come true so that's why I'm so adamant about them.
Speaker 1:Look being here, being present, so you can see what what it takes to do it like. You can't just tell mommy, I want to play football, well, what? What? You want to play football, that's cool, but did you? How am I supposed to fill out the application? Do you know who the coach is? Do you know what position it's like I'm when I say I want to play football? That's cool, but did you? How am I supposed to fill out the application? Do you know who the coach is? Do you know what position it's like when I say I want to do something? You see how I make it happen, so I just that's good.
Speaker 2:So I want to transition to health and motivation for the elderly. Okay, so the power of motivation how do you motivate? I know are some aspects you would say of your leadership style that you think someone, as a caregiver or as taking care of their loved one, could utilize to stay motivated and make sure they take care of self as well.
Speaker 1:That's. That's very important and it's also near and dear to me, because I watched my dad take care of my grandmother. Um was such a mama's boy and he actually left our house with my mother to move in with his mother because his mother did not want to go. My grandmother I'm talking about her like she's- that lady but she is not.
Speaker 1:I loved her so much. She was like the definition of a sweet, like the sweetest grandmother, but she didn't want to go to a nursing home and that was just something that we knew in the family, and so she was in her nineties, you know, when she, when her health started to deteriorate and he was, my dad was in his seventies, in his late seventies, and so he became her caregiver. Like he had no experience doing that, but he the bathing, the, the giving medicine. Like I had to learn how to treat diabetes, like how to read the sliding scale, how to make sure that she was at that time she had a feeding tube as well Like we took turns, like I was one of those people I used to go grocery shopping for her.
Speaker 1:And when I say my grandmother had that meticulousness like I want this from Walmart but you got to get this from Publix and you got to go, she had it down to the ounces, she, she and her 90s. So she knows everything, I'm like. So she's very meticulous and so I just I watched my dad's health deteriorate, taking care of her, like his health started declining as he tried to make sure that she was thriving, and so what I would suggest is you know people who are caregivers. I would just suggest that you know you take care of self, Like you have to form. If you could form like a unit in your household, take turns, hire someone else to take on the responsibilities of an actual caregiver, like outsource you know to to preserve your health. Because, just how they say when you're on a plane um, and, by the way, I can talk to you all day, so we ain't got to worry about time for strength.
Speaker 2:I'm just gonna throw that in there and so like um you know how they say you get your air mask.
Speaker 1:You make sure you get your air mask first, because if you can't help anybody, you can't help yourself, you won't be able to help anybody else so in terms of caregivers and making sure they maintain um their livelihood, he stopped fishing.
Speaker 1:Fishing was something that he loved to do. So it's like, don't stop doing those extracurriculars, because if you truly want to be there for your loved one, you got to preserve you. So I would say, build, build that core, um, that core group. But I'm being realistic because maybe some people don't have that core group. Like I have a sorority sister, she. She lives in my neighborhood and she's her mom's primary caregiver. She comes from a big family but she's the one that's with her mom all the time and I look at the sacrifices that she has to make and she's the one that's with her mom all the time and I look at the sacrifices that she has to make and she's like trying to calendar them in. Like I really want to go to this event, so can one of you come watch mom? And everybody is busy with their own lives, so it's just like it's hard. So I feel that when that is the case and you being in the medical field, in this area there are community resources out there.
Speaker 1:There are free programs out there that will assist you. So I would just suggest we're in a social media world. Put it out there on social media, put it out there in your church. You never know. You have people who are in the medical field at your church Just say, look, I need a lifeline, like what community resources are out there? Because there really truly are free resources out there for your family that we just we don't as a community tap into, and they are there do not do not.
Speaker 2:that's wonderfully stated and that's actually why the basis of an origins of how I started confirmation consulting because I worked at skilled nursing as an administrator in hospice, so I saw a lot of the needs and the questions that people have when it's, I'm not going to say, too late. But you got into the situation and now you're like, oh, you're not prepared, so what do I do? Right, right, but there are so many resources out there and I have a guide. So if you're listening now, today, if you're in this situation and need assistance, definitely give a call at Comfort Measure Consulting. First consultation is always free 15 minute consultation with me and we talk about it.
Speaker 2:But I say that to say it's an area of need and people health care and that's why I kind of start this whole platform with me and focus in health care because of that as well, and I knew starting this platform I wasn't gonna be a knock out of the park. There's nobody listening to health care like that in this spare time. But I said I'm doing it for a purpose and a passion. It's needed, it's definitely needed.
Speaker 2:It's a need, it's an area of need. So that's a wonderful story you shared, though it's touching and hit home for a lot of people out there, because there's people that lose their marriages, they lose their dating life. Haven't been on dates in 10 years. All those type of situations because of because they're caring for mom or caring for dad, which is right thing to do, it's done all the time in many different cultures. Right, right, um. But at comfort measures consulting, we're here to help you navigate the complexity of health care. If you're caring for a loved one as a caregiver, you don't have resources, you don't know what questions to ask. You need to have options right. Give Comfort Measures a call. Give us a chance. First consultation is free. Speak with me. Comfort Measures Consultant, 850-879-2182. You can also visit our website at wwwcomfortmeasuresconsultingcom. Talk to you soon, talking about the power of the comeback. How could someone, 50 years plus, in that age group, right or above, how can they have that power to have a comeback?
Speaker 1:So, again with me, I just that formula that I have. I truly believe that you can come back from anything. Number one you have to have God, and so, leaning on him, you know, putting it out there, praying about what it is that you want to do, yes, um, whether it's your, you know you you're trying to overcome the loss of a loved one. You're trying to overcome, maybe, the loss of losing a job to a millennial. Whatever the case may be, whatever, that comeback is number one. Start with god. I'm not going to tell you to start anywhere else other than that, like, pour out your heart to him, believe in his destiny for you, and then, definitely, you got to get you some resources.
Speaker 1:I have talked to so many people just in talking people who have been locked up. All right, like, if a person who's been locked up can link with people who are in prison, with them, and they can link with somebody who has a skillset that's greater than them, and they start studying, they, just they. They dedicate a certain amount of time every single day to learning to do whatever they want to do. We have too many free resources. We have YouTube, university. You just have to dedicate that time to making that comeback. So, whatever it is that you want to do, we have too many free resources. We have YouTube University. You just have to dedicate that time to making that comeback.
Speaker 1:So, whatever it is that you want to do, let's just say you're broke, your credit is bad and you don't know how to invest, or whatever the case may be, start with YouTube University. You don't have to pay somebody $500 as of yet. If you don't have it, go to YouTube University. Dedicate that time. That's your resources, that's you knowing how to use your resources effectively, and then, from there, branch off but then put it in that needed work. So this is this goes beyond the age, um, the age barrier, because I I was calling my kindergartners comeback kids just from them, like not scoring good on tests and I'm like you can do it. But how are you going to do it? Like, do scoring good on tests and I'm like you can do it. But how are you going to do it? Like, do you pray, like do, and I'm? This is a conversation I'm having with kids yeah like.
Speaker 1:Well, what resources can you do? Can you read every night for 20 minutes? So all of that. If a kid can do it all the way up to you being 50, you can do it there we go gotta put in that work though gotta put in the work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and utilize priorities, prioritizing proper organization, skills, right, all of that stuff it plays a part in it. Dedicating time, structure time, right, it's very important. And I wish to say I said on previous shows you know, while you're sitting there on TikTok, take a look at your boy, take a look at Compromise Consulting, the podcast.
Speaker 1:Take a look at your boy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, take a look at your boy, because we share vital information. So that's why I say that Absolutely. What are some of you think the biggest needs in the black community that you've noticed with seniors?
Speaker 1:With seniors. I would say there are a lot of depressed seniors, um, just in their mental state, cause I know so many stubborn seniors who are just locked in their ways and it's just like. This is just the way. This is how I was raised, even if they have diabetes. Listen, this, this is I'm gonna eat what I want to eat, like I grew up on this food. This is what I'm going to do.
Speaker 1:So I personally, I really think that if our seniors were open to mental health, you know, if we were open to just really, really tapping into mental health, I feel that when that mental is corrected, then everything else will align with it. But just being open, because culturally we don't believe in mental health professionals, we believe in giving it to God, but God created psychiatrists, psychologists, all of those professions, so tap into that. There are so many seniors that I feel just go down quickly just because their mental state is not there. And not having that mental state there can drive people away Like we're, like I don't want to go visit her right now, like she's so mean, like it just is a turnoff to people.
Speaker 1:So I think, once you know how to make yourself happy or you get yourself in that right mental frame. I think that that is what's important. So that, and then just our overall health. Like I'm about to do a health symposium next week and I'm so glad somebody just finally tapped into it and was, like we need this for the black community. Like they're gonna give resources to free healthcare we're gonna talk to doctors, psychiatrists, like for free. So that mental um health component and then just us getting on a healthy regimen with with exercise, diet, etc. I really think that's what is plaguing our community, our older community.
Speaker 2:100 yeah you're knocking every question out of the park but, I have to piggyback on top of that is because those, a lot of those resources are right, available. Like you have your symposium, right, you, um, the good thing about it is that you're doing a four-hour culture. You probably have a following and people that you know, but typically we don't go to those events like, yeah, yeah, you know, but if it's the football game, basketball game, anything like that, we'll attend. Though, right, we're right in those, like even with myself. I want to just talk about me, like I learned about, like through the chamber of commerce here in pasco county. Like there are so many other um events and things that they do, from family oriented to like arts and crafts, things that you can do on the weekend with your kids or, whatever the case may be, just from yoga, all those things that's like available at a very discounted rate, right, um, through you know, just being active in your community, right, so that is very important and I do?
Speaker 1:um, if I could, I want to give a shameless plug, um, because that symposium is being held in haynes city, florida, and it's by african americans. It's a couple miss. Um, well, I'm going to do the husband first. I always try. I sometimes always do the the wife first, but in a proper order, okay. So it's like um, so, commissioner vernell smith um over at hayne city. It's his event and he's throwing that community event and it is partnered with his wife, dr Markeisha Smith, who is an attorney there. So those two community leaders are coming together and they just reached out to different people in the Polk County area and beyond to come and put on this free symposium. So I just wanted to give them their justice.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, thank you all for doing that and I love the partnership of you all and your marriage too. Like it takes a lot. Advancements Just from and I know maybe it's not your typical area that you work in directly, but just what are some advancements from just the community aspect you'd like to see in health care?
Speaker 1:Some advancements in health care aspect you'd like to see in healthcare. Some advancements in healthcare I would like to see like more mobile units, because there's a lot of people who can't make it to their doctor's appointments because of mobility. There's a lot of people who may not have someone to take them that they feel comfortable with.
Speaker 1:So I think, with it being a technological society, you know how we have, like the breast cancer vans and buses that come out, like if there's a mobile unit that we could mobilize to even do that and just have your basic machines etc. There, where they can just pull up at your house and like come on, miss miss Smith or miss Bennett, like we got you today, how are you doing? I think that what I would love to see, that that would be incredible.
Speaker 2:That's good, yeah yeah, I know that. I recently heard about a company I'm sorry I don't remember the name, but they have like Dennis, like they have the Dennis.
Speaker 2:But they have all the equipment like you go to the dentist and they'll park in the community, so, but that is good. I know there's a lot in health care, there's a lot of uh providers that will go into the home, okay. But an actual mobile site, like you're saying, that will go and say, be convenient for them to come in, right, that is really good. Yeah, you have good ideas. So I know we didn't tap into, uh, your podcast journey and your origins. I want to get there, uh, but first I want to ask you why fam you over UF?
Speaker 1:And I was like I saw that question, I was like he's done his research. Okay, let's do it. I'm going to be very, quite honest. I'm going to be very honest with you. It was the money, surprisingly, and when I tell this story, people are like what you?
Speaker 2:said look at my face, Look at. And when I tell this story, people are like what you should look at my face.
Speaker 1:You missed my face. Like here's how it happened. Like, first of all, I love school, like I just I absolutely love school. School came easy to me. I just I loved it.
Speaker 1:So I was invited to go to TOPS FMU, which is a program where you get to go and you get to explore the campus before you get there, right. But I was also invited to go to a similar program at the university of florida, which one of my sisters, one who was closest in age to me, um, she is an alumna of the university of florida and so she was so excited she's like yeah, we get to spend this whole weekend. They linked us with um, sga, um, but it was their student, their black student government, or whatever. So they basically are taking you and they're showing you the ropes of uf and they're telling you oh, if you go to an HBCU, you know it's not realistic to what you're going to experience in the real world, et cetera, like we're going to parties, we're learning about the culture of UF, like academics, et cetera, and they're just trying to link you with someone that you would vibe with, right, and so at that time I wanted to go into architecture at least I thought, and I went into that program and I was like yo, this is, this is like.
Speaker 1:Nobody looked like me it. They have some amazing projects going on, but I was like I just don't see it. But then I was like, okay, to be a gator, you know it's great gator nation, you know more con, you know more contacts in earth, on earth, well, in the world, like as I'm trying to grow. And so it came down to it like I literally I hadn't made my decision, but I used to work at Food Lion and I got oh that was my favorite job too.
Speaker 1:That was my first job as a cashier, and so I remember my sister came and she brought me the acceptance letters, but she handed me UF first and she didn't know if I was going to get in or not, so I opened it literally. She was that excited she brought it to me on my job oh, wow and I.
Speaker 1:I got in and with it she handed me a gift. She had already got me a credit card and it had a UF um emblem on it, my name on it. She was like congratulations, like let's go. Not too long after that I remember getting so many letters from FAMU. Whereas that scholarship money that they were offering me it covered everything at FAMU my housing, books, everything, and I had some left over, but at UF it didn't cover like what they were offering me did not cover and this is what bright futures, all of that. But it was like it was more money at fam and fam was courting me in broadcast because they had saw what I was doing with my TV news show in high school and I was just like I think I want to go to fam like I had already. I was in a neighborhood band shout out to the marching wood Marines in Winter Haven.
Speaker 2:I was already in the marching band, like we were going on summer trips to fam you.
Speaker 1:So I knew all about the marching, I knew about all the schools and it was just like but for me I was consciously thinking about I don't want to have to call home to my parents for anything like. I want to feel like I paved my own way. And it was like to go to fam you. I was just like I want this experience, like I'm loving their journalism program. When I went to tops I love the professors, they do all about polk county it felt more like home at fam you and so that's what. And then, on top of that, they ended up giving me that little extra cash. I was like I'm sorry, sis, I'm gonna have to give you this credit card back because I'm going to family.
Speaker 2:So that's how that happened. Got it.
Speaker 1:That is how that happened.
Speaker 2:Shout out to your sister, too, to have that support like that, for her to take time to do that.
Speaker 1:She's so dope, she's so dope. Shout out to Tracy, my sister Tracy, I'm like the baby of the family. We're like 12 years apart, so she's like my sister mom.
Speaker 2:Your sister mom. So I do, tracy man, being a big good big sister. But at this time we're going to take a pause for a comfy comedy session, all right, so now you can finally kick off your little sheet here. So I have wonderful connections. In my spare time what I do is write for a power, the show power. You watch that show.
Speaker 2:I do, yes, I do write for that show power and I have contacts and they work with your favorite show, harlem. Okay, I do work with that show and I was able to get them to do an audition for you. Okay, so right here today we're going to do a live audition. I told them that you know, I want to give you a shot to be on the show harlem I appreciate that okay all right.
Speaker 2:So this is our script, all right. So the setting is ty and brandon unfinished business. That's the scene, okay, uh, let's see here. This is, uh, let's see the play. The scene. The audition is inspired by the confrontation between ty and brandon from harlem. All right, you know those people. Yes, the right people. All right, the setting is ties at home, unwinding from a long day. A knock on the door breaks her her piece. She opens it and there stands brandon holding divorce papers. She freezes for a moment, then crosses her arm. So we're gonna start. Um, start, you, tie, and I'm Brandon.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:You tell me when you're ready, All right.
Speaker 1:I'm ready, you ready, golly.
Speaker 2:I didn't think you'd get ready so fast. All right, all right, here we go.
Speaker 1:I'm just going to make it, I'm ready.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's go, all right.
Speaker 1:Brandon, what do you want? You need to get this done, Ty. It's been long enough. Oh, now you want to get things done. Where was this urgency when you disappeared for months?
Speaker 2:I didn't come over here to rehash the past. Just sign the papers and we can move on.
Speaker 1:Move on, brandon. I've been moving on, you're the one that's stuck in neutral. It wasn't that simple, brandon. I've been moving on, you're the one that's stuck in neutral.
Speaker 2:It wasn't that simple, ty, you know that.
Speaker 1:What I know is I begged you to be honest with me and instead you ran. Now you think I owe you closure.
Speaker 2:I didn't come here to fight. I came here because I need this to end, for both of us.
Speaker 1:For both of us, or just you?
Speaker 2:You built this life without me, and I get it. You don't need me, but that doesn't mean I never cared.
Speaker 1:No, you don't care enough.
Speaker 2:You think it was easy, watching you thrive, while I was stuck trying to figure my life out.
Speaker 1:For you, for you, watching me thrive must have been so hard.
Speaker 2:Can we at least end this with some race time please? Fine Listen okay, I hope you're happy. I am Mel, needs you no more. Anyway, shut in, see him, alright, 50, holla at him, she ready, she ready.
Speaker 1:50 listen please. I'm trying to get please. Yeah, yes, all right, fithy holla at them she ready, she ready, fithy, listen please. I'm trying to get Please. Yeah, yes, all right All right, all right, we ready.
Speaker 2:Back in it. Get back in it. Get back in it, all right. So your podcast origins Award winning.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Award winning. Just tell us the origins of your podcast and describe it to the audience right, and also why you had it.
Speaker 1:Tell them what they can find all right, I will do that, and so, um, so I was in the radio. I was on the radio at fam, and so when I graduated I left that behind and so, like, out of all of these years I would say over 15 years I have been harboring that dream of getting back into radio, and so podcasting started, right, and so I'm like, well, I and I tried, like when Olivia Fox came to Tampa, like I reached out to her because I had met her at a job fair at Howard when I was going to a film, like I just thought, hey, I still know Olivia Fox, like she can get me in and it's like she moved, like she left Tampa and she I think she went back to Maryland and I was like dang, I don't know anybody at the radio station.
Speaker 1:I knew Jomama Johnson, like because he was from Polk County and he was on the radio with the love show at um in Tampa. So it's like I never found a way to get back into radio here and so that was just always a dream, no matter what I did. And so, um, it took me like really going through a hard time in my profession where it's like I was escalating and it's like the higher you get, for me it was like it was just nonsense that was happening, like people like thinking that I wanted to take their job and I'm like I'm so.
Speaker 1:I'm trying to learn from you. Like you're heading to school, I'm an up and coming leader, you're supposed to be showing me the ropes and instead you're feeling intimidated and that's just really was what it was. I literally had someone that I was co-leading the school, which she told me I think you're trying to take my job and I'm like, lady, I was placed here Like I didn't even apply for this job. I was literally placed at this site in your job You're supposed to be leading.
Speaker 1:So it's just, it got so hard, it got so hard for me and I was like I cannot believe I'm catching this type of hell, like, and all I want to do is educate kids, like all I want to do is just genuinely be a great leader. So I tapped out, like I literally tapped out, and I was like God, what is it that you want me to do? And it was just like at that time I was going through a time where I was losing my father. Like my father was like he was in hospice and it was just like you know. You do all these reflections and it's just like my father worked so hard, like he scraped up pennies to have me go to NABJ conferences and that's the National Association of Black Journalists.
Speaker 1:It's like it just all kept seeping back through me, went to homecoming and I was like I just, I don't know I want to go homecoming, like I feel like I need this because when I was here at FAM, I knew what to do. I went back to FAM like this was after COVID, when we, when the world was opened back up, and I was like you know what. I went back to J school, walked around, I was like I'm starting my podcast and when I came home, it was just like you know. Yeah, I would love to do a podcast where it's all risque, where it's fun, where you know.
Speaker 2:I have a good co-host, but it's like I don't want to depend on anybody.
Speaker 1:And it's like I don't want to depend on anybody and it's like jazz. Well, what, what is it? What is it that you want to do? And I was like you know what? I'm making my own comeback. I am making my comeback slowly.
Speaker 1:So I always called my oldest son my comeback kid and I was like you know what? I want to teach people that they can come back from anything. And so I'm just through the jazzy conversations with jazz podcast. Because someone always told me whenever you start something, it needs to be just call it hosted by Jazzmar or the Jazzmar talk show, or put your name in some kind of way Jazzy, jazzy. And I'm like, ok.
Speaker 1:So it literally just started coming to me like that whole weekend, like while everybody was partying, I may have looked like I was partying and I was in the moment. I was thinking about my podcast. The entire weekend I had already had it mapped out. I knew I wanted to be my first guest. I just knew I knew someone with a podcast studio. I was making phone calls to him. I was like when I get back, it's going to be on a Monday, I'm going to honor the death of my father and I'm going to chase my dreams. This podcast is going to focus on the power of the comeback. I already have my first five guests lined up, they've already given me their yeses and we're going to rock and roll. And that was the history of it. Like I typed up my mission, I typed up my show, my show summary, and we just got it cracking. I just I jumped out on faith and I was like, hey, we doing it, we're doing it.
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure. Yeah, like, hey, we doing it, we're doing it. Yeah for sure. Yeah, actually I'm sorry my wife tell me you gotta stop telling your stories on the shows, but if something got bad, I gotta see it yeah, but uh, so the same thing happened with me. That's why it touching to hear you explain it like that, like it was on my mind so much, yeah, that it took over what comfort measures originally actually started with. Like man, I keep thinking about this podcast so much yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:And uh, I already knew who my first guest was gonna be too. Yeah, I already had my. Uh, what I want to say, first three, was it three to five guests already in my head. I already knew they gonna say yes, everything was fine and I just wanted to do it. I did, did it, but it's good to hear like similar stories, uh but I think god plants that in us you know, like when you never start listening to it, you do.
Speaker 1:That's the whole point you do when there's something pervasive like that and you can't let it go. Like you were sleeping with it, you are waking up with it. That's a sign, and I just think you just have to jump on it, like you got to have faith and you got to go after it.
Speaker 2:I just started that like within the last year. Yeah, honestly, like trusting it and believing it and actually going after it, like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But that's very good, that's motivation. I know you have your passion for teaching and you're still doing that through your show and just having those conversations. Just having those conversations and describe, like the support, whether it has been well received, what areas you'd like to see improve in the support.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yo, I'm going to keep it real. Yeah, Keep it real.
Speaker 1:That support thing is. That support thing is crazy. I would say, cause I go through this. When it comes to support, cause I'm like, yay, they support me. When you feel like it's going your way, that's when you feel like they support you. But it's times where it's crickets. You could be having the best show of your life and see the thing about me. I shifted into having live podcasts. Live podcasts will humble you, you know, into having live podcasts. Live podcasts will humble you. You know what I'm saying. It will humble you like. It's not like before how I was able to pre record a podcast and it's like I'm not caring about the views, I'm not caring about the lights or whatever, but when you are doing a live podcast, I just think I start. I thank god for me starting to do my live podcast later versus at the beginning yes, Cause it's like.
Speaker 1:I already know people are looking like. So it doesn't like I can have five people viewing on one of my best podcasts ever and it's like do y'all know how much knowledge was just dropped by this person in this podcast? And I won't see people being visible. However, I'll go to the grocery store, I'll go to my job, I'll have people inboxing me and I'm like but y'all weren't on the live, like. I'm like, are y'all really a part of the Jazzy crew? I go live at seven o'clock. Where are y'all? But people will just start telling me oh my gosh, like I watched your podcast the other day and dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. Look, I'm not viral when it comes to YouTube.
Speaker 1:I'm not viral Like it is. I'm going to give you a good story and I know we're talking about support, but I was trying to get a vendor for my three-year podcast anniversary show. I don't know this person, but I can tell that he's a hustler, like he sells juices on the side of the road, and he's Hispanic. I started talking to him Cause I'm like what is your drive? Like what you know? He linked me to his social media. He has almost 6,000 followers. People like to eat. People love food.
Speaker 2:People love food.
Speaker 1:Even if they don't understand him. I'm like, dang, you have surpassed me, when even he said I want to get into it.
Speaker 2:I'm like how are you doing this?
Speaker 1:Right, it's like even he was like. He looked at my social media and he's like why you, why you don't have a lot, I don't know. I said I think maybe God is just protecting me right now into not doing that Cause he knows something. And it's just like even that, even with me not being able to use my social media as a bragging chip to people that I just meet, it is something about. When you talk to me about what my podcast is about, I tell you it gets. My show is sold out every every year when we have a podcast event. I've won awards, et cetera. It's, it's the believability that I am able to offer when I'm talking to you is because I am so passionate about this. This is my brand.
Speaker 1:So it's like I'm going to sell it to you, and so it's up to you whether you just value social media like that or if you value the impact. And so, when it comes to support, I know that people may not listen religiously like how I want them to, but when those tickets start selling for that podcast event, when I see them show up, when I hear, when I see that they're putting my names in rooms that I'm not even in, that's what gives me confirmation about support. But I will say it doesn't. Sometimes it just doesn't feel good, cause you, you want, like if you have a best friend, you want that best friend to be like how your wife is, like you want your best friend to be in here saying you know, let's, let's, let's set the guests up, what you need, like can I carry this or whatever. Like you know, can I help you with it? You just want people to check in with you, and sometimes people don't do that and they just but I, I think that them coming in when I need them it helps me, but I would love to have way more support than I get.
Speaker 1:I'm just be very honest with you, like, cause sometimes it just feels lonely, like. I just feel like, okay, my kids know my grind, you know close friends know my grind. But in terms of even different people that you meet in this sector, that you network with, it's like do y'all really support me? Like I don't know, like it's a. It's like sometimes I feel like you do, but sometimes I don't know, it's not. It feels a little iffy, so that's why it's just like I ride by myself you know what I mean?
Speaker 2:it's just like that's why I stayed away from social media too. Yeah, because, like I never wanted to uh, I guess, be caught up in like likes and yeah, and really impact, but now, it's bothering me and it's even with the podcast.
Speaker 1:I'm like god about five people I'm gonna tell you you have a partner you confide in you and your wife are a team when she rock, if she's continuing to rock with you because she sees it, when your mentor continues to rock with you because they see it, when you feel it in yourself that you still need to go, because it's not going to be sunshiny days all the time, but you got to always go back to your why. Why did you start this? And as long as your why is louder than anything that you can see on social media. That's what you got to run with. That's how I feel about it.
Speaker 2:My mentor, ben Carotenuto, and my dad too. They both told me the same thing. They say don't expect somebody else to see your vision. You don't want to have a vision and a passion. Don't expect somebody else to see your vision right. You don't want to have a vision and a passion. You're trying to get them to see it on. So if your loved one, your spouse, they're not going to be as motivated as you are right, your friend, they're not going to be as motivated as you are. You have to have the drive right and the willpower to do it. And still not. I just started, but I'm not tired by this. Yeah, it doesn't bother me. I sit up in here here, like my family used to help, but I sit this up today myself, like it don't bother me to come and do this at all.
Speaker 2:Researching that, all that stuff takes time to show your guests the honor that they deserve when you sit in the crawl room Right.
Speaker 1:And I will tell you this, and I know you probably heard it, but this is what keeps me going. I look at people who are millionaires Like I. I I'm so glad that that's a part of my social media algorithm now because they're like most millionaires, they don't become millionaires until after they're 50.
Speaker 1:So that's a check that makes me feel good because I'm a multimillionaire, right, okay. Then they say most of them, not all of them, but most of them. Then they say this is what really hits me, what you want this podcast to be like, when you really really think about the end goal. God is preparing you for that end goal and he's protecting you. So I see it as thank you, god. Like I shouldn't be right there yet, because I know you need to still work on me. It will happen when it is supposed to happen.
Speaker 1:You don't want something to happen too fast for you. You don't want that opportunity to come when you ain't ready. You want to be fully ready when that opportunity comes so you can soar with it, because I think so many people have had great opportunities and they can't keep it because they weren't fully ready for it. So I feel like you are in the stage, we are in the stage of getting ready, like God is preparing us for what he has for us, and so that's really what keeps me going. I'm like I know you prepare me to get there. I just I know you are, because I don't want to get there and I'm not ready.
Speaker 2:That's true, but rip me out of the plastic. Listen, rip me out of the plastic.
Speaker 1:I'll take a million any day. Rip me out of what's her name, lotto.
Speaker 2:Center, rip me out of the plastic. But uh, right y'all. Yeah, I'm gonna do right these and I'm gonna pay my time.
Speaker 1:So future initiatives, projects, upcoming events that you have planned so definitely, like I stated, I am an event host as well as being a podcast host, and so that's also how I'm able to grow my podcast. And so I just did a literacy festival. I said a literacy festival, I just did a micro school event. There are some schools in Polk County that are outside of the trajectory of public schools. They reached out to me and I was able to host that event, and so I do have the health symposium that's coming up. I'm going to be the host of that event as well. And then, of course, I have my three-year podcast anniversary live show. That's going to be on november 9th from noon to 5 at the lakeland well, and that's 114 east parker street in lakeland, florida, and so you can get tickets on eventbrite. But we're going to have vendors, food trucks, photo stations, a live DJ and I'm going to be doing live podcast interviews, and so just that.
Speaker 1:And I am the program director at my school slash community liaison. So it's my job to foster our enrichment programs that we have at our school, and I am in that position at Academy Prep Center of Lakeland, and so even with that, me using my connections in the community, I am able to foster different relationships. Like you do a podcast, I may say, hey, norman, can you come in and speak to the kids, like one enrichment session, and you never know who's sitting in that class. That wants to be a future podcaster. Like I'm bringing in my connections from the community into what I do educational wise, and so I'm always looking for hosting events, and so that's really what I have coming up on the horizon right now On the horizon.
Speaker 2:Well, I can come in.
Speaker 1:Come on, he's like I can come in, I can come. He's like I'm coming. I'm coming. We're talking about it after the show.
Speaker 2:Yes, we do Put the boy in. But I just see now, because one of the questions I had here is just your impact on your community and I don't even think that I have to even ask that question because you displayed that just here today, just being a mother like, I think, your it's called your slogan yep, that's my, that's my tagline, that's your tagline, educator you encompass it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you really do. It encompasses everything you do and, um, I guess here to concede today, uh, but today episode was special because one we had some motivation aspect, but also we had a history story of somebody that had impact on the community directly. But we spoke to our caregivers to connect them with different ways they can stay motivated, hear real life stories about others journeys as well. But I just want to say, from a health care perspective, uh, and our caregivers get involved right get involved.
Speaker 2:It's more than your phones. It's more than the news, watching the television, uh, if you're going to utilize the phone, utilize by searching something, an area that you can actually get out and about in, especially our aging adults as well. You're getting 60, 55 years old. It's more than just sitting on the front porch watching the cars go by. It's more than just looking at what you're going to cook next. It's more. It's more out there.
Speaker 2:You can make connections and network at 60. You know that, too. There's advantages and things you can take advantage of. I should say, at that age as well. Doors can still be open for new opportunities at 60 and 65. You can learn something at that age too. It don't mean you wind it down. I believe a lot of things are mental and manifestation is big. What you speak out of your mouth, uh, and think about it, will impact your life. You'll see the results from it too. So watch what you say. You keep preaching that you own your old knees bad, I can't get up, no more, yeah, yeah, then what? More and more you're gonna feel that way. Right, all right, so, um, I want to just thank you for the blessing that you provided the audience today, the legendary Ms Jazz Moore Bennett. If you would just again let them know where they can find your social medias for the audience, please.
Speaker 1:I will, and thank you so much for having me. You have a platform that is going to change lives in a positive direction in an area that is needed. So my podcast is the Jazzy Conversations with Jazz podcast. It airs live every Monday at 7 pm Eastern Standard Time on Facebook, ig and YouTube Live, but you can also find episodes on your favorite podcast platform and I would love for you to be a part of the Jazzy crew. Make sure that you subscribe. You like, you share, you leave me, uh, some feedback or a review in the comment section, and I would love to have you be a part of my Jazzy Crew yeah, that's good.
Speaker 2:One day I'm gonna be able to say everything and it flow. Just like that, too, you do. Yeah, it's not gonna be the same way, but thank you for watching another episode of the let's Get Comfy podcast. Be sure to to like, comment, subscribe, share your thoughts. Check out our website, www. Comfortmeasuresconsultingcom, and you also can find me on YouTube at the let's Get Comfy podcastcom. Comfort Measures Consulting, on Facebook and Instagram, it's me, your favorite black bearded ball guy, norman Harris. I'm out.
