Golden Wisdom: Celebrating 50 Years of Love, Lessons, and Legacy with Jackie Ferguson

Jackie - 00:00:10:

You're listening to the Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox podcast, brought to you by the Diversity Movement. I'm your host, Jackie Ferguson, author, speaker, and human rights advocate. On this show, I'm talking to trailblazers, game changers, and glass ceiling breakers who share their inspiring stories and insights on business, inclusion, and personal development. Thank you for downloading this episode. I am truly grateful for you. Enjoy the show. Thanks for tuning in to Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox podcast. This is a special episode that I'm sharing in honor of my golden birthday. That's right, y'all. I'm turning 50 and I'm presenting a vignette of conversations and life lessons with my very favorite people in the world. So here we go. Everyone, please welcome to the show my daughter, Diana. Diana is a graduating senior at UNC Charlotte, majoring in marketing. She's the social media and branding director for UNCC's chapter of the American Marketing Association, a student ambassador and part-time marketing specialist for the diversity movement. She is also an amazing young woman, and I'm pretty obsessed with her. Diana, welcome to the show.

Diana - 00:01:30:

Thank you so much for having me.

Jackie - 00:01:33:

Diana, I want to start with asking you, what is your favorite memory with me?

Diana - 00:01:39:

That's a great question. There are so many to choose from. I think the first one that comes to mind is probably our cherished tea times. Since I was younger, we had been going to the Carolina Inn or the Umstead to get tea together. And it always made me feel so special, like a little princess, you know, we'd dress up and... Just have a great time. So, and then recently for my 22nd birthday, we went to the Umstead again to relive that moment. So definitely my favorite moment with you.

Jackie - 00:02:13:

I love those. And I've been taking you to tea since you were probably four. So, so tiny. And, you know, the teacups looked so big in front of you years and years ago. And now you're 22. I can't believe it. But it's still so much fun to dress up with you and go have tea. So I love that.

Diana - 00:02:34:

Thank you. Me too.

Jackie - 00:02:37:

Diana, what's a lesson that you've learned based on observing my life from the front row?

Diana - 00:02:46:

I think, there are a few lessons that I've learned. It's hard to narrow it down into one. I think one of the main lessons is perseverance and determination. I've had the privilege of having a front row seat to your life and just seeing your hard work and dedication to getting to where you want to be. It's just been an amazing privilege. So another... Characteristic, I would probably say. It's kind of longer, but... Just knowing that it's never too late. To get to where you want to be in life. You know. You've always been doing what you want to do. And it's been, like I said, amazing to have that seat. But You know, later in life is when you really started putting your foot down to get to where you wanted to be. And seeing that change. I believe I was in middle school when I really started seeing that kick in. Just. It was amazing. You know, it was kind of like seeing a different person. Just seeing... What you wanted to accomplish just come to life. You know, those are characteristics that I love to see in you and that I... Strive to gain. So.

Jackie - 00:04:05:

Pretty cool. I appreciate that. Well, you know, when... When you are little. You know, you had to be my priority. Being your mother was and is the most important thing to me. And so to be able to... Take you to school and make you dinner and help you with your homework. You know, read stories to you. Mattered more than my career. And so I always took jobs that could give me what I needed to support us, but never took time away from my ability to spend time with you and be your mom. Once you got to middle school and... You were starting to get a little bit more independent and hanging out with your friends and things like that. You didn't need me to tuck you in at night anymore. I could do more work and focus on that. And then, you know, once you got to high school and especially once you were driving. I could focus on that even more and start to create opportunities for us to do more and have more through the work that I was doing. And starting TDM, you know, was, took a lot of time. I mean, I was working. 70 hour weeks to get that started. But I could do that because you are in that, you know, high school phase, college phase. And, you know, once you went away to college, it was helpful, actually, for me to throw myself into work because I had all this time that I had spent, you know. Either taking you to practice for, you know, your sports or attending the games and the track meets and things like that. And so. There was so much more time left that I needed to fill so that I wouldn't be. You know, crying and... On the floor the first year he went to school. Diana, what's the most important thing I've provided you as my daughter?

Diana - 00:06:26:

I would have to say your love and support. You have a way of showing love and support that. Is so rare in this world. And It's really an honor to have that. It's not something that's common, that overwhelming love and support. Sometimes it can be a lot, but. It's nothing that I would ever change, you know. It just, it's so empowering and it's so... Amazing to have somebody that loves you that much, that wants the best for you. All the time. And... I just, I'm so happy that I have somebody in my life that is always in my corner, no matter what. Um, Yeah.

Jackie - 00:07:25:

Thank you, baby. I'm very proud of you. So this is my golden birthday. What do you think should go? On my bucket list, right? I'm now like. Creeping over the hill. Gotcha. Which should go on my bucket list.

Diana - 00:07:47:

So I think you've actually started doing this recently, but I think just stepping more out of your comfort zone and having fun, you know. You're a very, very fun person. Sometimes you like to be in the house and that's okay. So, you know, I've seen like new friend groups developing and even simple things like changing your Russian Navy nail color to pink, you know, getting different types of nails done has been. Just a really cool thing to see. So I would just say start having fun, you know.

Jackie - 00:08:28:

Having fun. Okay. I will definitely do that. I'm going to write that down on my list. Have fun. Do you have an example of how I should be having fun?

Diana - 00:08:39:

I said some before, but I really feel like traveling is more thing, you know, so. Whenever you have time to... Just explore. You want to have a quick vacation, you can do that. Um... Just anything that makes you happy, really.

Jackie - 00:08:59:

All right, I'll do it. Diana, what does a person need to be happy in life?

Diana - 00:09:07:

I think it's hard to narrow it down to one thing, but I do have three for you. So I think character wise. Generosity is something that is extremely important to be happy in life. I feel like if you are happy with yourself and happy doing things for other people. There's just no limit to what happiness can be in life. If you have the strong will to help others, whether it's... Giving a compliment on the street to some stranger or, you know, just checking in on somebody that you haven't talked to in a while. Um, that generosity aspect. Can truly make not only yourself, but others happy in life. Um, I also think, mayber statement-wise or word-wise, I feel like... Everybody needs to hear I'm proud of you to be happy in life. It's such a small but impactful statement for... So many people. You really never know who needs to hear that, but it can just be so fulfilling when you hear that simple statement, I am proud of you. And then I think, maybe a tangible element is family. Now, it doesn't necessarily have to be blood, whoever you consider family. Can just make you extremely happy. And that can be your safe space. So I think those are three strong qualities that you try to look for in life to be as happy as you can be.

Jackie - 00:10:50:

That's very insightful, baby. Thank you for sharing that. Diana, what is a question that you want to ask me?

Diana - 00:11:00:

How did becoming a mother change your outlook on life?

Jackie - 00:11:06:

That's a really good question, Diana. I have an answer, but I think you might be the next host of Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox.

Diana - 00:11:14:

Just be like you.

Jackie - 00:11:19:

So as you know, The act of becoming a mother was very difficult. We were both in some physical trouble with that. And I had to find... A strength that I never had to have before. Becoming a mother. Made me have to not only think about someone else first, but I had to be strong for you more than me. I couldn't fail because of you. I had to push and... Create a good life for you. And so, becoming a mother made me push out of my comfort zone because what I wanted to provide for you was everything I had growing up, everything I didn't have, everything that I could think of for you. And I'm still doing that. I'm still planning for that. I'm still... Trying to make sure that you have everything that you could need to be successful. Going into your adulthood. You made me. Not care about my fear or my discomfort. I knew what I needed to do for you. And that has made me stronger than I ever thought I could be. Thank you for that question.

Diana - 00:12:59:

No problem. I'm happy to hear those things.

Jackie - 00:13:04:

Diana, is there anything you've wanted to tell me but haven't?

Diana - 00:13:10:

That's a good question. You know, it's kind of hard for me to think of something to tell you just because you are my best friend. So I kind of tell you everything. But I just wanted to take time to reiterate that. Having that front row seat to your life has been a blessing, really. And words cannot describe how proud I am of you. So I think instead of... Telling you something because it's, you know, I talk to you every day, so it's not much to hide from you at this point, but I just wanted to take this time to really tell you how proud I am of you. It's just been an amazing ride and I'm happy that I got to take it with you.

Jackie - 00:13:50:

Thank you for being on the show.

Diana - 00:13:53:

Thank you for having me.

Jackie - 00:13:54:

It's been fun.

Diana - 00:13:55:

Yeah, definitely.

Jackie - 00:14:03:

Please welcome author, podcast host, investor, EY Entrepreneur of the Year. Frequent DBTC guest and my husband, Donald Thompson. Don, thank you for celebrating my birthday with me on the podcast.

Don - 00:14:18:

I am happy to be here. I am happy to be a part of this celebration year for you.

Jackie - 00:14:23:

Thank you. So Don, I'm going to ask you just a few questions, starting with what's your favorite memory with me?

Don - 00:14:31:

Oh my gosh. My favorite memory is our first kiss. I won't go into the details of the where and the when, but there was magic in that kiss. And as maybe most people wouldn't be aware, I had come off a pretty aggressive divorce and never thought. I would love again. Never thought I deserved to be loved. And when you came into my life as a business associate and we'd worked together before, I never really thought of anything different than that. And then those eyes and the smarts and the commitment to those that you love more than won me over. But my favorite moment is our first kiss.

Jackie - 00:15:12:

Thank you. So you celebrated your 50th birthday just a couple years ago. What do I need to know about turning 50?

Don - 00:15:22:

One of the things that I'm super excited about is all of the mistakes that you make at 50 become wisdom for you and for others. And with your platform and the things that you're doing and growing in, what I've learned is it really is time to give back to see if we can't take away some cobwebs from some folks that we care about. And I think you do that tremendously through the podcast, through the teaching and coaching that you do. But what I've learned is that is the responsibility and the opportunity to take that wisdom and turn it into gold for others and yourself.

Jackie - 00:15:55:

That's great. Yeah. Now, was there anything strange about turning 50 anything. Were you nervous about turning 50? I did throw out the first AARP card that I got because I just was not ready.

Don - 00:16:12:

I've been throwing them out for years. And just because we pretend it isn't so doesn't mean the clock isn't ticking. And so I had to create that reality. I wouldn't say there was apprehension and feeling, except when I would. Meet and talk to the friends of my kids. And then realize that people that I have known since they were really small are young adults. That's when it started to get just a little interesting for me, those reminders. Otherwise, I fake myself out. I'm still cool. Still love my rap music. Still can do my thing on the ragga ball court. So I compartmentalize the negative on that one.

Jackie - 00:16:54:

Got it. Don, what are some things that you appreciate about our relationship?

Don - 00:16:58:

Uh, easy question and you don't have two, three hours, so I'll be concise. Right. Number one is that you are a beacon of what loyalty and integrity is, and I work every day to try to get anywhere close to that. And being challenged in that way is very powerful and good and an honor. For me to be able to do. The other thing about a relationship is we can have fun doing anything, right? We can hang out at the Waffle House, laugh and tell jokes. We could be at a Five-star restaurant, Four Seasons of Ritz. We could be getting hot chicken in Nashville. Literally, anytime somebody is selling, what was it the guy was selling outside the thing? Not cashews, but pork rinds. Anytime somebody's selling pork rinds outside of the chicken shop, you can just realize where we are. We have fun in any environment. And that's one of the reasons that I love our relationship and what we continue to build in our relationship. Is because I enjoy your company and you stretch my thinking. And a lot of times there's women that are physically attractive, you are. There's people that are mentally strong and there are many. And you have all of those things together and it's pretty great.

Jackie - 00:18:16:

Thank you. That's very nice. I appreciate that. So on the flip side, what's the hardest thing about being married to me? And how do you deal with it?

Don - 00:18:27:

Also easy. Jackie is amazing. Love in her heart. But she is serious about her standard of excellence in everything that she does. And when she sees something that's not quite right, both in business, but also in our relationship, she can go to from zero to high octane 100 very, very quickly. What I've learned in our relationship is, number one, it doesn't last. You don't stay at that level. Number two, it's really a byproduct of kind of seeking and chasing validation. So when you are clear that I'm hearing you, it usually de-escalates everything. It's when you don't think I'm hearing you that the temperature turns up. And so that's something that I've had to learn as an individual, but also in our relationship to keep things as smooth as possible.

Jackie - 00:19:20:

That's very wise. Now, how long did it take you to learn that?

Don - 00:19:26:

Uh... I plead the fifth. I will say too long.

Jackie - 00:19:34:

Too long.

Don - 00:19:34:

Uh, too long to learn that.

Jackie - 00:19:38:

Sounds great. Don, what's more important to you, the romantic relationship or the friendship? And why?

Don - 00:19:47:

Oh my gosh. The friendship. That's what started first. That's where... I don't know that I've had a friend like you before. That I could talk to you about anything and everything. Certainly get feedback, but the other side is when I need a hug or love, attention, and just to be uplifted, I can get those things. And, I would say the friendship. Certainly they're close. You asked me which was the number one. They're not a huge delta, but I would say the friendship because it is. It encompasses all of those things period. And I wouldn't want to live my life without you as my best friend.

Jackie - 00:20:37:

That's awesome. I feel the same. I'm glad. Don, what does a person need to be happy in life?

Don - 00:20:49:

I don't know what another person needs to be happy in life. It's a big question and not for me to answer for another individual. But what I can say. Is that most people haven't slowed down to understand what makes them happy. So they're chasing things that make other people happy. And then their discontent. Is real when they actually achieve it or get it, and they don't know why that void isn't filled. And so my advice to folks is to find the things that make you smile. I'll use an example of work, and then I'll use an example of personal. One of the things in my role as a business leader, as a CEO, as a coach, as an advisor, all the things. But they all come back to one really simple thing that I enjoy doing that makes me smile, which is helping build and develop high-performing teams. Any venue, I get to do that. I'm smiling at work. And that makes me happy. Personal life. I'll use some small things and a big thing, is my wife is a tremendous foodie. So anytime I can take her to a new restaurant, try something different that she really enjoys. I have pictures dating back six, seven years, and the smile is just so genuine. The moment is just so precious. And I love seeing that smile. With my daughters, three daughters, and David is the lone son. And seeing their movies develop. Is another area that just brings joy and hope and smile. So those are examples for me. Your audience has to know what makes them happy and then what are they willing to do to chase and grow that happiness. So for me, seeing my kids be able to go to school with no college debt. That meant in order to achieve that happiness, I had to work really, really hard early in my career. So when that moment came, I was checkbook ready. That was important to me. That drove my happiness. So I can't really answer it, Jackie, for other people. But I just used elements in my life that are both personal and professional. And just how linking those together makes life a little bit more fun.

Jackie - 00:23:03:

That's great. Don, is there anything you've wanted to tell me but haven't?

Don - 00:23:11:

The biggest thing that I would want to tell Jackie and that I would want to reinforce. Is that sometimes in order to protect those that you love, you've got to let them go and skin their knee a little bit on their own. But be close enough where they never get any real danger. But you can see their self-image grow through the opportunity to try to fail and to adjust. And so Jackie, as a mom, as a manager, as a leader, is right there rolling up her sleeves with her team, with her daughters, every step of the way. And sometimes, baby. You got to let them take a little bit more space. And it's okay if they stub their toe or their knee just a little bit and get them a little bit stronger as they go. But that would be, I think, the only thing to consider, my dear. Consider.

Jackie - 00:24:01:

Got it. Well, I will definitely consider it.

Don - 00:24:07:

Consider it considered.

Jackie - 00:24:10:

Consider it considered. Oh, my God. Y'all, you can see that we have a lot of fun. And, you know, I really enjoy spending time with my... Very accomplished, very funny husband. So Don, thank you so much for spending some. Time with me today and I appreciate it.

Don - 00:24:31:

Always, always. Thanks for having me.

Jackie - 00:24:41:

Everyone, please meet my amazing mother, Dianne, published author, client care manager in health care, and my number one podcast listener. She's been listening to all the pods and liking them on social pro tip. But most importantly, no matter how old you are, you never get tired of hearing your mom say, I'm proud of you. Mom, welcome to the show.

Dianne - 00:25:04:

Thank you so much for having me. I love having this opportunity.

Jackie - 00:25:10:

Mom, tell me, what is your favorite memory with me?

Dianne - 00:25:14:

Oh, wow. Great question. I... I have so many of them. And. You cannot raise children without having at least a million and a half favorite memories. With you, oh my goodness, the graduations, the many honors that you received in school, taking charge of our art gallery and making it a big success. I could just go on and on with the memories. But one of my very special mommy memories is when you were about four years old. You were a huge fan of the Wonder Woman TV show. And it was Halloween. And, of course, you wanted a Wonder Woman costume, which I purchased. And you were so proud in that costume. You were just strutting around. And I remember it being very chilly that Halloween in New York. And I wanted you, you needed to wear a jacket, which, of course, you were not very happy about. But we got through that. And I remember as you were walking down the street, you got a little ahead of me and I called out to you. And I said, Jackie, and you slowly turned around, put your hands on your hips. And looked at me with the most incredibly adorable expression. And you said, Mommy, don't call me Jackie. Call me Wonder Woman. And that is a memory that I just will never forget. I think about that all the time. And it's just one of those little cute memories that you never forget. Um, especially now, as I see the amazing wife and mother that you are, the incredible daughter, the brilliant, successful business person that you've become. And sometimes I think to myself, oh, my gosh, she really is Wonder Woman.

Jackie - 00:27:22:

Oh, thank you so much, Mommy. What a beautiful story. I appreciate that. Your mom, my Nana, used to say, no matter who you are, I can learn something from you and you can learn something from me. And of course, there are a million things that I learned from you as my mom. But can you share something you've learned from being my mom?

Dianne - 00:27:47:

Absolutely. And I remember my mom saying that so many times. And we were raised on that. And yeah, that was one of her favorite lessons. I was pretty young when you were born, and at 22 years old, I felt that as a married adult, I could handle pretty much anything. And I think that's probably true of most 20-something-year-olds. Definitely. But it wasn't until... The nurse walked into my room and put you into my arms that I realized. The responsibility that was before me and how important it was. That I had to get it right. And luckily, I had an amazing support system. I had the example of my mom and dad, who to me were the best parents that anyone could ever wish for. My mom, who had raised six of us. Was my lifeline. She was my rock. Her reassurance and guidance got me through those early days of being a new mommy. And yeah, she got me through with flying colors. I think one of the things that I learned from being your mom. Is that a time comes when you have to give your child the freedom to learn from trial and error. As parents, we sometimes want to control everything in an effort to protect our children from making mistakes or being hurt. It's not always possible. We have to take the time to teach them and support them. But then we have to back off and allow them to learn from trial and error. And we certainly went through the trial and error phase. Everything from your experimenting with a darker hair color to a lighter hair color to different drastic haircuts during the big hair days of the 80s. We went through it all. Yeah, that's right. And I can remember that first roller coaster ride that you insisted on taking against my better judgment. You know, we had our little mini nightmares. But guess what? We got through them. We got through them. And we both learned lessons from these experiences. And mine was. As much as we mothers want to control everything and surround our children from hurt and protect them and keep them from making mistakes. I learned that I had to let you try the things that you felt passionate about. And it turned out good. You know, if it turned out good, that was great. If it turned out not so good, it was a learning experience.

Jackie - 00:30:54:

Yeah.

Dianne - 00:30:54:

But we got through that.

Jackie - 00:30:58:

That's such good advice and, you know, certainly something that I. Need to remember now that, you know, Diana is 22. I still want to manage every detail of her life, and I shouldn't, right?

Dianne - 00:31:14:

And that never changes. When she's 50, you will still want to protect her.

Jackie - 00:31:22:

That's great advice, Mommy. Thank you so much for that. You've been a mother for almost 50 years now. What is a piece of advice that you want to share with other mothers?

Dianne - 00:31:36:

Like my mom told me, trust your instincts. No one knows your children like you do. A mother's instinct is very real. Embrace it and learn to trust it. And I learned that being a mom is so incredibly special. I don't think there's any other position like that in the world. It's so special. But be sure to take some time for yourself. If you sometimes feel overwhelmed, don't be afraid to ask for help. Another thing, don't treat all your children the same. You can't treat them all because they're all different. I found that out from the very beginning. You and your sister Carrie, both brilliant, amazing young ladies, but you were and still are total opposites in personality. So that's something that you find out as a young mom.

Jackie - 00:32:46:

Good advice. Thank you for that. Mom, what was your favorite age to be and why?

Dianne - 00:32:56:

I think, honestly, I think probably my current age is my favorite age. And that may sound a little bit strange because with advanced aging comes little aches and pains and you move a little slower and you forget things a little more often. But I can also look at things that I have accomplished over my years, including raising my amazing children, having checked off most of the things on my bucket list and seeing my beautiful granddaughter become the amazing young woman that she is. So I would really have to say that my age now is probably my favorite.

Jackie - 00:33:42:

Well, I love that because I have much more to look forward to then.

Dianne - 00:33:45:

Yes, you do.

Jackie - 00:33:36:

So great. Mom, what does a person need to be happy in life?

Dianne - 00:33:53:

That is a great question. I love that question. I think probably to everybody, everybody's got a different feeling what it takes. But to me, I think there are several things. Number one, You have to love yourself and accept who you are. Number two. Have good relationships with the people in your life who are important to you. Number three, avoid, definitely, and this is really important, avoid overdosing on news and current events. That's something that I was guilty of at one time. But, you know, I try to avoid that as much as possible. And also number four, have a purpose and a meaning in life, a solid purpose and meaning in life. And to me, that's what it takes to be happy.

Jackie - 00:34:53:

You know, I love that because it's specific, but it's also open to individual interpretation. Which is important because we all don't want or need the same thing to be happy.

Dianne - 00:35:07:

That's right.

Jackie - 00:35:08:

But those are really good parameters, you know, to determine. What gives your life purpose, which can be different for 10 different people. And, um, You know, it's so important, I think. I think you've hit it right on the head there. That's such good advice. You know. Most people think their moms give good advice, but my mom really gives good advice.

Dianne - 00:35:36:

Thank you, Dear. I love that. I love that.

Jackie - 00:35:39:

That's so great. Mom, what's your advice for me as I move into my golden year?

Dianne - 00:35:48:

Moving into your golden year. Oh my goodness, that sounds so strange because to me, you're still a baby and you will always be my baby. But as you move into this next road in your life, I can only, I can tell you the way my, my daddy told me kind of, you know. Talk to me about it. Number one, take stock in where you are right now. And this is very important, honey. Take stock in where you are right now. Think about all of the positive things that you have achieved to this point. Reflect on those because there are so many of those. Don't focus on any negative things. You know, we all have things in our past that... We wish that we could have the chance to do differently, but we can't. We can't. So move past that. Look at all these positive things that you've achieved. Look forward. Look going forward. What am I going to do going forward? Plan some new goals. Keep stimulating your mind. Stay fit. Stay healthy. Continue to be bold. And take big, giant steps. My dad used to tell me that. Take big, giant steps. Be safe, continue to make good choices as you always have. And most of all, baby. And listen to this. Most of all. Make every single day counts. Because they go very fast.

Jackie - 00:37:30:

Yeah, that is so true.

Dianne - 00:37:32:

Yes.

Jackie - 00:37:32:

You know, and it feels like the older I get, the faster the years go.

Dianne - 00:37:38:

Yes.

Jackie - 00:37:38:

Right. And-

Dianne - 00:37:39:

Exactly.

Jackie - 00:37:40:

It's important to, um, make every day valuable. We, you know, someone said, The days are long, but the years are fast.

Dianne - 00:37:54:

That's right.

Jackie - 00:37:54:

And that's so true because... You know, you look up and it's a new year. And so many of us feel very, you know, since COVID, like where have these last few years gone? And they just go by so quickly.

Dianne - 00:38:12:

Mm-hmm.

Jackie - 00:38:13:

So finding... Those moments in every day and every week that you can. Be grateful for and find joy is important. I love that.

Dianne - 00:38:24:

Totally. Yes.

Jackie - 00:38:28:

Mom, is there anything that you've wanted to tell me but haven't?

Dianne - 00:38:35:

That I haven't told you. Very simply, this very simple advice. Just always remember you are enough. You are valuable. You're worthy because of who you are. You don't have to strive to be, to try to be more worthy, more valid, more acceptable, more loved. You're already all of those things. Never forget that. And you, Jackie, you. Are enough. And I remember my dad telling me that, and I didn't really understand it when I was a teenager. But as I got older, I started to really reflect. Back on that message and it means a lot to me today.

Jackie - 00:39:24:

Definitely.

Dianne - 00:39:24:

Mm-hmm.

Jackie - 00:39:26:

I appreciate that, Mommy. I will definitely remember that. Thank you for taking some time with me today and celebrating this golden birthday on the podcast. It's been so special to have you on. I love you so much. And thank you again for doing this.

Dianne - 00:39:46:

And I am so very proud of you. And thank you for this opportunity. I love the podcasts. I watch them all the time. And to have the opportunity to be on here is just a highlight of my life. So thank you so much.

Jackie - 00:40:04:

Thank you, Mommy. Y'all, I asked all three guests some of the same very important questions and got very different answers from different individuals of different generations with different life experiences. But my request of you is to practice gratitude. Then take time to figure out what do you need? To be happy in life. And your gift to me for my golden birthday is to pursue that and make that the priority for yourself. Second, If there's something left unsaid with a loved one, call them up, write to them, go see them, and say it. Tomorrow is never promised. Don't lose the opportunity to tell them you love them. Or how grateful you are for their presence in your life. Thanks for sharing this special episode with me. I hope it made you laugh, made you think, and mostly made you appreciate the gift of life. Thanks for listening to this episode of Diversity: Beyond the Checkbox. If you enjoy the podcast, please take a moment to share it with a friend, leave a rating and review, and subscribe so you'll be reminded when new episodes are released. Become a part of our community on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok. This show is proudly part of the Living Corporate Network and was edited and produced by Earfluence. I'm Jackie Ferguson. Take care of yourself and each other.