Podcast Episode 24 – Health Coaching & Cooking Lessons from a Nurse

[00:00:00] Shonda: Today, I would like to introduce you to Dietra Dennis, she's a registered nurse and national board certified health and wellness health coach who has a heart to help others live at their optimal health. Deitra's journey is one of dedication. And her mission is to educate and empower her clients to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
[00:00:23] And that's exactly clean what we love here.
[00:00:36] (Intro): Hi and hello. Welcome to the real food and drinks, lifestyle podcasts. We're building a community to talk about nutrition, lifestyle choices, and just feeling better. This is Shonda and this is Patryce. Let's just be real.
[00:01:02] Here's our disclaimer. We do not professionally practice in any of the various subjects that we discuss. We are only sharing our personal experiences with you to a healthier lifestyle. Please do your own research before taking part in any of these practices.
[00:01:21] Shonda: Good morning, Dietra I'm glad to have you here with me today to share your knowledge and things that you have for our community.
[00:01:30] So again, thank you for being here today.
[00:01:33] Deitra: And thank you for having me.
[00:01:34]Shonda: So Deitra, um, you have a very interesting story to share about why you named your health coaching service, full health coaching. From our previous conversations I learned this about you, that your family had a great impact on your choice to become a huge promoter of plant-based foods and even for your choice of a profession.
[00:01:56] Okay. So yeah, I remember you saying it all started when you were a child and you can just start there... sharing your journey with our listeners.
[00:02:04] Deitra: Oh, sure. Well, first I know you wanted to know about the name Full Circle Health Coaching, LLC. So the reason that I thought about full circle health coaching, LLC, and I value coaching so I have a coach myself, um, a life coach. And so in one of our coaching sessions, she asked me, and she's a business and life coach, and she asked me, "You know, what, if you were standing on stage, what is it that you would want for those who are in the audience? What would you want for them? And, you know, and I had to sit and think, I said, you know, I really want for peopleto, um, go back to where we were in a time and space when we were healthy. At that time, the name didn't come, but it was during my quiet moments, that full circle came to mind because full circle means going back to the original position. And so that's how full circle health coaching came to be. And then later on, I have a signature program called" Back to the Root" and back to the root again, refers to going back to the original and "Back to the Root", the nutrition program is specifically for people of color, uh, for us to go back to our African food ways are to the root of that in order to root out all the chronic conditions that we tend to lead in. Um, so that, that's how that came about.
[00:03:31] But yes, when I was about nine years old, I had a cousin that, um, passed away from complications of obesity, she had a heart attack, but from the complications of obesity. And can you imagine, you know, I'm standing there looking at my mom on the telephone when she received a call and just to see the expression on her face, you know, change from her smiling to, you know, just sadness, um, in her demeanor.
[00:03:59] And I'm like, as a child, you don't want to see your parents upset or anyone upset. And so, you know, from that, I started being very observant about, you know, what was going on around me with my family members. Um, I had an uncle who was diagnosed with diabetes and he was blind. Um, you know, complications of the diabetes. Had family members with amputation, on dialysis... and all of those things. As a child I remember verbalizing saying, I have to do something about this because this can't be normal. This can't be right. And I want to be [ um] the solution to help change this in not just my family, but the community at large. So that led me going into the nursing profession. Um, and so that kind of what began my path on this journey.
[00:04:53] Shonda: Wow. And as a child, you know, I know that many of us probably experienced those same things, but never really thought about it that early in life about, you know, wanting to make a change. That's something to say. Cause I say for myself, it was in retrospect looking back on childhood. So yeah. But what were your next steps then as you grew up?
[00:05:16] Deitra: Yeah. So after going into nursing and again, my passion for helping others, you know, you know, it's still with me. But one of the things, when I was in nursing school, then we had the pinning ceremony and we had the Nightingale pledge and the one part that stood out to me is that I am devoting myself dedicated to the wellbeing of those assigned to my care.
[00:05:42] I take that with me today to heart. Still today, even though I'm not at the bedside anymore. I still take that with me to heart because I really want those assigned to my care, and to me, the community is assigned to my care and I desire for everyone to live at their optimal heart health. Um, so that, you know, stayed with me.
[00:06:06] And so once I started in my nursing career, I, again, being observant, seeing patients coming back frequently and what we call in the, um, healthcare a frequent flyer, meaning the person is coming in frequently. It's like a revolving door. They're coming in frequently for the same thing, many of the times. And for me, I'm like, okay, well we're not helping them be well. How is this, you know, really helping someone, even though I knew for me, when I'm going in with patients, I came with my best self because I wanted to extend love to them in my care and compassion.
[00:06:44] But I had one patient and quite a few of my patients had an impact on my career, but I had one patient that really, um, kinda changed my trajectory, if you will. He was in his twenties. And if I didn't mention my cousin, um, back in my, um, when I was talking about my family, my cousin was in her twenties that passed away. And here again, this to me was another full circle moment. Um, because this young man, he was in his twenties, he was morbidly obese. He was well over 500 pounds. He was really close to six or 700 pounds. And, you know, having this guy as a patient, he required a lot of care and attention. I worked at night during that time. And, um, you know, in the caring for him, I spent a lot of time in his room and it was coaching before I knew what coaching was, because I would ask him several questions. Nothing to judge him, but just to ask, you know, how did you get to this point? What was it that led you to being where you are in this state right now? And then asking him, you know, what will you do different in order to live a healthy lifestyle? And so, um, this young man he was in the hospital for a long period of time, but he finally was discharged and went to rehab because he had to learn to walk again. Upon discharging from rehab he went back home and unfortunately he went back to his old way of eating. And as a result, this young man, I'm sad to report, you know, at a very young age, he passed away. You know, again, in his twenties. And so I had that same feeling as that young girl saying I have to do something. I had that same feeling again, saying, okay, there has to be more to this. And I would love to be able to help people sustain a healthy lifestyle.
[00:08:41] And so that, like I said, it changed the trajectory of my career, taking nursing care from the bedside to the table side, the nutrition and cooking, um, and then on the sidelines as a coach. Because a coach, really what a coach does is kind of draw out, what's already in you and helping you guide you along the way to get you to your desired goal.
[00:09:06] And so, um, growing up, I'm from Macon, I'm a Southern girl, um, and Macon, if you're not familiar with, you may know the late Richard Penniman, or you may know him as little Richard. He was from Macon and so making is about 150 miles from Atlanta. So I relocated, um, the young man passed away in 1998 and I relocated in 1999 to Atlanta.
[00:09:29] And one thing that I do know that my life, even as a young child, um, to this day and forward, I know that I'm guided and directed to be in the right place at the right time, meeting the right people, and being offered the best opportunities. And so through the course of time, I've been able to meet different people to help me get to where I am today, so that I can be that vessel to help guide others to live at their optimal heart health.
[00:09:59] Shonda: That is a great insight into living and into giving of yourself in this space is just amazing to me to hear your story. I enjoy hearing your story. So, from that point. I mean, is that when you started, it was so I guess it was in Atlanta or, well, in Macon, Georgia? Or what led you to plant based?
[00:10:21] Deitra: So, that journey... so, like I said I moved to Atlanta in 1999 and that, first of all, I felt that, you know, a lot of healing needed to take place for me. Um, so, you know, just some things from my childhood, you know, I was able to do some self reflection. And so it was, um, and then in 2001, I had the opportunity to meet a young lady who now is a dear dear friend. Um, she, um, was here in Atlanta and she and her husband had a lifestyle center and she, you know, was sharing her story of how she reversed an aggressive form of breast cancer by, you know, going plant-based as well as other lifestyle principles.
[00:11:08] And immediately I said, well, okay, you know, I can do that, but you know, I'm just gonna continue to eat my cheese. I, I admit at that time, and many other people... cheese is addicting, and I just did not want to let that cheese go. So I went vegetarian, lacto-ovo, so I was still, you know, eating eggs and I only ate cheese. I didn't drink the dairy milk anymore. I had switched that, but I was vegetarian from 2001 until 2016. And so, um, and looking back at myself, I was like, okay, well, Dietra, you're not a small person here. You you're, you're leaning towards, you know, obesity yourself. So I love music, and so the song that stood out to me at that time was Michael Jackson, "The man in the mirror", or the woman in the mirror.
[00:12:03] And I said, Deitra, if you're wanting to change lives, you have to be it first, you have to be the example before you do your life's work. And so, you know, again, the vegetarian part was there for me, you know, that I followed. And during that course of 2001 to 2016, I can say, I may have lost 10 pounds. My highest weight was 235 pounds and I am five, seven and a half. Don't forget my half.
[00:12:31] And so, um, then, like I said, the max I may have lost was 10 pounds. And so.
[00:12:38] Shonda: Yeah. Um, I'm wondering, do you think that it's because you met her, she had a miraculous story, but you weren't faced with breast cancer at that time.
[00:12:49] Deitra: No.
[00:12:49] Shonda: So you weren't thinking about even avoiding it because you hadn't...
[00:12:54] Deitra: Yeah.
[00:12:55] Shonda: Is that, do you think that's why you just like, well, I'm just going to do this little part and didn't do the full part...that she had done?
[00:13:02] Deitra: Yeah. Well, I felt, okay, well, this is a way, you know, and I will even say, and being in a health care industry. I knew the importance of having fruits and vegetables. And then growing up, we had gardens. So we had fruit and vegetables, but we still had meat on a plate. But I felt, okay, this is a way. You know, that was, I felt, okay, this is the path to help me do what my desire is to help people live a healthy way. But I just didn't want to give up the cheese.
[00:13:30] I didn't start, um, teaching, um, until 2017. Yeah, I didn't. Um, but I was gathering information of what can I do? Um, you know, in that time I started my business in 2013. Um, back to the food, but Donna's food was just delicious. And it was familiar food. Um, because many times when patients are, you know, in, in the community at large, I would say when you think of eating healthy, many times, people think, okay, it's going to be bland, I have to give up, you know, traditional foods or generational foods. But now knowing no, you can modify it and still have those flavors and not sacrificing the taste.
[00:14:19] Uh, but then...
[00:14:20] Shonda: You had a story from your family about that.
[00:14:23] Deitra: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So when I went vegetarian , you know, I was still excited to share it with my family. So, um, being overzealous, I decided, okay, well, Thanksgiving I'm gonna just, you know, make this cornbread dressing and I'm going to take it... didn't mention anything. My aunt Mary is my mom's, um, older sister and she passed away, um, April 8th, 2020. And she's a dear, was a dear heart to me because, uh, my, my mom's mother, Emma, aunt Mary's , you know, they, their mother had passed away and my mom was a baby, so I didn't have my maternal grandmother. So my aunt Mary was like grandmother to me.
[00:15:03] And so, um, I didn't even, and she aunt Mary, did all the cooking for whatever occasion, she did all the cooking. And so, I just said, okay, I'm going to take this. And when I got there, Thanksgiving, and with my little dish in hand, all excited, like, okay, I'm going to help my family transition to eating healthier.
[00:15:24] And she tasted it and she said, "No, this tastes like stuffing", and no offense if someone, you know, calls it stuffing, but in her mind, stuffing means bland. And so, you know, my little feelings were hurt and I'm like, okay. But I'm trying to help us live healthy, now. So I had to put myself in time out and really have a conversation with myself to say, okay, she's been cooking much longer than you just asked what can I do to improve the recipe, to make it flavorful orlike her cornbread dressing. So I went back and I asked her and she gave me some tips, like, you know, adding, um, mushroom soup to it. And now I know how to make it vegan, but fast forward now everyone loves my food and ask, okay, so what are you bringing?
[00:16:15] What are you bringing Thanksgiving? What are you bringing Christmas? You know, things like that. So, yeah.
[00:16:20] But, so my tip is if you are introducing a new way of eating to family, number one, don't force it. Number two, if you're going to the... ask the host, if it's okay that you bring a dish. Um, you know, tell him that you're embracing a new lifestyle or what have you, you know, can you bring a dish?
[00:16:41] Um, just do that part. And again, if some... don't force it on anyone, meet people where they are. If they ask you about it, don't discuss it at the table. Just say, okay, we'll talk about it after we finish eating kind of thing, but that that's a tip. I would say, don't do what I did, you know, with that, because that, wasn't a great experience.
[00:17:01] Shonda: Wow. Thanks. Thanks for sharing that with us because, you know, I know I've probably done it wrong in the... I'm sure I have done it wrong in the... in some cases. Um, but yeah, that's, that's really good insight to sharing our new found food. Right? Okay.
[00:17:19] Deitra: So 2013 was when I started the business. And so, um, Full Circle Health Coaching, LLC was born and we are a health and wellness of solution offering evidence-based and culturally relevant services.
[00:17:33] You know, that specializing in heart health for women of color. And we do that through coaching nutrition and cooking.
[00:17:41] Shonda: For those of you listening, the contact information is below in the show notes. So I know you had some stories, some history about African-Americans and traditional foods. And we'll talk about a little bit more about "Back to the Root", if you have just a little tiny bit to share there, whichever one of those you'd like to start with.
[00:18:05] Deitra: Uh, well, going back to how our ancestors ate prior to enslavement. They ate primarily plant-based. They ate meat, but it was on occasion, like a celebration or a ceremony. It was not the star of the plate when they did eat meat.
[00:18:24] And so at that time, following that way of eating, they were truly the epitome of health. It wasn't until after enslavement, when our ancestors were brought here to America and you know, were given scraps to create a meal with where soul food came about. And the term soul food didn't come about until the sixties, because it was a way of saying that our community has culture.
[00:18:52] And so in the soul food, again, it was more of survival. Food. It wasn't the traditional way of eating. And so that's how "Back to the Root" my, my, uh, nutrition, my signature program came about, because I want us to go back to the old way. I mean, because you know, Shonda in thinking about, you know, when you hear about chronic conditions, who is normally leading with those diagnosis? It's our community.
[00:19:22] And so if we can go back to the way our ancestors ate, who were the epitome of health, that is how we will then go back to living at our optimal health, by going back to the root and we can root out, um, all of those chronic conditions. And so in my program, I share a little bit with that. Um, and like I said, I am revamping it.
[00:19:46] It was a two week jumpstart. Um, but I felt that I was overwhelming people with all of the information I was sharing, because it was a lot, um, to, to take in because it was involving coaching, cooking, and there were many elements of it, of how to adopt a whole food plant-based way of eating. So I am in the process of revamping it and it will be a little longer.
[00:20:11] Um, we still will talk about meal planning, grocery shopping on a budget, resetting your, um, kitchen, um, you know, with making sure you have the correct foods in your home. Because if we take it back to the heart of the home, we can heal our heart by doing that. And the heart of the home is the kitchen. And we also talk about meal prepping and things of that nature, and many other things of how to live a healthy lifestyle. Not only, you know, nutrition, but every aspect of lifestyle, um, nutrition is about 50% of getting lifestyle, right, so that's why I spend a lot of time on nutrition. But it's important to get the rest. It's important to have the sunlight, getting, um, you know, out in the environment, taking a deep breath, stress reduction, social connection, um, being at your optimal weight. And like I said, nutrition is a part of it so... And physical activity.
[00:21:04] So, you know, it's all of those components that will be included in the new program that will be launched.
[00:21:13] Shonda: Yeah, that sounds good. I, and I was thinking about back to the root. I mean, you know, we got lots of sunlight, just like you said, and you know, we were moving around more than, than we do today, so yeah. Yeah, that's, I'm sure that's a really good program that you've created, so I'm eager to see it.
[00:21:34] So that was so intriguing to me when you were talking about the rice put in the hair for the African-American. Oh well the Africans, when they came over.
[00:21:44] Deitra: Yes. So, um, actually, so, um, when we were talking about tracing the path of our ancestors, so those who knew the women who knew that they were going to, you know, be enslaved, um, they were very innovative.
[00:22:03] And just thinking back just about the rice. The women were the ones, um, in the motherland that cultivated the rice farms, they were the rice farmers. And so, because they wanted to maintain legacy and wasn't sure what was going to be here in the new land. They wanted to be able to bring food with them and bring something that was familiar.
[00:22:28] So what they did was the rice seeds, and as I studied more, it was also bean or pea seeds as well. They put it in their hair and braided them like in the corn row, because if they move their head, it didn't matter how they moved it, those seeds were not going to come out. And so they brought that here, um, to the American South with them.
[00:22:50] And I'm not sure if you're familiar, but in South Carolina, the Gullah, or Geechee, community, they still maintain the traditions of West Africa and they dostill have the rice and cultivating the rice there, um, in South Carolina. And so, yeah, that was what, um, our ancestors, I mean, who would have thought to do that?
[00:23:13] I feel that they were very innovative, um, in that one maintaining legacy and then two like, okay, we need to eat so we can still do that when we get to wherever we're going.
[00:23:25] Shonda: You know, and, and listening to that about, you know, just thinking about blacks or African-Americans farming, I recently saw an article from EWG, the Environmental Working Group, the link was to a webpage they had dedicated, and they were talking about the decline of African-American farmers.
[00:23:46] There's a documentary, um, called "Homecoming" that was created. It was based in Montezuma, Georgia, which is uh, not too far from Macon. Um, but the young lady was sharing... so what would happen is that, you know, again, when the enslaved, um, our enslaved ancestors came the, um, slave owner would give them a small piece of land and I can speak to my grandfather was a peanut farmer. But what would happen when it was time, you know, to pay the taxes or what have you, and when the black farmers would try to go, it was a lot of barriers that were placed in their way in order to, you know, pay the taxes that they needed to do. And so they ended up losing the land. So it was, you know, they would go and they would say, well, you don't have the right whatever. Um, so you know, they go back and get what they need and then they'll tell them, well, it's too late. You've missed the deadline. So then they will lose their land.
[00:24:48] So it was, it was a lot of barriers. Um, that were put in our ancestors way, you know, in order to maintain what they were used to ...farming, you know. So yeah, it was, um, is very, you know, it's touching, but they still were resilient, you know, they did the best they could with what they had. And so that's how it ended up being, you know, they were given the scraps, um, and they made do with what they had. You know, and so, um, again, um, honoring them for the ingenuity to say, okay, well, what we have, we're going to make the best of it and make it very flavorful. And one other thing that many of the, um, you know, again, when they, then the ancestors came over and if they worked in a restaurant and they had recipes, many times, they didn't write it down and some did, but in order to work in a restaurant, they had to give up their recipes in order to work there.
[00:25:50] And from there, the restaurant owner may have written a cookbook and it was the ancestors' recipes, but they didn't acknowledge them at all. And so that's why now I'm not sure if you've had like your grandmother, or, you know, um, an elder in your family, that's like, no, I'm not giving you that. I'm not writing it down. They didn't write it down because it was stolen from them for so long. It's like, okay, I'm going to keep this, like, okay. But I'm your family though. You can tell me, but you know, that is that, you know, some other things that came about from that as well, but. Those again, I just say that they were very resilient and we owe it to them to honor them each and every day, not just uh black history month, um, in the food ways.
[00:26:39] Um, you know, in many ways, but food ways is what we're talking about now. Um, just to really honor our ancestors.
[00:26:47] I see that you have many books, booklets, pamphlets, and things. So can our listeners find these from your website? Like the African Heritage Power Plate booklet. Is that out there?
[00:27:01]Deitra: It is. So if you go to my website and you click on, um, books, you'll see them all there. And the African heritage power plate booklet is downloaded. You can download it in PDF. Um, there is another booklet now it's not totally vegan, but there are a lot of vegan recipes. Um, it's called Oasis. It's the old ways, again, going back to how our ancestors ate. And so I share a little bit more about my story with my aunt Mary, um, for, for my recipe that's in there. So that's on there is Oasis. Um, so that one is there. Um, And then one for if, if someone is in the healthcare profession, um, "How to bring this to your patients". It's a new book that just came out. It's about seeds of health. And so that one was new, that was released in 2020. So that one is there as well.
[00:27:53] But if you just go to my website and click on books, you can see all of those and that one you can purchase on Amazon.
[00:28:00] Shonda: I'm just thinking. And, you know, we have some listeners that are likely new to plant-based living. Um, you know, or creating that plant-based plate. You have shared with us if we're new and how to share with others, but I guess what would keep us motivated? You know, you mentioned how important it is, the energy that we put into our food.
[00:28:23] Deitra: Yes. It is very important that when you're preparing your food, that you are in a great space, you have a right attitude. Don't be upset. Don't be tired, you know, or it's like doing it as a chore. Because that comes out in your food, especially when you're talking about plant foods, because you know, when the food is picked, it may still be in his process of ripening. So it's alive. So just like, you know, you speak life into things, you know, you want to be able to have the right energy when you're preparing food. And as our ancestors who say you cook with love. Right? So you want that to come across on the plate. And I would say the same thing when you're eating, be present with your food, don't be preoccupied with other things, but really take in and enjoy your food as you're eating it.
[00:29:16] Um, and I'll give you an example. There was one time I was really tired and you know, was trying to cook when I was tired. And the food just did not turn out right at all, because it was just like, okay, I'm just doing it because I'm tired, but I know I need to eat. Um, but when you're not in the right frame of mind or not having the right, feelings, you know.
[00:29:37] I cook to music. I always have music on when I'm cooking. Um, because that brings me joy and therefore I'm adding that joy and love into the final product that I'm either cooking for myself or cooking for others. So yes, it is so important to have the right energy when you're cooking, you know, and again, you are preparing this meal, not just for satiety or to feel satisfied, but this is, you are fueling your body with health.
[00:30:06] So, you know, think of it that way and you present it in a beautiful way, you know, make it pretty on the plate because if it's pretty on the plate, it will go on the fork and you will eat it. If it's not pretty, you know, nobody probably will touch it.
[00:30:20] Shonda: That's true. I'm just thinking. Yeah. You're, you're preparing it in love, right? To share, or to love yourself, do this. And then you just, you just talked about making it pretty. I have this lady that I shared, you know, eat more colors. So now she texts me her plates all the time and they are beautiful plates. You know, she's decorated them and she's, you know, she goes that extra... Just puts that little extra thing in it. And she is really enjoying it. Her health has improved and it's just, um, amazing to see it. Yeah.
[00:30:53] Deitra: I certainly agree. And the other part where you were asking, you know, what will help a person stick to it? So if you don't mind, if we can start back, if someone is very new and don't know where to start, I always say start small.
[00:31:07] If you start with one day a meatless Monday. There are so many resources out on the Meatless Monday website, if you want it to do, just start on a Monday with eating meatless. Um, taking one of your traditional recipes that you really, really love, veganize it. And what I mean by that have that recipe and how can I take away if it has meat in it? What can I substitute in its place? If it has dairy in it, what can I do to substitute in its place? I'll give you an example. I love corn bread and corn bread goes with collard greens because they are a dynamic duo not to be separated. And so with my collard greens, growing up, how my mom and aunt Mary and my grandmama, um, my dad's mom would make them, of course they use pork to season it. So, because I love the greens like that. I said, okay, let me think. What does the pork give it? The pork gives it smoke. Okay. Well, I can substitute that with liquid smoke and smoked paprika. Okay. Pork also gives it fat. I don't use oil, but I use just a little bit of coconut cream to give it that fat. And going back to Africa, they season their greens with peanut butter in it. And you can find, because we want to keep things low fat, you can find the powdered peanut butter, and you know, mix that up and it'll have the same consistency as this regular peanut butter. So you can use that as your fat. And the other thing that the pork gives you is the salt. And so if you're using salt, you can put a little bit of salt in there, and that is how you veganize that.
[00:32:48] Corn bread, corn bread, normally in the south we use buttermilk. Okay. I can substitute that, by using a plant-based milk. So one cup of a plant-based milk and you add an acid to it. I like putting apple cider vinegar in it, that a tablespoon of that, and that makes it buttermilk, if you will, or sour milk. Instead of oil or butter, I put, um, apple sauce, and you, that's a one-to-one ratio. So if you were putting a fourth cup of oil in there, you put a fourth cup of applesauce. That's a one-to-one ratio. So I did do put a little bit of that coconut cream in there just to be, have that fat in there for the field on your mouth. That's cornbread. And so that's how you do that.
[00:33:34] But before doing any of that, what will sustain you in this lifestyle is knowing your why. Having a strong enough why, knowing your why will help you in the how?
[00:33:46] My, why is one. I want to be an example, and I want for my community to live at their optimal health. So that is why it has sustained me in my choices to say, okay, this is the lifestyle for me. So knowing your, why will help you in the how.
[00:34:05]Shonda: Wow. That's really great insight and an encouragement for us to carry on. Uh, many of us want to be, you know, helpful to those around us.
[00:34:15] Well, I just want to thank you for taking time out today of your busy schedule. Cause I'm looking at your full list here of all the things you're involved in. And, uh, I'm just thankful that you came to share with us. I will be following you and keeping track of what you're doing so that we can invite you back to hear more about what you have going on and what you're sharing and how you're sharing. Because I think how you're sharing it is really the, uh, important link, you know, the important way. And I just thank you for, for doing what you do.
[00:34:51] Deitra: Thank you so much Shonda for everything that you are doing as well. Um, and bringing this to the community, you know, a support system, if you will, because the support is important.
[00:35:04] You know, you may not have anyone in your family that you know, is on this journey with you, but to be able to have that support and connection is very helpful. So thank you for all that you're doing as well.
[00:35:17] Shonda: Well, thank you. Yes. We want to build a community, a place for everyone to come and feel comfortable and welcome.
[00:35:24] So, um, thank you. Thank you, Deitra. And we'll be talking again soon.
[00:35:29] Deitra: Okay.
[00:35:29] Shonda: Thanks everyone!
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