Take the Elevator
This podcast is purely about elevating people through individual life stories and experiences in the Elevator. In the Elevator, what's key is maybe changing your perspective; having self-actualization; embracing your purpose; and acting on it as we grow from one another. There is a whole different point of view when you look up to elevate.
Take the Elevator
332nd Floor: The Power of Connection
Let's share some adventurous stories throughout this episode on Take the Elevator with Gen and Kory.
Authentic human connections can profoundly change lives. We explore how moving beyond mere "hellos" can foster genuine relationships that uplift and empower. Gen shares her inspiring purpose statement, "P.E.O.P.L.E.: placing everyone on positive levels every day," we talk about the challenges and responsibilities that come with this mission, especially during personal struggles.
The magic of intentional interactions and embracing diversity comes alive through encounters with people like Sam and Simon from the UK and a touching conversation with a server named Christine. We build a more connected and purpose-driven world by fostering vulnerability and mutual support. This episode is a call to action—tap into your power sources, build strong community bonds, and let's elevate every day together. Tune in for a mix of travel tales, heartfelt conversations, and a reminder of the powerful impact we can have on each other's lives.
Look-up, and let's elevate!
Hey, it's Jen the Builder and Corey, and we are yet again on another episode on Take the Elevator. Welcome to everyone who's here with us. It's so good that you're listening and that we're about to just get into it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, makes you feel kind of good that we've already struck the first couple of days of September, right, Jen it?
Speaker 1:really does, and I love that we're recording on Labor Day, which means no work y'all, and we really need a day off. I hope y'all had a great weekend and you found yourself getting lots of rest, good family time in whatever it is that you needed. Corey and I have been celebrating our birthdays gosh well over a week and we officially went on a vacation starting on Wednesday, corey, which was your birthday, the 28th, so happy birthday to you.
Speaker 2:And then Jen celebrated her birthday on the 30th. But we have to go just a little bit further back because, although that's a great and wonderful day, there was even more ceremonious time that brought us both together, which was our anniversary on August 12th.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was that. So that really starts the whole festivities for us in August is the 12th, so we've been going and going and going and I've never done so much walking in five days straight. So, just to give you an idea, we were at Disneyland California Adventure, downtown Disney, doing the thing, and then we found our way to San Diego, went to the San Diego Zoo, went to the safari the next day and then ended it with the beach. So I think it was an awesome time way to start the new year for us. As far as you know, I'm going. I don't mind saying I'm gonna be, I'm not going to be.
Speaker 2:I'm actually 51 and you're 52 I thought you weren't ashamed, you weren't supposed to give my sorry, I think people.
Speaker 1:Well, for those who don't know, cory and I are a year apart, so if I tell my age and cory doesn want to share his, just figure that piece out. Anyhow, I want to give just amazing tribute to the zoo both of them, the zoo and the safari, absolutely, and just to segue in and out of this conversation.
Speaker 2:So that was a total of. Well, I won't give a complete total, I'll just say it was approximately 55,000 to 60,000 steps for that entire getaway, which was Disneyland and safari and zoo. You're being very humble. I am.
Speaker 1:Because it was almost 20 000 a day. So you're looking at closer to 100k and I want to. I want to go ahead and give myself, you know, that kind of credit right ahead, go right, it's a hundred thousand.
Speaker 1:A hundred thousand, yes. And then at the zoo we um, just in awe of how that's all pieced together. I think there's over 700 000 different plant life at the zoo, 1.3 million different plants at the safari, and we just learned so much about the animals and I'm gonna have a bias towards monkeys and elephants, but, corey, we agreed on that second day. The rhinos just really stuck out to us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it made me contemplate writing about rhinoceroses.
Speaker 1:Right. What was so attractive to you about them?
Speaker 2:Just that they're not aggressive animals at all. They're more protecting their family in the crash. That's what they're called. When you have a bunch of rhinos together, they're a crash, and so they're protecting the baby and they won't mate if there's not enough females to uh fend off predators and and so forth, and or they prolong their pregnancy. Yeah, they prolong their pregnancy. Uh.
Speaker 1:Another really interesting fact about them is they all have unique horns that they shape themselves yeah, and I like the way our guide, um, compared it to like a woman getting her hair and nails done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because their horn is actually made of keratin and um, contrary to popular popular belief, and we're going to go ahead and share this knowledge because it's so important, um, unfortunately, the human species likes to hunt these animals for their horns, and the way they justify that in their minds is that it's got amazing medicinal value and it doesn't. It's carotene, which is what we all have, and so leave them alone, would you please. There's only two white rhinos in the world and I love the. I love, you know the things that they're trying to do to keep them conserved and alive and continued. So, anyhow it was, for me it was a very spiritual experience being around creation and other life forms and just taking the time to learn about them and appreciate them and really watch them right, like. I think that was one of my favorite parts is just staying still and watching their behavior.
Speaker 2:And if you're like me and at first I was a little like a little reserved on enjoying these moments, because I love animals and I haven't always loved animals the way I do now, and I've grown a new appreciation for life outside of the human race, and so I'm thinking like, wow, they don't have enough room to do what they really need to do and be who they really are, but they really do have enough room, and I was able to see the amount of space that they have to roam around. I was also concerned that they were being held against their will, but they're there to be saved, because some of them were wounded One rhino was shot and they had to literally bring them back to health so that this rhino would be okay and so those things are important to me as an animal lover to make sure that these animals are being well taken care of and they're not just being put on display for people to, you know, walk around and look at them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then there was this giraffe that was bottle fed, remember. That was bottle fed, remember, and I don't want to butcher the name, but she was bottle fed. And then she had problems with her legs and so the zoo partnered with this guy who makes prosthetics and so she's healed and able to move around like a giraffe. And she's so cute because she's very used to human interaction. So when we were in the safari, she was trying to get to me well, I here's how I'm tying this.
Speaker 1:You all don't know. When cory was speaking about his concerns for the wildlife in these places, I was just smile ear to ear the whole time he was talking, because this is a newer side of you that for me, didn't exist 20 years ago. Right, it didn't. All I knew really about animals and you is that you were attacked by dogs, I think two or three different times in your childhood, so it made you very leery of dogs, skittish.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Skittish yes, skittish big dogs at that, right, yeah. And so just seeing you have so much empathy and concern for them and honestly I'm a big believer in this I think creation senses that about you, because the giraffe I just talked about started walking towards cory. The thing is, cory's, you love animals, but you don't necessarily have to love them like have them touch you and rub up against you and taste you with their long black tongues, like that's not your thing, no. So it's like she was at another caravan and she straight looked and was headed right towards Corey and I just thought that was so cute, because of course, corey gets up and is like nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, I can love you from a distance I don't have to love you from.
Speaker 2:You know, two feet away where your tongue is lapping across my head or whatever, or?
Speaker 1:like I think it was a goose, I don't know A bird at disneyland. I'm like oh, cory, pose, pose, right, because the bird was behind him. And so, for those who don't know this about me, I have a very mischievous characteristic trait that's strong and comes out in certain ways. So cory's taking a picture back towards the bird and the bird starts approaching cory.
Speaker 1:Of course I don't say anything and I'm not trying to have cory see my face of like I knew that bird was there, though, but then I was like smile, you know making those different ways, and the bird was fast approaching cory looks and then saw the bird coming and moved out of the way, of course. But I think nature is like he loves us, he looks out for us, he writes about our atmosphere our friends in other places, and he's capturing them on the fuzzy furry forest with his wife, and so what's not to love? And I just feel like anytime we're out in those spaces, anne will specifically notice you.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, jen, before we get into the meat of this conversation, I wanted to give a quick shout out to a new listener. He told me that he had listened to a couple episodes and I just want to give him a shout out. His name is Ben and I appreciate you listening, ben, appreciate you joining us on this elevator ride. So if you're on this one, here's that shout out to you.
Speaker 1:Oh, speaking of elevator, can I just share one other thing that I'm doing, that's? I'm sure people are looking at me like you are here at the zoo. Why are you out of all the things to take pictures of? Why are you taking pictures of the elevator and the elevator signs? Well, hello, because the podcast take the elevator.
Speaker 2:But yes, I, I saw some people looking at me like I was very strange it was a pretty strange thing to do, uh, if you didn't know what it was about. But right, you have purpose in what you were doing that's right and I do it in the mall I do it everywhere absolutely send me pictures of your elevator rides please oh, that would be cool wouldn't that be cool?
Speaker 1:yeah, post them tag, tag uh, genco. Or tag take the elevator. I would love your elevator pictures.
Speaker 2:Indeed. So we're going to jump into this conversation, jen, and again, here's an opportunity for us to really draw in the audience listening and allow them an opportunity to dig deep into what they feel on these things. And so I was struck with this idea of the power of connection and what that's been doing for me on a personal level. I make an intentional effort to connect with people. I make an intentional effort to build a relationship outside of the norm. I try not to just walk by people and say absolutely nothing. I try to give a head gesture, a wave, speak to them and allow them to know that I see them and that I recognize that they exist, opposed to how some people may walk by you and just look through you as if you're not even there, like you're invisible, and that's a very hard, hard thing to swallow, to know that someone looked at me, they walked by and they said absolutely nothing to me on purpose.
Speaker 2:And we have all been there and we have all seen the very important person that walks by everyone and everyone goes out of their way to say something be it, hello, how are you? Nice day, we're having anything to get a word in with that individual that they deem is important and, on the flip side of that, walk by you and pretty much pretend like you were never born here on this earth. And so I bring up this very important phrasing the power of connection, because there's something that happens when you plug into power, there's something really great that happens when you get a source of power in you, and so I just wanted to start the conversation in this way, jen, so that the listeners can understand and we can build off of this what is your connection to people?
Speaker 1:Linked to power? Yeah Right. So for me, back to your example of that person that people are trying to connect with. So here's the thing for me, connections more than just networking or a greeting absolutely right connection is authentic connection, real type of that.
Speaker 1:For me, that's powerful.
Speaker 1:When you're giving of your time and energy to pour life and love and light and joy.
Speaker 1:And, um, that so important trait of letting people know like I see you, man, and you're a value to me, so much so that I'm making it a point to connect with you, um, yeah, what's the power in that?
Speaker 1:Well, we can see the contrast where people feel left out or not a part of, because there's not that connection, right. So, for me, that connection with people is exactly that. It's going deeper. It's knowing who they are, the kind of things that they enjoy, the things that they're going through struggles included, right, so not fair weather. That's definitely powerful is when you're able to connect in all seasons of life, in all events, and I think that's really important. Especially, we've talked about crisis the last episode, by the way, if you have not heard it, I've been hearing from so many people about the 331st episode because that's talking about taking the time and the moment, honoring're around and honoring how important it is to be a life source and then to receive that source of life from others right and and I really appreciate your answer and it really allowed you to even build a little bit more wider on this platform that, uh, we're attempting to assemble.
Speaker 2:Uh, what I was really getting at was what does people you came?
Speaker 1:up with an acronym. Oh, got you Okay. Yeah, so I thought you were just talking about the general people. So, yes, so my purpose statement is people placing everyone on positive levels every day, everyone on positive levels every day, and you might have heard me reference it a few times, and so I'm gonna go into the power of that, um, kind of word by word, but quickly yeah, but before you give us that, can you tell us, uh, what inspired that first and foremost, and then segue into it?
Speaker 1:oh, I've never even answered that question ever before in my life. So what inspired the people? Yeah, movement. So the fact was that I worked with people my whole life and, um, I just started thinking, like what is this really about for me, right? And people kept coming up. Well, what about people? Right? Like that's again so general and what does that look like? What are my daily intentions, my intentions for every interaction that's going to keep me guided and grounded and tied to my core principles. So, when you look at placing everyone on positive levels every day, um, it's very authentic, right, there's a, an action there to place them. It is seeing the other person. And now, granted, that is a tall order to fill, especially when you're going through your own things. And so sometimes, placing everyone on a positive level every day is choosing just not to say the thing, or actually being more quiet and figuring things out for yourself before you can be the one to pour out onto someone else. If that makes sense, it makes total sense.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I'm hearing everything you're saying and it's just sparking off all this energy right here, right now, in real time, and so I really want to point out the fact that number one, that's powerful, and that's what we're talking about the power of connection.
Speaker 2:It's so powerful to think about people in a manner that you're thinking about placing them on positive levels every day, and I'm sure that means a lot to you, and it means a lot hearing that, because now, as you said, it is a tall order, but as a leader and I think we should all be aspiring to be leaders that's what we're called to do. If we're walking around tearing people down and ruining people's day, you know we're pretty much on the other end of that positive level lifting people up and encouraging people. Positive level lifting people up and encouraging people. And so I say it like that because it's important that we are lifting people up. It's important that we are lifting our families up. It's important that we're lifting our coworkers up. One thing that we pointed out in a team meeting that I was involved in is that we sometimes spend more time with our work family than we do with our actual home family.
Speaker 2:And so we find ourselves treating the work family worse than we treat the people at home. But in actuality, you're spending more time with these people, you've gotten to know them in ways that you don't even know your own family in certain ways, and so why not lift them up and support them and build that powerful connection so that you can have just as much powerful energy at work as you do at home? Now, what does that look like if you're not having positive energy, powerful positive energy at home or at work, powerful positive energy at home or at work not very positive.
Speaker 1:It's time to recalibrate, it's time to figure out why that is right and, um, really hone in. And yeah, I always go back to this and it's not, and I know other people say this, but I can't even begin to tell you. When things are not happening for you at home or at work, you always want to start with awareness on the part that you're bringing to it Right, right, typically, when we're in our fields, it's someone else who's doing it, when we're in our feels, it's someone else who's doing it. And true power of connection is connecting with yourself and really able to control your response or how you're behaving, what you're bringing to the world, and recognize those things.
Speaker 2:You just walked into it and I love it. I didn't even set it up.
Speaker 1:You set me up, I didn't set you up.
Speaker 2:You walked into it and I love it and I didn't even set it up, me up, I didn't set you up, you walked into it. Though we go back to the source of the power, and the source of the power it typically is you. So how do you get power of connection? It's through you yeah.
Speaker 1:So like we were talking about, um, things like the zoo, right, like that's a great way for some people to connect to themselves is connecting with nature, um, getting your thoughts out on paper so you can see what it is, talking your feelings out, we, we. I mean, I feel like we just are really repetitive on this, but that's because it's so important Getting a coach, seeing a therapist, you know, whatever it is, please do the thing. It's so important. And then, once you've got that, your ability to give power and life to someone else becomes exponential. Right, and so we can talk about that. Because, corey, I'd love to hear what practical tips you have for daily authentic connections. I know what they are because I get to live with you and love you every day. But what do you do every day with people?
Speaker 2:Well, I've made it a point to attempt to meet someone new every day.
Speaker 2:I made it a point to spend a little bit of time with that individual, getting to know them beyond the surface, introducing myself, first and foremost, and giving them a little bit of background on who I am, and then attempting to get some of their background.
Speaker 2:Some people are open to that, some people are not, and whether you are or not, it doesn't matter. I'm not mad or feel any kind of way about it. I just know that, in order for me to build who I am and to build the world that I want to exist in, is that that connection has to happen, and it has to be intentional and it has to come from my power source, so that they can know this is not something he's doing, for you know the kicks of it. He's doing it because it's building a atmosphere around everyone he interacts with and and that's my intention to have a good, positive interaction with people every single day, instead of looking for the negative, instead of looking for the things that's going to drain people, hurt people, bring people down, make people feel like why am I here? What am I doing? Because I feel like we all have purpose, and that turns the powerful energy even higher when you have a purpose for your powerful connection.
Speaker 1:I love that. It reminds me of this wonderful couple that we met in line, right, sam and Simon, oh, yeah, yeah, from England. And here's the thing um, just even in that small moment, here we are miles and miles away from them, and we will always remember sam and simon. And so I'm going to give you all a practical tip right now about that daily interaction that you, cory, were talking about when you're meeting a stranger, the just remembering that the purpose of communication is to find common ground. And so I'm just going to be very frank about this.
Speaker 1:Sam and simon, white people from the uk, um, seem pretty in shape. Their kids were younger, right, they, they were traveling for two to three weeks in California, did Mammoth, did all these things, yosemite, and here, corey and I are people of color on the healthier side, and our kids are grown. And our kids are grown we're just native to Southern California and that's our little five day vacation. So, right away, in that mindset, you see every reason to not Right. But then you take that step and say I want to communicate and let's find out what we have in common and the things that actually bring us together. And I love that. And it's not for the check mark to say, oh, I got this done. I did an interaction with someone I didn't know, but sharing experiences and then realizing, man, had I not talked to them, there wouldn't have been this power of connection with two complete strangers and their kids in a line, right, well, not the best um scenario. Hot in line, maybe hungry, you know the line is constantly shifting.
Speaker 2:You're moving forward, stopping, slowing down. So it's not the best conversation, but you make it what you can and we had a humorous conversation.
Speaker 1:I decided to break out in freaking english accent and simon's reading to see how good my british accent is. I talk about watching love is blind uk and compared it to love is blind here in america. And, before you know it, Sam and Simon, Corey and Jen all of a sudden have things in common.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And it becomes just in that, one moment of a random interaction. That is one of the highlights of a vacation or a trip right and you said something pretty important.
Speaker 2:You said you're not just checking boxes, and I want to drill down on that just a little bit, because a lot of times what we say sounds like box checking. Right, but what you don't see is that if we are box checking, then we're box checking all day and all night, because it's not just one person that I'm willing to meet.
Speaker 2:It's not just one person, I'm willing to introduce myself to, it's multiple people, whoever I get an opportunity to. We had an opportunity to talk to um, a waitress that was at one of the restaurants we were at christine and that turned into something beautiful yeah it just we ended up getting to know about her life and her child's life and how he's into Thomas the Train.
Speaker 1:She's a single mom and doing her thing right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so that's how we know it's not just a check the box and keep on moving, because it's an all day checking of the things that we love to do and have grown to make a part of our lives, and it's wonderful when people who don't know each other can connect, give affirmation and encouragement to each other just because you're in that space and you've shared your experience.
Speaker 1:And what an amazing way to show vulnerability. And it doesn't have to be heavy, it can be light right, sharing the experience that you're comfortable with or maybe not, and that person just needs to hear that. Because when she met us, I think the assumption was is that we have been together for years and years. Our kids are grown. Now here we are traveling or, you know, just enjoying while she's working and she is a son and I just shared with her I know about single mom, been there, done that. This is actually second time around and it's a blended experience completely, and so we were able to give each other hope, you know, and just see each other as women who are mothers and understand. Yeah, it definitely has its challenges, it definitely is a journey, but you're here, you're doing your thing and we love what you've brought forward with with your son and all the things that you're doing for him.
Speaker 2:So I have to point out again that this is the importance of the power of connection. Jen allowed herself to be opened up, she plugged into this woman, she allowed her power to flow through. Then you have this powerful lifting of each other, because she had things she shared with us that were was very motivating and also sure was uh, wisdom and insight as well.
Speaker 2:yeah, it's just an amazing thing, you know, and I'm breaking it down like that simply because some people don't get it, some people can't see it and, as I have said in the past, you know from listening to another speaker, all of it is not for one person. Some of it's bits and pieces and some people will get the entire message, but overall, what we're drilling in here is simply this it's a wonderful thing to do, to plug into people. It's also a very good experience when you have that moment of aha. This is what this is about. This is what this means to plug in and have that thing happen, that draw. And it's not a I'm not trying to date anyone or trying to build a relationship, to have you know, my needs met or sell a book or talk about music. It's just to have a connection with people.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and so I think a lot of what we shared, corey, is like when you're meeting new people, right, and how that connection is definitely powerful. And then when we think of people that we see daily, like you said, at work, it's um showing kindness even in the small connections. Or here's one that a lot that I love when people do is like a follow-up on a previous communication we just had. It's like wow, they were really present for that and here we are and we're, we've run into each other or we're talking again, we're spending time together, and they remembered something that was so important to me, even in its smallest detail yeah right, so that's cool.
Speaker 1:And then the consistency I love what you said too earlier and it reminds me of the respecting of boundaries and on our five-day vacation, corey, I you know and I've been with you for decades and just remembering how important it is to even respect each other's boundaries in a place where I have things I want to do and you have things that you want to do or maybe not do, and that we have to respect. Like, okay, we've been running, ripping and doing the most yeah, we can. We don't really have to go see that thing, you know.
Speaker 2:And it's true what you just said. I love that. And so it brings it full circle because we're wrapping up right about now. And so it brings it full circle because we're wrapping up right about now. But the connection to each other, jen and I, or to you and your child or your partner or your friend, that you understand each other to a point to where sometimes it's time to unplug, and then there's the time to plug in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely unplugged. And then there's the time to plug in. Yeah, absolutely. I think for me, my, my ending statement would be this and the whole power of connections, just, uh, I say just, but I don't want to downplay it. So let me retract the just and say to be open-minded, so open to the different perspectives and experiences, and I believe that authentic connections comes from embracing diversity and learning from each other. For me, that's powerful. Again, that's why I go back to reading books, because it's other people's experiences.
Speaker 1:Writing books like the fuzzy furry forest series, uh, and yeah, they're about animals in the forest, but it's so much deeper than that, and so being open-minded is a powerful thing, and that's being open-minded to connections, period. And I have one more thing to say, because I can go on and on about connections, and so it's connections to self, to community, right to to people that you don't know there's connections to, for me is my creator, and so so what, what that does for me is like being connected to nature, and creation speaks to that. So these are all ways to be empowered throughout life, and I love that you produced this show, corey, and that you brought this forward, because I think we're going into a time again when we're really going to need to dig deep into our power source, because there's going to be challenges, there's going to be some crisis, critical type moments, and we would not be your friends if we didn't give you this kind of info to remember who your power sources are and what you need to do for self and community to support one another.
Speaker 2:I have to second that motion.
Speaker 1:Well, you know us to take the elevator. We say look up and let's elevate, elevate Every day, elevate Every day, every day, every day, every day.
