Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Good morning, good afternoon, good evening wherever you are in the world. It’s Dr. Jan Fortman with Relationship Matters TV. I hope everyone is having a beautiful morning, afternoon, or evening. I’m having a beautiful day. We are here in Chicago and from the Feet on the Ground Studios and it’s a beautiful day. It’s warm. I can’t believe that wait four days, four or five days ago I had on my heavy jacket and kind of turned the heat up a little bit and today we’re turning on the air conditioning. But we are really, really, really, really very happy about that. Well, today I have a special guest on. He is my business coach, he is my mentor. I don’t know what all I can say about him, everything positive, but you know probably later on I’ll probably have something different to say. But let me tell you about this man that I am bringing on. His name is Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris. Let me say this about him and this is really profound, something I really want you to listen to. Lauren, having survived six years within the State foster care system and experienced the joys and the traumas associated with having had 22 mothers, Dr. Michaels Harris is an authority on how to [ __ ] shame and reinvent blame. I love that. Lauren is dedicated to sharing with others his systematic approach and harnessing the true power found to refine one’s trajectory within life’s curve balls, thereby utilizing that power to refine one’s own trajectory in life. As a mentor, he’s a breakthrough coach and he has helped me in a lot of breakthroughs. I don’t tell him that, but I’m telling you, audience, that he’s an author, he’s my friend. He believes that we are all a part of the ripple effect, which I want him to talk about, and that it is his duty to use his story to create a ripple that will reach around the globe. He’s the founder of the Power of We Symposium and that is an event dedicated to uplifting, celebrating, and encouraging inner city youth leaders around the globe, and that’s something that we really, really, really need. The Power of We Symposium provides a wonderful experience for these students and it allows them access into areas of opportunity that most of them have never really dreamed possible. The Zone TV network is called Trajectory TV and also he has a magazine coming out called Trajectory Magazine. And so I’m going to, no, before I bring him on, I’m going to do something special that I don’t normally do for my guests, but I’m going to do it for him. Everything that is with you right now, it found its way to you on purpose. Together we are co-authoring a unique moment in time. Things that do not serve you must go. The longer you wait, the more time you give them to trick you into serving them. You are writing moments that people will learn from, grow from, and heal through for thousands of years. 22 homes in foster care, everything I wore as a scar, as a shame, things that started like Velcro on my spirit after just a few months, then years, then decades. I had believed myself into believing that they were indelible tattoos. Sometimes we have to be broken down to appreciate the view once we start getting up. That DNA, those fingerprints, they’re going to be gone. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It is your story that they will tell for thousands of years, but only I want you to leave this place and know that you have been changed. Why? How do I know it’s true? Because each of you has just changed. Well, without further ado, let me bring to you Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
I was ready, girl. You warned people before you start pulling off clothes. I know it’s after seven o’clock because I switched from coffee to wine, but I wasn’t ready for all that. Thank you for that. Okay, as you were. I don’t know how, why you bring this on yourself and it’s still… Oh, see y’all, that’s why. Don’t worry, I broke plenty, so come on. Hi, Amy. No, Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris, because see, we have plenty fun. We have plenty. First of all, where were you? I don’t know where Dr. Jan was. Go ahead, put in the comments, ask her. There’s one. Okay, come on with your next. I’m kidding. We had technical difficulties, which we’re now laughing about.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yes, yes, yes, we did. It’s been a long week, Dr. Jan.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Yes, it has. Yes, it has. And you know what, before we get into what I know you want to talk about, since this is my show…

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, I will keep reminding me.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
I want to talk about a few things. First of all, as a coach, as a mentor, as a breakthrough coach, what does that mean?

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Well, I should update that. Hi, Amy Joy. Okay, I should update that because back then when I actually started coaching, back then, back in the day when we started working together, that’s what I thought it was. I really did. I thought it was helping people break through something, but now it pretty much was. But now the people that were needing that then have done all that and there were those who did it and moved on to other pastures. But then about, you know, about a year, a year and a half ago, a whole new, all the people that were still here that created their own breakthroughs now were positioned waiting for their little brothers and sisters who have come along to coaching like Amy, hi. And those were all people who were like Amy, for instance, they were already navigating on their Divine Purpose. They got their breakthrough somewhere else, but then we were all collectively pulled together like a magnet pulled us all together so that we can do all this work in triple time, quadruple time because we’re like a family, we’re a community. And we’re going to talk about that, about Romania. Amy was there. You couldn’t go because you had some prior commitments, but there were a number of people that went. And so it’s like there were those like you nearly from the very beginning of the coaching, those who came into my life years and years ago, but just came to this Collective, this Gathering, if you will, in the last year. And it’s because all of us, and I was telling somebody today, I guess I should tell you too, don’t let it go to your head. You gotta be careful what you tell Dr. Jan because she’ll run with it. So it’s because somebody I was on a session today, who was it? Let me see, Tim Mitchell, attorney Jen Mitchell.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh yeah, I met her in Miami.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Yes, so, and you know how Jane is, right?

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, yeah.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
She goes, yeah, you brought us all together. And I was like, no, I didn’t. The thing in the middle that the spokes stick into and then they go out to the rim, that thing in the middle and that rim drew all of us folks, you know, just like this, each one in so that together you now have the will. And that represents a circle, that’s completion, that’s a lot of things, Google it. And so that’s how it is. I mean, because I know people think that’s the wonderful part about finding the right people that make you the right coach. See, a lot of people just throw that word out there, this and the other. And what’s different with us, and I’ll say this and then I’ll be quiet because it’s your show, and you ain’t got the bell to ring to shut me up. Like, that’s why I got the bell. So to be for real, I was like, can you be quiet? Is it my show? But anyway, seriously though, just to wrap that up is I see it now that we were, I didn’t choose y’all, y’all didn’t choose me. We were chosen by something greater than us for each other to co-create, you know? And there’s our purpose is that thing in the middle that brings us all together. That’s the first thing we touch. And then the other end is in the, what’s the rim, which is like that, that, that, that rim of co-creation that we have all decided to join partnership with before we came together, that thing that is greater than us. And when we all did that, it brought us all together for like a supernova. That’s what it is.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
That’s what it is. Yeah. And I believe that.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
You don’t, you don’t know until.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
No, I do know because you wouldn’t listen. Many folks have tried to fit in that space, but if they don’t believe it, they’re either a little too short or it’s a little too long. It’s just not a good fit for them and us right now.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Right. Very true.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Right. That’s what I mean.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Yeah, that’s very true. And I think I’ve been with you the longest, haven’t I?

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yes, that’s true. I remember the day you moved into Walnut Grove. I was sitting out in front of the Mercantile with, okay, I’m kidding. You opened the door.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Yes. And that’s why we can play like that now. Tell them why, because I don’t want y’all to think I’m a bully. You’re mean, but can I tell them?

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Sure.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Because it was the first thing we, do you remember? That’s why I like to laugh about it now because it was really the very first thing we were assigned together that wasn’t serving you at the time. And you were a lot younger than you are now, but you didn’t like that number. Now you love the number.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yes.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
So kind of talk about that.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Trying to show around y’all. Look, I’m not talking about that because, but just tell them though, because it was a big deal, but it did over.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
No, but I’m saying that was your breakthrough.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Well, yeah, it was. It was because I really did tell people my age, you know, only my close friends knew. And actually, when he started telling me or suggesting to me that, you know, you need to celebrate your age and that that’s such an asset that you have. And so I did, I started celebrating my age. And so, well, most of my viewers know I’m 81. I’ll be 82. I’ll be 82 in December this year.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
This year. Isn’t that something?

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, it is. Wow.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Isn’t that something?

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And so through that, you know, I’ve done a lot of things. I entered the Miss Senior Illinois America contest. And then I, so I’ve been doing a lot.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Everyone, she’s trying to be modest and she won.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, right. I did win. Right, right, right. And so I’ve done a lot of different things. Thanks to you, my breakthrough coach. I appreciate you. I usually don’t tell you that because most of the time.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Yes, you do. You tell me that every day. You do what you’re doing right now.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh, well, thank you.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
It’s true. And that’s why breakthrough was then for those people, but y’all broke through. And see, the thing is, you know, you can’t tell, you can’t say who will and who won’t. And, you know, we all know, none of us wants to get left behind, but it’s a choice. It’s a choice. You’ve seen many rock stars come and go. And the thing is, here’s the great part. They’re all still here. They’re still in our group. And they’re there if they want us or need us. Ain’t none of them to put out the group of none because they don’t coach actively or where have they moved to, grew it because, you know, you outgrow certain groups.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Right, right.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
But our catalysts, our nucleus has been here. And yep, you’re at the very beginning. And yeah.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So I think I deserve a special treatment.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
I’m here. And we’re going to talk about this. Look, does this look like something I’d be doing at work? I’m on my diet. Wait, is it Brian? Brian said, I said, you know, I have Dr. Chan’s the other night. This is, I thought like, oh, that’s nice. What time is it again? Seven. Oh my God. Because he knew that was in the middle of our show. I said, oh, oh, wait, what happened to you? Oh, that’s nice.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
I don’t believe Brian said, oh my God.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
I’m sure you did. Oh, he did. Oh, when it comes to our cool down time, we only see each other, believe it or not, even though we work in the same space, I’m down here, he’s two floors up. And we meet maybe twice a day if our breaks go inside, which is seldom. And don’t ask me why. You listening? I love you. I love you more than I love Lauren.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And we like it that way. And I love you, Keith.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Oh, I didn’t know he was in the world. Right. I mean, I love you, dude. Bad luck, bro. Dr. Jan has a big, tall, strong husband. So you’ll understand if you ever meet him. So anyway, as you were saying about the power of weird symposium, tell us about that.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Well, the power we can tell you how it came about.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Yeah, because I love this story.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Well, you know, I’ve done a bunch of speaking gigs, like a lot, like over a hundred and some. And I went out to my, it was the number 100 when I went out west. Remember that? The cervix, right? Because all of the first 99 were just me on the stage. And so I went out there and I was all excited, but nervous about sharing stage and being judged and, you know, stuff whole, you know, because these are seasoned speakers. I didn’t consider myself that yet. So I went and I did and I met someone, a marketer, nothing against marketers, but I didn’t know yet that about the end, what you decide are the boundaries for yourself as far as integrity based, not having an angle, all those things that are principles, which I now today know that we can be broken. We cannot break, but we definitely can be broken against them once we move outside of all the things that we are supposed to be to be great stewards of legacy, you know, of service to people. That’s a huge responsibility to when you ask what is greater than you to literally give you access into the minds and souls and hearts of people, you have to be ready because it’s not if you have millions of followers or what if you have won the responsibility is the same as if you’re given millions. And so I met a marketer and they said, hey, let’s do an event in Las Vegas. And I was like, they lived in Las Vegas. I used to live in Las Vegas and I was an event planner in Las Vegas. So I was like, well, great. I could, I won an event. So let’s do it. But I didn’t know that there was such a thing as pay to play and which is why today it is box office boy. It is kryptonite to me and the people in my coaching, I forbid it to be on those stages for a number of reasons. And if that’s for someone, then good for you. We just don’t do it here. And we don’t also don’t build those kind of events where we sell from the stage and that sort of thing. We tell from the stage. We don’t sell programs. We tell people about the benefit and the easing of suffering that is the result of those programs and those things that we give the world as far as content services and let them choose. So anyway, we did this event in Las Vegas and I saw things from some of the speakers that were just so out of alignment with what I wanted. And so Brian and I’m on the plane leaving Las Vegas and I was pissed. I’m going to just keep it real. And I said, Dr. Brian, I said, I’m putting these headphones on. Here they are, these headphones. I’m putting these headphones on and I’m not coming out until God gives me a mouthful of spiritual Listerine because I need to get this funky taste out of my mouth from what we just went through. And I just sat there. I think I was listening to Yolanda Adams or something. And they told us to put our chairs and our tray tables up. We were getting ready to land Chicago. And as soon as I clicked it up, it hit me and I saw it as plain as a day, the power of weed symposium. And I whipped off those headphones and I looked surprised that they just gave it to me. He goes, they did because it was new to us then. I said, yeah. He said, what is it? I said, I don’t know, but it’s the thing. It’s supposed to be called the power of weed symposium. And that’s all I had to go on. Three days later, I had already Googled some event venues in the city and I found the stand mansion. I loved it because it reminded me of Willy Wonka because I saw those got those gates out front and I thought it’s about kids bring them there, turn that into a visit to Willy Wonka. And it just all came rushing in. And I went down there and I met Chara at the owner of the stand mansion, did the tour and she walked me out. I’ll never forget it. She hooked her arm in mine and she goes, I see your vision. She goes, but I believe this is so wonderful. It won’t be here for long. You’ll outgrow this place and I can’t wait. And she was absolutely right. And that was it. I put down the deposit that day and the rest is history. We just came from Romania and it’s just gotten better and better, greater and greater. And it is because not of the venue clearly because we’ve been to Atlanta and now we’ve been to Romania. It’s not that it’s the United States. It’s not that it’s in a mansion. It’s not where it is. It’s who we’re there with wherever there is. And it is the power of we of what happens when we come together, you know, just like what we have with our coaching family. This is a community outside of that, but comprised mainly the core of it is all of us. All the people that went with me pretty much, you know, are in that they are in this family. Liam, you know, he doesn’t officially coach, but he’s there. He was at Power Wheel last year. Again, this year he was in Miami. We’re a family and it’s that thing that co-creation when things become what you could have never even imagined on your best day with all your superpowers at the top of the notch, it still blows all of that out of the water. That is the beauty of co-creating with what is greater than you.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
You know, what was amazing to me here in Chicago and in Atlanta were the kids, the change that you could see in the kids, you know what I mean? And they weren’t all like A students, you know, but they were all different kinds of students and the speakers that you had and how the kids, you could just see in their faces how they were touched, you know, transformed. To me, that’s what I really liked. And of course, I liked when I did the opening, of course.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
I don’t remember what you’re talking about, but anyway.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
But when I told them, you know, when I told them, you know, when they look at you as an adult and they see, oh, you know, doctor of, and you know, what does she know about this? What does she know about that? And she was probably smart. And when I told them, you know, in the class of 59, graduating out of high school, I was like number 57 at front spot. And I just wanted them to know that doesn’t matter, you know, where you are. It doesn’t matter. Like I told, started from the bottom, now I’m here, you know, and to see the look on their faces when I said that, you just to let them know that you could be anything you want to be. And that’s what I really like about the power of wheat. But I’m going to take a quick commercial and I want to come back and I want you to tell the people about how you took the power of we from Chicago all the way to Romania. Okay. All right. Thank you so much. Just he’s being so nice to me. I know. And look, I got praying hands under the desk. Be right back. Don’t go away. We’ll be back with Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And I am so happy that your relationship with your daughter has improved. Welcome back. We’re going to talk with Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris about taking the power of we all the way from Chicago to Romania. How did that all happen?

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Hold on. I’m in the middle of a Gallagher game. I’ll be down in a minute. I’m kidding. I’ll turn it off. Toys. It’s play hour. Okay. How did it end up going to Romania? Well, it’s never about just one thing. And when you enter into any type of covenant, an agreement, a contract with what is greater than you to co-create something, you must leave a parameter, you know, like Christians talk about a hedge of protection. Really, it’s the same thing. Covers all of it. No weapon formed against you. You know, it just does all the things in both directions, repels the things that don’t serve you and attracts the things that do. And it is the space called as that sacred space of co-creation where your will and the will of what is greater than you come together because you’re both flexible to bend to the will of each other. See, a lot of us know that we must leave room to, to be flexible to the will of what is greater than us. But I believe personally, at least in my own case, it took a long time to understand that a lot of the lag or the drag on my purpose getting its pace, which is still perfection because it happens when you’re ready, was that I was giving room for, you know, to bend to the will of what is greater than me, but didn’t realize it wanted me to know that it was willing to bend to what I wanted to. God is not a dictator. He is the creator. And that was the piece. And so I was originally invited to go there to speak totally unrelated to what actually happened by an outside organization, a nonprofit out of Switzerland. And then about four months into it, which if it were the power we built out of Chicago or someplace there stateside, excuse me, I still would have been four months into it. So we’re four months into it and we see that our visions are not right or wrong from any standpoint, just different. So let’s just say that the lens that this organization saw through was this size and the lens to the vision that greater than had shown me was this size. Okay. So it was just different. So everything works according to plan. And good friend of mine, Maureen Flatley from DC, she was in on the meeting and she could kind of tell things are going two different directions. And she just said to me after the call, Lauren, you know, you know, you know, you don’t need that organization to do this. Okay. It never crossed my mind. And I went, and that was the piece that every time I started to doubt even briefly, that would come rushing in her voice and her face and her mouth moving, saying the words you froze a little bit. And I’m going to take a screenshot of you. But anyway, Laura was talking about Romania and how he got the power of we to Romania. And it’s really, really a good story. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to, I’m going to take a screenshot of him so he can see his face. But unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go. So what I’m going to do is text him and tell him probably he has to go back out and come back in. You know, I always say this, right? Technology is wonderful when it works. Well, he did go back out. So he’ll probably come back in. Technology is wonderful when it works. But when it doesn’t work, we know because we had technical issues before we came in and now we haven’t. Let me, okay, here he’s back.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
I know you already know who it is. We won’t say, we won’t say. I write the last word down. Who was that? Oh, now there’s a delay. Anyway, okay, now it’s working. So anyway, yeah, I wrote the last word down, doubt. So every time I start to doubt, I hear Maureen’s voice and then everything else disappeared out of that room. For instance, I might have looked around the room that day and I saw some fear over the corner. And then I looked over there, saw a little anger peeking around the corner, all these different things in the room. But it wasn’t until doubt showed up that the power of all those others that were in there really came to their fullness. And I was able to see that it begins with doubt because that’s where the true power to destroy lies. Because doubt leads to worry, worry leads to fear, fear leads to anger, and anger destroys. So it said, I saw them peeking. They didn’t really mean much when it was just them. But when doubt showed up, the last one to show up at the party, but soon as this took his head in a room, all of a sudden, everything that was already there got more powerful. And that pointed and showed me, don’t let doubt in. If you keep doubt out, these, none of these mean anything. So I learned that every time Maureen’s voice came in. And so now I know moving forward in my journey for the rest of my life, when people you trust to sit in the front row seats of your life, people you consider are part of your sacred circle, people you know you share divine space with, people that when you hear from them, you now go from a regular day or a great day or an awesome day to a blessed day. When you start to realize where these things come in, those portals, and you reach for them, when you see doubt, you look through the key, the peephole to the door, which every opportunity is, every moment is a door where the peephole, every single one of them. If you see doubt out there and they’re looking all around, like if you know how they be looking through the circle, oh, and then come on up and looking, yeah, because he’ll do it. Come on up, look at all, it’s me, old adult, right? Nope, not anymore, because you don’t come looking like what he is once it gets in through the peephole, see? But that’s where your intuition and your, you know, that your first mind, which is connected to the creator, make you see everything right through that hole. It might be holding up something you thought you, it wants you to think you order. It’s me, Amazon Prime, open the door. It’s me, the pizza man. Nope, I ain’t ordered no pizza. People, pizza, open the door. No, goodwill, you ain’t ordered the pizza. And then when you get robbed and plundered, it’s because you left a gate unattended. And it was this one, it wasn’t that door. And the thing on the inside didn’t do nothing wrong, because that’s what it’s here to do. It was you. So to be honest with you, you know, I just watched for the clues, which I’ve always done or tried to do. And God turned it into what it was meant to be all along. And I, because if I had known at the beginning that it would turn into this, I would have been afraid, which is that thing that’s already in a room. But I didn’t doubt what Maureen said. So afraid didn’t have no power, changed everything. And we went and changed everything. And we left stuff with people there and the kids there and the adults there and people we met on the way there. And since we’ve come back, the Romanian team, a lot of them are here right now in Chicago, but stuff in Chicago this week, still doing it, still changing a lot. And that is the true power we in this time. What was different for all of us who attended was this, what you described earlier in Atlanta, in Chicago, how we saw the kids transform. This time I watched the kids transform us.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh, really? Okay.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Oh, yeah, absolutely. And it’s still happening.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Now tell us about the letters.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Well, before I say that, Maxine says, hey, Lauren, she just texted me.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh, hey, Maxine.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Do you want to let you know that she’s watching?

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh, we lost the Maxine. So tell us about the kids here and what you did with the kids here.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Oh, yeah, right, right. That helped to transform the children, the kids in Romania. And they both, it was like they were just as these kids. See, we put the power of all these kids over in Rome anywhere in the system. They’re the child welfare system in one form or another. On every day was a different form of being in the system, domestic violence shelter, you know, a pseudo orphanage kind of a place, but not really because they had family. They weren’t parents weren’t dead. They were just abandoned kids. Then all the way up to the last day where it was all a true orphanage. 90% of the kids, their parents were literally dead. So it was all these different variations and a lot of overlapping or interwoven similarities and differences all at the same time. But the thing that was consistent in every template known as a separate day and where the beauty was, no matter what the buildings and stuff and streets and neighborhoods look like to get there or get away from there, it was the kids. They were all perfect, absolutely perfect, no matter where they were and what their situations were. And we went there really thinking we were going to change them. And we did, we poured into them. But I believe that 100 of us left immensely changed in ways we could have never seen coming. Now I say it’s, yeah, the kids here, the kids here, I wanted, you know, we kind of here on state side, we match kids with mentors and things like that. Remember we tried all that. And so I was thinking at first it was like get one kid to write a letter to a kid over there. Okay. And just see if they’d wanna, you know, because I’m thinking documentary or something like that. Yeah. And it started with the idea of one. And I asked Mark Addis, you know, mine. Yeah. Because you got five kids. I was like, I asked him, he got a whole school right there in the house. So I said, any of your kids be interested in writing? And Henry said that 17-0 Henry, it was 16 when I asked, agreed to be the one. So he wrote our very first letter and it was life-changing. And the kids over there saw his commercial and we sold it to him and then pulled out the letters that 88 kids here wrote in Naperville and another, I don’t know how many more, but we were over a hundred down in the Chicagoland area by actual Romanian students of Romanian parents that have gotten, you know, they live here now. So they have the same bloodline, but a different legacy. And so, and I felt that every piece of this needed to have as much Romanian DNA right on the top in the front because we were there to help put a microphone to their story, not to put a hand in a puppet and tell the story, if that makes any sense. And so that’s what I was looking for. And it was the kids here being so gracious to volunteer. They all volunteer because we didn’t want kids who didn’t want to write to like make it a class assignment or something. No. And we were just amazed at how many of them came. And we did an event with them to explain what it was all about and the possibilities. And their librarian, shout out to Rebecca Nelson at Jefferson Junior High here in Naperville, she redid the whole Learning Center, which is what they call libraries now. And they had strings going to places all over the world with letters, envelopes in between the places, books on pen pals. And when we went to record Henry to get his letter, it was ready. And in that video I used to show, I would say, if you want to see it, I’ll show it too. He changed everything. The press picked it up. And I asked him in there, what would it be like if you made a friend, Henry, through this pen pal program that 50 years from now you’re still friends? And he lit up. And I didn’t realize what that truly meant to tell I previewed the piece with his parents. He hadn’t seen it yet, Henry. And both his father, Mark, started crying. And I said, what’s wrong? And he goes, I haven’t seen that light in Henry’s eyes since before COVID.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh, wow.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
And it took him two days to put it together. And he explains his process. And I knew I told him I wasn’t gonna just pass out your letter. I’m gonna let God tell me who it’s for. And we were giving out kids letters every day. And we were at the third day. And this girl walks, I never thought it would be a girl. Up to that point, I was mentioning gender for gender. Yeah, boy, girl, kiss, girl. And this girl walks out because they have their user IDs. They made handles that are on the envelope where they’re from and their age and male or in their what their pronoun that they identify with was on there. So she said, I said, hello to you to the translator. She said, 16, I’ll be 17 in a couple weeks. And she just, I said, your English is impeccable. She goes, I know. And I take great pride in that. And I was like, stay right there. Because I took his letter out separate. And I said, you’re the one. So I’m looking at her. She’s looking at me like the one what? And I said, this is a special letter, you know, because he got our momentum award because he wrote the very first letter. You know what the or the stateside power wheels, I give out the momentum award to whoever buys the very first ticket. Because as a planner, when you’re building these things and you’re afraid or doubt, you think it’s just you until Eventbrite said anything, you got tickets. And I never want to forget that person who suddenly I wasn’t in this dream alone anymore, at least me and one other person. So that’s what since there were no ticket sales with Romania, it made perfect sense to give that award to Henry. Right. Because all those other letters came after his. And that’s the power of stepping up people. When you do something and it’s a first or you’re the first to do something, no matter how many times it’s replicated after that one, whatever you were a part of that was first will always be known as the first. And that’s how you become legendary.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Wow.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Yeah, it was life-changing, Dr. Jan, for all of us.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Well, yeah, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it. So, well, I just call you Lauren. I don’t call you doctor.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
I know, I call you doctor. Oh, yes, I do. Wait, and I call you Lauren because, you know, people are watching and they don’t really need to know what I really call you. So anyway, Jesus knows. I said, I don’t have to tell. Jesus saw you. I did it. Jesus will know what you did. So yeah, is there anything that you would like to eat some words of wisdom that you would like to leave my audience with?

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
That’s number one. Thank you for this opportunity. And I’m gonna say this. I’m not gonna try to leave something that you can find in my content or in a sizzle reel because you brought today, you know, you’re always excited because you’re like, you know, about Romania. Let’s talk about that in the senator. So I’m gonna say this. Let me play this two-minute thing with Henry’s interview. Okay. Because he spoke for all the kids and he speaks. And this is what I want people to understand. It doesn’t matter where they’re at in this world. These kids hold the keys to the future, just like the people that paved the way for us held keys for us. And, you know, these kids have to clean up what our generations ruined, to be perfectly honest. And they’re dealing with a pandemic, fallout after it, and all these other things. And so I just want to show what the kids, but the power they have and the power we, us, the adults, to give them an opportunity to just maybe surprise us every now and then. No, it’s the truth. Okay. So that’s that. Can you see it?

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yes, I can.

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Okay. I’ve never done this from not being my show. So yeah, straight to the stream. Oh, I think, yeah, because if I click on the player, it doesn’t play. Okay. I see. I’ve never done it. Okay. So hold on. This is interesting. Okay. Share screen. You have to go to this. Oh, okay. Hold on, Dr. Jan. We had it too. Yeah, I’m here, but I think I know what I gotta do. It’s worth it. What time is it? Oh, yeah. Okay. So now I’m gonna say this. I mean, but I used to be so nervous about this. Now I hit share. Okay. Okay. Hold on. Let me put it in the stream. Is it here? Yeah. Okay. Now hear me. My hopes are that the people who experience this letter are able to take even just like a drop of hope from it. And during their hard times, I’ve seen your letter and it’s absolutely beautiful. How long did it take you to write it? So the rough draft, it took me probably a day to come up with like the main ideas and then probably two days to like put all that into the actual letter. Experience a lot because I know that I can actually look back on the letter that I wrote because I gave some advice that I know I can use because I don’t really, I still go through problems. And I know that if I’m able to look at the letter and look at the advice, if I can implement that into my life. Would it be if through this letter you made a friend that 50 years from now you were still friends? How would that feel? Incredible. I mean, I have a few friends that I’ve known like my whole life and they’re just amazing. And to have somebody go through your whole life with for 50 years, I mean, you basically, you’d always have something to turn to and during your hard times and that I know people don’t have that. Some people don’t have that. And the innovation to know that there are people in this world that love them and that want them to succeed. You can take it out and it froze, but you know, I kind of liked us hearing the narrative. Yeah. Wow. If not, you can take it out. It’s out. Oh, okay. I thought I heard that. Yeah. So yeah. So you see what I mean? How no matter what we did, we can’t speak for the kids, but we can provide a platform for them to speak for themselves.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Right. So Lauren, if anyone wants to get in contact with you, if, you know, if they want to talk with you about maybe, you know, just seeing as you as far as maybe coaching with you or more information about the power, if we, how can they reach you?

Dr. Lauren Michaels Harris
Well, Gmail, the name without doctor on it, just say laurenmichaelsharris@gmail.com. Lauren Michael s Paris gmail.com. You better not be texting that to some of your little thug friends. I know you still got connections. So what? I know you do. You know, they’re cracking up. I had to get one good Jew again. Thank you for this opportunity.

Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Well, thank you so much for consenting to be on my show. I really appreciate it. And I know that you’ve given a lot of value to my audience. Thank you. I, I, yeah, I, so I thank you. Thank you. And enjoy. It was a lot of fun, of course. And he has a show. It’s called Bathrobe Moments. And he sits up there in his bathrobe, you know, it’s about change. Oh, oh, good. I’m glad that you got more than one robe because that was it from one from every year, every season. Why are you playing? Well, good. Yeah. Where yours? Good. Yeah. Okay. You see, I should be hating. Y’all see, I just tell you never outgrow that apparently the truth is the light. All right. Thank you so much. Bye. It was great that I really enjoy Lauren Michaels Harris and he is a great coach. So if you’re really thinking about a coach, look for email them laurenmichaelsharris@gmail.com. Now, what I have not said because he talks so much is that I am in, you know, I’m always in the contest. Well, I’m in a contest now to be on the cover of Heart of Hollywood magazine. Right now I am in second place and I really would like votes. I want to stay and say, I, you know, I don’t know that I could get to first place, but I shouldn’t say I don’t know that because maybe I can. But anyway, I would love for you to vote for me. So if you would go to my email janfornow125@gmail.com and just either just put contest in the subject matter and I will forward you or you can just go to heart. You know what? If you don’t want to come to my email, you can go to Heart of Hollywood magazine and just click on contest and click on women and you can find me and you can vote for me. I will appreciate it. So thank you all so much for tuning in. And I’m here every Thursday evening, 7 p.m. Central Standard Time with Relationship Matters TV. I want you to remember there are all kinds of relationships and there are all kinds of relationship matters. So I’ll see you again next week. Have a beautiful, blessed morning, afternoon, or evening wherever you are in the world. Bye-bye.