SAFETY EXPERT TROOPER STEVE. THIS IS NEWS. 6 AT 09:00AM GETTING RESULTS.
>> CANDACE: NATIONAL SPEAKER
PODCASTER BEST-SELLING AUTHOR
AFTER EXPERIENCING YEARS OF
BULLYING. BUT KAYLA NICHOLS
REACHED A POINT IN HER LIFE
WHERE SHE KNEW HER VOICE COULD
BE A POWERFUL TOOL.
>> BRIDGETT: AND TODAY SHE
LEADS THE NONPROFIT, THE
BLATANTLY HONEST FOUNDATION.
THIS MONTH. THE NONPROFIT IS
WORKING TO GET RESULTS AND
RAISE AWARENESS ON MENTAL
HEALTH. JOINING US NOW,
BLATANTLY HONEST FOUNDATION
FOUNDER MICAELA NICHOLS. SO
NICE TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.
SO HAPPY TO BE HERE. SO FOR
FOLKS WHO DON’T I KNOW WE
VISIT WITH YOU SEVERAL TIMES
OVER THE YEARS.
>> JULIE: TELL US ABOUT YOUR
FOUNDATION AND THE INSPIRATION
FOR IT. SO IT’S A 501, C 3.
AND I REALLY NEVER THOUGHT I
WAS GOING TO START A
FOUNDATION. YOU KNOW, BEING A
24 YEAR-OLD WOMAN AS THEY GO.
HEY, THAT’S ONE OF THE LAST
BUT, YOU KNOW, I TALKED WITH A
LOT OF BULLYING GROWING UP,
BUT I STRUGGLED WITH MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES AND BODY IMAGE.
>> AND I REALLY DECIDED THAT I
NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
IT. AND THE COOL THING ABOUT
THE POINT, LEON, U.S.
FOUNDATION IS, BUT SINCE I AM
YOUNG, RIGHT, IT’S LIKE WHEN I
TALK TO THESE KIDS, I’M
TALKING WITH THEM AND NOT AT
THEM. YOU KNOW, LIKE MOM OR
DAD. SO REALLY JUST TRYING TO
CHANGE THE STIGMA SURROUNDING
THOSE ISSUES.
>> BRIDGETT: AND YOU’RE
EXPANDING THE THING. DOING. I
MEAN, WE’VE WE’VE BEEN
FOLLOWING YOU FOR SEVERAL
YEARS NOW. YOU HAVE A BIG
EVENT COMING UP THIS WEEK.
TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT. I’M
SO EXCITED FOR THIS EVENT
STARTS NEXT WEDNESDAY, WHICH
IS COMING VERY BUT I’M VERY
EXCITED. IT’S GOING TO BE OVER
AT THE SO WEDNESDAY, THE 21ST
AT 07:00PM, WE’RE REALLY
TRYING TO BRING TOGETHER THE
CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY,
TOO.
>> JUST KIND OF REALLY BEHIND
THESE ISSUES. AND YOU HAVE
SOMEONE’S LOST A LOVED ONE TO
A TO SUICIDE. WE WOULD LOVE TO
HAVE THEM OUT AND HONOR THEIR
LOVED ONE AS WELL.
>> AND YOU KNOW, YOU’RE SO
BUSY. I MEAN, EVERY TIME WE
TALK TO YOU HAVEN’T YET.
THEY’RE A COLORING BOOK COMING
OUT OF A PUBLIC SPEAKING
COLORING BOOKS. THEY ARE UP.
>> WHAT WHAT IS IT WHAT IT
SAYS ROAD BEEN FOR YOU, YOU
KNOW, MEETING SO MANY YOUNG
GIRLS AND BOYS TALKING TO THEM
AND AND SEEING WHAT THEY’RE
GOING THROUGH. I MEAN, DID YOU
SEE IT SHIFTING FROM YEAR TO
YEAR?
>> I IT’S IT’S BEEN A BLESSING
TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH SO
MANY I NEVER THOUGHT LIKE I
SAID, I’D BE DOING THIS. BUT
REALLY JUST KNOWING THE IMPACT
OF THE FOUNDATION’S HAVING ON
THE KIDS, YOU KNOW, IF I CAN
SAVE ONE LIFE, THEN I’VE DONE
MY JOB AND IT’S REALLY
HUMBLING TO BE ABLE TO TO JUST
SEE THE SMILES ON THESE KIDS
AND SAY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, KELLY
CHANGE MY LIFE. I MEAN, THAT’S
WHY I DO IT.
>> JULIE: AND EVEN DURING THE
PANDEMIC, YOU’RE STILL DOING
VIRTUAL APPEARANCES AND YOU’RE
BACK TO DOING SOME OF THOSE
IN-PERSON. WHY DO YOU LOVE
THAT IN-PERSON COMPONENT SO
MUCH? I THINK, YOU KNOW,
EVERYTHING IS SO SOCIAL MEDIA
BASE WHEN YOU CAN GO IN AND
MAKE EYE CONTACT AND BE AROUND
PEOPLE LIKE THIS. IT’S LIKE A
GAME CHANGER. AND THEN, YOU
KNOW, WHEN YOU CAN GIVE
SOMEONE A HUG LIKE AFTER
SPEECH, KIDS WILL COME UP. AND
IF THEY’RE LIKE, OKAY, LIKE I
JUST NEED A HUG. I’M LIKE, OH,
MY GOSH. OKAY. I THINK IT JUST
REALLY CONNECTS PEOPLE AND WE
NEED TO DO THAT. LIKE EVERYONE
COULD USE A HUG HONESTLY. AND
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND BEING
ABLE LOOK AT SOMEONE IN THE
EYES AND SAY, HEY, YOU’RE NOT
ALONE. THE IMPACT IS FAR
GREATER.
>> BRIDGETT: HOW CAN YOU KNOW,
REACH PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT
AGES? YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT
WHAT’S HAPPENING EVEN AT THE
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YOU KNOW,
ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH HIGH
SCHOOL HOW DO YOU REACH EACH
GRADE LEVEL EACH AGE LEVEL AS
YOU TRY TO MAKE THAT POSITIVE
IMPACT?
>> SO WITH THE BOOK AND THE
BOOK BOOK, I CALL IT THE HARD
COVER BOOK THAT MORE FOR LIKE
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL
AND PARENTS, LYNN AND THE
COLORING BOOKS BECAUSE
>> UNFORTUNATELY, THESE ISSUES
ARE STARTING SO MUCH YOUNGER,
LIKE BETWEEN BODY IMAGE AND
BULLYING AND EVEN THE
CONVERSATION OF SUICIDE. IT’S
STARTING EARLY ON. AND I MEAN,
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS
CONVERSATION, SO MAKING IT IN
THE FORM THAT CHILDREN CAN
UNDERSTAND, STARTING THAT
DIALOGUE REALLY IS IS WHAT
WE’RE TRYING TO DO. AND I KNOW
PART OF THE FOUNDATION, YOU
DONATE COLORING BOOKS TO
SCHOOLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO PEOPLE WANT TO SUPPORT THE
MISSION, WHICH IS SO
IMPORTANT. HOW CAN THEY DO
THAT? THEY CAN VISIT THE
POINT. LEON, U.S. FOUNDATION
WWW DOT LATELY ON A STOP WORK.
WE HAVE A PODCAST SERIES TO
CALL BLUNTLY HONEST WITH
MICAELA NICHOLS. YOU CAN
LISTEN TO ANYWHERE YOU
DOWNLOAD OR PODCAST. AND I
JUST REACH OUT TO US. WE’RE
HERE TO HELP. AND YOU SAW
TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT COMING
YOU. YES, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE
PEOPLE COME OUT TO THE SO
VISIT POINT, LEON, A STOP OR
TO SECURE YOUR TICKET AND ON
THE MONEY RAISED IS GOING
STRAIGHT TO THE FOUNDATION TO
HELP PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES
BACK INTO CENTRAL FLORIDA
SCHOOLS. EARLIER TODAY, I
HEARD A RUMOR IN THE GREEN
ROOM. THE TROOPER STEVE SAID
HE MIGHT EVEN STAY I HOPE SO.
THE EVERYONE THERE. AGAIN,
THIS IS AN EVENT FOR THE
COMMUNITY TO REALLY RAISE
AWARENESS AROUND MENTAL
HEALTH. TICKETS ARE STILL
AVAILABLE. YES, THEY ARE.
WHERE IS THAT? YOU?
>> SO IT’S IT’S DINNER
ADVENTURE. IT’S A REALLY
AMAZING VENUE. IT’S LIKE VERY
KIND OF LIKE SPEAKEASY.
THERE’S GOING TO BE GAMING,
PIANOS. IT’S REALLY JUST GOING
TO BE LIKE A FUN NIGHT WHILE
WE ALSO, YOU KNOW, RAISE
AWARENESS AROUND MENTAL HEALTH
THANK YOU SO MUCH TODAY AS YOU
DO. AMAZING. ALWAYS DOING
SOMETHING FALL. ONE INSTAGRAM,