- Alright, I am so excited about
the next guest on the show.
You are here, Amy Brown!
Thank you for being on.
- No, thank you for having me, it's awesome.
I've already told so many people,
"I'm gonna go be on the Rachel Cruze Show"
and they were like, "Shut up!"
I have a list of questions about—no.
- Yeah, yeah we'll talk all the things, Amy.
So you came to mind when we were
doing this whole episode on giving
because I listen to you on the radio
every morning on my way home,
or on my way to work.
Amy is one of the hosts of The Bobby Bones Show,
so if people aren't familiar
with that whole thing, explain
kind of what the show is.
- Well, we are a syndicated country morning
show based here in Nashville.
And we're heard all over the place.
- How many stations do you guys have now?
- 110, or something.
- Yes.
- I don't know, it could be more.
I really try like not to think about it
because it's just . . . - It can be intimidating.
- Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
- So the two organizations that you started,
kind of these movements that I love.
- Well it's not me, I know I'm here
representing it, but the #PIMPINJOY
movement started on our show, which Bobby
even came up with the hashtag, but
#PIMPINJOY came from my mom's cancer journey.
- Yes.
- My mom was diagnosed with cancer
and she made it her motto from the beginning,
"I'm going to choose joy," and she knew where
her joy came from, and that was from the Lord.
And she knew it was a choice,
and that He would help her.
And it's not like every day was super joyful,
don't get me wrong, and if you've
been through cancer, you know it's not,
but that was our overall theme and attitude.
So my sister and I adopted it with her.
We got "joy" tattooed on our wrists
in her handwriting, and then from that,
we were encouraging others to choose joy,
spread joy, be joy.
And then Bobby was like, "We need a way
to track this online, so let's
use the hashtag #PIMPINJOY."
- Yes.
- And then it just, it took off.
And so, from that we started to think,
"Oh wow, maybe we could come up with
a #PIMPINJOY line."
So we did this simple black hat
with the hashtag, #PIMPINJOY.
And my mom actually got to see the prototype.
- That's so fun.
- Two weeks before she passed away.
But she gave her stamp of approval.
And you know, she was about 90 pounds
at that time, and you know, kind of
at the house always in pajamas.
I've got the cutest picture of her
that I'll always cherish, and she
has on the #PIMPINJOY hat
in her leopard pajamas, and she's
just kind of in it.
And she looks so frail but it's one of my
favorite pictures of her because what she
doesn't know and didn't live to see,
we weren't, that picture was probably
taken early October, and then she passed away
October 27, and then we put the first hat
up for sale November 2.
And the first round, we sold out in 60 seconds,
and all the money went to St. Jude.
And then a week later, we made another
batch of hats, sold out again in 60 seconds.
All to St. Jude.
And so then we're like, "Okay, wow, this is crazy.
We might be on to something.
Our listeners, they're with us.
They're passionate.
They want to give back."
- Hey so you guys, be on the lookout.
- Oh yeah, this is
our brand-new . . . - This is fun.
- Our fun little beanie.
Every Christmas we'll put out a
different beanie, and it's going
to our medical fund, so that means
sometimes it might be St. Jude,
or sometimes it might be a listener
that we hear about.
- Yes.
- And so we get to do fun stuff
like that too, where we hear stories
and we have the bucket that we can dip into.
- That's so good.
- And then we're just able to like . . . send a check.
And it's crazy, and it gives me all the feels
because my mom, she worked hard.
She was a single mom.
Worked everyday, like, left as a giver.
Left us with everything.
You and your dad would be proud.
Everything paid off, and she didn't,
that wasn't easy for her.
- No.
- But she made a choice to do that
so where when she died, we were able
to give her car to another single mom
that needed a car, because it's not like
we had to worry about - Paying debts.
- Paying her debts or anything.
- Yep.
- And so, she would freak out to know
that to this day we're like about to hit
the $2 million.
- Yes! $2 million, just from #PIMPINJOY.
- Yeah, just through #PIMPINJOY.
Like it's like, I don't know the exact number,
but we're, if you round up a little bit,
we're close to there.
- Yeah, it's amazing.
- And all because of her one decision
when she was given cancer, and her battle
was not pretty, but she maintained
that positive . . . - Attitude.
- Attitude, and yeah.
She went like, I think her fourth diagnosis,
we went straight to the chapel,
and her prayer was . . .
It wasn't, "Lord, like, heal me from this,"
which I think, probably, I'm like gosh,
that's what I'd be praying for,
but I think at that point, she was just like,
"Okay, this is the fourth time."
She was like, "Lord, just find a way
to use this cancer for good."
So for me, every time I see a #PIMPINJOY item,
I'm like, that's an answer to my mom's prayer,
because that money was used
to go to do something good.
So, so sometimes when I, even I
get reminded what it's really about.
I'm like, "Okay, this is actually
pretty cool and special."
- Yeah, and she gets to see it now, right? She is in Heaven.
- Yes, she is seeing it and knows.
But if she was here
she would be freaking out, like what?
- What is happening?
Yes, because what's incredible about
I think that entire story is obviously
your mom and her choice to choosing joy,
which I love that, and then the fact
that you took all of that that she was embodying,
and going like so creative and so many
steps forward of doing things like this, to keep,
to continue to pass it on, right?
- Yeah, well.
- And it's amazing.
- And The Bobby Bones Show, having that platform,
and to get that message out there,
and our listeners . . .
- Yes. - Being so responsive and amazing
has been awesome.
And then Mary with The Shop Forward
has been great and through that,
under her umbrella, is how we got
the Espwa brand. - Yes, so talk about,
that's the second brand you have.
- Which is what we use to support Haiti.
- So these bags, I'm like
literally obsessed with them.
- So this one was customized just for you.
- For you guys, so get ready.
For the Rachel Cruze show audience.
Okay look, here we go,
we got "Budgeting,
free spirit, 'cause I'm a free spirit,
Baby Steps,
and Love Your Life," you guys.
- Yes.
- It's like the Rachel Cruze Show tote!
I can't believe it.
- Yeah.
- So we're going to keep spreading
the joy to three of you.
So we're actually going
to be giving away three of these.
I selfishly want one of them.
- Yes.
- But I'll give it.
I'll give it away.
I think they're just absolutely adorable.
So when we said earlier in the show
that you could comment below on one of the ways
that you and your family give,
remember the 10 things for you guys to comment?
Well, we're gonna choose three of you
that are commenting below to win
one of these cute totes.
Yeah, they're adorable.
- And you can feel, I mean, they're adorable.
I love hearing it, it's conversation starter.
That's what I love.
So many people come up to me and they're like,
"Wait, what's this on your tote?"
- Mine has Enneagram, beach . . .
- Chai lattes.
- Yes, chai lattes and cocktails.
- Yeah cocktails.
- Yeah it's true.
- I mean they're super cute
but then also, you can feel good
about carrying them knowing
they go towards supporting Haiti.
- So when you buy it, so when
you purchase these bags . . .
- Espwa is the line that it's under, E-S-P-W-A,
which that means "hope" in Haitian creole,
which is what my children speak.
I adopted, I do have two kids.
They're from Haiti.
- How was that?
How was that process for you guys?
- Haiti was difficult because we entered
when the country was going through some
law changes, and it took us five years.
It was sort of, quite the journey
and yeah, taxing, emotionally, financially,
all the things. But you're like,
you get locked in on, "These are my kids."
It was like, I knew their face.
I knew their name.
I went the orphanage five times a year
to see them, and every time, it
was harder and harder to leave them
because I didn't know like, I can't
say, "Next time I come see you," like
we would pull back up to the orphanage
and my son would start screaming.
Like, he didn't want to go back in,
and I was like, "Okay, only a few more trips,"
and then I think even after that,
it took another year.
So, right now we're working with
My Life Speaks, which is a special
needs orphanage in Nepali, Haiti.
They do family care, so it's like the orphans
are put into little homes, - Oh wow.
- Like with four or five kids per home.
- Yes.
- They're doing, I mean 'cause when you
have special needs, you have a lot
of things that need to be attended to.
- So giving on that element, I would say
as a mom, like it is so much more of a giving
and a serving than I ever thought.
- Yes.
- Ever.
- Like in my whole life.
- Like you are trying to raise little people
to be like respectable members of society.
- Yes, totally.
- That's pressure.
- And I think that there's even a step further,
that you guys have dealt with giving,
because you're not only providing a home
for children that would not have that,
but the time and the money that it puts
in through that process is just like,
so admirable, it really is.
So when you buy the bags, you guys . . .
- Just know people benefit from it.
- Incredible cause, and necklaces, right? You brought . . .
- Oh, we just started with necklaces.
- Did I break it?
I'm like yes, I want to see it.
- I know, all the things.
So this is called our Star Necklace,
which we're super pumped about.
This has local and global impact
because it's made locally here,
handmade through a company called Able,
which offers economic opportunity to women
that are transitioning out
of the homeless lifestyle.
This provides work for them
and then it, we give to Haiti through it.
So it's got local and global.
- Okay, so this whole episode,
we're talking about giving.
I know I've said that like a thousand times.
But you're like the queen of giving
through everything that you've done
and all the incredible opportunities.
So I just want to know on a personal level
for you, when you look at your life
and all the things that you're involved in,
besides obviously kids and family and work,
but this specifically,
what emotions do you get when you think through,
okay, all these people that are getting help?
How do you feel about all this?
- I'm thankful for the opportunity.
I'm grateful.
I'm also, you know, faking it
until I make it sometimes.
- Totally.
- That feeling, I feel like, why am I . . .
I don't know what I'm doing.
- Yes.
- I should just stop this.
Like, pump the breaks.
So I have all those feelings.
- Yes, yes.
- But then also the gratitude part.
I want to recognize, like wow,
this is really, really cool.
- So cool.
- And I feel a lot of thankfulness
for people that trust us, like Bobby
and Mary and I, when we make
decisions on who to donate to.
- That's good.
- Like we vet.
- Yes.
- We don't just pick something.
They're fully vetted, 'cause we want to make sure
that we're not just spending money.
- That's such a good point
because even on a personal level, you guys,
as you're giving, that's something,
my husband and I have taken on.
We take our giving almost
as serious as our investments.
And how much you dig into your investment
part of your life, and where your money's
going there, giving is the exact same way.
So when you're giving
to these organizations, dig in.
Things are on their website and you can check out,
you know, their tax records, you can check out
their budgets, especially if they're a 501(C)(3).
So do that, and so look to see what are these
companies, what are these organizations,
what are they doing?
Because it is, it's so key,
don't just flippantly give
because sometimes your money isn't
being used in a proper way.
So being very intentional,
I love, I love that point.
I think that's so good, and the organizations
that you guys partner with are just amazing.
Where can everyone, so everyone's going,
"Okay, I want a tote. I want the hat."
- The best place to go is theshopforward.com
and the best way to remember is everything
you're shopping for pays it forward.
- Hey guys, make sure to check it out
and check out everything that Amy's doing.
Where can everyone find you?
- Oh, you know on Instagram,
I'm @radioamy
Okay, check you out on Instagram,
and then how will they find the show?
- Oh, Bobbybones.com
- Love it.
Amy thanks for being on, seriously.
- Thank you for having me.
- And all the amazing stuff you're doing,
and how you're giving back,
and the joy that you have.
It's just so appreciated.
So thanks for coming on.
- Thank you.
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