S4E33: How 'Hockey with the Stars 2026' Doubled Its Impact in One Year

In this episode, Brent and Juliet discuss the impactful 'Hockey with the Stars 2026' event, its growth, and its mission to support dyslexic individuals. Brent shares inspiring stories of community, resilience, and the importance of making dyslexics feel seen and heard.

 

Chapters

 

00:00 Introduction and Mental Check-In

02:06 Hockey with the Stars: Event Overview

06:00 The Growth of the Event

11:59 Creating a Unique Experience

17:50 The Foundation's Mission and Impact

24:02 Personal Stories and Connections

29:56 Looking Ahead: Future Events

 

Transcript

 

00:00:07:02 - 00:00:12:10

Unknown

How are you feeling mentally and physically?

 

00:00:12:12 - 00:00:41:11

Unknown

The million dollar question physically, like I'm 990 922. So this weekend. So this episode is going out this week. So you guys, I'm sure you're following on the social media because we had the hockey With the stars 2026. So it's second year in a row that this is a has come about. And I'm going to I have I have my favorite things to do.

 

00:00:41:12 - 00:00:56:11

Unknown

And what like if anyone's watching this because now you can watch on YouTube. I mean you can watch on YouTube, but on Spotify and Apple, we're going to have that feature. I don't know if it's going to be in this season, but it's definitely going to be a next season. So if you do want to watch Brent's expression to the next thing, I'm going to say it's only a face.

 

00:00:56:11 - 00:01:14:03

Unknown

Some other love. You don't need to. You don't need to. Look, you can just listen. You're gonna oh stop. You're going to go to YouTube. So I'm going to do my favorite thing. And I've been really excited about this episode because I have so many questions. Hopefully. So I knew that that was the reaction we're going to get.

 

00:01:14:04 - 00:01:44:18

Unknown

So I want to start from the beginning. So hockey with the stars 2026. The second year it doubled in size. I want to I want to you to go back. And I'm going to preface this because I remember first becoming friends and talking about all the things with the foundation and different groups that we always were like, I'm sure there's more dyslexics that they don't know X, Y and Z, and unions and trades were one of them.

 

00:01:44:18 - 00:02:03:08

Unknown

And I remember back in the day you saying I would always I would love to do something to support them and get the word out. You know, that you have the foundation. And now I want to fast forward like, how did this all come about? Can you take us like let's go down memory lane. Down memory lane. Yeah.

 

00:02:03:09 - 00:02:32:19

Unknown

So again we're going to see another expression rather than yesterday I don't remember. So I so I think I know the answer. So if you need me to fill in stuff I can fill it up. Okay. When it comes to, to events and, I'm growing things, I always try and attack it very differently than anybody else for, you know, for different reasons.

 

00:02:32:19 - 00:02:58:16

Unknown

One, you know, you sent me a post just recently where it said dyslexia is hitting its 150th anniversary. Oh my God, I know. I was like, so. Why am I going to do the same thing? It clearly hasn't worked for 150 years, so I'm not going to continue doing it the same way, right? So we talk about this all the time.

 

00:02:58:17 - 00:03:24:00

Unknown

It hasn't been changed in 150 years from doing the same, doing it the same way. So trying to attack, you know, very differently as we do on a daily basis. But events, you know, there's there's a million events out there. It's if it's a golf event, you know, there's 10,322 golf events a weekend, right. How do you stand out?

 

00:03:24:01 - 00:03:28:13

Unknown

How do you want to come back?

 

00:03:28:15 - 00:03:52:09

Unknown

There's there's all star weekends. There's kind of celebrity, kind of tournaments like this. You know, they do some of these kind of things, you know, in Canada. But here in the US, there's nobody that does it the way we do and kind of mimic that for the police fire. You know, they always have their hockey games.

 

00:03:52:11 - 00:04:13:23

Unknown

I think they do baseball games or softball softball games, right? Yeah. Yeah, I think so. But they're always fighting. They're always fighting. They hate each other. So needed to, to separate that. But you know, I had had somebody, you know, send me an email. Why don't we do, kind of game with the stars and then more.

 

00:04:14:02 - 00:04:34:18

Unknown

You know, that was a good idea. And then we morphed it into getting the unions to each put a team in so that, you know, they can chirp each other all year long. They're at a job site, and we got the belt. We kick your ass in the final. Again, we are in Chicago, so it's not like we're in Arizona.

 

00:04:34:18 - 00:05:02:02

Unknown

We're in Florida where nobody plays hockey, right? Three quarters of people probably in the unions here, you know, in Chicago, you know, played hockey at some point in time. They know no hockey. But, figured it'd be pretty, pretty easy. But for most of the unions, at least the bigger unions, to be able to put a team. And, you know, there's some real all unions with, you know, 50 guys, you know, you might be tough, but the bigger unions should be able to put a team together.

 

00:05:02:02 - 00:05:31:04

Unknown

And there's a lot of unions. So but again, to the key point was that there's no other industry that is affected more with dyslexia than the trades. So you know, it was just a it was a perfect fit to put a game together for hockey being Chicago unions where they could put their teams in and being. You sure?

 

00:05:31:06 - 00:05:52:09

Unknown

Well, I mean, it is though. I mean, like you you get the game and you play. Yeah, yeah. And then bells get so you know stars you know former pro players to come out. It's it's always funny. You know I have had 10,000,300 of these conversations. I could have went pro I just bombed near one to many concussions.

 

00:05:52:10 - 00:06:21:22

Unknown

Yeah. So you really get on the ice with the program for the pro and that's think probably one of the best things about it is when they get on the ice, like, whoa, whoa. Holy shit. He's he's big boy. He shoot hard or wow, that part like it's a different story which seeing things on TV. But you get knocked on the ice surface with guys who played and we had a great bunch of guys.

 

00:06:22:00 - 00:06:45:06

Unknown

I think every guy that was on the ice as a pro played in the NHL. Right? And how many guys, how many, how many pros came out when we end up having when we have 14. Okay. Well 14. So the goal is always to have one on the ice at all times, like one on the team at all times.

 

00:06:45:06 - 00:07:15:01

Unknown

And and sometimes there is to the final. The championship game ended up being the carpenters against the Pipefitters, and they both teams had two pros and the carpenters end up winning and they got the championship belt. And I know one of the one of the guys had a wedding after. So he took the championship belt with them to the wedding.

 

00:07:15:01 - 00:07:33:07

Unknown

And I heard as I was walking on the dressing room, the head of the the carpenters, not the union, but the guy that was in charge of putting the team together and that kind of stuff I had. All right, boys, we'll figure out a schedule so everybody can get the belt. You know, like like it's like they want.

 

00:07:33:11 - 00:07:55:08

Unknown

Like they won the Stanley Stanley Cup. Yeah, they were partying. And like I said, the, the picture with him on the dance floor wedding with his suit and the belt on it. Oh, it was, it was, you know, it was a it was a great day from start to finish. Obviously a long day for you to, to to come in and help out.

 

00:07:55:09 - 00:08:27:03

Unknown

You know, Elizabeth, I appreciate that. And it went pretty, pretty seamlessly I think, you know obviously we always can look back and her that might thing you know the mic issue got me but that and that wasn't us right. That that was that was them. So that was kind of that was a facility. Yeah. But the, the bouncy houses, food trucks, that taco, that taco food truck is my absolute favorite.

 

00:08:27:09 - 00:08:42:18

Unknown

Yo, it's, I still haven't. We're two years deep and still never haven't had one. Oh my God. Okay, we got to get I mean, but we, we had we went out and I went and had a waffle. One waffle. Oh my God, I did not have one of those waffles I would have had like a diabetic heart attack.

 

00:08:42:19 - 00:09:04:15

Unknown

Not that I'm diabetic, but yeah, no, I but the story, the story was unique with him too. So it was like, oh, you got to have a meal. Watch everybody walking with these waffle waffles. They look look amazing. But yeah. So they got the guy who ran the waffle truck was from Belgium. He came here to Chicago and played and he played hockey.

 

00:09:04:15 - 00:09:24:13

Unknown

So he played hockey and a bunch of different plays into playing and had concussions. So he had to retire. But he came from Belgium. And his first ever event ever rink he played at was at the rink that we were at. Oh, oh oh. So, so this is what next year I want to do, like interviews with, with all the like the people that are like in the food trucks and stuff like that.

 

00:09:24:13 - 00:09:39:05

Unknown

So that is actually I love that, but that's great. You see, I love my wife and I love how she doesn't like to talk to people. But I don't know how she found a story about a guy in the food truck. Yeah, I love that because she likes to get stories too. Oh, Elizabeth, that's so amazing. I love that, but.

 

00:09:39:05 - 00:09:59:01

Unknown

So that must have been so nostalgic for him. Like like that's. Oh, I love that. Now, he was he was happy. But yeah, that was waffles were second to none. I know I, I now that you're saying. And I was like, damn, I should have had one of those. But that truck though the one of the sponsors.

 

00:09:59:03 - 00:10:23:15

Unknown

Yeah. Yeah. Guam. His Bobby's girlfriend is Mexican, and she's like, these are the best tacos. Like, are the best tacos. She's from Mexico. Like, she's. And they didn't. They were sitting beside each other in the sidewalk, not even talking to each other, just. Oh, in the. There. They're so good. The steak one is my favorite. Yeah.

 

00:10:23:17 - 00:10:48:07

Unknown

So good. So I want to say, like, a couple things as someone that I mean, I've been I was at the first one and then the second one. So that I want you also now to talk and then I'm going to interject and tell like the things that I love, from the first one, which I feel like that turnaround and correct me if I'm wrong, it was I remember you always saying that you wanted to do something.

 

00:10:48:07 - 00:11:07:06

Unknown

Then I remember you being like, guess what we're going to do? And I was like, oh my God, this is amazing. Like, this is so perfect. And it was half the size. So do you want to take us through from like last year to this year, what the difference were and like how quickly it grew and how I think it's going to grow even quicker.

 

00:11:07:06 - 00:11:26:17

Unknown

And we have other cities that are now like, hey, we want to be involved. And yeah, you know, it's again, you know, as guys, as testosterone, as egos, you know, we want to chirp and and, you know, right before the event.

 

00:11:26:19 - 00:11:48:01

Unknown

Tommy was golfing with some the ads of different unions and they were already starting to chirp, we're going to kick your ass. And that's what I wanted is you're on a job site and you see one of the guys you beat, sucker. Fuck you. I got the belt, you know? Yeah, guys do. Right. You know, we we don't compliment if we guys don't compliment each other.

 

00:11:48:01 - 00:12:11:11

Unknown

We chirpy if you like you. Right, right. Right right. Totally. Yeah. You did. Yeah. You did. You give me the hair and they sure they sure they were the opposite. So. But it was, you know, last year being the first one there was. We put it together pretty quickly. Yeah. There's a lot of hiccups, a lot of the things that we did long, a lot of things we did right.

 

00:12:11:12 - 00:12:31:08

Unknown

I wouldn't, you know, I guess. And no one on the outside. Yeah. They wanted to see it on the outside. It was the internal kind of making it. Yeah. Just, you know, make it better. But that was our first one. And this year, last year we, we had company sponsored the teams and we had, you know, everybody playing had to have a union card.

 

00:12:31:08 - 00:12:59:12

Unknown

So it was all types of unions playing on teams. This year we got the unions to sponsor each team. So that was that was the biggest difference that each team like the plumbers had to teams, carpenters, pipefitters, sprinkler sprinklers, ironworkers, heat, frost. They all had individual had their individual teams. So they knew each other. They're a part of it now.

 

00:12:59:14 - 00:13:21:05

Unknown

The championship belt goes and sits in Union Hall, the carpenters for the year. Now they get showed off. They take it to vents, do whatever. It's theirs. Yeah. So the difference is that last year we had all union players, but this year we had union teams. So it gave us a little, little more time to put those and put that back together.

 

00:13:21:05 - 00:13:47:04

Unknown

And we went from four teams last year to eight, no. Eight teams. We had to change ranks because it was obviously we went to a smaller rink last year because we only had four teams. We only had one, a surface. This year we had to rank with three for surfaces and the rink was. This ranks great for our event.

 

00:13:47:06 - 00:14:07:00

Unknown

It's perfect. The lobby shelves do bigger, parking lots is bigger for where we can have the food trucks and the bouncy houses and that kind of stuff for the kids. The lobbies spread out, a lot of us to have our room where we could put things into and keep things in, use it as a baby feeding area to.

 

00:14:07:00 - 00:14:34:04

Unknown

Yeah. For that baby. Yeah. So I think the rink was great. They did have a bar upstairs where you could, you could watch a game, allowed to have the, the pros have the room. So I think the rink was a perfect fit. You know, I think that's we'll continue having it there. Every year. And obviously the side note that, you know, the owner of the rink, obviously he is dyslexic.

 

00:14:34:04 - 00:14:56:11

Unknown

Right. So, maybe we can get him to play next year. But his wife was obviously, you know, was like, she was really pregnant, right? You know. So. Right. Yeah. Or you. No. Real small, two small kids and a really pregnant wife. So that's why he wasn't allowed to play. Right, right, right. But it always, you know, there's still things that we can we can, you know, it can improve on.

 

00:14:56:11 - 00:15:12:02

Unknown

But I think that's that rank going forward is and maybe next year it's adding two more teams. Maybe it's 1010 teams round. But I think, you know, everybody I talked to.

 

00:15:12:04 - 00:15:35:04

Unknown

Seemed to have a smile on their face. And, you know, everyone. That's probably the number one thing for me in the events that I try and put on is make everybody feel special, seen and heard and loved. I think every person I walked out of there, did it. Obviously so many people were thankful I had a great job.

 

00:15:35:04 - 00:15:54:05

Unknown

I'm sure they're all hating me today. I had the one guy he said, go going to call him my boss on Monday to tell him I can't make and I'm going to be way to saw. Oh, I know, it's so. One of those guys schedule was a little compact to keep it flowing. It would change a little bit and it it would lighten up that schedule if we added two more teams.

 

00:15:54:06 - 00:16:17:00

Unknown

Right. Next year. But some of the teams played three games in a row and kept them out of the bar. But I can tell you they after the game, they, they definitely went to the bar. Yeah, yeah. But we left whatever time that was. They were still outside 730. And then there were still people up at the bar when Dwight and I went to go, you know, get the signs down.

 

00:16:17:00 - 00:16:31:08

Unknown

So there was, there was still 20 plus people up there. Oh, yeah. There. Yeah. There's a couple of guys from the championship team. They're going up there. I saw them, they said, you, you coming up? I'm like, no, no, they're going to try and make it home right now I can't touch my toes because my back hurts so bad.

 

00:16:31:12 - 00:16:48:14

Unknown

Yeah. Did you see that screenshot. Because we're laying in bed. Oh my God, how much you know. So we both grab our phone and I'm like, see how many steps that we. Yeah. So. Right. Dwight and I were we were comparing our steps. I think we each had, like, I was like a little under 15. He was at 15.

 

00:16:48:14 - 00:17:08:15

Unknown

You were at 26, I think, or 20, 29. Oh 2930, 30,000 steps. Yeah. You did 30,000 steps in that one day. Yeah. Yeah. Was both only had 11. She said oh that's all right. Well she was because she did a lot of stuff at the you were manning all the front stuff. You know we're walking as far you were.

 

00:17:08:15 - 00:17:25:00

Unknown

You were still walking. But I don't think. Yeah. She didn't have to go all like she was doing a lot of stuff in the front. And everyone's now watching and listening. They're like, who are they talking to? Elizabeth's over next. We share it. We share an office. One day we know we got to get up early and get the dog fed.

 

00:17:25:00 - 00:17:45:19

Unknown

And she's she can't she doesn't take any calls in the morning. So we so we can record it. But it was then there's things that we can improve on. There's some you know obviously that email that came in yesterday morning that was one of the figure skating coaches. So can I, can I talk about the email. So we get an email.

 

00:17:45:19 - 00:18:04:17

Unknown

And it was a woman saying because we obviously got to the rink early to set up. And so she was watching the setup. And then she came back and just praised like, what a fun event. Everyone was so nice and she was just so excited. And also, this is all about the kid in the chair. So I'm going to go back to that.

 

00:18:04:17 - 00:18:23:11

Unknown

This is why Brant started the foundation. This is why we connected, because that has always been something that I want to help. The kid in the chair, Annie, dyslexic that wasn't seen and heard, wants to help the kid in the chair that understands. And so our mission is to bring awareness, but also do things like this because it brings the community together.

 

00:18:23:11 - 00:18:41:18

Unknown

It shows we're here. And when Brant said in the beginning, and I like I 100% understand what he's saying. When you were like, I just want everyone to feel seen and heard because you were not seen in heard, right? I was not seen and heard. And he disliked no dislikes is ever, ever heard. Right? So when they walk in there, they know they are, you know.

 

00:18:41:18 - 00:19:08:18

Unknown

And parents have always said to me, how did you get, you know, and then let's go back to little Olivia, right? You know, obviously Valerie love them team Red threads. But you know, the first time obviously she got a star box. We had that event in Indiana last year, and right away, you know, she was on ice.

 

00:19:08:20 - 00:19:29:17

Unknown

You know, I grabbed her hand and it was helping her skate, and I was like, she's never held the other guy's hand. Like, she would never do that. Well, because that's the connection. That's the understanding that that we have that I get it. And she knows I get it, and she knows she's got somebody. And like, that's probably the biggest thing.

 

00:19:29:19 - 00:19:54:20

Unknown

Everybody asks what is the foundation do? Where's the money go, where's the support. And one of the biggest things that we do is these events. These events aren't like any other events you're going to go to from the golf event to this event because there's a lot of love. Not and I'm not saying that there isn't any in other events.

 

00:19:54:20 - 00:20:12:20

Unknown

So let me be clear on that. Yeah. You're talking specifically to the Social Foundation event, you know, and it's the dyslexics know that they're understood. They're heard when they walk in there. That's why they all get low gifts. That's why the pros got what they got. You know? That's why everybody gets a go. You know, that's why they're bouncing.

 

00:20:12:20 - 00:20:40:19

Unknown

I was is the food trucks. They're like it's it is what it is. Why it is so they feel they feel special seen or heard and I yo this show was was no different. And I'm you know, we probably had close to 750 people throughout the day there. Know there's really no way to track. Exactly. But you know we've, we've got it.

 

00:20:40:23 - 00:21:01:23

Unknown

We had 100, we had 150 players with pros. So you everybody brings 2 or 3 people and there's a lot of people that bring you know there's Grandma and Grandpa's there and ants and uncles and kids, the kids, you know, how many kids and those kids love the signs, you know, making those signs. That was great. So that's right.

 

00:21:01:23 - 00:21:28:10

Unknown

I want to talk about some of the details. So one of the things that's really, really cool, and I love this because when Brant was saying about the what they win the belt, it's like, you know, it's like Stanley Cup. You make it so much like they are having, you know, this real incredible experience. So they all every team has their own jersey, their own color, and they have their patch with their logo on it.

 

00:21:28:11 - 00:21:46:13

Unknown

You gave them all hats with their patch and their logo on it. You know, an awesome bag with with goodies and everything for them to take with them. They also get to keep those jerseys. They everyone look so professional. That's the thing. Like, you know, people kept coming up there like before. They saw the players like, oh, do the players like, do they just get to wear what they want?

 

00:21:46:14 - 00:22:02:12

Unknown

And I was like, no, I was and they're like, oh wait, what? And I was like, no. Brant gets everyone their jerseys with their name on the back. They all have numbers. They literally go in the locker room, they're all hung. There they go. And they feel like they're having a professional hockey experience. And that's for these guys.

 

00:22:02:14 - 00:22:26:10

Unknown

I put, you know, in every locker room when they walk in tape and there's tape and laces, all types of tape and all types of laces, just like they walk into an NHL dressing room. It's there for them to use. And, they feel so special. And then their kids this year we had a bunch where they can go and make signs so the kids can sit there and root, and it is so much fun.

 

00:22:26:10 - 00:22:43:14

Unknown

The guys are so smiley. And one of my favorite things is so last year there was a gentleman on the carpenters that had surgery, and he was, you know, he was dying, that he couldn't be there. He was supposed to be there, but he had surgery at the last minute. And so he was recovering. And I remember him saying, I'm going to win that belt.

 

00:22:43:14 - 00:23:00:14

Unknown

And I was like, all right. I was like, I see your face. I will not forget it. I was like, you know, I believe you. And when he came and I saw, I was like, with the orange, I was like, oh. And I had seen him before, before he dressed, you know, in the beginning when I was a lot of faces, you know, I remember where we saw them.

 

00:23:00:15 - 00:23:16:07

Unknown

Yeah, exactly. And so and I said to him, I was like, okay, I remember you from last year and you said you were going to win. He's like, oh, I'm going to win. He's like, I got into shape because that's what he said. I'm going to get into shape. I'm going to do this because so many of the guys last year were really like, oh my God, I need to like get into better shape.

 

00:23:16:07 - 00:23:30:03

Unknown

I need to win. So not only are you making them feel seen and heard and how many of them stuck with it, I don't know, that's not the point, but there are some that really did. This guy had lost a ton of weight. Like I was like, I still I recognize you. And I was like, you said you were going.

 

00:23:30:04 - 00:23:48:05

Unknown

And he's like, and I did. And he's like, and I've had four surgeries. He was so freaking happy. And he's like. And then he was also like, I can't believe you remembered. And I was like, what do you mean? You said you were going to win. I remember those things, you know, like it was that. And then for them to go into the locker rooms and experience that and then have their families, I don't.

 

00:23:48:09 - 00:24:10:21

Unknown

Do you remember the guy, the, you know, the guy who showed up first from to play on Saturday? Yes. Okay. So I remember his first. So he he was injured the week before the event last year. So he couldn't play it. He broke his leg. Oh. So he couldn't play it. So he was excited. He was there to play.

 

00:24:10:22 - 00:24:34:08

Unknown

He was there three hours before. Yeah. Well the plumbers, they're very organized group. They were all there first. They all were like, nope, I already know about the waiver. We were people already told us. And I was like, well, all right, well, because of that guy that I just mentioned. So when he got there so early, he texted his whole group and said, we've got a waiver here.

 

00:24:34:08 - 00:24:53:04

Unknown

We all have to sign it. So, he was he was he was bummed on. I remember obviously he wasn't at the vet because he did broke his leg, but I remember getting the call from the plumber saying, hey, we got a guy, you know, we have guy injured, we need to switch, you know, with somebody else. So I do remember getting that call.

 

00:24:53:04 - 00:25:12:12

Unknown

But yeah, he was there like probably the first game started at two. I think he was there at 11. He was there 11. He was 100% there at 11. And then he was the one that texts the whole plumber, you know, and everybody can, you know, with the waivers. And I want to say, like most of them came when I sent Dwight, you know.

 

00:25:12:13 - 00:25:33:16

Unknown

So Dwight obviously was awesome enough to fly in from Florida and be a part of this. I said, go into each room, thank everybody for being there, but don't fuck with the pros. And obviously everybody did. You know you guys want no problem sleep the program of it I know. But I had some of the guys say, oh we we left the pros.

 

00:25:33:16 - 00:25:54:18

Unknown

We didn't do anything to the pros. I'm like, yeah. So, there's a lot of great memories. You know, we got I think the photographer said they got 4000 photos. That's what he said and tons of videos. So yeah, if you guys are not following Sopel Foundation. So there is like there was the Brant Sopel and that. Well that's I'm sorry.

 

00:25:54:22 - 00:26:17:17

Unknown

So we'll have pictures too. But if you go to the Instagram Sopel Foundation for Dyslexia on Instagram is there there is another one that we are connected is the Brant Sopel. And there's a whole long story of why we have two and no one needs to know. But I do tag some stuff on that just so people can be like, okay, but it is the social foundation.

 

00:26:17:17 - 00:26:31:23

Unknown

One is the main one, and you guys can see the videos and stuff and we'll be posting about this, and then we're going to be posting about the golf event coming up, which is coming up. It's going to be coming up quick, but I don't want to say it's coming up quick because my babies are all going to be in college.

 

00:26:31:23 - 00:26:55:10

Unknown

So except for an alibi, Penelope will still be home September 14th and that the website will be up by Thursday so people can start doing that. There's foursomes, there's trick shots. There's I mean, a lot of stuff to sponsor. There's the golf balls, the golf carts, there's the hecklers. That's another really, really fun event. But I'm going to go back to that.

 

00:26:55:10 - 00:27:14:12

Unknown

I want to continue talking about some of the details for this. So the fact that the kids all get to feel seen and heard, and I remember when Olivia came in and Dwight, you know, I, I was introducing him to all people that I was like, oh, you need to know Dwight. He's a good job. He's going to be he's going to be at or flying 100 miles an hour and a hundred different ways.

 

00:27:14:16 - 00:27:40:00

Unknown

Yeah, yeah. You're good to, you know, you obviously been around long enough. You know who everybody is. You're able to introduce and let them have conversation. Yeah. So that's what I did. The crazy part is so my brother and I'm Mike who works for Charles Schwab Dwight knows his boss. Yeah, of course Dwight knows everyone, right? Him and Paul, him and Paul talked for so long because they knew the same people.

 

00:27:40:02 - 00:28:04:14

Unknown

They were with the same company. You know, they're all three of them are in the, you know, financial world and you know, so not not surprising. Yeah. But you did a good job introducing everybody to get that connection going. Yeah. Because I mean and Dwight it's just he's a really special soul. And so when Olivia walked up I said and then I looked at him and I was like, is it okay for me to share?

 

00:28:04:14 - 00:28:22:11

Unknown

And he went, yeah. And I said, Olivia, I said, I wanted to introduce you to Dwight. He's also dyslexic. And her face just smile, you know, like just smile. And I was like, every year, you know, I know we see each other, but you probably forget and be like, oh, I was like, you know, remember that. You know, I do word blindness with Brant.

 

00:28:22:11 - 00:28:39:14

Unknown

And she's like. And Valerie started laughing. She's like, she totally knows who you are. I'm like, well, kids, you know, they get older and then every year they don't. You don't remember stuff. But Dwight's face was so smiling. He's like, I'm, you know, dyslexic. And I didn't talk about it up until this last year. And she was like, you know, like just looking at him and just like skipped off.

 

00:28:39:14 - 00:28:56:10

Unknown

And it was just really special to see kids just even like last year, you know, when, when the kids saw us helping and volunteering. I mean, I've talked about that when I got stuck on the math thing and that one little boy, like looking at me and realizing, oh, wait, she really does suck at math like me and she's an adult.

 

00:28:56:11 - 00:29:21:14

Unknown

Okay, this is okay, right? And so it's just for them to like, it's just the heart and the love that is put into it can feel it. And you are so special in doing that. And then having a Elizabeth there be able to like, you guys are just a really good team in the way you do it. And then the people that come and help Elizabeth's friends that come and help that do all like, you know, every time I'm like, I look at those and I'm like, they're coming.

 

00:29:21:14 - 00:29:39:08

Unknown

She's like, yeah. I'm like, oh, thank God. Because I know I'm like, I could do it, but know it's like stress is the fuck out of me. But they get it and they're so good. And it's just like something to look forward to every year. It's a free event. So anyone that is in the Chicago area and then we will talk about it if it does get expanded, you know, that is in the thoughts.

 

00:29:39:08 - 00:30:01:05

Unknown

But you know, we're just we're we're we're going we're an organization that we don't want to spread ourselves too thin because there's so many things that need to be done in this dyslexic world. There's so much wrong out there that we are right. And I'm not saying right and wrong, but what we do is we do everything with our heart and and the understanding.

 

00:30:01:05 - 00:30:30:11

Unknown

And, you know, it's it's not all rainbows and unicorns. It's it's hard day to day. And we talk about all of it. Yeah. But you know, it's that smile Olivia gave you and gave Dwight. That's what it's about. Absolutely right there. There's there's no daughter. There's no program. There's no,

 

00:30:30:13 - 00:31:00:10

Unknown

Curriculum. There's no nothing that changes that or beats that. And that's where that's why we do. We do. That's why we put these events on the way we do. And that right there, that connection, that smile, that interaction is what will change your life. Absolutely not. Not the reading, not the program, not this, not that. That right there is what changes the kid's life.

 

00:31:00:11 - 00:31:21:19

Unknown

Yeah, because she can go in there relaxed and at ease. And no, she's just not having like, know that she's having fun and not going in. So the golf event, that's, as we said, September 14th, the website will be live. Do you want to say anything on that? Oh, it's just like anything else. It's an event we put on.

 

00:31:21:19 - 00:31:43:09

Unknown

It's it's not like anything that you go to, you know, you'll see things and have things going on that you've never seen in any other events. We do things differently. You uniquely, you know, for reasons and know they're tough to talk about. And till you're a part of it, once you're a part of it, then you'll understand it.

 

00:31:43:10 - 00:32:05:07

Unknown

Yeah, we're just going to leave it at that. So thank you for joining another episode of Word Blindness Dyslexia Exposed. But we do want to say season four is coming to an end. So not yet but soon, which is one more episode after after we have won one more episode and then we're going to take and of and of maze season four.

 

00:32:05:08 - 00:32:20:10

Unknown

Yeah. And then we'll start back up in August when some people's school starts. And, and we have more announcements on we're going to be announcing some information about a community through the social foundation. And you guys do not want to miss face.