We are so excited to bring Teresa Thomas on our podcast! Teresa Thomas, a connector facilitator and author, discussed her journey on the Simon Says podcast. With over 25 years of experience, she founded Win Win Connects and created “50 Fun Things.”
Teresa emphasized the importance of authenticity and meaningful connections, sharing her love for dance and travel. She reflected on her midlife awareness, leading to the “50 Fun Things” initiative. Teresa also highlighted her leadership philosophy, stressing emotional intelligence and intentional decision-making.
She shared her vision for future retreats in Costa Rica, aiming to foster joy and connection globally.
Resources:
Win Win Connects
Teresa on LinkedIn
Transcript
Read the full transcript.
Speaker 1 0:00
John, welcome to Simon Says, inspire a podcast about life, leadership and building legacies. I'm John Simon, SR and I'm Dina Simon. Our guest today is Theresa Thomas. Theresa is a connector facilitator and author, with over 25 years of experience helping people build authentic, joyful connections. She is also the founder of Win Win connects, and the creator of 50 fun things. Teresa, welcome to our podcast. Hey,
Teresa 0:37
can't believe that I'm actually here, and when Dina and I met, I don't even think there was such thing as a podcast, right? We would have never imagined this. This is great.
Speaker 1 0:45
So if you could, Theresa, take a second maybe tell our listening audience a little bit about yourself, where you live, and maybe what you like to do in your spare time.
Speaker 2 0:54
Sure. Well, I live in the Twin Cities metro area, but I absolutely love to travel, so I downsized, so I can just lock up and go when that calls to me. And the thing that I love to do when I'm not working well, my very favorite thing is I love, love, love, love to dance. It's when I feel the most grounded and centered and everything is good in my world if I can dance. So that's an important thing for me. What kind of dance i Well, I for exercise. I do something called Mia, which is a combination of martial arts, healing arts and modern dance. And then I also do swing dancing and freestyle dancing. You know, anything? Prince gets me dancing fun. You can't see it, of course, on the podcast, but I'm wearing my prince shirt because, you know, it's Prince week here in Minneapolis.
Dina Simon 1:53
It is Prince week. I love it now.
Speaker 1 1:55
Is that something you did growing up? Were you part of a dance program somewhere?
Speaker 2 1:59
I was not part of a dance program, but my grandparents were big time into square dancing and doing the shoddish and polka and waltz and all of that kind of thing. And so I grew up seeing them do that, dancing with them, and then starting, probably in middle school realizing that I like freestyle dancing as well. So So yeah, it's been, it's been part of my life for a long time. I love that that's so
Dina Simon 2:31
awesome. I love that,
Speaker 1 2:33
you know, you're our 50th episode. And in saying that you're the first one, you know, we always ask people what they like to do. You're the first one to to say dancing is is what I love doing. Well,
Dina Simon 2:47
yeah, so that's awesome. We're going to talk about a lot of things in this quick podcast, but the 50th episode, how serendipity is that? So that we need our listening audience to know this was not planned. We actually Theresa, so John and I had talked about, so my brother in law, the other John Simon. So John Simon Jr, we've talked about having John Jr be like on our 50th and we just haven't gotten that scheduled. So then when we were getting things lined up, and I sent your picture over to get the podcast artwork done. I'm like, Oh my gosh, Theresa is going to be our 50th podcast. And so why don't we just kind of go right into for a second what 50 means to you and why that's so serendipity.
Speaker 2 3:34
Well, my friends do call me the synchronicity queen. So when something like this happens, I was like, yep, that's just, you know, confirmation that everything's aligned and on the right path. And so 50 does mean a lot to me. I didn't know 50 was going to become so important, but when I was approaching my 50th birthday, I had a big kind of like, what in the heck are you doing time? We won't call it a midlife crisis. I like to call it midlife awareness. But I just evaluated what I was doing with my life, and how I was showing up and how I was not speaking up in the way I said I would. And and so even though at that time it was about my 50th birthday, 50 has become an important number to me, because at that time I started something called 50 fun things for myself. And 50 seems like this huge number, but it's almost like when you try to come up with 50 things, you lighten up and you're just like, oh, sure, just throw that in there. Oh yeah, I'll try that where, if you think, like, Oh, my top three goals. Then then it's like, kind of serious and like, Oh, I gotta achieve this. And so something opened up with that 50. D number, and I use it all the time now for, you know, planning a new service, or where I want like to live or travel, or what I would want a relationship, all those kinds of things. I started thinking about, can I come up with 50 fun things about this, what I would most want this to feel like, and and you probably noticed I said the word feel like, even though it's things, it's really about mindset, experiential. Yeah, experiential, all that and so. And it doesn't have to actually be 50. You just start thinking about like, hey, what? What do I want? How do I want to feel? How do I want to show up? And so that number, yeah, it's, it feels special. It
Dina Simon 5:48
is special, well. And I turned 50 in 21 so in the in the pandemic, so you had already started to launch the 50 fun things. And so I grabbed a hold of it, and I planned 50 fun things to do in my 50th year. And so much of it was about Connect. It was about connecting. So it was during the pandemic, so it was like, I wanted to have quality time with so and so, and quality time with so and so that that was super fascinating, even just to go back and take a look at, because during the pandemic, it was also how wide my network was, because it wasn't that I had to go see so and so in person, because maybe I couldn't, but I at least was going to be intent on having a zoom and reconnect with people. And so I loved the exercise. And if you really think about it. It's less than one
Speaker 2 6:41
thing per week per year, right? Exactly? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I love that you shared how you used it during the pandemic. You know, you could look at it as, oh, I'm 50 years old, and it's during the pandemic. Woe is me. What a horrible year. But instead you shifted to okay, it's not going to be how I expected it to be, but what intention Can I set for how I want to feel and I want to connect with these people, and I love how you use that for that mindset shift of inviting joy, inviting connection, and that illustrates perfectly, like kind of what comes up from that?
Dina Simon 7:23
Yes. So John, you saw something else in her bio about 50?
Speaker 1 7:28
Yeah, I said you, you were named a 50, over 50, exemplary leader by AARP and Women in Business Champion by the SBA in Minnesota. So another thing that happened to you? Yeah,
Speaker 2 7:41
oh, wow, John. It seems so obvious now, but I never put together the 50 over 50 fitting with a 50, which is that's funny, yes, yes. That 50, I guess, does keep showing up in different ways. And those were both very much an honor. And I would say that the fact that I got both of those in the same year is testament to when you are in your zone and when you are aligned, things just click, and other people see your potential, and even more than you do yourself, maybe, and because all that stuff happened in a in a pretty short period of time, and I think it's just riding that wave of okay, this is I'm on it. I'm on it,
Dina Simon 8:40
I'm going to keep going.
Speaker 1 8:42
It's funny you say that because during the pandemic, my daughter sent me a gift for Christmas that she didn't know if I'd like it or not. And of course, I got into it, and I really enjoyed it. But every week I received a question for 50 weeks from a company, and I ended up publishing a book whenever. And it was questions like, What was your first job? You know, where did you? Where have you moved to? And just 50 questions. And if you didn't like a question, you could let them know, and they would send you a different one. But I think I only did that one time. But you know, who were some of your best friends as you were growing up and everything. And I, what I would do is I would look at it, and I on a Monday, they would come, and I would let it percolate all week long. And on Sunday, when I came home from church, I would sit there and I'd write my story, but I had all week to think about it, and I'd write down little notes, and I'd take like a yellow sticky pad and write a little note about it. When I was finished, we had four copies made, and each of the kids got one, and they can pass that down to their children too.
Speaker 2 9:49
That is absolutely beautiful. I love that type of thing, so it's a gift, but it just ripples out, and it gets you thinking, and you. Your family gets to know more about you. And I mean, it even ties in with what you know, what you focus on in your podcast, with building a legacy and and that as a tool to help you to capture those stories.
Speaker 1 10:14
That's really how we started the podcast, because sitting the Dina is at the table one night, and Dina, you can tell the
Dina Simon 10:21
story, yeah. And so my nephew, John's grandson, was up here playing baseball for Hamlin. And so John came up from Texas to see Jake, and we were sitting around our dining room table having dinner, and John and I liked to talk shop. And Jake was like, Hey, I have not heard any of these stories before. And as John and I got talking, all the grandkids have just known him as grandpa because he retired when the oldest grandchild, I think Maddie, was one and and so they didn't know him as a president of a major organization. And this awesome leader. And so my husband rich, said, You and dad should write a book. And I said, No, I want to do a podcast. And so John leaned in, so let's do it. But that book also, you know, John, you had just, I think, kind of wrapped up. I think we got the we had, you wrapped up that by then I think you had, and so you had already given us the book for Christmas, and so that, just again, like the legacy story, and sharing those stories was very top of mind for him as well. So just it was a natural progression. Yeah, super fun. So the piece of that book and will, I loved that the book, it was awesome. And then John also, it was such a gift to us, but it also to like your siblings, because it was about your childhood and the stories that you went back to remember. So it was super fun. So Theresa, when I moved here, it's 20 years in October that I moved back home, because I'm originally from here, and I moved here from California, and very early on, I went to a win, win networking event, like I remember that being one of my first things that I went to. I don't remember where it was in town, but I remember going to an event and thinking, wow, this awesome work that you had put together, and the wonderful women that were in that room. So talk a little bit about Win Win
Speaker 2 12:12
Well, first of all, that's really cool that we go back that far of how we met. And so Win Win connects has been an evolution of networking. It similar to 50 fun things. It found me. I wasn't didn't know that I that I wanted that and needed that in my life. And so it all started out where I had been a presenter for had women networking was the in person Twin Cities group and, and then they asked me to run it and, and they're like, Oh, it's just a few few hours a month. And, well, I love connecting people so much. It's just started growing, and kind of grew ahead of me. I'm like, okay, okay. And then we did that for years, and, you know, had an annual conference and an annual awards and a breakfast, a lunch and and lots and lots and lots. But it got to a point where I realized, okay, this is about networking, and I want to foster great connections. But what didn't feel like it was still part of the evolution. Was the the membership model of, you know, having monthly dues. And so there got to be a point, the summer before the pandemic, where I just thought, Okay, let's, let's just do really good events. And if people want to come, they'll come, and if they want to become regulars, they'll become regulars. And and not having it be about the food that's served or the venue, or trying to make sure that enough people registered to cover the minimum at a country club, and and, and so I was so grateful to have made that decision, because when the pandemic hit, everything, everybody, everything had to change. And if I was still trying to manage memberships at that time, I, I can't even imagine what that would have been like, just, you know, all the logistics of refunds, everything else. So I thought, okay, you set the intention. You just want to do really good events, so stay in the loop and start doing them online. And in the beginning, I'm like, Oh yeah, you know, nobody knew how long this was gonna last. Like, yeah, I'll just do once a week an event. It's free, just to keep in practice, like after he was like, Okay, maybe not every week, maybe once a month. Okay. Well, you know what? I think I got to start short. So it was an evolution, but it was super cool and and we keep talking about intention, the. Intention is so powerful, but I had set an intention that I wanted to expand my network and expand the influence of my work to be beyond the Twin Cities. And because everything became online, all of a sudden, my network became very national, and then International. And some of my favorite connections came from that I've never met in person, but are still really strong today. And it just is part of that whole evolution. You You adapt, you try new things, some things work, some things don't, and you just keep modifying and and finding your way so that that's the evolution of it. And, and I did create the umbrella, the business name Win. Win connects because I started having things like 50 fun things and and presenting for groups that weren't all women, you know. So, so that's the umbrella, you
Speaker 1 16:08
know what spec got to me as I took a look at the Win, win connects, and the creator of 50 fun things, the one word authenticity, and you are really big on that, just be authentic in what you do. Don't have to make up, just just be yourself.
Speaker 2 16:25
Well, a big part of that is I'm not what somebody would look at as a typical networker. I am somebody who I learned always ways of showing up and networking, and I'm an ambivert, and I like have meaningful conversation. I I'm not great with I mean, yes, I've taught myself how to do small talk, but my preference is to really get to know somebody, what motivates them, what they're excited about. And so I, I feel like, for all we know, we get one life and and better to show up being who we are and having real connection and supporting others to be who they really are. Then to try to be something you're not to make it. So I know that that viewpoint differs from a lot of people look at networking like, oh, I have to be fake. I have to show up slime. You have to be pushy. You have to be this. And what I say is that you don't have to be like everybody else, but you find what works for you and moves you forward on your goals and is successful on your terms.
Speaker 1 17:55
And I always like to say that, you know, God was brilliant in giving us two ears and one mouth so we could listen twice as much as we talk, and listening to other people, I enjoyed that more than just about anything, hearing stories and yeah, remembering them, so the next time you see them, you can you, and they say, Wow, you did listen to me whenever I talked to you. Yes,
Speaker 2 18:18
and John, that is so important, because when I give networking presentations or workshops, that's one of the biggest fears is, well, I don't know, you know what if I don't know what to say, or what if I say the wrong thing and like, you know what they're going to remember you more for how you listen to them and how relevant you were in your responses, versus you showing up and and saying your introduction in a very structured, perfect way. So I feel like what you know, like you were saying, John, the stories are, are what connect us. The you know, what lights us up, connects us.
Speaker 1 18:56
And I believe most people love hearing other people's stories, because we generally care about each other,
Dina Simon 19:01
yeah and yes, so to hear somebody else's story. The other part is Theresa, you kind of talked about this. So in showing up authentically, we also have to do the work to kind of know who we are. And so how do we show up authentically, versus, you know, made up into somebody that some we think other people want us to be but then, from a networking and a relationship building perspective is we want to hear people's stories. We want to lean in. We want to help people move forward on stuff. So we just need to know how to help them. So if somebody is looking for, whether it be a job or, Hey, I'm thinking of downsizing so I can go travel like, you know, just whatever it is to help them move their life forward, being able to communicate that and connect people that have gone through that path and to, you know, to then make those connections. That's how the world should work.
Speaker 2 19:55
Yes, I agree and and authenticity. I'm kind. Instantly learning. Like, what does that mean? Like, you know, I when I was younger, I thought authenticity meant I needed to share everything about if you asked me, I would just tell you like, no, no that, you know, say everything but showing up as your best, true self and in specifically with networking you're doing networking you're doing to move forward on something in your life. And so being intentional about that, while you're being authentic, makes a makes a big difference.
Dina Simon 20:34
And internationally, you are doing some retreats. And we have not talked about this, but we have some mutual friends that I have heard that you do these fantastic retreats. Do you want to talk a little
Speaker 2 20:44
bit about that? Yeah, well, this is another part of the evolution. Is after I started 50 fun things I had put on my chart, that I wanted to travel quarterly, that I wanted to get cool work gigs and interesting places and and my inner critics, like, Who do you think you are? And And right away, somebody in the workshop said, Oh my gosh, I I want you to do this at my retreat in Italy. And all of a sudden, we got to do that three times before the pandemic hit. Facilitated for a Retreat in Maui and in Costa Rica. And then last year, I led my own 50 fun things retreat, which is all like the whole week. It was so fun putting together that just I was on cloud nine. I It was a peak experience for me in my life. But it was funny, because, you know, those, those last couple retreats have happened since the pandemic, but you know, you we think we're on a path. So before the pandemic was like, Oh, my new life is traveling the world on retreats, facilitating again. And then the pandemic hit was like, no, no. Not necessarily so, but I do. I love facilitating retreats and and I'm starting to do more of those locally as well, or get where I used to do them a long, long, long time ago before my business, and I'm getting back to doing them locally. And there's just something really lovely about basically the way I operate is I love to bring really good people together, to get them connected, get them talking, get their ideas flowing, and for really great things to happen because of the ways that they're connecting. And a retreat is just so wonderful because you have this a setting and time that takes you away from the day to day, where you can really focus and not be rushed and think through what what matters,
Speaker 1 22:44
as you say with the authenticity that's when it really comes out. Whenever you have that time together, you're together from seven o'clock in the morning till 10 or 11 o'clock at night, and nobody can put a show on for that many hours. You have to, you have to be yourself whenever you're with someone that long.
Unknown Speaker 23:04
Yes, that's a good, very good point,
Dina Simon 23:06
exactly. So talk to us a little bit about leadership. So our podcast is about life, leadership and building legacies. So so much of what you do is teaching people, even in the networking, but really like how to lead themselves, how to show up, how to possibly lead others. But what does the good or great leadership mean to you? Good or great leadership
Speaker 2 23:27
to me, means that you are making an impact, an influence, more than than a power play, that it's something I mean, again, this is, in my eyes, leadership is where you're part of moving things forward, and you don't even have to be seen as the pinnacle, that it's just you're gathering, the the motivation, the dedication to move a concept or a business, anything really forward in a way that serves the group and not just yourself.
Speaker 1 24:21
I know one of the things I used to think about whenever I ran the business that I did is, number one, to be a good listener to people, and number two, don't make emotional decisions. Yes, think about things before you make a decision.
Speaker 2 24:36
Okay, this sounds weird, but I used, I used to actually have I put as a recurring event on my calendar? Do not make important decisions on Sunday evenings, just because I knew that I wasn't at my best quiz on Sunday evenings, because I started getting anxious about, like, Okay, what's coming up this week? And so I was like, okay, you know what you make really. Really good decisions, Tuesdays through Fridays and Mondays, you're just ramping up. And so there's also that self awareness of, like, when you operate at your best and and maximizing,
Dina Simon 25:16
yes, knowing that I agree, totally agree, and we haven't talked about this, but I had a 24 hour rule where if, like, a team member brought me something, and it was like, Okay, I probably need give me all the information, you know, if it was a major decision, let me kind of think on it, because I, you know, I'm a high di and disc, and I can move fast, but if I needed to make a really important decision, how would I go slow to go fast and really try and make sure that I had the information, and I would have people come to me saying, Okay, no, you can't use your train for hours, like we need to make a decision faster. And I'd be like, okay, but that was common language, then that we had that we could talk through. That was powerful. But, and John, what you're talking about is emotional intelligence, which is, you know, a buzz and whatever, and we train on it, but, but you did that back in the day like you knew you I need to really think through this, because it's going to impact the business, it's going to impact people, and we need to make sure that we've thought through it definitely
Speaker 2 26:13
well. And if you're, I'm I'm the type of person that I get so excited by things that when I'm in that excitement zone, I feel like I can do anything, and the time is limitless and and so your thought about waiting 24 hours and pausing, that that has served me well, because otherwise I get buried by saying yes to too Many things,
Unknown Speaker 26:40
and most of us type A personalities want to be problem solvers.
Speaker 2 26:43
Yeah, yeah, that's true. We do
Unknown Speaker 26:47
kind of inherited that.
Dina Simon 26:49
It is Theresa. We haven't asked this question in a while, but in honor of our 50th I think we should bring this back. So what would you tell your younger self?
Speaker 2 26:57
Oh, there's so much I would tell my younger self. I would tell my younger self, the entire world is not thinking about how you said something or that you tripped or that you're awkward or anything else. Everybody's worried about their own thing, and you are not the spotlight of everybody else. So growing up, I was pretty fearful of how I would be accepted or not and and it impacted how I would show up, you know, being the people people pleaser. And honestly, when you're a people pleaser, I learned that you are not your authentic self, because you actually get into a place where you forget, where you don't know who you are, because you are accommodating so much for other people. And so I would, I would tell my younger self that to be bolder, to SET set boundaries and speak your voice early on, and that it's not about having people like you, but it's about people treating each other, right, and so that that's something that I wish I could go back and tell myself,
Dina Simon 28:33
well, you just did.
Speaker 1 28:35
That's true. I've said it on a few of the podcasts that you know when you when you're in that position, you know not everyone's going to like you, but they have to respect you. And how do you get the respect you earn that it's not it's given because you have a title. You earn that. But by the way you treat people every day? Yeah,
Speaker 2 28:56
my former virtual assistant, I remember her saying something to the effect of that, it's more important to be respected than liked. And at that time, that was a long time, it was probably when I met you, Dina, almost 20 years ago, where I was like, Oh yeah, yeah. Not everybody is going to like me or like the way I do things, but do it well, do it right, use my skills and the right people will will know what's right for them.
Dina Simon 29:26
Right? I'm looking at just some of our notes prior to getting on the podcast, and one of the things, and I think that goes back to like, connection. So you said, you know, one of the things like how connection is overlooked in leadership strength. So as a leader, connecting with your people, and it doesn't mean that they have to be your friend. But how are you connecting with individuals you know? To understand what motivates them, how to meet them where they're at, how to help them move forward, but truly connecting in that in a meaningful way, anything else that you'd add to that.
Speaker 2 29:59
Yes, I have a colleague who has, Kelly Mackin motives met, and she's done a lot of research into what motivates people, individuals, and how they show up on teams. And I would add that, and I've learned this from her is that part of really listening is also understanding what motivates someone. So it's being a good leader, is knowing what will be a meaningful pathway for someone and and not assuming that everybody wants to be treated in exactly the same way. And so that was, that was a really cool insight to realize that, I mean, I guess I knew it, but to really think about the fact that we are not all wired the same way for how we excel, and especially when it comes to workplace motivation and fulfillment, it really ties in with what our personal motivators are,
Dina Simon 31:09
absolutely, absolutely, um, what are some ways that you've seen leaders do that Well, like connect with people.
Speaker 2 31:17
Well, my my my former supervisor at the University of Minnesota was an amazing leader, and the way that there were several things that made him a great leader, but he wasn't about pomp and circumstance. He wasn't about being seen. He was very much about moving the team forward, having real conversations about what was coming up and and and how to strategize and how to get through things. And he was, it comes right again to like, what Johnson just really about being a good listener and and being like being there for his team. And he really stood for how he so cliche, went to bat for his team, but, but he, he really did, and so that's been a big mark for me as to what makes a good leader is that they're, they're part of the team, and I see their team members as valuable. Yeah.
Dina Simon 32:35
Absolutely love that legacy. What does legacy mean to you?
Speaker 2 32:41
I love this question, because for me, legacy is almost like an energy, and it's the influence that you create and leave behind, and it just keeps emanating out. So for me, Legacy isn't about having your name on a football field or, you know, having something named after you. It's it's about how how you lived your life, how you treated others, how your existence made life better for other people and the world. So in whatever your special little way was, it doesn't have to be this big, significant way. But for me, it's it's exactly that. And so I think about my my grandparents, and the legacy they had with their friends, their fellow dancers, with my family. And it doesn't need to be that their names are always remembered in history. It's the the way they approached life and how that carries on. So that's, that's my soapbox. It's
Speaker 1 34:10
great though. Yeah, love that very, very nicely said.
Dina Simon 34:15
Any other seeds that you want to share about that you're planting for the future of win, win, and networking and the 50 fun things,
Speaker 2 34:23
sure, sure. Well, I have started, just started, to train some other facilitators in using those methods. And it's been really fun for me to see them lead. Or I don't always see that, you know, I don't actually see it, necessarily, but to know that the work is getting out in the world and it's a ripple effect. Yeah, exactly, and, and it's the people that are attracted to this way of networking or this way of self discovery, they they come to me, and it's a good match, and it's. For me, that does feel like legacy building, because I feel like the work will continue on. It'll evolve, it'll change. It'll be called something different. But that feels really important
Dina Simon 35:12
to me. I love that. That's amazing. Yay. So in our show notes, we're gonna make sure people know, like, how to get in touch with you, how to do the 50 fun things, but it that you're trying to get other facilitators out there all of that, that's amazing. And then, do you have any retreats that are on the calendar for the rest of this year or early next year?
Speaker 2 35:31
I a private one, but not, you know, for a group, for a team, but I don't have any scheduled right now that are open to individual registrations. Instead, what I've been doing is I have a list of people who have expressed interest in wanting to do one, and so it will happen sometime soon. But the easiest way to follow me is my my personal profile on LinkedIn. I'm pretty active on there, and the Win Win connects.com website. It's, it's going through some updating, but it has the general information, and you can always contact me and and be part of the evolution of joy and connection. Yay.
Dina Simon 36:18
Well, Theresa, you like, reached out, and we know we've known each other in the community for a long time, but we and we have mutual connections, and so thank you for actually being interested to being a guest on our podcast. It's been an honor to have you, and we are so excited that it really was serendipity and it worked out that this is our 50th episode. I couldn't be more thrilled, especially since you were a key part of my 50th birthday year, and you probably didn't know that, like, I think I messaged you a little bit in the beginning of it, but that I really did stick with it and crossed off all my 50s stuff. And I turned 55 next year, and I plan to bring it back out. I should have been doing it every year, but I do plan to bring it back out next
Speaker 2 36:59
year. Oh yeah. Definitely bring it back out. Amazing things will happen. Yes, awesome. Well, anything else that you wanted our podcast listeners to know about you? No, I just had a really good time, and I would love to hear from listeners if there's something in particular that stood out for you. Send me a message on LinkedIn or send me an email. It's always great to get feedback on what matters, what what part stood out
Speaker 1 37:24
for you. I have one kind of quick question, and it may be an unfair question, but out of all the travels that you've done, is there one place that you just say I just have to either keep going back there or I want to go back there once again,
Speaker 2 37:41
yes, yes, yes, yes, oh, I knew that I would want to go to Costa Rica. I had, you know, of course, I had not been there, and my son went with a friend, and I saw his photos, and anybody that had ever talked to who was from Costa Rica, who had visited, just talked about that Pura Vida perspective on on living life fully, you know, through the hard times at good times like you just embrace it for what it is. And so I had actually, because I regularly do my own chart, you know, 50 fun things chart. And so I had put that I wanted to either lead or facilitate a retreat in Costa Rica. And then my bookkeeper said, oh, did you know that our common connection is planning to lead a retreat in Costa Rica? And so then I ended up facilitating as part of her retreat. And and then when I was there at the retreat center, I just felt it in my bones, like I will be back doing a retreat here. And the the owner of the retreat center said she had the same feeling. She's like, Oh, you could do 50 fun things for an entire week. And like, I know. And so, so I, I You asked if this place that I would love to go back, I've actually even thought, like, what would it be like to be an expat? And so I know some people who are and it's, it's fun to think about, but it is just so beautiful and nourishing in every way. And it's like to carry that, that Pura Vida spirit anywhere
Dina Simon 39:31
nice. I've heard that I have not been, John, have you been?
Speaker 1 39:35
No, I, you know, I've never been. I have multiple friends that have been there multiple times, and they speak so highly of it. Yet, the education system, the health system, yes, the different activities that you have, the forest and everyone that has gone has come back totally amazed.
Speaker 2 39:58
It's beyond Paris. Paradise, the animals, the the plants, the flowers, the the freshness of the food, the everything is just incredible.
Dina Simon 40:11
All right, well, you're making me want to go. No, I'm glad I asked a question, because yeah,
Speaker 3 40:15
maybe we need to get a group of people to go to Costa Rica. Thank you. Thanks. Retreat. Yes, we need to get 50 people.
Unknown Speaker 40:22
Oh, no, we don't need 50,
Dina Simon 40:26
but we could use the five somehow. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, yes. Oh, there you go. Let's do 50 days. I love that. Oh my gosh. Well, thank you again. Theresa, what an honor to have you on our 50th episode. Thank you
Speaker 4 40:41
so much. Dina and John had a great time. So great. Great meeting you. Great to meet you too.
Dina Simon 40:47
I would like to thank Theresa Thomas for being on our 50th episode. So fun that that worked out. She is the founder of Win Win connects and the creator of 50 fun things. We'll make sure you know how to check her out in the show notes. As always, I'd like to thank my father in law, John Simon, for being my co host, and we are proud to be a part of the C suite radio and until we talk again, you
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
John, welcome to Simon Says, inspire a podcast about life, leadership and building legacies. I'm John Simon, SR and I'm Dina Simon. Our guest today is Theresa Thomas. Theresa is a connector facilitator and author, with over 25 years of experience helping people build authentic, joyful connections. She is also the founder of Win Win connects, and the creator of 50 fun things. Teresa, welcome to our podcast. Hey,
Teresa 0:37
can't believe that I'm actually here, and when Dina and I met, I don't even think there was such thing as a podcast, right? We would have never imagined this. This is great.
Speaker 1 0:45
So if you could, Theresa, take a second maybe tell our listening audience a little bit about yourself, where you live, and maybe what you like to do in your spare time.
Speaker 2 0:54
Sure. Well, I live in the Twin Cities metro area, but I absolutely love to travel, so I downsized, so I can just lock up and go when that calls to me. And the thing that I love to do when I'm not working well, my very favorite thing is I love, love, love, love to dance. It's when I feel the most grounded and centered and everything is good in my world if I can dance. So that's an important thing for me. What kind of dance i Well, I for exercise. I do something called Mia, which is a combination of martial arts, healing arts and modern dance. And then I also do swing dancing and freestyle dancing. You know, anything? Prince gets me dancing fun. You can't see it, of course, on the podcast, but I'm wearing my prince shirt because, you know, it's Prince week here in Minneapolis.
Dina Simon 1:53
It is Prince week. I love it now.
Speaker 1 1:55
Is that something you did growing up? Were you part of a dance program somewhere?
Speaker 2 1:59
I was not part of a dance program, but my grandparents were big time into square dancing and doing the shoddish and polka and waltz and all of that kind of thing. And so I grew up seeing them do that, dancing with them, and then starting, probably in middle school realizing that I like freestyle dancing as well. So So yeah, it's been, it's been part of my life for a long time. I love that that's so
Dina Simon 2:31
awesome. I love that,
Speaker 1 2:33
you know, you're our 50th episode. And in saying that you're the first one, you know, we always ask people what they like to do. You're the first one to to say dancing is is what I love doing. Well,
Dina Simon 2:47
yeah, so that's awesome. We're going to talk about a lot of things in this quick podcast, but the 50th episode, how serendipity is that? So that we need our listening audience to know this was not planned. We actually Theresa, so John and I had talked about, so my brother in law, the other John Simon. So John Simon Jr, we've talked about having John Jr be like on our 50th and we just haven't gotten that scheduled. So then when we were getting things lined up, and I sent your picture over to get the podcast artwork done. I'm like, Oh my gosh, Theresa is going to be our 50th podcast. And so why don't we just kind of go right into for a second what 50 means to you and why that's so serendipity.
Speaker 2 3:34
Well, my friends do call me the synchronicity queen. So when something like this happens, I was like, yep, that's just, you know, confirmation that everything's aligned and on the right path. And so 50 does mean a lot to me. I didn't know 50 was going to become so important, but when I was approaching my 50th birthday, I had a big kind of like, what in the heck are you doing time? We won't call it a midlife crisis. I like to call it midlife awareness. But I just evaluated what I was doing with my life, and how I was showing up and how I was not speaking up in the way I said I would. And and so even though at that time it was about my 50th birthday, 50 has become an important number to me, because at that time I started something called 50 fun things for myself. And 50 seems like this huge number, but it's almost like when you try to come up with 50 things, you lighten up and you're just like, oh, sure, just throw that in there. Oh yeah, I'll try that where, if you think, like, Oh, my top three goals. Then then it's like, kind of serious and like, Oh, I gotta achieve this. And so something opened up with that 50. D number, and I use it all the time now for, you know, planning a new service, or where I want like to live or travel, or what I would want a relationship, all those kinds of things. I started thinking about, can I come up with 50 fun things about this, what I would most want this to feel like, and and you probably noticed I said the word feel like, even though it's things, it's really about mindset, experiential. Yeah, experiential, all that and so. And it doesn't have to actually be 50. You just start thinking about like, hey, what? What do I want? How do I want to feel? How do I want to show up? And so that number, yeah, it's, it feels special. It
Dina Simon 5:48
is special, well. And I turned 50 in 21 so in the in the pandemic, so you had already started to launch the 50 fun things. And so I grabbed a hold of it, and I planned 50 fun things to do in my 50th year. And so much of it was about Connect. It was about connecting. So it was during the pandemic, so it was like, I wanted to have quality time with so and so, and quality time with so and so that that was super fascinating, even just to go back and take a look at, because during the pandemic, it was also how wide my network was, because it wasn't that I had to go see so and so in person, because maybe I couldn't, but I at least was going to be intent on having a zoom and reconnect with people. And so I loved the exercise. And if you really think about it. It's less than one
Speaker 2 6:41
thing per week per year, right? Exactly? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I love that you shared how you used it during the pandemic. You know, you could look at it as, oh, I'm 50 years old, and it's during the pandemic. Woe is me. What a horrible year. But instead you shifted to okay, it's not going to be how I expected it to be, but what intention Can I set for how I want to feel and I want to connect with these people, and I love how you use that for that mindset shift of inviting joy, inviting connection, and that illustrates perfectly, like kind of what comes up from that?
Dina Simon 7:23
Yes. So John, you saw something else in her bio about 50?
Speaker 1 7:28
Yeah, I said you, you were named a 50, over 50, exemplary leader by AARP and Women in Business Champion by the SBA in Minnesota. So another thing that happened to you? Yeah,
Speaker 2 7:41
oh, wow, John. It seems so obvious now, but I never put together the 50 over 50 fitting with a 50, which is that's funny, yes, yes. That 50, I guess, does keep showing up in different ways. And those were both very much an honor. And I would say that the fact that I got both of those in the same year is testament to when you are in your zone and when you are aligned, things just click, and other people see your potential, and even more than you do yourself, maybe, and because all that stuff happened in a in a pretty short period of time, and I think it's just riding that wave of okay, this is I'm on it. I'm on it,
Dina Simon 8:40
I'm going to keep going.
Speaker 1 8:42
It's funny you say that because during the pandemic, my daughter sent me a gift for Christmas that she didn't know if I'd like it or not. And of course, I got into it, and I really enjoyed it. But every week I received a question for 50 weeks from a company, and I ended up publishing a book whenever. And it was questions like, What was your first job? You know, where did you? Where have you moved to? And just 50 questions. And if you didn't like a question, you could let them know, and they would send you a different one. But I think I only did that one time. But you know, who were some of your best friends as you were growing up and everything. And I, what I would do is I would look at it, and I on a Monday, they would come, and I would let it percolate all week long. And on Sunday, when I came home from church, I would sit there and I'd write my story, but I had all week to think about it, and I'd write down little notes, and I'd take like a yellow sticky pad and write a little note about it. When I was finished, we had four copies made, and each of the kids got one, and they can pass that down to their children too.
Speaker 2 9:49
That is absolutely beautiful. I love that type of thing, so it's a gift, but it just ripples out, and it gets you thinking, and you. Your family gets to know more about you. And I mean, it even ties in with what you know, what you focus on in your podcast, with building a legacy and and that as a tool to help you to capture those stories.
Speaker 1 10:14
That's really how we started the podcast, because sitting the Dina is at the table one night, and Dina, you can tell the
Dina Simon 10:21
story, yeah. And so my nephew, John's grandson, was up here playing baseball for Hamlin. And so John came up from Texas to see Jake, and we were sitting around our dining room table having dinner, and John and I liked to talk shop. And Jake was like, Hey, I have not heard any of these stories before. And as John and I got talking, all the grandkids have just known him as grandpa because he retired when the oldest grandchild, I think Maddie, was one and and so they didn't know him as a president of a major organization. And this awesome leader. And so my husband rich, said, You and dad should write a book. And I said, No, I want to do a podcast. And so John leaned in, so let's do it. But that book also, you know, John, you had just, I think, kind of wrapped up. I think we got the we had, you wrapped up that by then I think you had, and so you had already given us the book for Christmas, and so that, just again, like the legacy story, and sharing those stories was very top of mind for him as well. So just it was a natural progression. Yeah, super fun. So the piece of that book and will, I loved that the book, it was awesome. And then John also, it was such a gift to us, but it also to like your siblings, because it was about your childhood and the stories that you went back to remember. So it was super fun. So Theresa, when I moved here, it's 20 years in October that I moved back home, because I'm originally from here, and I moved here from California, and very early on, I went to a win, win networking event, like I remember that being one of my first things that I went to. I don't remember where it was in town, but I remember going to an event and thinking, wow, this awesome work that you had put together, and the wonderful women that were in that room. So talk a little bit about Win Win
Speaker 2 12:12
Well, first of all, that's really cool that we go back that far of how we met. And so Win Win connects has been an evolution of networking. It similar to 50 fun things. It found me. I wasn't didn't know that I that I wanted that and needed that in my life. And so it all started out where I had been a presenter for had women networking was the in person Twin Cities group and, and then they asked me to run it and, and they're like, Oh, it's just a few few hours a month. And, well, I love connecting people so much. It's just started growing, and kind of grew ahead of me. I'm like, okay, okay. And then we did that for years, and, you know, had an annual conference and an annual awards and a breakfast, a lunch and and lots and lots and lots. But it got to a point where I realized, okay, this is about networking, and I want to foster great connections. But what didn't feel like it was still part of the evolution. Was the the membership model of, you know, having monthly dues. And so there got to be a point, the summer before the pandemic, where I just thought, Okay, let's, let's just do really good events. And if people want to come, they'll come, and if they want to become regulars, they'll become regulars. And and not having it be about the food that's served or the venue, or trying to make sure that enough people registered to cover the minimum at a country club, and and, and so I was so grateful to have made that decision, because when the pandemic hit, everything, everybody, everything had to change. And if I was still trying to manage memberships at that time, I, I can't even imagine what that would have been like, just, you know, all the logistics of refunds, everything else. So I thought, okay, you set the intention. You just want to do really good events, so stay in the loop and start doing them online. And in the beginning, I'm like, Oh yeah, you know, nobody knew how long this was gonna last. Like, yeah, I'll just do once a week an event. It's free, just to keep in practice, like after he was like, Okay, maybe not every week, maybe once a month. Okay. Well, you know what? I think I got to start short. So it was an evolution, but it was super cool and and we keep talking about intention, the. Intention is so powerful, but I had set an intention that I wanted to expand my network and expand the influence of my work to be beyond the Twin Cities. And because everything became online, all of a sudden, my network became very national, and then International. And some of my favorite connections came from that I've never met in person, but are still really strong today. And it just is part of that whole evolution. You You adapt, you try new things, some things work, some things don't, and you just keep modifying and and finding your way so that that's the evolution of it. And, and I did create the umbrella, the business name Win. Win connects because I started having things like 50 fun things and and presenting for groups that weren't all women, you know. So, so that's the umbrella, you
Speaker 1 16:08
know what spec got to me as I took a look at the Win, win connects, and the creator of 50 fun things, the one word authenticity, and you are really big on that, just be authentic in what you do. Don't have to make up, just just be yourself.
Speaker 2 16:25
Well, a big part of that is I'm not what somebody would look at as a typical networker. I am somebody who I learned always ways of showing up and networking, and I'm an ambivert, and I like have meaningful conversation. I I'm not great with I mean, yes, I've taught myself how to do small talk, but my preference is to really get to know somebody, what motivates them, what they're excited about. And so I, I feel like, for all we know, we get one life and and better to show up being who we are and having real connection and supporting others to be who they really are. Then to try to be something you're not to make it. So I know that that viewpoint differs from a lot of people look at networking like, oh, I have to be fake. I have to show up slime. You have to be pushy. You have to be this. And what I say is that you don't have to be like everybody else, but you find what works for you and moves you forward on your goals and is successful on your terms.
Speaker 1 17:55
And I always like to say that, you know, God was brilliant in giving us two ears and one mouth so we could listen twice as much as we talk, and listening to other people, I enjoyed that more than just about anything, hearing stories and yeah, remembering them, so the next time you see them, you can you, and they say, Wow, you did listen to me whenever I talked to you. Yes,
Speaker 2 18:18
and John, that is so important, because when I give networking presentations or workshops, that's one of the biggest fears is, well, I don't know, you know what if I don't know what to say, or what if I say the wrong thing and like, you know what they're going to remember you more for how you listen to them and how relevant you were in your responses, versus you showing up and and saying your introduction in a very structured, perfect way. So I feel like what you know, like you were saying, John, the stories are, are what connect us. The you know, what lights us up, connects us.
Speaker 1 18:56
And I believe most people love hearing other people's stories, because we generally care about each other,
Dina Simon 19:01
yeah and yes, so to hear somebody else's story. The other part is Theresa, you kind of talked about this. So in showing up authentically, we also have to do the work to kind of know who we are. And so how do we show up authentically, versus, you know, made up into somebody that some we think other people want us to be but then, from a networking and a relationship building perspective is we want to hear people's stories. We want to lean in. We want to help people move forward on stuff. So we just need to know how to help them. So if somebody is looking for, whether it be a job or, Hey, I'm thinking of downsizing so I can go travel like, you know, just whatever it is to help them move their life forward, being able to communicate that and connect people that have gone through that path and to, you know, to then make those connections. That's how the world should work.
Speaker 2 19:55
Yes, I agree and and authenticity. I'm kind. Instantly learning. Like, what does that mean? Like, you know, I when I was younger, I thought authenticity meant I needed to share everything about if you asked me, I would just tell you like, no, no that, you know, say everything but showing up as your best, true self and in specifically with networking you're doing networking you're doing to move forward on something in your life. And so being intentional about that, while you're being authentic, makes a makes a big difference.
Dina Simon 20:34
And internationally, you are doing some retreats. And we have not talked about this, but we have some mutual friends that I have heard that you do these fantastic retreats. Do you want to talk a little
Speaker 2 20:44
bit about that? Yeah, well, this is another part of the evolution. Is after I started 50 fun things I had put on my chart, that I wanted to travel quarterly, that I wanted to get cool work gigs and interesting places and and my inner critics, like, Who do you think you are? And And right away, somebody in the workshop said, Oh my gosh, I I want you to do this at my retreat in Italy. And all of a sudden, we got to do that three times before the pandemic hit. Facilitated for a Retreat in Maui and in Costa Rica. And then last year, I led my own 50 fun things retreat, which is all like the whole week. It was so fun putting together that just I was on cloud nine. I It was a peak experience for me in my life. But it was funny, because, you know, those, those last couple retreats have happened since the pandemic, but you know, you we think we're on a path. So before the pandemic was like, Oh, my new life is traveling the world on retreats, facilitating again. And then the pandemic hit was like, no, no. Not necessarily so, but I do. I love facilitating retreats and and I'm starting to do more of those locally as well, or get where I used to do them a long, long, long time ago before my business, and I'm getting back to doing them locally. And there's just something really lovely about basically the way I operate is I love to bring really good people together, to get them connected, get them talking, get their ideas flowing, and for really great things to happen because of the ways that they're connecting. And a retreat is just so wonderful because you have this a setting and time that takes you away from the day to day, where you can really focus and not be rushed and think through what what matters,
Speaker 1 22:44
as you say with the authenticity that's when it really comes out. Whenever you have that time together, you're together from seven o'clock in the morning till 10 or 11 o'clock at night, and nobody can put a show on for that many hours. You have to, you have to be yourself whenever you're with someone that long.
Unknown Speaker 23:04
Yes, that's a good, very good point,
Dina Simon 23:06
exactly. So talk to us a little bit about leadership. So our podcast is about life, leadership and building legacies. So so much of what you do is teaching people, even in the networking, but really like how to lead themselves, how to show up, how to possibly lead others. But what does the good or great leadership mean to you? Good or great leadership
Speaker 2 23:27
to me, means that you are making an impact, an influence, more than than a power play, that it's something I mean, again, this is, in my eyes, leadership is where you're part of moving things forward, and you don't even have to be seen as the pinnacle, that it's just you're gathering, the the motivation, the dedication to move a concept or a business, anything really forward in a way that serves the group and not just yourself.
Speaker 1 24:21
I know one of the things I used to think about whenever I ran the business that I did is, number one, to be a good listener to people, and number two, don't make emotional decisions. Yes, think about things before you make a decision.
Speaker 2 24:36
Okay, this sounds weird, but I used, I used to actually have I put as a recurring event on my calendar? Do not make important decisions on Sunday evenings, just because I knew that I wasn't at my best quiz on Sunday evenings, because I started getting anxious about, like, Okay, what's coming up this week? And so I was like, okay, you know what you make really. Really good decisions, Tuesdays through Fridays and Mondays, you're just ramping up. And so there's also that self awareness of, like, when you operate at your best and and maximizing,
Dina Simon 25:16
yes, knowing that I agree, totally agree, and we haven't talked about this, but I had a 24 hour rule where if, like, a team member brought me something, and it was like, Okay, I probably need give me all the information, you know, if it was a major decision, let me kind of think on it, because I, you know, I'm a high di and disc, and I can move fast, but if I needed to make a really important decision, how would I go slow to go fast and really try and make sure that I had the information, and I would have people come to me saying, Okay, no, you can't use your train for hours, like we need to make a decision faster. And I'd be like, okay, but that was common language, then that we had that we could talk through. That was powerful. But, and John, what you're talking about is emotional intelligence, which is, you know, a buzz and whatever, and we train on it, but, but you did that back in the day like you knew you I need to really think through this, because it's going to impact the business, it's going to impact people, and we need to make sure that we've thought through it definitely
Speaker 2 26:13
well. And if you're, I'm I'm the type of person that I get so excited by things that when I'm in that excitement zone, I feel like I can do anything, and the time is limitless and and so your thought about waiting 24 hours and pausing, that that has served me well, because otherwise I get buried by saying yes to too Many things,
Unknown Speaker 26:40
and most of us type A personalities want to be problem solvers.
Speaker 2 26:43
Yeah, yeah, that's true. We do
Unknown Speaker 26:47
kind of inherited that.
Dina Simon 26:49
It is Theresa. We haven't asked this question in a while, but in honor of our 50th I think we should bring this back. So what would you tell your younger self?
Speaker 2 26:57
Oh, there's so much I would tell my younger self. I would tell my younger self, the entire world is not thinking about how you said something or that you tripped or that you're awkward or anything else. Everybody's worried about their own thing, and you are not the spotlight of everybody else. So growing up, I was pretty fearful of how I would be accepted or not and and it impacted how I would show up, you know, being the people people pleaser. And honestly, when you're a people pleaser, I learned that you are not your authentic self, because you actually get into a place where you forget, where you don't know who you are, because you are accommodating so much for other people. And so I would, I would tell my younger self that to be bolder, to SET set boundaries and speak your voice early on, and that it's not about having people like you, but it's about people treating each other, right, and so that that's something that I wish I could go back and tell myself,
Dina Simon 28:33
well, you just did.
Speaker 1 28:35
That's true. I've said it on a few of the podcasts that you know when you when you're in that position, you know not everyone's going to like you, but they have to respect you. And how do you get the respect you earn that it's not it's given because you have a title. You earn that. But by the way you treat people every day? Yeah,
Speaker 2 28:56
my former virtual assistant, I remember her saying something to the effect of that, it's more important to be respected than liked. And at that time, that was a long time, it was probably when I met you, Dina, almost 20 years ago, where I was like, Oh yeah, yeah. Not everybody is going to like me or like the way I do things, but do it well, do it right, use my skills and the right people will will know what's right for them.
Dina Simon 29:26
Right? I'm looking at just some of our notes prior to getting on the podcast, and one of the things, and I think that goes back to like, connection. So you said, you know, one of the things like how connection is overlooked in leadership strength. So as a leader, connecting with your people, and it doesn't mean that they have to be your friend. But how are you connecting with individuals you know? To understand what motivates them, how to meet them where they're at, how to help them move forward, but truly connecting in that in a meaningful way, anything else that you'd add to that.
Speaker 2 29:59
Yes, I have a colleague who has, Kelly Mackin motives met, and she's done a lot of research into what motivates people, individuals, and how they show up on teams. And I would add that, and I've learned this from her is that part of really listening is also understanding what motivates someone. So it's being a good leader, is knowing what will be a meaningful pathway for someone and and not assuming that everybody wants to be treated in exactly the same way. And so that was, that was a really cool insight to realize that, I mean, I guess I knew it, but to really think about the fact that we are not all wired the same way for how we excel, and especially when it comes to workplace motivation and fulfillment, it really ties in with what our personal motivators are,
Dina Simon 31:09
absolutely, absolutely, um, what are some ways that you've seen leaders do that Well, like connect with people.
Speaker 2 31:17
Well, my my my former supervisor at the University of Minnesota was an amazing leader, and the way that there were several things that made him a great leader, but he wasn't about pomp and circumstance. He wasn't about being seen. He was very much about moving the team forward, having real conversations about what was coming up and and and how to strategize and how to get through things. And he was, it comes right again to like, what Johnson just really about being a good listener and and being like being there for his team. And he really stood for how he so cliche, went to bat for his team, but, but he, he really did, and so that's been a big mark for me as to what makes a good leader is that they're, they're part of the team, and I see their team members as valuable. Yeah.
Dina Simon 32:35
Absolutely love that legacy. What does legacy mean to you?
Speaker 2 32:41
I love this question, because for me, legacy is almost like an energy, and it's the influence that you create and leave behind, and it just keeps emanating out. So for me, Legacy isn't about having your name on a football field or, you know, having something named after you. It's it's about how how you lived your life, how you treated others, how your existence made life better for other people and the world. So in whatever your special little way was, it doesn't have to be this big, significant way. But for me, it's it's exactly that. And so I think about my my grandparents, and the legacy they had with their friends, their fellow dancers, with my family. And it doesn't need to be that their names are always remembered in history. It's the the way they approached life and how that carries on. So that's, that's my soapbox. It's
Speaker 1 34:10
great though. Yeah, love that very, very nicely said.
Dina Simon 34:15
Any other seeds that you want to share about that you're planting for the future of win, win, and networking and the 50 fun things,
Speaker 2 34:23
sure, sure. Well, I have started, just started, to train some other facilitators in using those methods. And it's been really fun for me to see them lead. Or I don't always see that, you know, I don't actually see it, necessarily, but to know that the work is getting out in the world and it's a ripple effect. Yeah, exactly, and, and it's the people that are attracted to this way of networking or this way of self discovery, they they come to me, and it's a good match, and it's. For me, that does feel like legacy building, because I feel like the work will continue on. It'll evolve, it'll change. It'll be called something different. But that feels really important
Dina Simon 35:12
to me. I love that. That's amazing. Yay. So in our show notes, we're gonna make sure people know, like, how to get in touch with you, how to do the 50 fun things, but it that you're trying to get other facilitators out there all of that, that's amazing. And then, do you have any retreats that are on the calendar for the rest of this year or early next year?
Speaker 2 35:31
I a private one, but not, you know, for a group, for a team, but I don't have any scheduled right now that are open to individual registrations. Instead, what I've been doing is I have a list of people who have expressed interest in wanting to do one, and so it will happen sometime soon. But the easiest way to follow me is my my personal profile on LinkedIn. I'm pretty active on there, and the Win Win connects.com website. It's, it's going through some updating, but it has the general information, and you can always contact me and and be part of the evolution of joy and connection. Yay.
Dina Simon 36:18
Well, Theresa, you like, reached out, and we know we've known each other in the community for a long time, but we and we have mutual connections, and so thank you for actually being interested to being a guest on our podcast. It's been an honor to have you, and we are so excited that it really was serendipity and it worked out that this is our 50th episode. I couldn't be more thrilled, especially since you were a key part of my 50th birthday year, and you probably didn't know that, like, I think I messaged you a little bit in the beginning of it, but that I really did stick with it and crossed off all my 50s stuff. And I turned 55 next year, and I plan to bring it back out. I should have been doing it every year, but I do plan to bring it back out next
Speaker 2 36:59
year. Oh yeah. Definitely bring it back out. Amazing things will happen. Yes, awesome. Well, anything else that you wanted our podcast listeners to know about you? No, I just had a really good time, and I would love to hear from listeners if there's something in particular that stood out for you. Send me a message on LinkedIn or send me an email. It's always great to get feedback on what matters, what what part stood out
Speaker 1 37:24
for you. I have one kind of quick question, and it may be an unfair question, but out of all the travels that you've done, is there one place that you just say I just have to either keep going back there or I want to go back there once again,
Speaker 2 37:41
yes, yes, yes, yes, oh, I knew that I would want to go to Costa Rica. I had, you know, of course, I had not been there, and my son went with a friend, and I saw his photos, and anybody that had ever talked to who was from Costa Rica, who had visited, just talked about that Pura Vida perspective on on living life fully, you know, through the hard times at good times like you just embrace it for what it is. And so I had actually, because I regularly do my own chart, you know, 50 fun things chart. And so I had put that I wanted to either lead or facilitate a retreat in Costa Rica. And then my bookkeeper said, oh, did you know that our common connection is planning to lead a retreat in Costa Rica? And so then I ended up facilitating as part of her retreat. And and then when I was there at the retreat center, I just felt it in my bones, like I will be back doing a retreat here. And the the owner of the retreat center said she had the same feeling. She's like, Oh, you could do 50 fun things for an entire week. And like, I know. And so, so I, I You asked if this place that I would love to go back, I've actually even thought, like, what would it be like to be an expat? And so I know some people who are and it's, it's fun to think about, but it is just so beautiful and nourishing in every way. And it's like to carry that, that Pura Vida spirit anywhere
Dina Simon 39:31
nice. I've heard that I have not been, John, have you been?
Speaker 1 39:35
No, I, you know, I've never been. I have multiple friends that have been there multiple times, and they speak so highly of it. Yet, the education system, the health system, yes, the different activities that you have, the forest and everyone that has gone has come back totally amazed.
Speaker 2 39:58
It's beyond Paris. Paradise, the animals, the the plants, the flowers, the the freshness of the food, the everything is just incredible.
Dina Simon 40:11
All right, well, you're making me want to go. No, I'm glad I asked a question, because yeah,
Speaker 3 40:15
maybe we need to get a group of people to go to Costa Rica. Thank you. Thanks. Retreat. Yes, we need to get 50 people.
Unknown Speaker 40:22
Oh, no, we don't need 50,
Dina Simon 40:26
but we could use the five somehow. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, yes. Oh, there you go. Let's do 50 days. I love that. Oh my gosh. Well, thank you again. Theresa, what an honor to have you on our 50th episode. Thank you
Speaker 4 40:41
so much. Dina and John had a great time. So great. Great meeting you. Great to meet you too.
Dina Simon 40:47
I would like to thank Theresa Thomas for being on our 50th episode. So fun that that worked out. She is the founder of Win Win connects and the creator of 50 fun things. We'll make sure you know how to check her out in the show notes. As always, I'd like to thank my father in law, John Simon, for being my co host, and we are proud to be a part of the C suite radio and until we talk again, you
Transcribed by https://otter.ai