One Herd Podcast with Kristin Llamas

If you are a parent during the covid-19 school closures, this episode is for you! With covid-19 school closures. We suddenly found ourselves juggling a full 9 weeks of at home education in some form or other. I can personally say that my appreciation for teachers grew exponentially! And I quickly realized that while I don’t want our kids to fall behind… I don’t always know how to help them. This conversation takes us back to the question, are we smarter than a fifth grader? I guarantee that I have forgotten more than I remember from elementary school! Do you know how to interpret a line plot? How about using an area model for fractions? I know I’m terrible at math but this is elementary school math! Trying to be the full time guide for my kindergarten, 4th grade and 6th grade daughters, was suddenly in for a wake up call! So I couldn’t be more excited about my guest today who has created a company where the goal is to empower parents in their children’s education. Not only does he discuss the importance of speaking in the same language as our children's  teachers, but he actually gives us the resources to do so. We are essentially talking about tutoring… but for parents! It’s really awesome. Dr. Jim Swek has more than a decade of experience in the classroom, earning advanced degrees in educational leadership as well as small business and startup experience dating back to the late 90’s,  Jim is responsible for leading the Cohesion Education team through the development and growth of the business as they establish themselves in the online educational support marketplace nationwide. The timing for this conversation couldn’t be better so I hope that you enjoy and feel empowered! SHOW LINKS: Visit Host Kristin Llamas at: Websites: www.kllamas.com [http://www.kllamas.com/] | www.llamasart.com [http://www.llamasart.com/] Instagram: @kllamasart [http://instagram.com/kllamasart] @llamasartshow [http://instagram.com/llamasartshow] Facebook: @kllamasart [https://www.facebook.com/KLlamasArt] @llamasartshow [https://facebook.com/llamasartshow] YouTube: Kllamas [http://www.youtube.com/KLlamasart] Book: ¿Como te Llamas? Everyday Llamas You Might Know [https://www.kllamas.com/como-te-llamas-book-of-llama-illustrations-by-kristin-llamas/] Check out Cohesion Education Link for Free Registration -bit.ly/cohesionedfree [http://bit.ly/cohesionedfree] Website:cohesioned.com [http://cohesioned.com/] Social Media: http://www.facebook.com/cohesioned [http://www.facebook.com/cohesioned] http://www.twitter.com/cohesioned [http://www.twitter.com/cohesioned] http://www.instagram.com/cohesioneducation [http://www.instagram.com/cohesioneducation] http://www.pinterest.com/cohesioneducation [http://www.pinterest.com/cohesioneducation] https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohesioneducation/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/cohesioneducation/] MUSIC BY: Alfonso Llamas

Today we have a VERY special episode full of firsts. It is the first episode that I’ve done solo… Yep, I’m the only guest today. And while it is actually our 15th show, I do feel like we have to address the very large elephant in the room. Or should I say the llama in the room…. The name change of this podcast from The Socratic Dialogues Podcast to the One Herd Podcast. I just want to be clear that I had zero intention of launching this rebrand under such unusual circumstances. Towards the end of last year, I had this inspiration to change the name to One Herd because it felt more in-line with this vision of using art and storytelling to inspire connection and unity around the globe. In a large way, I now feel like this mission is even more important than ever, given the global effect of this virus, and that we are all navigating through it together, figuring out the answers as we go. How are you holding up? We are a few weeks in and I feel like I’ve experienced the 5 stages of covid-19 isolation: 1. Uncertainty - Anxiously awaiting every new statistic, update, case count, death toll, prediction... waiting for instruction on how to survive this 2. Preparation - Get supplies, plan a homeschooling program, evaluate budget, create a daily schedule 3. Optimism - So much time and space to explore all the beautiful and amazing things around us. We are healthy, and so happy to be alive. Let's make the most of this time exploring new things? 4. Overwhelm - Too much noise. Too many possibilities. I can’t get anything done. Mind swimming with all the things I could/should be doing. No moments of silence. Income gone. So many emails. Teachers sending full day curriculums for each kid... Can’t keep up. #failing 5. Acceptance - Getting dressed everyday seems like a lot of unnecessary laundry, homeschooling = kids read a book and did a craft today, no one really cares if I get my newsletter out on tuesday… is it tuesday? What day is it anyway? So many people around the world are scared, lonely, and grieving. Yet with it all, it feels like we have in a way, become more globally compassionate than ever before. Before this pandemic and mandated social isolation, we were all just plowing through life with full calendars, noisy days and selfishly going in separate ways. But in this time of tragedy, we have been given a once in a lifetime gift. The gift of going nowhere. The gift of standing still. In this stillness, we’ve fallen so much deeper in love with one another... not just in our individual homes, but as a global family 💗 As ironic as it may seem, isolation has actually brought us together. The show is getting a reboot and really, the entire world is facing a sort of reboot. So I am calling this episode, “What is unity?” With hope to inspire you to ask: “Where does this pandemic leave us?” Or better yet, “How will we begin from here?”

Abby Flittner is a phenomenal woman that graduated with a master’s in accounting, yet decided to use her wits to become a self-made entrepreneur! Her and her husband created Nashville Guru, an online publication with a mission to help visitors find local businesses and events in the Nashville area. In order for her to spend time with husband and their 4 year old daughter, she has learned that she needs to keep a balance between her work, family and social life. Abby explains to us that her daily balance list consists of four categories that include self-care, family, work, and social. She is honest in sharing with us that she is not always able to fully maintain all 4 categories at the same time, and that’s okay! She has learned that if she’s a little bit more focused on work, she may be neglecting time she could be spending with her husband. She advises us know that balance will never be exactly perfect, we must learn how to prioritize. One of Abby’s top priority is self-care, she knows that in order for her to be productive she needs to workout and eat healthy. She also warns those who have an entrepreneurial spirit that starting a business requires a lot of work that will make life unbalanced for a period of time. Most entrepreneurs can experience a burn out, unless they have the funding to hire a team from the start. Most don't so they must expect to be working long hours. Finding small periods of time to dedicate to areas in your life that are meaningful to you will help to avoid this. SHOW LINKS: Visit Host Kristin Llamas at: Websites: www.kllamas.com [http://www.kllamas.com/] | www.llamasart.com [http://www.llamasart.com/] Instagram: @kllamasart [http://instagram.com/kllamasart] @llamasartshow [http://instagram.com/llamasartshow] Facebook: @kllamasart [https://www.facebook.com/KLlamasArt] @llamasartshow [https://facebook.com/llamasartshow] YouTube: Kllamas [http://www.youtube.com/KLlamasart] FIND MY NEW BOOK ON BOOKSHELVES!:¿Como te Llamas? Everyday Llamas You Might Know [https://www.kllamas.com/como-te-llamas-book-of-llama-illustrations-by-kristin-llamas/] Visit Guest Abby Flittner at: Websites: NashvilleGuru.com ; GetRealAF.com Instagram: @nashvilleguru, @getrealAF, @abbyflitt FEATURED ARTISTS: Photography of 2 year old daughter at the Gulch, in front of Jason Woodside’s mural in Nashville. A note from the CEO, at a bank that she previously worked at, that read “People rise to new heights like kites do, not with the wind but against it.” MUSIC BY: Alfonso Llamas

Kristin invites her behind the scenes assistant, Ashley, to be front and center on today’s podcast episode. Ashley is a soon to be graduate from Tennessee State University who decided to change her major from Nursing to Studio Art. Talk about courage! She discusses her journey on how she was able to build up the courage to follow her passion, regardless of what others thought about her choices to change majors. Ashley’s work focuses on the strong female figure. To her, a woman’s greatest strength is her emotions. Learning how to express her own emotions and how others wield their power of emotions is what drives Ashley into creating art. Someone once told Ashley that she hasn’t allowed her fears about becoming an artist stop her from doing what she loves. It seems that as we get older we allow fear to stop us from doing things that make us happy. Children, however, have a raw courage to declare who they are and what they want to be in life. What happened to our raw courage, and why do we allow fear to take our joy away? Courage does not exist only in what we do, but also in what we don’t do. In a world full of antagonists who try to push our buttons, we must think of how important it may be for us to not react. Don’t let anyone bully their way into making you do something you may regret, rather, find the courage to walk away As Ashley makes her way into the art scene she is finding out that it takes courage to appear confident in her skills and her abilities. With each passing experience she is finally finding the courage to be confident and show the world that she is an artist. Ashley and Kristin are following their dreams, do you have the courage to follow yours? SHOW LINKS: Visit Host Kristin Llamas at: Websites: www.kllamas.com [http://www.kllamas.com/] | www.llamasart.com [http://www.llamasart.com/] Instagram: @kllamasart [http://instagram.com/kllamasart] @llamasartshow [http://instagram.com/llamasartshow] Facebook: @kllamasart [https://www.facebook.com/KLlamasArt] @llamasartshow [https://facebook.com/llamasartshow] YouTube: Kllamas [http://www.youtube.com/KLlamasart] FIND MY NEW BOOK ON BOOKSHELVES!: ¿Como te Llamas? Everyday Llamas You Might Know [https://www.kllamas.com/como-te-llamas-book-of-llama-illustrations-by-kristin-llamas/] Visit Guest Ashley Hicks at: Websites: byashh.com [https://byashh.com/] Instagram: @byashh FEATURED ARTISTS: The Unraveling Zebra By: Raphael Howard (grandfather) MUSIC BY: Alfonso Llamas

Chad James, founder and principal of the award-winning design firm Chad James Group based in Nashville, TN. With a rich portfolio, Chad James Group works to create custom residential and commercial construction, including bespoke boutique hotels, refined restaurants, and perfectly appointed homes. The internationally recognized firm has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Traditional Home and Billboard Magazine, to name a few. Award-winning designer Chad James was honored as a 2017 Rising Star of Design by Traditional Home. Designing a beautiful home is not an easy task, especially if you want it to feel comfortable with your lifestyle. Chad James, an interior designer in Nashville, states that one of the biggest misconceptions in interior design is that design does not follow function. This means that many people believe that if you want a well-designed home, you better be prepared to tiptoe around the house rather than actually using the furniture.  That is why when it comes to Chad James and his design team, their first thoughts are about the types of memories their clients will share with their families. During the show, Chad recalls his fondest memories in his childhood home and how they were a big part in shaping who he is today. The majority of his family lives in Muscle Shoals Alabama. This is where he and his older sister were raised by his mother and father. He shares with us that both of his parents were very creative and were great at making their house feel like a home. His father was a musician and would always be playing music inside the house, while his mother was more of a creative all around. One of his favorite memories was during his 7th birthday, when his mother created a carnival themed party. He said she took cardboard boxes and created carnival characters and games out of them. James truly appreciated everything his parents did for him and his sister. Chad also described his relationship with his sister as oil and water while they were growing up. His sister, who is 5 years older than him, is “the most intellectual person I know” he states. Achieving academic heights was easy for her, but being creative was a little bit difficult for her. On the other hand, he had to truly work hard to achieve B status in school, but creativity was like second nature. Although they differed in many areas, Chad’s parents were good at not comparing him and his sister to each other. He recalled his mother saying that “comparison is the thief of all joy” and to this day Chad continues to live by those words. Chad attributes his success and ability to create well designed homes and functional living space to his mentor, Landy Gardner, and his parents. While Gardner was able to show him the ins and outs of the industry, it was his parents who showed him what a true home really feels like. What do you do to make your house a home? Does your childhood home influence the home you have created for yourself now, like Chad’s has? Tell us your thoughts! SHOW LINKS: Visit Host Kristin Llamas at: Websites: www.kllamas.com [http://www.kllamas.com/] | www.llamasart.com [http://www.llamasart.com/] Instagram: @kllamasart [http://instagram.com/kllamasart] @llamasartshow [http://instagram.com/llamasartshow] Facebook: @kllamasart [https://www.facebook.com/KLlamasArt] @llamasartshow [https://facebook.com/llamasartshow] YouTube: Kllamas [http://www.youtube.com/KLlamasart] FIND MY NEW BOOK ON BOOKSHELVES!: ¿Como te Llamas? Everyday Llamas You Might Know [https://www.kllamas.com/como-te-llamas-book-of-llama-illustrations-by-kristin-llamas/] Visit Guest Chad James at: Websites: http://www.chadjames.com/ [http://www.chadjames.com/] Instagram: chadjamesgroup MUSIC BY: Alfonso Llamas