A nostalgic dive into automotive stories with guest Lisa, who shares her journey from a Toyota Celica to an Acura MDX. The conversation explores her unique experiences, including a memorable car repainting and a dramatic accident that totaled her beloved Celica. Lisa also discusses her passion for neurodiversity consulting and the importance of supporting caregivers. The episode highlights the deeper meanings cars hold in our lives and the connections they foster, all while maintaining a light-hearted and engaging tone.
In this episode of To All The Cars I've Loved Before, hosts Christian and Doug explore that metaphor with Lisa Richer, founder of Journey2Bloom (https://journey2bloom.com) and examine how car restoration parallels personal development, discovering why prioritizing internal mechanics over external appearance creates lasting value in automotive projects and life success.
Lisa's respray story reveals deeper truths about automotive and personal transformation, demonstrating how restoration philosophy applies to business success, personal growth, and life coaching. Her automotive journey shows why understanding fundamental mechanics—whether in cars or careers—proves more valuable than surface-level improvements, and how automotive experiences teach resilience and authentic value creation.
Essential for entrepreneurs, life coaches, personal development enthusiasts, and automotive restoration fans who appreciate deeper lessons classic car projects teach. Whether you're rebuilding engines, reshaping careers, or seeking authentic transformation, this episode reveals how automotive wisdom applies to life success and business development.
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"Yes, and when you look at what the guy does, is he has this garage full of Ferraris, and you've got to say, well, he's just got to have a team of people..."
Ferrari is a famous car brand from Italy that makes very fast and expensive sports cars. They are known for their racing history and stylish designs.
Ferrari is a renowned Italian sports car manufacturer known for its high-performance vehicles and racing heritage. The brand is synonymous with luxury and speed, making it a favorite among car enthusiasts.
"...he's going to do it to concours, to win at those judging events."
Concours is a type of car show where cars are judged on how well they look and how original they are. Winning at these shows is a big deal for car owners.
Concours events are prestigious car shows where vehicles are judged based on their condition, authenticity, and presentation. Winning at a concours is a significant achievement for car owners and restorers.
"There's a gentleman in my DeLorean club who's moving back east. He's actually from Maryland, and he's a painter."
The DeLorean is a unique car that has a shiny metal body and doors that open upwards. It's famous for being in movies, especially 'Back to the Future'.
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car manufactured by the DeLorean Motor Company, known for its distinctive stainless steel body and gull-wing doors. It gained fame from its appearance in the 'Back to the Future' movie franchise.
"...as the conditions upon which I received my Toyota Celica. It was black with the gold pinstripe and it"
The Toyota Celica is a small, sporty car that Toyota made for many years. It was popular because it looked cool and was fun to drive, making it a favorite among people who like cars.
The Toyota Celica is a compact sports car that was produced by Toyota from 1970 to 2006. Known for its sporty design and performance, the Celica has a significant place in automotive history, especially among enthusiasts for its racing pedigree and affordability.
"...and it had to have the sunroof. Sunroof, nice, sporty, automatic or five speed."
A sunroof is a window in the roof of a car that can open. It lets in sunlight and fresh air when you want it.
A sunroof is a panel on the roof of a car that can be opened to allow light and air into the vehicle. It's a popular feature that enhances the driving experience, especially in nice weather.
"...It was 100% automatic. I cannot drive a six shift..."
An automatic transmission is a system in a car that changes gears for you, so you don't have to do it yourself. This makes driving easier, especially in traffic.
An automatic transmission is a type of vehicle transmission that automatically changes the gear ratios as the vehicle moves, allowing the driver to focus on steering and acceleration without needing to manually shift gears.
"...I had it changed to BMW green, and specifically BMW green. So a car that I couldn't afford but that I absolutely loved..."
BMW green is a special color that BMW cars can be painted. It's a unique shade that some people really like, especially for classic cars.
BMW green refers to a specific paint color used by BMW, often associated with their classic models. It's a distinctive shade that appeals to many car enthusiasts.
"...couldn't afford but that I absolutely loved was a 325i BMW convertible. And I've mostly seen it in red f..."
The BMW 3 Series is a small luxury car known for being fun to drive and having a nice interior. Many people admire it for its sporty look and comfortable ride.
The BMW 3 Series is a line of compact executive cars that has been a staple of the BMW brand since 1975. Renowned for its blend of performance, luxury, and technology, the 3 Series is often considered the benchmark for sports sedans and is frequently discussed for its driving dynamics and premium features.
"I had a 32 TL. I remember. Gorgeous car. I got more compliments on that car."
The Acura TL is a luxury car that was made by Acura, a brand from Honda. It was popular in the 90s for being comfortable and stylish.
The Acura TL is a mid-size luxury sedan that was produced by Acura, Honda's luxury vehicle division. It was known for its comfortable ride, upscale features, and sporty handling, making it a popular choice in the 90s.
"I think I got a, I get the expedition after that."
The Ford Expedition is a large SUV that can carry many people and their belongings. It's great for families who need a lot of space.
The Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV known for its spacious interior and strong towing capabilities, making it a popular choice for families and those needing extra cargo space.
The 2007 Acura MDX is a luxury SUV that can carry families and their gear comfortably. It has a powerful engine and comes with lots of tech and safety features, making it a good option for those looking for a reliable vehicle.
The 2007 Acura MDX is a midsize luxury SUV known for its spacious interior, strong V6 engine, and advanced technology features. It offers a comfortable ride and is equipped with various safety features, making it a popular choice in its class.
An unexpected repair is when something goes wrong with your car that you didn't see coming. It can be expensive and usually happens when parts wear out or break without any warning.
An unexpected repair refers to a vehicle repair that occurs without prior warning or indication of a problem. These repairs can be costly and often arise from wear and tear or hidden issues that were not apparent during regular maintenance.
"Pull 5,000 pounds with it, right? You got the infotainment, seat seven."
Towing capacity is how much weight a car can pull behind it, like a trailer or a boat. It's important to know so you don't overload the vehicle.
Towing capacity refers to the maximum weight a vehicle can safely pull behind it, which is important for those who need to transport trailers, boats, or other heavy loads.
"You got the infotainment, seat seven. You know, when you can haul a boat, you can haul a trailer, you can haul anything you want."
An infotainment system is the technology in cars that provides music, navigation, and connects to your phone. It helps you stay entertained and informed while driving.
An infotainment system combines entertainment and information features in a vehicle, including navigation, audio, and connectivity options like Bluetooth and smartphone integration.
"Oh, the current Subaru, which is a Subaru, what model? Outback. But you know, she reminds me, she's talking about..."
The Subaru Outback is a type of vehicle that looks like a car but is built to handle rough roads and weather. It's great for people who like to go on adventures or need extra space for their stuff.
The Subaru Outback is a crossover SUV that combines the features of a station wagon with off-road capabilities. It's known for its spacious interior, all-wheel drive, and rugged design, making it popular for outdoor enthusiasts.
"I also had a Maxima in there at some point. I can't remember when I had that."
The Nissan Maxima is a larger car that is designed to be comfortable and fun to drive. It has a powerful engine and nice features, making it a good option for families or anyone who wants a bit more luxury.
The Nissan Maxima is a full-size sedan known for its sporty performance and upscale features. It often combines a powerful engine with a comfortable interior, making it a popular choice for those seeking both style and substance.
"But the steering wheel was my favorite part of the Maxima"
The steering wheel is what you hold to turn the car left or right. It's an important part that helps you control where the car goes.
The steering wheel is a crucial component of a vehicle that allows the driver to control the direction of the car. It is connected to the steering system, which translates the driver's input into movement of the wheels.
"... in season one who had a Subaru. She has a Subaru Ascent, which is the largest Subaru that you can get."
The Subaru Ascent is a big SUV that can fit a lot of people and their stuff. It's great for families and has special features that help it drive well in different weather conditions.
The Subaru Ascent is a mid-size SUV that offers three rows of seating, making it the largest vehicle in Subaru's lineup. It is designed for families and outdoor enthusiasts, featuring all-wheel drive and ample cargo space, which makes it a popular choice for those who need versatility and reliability.
"My girlfriend has a Subaru as well. Cross-track, but it's a plug-in hybrid. It's a real nice car."
The Subaru Crosstrek is a small SUV that can handle rough roads and has a hybrid version that uses both gas and electricity to drive. It's popular for being practical and eco-friendly.
The Subaru Crosstrek is a compact crossover SUV known for its versatility and off-road capability. It offers a plug-in hybrid variant, which combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor for improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.
"There aren't many of the plug-in hybrids, but she found one."
A plug-in hybrid is a car that can use both gas and electricity. You can charge it by plugging it into a power outlet, which helps it drive longer distances on electricity alone before using gas.
A plug-in hybrid is a vehicle that combines a traditional internal combustion engine with an electric motor and can be charged via an external power source. This allows for greater electric-only driving range compared to standard hybrids.
Select text to request an explanation
You have found, to all the cars I've loved before, your authoritative podcast on automotive
nostalgia.
Where?
Every car tells a story, every car has a culture, and it's time to plug in, dust off, get a
little grease under our fingernails.
Hey, I love your shirt, by the way.
Oh, thanks.
To a previous guest, the antique Ferrari restorer, Tom Young, graciously sent us a couple of shirts.
Great guy, interesting guy, wildly skilled.
Yes, his videos are just amazing, and perfection, knowledge, but not, he doesn't come across
as a perfectionist when you talk to him.
Yes, and when you look at what the guy does, is he has this garage full of Ferraris, and
you've got to say, well, he's just got to have a team of people, an interior specialist
motor, you know what paint guy, he does everything himself.
He's just a one-man band, and he tells his customers, it may take me eight months a year,
year and a half to get to your car, but it's in the right hands, and he's going
to do it right.
Right?
Isn't that what he said?
He's going to do it to concours, to win at those judging events.
Yeah, and one interesting thing we were chatting about was the history of the Notre Dame Cathedral,
and the hand-crafting, and not taking any shortcuts and honoring history, and that sort
of painstaking eye for detail, and attention to a job, well done.
Interesting guy.
Hey, is there a t-shirt like that with my name on it, or is it lost in the
mail?
It says Tom Yang's name on it.
Very nice.
For everybody who's listening, it's T-O-M-Y-A-N-G dot net.
You can also find him on YouTube, but great videos.
He was such a great guest, and yes, there is a shirt up here in the northeast for you.
If I see you soon enough, I'll give it to you, if not, I'll mail it to you.
Don't worry.
I'll steal it.
It's what I do.
I could probably give it to your son.
Do review, share, and download.
If you like the podcast and you think you know someone that would enjoy it, please share.
And if you think further they may like to be on it, just let us know.
You can shoot us their name, number, email, and we will be in touch.
But perfect segue because we have a very fun guest today, and I'm going to hand
off the introductions to Doug.
So yeah.
How did Lisa come into our world?
Let's see.
I met Lisa.
I want to say it was probably close to 25 years ago.
Is that sound right, Lisa?
Sounds about right.
And yeah, we were friends, stayed in touch thanks to the power of the internet.
Doug is so good at this, by the way.
He's just very good at this.
It's kind of my thing.
I like staying in touch with people.
Whether I call myself the LinkedIn matchmaker or two, because I like
connecting people job-wise.
In fact, Christian, just quick reference to our last podcast with Matt, the painter.
There's a gentleman in my DeLorean club who's moving back east.
He's actually from Maryland, and he's a painter.
And so I just happened to mention to him that, hey, we did an interview
with a painter, so he has to be connected with him.
Maybe he can get him a job.
So yeah.
I think you're what they call a super connector.
But enough about you.
Let's talk about Lisa.
Lisa, how are you?
Yeah, I am good.
And just another thing Doug and I have in common.
I, I, too, am known as a connector and someone that I can see that people together.
So something that we another thing that we have in common.
And you had mentioned Ukraine listening in my my husband's side of the family.
They're from Kiev and my oldest son is first generation American.
Yeah, that's so awesome.
And little connections.
Yeah, definitely, definitely.
Lisa, you are self-described before we get into your cars.
You are a self-described serial podcast guest, otherwise known as you're down
with OPP, other people's platforms, other people's podcasts.
And that's Lisa.
Yes, that's Lisa's term.
I'm just reusing it.
I thought it was very, very smart and funny.
Just like reduce, reuse, or cycles.
Yeah, yeah, acronyms from the 90s can be new again.
Yeah, and.
And more appropriately used.
Thank you.
More appropriate to articulate on a on a friendly podcast, but indeed.
Yes, they I find that in collaboration goes along with that connector thing.
And I find that doing things in collaboration allows me to have a broader
reach, more engaging conversations and keep my energy because people have asked
me about starting a podcast myself for years.
And I said, other people's podcasts.
And then I was like, oh, I just said OPP.
You got it.
That's where I came from.
Very, very creative.
And you have been a guest on over 11 podcasts, maybe 12, including us.
So where the bakers doesn't.
Yep.
Yep.
Broke the bank there.
So at the end, we have to ask her, what was her experience like on ours?
And how and how do we compare?
Yep.
We very curious.
Yep.
But go ahead.
Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.
You're you are fine.
You are fine.
We could talk to Lisa all day.
But we do want to talk about Lisa had an interesting experience with her
first car, but I'm going to let her tell us about her first car,
how she got it, what kind of car it was.
Whether it was a stick shift or automatic.
There's a funny story there apparently.
But tell us about your first car.
All right.
So my first car was a Toyota Salica.
And it was a 90.
1990 flip up headlights.
Lava.
Yes.
So actually, I think it was, I don't think mine had flip up headlights.
I think it did.
I looked at a picture of a 1990
and I saw a flip up headlights.
OK.
Then it had to have flip up headlights.
And I just didn't know that.
So see, I'm not perceptive in some areas
and very perceptive in others.
They're making a comeback.
No, they're not.
But I would.
But I love them.
I loved it.
So it was a gift.
It was a conditional gift, I would say.
So I was an elite level athlete.
Not my whole life I was an elite level athlete,
but I started gymnastics at five
and went all the way through college.
But in high school, my parents had said,
you get a full scholarship, we'll buy you a car.
And so that was that offering in the condition
of getting that scholarship.
And I could keep the car as long as I kept the scholarship.
Oh, wow.
That was the conditions upon which I
received my Toyota Celica.
It was black with the gold pinstripe and it
had to have the sunroof.
Sunroof, nice, sporty, automatic or five speed.
It was 100% automatic.
I cannot drive a six shift between my executive functioning
and ADHD and all the things I've
learned about myself as an adult.
Yeah, no, now I know why I could never drive a six shift.
I could not do the three things and focus
on the road at the same time.
Gotcha.
And I think you said that you maybe
experimented driving a stick shift
and made some people the opposite of drunk?
Yes.
Passengers, passengers.
A passenger.
So I was typically the designated driver
often in the early years of end of high school,
early years of college.
And my friends weren't always.
And she had a six shift and I drove us.
We were outside of, we were somewhere in the Jersey Shore.
And we were driving from our side
to wherever we had to go over a bridge.
So by the time we got through the little town
and over the bridge, both of the passengers
were sober because it took me that long
to be able to focus and do that.
So I got us where we needed to go, but it was not pretty.
And that was the first and last time?
I was actually the first of two times.
Somebody, other people tried to get me to learn it.
They said, there's no way you're not
going to be able to drive this.
And then after that second try, that was it.
They didn't let me use their car
because the clutch was going to go and the one time I drove
it and I said, I'm not interested.
Yep.
Well, well, we won't put you in a right-hand drive
car with a stick, Chef, because, you know, who knows?
Although I'm thinking about getting one of those just
to train my other other side of my brain.
Yes, I do it across.
That's very neurodivergent, isn't it?
Yeah, you train yourself to do something
that you're not used to.
Yep, got to got to do it.
That's one way to do it.
You have to challenge yourself.
Yeah.
So, and there's another neat story about this car, which
makes me think about a previous guest we had who's
a painter, who painted cars.
And you did something with your first car
that I think a lot of people wouldn't do.
You painted it, right?
You had the color changed.
I was only two years old, and I had the color changed.
I had it changed to BMW green, and specifically BMW green.
So a car that I couldn't afford but that I absolutely loved
was a 325i BMW convertible.
And I've mostly seen it in red for my younger years.
However, I loved the BMW green.
And so I found a body shop that
was willing to paint my Toyota Celica, the BMW green,
and put the black pinstripes.
So I kept the pinstripes.
And I felt like I had a brand new car.
Nice, nice.
And were your parents surprised when they saw it?
I did tell them.
And they were fine with it.
OK, they're like, your model, your car.
A little hope to keep me at college,
because I was not very happy there.
So I think it was like, I will give you that.
Well, some people dye their hair red.
You just had your car painted green.
I did not, too.
I did dye my hair red at some point in college, Doug.
Oh, red or pink or whatever color it was about you.
That wasn't enough for me.
I had to do something bigger and bolder.
So what is BMW green?
Is it that kind of really deep, foresty, glittery green?
Exactly what it is.
Yeah, yeah, it wasn't kind of that.
I remember the flat red BMWs of the 80s.
Boy, you had arrived if you had one of those cars.
They were just very distinctive.
That was all the cachet.
But yeah, OK, sorry, Doug.
Yeah, no, you're fine.
So what happened to that now green BMW green Toyota Celica?
Oh, that's a story.
So I was living in North Carolina.
And I worked at Hawaii in Durham.
I was a gymnastics director.
And I lived in Chapel Hill.
So I had to drive down what was called 15501 to get there.
And there were, I think I'm saying the right road.
But there were double lanes going each way.
And there were service roads that would cross over.
And I was driving on the straightaway.
And somebody came out of one of the service areas.
So you had to turn off the main road through a service
here to get to all the car dealerships.
And somebody was turning out of one of those side areas
onto the main road.
And they cut me off while it was raining.
My car spun around and landed like something
into the ongoing traffic.
Thank goodness.
The person that I was heading towards
was an off-duty police officer.
And his reaction time was extremely good.
And my car was totaled.
And that's when I got my second car.
OK.
Not a fun story.
But you walked away.
You walked away.
And he and Ray.
Service roads always make me a little nervous.
I'm not really why.
And we're not really sure why.
If it's the kind of people at speed
that are right next to each other.
And then you have this guy coming off the road here.
And he's going to cut in front of this service road.
There's always a lot of action in a service road.
If you can confuse him.
There are only two little bitty lanes.
Absolutely.
This was like a couple lane highway.
Like not quite a highway.
But I guess like here would be like 100.
They'd be like driving on 100 here
and where I am in Ellicott City area.
And the person just came on into the road
and was raining.
And thankfully there were witnesses
who waited that saw the whole thing.
And they said it wasn't me.
I mean it was going to be hard to be me
when I was driving on the straightaway.
And they were on the side.
But yeah, it was pretty scary.
But somebody was watching out for me that day.
Yep.
So you didn't end up with a BMW next, did you?
No, I didn't.
A green BMW.
What was your next car?
My next car was an Acura Integra.
OK.
It was a 1996, I think he said.
I believe so.
96 or 96.
I'm pretty sure it was 96.
OK.
White with tan leather and tear.
OK.
It was a great car.
Man, I'm going to give you a little virtual handshake
representing the Acuras from the 90s, from the middle 90s.
I had a 32 TL.
I remember.
86.
Gorgeous car.
I got more compliments on that car.
Black with the little gold pinstripe going down the side.
It was it was lovely.
I love that car.
I had that car for a long time.
That was a lot of fun.
Yeah, had the third kid and had to get rid of it.
I tried to squish three kids, a breast in the back seat,
and a stroller wouldn't fit in the back.
And I said, oh, that's when you went to do all the vans.
Yeah.
No, no.
I think I got a, I get the expedition after that.
Maybe.
Yeah, I got that.
At some point you both had many vans.
I love, man, I love the minivan.
I love a hundred minivan.
I'm going to do the minivan.
Oh, I'll take it all day.
Not a soccer mom.
So I said I won't do a minivan.
Well, I'm not a soccer mom either.
Yes, I'm a soccer dad.
So the Integra was replaced with another Acura?
Is that right?
Oh, yes.
It was replaced with the MDX.
Yes.
Same as mine, 2007 Acura MDX.
Look at us.
We're Acura twinning.
By the way, you know what Acura stands for, right?
No, you're not.
Another costly, unexpected repair again.
That's it.
That's Acura.
Well, that's only when they get to be like 20 years old
like yours.
It's only only 18.
Hey, we're getting there.
But yeah, what can you say?
What color was the MDX, Lisa?
It was silver.
OK, my favorite color.
Black interior.
Yep, that's the best combination.
The DVD player.
It was the whole nine yards.
Yes.
And the guy sold me on it.
We had a, I don't know, Joseph must have been
two months old at the time.
And we were there looking at new cars
because we knew we wanted something bigger than what we had.
And the guy said, I said, I need to go change my son's
diaper.
And he said, come on out here.
Let's do it in the back of the trunk.
This one has the changing table option.
You'll love it.
Brown pinstrikes.
I'm thinking first time on the car is going to explode
in the back of the car.
And this isn't going to end well.
But instead, we left there with an Acura MDX.
I dig it.
That is fantastic.
So OK, OK.
So you're saying you went from the Acura
Integra to the MDX?
Yes.
Yes.
That's interesting.
So what you did, so you obviously
like the Acura product, the Integra way too small.
And I find with my MDX, it's just a great size automobile.
You know, third row is not an option, standard.
Pull 5,000 pounds with it, right?
You got the infotainment, seat seven.
You know, when you can haul a boat,
you can haul a trailer, you can haul anything you want.
So truly a Swiss Army knife.
So anyway, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.
Please, please keep telling us about the MDX.
That car drove everywhere with us for a very long time.
Kept us, kept our kids engaged, kept us engaged,
had all the bells and whistles.
It was a wonderful car.
I absolutely loved it.
And then did you own it for a Christian?
All good.
If you remember.
I don't even remember.
I think I want to say I traded it in for the Subaru,
but I have now.
Oh, the current Subaru, which is a Subaru, what model?
Outback.
Outback.
But you know, she reminds me, she's talking about,
now you like your Outback, right?
I do like it.
I also had a Maxima in there at some point.
I can't remember when I had that.
But the steering wheel was my favorite part of the Maxima
because it was a heated steering wheel.
And none of my other cars had that at the time.
But the Subaru is an Outback.
And I got it, I want to say, in 2016.
Jeff, who was it?
We had Melissa on in season one who had a Subaru.
She has a Subaru Ascent, which is the largest Subaru
that you can get.
Yeah, she loved her.
She loves her.
She does love it, yeah.
They did not have the seven-seater when I got my Subaru.
It wasn't out yet.
I see, I see.
Gotcha, gotcha.
My girlfriend has a Subaru as well.
Cross-track, but it's a plug-in hybrid.
It's a real nice car.
Oh, interesting.
That's a new, the newer Cross-tracks.
My best friend has a Cross-track.
But her model didn't have the hybrid, but now they do.
Yep, yep.
There aren't many of the plug-in hybrids,
but she found one.
So yeah, it's a neat car.
Well, that takes us through the automobiles,
but you know what?
There's more to Lisa than just a shiny, repainted car.
Lisa, tell us a little bit about what you do
and what your passions are.
When you're not painting cars.
Yeah, when you're not, yes,
in coloring your hair different colors.
Let's be clear, I did not paint the car.
And my mother-in-law loved her to death.
She colors my hair.
She was owned a hair salon.
I've been very lucky.
I've had my hair colored a lot,
but I've always had somebody else color it.
My car got colored by somebody else too.
So that is not something I'm passionate about
or something that I do well.
So, gosh, so what do I do?
The work that I do is really my life's purpose, I believe.
Yes.
And the business I own is called Journey to Bloom.
And the name came from my great aunt, Mildred Bloom.
So, yeah, so Bloom is a family name,
but it really resonated with me.
She and I were the black sheeps of our family
and she's my favorite great aunt.
Love my other one too, but this one and I just,
we just really got along in a different way.
And even my logo is,
if you look at it very closely,
there are hearts as the petals
and the leaves is actually a infinity heart as well.
Now we're ending ebb and flow.
And what the business is,
is I am a neurodiversity consultant
and I focus on simplifying the neurodiverse learning journey
by offering personalized support,
education and advisory services
for neurodistinct professionals
and parents of neurodiverse learners.
I,
go ahead.
No, no, please continue, please continue.
And so I do that in three ways.
I work with parents and educators navigating
the neurodiverse learning journey
through the school systems.
I work with professionals
that may realize they're neurodistinct
or just wanna understand
how to work with their children better,
whatever the case is.
Sometimes it's,
they're trying to figure out how to navigate the corporate world
because they're also neurodistinct like I was
and they aren't quite getting people to understand them,
how they think.
So there's like the gaslighting
and all those things that come into play.
And the third way is working with organizations
and really helping them understand different neurotypes
and how to navigate and engage across those neurotypes
and tying in what I like to call
the art of relationship building.
And because I do things very differently,
I start in the middle and then I work backwards.
So I don't do top down, bottom up, I do middle out
and then fill in the blanks from there.
And so I help others understand that
it's not always that it has to be black and white.
And so that's, it's my passion
but it's also my core, my core business.
You asked what else I'm passionate about
and there's another offering that I've become part of
that I was invested in time-wise for the last
about three years.
And it's called a Cheap Quality of Life
and we just did our official opening on Saturday,
this past Saturday.
Congratulations.
Thank you, it's very exciting.
I am the Integrative Collaboration Officer
for the company
and we really help caregivers build their energy,
connections and clarity.
Anyone who offers care to another person is a caregiver.
So whether it's your profession,
you are the person being cared for or vice versa.
And we are really, the goal here is really to have
a platform for integrative empowerment and wellness,
redefining what it means to be a caregiver
in the 21st century
because we don't want people
to have to sacrifice themselves in the process.
Yes.
And so we're bringing both sides together
to offer a place to learn and grow both from the wellness
and the empowerment sides of the world.
We have some different assessments that we're doing
and things like that.
So those are the two core business offerings
that I'm that I'm invested in in between.
Yeah, I think that's beautiful and needed
and you take this holistic approach,
you know, from youth to the adults, you know,
they both need help, the extra help
and two very different sets of what's happening.
You also mentioned the caregivers
and that's very important.
So these people that are looking out for these others,
you know, they need help too.
They need support.
They need somebody to talk to.
Any help that can be provided.
I just think that's wonderful.
That is God's word.
Thank you for that.
I just think that's wonderful.
I think that is wonderful.
Yeah, as a parent of two neurodivergent kids
and then who learned himself later
that he is neurodivergent,
I am so thankful that you're doing this
for other people.
I wish I could contribute,
but I do stuff about podcasts and cars, so.
Well, I think that though you have contributed.
I mean, Doug, we've done quite some time
and I've learned about different program options
and things that I can give to clients
or people that come and connect with me
and it's back to full circle from the beginning of today,
right?
We were talking about being those connectors
and being in collaboration.
That's what this is all about, you know,
is the giving back.
And I want to help people help themselves
in a way that I wasn't helped at first
but I was surrounded with like my dream team of people
when my oldest first got diagnosed.
It was a long journey to get there
and they've traveled with me all these years
and I see myself in helping to bring that to other people
and meet them where they are.
No, they're not alone
because it's hard to be a parent to begin with
and a caregiver and it's even harder to be one
of one or more neurodivergent individuals
or people that are going through different things
that require unique supports and understanding
that many people are judgmental
and they just don't understand it
and the fear comes out as combativeness
and anything I can do to help change that way of thinking
and we can all grow and be better together
and let go of social norms that somebody said was so.
That's something I'm always going to lean into
which is why I sit on boards and I'm an advisory chair.
I'm a board chair on an advisory board
because I want to continue to help grow and give back.
Thank you.
Well, you are a saint.
That's wonderful.
Thank you.
Thank you for all that you do.
And is people want to find you?
Sorry, Christian.
If people want to find you,
I think your website here is journey,
the number two, bloom, B-L-O-O-M dot com.
Is that the best way to find you?
Yes, and my email address is lisaatjourney,
the number two, bloom dot com.
And if you're looking for me on LinkedIn or on Facebook,
I believe that both of them have my maiden name
in the middle, so it's Lisa Lazar, L-A-Z-A-R, Richard.
Good.
Fantastic.
And as we guide the podcast gently to the off-ramp here,
one last question for you, Lisa.
I see that you have your, that's an Orioles hoodie, right?
Or an Orioles sweatshirt that you got.
You're a big fan.
How often do you make it to Camden Yards?
So, I did not grow up an Orioles fan,
but my kids have drilled-
Pirate's fan.
No, I was actually a Yankees fan, great.
Well, I was a Philly's fan, really little,
because I met Tug McGraw.
Oh.
We did an exhibition at Philly Stadium,
and I got to sit on Tug McGraw's lap and hold a microphone.
I'll have to send that photo to Doug,
and-
You must, please.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Love it.
The Philly's were my team,
and then it shifted to the Yankees.
That was my mom's team,
but my children and my husband are big Orioles fans.
So, to answer your question, many times,
we actually, on there are many, many times,
we have a partial package now where we try to go
to at least five or six, if not more games a year.
It's just such a great park.
Even when I was a Yankee fan,
my best friend and I would meet in Baltimore
to go to the Yankee Orioles games
just because of the stadium was so amazing.
Yeah, and if you've not been,
and if you have a chance,
the whole inner Harbor area Camden Yards
taking a Ravens game, Orioles game,
it is a great, great way to spend an afternoon,
a weekend, get a hotel there, take everybody down.
You will not regret it.
So, how are you feeling about the upcoming season?
I'm feeling pretty good.
Great big shrug.
Well, I was shrugging, you know, right,
because I know I'm very animated.
My younger son is very disappointed
that Santander will not be part of the team next year.
Yup.
So, that was where my shrug came from.
I do think that there is so much goodness
and so much raw talent.
I think there's a lot of good years ahead.
They just need to figure out how to play in the playoffs
and that comes with time and, you know,
and insurance.
Amen, amen.
And it looks like this right across the wire,
we have agreed to terms with outfielder Dillon Carson
on a one-year contract for the 2025 season.
So, everybody go check it out.
All right, Lisa, last, last question, I promise.
How did our podcast compare to all the other podcasts?
So, I will be honest, this was the most unique one
I've ever done.
Oh, right.
Good.
Number one, tying the car piece into the storyline.
I didn't know how I was gonna feel about it
and I know Doug prompted me,
you know, and you guys gave me some questions.
That's how you knew about some of the cars.
But I didn't know what to expect
which I love the unexpected
but I thought it was really neat
how that you have this love for cars
and you find a way to tie it into the experiences.
I found it interesting that some things came up
that I had forgotten about
when we were talking about the cars.
They really do have deeper meaning
and I think that's a beautiful thing
that you guys are bringing to the surface.
Thank you.
There is a deeper meaning to the cars.
The other thing that's very unique
is I've never been on a podcast where there were two hosts.
So that was also very unique
and with my brain ADHD and trying to,
the executive functioning,
I always write notes so I can just kind of stay on track.
Me too, me too.
What I found very interesting though was,
yeah, was that the way that the conversation
kind of ebbed and flowed, it was really natural.
And so not knowing how it would be
when there were two people on with
like three of us essentially, right?
I thought it was really neat and it was fun.
I'd love to do it again sometime
but I definitely, I love what you guys are doing.
Thank you.
It's a great spin on the podcasts that are out there
that are typically one person with a microphone.
I just think you guys are doing it differently
and I love unique and different things
so I celebrate you guys for what you're doing.
You are very kind and wonderful.
We appreciate your kind words
and it's interesting that set up the soul, the heart.
This is all Doug.
This is Doug's pet project.
Maybe the project of his lifetime we'll see.
But it was your idea.
There's something special about the third person
that I can't really describe.
I mean, it takes great chemistry
and I've known Doug even longer than you've known Doug
but it does take chemistry
and there's something about the third voice
that just kind of helps things go.
I don't know why that is.
Anyway, but you've given us a lot to think about.
You've been a fantastic guest.
Thank you for taking our podcast for a spin.
And if, listen, if you like what you heard,
I'm Christian at carslove.com.
He is Doug at carslove.com.
She was Lisa.
Lisa, we had a ball.
Thank you and come back anytime.
Thank you.
Thank you, Lisa.
So that was the foremost, what,
high-reving, low-mileage, late-model,
heard around the world,
authoritative podcast on automotive nostalgia.
Please follow and tell a friend.
If you like what you've heard,
I'm sure we'll see you at the next local car show,
showroom, race strip, or concourse.
We appreciate your listening.
We'll see you next time.
Thank you, Listenerland.
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