SPEAKER_01 0:00

Basically, we're trying to show up and and and support people who are struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, suicide, being able to present hope to them and then to to find help for them. And there was probably like a 16-year-old um girl who came walking up to the booth and she was like pretty timid. She basically looked at me and said, I've been here all day and I've tried to come up to the booth a few times and I finally kind of got up the nerve and I just wanted to say like this thing saved my life. I just wanted to be able to tell somebody who represents what Drite Love is that I needed this at the worst time in my life and that there was no one else that would that I felt comfortable sharing this with.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Welcome to the Studio 321 podcast, powered by Brightway, the Steve Trout agency. We're sitting down with real estate pros, insurance nerds, mortgage masterminds, and local legends who are making moves on the Space Coast. Hosted by the best insurance crew in the 321. At Studio 321, it's all about community, real connections, and sharing a few laughs along the way. Strap in, let's launch into today's episode. Alright, today's guest is someone I've known my entire life. He was my brother's best friend growing up. Our moms are best friends, so he's basically family. But beyond that, he's the chief marketing officer at To Write Love on Her Arms, one of the most powerful mental health nonprofits on the planet. Based right here in Melbourne, Florida, To Write Love on Her Arms has been fighting stigma around depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide since 2006, and they touched lives in over 100 countries. Mark, welcome to Studio 321.

SPEAKER_01 1:49

What's up, man? Thank you. Thank you. I'm glad to be here.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Yeah, man. No, we're stoked to have you. It was really cool. Uh last Friday, you know, we got to see the premiere of your guys' 20-year anniversary documentary.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Which was fantastic. I mean, I had been following you guys, you know, throughout the years, but to see it up on the screen and to see how far you guys have come over 20 years, honestly, man, it was like a little emotional too, seeing it, like seeing your guys' journey and how much love you guys have put into this. It's really awesome to see.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Thank you. It it it the the 20-year mark has been wild to even digest. I've been there 14 years. Um and then Jamie Torkowski, who who started it and founded it, um, thinking back on like what 2006 was like, what the gosh, the conversation in the space of mental health even was then, or or or or lack thereof. Um so in working on the documentary, we spent like the last eight months working on the documentary, and and um a lot goes into trying to put fit 20 years into 20 minutes, um, which that was like the goal was to try and make it like a basically a short form digital or online version of a documentary. Um so kind of understanding what that or looking at what that that existence was like starting in 2006, and then all of the different places and ways that the organization has showed up over the 20 years, it's it it's been almost amazing it's been amazing, almost just like shocking to to to be to be a part of and see all of that, even for the staff, even for to write love. Like folks that are there that that watched the documentary for the first time like a month or so ago were like I didn't even know that or I didn't remember that happened. Like it's just been so much over 20 years.

SPEAKER_03 3:38

So for those people that are watching that might not know, what how would you explain to right love in our arms to people?

SPEAKER_01 3:46

It's honestly incredibly hard. Um it's a it's a a wild and strange name. Um the space of just mental health is is very difficult. So, and truthfully, one of the reasons we made a documentary is to kind of honor 20 years, but also give people a chance to have a kind of a full understanding of gosh, the scope or or the width of what this organization is really doing. Um but but basically we're trying to show up and and and support people who are struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, suicide. Um and and that usually looks like either um being able to present hope to them um in a state where they're likely or possibly in a really hopeless place, and then to to find help for them. So whether that's resources, um professional uh uh counseling centers in their area or be able to fund their treatment, which which we've done. I think it's just at about four and a half million dollars of um of treatment has been funded over the last 20 years.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Yeah, is it is it really just trying to help them find the help they need, or are you guys providing the resources directly, or is it through other parties?

SPEAKER_01 4:54

We're providing uh um direction to resources. So we're very much a bridge to help. So whether we're meeting them at a really early stage where they haven't been open to anybody, you know, if you watch the documentary, which which will be out in a few weeks, but if you watch it like we highlight um of folks in there that they had never spoke to anybody about this before they ran into us or to write love and and and a team worker at the booth there and and and felt for whatever reason it was a safe space to be open to to something they're going through. So, you know, we're trying to meet people at that super early stage where they've never been able to tell anybody what they're going through, all the way to, hey, I know I need help. I want to find help, or I have a loved one who needs help, but we don't know where to look, we don't know how we're gonna pay for it, all of that. So we've really opened our doors really in the last 10 years, five years to making sure that we have resource the resources internally, whether it's on the finance side, whether it's a staff member who can help navigate that last step of like, hey, there's somebody in your area you can go sit down, you can talk to, who's gonna be a safe space for you to work through this. Yeah.

unknown 6:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

And if you're listening to this and you want to help, um, we're gonna have a page dedicated to uh today's podcast that you be able to visit and uh make a donation. Um and then uh Brightway Insurance is going to match up to$2,000 of the donations. So hoping we can raise a lot more than that. Um but uh if we get to$2,000, I will be matching that.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

So that's amazing. It it it's it's so huge for somebody like yourself or or your business or whatever it is to support what's going on because you know I I think currently we have upwards of 300 people who are on a wait list to be able to just receive financial help to be able to start their journey of their process of recovery.

SPEAKER_03 6:53

So basically from watching the documentary, you guys started, you go to like warp tour, you started at big, big music festivals type things. You had a booth where people could kind of walk up. I know that it showed, you know, people can write a letter, basically get their feelings out on paper. Um, and that kind of starts the ball rolling for some people.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

Completely, completely. I mean, like the idea is meeting people where they're at. So that was a supernatural place that where that um Jamie is the founder and and and and his relationship with Renee, who was the original person that he was just trying to help. There was no intention to start a nonprofit. There was no desire for it to be, you know, 20 years later and global and all that sort of stuff. Um, but it it it really was right out of the gate like show up for people and show up into these spaces where they're at and not try to um, you know, kind of like I don't know, preach at them or whatever it may be, but just be there in a space that feels safe. Right. Let them come to you.

SPEAKER_03 7:54

You don't impose on their space. And music's a happy place for most people.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Completely. And it's and it's a a moving place or emotional place. And the way that even to write love started, and and and kind of the the gosh, for like poetic side or the storytelling side is so coinc or so is so kind of hand in hand with with music lyrics and with kind of how people are moved by songs and stuff like that. So it it just naturally met. And 20 years later, it's still very much one of the largest places that we go out and and and kind of interact with people. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Yeah, that's awesome, man. And you know, if like for me, when I was watching, when I was there Friday watching the documentary, I just couldn't help but think about, you know, my my childhood best friend, you know, took his life uh eight years ago. And I always carry a little bit of guilt around. You know what I mean? Like we had lost touch a little bit over the years and stuff. And um you know, when I think about it, it's hard to talk about, but when when I think about it, I you know, I just I do carry a little bit of guilt. Like I wish I had could have been in I wish I could have been there for them.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

Sure, sure. It I mean it's so horribly hard and it's so natural that like you know, I mean, Diana's wearing a shirt, people needed other people. Like the idea, but not even the idea, the um the words of that is intended that like we're doing life with each other.

SPEAKER_03 9:18

Like we're Well, I said I got dressed and I was like, people need other people, and I was like, I need you. Like I literally said that to him as I got ready and he walked out the door.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:27

You know, like do that to me.

SPEAKER_01 9:31

It is though, like like the the the nonprofit or what to write love is, like it's not this golden recipe of like uh help or a magic pill, or I mean that's a that's a it's a hard place to, you know, I feel like mental health has come leaps and bounds from where it is.

SPEAKER_03 9:48

You know, there it is more peop people accept it more, but it is hard. Like, I mean, I've grown up and I've had anxiety my whole life, and to describe to even Steven about it, like people don't understand it unless they have it. Sure. It's hard, you know, and he wants to be there for me, but he doesn't know how to because he's never experienced it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

Yeah. Um that but I mean, you feeling like that you're in a place where you're all alone with it, where that the where that nobody gets it, where that I mean, that's that's frankly what starts to lead people to the worst outcome, to the worst path, that it's never gonna get better, that it's never gonna change, that I'm stuck in this, that nobody cares, whatever it may be. So as an organization, as to write love, like we have a team of people that it isn't just like plug and play, like we have a team of people that are highly devoted to and have experience personally themselves, entirely. But yeah, yeah. And it's a space, honestly, where we're super open about that. We're like, I mean, we're not sitting around in staff meetings entirely, just like you know, diving into everything we're walking through, but we're not hiding that either. So it's like if if if it's an open place to that, but to your point, like it's people who are living through these things. So when whether it's a social media person, whether it's communications, whether it's a graphic designer, whatever it is, like we're making things to connect with people that are in a place that may not have somebody in their world right then that they can that they can people that can be there for them.

SPEAKER_03 11:20

And that was awesome how everybody on your staff shared their story because you're gonna find somebody that said, Oh wow, she went through it. I'm going through it. This is somebody a safe space that I can reach out to.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Sure.

SPEAKER_03 11:32

I feel like if people see your walks of life and see, you know, the trauma that you've been through, it's easier to open up.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

Very much, very much. Yeah. So I mean, the the the goal of to write love has always been to share to be a space where we're sharing these stories that people are walking through. I mean, a large part, like we had, we still have a blog, which isn't quite what it used to be in regards to just kind of digital space. But like, you know, for for years and years and years, our blog pages would just be this massive point of traffic that people would come to because they're not just wanting to read a whatever, a sad story or a heavy story. They're they're they're wanting to connect or hear somebody who's who's walking a similar life or a similar space that they are. And and and in that own way, that's super hopeful. That's one of the most hopeful things that we offer. Like, even if we weren't fund or giving funds, even if we weren't offering uh, you know, uh funding for treatment, whatever it is, like I stand on a place that the organization is needed just as an entity to show up for people and to share these stories because typically some of the biggest things that we've heard feedback wise, or the people we interact with is like, I needed you when I had nobody else, or I ran into, or I read these words when I didn't think anybody related or connected with what I was going through. And like, you know, that like they literally will end in that statement with like it saved my life. And so to feel like that, gosh, a blog or a social media post or a statement or whatever it is is going out into the world and meeting you meeting somebody and where they need it. Yeah. Um, and that's really been the heart of like the original story that Jamie wrote, called to write love on her arms, posted on a MySpace page. The very first reactions were like, I've never read anything that made me feel like there's somebody out there who also is living through what I'm living through.

SPEAKER_03 13:30

And correct me if I'm wrong, the way I interpreted it when I watched the documentary is um she was cutting herself and writing stuff like degrading things on her arms. And that's how to write love on her arms came into play.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

Yeah, yeah. Jamie wrote a story about what she was going through, called called it to write, like basically, I wish she would write love on her arms instead of something that was, you know, like lifting her up. Um, and so, you know, it and then and then took that statement, put it on the shirt that that Steven's wearing, um, and was just like, can we raise a couple of thousand dollars to help her get into a treatment facility? Um, and but my point earlier was was like never did he imagine, never did anybody that one person would turn into Yeah, correct. That like her story would be so many other people's stories. And then the idea of sharing people's stories would would be able to meet people in these really hopeless places in a way that other things weren't meeting them. Whether it's like a snowball effect, yeah. Whether it was school or counselors or maybe youth groups or whatever it is, like everyone plays a different role, but like for whatever reason, this type of way has met people in a way in such a unique way that it's it frankly globally, you know, like people have gravitated towards this thing that it's like um they needed that in that moment.

SPEAKER_03 14:51

I know we were looking at the Facebook page.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

You guys were going viral like before going viral was a thing.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:57

With the MySpace. I thought that was the coolest part of the story, you know. It was like literally the movement started on MySpace completely going back. Completely.

SPEAKER_01 15:05

Yeah, the MySpace. I mean, when we were working on the documentary, I mean, uh originally I really wanted it to focus more even more heavily on like I mean, we could have made a whole storyline just on like what's how social media has has played a role in in all this and and you know, in 20 years, but just like the advancement of it. I mean, it it frankly was basically the first nonprofit that really utilized whether you call it going viral or whatever it is, that utilized that space to advance the work that they were trying to do. Absolutely. Um, in a super unintentional and organic way, which you know, that's what's really unique about this. Like it wasn't started to be like, hey, we really need a mental health.

SPEAKER_03 15:47

It was starting to start one individual, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:49

One individual and and just almost like I anything great usually comes from the idea that there was a need, and a person just genuinely wanted to show up for that need and didn't really have this methodical way that they were gonna go about the business model and all that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

Not to yeah, most of the best businesses started that way.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

Yeah, I mean, you can't fake organic or you can't fake genuine typically. That's the hard, you know. I mean, you got to be a real professional marketer to make something feel very genuine and real. Absolutely. Um, and you know, I talked to our team a lot about it because it's like our ability, our need to communicate a message for a brand, for an entity, whatever it is, like it's a super heavy subject, so it's really hard. But it's it's it's frankly very easy because the story is there, like the the meaning is there, the message is there. We just have to curate it in a way to kind of get it out to the audience currently. Um, and that's really been the case over 20 years, like the progression of like how do you keep meeting people? What is social media like? How do we show up in the space in the right way?

SPEAKER_00 16:54

You know, there's a million I can talk about that forever, but yeah, no, and I I was doing a little research, you know, for today um over the last couple of days on like you just checking out the Facebook and all that. And I was really blown away by like a single post, man. You can like change somebody's lives with a single post. Like there was you would post something and then the comments would be like basically reaching out for help or like out loud saying, I'm struggling and I needed to see this today. Yeah. Like that's powerful stuff. You know?

SPEAKER_01 17:25

Incredibly. And and on I I you know, like when you talk about that, I think about that person that's uh, you know, maybe sitting in their bedroom, maybe sitting in their car by themselves, you know, like being like they don't have a space to say those words. They're saying them right there. And and social media is in a place where people do comment what they're thinking and they do DM what they're thinking and stuff. Yeah. And then on our side, you know, we have a communications team that at a norm, you know, at a regular business, you know, it's the same thing. Your idea is to come up with posts, come up with a schedule, to engage an audience, to try to create interest or or reaction. Just with us, you know, the reaction is frankly like life or death sometimes or or or or life-saving.

SPEAKER_03 18:05

It's not always a positive reaction, but the intern like it's getting to the positive result. Yes, you know, it's gotta start somewhere. And of course, it's not always gonna be pretty, but completely. It yeah, it's not gonna be pretty, but reaching out and the starting to talk about the process is what's gonna take you. So it's that first step.

SPEAKER_01 18:26

Yeah, yeah. Saying those words is like groundbreaking. Like we've had folks who, you know, like I said earlier, like they've come up or they've they've they've said this was the first time I ever felt like I could even say those words. Like, and that starts the road to recovery. Like that starts the road to help. Um, and and and like I said, I mean I I I feel like if that were our sole mission alone, it would be infinitely worth it.

SPEAKER_00 18:52

You know, you know, being a uh a male myself, do you find that men have more trouble like reaching out or saying I do have a struggle or an issue? Or do you think it's pretty equal in both like to me, I would think that men are like keeping it in and not uh Are you comparing this because I'm an open book and you're a closed book? Exactly. He's saying he's got a lot to say to you, is what he's saying. No, but you know what I mean, or is it very much.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Yeah, I I think there's there's there's this stigmatized level that as a community or sorry, as as a as a society we have that hopefully and and seemingly has progressed to a much healthier place where it feels to talk. But certainly I think that that in a in a a male side of things, you just have historically a place where you keep things in more where it's not a group that feels so open to discuss things together. Um so yeah, undoubtedly there's there's that maybe additional stigma there where you feel like there's it's almost a sense of weakness. Right.

SPEAKER_03 20:01

You have to be the provider and the one that's strong. And how can this be happening to you if yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:07

Yeah. So I mean, in our space and and and you know, whether it's like our social media community or or or at events or something, it's a really healthy amount of of males who show up and and are willing to, you know, be open or just find it as like kind of a little bit of a safer space. Yeah. Um, but I but I don't think there's any doubt that there's that kind of extra weight or stigma to just kind of like carrying the burden on your own, as you know, we do with a lot of other things.

SPEAKER_00 20:36

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So as the executive producer of the documentary, you had to condense 20 years into what was I think 25 to 30 minutes. Um talk about that. Like what was the biggest challenges you guys had to kind of put this together and make it flow?

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Yeah. Um it was it it it was really tough because I know I've I've personally seen the the the inside of so much that I feel like I want people to be able to to also see, you know, whether it's kind of I mean like uh you know, even just the internal side of of a staff that carries so much weight for people, you know, like that there's there's so much kind of not even just behind the scenes, but that the organization is that we didn't even get a chance to really to touch on. I mean, uh there's a little part in there where where Lindsay, the executive director, kind of shares part of her own story with the idea that like every staff member, every person that's working at To Write Love has their own things that they've walked through. Yeah. And and um, and so you know, that was in there to at least touch on, you know, obviously to to to to to care for her, but also just to touch on the idea of the.

SPEAKER_03 21:47

And so many people go through that. Yeah, it's yeah, it's a big thing, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 21:51

But you know, so it's you know, there's there's there is just so much in in 20 years. Yeah, we sat down with um uh um our uh uh PR company who's worked with us for years and years and years. And they were a part of, you know, the early days as well, where there was just, I mean, there was Rolling Stone magazine articles, there was huge bands wearing it, there was interviews, there was she had just so many additional things that you know we want to put in there, but we wanted the storyline. We didn't want to make a documentary that was just like, here's 20 minutes of the highlight reel of how awesome this organization is.

SPEAKER_03 22:25

Like we could Yeah, because you went through trials and tribulations just like everybody else.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

Yeah, yeah. And there's difficult moments and then, but also it's not even just about that, it's about the people that it's touched and reached. So to make sure we highlighted folks that have ex you know, that have had this impact on their lives.

SPEAKER_03 22:42

Well, I think you did a great job because I think I got everything out of it that you wanted people to get out of it. That means a lot.

SPEAKER_01 22:49

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It really was. It was really good. Yeah. I like probably August of last year. I kind of we were we obviously were looking at uh, you know, March of March of 2026 is the 20-year anniversary. And just what are we gonna do? How are we gonna like and and for us as an organization, we've always made merchandise and we've always, you know, we're just the the team's really great at um making relevant, interesting things, um, videos, posts, whatever it is that connect a storyline, which at that point would be like, hey, here's what this organization has done over 20 years, here's how it's impacted so many lives, you know, all this. But for me, it was like I really wanted to make sure we had this kind of like milestone moment that honored um where this thing started and where it is.

SPEAKER_03 23:34

How small it was. Yeah, how small was it?

SPEAKER_01 23:38

Yeah, yeah. And how just just all and then frankly, like the you know, it really ends with the idea that like it's needed more than ever. You know, like as much work as we feel like we've done, as much help, as much impact, as much many lives that have been touched, like we live in a society that's really hard for a lot of people. And so the idea that like this work isn't done, you know. I mean, you guys are being, you know, generous to to to fundraise this month and to to help support what it is doing. And there's there's there's so many other people that play that role and that want to do that because not you know, it's not because of what we've done over 20 years, it's because of what needs to happen.

SPEAKER_03 24:16

Because people step in and they see your vision and they see your message and they want to be a part of it.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Yeah, and and honestly, I mean, even like you being open to share your story, like it's never more than one person removed what the thing that we're trying to meet, that the people we're trying to help. So, like this year, we're trying to reach uh 20,000 hours of of care. So basically for us, we fund direct treatment into counseling centers. So if somebody reaches out, hey, I really need help. I really I have a niece that really needs help. Um, we have no money to pay for this. We have a scholarship program, they fill out an application. We have someone that works internally almost like a care worker or a caseworker. Um, she processes that, works it through, and then works with you to find a facility, and then we pay that facility directly. Um we also have um peer support groups where that people can meet as a group about a subject matter that are led by someone who's trained to handle that. So care for us and trying to reach this 20,000 hours of care in our 20th year, I think it's three or four times the amount that we fund on a yearly basis already. But we just made this massive goal because we're like, we we're just gonna to tell people that like if you want to help this, if you want to support this, like this is the need that's out there.

SPEAKER_03 25:30

Like in May is mental health months correct. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 25:34

So, like you guys, we have other entities, other people, other organizations, um, companies that are like, hey, you know, this matters to us all year, but this is a special time to make noise about it and and to make it a spotlight. And also just to realize, like, hey, we have this this business and this product that we offer to people that that that we care for, that, but this is kind of an additional way that we can really show up in our community or whatever it is. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:00

You never know what anybody's going through. So just a hi or a smile or uh, hey, how's it going today can change somebody in that moment.

SPEAKER_01 26:09

Undoubtedly, yeah. We see it a lot, honestly, with people wearing the shirts. Like if you go out in public with a shirt like that, you you know, you will have people interact with you because it's like they're you know, they're in their own space mentally, and they see those words or they see a certain statement that like, you know, you matter very much. And it's just like, you know, you'll get like a oh thanks as you're walking by and you're like, what is that person talking about? You're like, oh, I forgot I'm wearing the shirt. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Correct. Um so it's like it's these conversations that are walking around that um that that are meeting people where they need to be met. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

I think we'd be remiss too, man, if we didn't mention one of the guys from the documentary, Chad. What an awesome dude. I mean, like me and my brother Dave were talking afterwards, like can you imagine the music that guy has seen and heard like on all these festivals he goes to? I mean, 20 years of just grinding, helping people, like driving the mission forward. I mean, it's literally an incredible story on his own.

SPEAKER_01 27:10

Incredible, honestly. Chad Moses, he he after college, he came down to Florida because he had connected with Terray Love on her arms, but came down literally like 2006, 2007, and went to Cocoa Beach, but the office was in Cocoa Village, and he was just wandering around in Cocoa Beach asking people if they knew where this office was that he was trying to get. He was like searching for it. Yeah. They invited him down, but but the but back then there wasn't easily. You weren't texting, you weren't looking it up real quick on Google Maps. Yeah, exactly. Um, and so from that point forward, though, you know, and he and he shared at the event, you know, I mean, he's he's walked through some really heavy stuff in his own life. And so, gosh, he shows up with so much care and compassion. Like, yes, the music's incredible, you know, it's like red hot chili peppers are playing on the on the stage or Foo Fighters or whatever. Yeah, and he's having this potentially like life-changing conversation with somebody that they haven't had a chance to ever.

SPEAKER_03 28:12

He probably doesn't even hear the music.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, like I don't know that he's I don't even know what his favorite music is these days to hear because he's there so much. Now, other staff members join those events sometimes too when we need additional staff. They get excited. Like they go to like the no, you know, if Noah Khan's headlining or like you know, some other amazing act. Yeah, it's it's an extra little perk.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

No, I he definitely stood out as like somebody that has been a tremendous, you know, part of the mission and the movement.

SPEAKER_03 28:45

And that's what's great about that documentary. Like, there's always gonna be somebody in that that you you know, like I felt for is it Liz?

SPEAKER_01 28:53

Lindsay. Lindsay.

SPEAKER_03 28:55

Um, because I know so many people that have gone through postpartum, and it's a serious thing that people think once they have this child that they're you know, they're losing it. Um incredibly, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:07

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:07

I mean You've got a no new human you're taking care of, and you have all the stuff you're battling in your head. And yeah, it's that's why I like the documentary. There was so many entities that people could connect to, or you know, one little thing that somebody's going through.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

And hopefully, I mean, like even like that, like again, like the organization has been about trying to connect people living through stories and sharing about their stories in hopes that it meets people who don't feel like there's anybody who can relate to it.

SPEAKER_03 29:38

And then they're comfortable to share.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

Completely, absolutely. So whether they reach out to us, whether they I mean, you know, our very first kind of goal is to say, is there anybody safe in your world? And, you know, an aunt, a a friend, a teacher, whatever, that you can just be open with, that you can say to them what you just said to us, because we need some, you know, we can't be there in your life, you know, in everybody's life physically. And so we want to make sure that they kind of find that safe opportunity. And if something we've put out or said has spurred that on, then like that first step on that bridge to recovery like is happening. And that that like is just infinite in regards to to what what we feel like really needs to happen. I um one of the first events that or first like music festivals that I that I went to and worked was um was out in California. There's the band Switchfoot that has a really like was the original band that wore the shirt on stage and and and kind of like helped set the whole off the whole thing. They put on a local event in in Sanitas, California. And so I was working our booth one day and you interact with people that are just excited you're there because they're just it's weird. It's almost like a cultural, like, I love this brand or I love this thing. But they really don't know the story right away. Yeah, or maybe it hasn't hit them in that heavy way, but they know it's nice and they know it's caring and they love kind of like representing it. And then you have other, you know, so like you interact, or you have people that are like, what is this thing? What are those words to write love in arms? What does that even mean? And then you spend like five minutes trying to explain to them kind of what this is and the mission. Um and so you interact with all kinds of people at at a at an event like that. Um, and I was standing at the at the booth by myself, kind of like the day was winding down a little bit, and there was a less people. And there was probably like a 16-year-old um girl who who came walking up to the booth and she was like pretty timid. Um, and so just let her come up. And she basically looked at me and said, I've been here all day, and I've tried to come up to the booth a few times, and I finally kind of got up the nerve, and I just wanted to say, like, this thing saved my life. Like I just wanted to be able to tell somebody who represents what to write love is that I needed this at the worst time in my life, and that there was no one else that was that I felt comfortable um sharing this with. And and and I looked at her and she had she had scars on her arms, she had scars on her legs, and she was this this young girl that had lived through so much already. Um, but just wanted to say that because this thing, you know, what you know, almost like like going up to a musician that got you, you know, their music got you through this heavy thing because of the words, because of how it made them feel, whatever it is. It was that similar thing. And and that was all she wanted to say. And I interacted with her a little bit more and and and you know, and she walked off. But you know, that it's for her to be able to say that, for her to be able to say that she thought about it all day, and and for it to have meant so much to her, and and I and and and I didn't want to get any more specific than she was already willing to be. But whether it was a blog that she read or whether it was another music festival that she had gone to that she talked with somebody, like she needed somebody to say that you're okay who you are, that we're here for you, that there's a whole group of people who are here for you that are walking through really similar things, and like you aren't alone. And and and she said that without saying all those exact words, and she walked off. That was 13 years ago or something. And I still think about I still think about that on almost a daily basis, working at Terray Love, because as much work as it is, as much, you know, merchandise and e-commerce and and social media and all the regular businessy things, like that's the person that we're showing up for. Like that's the life that we're trying to be a part of. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:40

And in that moment, you were the person for her.

SPEAKER_01 33:42

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And and and and this thing, like this logo, these words, whatever it is, like this entity is a real thing to a person that has had their life impacted in that way. And she just she needed that. And it was her chance to kind of like be able to say that verbally to somebody. And um, and yeah, like I said, I mean, I I I just think about that so often because it's like I know well, we get so many of those messages, whether it's digital or improved.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

And you think too, how many, how many events did she go to that you guys were at? And it's like she was probably comfortable because it was only you.

SPEAKER_01 34:19

Yep, yep, yep.

SPEAKER_03 34:20

You know, the crowds had subside, and there was one person, and it was that opportunity that she knew she could take.

SPEAKER_01 34:26

Working at so like Chad, who works in music festivals. I mean, working a music festival is a super unique thing for us. Like, you know, a lot of businesses are setting up there to sell products or be promotional for their brands or their companies or whatever it is. And of course, we're there to offer people things if they want to buy or support. But like, you know, we have this rule of no wearing sunglasses behind the booth because we want there to be like a personal eye-year connection. Yeah, eye-to-eye connection to just the conversation. We're not asking for it to be this heavy counseling session or whatever you want to just kind of like be open to. But we want to be able to receive them as a person and not be kind of like have this barrier in between them. And so there's just little unique things of of what you know the folks that are working really hard out there are doing that are just setting it apart in in in those different ways. Aaron Powell Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:18

And I would think like being part of a nonprofit like you guys are, and it's well look at the one thing I've noticed over the years is the people there, they I mean incredibly care about what you guys are doing. Like it's not just a job. It's way deeper than that for everyone involved. Trevor Burrus, Jr.: It is and I think that's like the most powerful thing that I noticed even being at the premiere, as you can tell it's like it's more it's it's a full-on movement. It's not just this is my job, and I'm just here because of that. Like I truly care. Like, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 35:51

Yeah, oh very much. I mean, uh for the most part, we typically, even when hiring, have a conversation with them about like what is your you know, like what is your connection to the work that's happening, you know, and and and you know, it it there isn't this obligatory, like you haven't lived through you, you haven't yeah, you haven't suffered through something enough to be able to relate enough. Like we obviously have we have positions and jobs, just you know, we have bookkeeping, graphic design, social media, we have all the things that most businesses have, and we need talent to be able to execute those work.

SPEAKER_03 36:22

You need to have compassion, but you also need to have a hard shell because you see tough fit.

SPEAKER_01 36:26

It's hard, yes.

SPEAKER_03 36:27

And it's to be able to like put that glass wall up and not take in all those feelings.

SPEAKER_01 36:32

Yeah. To carry carrying that is heavy. We do a um we do a sabbatical program for our staff, um uh whether it's two weeks or four weeks, kind of depending on on how long in between you've gone. But really, the idea there is like they need we they need a break, and it and and we need a break. So, like typically whatever you're working on, I'm I I'll bring up like a graphic designer again, like they're not having to do the daily like interactions with people, but even the the words they're working on, the subject they're working on, whether they might be making a pamphlet for um for uh um a training we're doing on suicide prevention or something, like that's heavy stuff. I mean, that just those words are heavy stuff. Like that's not a common thing people are talking about. And so we really want to make sure that the team kind of is caring for themselves and can keep showing up for the people and make sure that they're they're not so heavily burdened by the message or by the conversations that it that it exhausts them, because it for sure can and and has honestly.

SPEAKER_00 37:32

Yeah. No. It's gotta I mean it's gotta be tough, right? To have to be caring around other people's grief. Because you want to be there for them so much, right? And you're like because everyone there seems to like really pour themselves into what they're doing.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

It is heavy, yeah. Like taking care of yourself as a caretaker, you know, I mean, as a person who's trying to care for other people is super important. So, of course, I mean like you know, all the staff has um um like mental health scholarshipping on on their own, where it's like, you know, we we almost encourage the the idea that if you you know you certainly need that, or if you're taking um uh counseling um during work hours or whatever it is. So the the the weight is really heavy and you don't notice it often because you're just a part of it. And then you kind of step back and you're like, holy cow, like especially you know, a social media team or the team that goes through and and interacts with like we have a a rule where we reply to every single email that comes in. And some of them are like, Hey, I want to put on an event for you in Oklahoma and try to raise money. And another one is like five paragraphs long talking about some of the most heavy stuff that this person's walked through, and and they've like they've felt safe to send us to send that to us, and so like we're gonna care for that. Like, we're going to try to walk them on that bridge to recovery. Um, but it it but it's it's a heavy subject matter, and it's a team that like aren't robots that are real people that like have lived through a lot of things themselves and are having to try to do that job to care and also kind of preserve their own.

SPEAKER_03 39:08

So, on that note, what do you do for self-care? What do you do outside of to write love on her arms?

SPEAKER_01 39:14

Good question. Not enough, probably. Um, but I I I do um I do go to counseling. Um, I went very consistently for years um here locally in Melbourne. Um, and then now it's kind of like a little bit more of like on an on a on a need basis. Um Do you still surf? I still surf. I don't surf as much as I should. Um I surfed a lot of people.

SPEAKER_03 39:36

So we're getting at you need to take more self-care.

SPEAKER_01 39:38

Yeah, yeah, yeah. My family would also say that. I don't do enough um golfing, a lot of family life, a lot of um kid life, um, trying to be there for them on this like latter part of having kids. Um but yeah, but it I I you know, surfing, golfing, fishing are kind of my my go-tos that I don't go to enough, probably. Um, and honestly, it is important. Like, I mean, I sit in a lot of conversations and a lot of meetings that may be about finances, maybe about marketing, maybe about whatever, but also are about you know, like the topics that we're talking about. And and it's and I personally walk through or so you're gonna leave here and you're gonna book your golf session? I hope so. I gotta I gotta I gotta travel to hold you accountable. I gotta travel tomorrow for a couple days, but then um when I get home, I'm going to prioritize that.

SPEAKER_00 40:32

It can be hard, man. Like for me too, like with the business, with the kids, I mean, going straight from here to a practice or straight from here to a game. My my brain never shuts off for the business.

SPEAKER_03 40:43

I'll literally have a conversation. I was like, you're not here, are you?

SPEAKER_00 40:47

You know, I it's just constant, like my brain's constantly moving, thinking about all the things that I gotta worry about.

SPEAKER_01 40:53

You know, it's super hard. I mean, like as a as a dad, as a as a husband, as a business owner or an executive or whatever it is, like you have so many things you're trying to care for in a responsible manner that yourself you're in your care gets pushed down pretty far. Um, and you know, there honestly there's a part of our society that would, you know, almost calls you selfish or whatever, if you're as a dad gonna go spend time doing something else or whatever. And so, like, there's that fine line of of showing up for the people around you and and being the role that you want to be, but also making sure that you have enough built up, that you have enough energy or enough care to be that person you want to be for them. And I struggle with it very much.

SPEAKER_03 41:38

And I would say that's selfless. Like you have to care for yourself. If you're not here, who's taking your role?

SPEAKER_01 41:45

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure. Or if you're not your best person, right, like that's a bummer for everybody around you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:51

So I know I always tell them my goal as a person is to grow and evolve and change. I'm not gonna be the same person I was 10 years ago. Like, that's our goal in life is to keep being a better person.

SPEAKER_01 42:02

Yeah, that's hard to wrap your mind around though, sometimes too.

SPEAKER_03 42:05

But take I know, but taking care of yourself comes first.

SPEAKER_00 42:09

It does.

SPEAKER_03 42:10

I'm gonna tell Tara.

SPEAKER_00 42:11

She's teaching me that she's preaching.

SPEAKER_03 42:14

She's preaching. I tell them all the time, like all the things, if you're not here, all the hard work that you put into building this business and growing your name and what is it?

SPEAKER_01 42:25

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:25

What did you work for?

SPEAKER_01 42:26

Completely. Completely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:28

So being the uh chief marketing officer, how is it different marketing a nonprofit versus you know a for-profit company?

SPEAKER_01 42:38

Um I think there's a lot of similarities. Um, I mean, you know, if the main goal is to try to reach an audience, um, whoever that is, or however you've defined that for the thing you're trying, the mission of your business, the mission of your organization, the product that you're offering. Um, I mean, we do we do a lot of facets that you would do in any business. You know, we have a team using clavio email or sprout social media and, you know, and scheduling and replying to to comments and posts, and you're trying to find ways to engage in the current kind of like digital space that is marketing. So I think there's a lot of similarities in regards to like how how you're doing that. For us, for the organization, it's very much like it has to be rooted in the real side of who we are. You know, like it's almost like pick your lane and and stick with it, especially if it's working. Um, like for us, it's very much like having these real conversations and telling these real stories. And we found that that not only just connects with people in a right in a in a real way, but really serves the mission of what we're trying to do in regards to presenting.

SPEAKER_03 43:48

Does any of the money that you raise it solely goes to the people that are you're taking in for help? How, how does a nonprofit company, like how do you get obviously a Google or Amazon or Something has way more money to market their company than a nonprofit. So how does that make sense?

SPEAKER_01 44:06

Yeah, it does. Um, you know, I don't I don't, I mean, I guess if we had more money, we could market in a in a in potentially a bigger, stronger way.

SPEAKER_03 44:14

But it's kind of like a word-of-mouth trickleoma.

SPEAKER_01 44:17

Yeah, and so much of it is just organic. I mean, like, you know, we have a team of two people that can that can put together posts that absolutely get a million views. Um money doesn't have to be. So it's like, you know, and we don't operate on a pretty limited budget. So, you know, the idea that you're a small business or you're a small entity or whatever, and we're backing up for a second, we're super lucky that that we have a really healthy following. Like what what transitioned from MySpace, a following from MySpace transitioned into Facebook. And then, you know, that's like a million, million and a half people who who are followers or likes or whatever you call on that page. And then, and then Instagram, we have 300, 350,000 people. So we have a healthy base that we're talking to. And that makes it easier to um almost like get the ball rolling in regards to your posts and regards to your reach. But we have a team of people that, I mean, frankly, they're they're younger and they understand, you know, like understanding the space. I mean, it's evolved and changed so much from the original, what 20 years ago was till what it is now. And like, we're not doing TikTok dances. Like what, you know, we're we like you know, you got to know what your brand is and kind of stay in your lane. But we find content that makes sense, we find trends that make sense on TikTok that work for the messaging or work for the the objective that we're trying to create on that platform. And that platform's different than Instagram, which is different than X, which is different than Facebook in regards to the types of words you're saying, or even just how you're saying them and the imagery or the videos or the short form or longer form. So we deal with those meetings and we have a really advanced team that is really understands the spaces really well. But then you have to implement like, okay, what it is, what is it we're trying to make in that space. So I mean, answer your question. I I don't know that it's I don't I don't I don't think it's a whole lot different at all than than than promoting a business or promoting an e-commerce store. I mean, we we have an e-commerce store that we want to drive traffic to all the time and they can buy shirts now to help support the organization. Um, and we have to do that in the same ways, and we deal with meta ads and and all of that, just like everyone else is. Um, but but the the words we're saying, the way we're trying to pull people in, like I'll just say real quick, one of the best ads we had running in in in a recent time um over the last few months was one of our shirts, and it it was an eye-catching image, but it it was one of the first times in a while we've run an ad that just was really message driven about when you buy a shirt, this is what happens.

SPEAKER_03 46:56

Like the people it reaches, the people it shows somebody what their what their money's going towards. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:02

So what it's going towards in regards to the help, and then also what happens like when that shirt's out in the world. Like you absolutely don't know what the person sitting across from you at a restaurant or a diner or bookstore or whatever that reads the back of your shirt was going through that day. And the amount of times we hear that conversation And then they look up to write love. Yeah, the story of a shirt, or they just text a friend and they're like, or they reach out to their mom and they get back home because they were because kind of hope found them in this hopeless place. So, you know, we we we have an ad where it's you know, you can't say a whole lot in a few seconds to you lose people, but like it basically is kind of saying like, this is more than a shirt, this is more than this, like this is a message of hope for everybody. And that ad, like, just went did incredible. Yeah, I mean, and pushed a bunch of traffic to e-commerce. So, like, I say that in regards to like it's not just like we run offers, we run sales, we run discounts, all the same things that every type of store e-commerce does. Um, and we figure out how to do that. And we have cost of goods and margins, and everything's going to this end result of hope and help. Um, but it's just feels great when you feel like messaging or conversation connected with people even more so than 25% off for the next 48 hours. So, you know, in regards to marketing, that, you know, like having a real story, having a real genuine impact. And I get that every business doesn't have like potentially they're not doing potentially like life-saving or life-changing work. But they're typically something you can lean into that's real or genuine in regards to what you guys are doing that sets you apart. Yeah, market your story a little bit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that that for us, like I I tell our team a lot, like it's really hard. The the conversations are really hard that we're having, but the but the the ability of where we are with marketing and the story and the messaging that we we have to work with is a lot to work with in regards to like pulling in emotion or connecting with people when that's what everyone's trying to do digitally. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_00 49:10

Yeah, like in my industry in the insurance world, I mean, I feel like my industry doesn't do a good enough job of telling the good stories. You know, you just hear so much negativity in my business. Um but man, we help a lot of people. This industry helps a lot of people at their time of need. Yeah. Granted, and they should we should, because they're paying for it. You know what I mean? It's it's part of our contract. Like we should be showing up for these people when they need us. But those aren't the stories that usually get told. It's usually the negative ones around insurance, right? Completely. So from a marketing aspect, you know. It's something we're trying to do here at this agency, is like tell our happy stories and you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 49:50

And not even just happy stories, they're real, you know, like they're real stories.

SPEAKER_02 49:54

Yeah, and it's not a situation happen to somebody. Correct.

SPEAKER_01 49:56

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 49:57

And like they came out on the other side.

SPEAKER_01 49:58

Yep, and we walked through them, and here's how that looked. I mean, like if you're really doing a service or a product that you're genuinely trying to um meet people, help people, uh better people in their lives in some way, like that's there's there's an endless amount of storyline there to dive into. Some of it may feel boring, some of it may feel exciting, some may work and may not. And we have tons of posts that that fall flat.

SPEAKER_00 50:27

You know, like I mean, that's obviously just the idea of like well, that's part of the social media game, and you're never you're probably only gonna get it right five percent of the time. Correct.

SPEAKER_01 50:35

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. But like you start to see what works and what doesn't, and it what worked two months ago doesn't work anymore.

SPEAKER_03 50:41

Like I'm always changing, never evolving.

SPEAKER_01 50:43

Never is there a more ever-moving or or a moving target than what's working on social at the time, especially on the organic side. Yeah, but I think if you're leaning into special moments or or things that set you apart in that way, like that's a storyline that most businesses can really relate to. But it's easier to always kind of go back to like price point or or value or something like that, which of course is a is a uh set you apart in that unique way. Um but I just love when a storyline or messaging or um something unique about the thing um really ends up connecting with people because that just seems to grab people for not just that flash moment, but a lot longer.

SPEAKER_00 51:24

Yeah. Well, also, man, anything else you want to touch on before we uh before we start to wrap up? No. I wanna I do want to remind everybody that we're gonna have um a link uh underneath all of our posts uh for this podcast on the YouTube channel, Apple, Spotify, all that. You can find a link in the description. Um and uh please, if you if you're you feel encouraged to help, um please do so.

SPEAKER_01 51:51

Yeah, I mean I I I I said no, but I I was that I was going to touch on that. Like I can't express enough how much a donation like that does in regards to the folks that are hoping or waiting to you know be able to find financial help.

SPEAKER_03 52:09

And it doesn't have to be a big donation. It does not any dollar helps.

SPEAKER_01 52:12

We have existed, I I, you know, sometimes I jokingly say this, but it's serious, you know, the real side. We've existed for 20 years off of like$25 increments, whether that's buying a t-shirt online or whether that's you know, hey, I want to give something. Like we we are a nonprofit that primarily, not even primarily, that has solely existed off of everyday giving or every day um uh um participating in the help um financially um in these very kind of I don't want to even say small because that's a lot, you know, giving is is a lot to to every anybody, but but they're they're in places where it's like this has been built by the people who want to make sure that this keeps showing up. And oftentimes the people who are supporting it are also people who need to be supported by it. Like we don't typically have like this massive donor base or these huge entities that that are financially supporting it, you know, like we're based out of little old Melbourne and little old Brevard County, um, and we're reaching millions of people on a very with a very small team and a very small budget. And and that's typically funded by your everyday person that just wants to be a part of the story and a part of meeting people where they're at. So, so yeah, so I mean, you guys stepping up as a business is such a big thing in regards to helping support the mission, helping reach that goal of 20,000 hours this year, um, which will impact, you know, thousands and thousands of people. Um, and and so, so yeah, so that link will be there. And any other, you know, businesses that want to be a part of that, you know, can go to that link as well and give there too.

SPEAKER_00 53:53

Awesome. We're gonna do everything we can to push it and and raise as much money as we can. Um Yeah, man. No, I'm excited. I'm looking forward to this coming out.

SPEAKER_01 54:01

Thanks so much. Thanks for coming in.

SPEAKER_00 54:03

Awesome. Thank you. Love you, Mark. See ya. That's a wrap for this episode of the Studio 321 Podcast, powered by Rightway, the Steve Trout Agency. We can't thank you enough for being part of our journey. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with a friend. Until next time, three, two, one, we're out.