Unlonely with Dr. Jody Carrington - I See Big People: Jade Simmons
Episode Date: December 14, 2023Acclaimed creator of mind-blowing transformational experiences, Jade spent the first few years of her career performing as a classical concert pianist. Following an artistic epiphany, she pivoted from... playing the piano to impressing audiences, to using the piano as the vehicle by which to provide the inspiration, entertainment, and transformation that profoundly moves them instead.In this episode Dr. Jody and Jade chat about how purpose is not the thing you do, it is the thing that happens in others when you do what you do. This incredibly enlightening episode will have you relistening to pick up all the little nuggets Jade shares throughout.https://jadesimmons.com/https://www.facebook.com/JadeMediahttps://www.youtube.com/user/newmuseichttps://www.instagram.com/officialjadesimmons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-simmons-pianistceo/https://twitter.com/jadesimmons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Let's start here, where I think the answer begins for everything and everybody, in the
place of acknowledgement.
Indigenous peoples in this country
have taught me the most about
what acknowledgement truly means.
So everything that I've created for you
happened here on Treaty 7 land,
which is now known as the center part
of the province of Alberta.
It is home to the Blackfoot Confederacy,
made up of the Siksika, the Kainai, the Pikani, the Tatina First Nation, the Stony Nakota First Nation, and the Métis Nation Region 3.
It is always my honor, my privilege mostly, to raise my babies on this land where so much sacrifice was made. And to build a community, invite a community in, talk about hard things
as we together learn and unlearn about the most important things,
that we were never meant to do any of this alone. oh my fellow humans welcome back welcome in Listen, I hope you're sitting down because this
phenom is going to blow us away. I've been watching and mostly listening to this incredible
human. I want to tell you a little bit about her before we bring her in. Jade Simmons. She's an
acclaimed creator of mind-blowing transformational experiences.
What I think is the coolest part about her, though, is that she spent her first few years of her whole career performing as a classical concert pianist.
And I've listened to your work which I cannot wait to understand what an artistic epiphany is, she pivoted from playing the piano to impressing audiences to using the piano as the vehicle by which to provide the inspiration,
entertainment and transformation that profoundly moves them.
And her new book is called Purpose, the remix, really talking about, I think, you know, helping people uncover their purpose. And I,
I cannot wait to dive into how music and, um, all of that really sort of is tied into this
beautiful platform you're building Jade. It's, it's blown me away. And this podcast here, um,
as we just talked about is really about a place where, I mean, my goodness, we, we've been doing
this for just a little while now, but it's all about where you came from.
And I know to the core of me that we're all way more alike than we are different.
And maybe most importantly, the difference between empathy and judgment often lies in understanding where another comes from.
So tell me, Miss Jade Simmons, where would we start with you?
Where have you came from?
Oh, man.
I always say we need a few hours to cover the whole story.
But in a minute. You go.
First of all, thank you for having me. And I'm so honored to be a part of your inaugural
season here. This is really exciting. And what you're looking to cover just really
hits all my buttons in a good way. So if I put in a nutshell where I came from,
you know, roots wise, I'm from Charleston, South Carolina.
I always say I had an abundance of riches growing up. And I don't mean that, you know,
financially or monetarily, we were probably middle class, you know, maybe even lower middle class in
terms of house economics and those things. But my parents are incredible. I'm blessed to still have both of them alive. And in Charleston,
it's an interesting sort of mix of people, of history. My father is a civil rights activist
and still spends the large majority of his time operating in that way. And my father and my
mother, she's retired now, but always worked in higher education. So she's also a person of faith.
Both my parents are, but it's my mother who really instilled faith in me and my father
who instilled that warrior spirit.
So that's really where the beginnings are.
That's where the piano lessons happen.
That's where the understanding of race and sociology and religion, the difference between religion and faith,
that's where all those things started to percolate back in Charleston, South Carolina.
Today, I make my home in Houston, Texas with my high school sweetheart.
And we have-
Yes, yes.
We've been together since we were 15 years old.
And let's just say we're not 15 anymore.
We do have a 15- old son and 10 year old
daughter. Yeah. Oh my gosh. So you have teenager middle school or I have, I have, my twins are 10
and my oldest is 13. So we're stepping into this place where just where I thought I was so competent.
I have never been more humbled or felt more incompetent in my days. In my days.
I think we could write a whole book on just raising my son,
who is my opposite in many ways,
but we're also very much alike in some ways.
And you know, that teenage stuff is real.
And you'd like to think that you parent so well in the early years that you're going to skip over
a lot of that.
And you don't, you don't.
I often, oh my gosh, I say this all the time, Jade. So I wrote
a bestselling book called kids these days. And, um, if you watch me with my own personal children,
you wouldn't buy the book. Okay. Because I, we are so good at telling other people just how the
shit is supposed to go. And then in the, in the moment when she's like, you know what? You, she's yelling to her twin, call 911.
Dad needs a reset.
And then they always say this to me, right?
What you talk about on the podcast is a lie.
I'm like, oh.
We're at that age where they're calling you out.
You know it.
Yeah, it's a good time.
It's a good time.
So Charles did. You said the right word, humbling. It's a humbling season for sure. Oh my gosh. Oh my goodness. Okay. So this father of
yours, uh, civil rights activists still does work in that way. Tell me some of those lessons. I mean,
is this where this, this fight, uh, that you have in you just this relentless pursuit of, uh, you know, when I watch you on stage, um, speaking to your
audiences, it's almost like you, you, I can feel it in your bones, the desire to not only tell
people how to do things and, and how amazing this life can be, but you show them is that, did you,
did you watch people do that? Did you watch your dad do that? Where, how did you did you watch people do that did you watch your dad do that where
how did you learn that mix of a variety of things you know with my father I probably have learned a
couple lessons one of them is I've learned to pick my battles because he doesn't he fights all of
them and he sees battles everywhere um and then for my mother, I learned the difference again between religion and
faith. And I think between those two things, the ultimate thing that I learned to do was to say
hard things and to maybe risk not always doing or saying the thing that people want you to.
I've always been very comfortable blurring lines,
stepping outside of certain boundaries and not asking for permission. A lot of that came from
my father. And when you're coaching and working with people, and I know in your field as well,
it's like, it's amazing when you look at people and you realize how much they don't see for themselves, how much they don't see in themselves.
And in terms of possibility and what can be,
what you're hearing from me on stage is I see big people.
I love that.
Yeah.
I see big people.
That's what we're going to call this episode.
I see big people.
Because I think that I almost, I mean, I saw you say that and I was like, gosh, that is the thing. Right. When you when you see people, isn't this there's something about this. There's a quote somewhere that talks about like if you could only see what I see.
Yes.
Is this is this not so true in so many people? It's so true. And that's why I say it comes from a variety of things.
Part of it is the frustration, the righteous anger of watching potentially huge people of consequence see themselves and operate as small, inconsequential beings.
They have given away their purpose.
They go, oh, well, if I'm not,
you know, Mahatma Gandhi, I don't have purpose. I'm not Mandela. I'm not Superman.
If I didn't start a nonprofit, if I don't have time to volunteer, if I'm not in a mission,
that's right. And so we relinquish purpose to people we think are bigger or causes we think
are more important. And then I watch,
you know, I'm in rooms with some incredibly powerful people. Most of my rooms are predominantly
male. So every now and then when I get to do a complete, like all female room of like boss women,
I'm, I get all jazzed up and I'm wearing my best outfits, my best shoes, my best hair,
because I know they're going to appreciate it, right? I won't say the organization's names,
but I've been in some places where the name of the organization leads you to believe you're
about to be in the room with some Amazon giants who know who they are. They are running things.
They are trailblazing.
And I'm always shocked that even in those rooms, Jodi, I come in and I see small behavior.
It's like they've done all the things. They got the title. They've got the accolades.
But they still, it's like they don't quite believe that they are where they are. They
should be where they are or they're going to stay where they are for very long.
And so I see my job as getting people to see themselves, which, as you know, is about helping them first feel seen in the first place and then really begin to live up to who they've always been.
What would that look like? Oh, my God. And so I get really passionate about that. I love that.
I mean, I think that is so true.
I mean, I have to talk about how do we get people back to the best parts of themselves?
Because even in burnout, anxiety, depression, all of the things that we talk about, it isn't that you've lost your ability to be great.
You've lost access to it.
And so our job is how do we get back there, right?
So tell me some of the things that these people have taught you.
Tell me some of the things that you now know in your bones about
getting back to those places, you know, when you feel like, and we all get there at some point or
the other, and depending on our experiences, some are far down, more down, more often.
What is it? What is, what are some of those things that are tangible things that we're like,
okay, this is how we do it. Yeah. There's a couple of things that I try to keep hold of for myself. And you talk about that, that fatigue that comes in. I,
I'm, I'm blessed that I can say, I don't feel burnout very often. I am though in a season where
I am feeling a lot of decision fatigue. Uh, I am in more of a troubleshooting mode than I'd like
to be as a CEO. And so that can wear on you when
you're not operating really in that purpose center, but you're doing things that, I don't know,
maybe you want to pay somebody else to do, but you have to do them for a season. And so that will
weigh on me. That's very draining for me. And one of the things that ties me, I know we're going to
talk about Purpose the Remix, but it really is this concept of purpose,
which, you know, I flipped a bit on its head that it's not the thing you do. It's the thing that
happens in others when you do what you do. And if I can stay connected, I know. Wow.
Say it again. So purpose is not the thing you do. Purpose is not the thing you do.
Not the thing you do. So it's not to be a podcast
host, a lawyer, a psychologist, a concert pianist. That's not purpose. It's not even to be a mom.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Now those are all important things. They are purposeful. They have purpose in them.
They are not purpose. Purpose is the thing that happens in others when you do what you do.
It's the thing that happens in others when you do what you do.
Oh, that's brilliant.
As you are hosting this, right?
Yes.
Purpose is what is that through thread that seems to break out every time a listener listens.
And you can start looking at your reviews or what people say. And they'll say, Jodi, every time I listen, I get this insight. I wasn't expecting, or I see something a new way.
I'm just, you know, just off top of my head. And you'll start to see that's what people are saying.
And then you'll find, wait a minute. My girlfriends say that when we talk, wait a minute.
My spouse says that when we hang out. Wait, my
kids, they might not tell us, right? But they're having insights. And so you'll start to see that
there's been this theme in your life. So you don't have to run out, find purpose. You've already been
operating in it, but you do have to do some investigation. And for me, when things start
to get heavy, when they start to get draining, what drives me, because I believe purpose is a renewable energy, is that reminder that if I can just show up and operate fully as
Jade is designed to behave, then stuff is going to break out. And when that breakout happens,
that breakout in and of itself will re-energize me, will rejuvenate me. That's why it's so
important, Jodi, because
if we're not operating in that, we're doing things that are only pulling from us and never filling us
back up. And purpose wants to exist perennially. So when we operate in it, it refuels us.
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Whether you're in your running era, Pilates era, or yoga era, dive into Peloton workouts that work
with you. From meditating at your kid's game to mastering a strength program,
they've got everything you need to keep knocking down your goals. No pressure to be who you're not,
just workouts and classes to strengthen who you are. So no matter your era, make it your best with Peloton. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepalaton.ca. What would you say? I mean, when you wrote this book, The Remix,
tell me about The Remix. How come it's The Remix? It's The Remix because we have been chasing a
thing. I thought my purpose was to play the piano. So whenever I'd have a memory slip,
whenever a concert would suck, right? I'm thinking I'm failing at the very reason I exist in the first place. And
the audience, you know, would be going crazy still and give me a standing ovation, but I couldn't
function because I had a wrong note. And so I had this weird bout of memory slips and it's just a
weird season in my career that didn't make any logical sense to get through it. I started telling
stories in between the music. Darn audience started falling in love with the stories
and it's like they'd be like oh yeah the playing was great but that thing you said that story you
told and I was like I need y'all telling me how awesome I was on this piano because you know
this is what I went to school for this is a lot of like focus I've been practicing this yeah
this is the epiphany was that at the end of
one of these concerts i had this long line and i'm waiting to hear how awesome i was and how fast
the show band was and how clean the mozart was and they're talking about how they feel and the
stories they had and i'm just like what is happening and it hit me oh my god they came for
the music and they're getting something else like
something else is happening in them yeah and I'm just up here being me I'm just up here being me
funny thing is when all I was doing was playing the piano I was only being 40 percent yeah even
the thing that I thought was my purpose so So now I understand my purpose specifically, this took years to get to, is to activate audiences into becoming the biggest, boldest
version of themselves possible. The one I feel they were always created to be. Now here's the
kicker. I can do that on the piano. I can do that in a podcast interview. I can do it writing a book.
I can do it preaching a sermon. So now purpose gets to come with me in all these vehicles. I can do it writing a book. I can do it preaching a sermon. So now purpose gets
to come with me in all these vehicles. I'm not limited by even this instrument that I worked so
hard to master. Purpose goes with you. And I think a lot of times, especially with women,
we start compartmentalizing ourselves and I can only do this right now. I can only focus here.
And we have the ability to have more impact by first way of allowing us,
allowing ourselves to do all the things we feel led to do, but now through the lens of purpose.
Wow. Oh my gosh. And when did the book come out?
We just released it in March of 2023. So it's still a new baby. And, you know, I wrote it because I've been saying that purpose statement.
Purpose is not the thing you do.
I've been saying that for at least eight years.
And audiences and people were like, their minds were blown.
They were quitting jobs.
Now, remember, I'm being brought in by major corporations to talk to their people.
Their people were hearing that statement and leave it, right?
They were starting businesses.
They were going on missions trip or they were just doing all these things.
And I thought, I should probably fill that statement out a bit.
You know, it's been eight years and people are still jumping off these ledges, which
we love.
But I knew there was a hole in my head and in my mind and in my heart.
There was a whole philosophy around it that I wanted to lay out for people. So, you know,
the book is structured with that kind of epiphany in the beginning. I even have some avatars where
you might see yourself in these different characters who, people who are almost in
purpose, but just enough off to not have that real fulfillment. Then I talk about how you uncover
purpose. And then
it was so important to me that you didn't just read the book and feel good, but I teach you how
to walk it out. Cause that, that really is, is the main thing, right? I don't want you to feel
inspired and then go, well, that's great. I know my purpose. Now let me go back to doing what I
was doing before. Exactly. Cause there's two things in that statement. So the first thing
that I really, I love, you know, also that it never ends. And so I love that, you know, even in different seasons, it changes,
you know, as you said, as you become a mom or a spouse or a, you know, whatever people come and
go. I think that then the other thing that I really want to talk about, I've been thinking
about this a little bit in my head, right? Somebody, I was speaking to somebody the other day about success and, you know, they run this multimillion dollar corporation.
They're doing beautifully. You know, we are in a room of other people where it was just I mean, like money wasn't the issue, which is so fascinating to me.
To watch, you know, these experiences and the most successful people are the humblest ones who are in this place that
say, I do this. I became most successful when I started to do this for the benefit of other people.
Right. And so when you think about that, that switch, I like, I that's been on my head so
much because we think about the bottom line and I, you know, as a female CEO of my own company,
I mean, I speak around the world all the time. I'm like, no, I'm going to show my parents and my children, watch me. Like I I'm going to
build this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to. And of course, I mean, the whole premise is give
it away and make people feel fantastic and like have the conversations, but gosh, there's been
like a season for me in this last little bit that I'm like, but, but really are we making other
people great? And switching into that mindset, I think is so interesting because I'm like, but, but really, are we making other people great? And switching
into that mindset, I think is so interesting because it's like, how do we ever feel guilty
for not, I feel guilty sometimes, you know, for, for success or being successful or getting to do
the fun things with my children. And like, am I giving away enough? Am I doing all of these things?
You know, it's that balance then of like, ah, okay. So we're allowed to be successful women.
We're allowed to be able to not have to like, okay, I. So we're allowed to be successful women. We're allowed to be able
to not have to like, okay, I'm going to donate everything I've ever learned in my life to charity
because no, no, no, just a second. Right. I'm going to, how do I show people how to be amazing
and then anti-racist kind. I mean, all of those things that I think about, that's when my hope
for my children, I can't fucking tell them how to do any of those. I got to show them.
And then, and then if the ultimate purpose is then to know that people will benefit from that legacy
is, is that what you're saying? Is that like, is that the kicker?
They're there, you know, it's, I want people to see it and understand it this way. First of all,
purpose and success are not mutually exclusive. It doesn't mean if I don't spend a hundred percent
of my time working for a charity,
giving stuff away, doing volunteer work, that's where purpose is. And then success is over here
in my corporate world or building my business. That's not how it works. They actually go together.
First of all, you being fully invested in the thing that you are called to build, your business, your family, your friendships is 100%
purposeful. It has incredible meaning. You then don't have to go be a spokesperson for BLM and
then LGBTQ and ABCDEFG. You know what I mean? Like if we tried to be an activist for everything, most likely we would miss our own unique purpose.
Now, that give back piece actually happens involuntarily when, like I said earlier,
Jodi's showing up being who she is. Because if you are at your fullest, your kids are benefiting
from the fullest version of you. That's that role model thing. It's not,
you know, let me pick a trait to role model. It's let me be all of me a hundred percent of the time.
And I can, I can rest assured they're going to learn from that, that definition of purpose,
that it's the thing that happens in others. This is not meant to tie you now inextricably
to all these people. This is most women's problem in the first place, right?
We're everybody and everything. And I've had people see that definition and go, oh, wait a
minute. I'm a recovering codependent. I don't want to go back down that road. I'm a pastor.
I don't want, no. And I say, no, no, no. Here's the wonderful irony. When I say that your purpose
is the thing that happens in others, when you do what you do, your job is over.
The minute you show up and operate fully as you.
When I get on that stage and don't make apology for the things I'm saying, wear my hair how I want to wear it, wear sequins before noon.
You know we're talking about shining, being bold and apologetic.
Now, you might not like it.
Now, this is where we get stuck.
I then focus on who thinks I shouldn't be wearing sequins in the corporate setting.
No, no, no.
When I do that, I'm doing you a disservice.
So when you operate fully like this, what happens is two things.
It does tie you to people.
And you will feel this incredible reward knowing that the things you are
building saying doing affect other people but it also makes it so you don't have to worry about
what people think because you know what you're supposed to do how you're supposed to show up I
always say I care too much about people to be stopped by people. Oh, I care too much about people to be stopped by people.
Yeah. Because I reach the people that my voice, whose ears are tuned to the frequency of my voice,
I've got to reach the people who need to see me. If I play small, I mean, forget about feeling
seen. They won't even see the thing they need to see so they can feel seen if I'm playing
small, right? So there's this mandate when you're operating in this way to be who you are called to
be, because then the people who will see that role model in you, who will get that lesson,
they can see you. You're not hiding out. And then the people who are not meant for you, who,
you know, you're not their cup of
tea.
It's fine.
That's fine.
But I'm not going to change up what I'm doing to accommodate you.
And then the masses who are supposed to benefit from me don't actually see me.
They don't.
That's it.
Yes.
Oh my gosh.
Stop it right now.
I love that. I love that. I love that. And so when we think
about, I mean, people often ask me about passion and I often talk about, you know, I think about
words like passion and vulnerability, you know, passion for me comes when you find your purpose.
So it rides shotgun to purpose, right? So like, don't start to look for your path. You know,
you hear this, you know, particularly women, I don't know what I'm passionate about anymore. So when you find
a purpose, then all of a sudden your passion rises, I think. And there's got to be a component
here of vulnerability. And do you find that like, is that is that one of the critical ingredients?
Yeah, I mean, I think the first person, I don't think I've ever said this anywhere before.
So I'm formulating it for the first time,
but I think the first person we have to be vulnerable with is ourselves.
If you think about it,
we're living with years and years of expectations
that we placed on ourselves,
that our parents placed on us,
that society or whatever career we've chosen have said,
this is how you have to operate.
This is who you need to be. And it takes a lot of vulnerability to admit, I don't think I fit that
mold. I don't think I want to be that person. Or I don't know what I want yet. I've been told what I
should want, but I might want something new. So I think that's where the original vulnerability has
to be with us being honest with ourselves about what we really feel and admitting what we really desire. That's that
step one. And when you're vulnerable with yourself, it's much easier to be vulnerable
with others because you've already talked about that empathy and judgment. You've learned to
empathize with yourself because we're so much worse to ourselves than we are to others. Right. We can say stuff we never say to other people, but then you're free enough to say,
listen, I've already admitted this to myself. So might as well let you guys in on it too.
I love that. And you know, when you said, you know, when, when you, what do you hear from people
the most? And I think that's the piece that, you know, I hear a lot from other people is like,
I love the authenticity and, and I can't imagine operating in any other way. Right. So it was almost like a bit of a,
um, the more I started to speak, you know, when people say you're, you're authentic. And I was
like, well, fuck, I don't, I didn't, I didn't know. I didn't. Yeah. So I did. I, right. And I,
and I'm no different, right. So there's been lots of questions in my career. Can you stop swearing?
Could you be a little bit more classy? Can you do all these kinds of things? Like, yeah, I fucking
can, but I just actually don't want to. So the issue then is
like, am I also smart enough to know that I have to play different in different rooms? Yeah. Yeah.
Like do not mess with me. Right. That's emotional intelligence. You're not stupid. You know what,
got it. Right. But, but deliberately, I think it's sort of like, I love your conversation around,
but if you, if you stick to the idea that then people will make you play small in certain places.
Right. I love that. Those are also moments of reflection.
But then I also want to be able to be like, no.
And then I'm going to drop kick the door through the fucking wall because I'm like, no, that is the time.
I got to make sure that I'm on track here. Right.
Because I also think this reckless abandon of like, fuck you, I'm going to do whatever I want is also, you know, a bit ridiculous.
But I but I so for sure, I'll reflect.
I think we need that piece.
And then it's also that part of like, OK, OK, I love that.
That is such permission, I think, for so many people to say, like, step into who you are for all the people who need to see it. Not the people who are too not ready to.
They're not ready to, or someone they're, you know, or it's not their story. Like you're doing.
And that's fine. It's like being a parent. There's stuff we can say over and over and over.
And then our kid hears it from somebody else. And it's like, Jesus walked on water. And you're like,
I said, I said that I
know it as a speaker, because I'll come in and a CEO will say, I've been saying that for the past
five years, you came in and 45 minutes later, they got it. Yeah, exactly. She's awesome. We've
never heard that before. The CEO's like, I, I, I totally just said that right last week. So I get it. And it's about timing, right? Our timing,
the audience's timing. We all have an audience, whether we think of ourselves as performers or
not. You got an audience, people are watching. They may not be paying tickets, but they're
coming to the show. And it's who you surround yourself with in that audience, in that team,
in that part. Because I say this, I mean, and I understand this best as a child psychologist, right? We are better with other people's children. And I think
as we're trying to build our career as women, right. You know, if my baby came to your house,
I mean, they'd be like, she's so nice. I want her to be my mom. And I take your, your, you know,
your teenage son all day. I'd be like, let's go, you know, and, and the same is true. I think of,
you know, our, our marital partners, even our business partners, you know, and the same is true, I think of, you know, our, our marital partners, even our business
partners, you know, how do we surround ourself with people that can kind of like, give us that
insight that we can hear, that we can listen to, that we can see differently. And it's like,
you know, I often talk about how disconnected we are in the world today, how, you know, when we
lean into somebody's story, somebody just sees you on a stage and they see this amazing pianist who just, I mean, obviously is so talented.
But then you speak about your woes as a mom or you speak about like, I married my high school sweetheart.
And listen, this is has, you know, the journey that we've came through to be able to get here is a whole other story.
And I love that you would say I would do my craft, but it is in the stories that people started to align most with me. And I mean, this is the whole purpose of the podcast for me is that like,
you know, we will look at these, you know, people period.
And then when you know their stories, my gosh, you're like, yes.
It changed.
It changed the temperature of the rooms I were performing in.
So when I was in the beginning, it was a, a really a survival
mechanism for me. I was trying to catch my breath between the music before I had to go back into the
trenches. Right. But every time I would get up and have that interaction, first of all, it was the
unexpected. So I, I, to this day, always plan unexpected moments, uh, in my keynotes, in my
concerts, because it's so great to disarm
the audience in that way, right? It's better than anything you can say, just to have a moment of
surprise, delight, worry, concern. I even put those things into that room. And every time I would get
up and speak, I realized, oh, we're becoming friends. So about 15 minutes in,
I'm playing for a room full of friends and family
versus in my head,
what was a room full of connoisseurs and music critics.
I mean, I literally imagine like the white guy
in the front row with the glasses and the tie
and the jacket was the critic, right?
And then I would meet him afterwards
and he would be like, oh my God,
I started playing piano last week.
I live in this area.
I couldn't believe you're coming to town.
And I was just taking notes to like learn how to play better.
And I'm like, dude, I was worried about you.
That is not my idea.
How much of a story was going on my head
that wasn't necessarily true.
And isn't that life in general? So I started
trusting in advance that my audiences were coming for something special. And could I just spend my
focus on, can I give them something else? Can I give them something new? That's that giving,
right? Right. The concert hall is still going to pay me. There's still success in there,
right? The company that's bringing me in is still going to pay me a good chunk of change.
It doesn't make what I'm doing any less charitable, any less purposeful, any less generous.
So we can still be paid and paid well, operate generously and purpose at the same time the
two are not separate entities.
Oh my gosh, you've changed my life. Okay. I really,
really, really love that. And, and I, I, I mean, I, again, I can't wait to listen back to this
episode because there's so many things in there that are just so brilliant. I want to know, okay,
what's next for you? What's coming up for, for Jade? I know you were talking about this massive
concert that you have. You're stepping right back into this on stages again.
Tell me everything.
What's coming up for you?
You know what?
I'm going to be, in homage to this episode, I'm going to be vulnerable.
I am so used, Jodi, to having everything planned out so meticulously.
And I'm in a season where nothing I have planned has gone like how I thought
it would. Now I'm at peace with it as a, as a person of faith, as a, as a Christian, I really
believe the faith is in the stuff you can't see anyway. So I can feel, I can feel that stuff is
working for my good. I can feel breakthrough. And I often teach and preach that
breakthrough and breakdown, same size of a coin, right? Different size of the same coin. So I know
that the stuff that feels like breakdown is actually the beginnings of breakthrough. I could
tell you, I got a concert coming up. We want to throw a women's event in the future. We want to
do some more with the book. I could do that. But I think the most honest answer, because of how this season is going, is that I'm realizing
I have no idea what is next.
Back in 2020, I did a wild thing.
I ran for president of the United States.
Of America?
Of the PTA?
No. Of the United States. Of America? Of the PTA? No.
Of the United States.
But I ran as an independent candidate.
We need a whole other episode for that.
So have me back.
Please.
Yes.
I met because in 2019, I didn't know I was going to be doing that in 2020.
Wow.
Yeah.
So that's why I am less and less confident in saying, I'm going to be doing this. I'm going to be doing that. It was life changing. One of the best, wildest, scariest, hardest things I've ever done, especially as an independent. I don't sense that that's what's happening, but I know that there are some other things
percolating.
We just visited a place called Pearl Haven in Hawaii that is a home for young women who
have been trafficked.
They are ages 18, 8 to 18.
And I met girls with stories.
I'm so glad my team and I pulled over on the side of the road before we got there.
Prayed, cried, got all this stuff out of the way. Cause we wanted to go in and be strong. We didn't want to have them look
at our eyes and think that we saw them as victims or that we felt sorry for them. We really wanted
to come in with power and leave power, but it was just being there. I understood, okay,
something's up with this. I think God's going to do something with this. I made an incredible
connection with the lady who runs that place. I think I'll be back in Hawaii several more times in that, in that,
you know what I'm saying? So, but I didn't know that in March. How your purpose has changed,
how that changes. And I just, I love that. And I, and I think, you know, as you know,
when I think about my faith, I think about, I often say, you know, as you know, when I think about my faith, I think about I often say, you know, make me a means. So use me right in whatever way that is so dangerous. But I know it scares the fuck out of me. And then sometimes I'm like, just kidding. Not not that much of a means. I just could you slow down the means slightly? And then I know. And I was like, you asked for it. All right, buckle up. Here we go.
But I, I love that. And I, and I love everything about you. I I'm excited. I mean, I hope our
paths get to cross again because I would, I would just love to support you in any way I can and,
and watch you just change the world. Um, where can people find you?
I'm easiest to find on my website, jadesimmons.com. That'll take you to all the places.
If you want to hear more about this keynote concert adventure stuff I do where I meld
music and inspiration, you'll see that there.
I love being on Instagram.
I'm at official jadesimmons and I'm also at jadesimmons live.
That's that behind the scenes vulnerable.
I'm burning the bacon while the dog is barking and my daughter hadn't finished writing that English paper. Right. So that's all that stuff. That's something my team insisted because
you have to be more vulnerable. People want to see you. So you go to official Jade Simmons,
you see a lot of the, the shiny stuff, the cool outfits, the hair or the audiences.
But it's, it's just been a good season of connecting. So I would love if I've heard you,
if I've been talking to you today, please connect. We have coaching programs and things to help you
become big and bold. Like we talked about, it's all on the website. I'd love to.
Oh yeah. This audience is going to love that. And so I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful.
So thank you. Thank you for your time, for having me step into your life just a little bit. And
everything that you need to know about this incredible human will be in our show notes.
And in the meantime, take care of you.
Just you chase that purpose.
I'm going to be cheering you on and watching.
And everybody else take care of each other.
And I'll see you back here again real soon. I'm a registered clinical psychologist here in beautiful Alberta, Canada.
The content created and produced in this show is not intended as specific therapeutic advice.
The intention of this podcast is to provide information, resources, some education, and hopefully a little hope.
The Everyone Comes From Somewhere podcast by me, Dr. Jodi Carrington, is produced by Brian Seaver,
Taylor McGillivray, and the amazing Jeremy Saunders at Snack Labs. Our executive producer
is the one and only, my Marty Piller.
Our marketing strategist is Caitlin Beneteau.
And our PR big shooters are Des Veneau and Barry Cohen.
Our agent, the 007 guy,
is Jeff Lowness from the Talent Bureau.
And my emotional support during the taping of these credits
was and is and will always be my son, Asher Grant.
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