Unexpected Joys and Heartfelt Reflections in Marietta

Transcript

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Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in to Take Flight with Monica.

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Well, I have to admit, I'm a little bit late with dropping this podcast this week.

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It's been an adventurous, awesome, inspirational week and I met a really incredible woman at a local store, and I have to tell you how this all went down.

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So I am here in Georgia and I live in a little town called Marietta, georgia, and I needed to get some promotional pictures for my podcast show and for the creation of my weekender bag promoting my weekender bag and so I decided to get all dolled up and head into town.

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Now, if you remember from my other podcast, I said how can you be in a city and discover Instagram worthy places to photograph?

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So this is what I do.

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I go to TikTok, I type in the hashtag Instagram worthy and then I put in the city places to photograph, places to eat and a whole bunch of information will pop up.

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So I made a list, I screenshotted everything and then I dropped it into Google Maps and then I took a look at all the reviews of the restaurants, of the locations, of everything, and I decided on a few hot spots that I thought were really beautiful.

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I took a look at the pictures.

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I did my homework.

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So off I went and the first stop was this museum.

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And I have to admit the museum entrance price was like 10 bucks.

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But the museum was pretty lame.

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When I first walked in the girl had her feet up on the desk and was scrolling social media and could really care less, could really give me the time of day.

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But I decided to go ahead and pay the 10 bucks and I thought, well, you know, I don't really know what's kind of around here.

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So I thought, okay, we're on an adventure, let's go Walked around.

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And you know it.

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Just, I really couldn't even get a grasp as to what the museum was about.

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I believe it was just about the history of Atlanta.

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But again, it seemed really disheveled, it really didn't seem very put together and I'm not going to mention what the name of it was on here.

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I really try to keep a positive mindset.

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But what I do want to share with you the outside was phenomenal and had this big beautiful flag, like giant flag, and they had ponds and not waterfalls but fountains and beautiful flowers.

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And it was right, it was in midtown of Atlanta and I really enjoyed it.

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And they had this beautiful bridge.

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I really liked the bridge and just lots of great photo opportunity.

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And if you want to see those images, you can find me on my social media channels, at Take Flight with Monica.

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You can find me on Instagram and you know just all the normal ones.

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You'll be able to find me on TikTok and you can see some of those images.

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They turned out really fun, really great.

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And so my first story to share with you is I met this couple and they were on the bridge and they were trying to get some great social media pictures.

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Well, some of you know, some of you don't know, I owned a photography studio for 17 years with my ex-husband and I've got some mad photo skills, even though I'm working with a cell phone.

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But you can work magic, you guys, magic with your cell phone on social media images and creations.

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And so I offered to help this beautiful couple and the guy is from Africa Africa and I'm not sure I don't remember where the girl was from, but they were the cutest couple and I got the best images of them.

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They turned out really, really good and we had a great conversation and he said you know, you might want to try Atlantic, and I was like Atlantic Atlantic Station Where's that?

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I've never even heard of that and oh yeah, it's like just right over here.

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So I hopped in the car and I went to Atlantic Station and it is a beautiful outdoor shopping mall area, outdoor shopping mall area and it's it's got like a great upper end community vibe going on.

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There's all kinds of restaurants and bars and there's a little grass area where the kids can play and they've got the chairs all around it and they had like some really fun.

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Like there's a illusions museum there and I just had a blast they had.

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They had this little setup where it looks like it's upside down but it's not, and so I played with that a little bit.

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They have a beautiful like fountain that's automated reflection fountain and it was just the vibe was happening there and I guess they have all kinds of events.

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I highly recommend when you come to Atlanta to check that out, because it was so much fun.

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I just the temperature was perfect outside, it was just I had an absolute blast and parking is free for two hours, so, which is really nice underground parking so you can park and then you can just walk all around.

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So I am like in my cute little outfit, I'm like hustling to beat the light and I want to get some images.

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And just you know I'm in that exploring mode, which is super fun and that's what I love about travel.

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It's the excitement of getting yourself out of your normal routine.

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It raises your vibration, it raises your attraction.

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So I'm hustling along and all of a sudden I see this sign in the store and it's lit up and it says love what you do.

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I immediately stopped in my tracks and I looked over and I was on the opposite side of the road and I just felt such a strong pull to go in the store and I wasn't really in a shopping vibe, I was more in exploring the world vibe, but I decided to pop in there.

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So I popped in there and I met a beautiful lady in there.

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Her name is Caitlin and she just had like a strong essence about her and beauty that just resonated and self-assurance and just really a beautiful soul.

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And the store is beautiful and elegant and funky and fun and the prices are really reasonable.

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The name of the store is called Fabric F-A-B-R-I-K.

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I was thinking like the little accent mark is between it's a boutique and it is the cutest shop the cutest shop.

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I was absolutely having a ball trying on shoes and taking pictures and talking with Caitlin and just you know it was a fun vibe.

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The music was good, everything was good, and you know just when you're you're having fun.

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So I'm trying all these different clothes on and I told her.

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I said, yeah, I'm really looking for some great, uh, you know, insta worthy clothing.

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Right, who would have thought that would be a sentence?

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I would say, but yes, so I was trying on stuff, having fun and everything.

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And Caitlin and I just got into a great conversation and they had this clear box there and it's for women to, or men or women to bring in donations for women that are in need.

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And so Caitlin started talking to me about her heart and passion about this project and that she is working to really relaunch this.

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I guess they had launched it during COVID and, as we all know, the world shut out, shut down during that time.

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So she was sharing with me about the clear, you know, about the donations and everything and her vision and passion, and it just it was like my vibe went from just you know, bubbly and just running around looking at this, looking at that, looking at a tooth sinking down, looking in her eyes and just feeling her heart and soul for helping women, I was just blown away and I just like calm down, locked in, and I heard her story and her passion and I got you guys, I got a little teary-eyed and I'm not kidding you, it just it hit me in the heart.

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I don't know.

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I mean, I was just in there shopping and then all of a sudden I thought, ooh, wow, this is a God message for me.

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And have you ever had those where you just get like this, this intuition?

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You're supposed to go into a place, you follow your intuition and then something really great happens.

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And a lot of times you don't really know the why as to you know why, why did this connection happen?

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And when I stopped kind of running around like a crazy person taking pictures of being like, oh, I love this and I love that and I love this and I love that, and to really sinking into, wow, there's a bigger mission here, yeah.

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And so I shared with Caitlin my story and I wanted to share a little bit about it on here.

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So I have hit some hard times in my past and I abruptly left a relationship after some infidelities happened.

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My heart was crushed and I'm not going to go into all of the details of everything, but basically I left with nothing.

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I left with my car and just a few pieces of clothing in my car.

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That was it.

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I didn't have a room to take all my stuff, I just was.

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Knew that my values were stronger and I had to leave.

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Knew that my values were stronger and I had to leave, and I left, and I left without a job, I left without money, I left without without any security at all.

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I was in need.

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I was one of those women that I needed help and I actually, at that point of my life, I went to the unemployment office and the unemployment office had some great programs and one of the programs was, uh, to support you, to get some clothing, to get back to work.

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So I'm sharing my story with Caitlin and I'm getting a little, you know, teary eyed as I'm.

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I'm thinking about it and you know I was given this, this goodwill coupon basically, and I go to the goodwill and I just I felt like how did I get here?

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How, how did I sink to this low of no money, no job, no money, no job, no clothes for getting a job?

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I mean like, how did I get here, this strong, capable, independent woman?

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And here I am at the goodwill and you know, I just I felt like I just wanted to cry and just run away.

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And I was sharing this story with Caitlin and she said, oh my gosh, we want women to come in and feel special and feel honored and have a stylist that works with you, to work with the clothing that was donated.

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Tell you what?

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I just was blown away and I could just see it in my mind.

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I could see Caitlin like if I was that woman excuse me, if I was that woman and I needed that support and that help how different I would have felt to you guys.

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Instead of feeling less than, I would have felt empowered, I would have felt beautiful, I would have felt strong.

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Instead of the less than, I would have felt empowered, I would have felt beautiful.

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I would have felt strong.

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Instead of the feeling of, oh my gosh, I'm at the goodwill, I have a coupon, I just I feel I just felt less than and you know I love thrifting now, I absolutely love it and it's a different vibe now, but then I really needed that love and that support.

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So you guys, caitlin is really taking the bull by the horns, along with the owner, and her name is Dana Spinola, and I am going to have the honor and the privilege to interview Dana on this mission and passion, and I'm so excited because it's going to help so many women.

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It's going to help communities come together.

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We'll be able to donate, we'll be able to support the women, they'll be able to style the women, they'll be able to help the women to go to, whether they're going for a job interview or for court cases, or whatever it is that they need to go to, whether they're going for a job interview or for court cases, or whatever it is that they need to do to feel empowered to get back on their feet.

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So I'm sharing this story with Caitlin, and the store is closed by this point and I said gosh, I'm so sorry, I've kept you past the time of closing.

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And she said Monica, it's, it's customers like you that make it all the worthwhile.

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And I said can I just hug you?

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And so we gave each other a big hug and she said you know what I really want?

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To give you a book.

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And I looked at her.

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I said a book.

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And she said yes.

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So she went over to the shelf and, in my excitement of walking around the store and bubbling around and trying on the clothes, I didn't even know there was a book.

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So she walks over and she finds this book and it says Ignite your passion, find your purpose, live life with meaning.

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And the title of the book is the same as the sign and it says Love what you do.

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And this book is written by the founder of Fabric Boutiques, dana Spinola.

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I was blown away so I asked her to sign the book.

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Now Dana autographs her books already.

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And it says XOXO Dana.

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And cannot wait to meet Dana.

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And so Caitlin wrote me a beautiful message, says Monica, thank you for sharing your story with me.

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I love your passion and your love for life.

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I wish you all the success and love you deserve, which is a lot.

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Xoxo Caitlin.

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What a beautiful gift from a complete stranger that I was connected by God with, and I know that there is future workings together.

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The interview will be happening.

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We will be doing it.

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It will be coming.

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Wait to dive into this book and really explore the message behind what they're offering, of love what you do, because you know you do need to love what you do.

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Life is too short.

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I mean, if you've been following me, you know I lost a dear friend of 30 years to a massive sudden heart attack, died within 45 minutes of calling 911.

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And he was only 66 years old.

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We're not promised tomorrow.

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Do you want you to love what you do and do what you love?

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That's what I'm all about.

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I'm all about finding your passions.

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I'm all about living life to the fullest.

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I'm about I'm about you being healthy in mind, body and soul.

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And if I can inspire you to take one action step, just even a little itty bitty baby action step, maybe it's going for a walk for 10 minutes, you know you should.

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Or going to the gym for 10 minutes.

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Or, as I used to say, stop, challenge and choose of instead of having the dessert.

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Or maybe only have one or two bites of the dessert and then eat your lean meats and greens.

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You know what to do.

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You know what makes your heart happy and healthy.

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I encourage you to live life to the fullest.

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My friends, love what you do and do what you love.

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Much love to you all.

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We'll talk soon and look for that interview to be happening.

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Have an amazing, fantastic, beautiful night or day, wherever you're at in this big beautiful world, I love you and if nobody's told you that today, I love and adore you.

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You are amazing, you are worth it.

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You are awesome.

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Much love, monica.

Unexpected Joys and Heartfelt Reflections in Marietta

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