“Rooted in the Community, for the Community.”

What if your tree guy was a tree gal who leads with craft, faith, and community—and channels her business into veteran support? Meet certified arborist and ultra-endurance athlete Amy Nikai, one of Nebraska’s first female-owned, ground-level tree company leaders, as we trace how proper pruning, honest bids, and storm relief can grow into a movement that funds the 50 Mile March and honors military families.

We start where roots meet purpose: why trail running drew Amy into arboriculture, how certification changes the way you cut for long-term canopy health, and why she refuses shortcuts like lion’s tailing. Then we go deeper into service. Amy recounts donating a week of chainsaw work after the Elkhorn tornadoes and building playgrounds with local partners—a blueprint for how trades can be the backbone of resilience. Her business philosophy is simple and rare: educate first, price fairly, never pressure, and drop the bill when jobs finish faster. The result is trust, not just transactions.

The heart of the episode beats with veteran stories. Amy’s husband, Bruce, retired as a Command Sergeant Major and former Ranger after 22 years. She opens up about identity after the uniform, the quiet weight military spouses carry, and the leadership that continues at home with teens, faith, and discipline. That spirit fuels a 22-day initiative: a portion of proceeds to 50 Mile March leading up to Veterans Day, plus a full day of giving on November 11. The team will wear shirts with real service members’ names, turning each back into a conversation that travels.

We also talk sobriety, 75 Hard, and habits that serve values. And we zoom out to what community really means: weekly rucks where phones stay down and voices come up, small acts that outlast headlines, and the reminder that most change starts on your block, not your feed. If you’re a homeowner, you’ll learn actionable tree care tips. If you run a business, you’ll hear a service playbook that actually builds loyalty. If you support veterans, you’ll find a living example of how to weave purpose into everyday work.

If this resonates, share it with a neighbor, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a review to help others find the show. Then tell us: what small act will you plant this week?

Chapters

• 0:00 Meet Amy Nikai, Arborist & Leader
• 1:06 The 50 Mile March Fundraiser Plan
• 2:07 Why Arboriculture Chose Her
• 4:16 Trees, Energy, and Forest Bathing
• 5:36 Craft Over Cost: Doing Work Right
• 7:31 Service First: Tornado Relief Stories
• 9:40 Community Projects Beyond Trees
• 11:24 Smart Tree Care for Homeowners
• 13:02 Honest Bids, Zero Pressure
• 16:08 The CSM Nikai Story
• 18:20 Identity After the Uniform
• 22:00 Faith, Family, and Leadership at Home
• 24:30 Transition, Purpose, and Pride
• 27:12 Date Nights, Discipline, and Routine
• 28:48 Sobriety, 75 Hard, and Habits
• 31:12 How to Join and Support the March
• 33:20 Local Community Over Global Noise
• 35:10 Small Acts, Lasting Impact
• 37:20 Shirts, Names, and Living Legacies
• 38:40 Closing Gratitude & Subscribe

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:10

Connecting the dots. Connecting his guests to the world. Creating more connections. Welcome to The Connection. Meet your host, author, coach, Air Force veteran, Jay Morales.

SPEAKER_03: 0:29

So joining us in our conversation today is Amy Nikai. She's a certified arborist, owner operator, and very proud to be one of the first female ground level owned and operated tree companies in Nebraska.

SPEAKER_01: 0:44

Ground level female owner, yes.

SPEAKER_03: 0:46

I love it. And Nebraska Arborist Association Board of Directors, you were just appointed in 2025 influential leadership. You're not only in your craft, you're spending time advocating for your craft as well. So, and you're an ultra-endurance athlete. Pretty incredible. But this shows about the connection. And so Amy and I have been going back and forth years, right? Cross paths. We know the same people. But what stopped me in my tracks was our love for veterans. So, Amy, we contacted each other. You said, Hey, I've got an idea. Tell everybody what your idea was and what really caught our attention together.

SPEAKER_01: 1:26

Yes. So because we love 50 Mile March, starting in on October 21st, my company, we are going to donate a portion of our proceeds for 22 days. Um, as a part of the 22 a day movement, we're going to donate a portion of our proceeds for those 22 days leading up to Veterans Day. And then all of Veterans Day, we are going to donate all of our proceeds towards 50 Mile March. We have, we're getting shirts made. We're going all out to help support and fundraise for this incredible organization.

SPEAKER_03: 2:01

And that's what connected us. So now I'm going to back, I'm going to back us up with the 30,000-foot view because I'm going to show the shirt. I'm going to show the why. And below in the show notes, you'll have how to order, how to get in contact with Amy. But Amy, I want to talk to you about why and how you chose your profession of being a certified arborist.

SPEAKER_01: 2:23

So it's kind of a funny story. So since I'm an ultra-marathon runner, I'm always in the forest running. The trees are always changing. I absolutely love it. It's different than road racing. So if you haven't tried it, get out there and do it. Highly recommend it. It's slower and you get to eat more food. What's not to love? So the trees are always changing. And I just really did find a passion for, I started as an office manager, then in an organization, then became got my Arborist license because I really did love the human connection as far as people. I'm a big people person, but also then also loved connecting with the trees and just trees are ever changing and how we can help the trees in the community long-term, five, 10, 15 years from now. So then I became GM at a company and then really was like what our passion was is serving the community. And so we did come up with I like, hey, you know what? I really want to hone in on. I was doing a lot of grant proposals to write for planting trees in the community. And actually, we did one for Omaha. We've done several for Gretna. And so it that is definitely if we're not giving back to the community, there's really a big problem. And so we did like, I was like, I'm just gonna do this. We're gonna start a new company rooted in the community for the community. We actually came up with the motto portion of it first and then came up with a company name, but we really did want to be rooted in the community for the community and doing community events. So the certified arborist, it kind of tied hand in hand with ultra running to start out. But then it really did come with, oh my gosh, this is truly a big passion. It is so much fun. And just there is actually there is a term in Japanese culture called forest bathing where it trees really do heal you. And there's just so much benefit to it. I have found that niche and I just absolutely love it.

SPEAKER_03: 4:15

You know, uh I'll share this, and and I'm sure you've heard many stories. So a friend of mine in Columbus, he used to go home, and every day before he went into his house, there was a tree on the way into on his walk path, and he just touched it. I don't know if he was praying or meditating or what he was doing, right? But he was like intentionally touching the tree. You want to know something sad. Eventually, the tree over the years died, right? We're talking over 10 years, and he he he said, God, I couldn't figure that out. I just I put my hand on the tree. And someone explained to him that his negative energy from his body that he accumulated all day, the tree took it out of him and grounded it back to the earth.

SPEAKER_01: 4:59

I just got no response. I just got his response. There is scientific proof that people with cancer and people they will send them out into the forest to help absorb the energy because the photons, all of it actually does change your energy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 5:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 5:16

Scientifically.

SPEAKER_03: 5:17

I truly believe in grounding, right? Let's just be honest. Being barefoot on the grass has some healing. Let but this is not a talking about healing. I'm just, I love your energy. But I do I do want to share with you, even from the real estate community, I just it's always thrown around. Anybody got a tree guy? You got a tree guy? And I want to change the landscape of you know, or or what your reaction is to like why choose your business? I I can say why, because I just detect your energy. Uh, we've done business before. I think that you're extra when it comes to your performance of going above and beyond. I think you are rooted in the community, but besides all those things, yeah, like what's the difference or or what's your what's your take on why you do what you do? So that someone, should I use Amy? Should I?

SPEAKER_01: 6:11

Yeah. So I have seen and I don't I have seen for me personally connecting with the client, I will tell people up front, you will always find someone cheaper, always. What we do is our entire staff is certified arborists. And so we I can train any 18-year-old how to climb a tree and cut. Instead, what we do is we spend time educating, time, money, um, educating them. So they, when we do go up into the tree, we know how to make the proper cut, why to make the proper cut. And so for the longevity of it, it's not just we're trying to make a quick dollar. And in several of the neighborhoods, the let's say like the champions run neighborhood, the these higher end, like I will go and I'll say, you do not need to spend this money. Like tree companies will come in and convince them. I'm a big Dave Ramsey budget type of person too. And so I will literally kind of sometimes talk people out of it. And I think that honesty shows to people because I'm like, you it you can spend the money, I can talk you into spending the money, but there's really no hazard here. You have this ginormous cottonwood out in the middle of nowhere, and it doesn't really need are there dead branches? Sure. But is it's not impeding anything and it's just going to help the forest and everything else. So it's not like I I'm trying to convince them to spend the money. And I that is vastly different that I've noticed. The other option that or not option, the other thing that I've noticed too, that I really do value is spending time in the community. And the third thing would be we're honest with people. So I we've quoted jobs before, and we have said, you know, here's, you know, let's just say it's a$5,000 job. And we've said it's gonna be$5,000, and they agree to that. And we get it done faster. It's done efficiently, the client is happy and everything goes smoothly. We've gone in and said, hey, you know what? It went better than we expected. We're gonna take money off. Rather than what I have seen happen and what even, and not even in just in our industry, we're talking businesses in general.

SPEAKER_05: 8:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_01: 8:12

Um, every company, they've said, well, now we can go get another job done because it got done quicker and make our money even more. And instead, we're taking care of the client. And that to me is like what it's about. We're not here to price gouge, we're not here to get somebody on money, and we're not here to make dollar over or fifth, you know, hand over money. Like, we're truly there to solve and be there for the community. And that I'm a full believer in like karma and like truly giving back. And it it has luckily shown to fruition. Um, we've been very blessed. And I just I love that aspect of it because people have noticed that and people can see that genuine, genuine.

SPEAKER_03: 8:52

Yeah, absolutely. And and so that's why I'll say so. I think in your space of home services, or you know what I mean, being a front-facing to the end customer, taking care of people. And this is not cheap, by the way. I I don't want to talk about just in general, like I think investing in your landscaping and having you know the difference between having a nice having nice trees and not people don't pay attention to it until it's too late. And I think you probably hit the nail on the head there where your relationship is what I hear. Your connection to the client is way more important than your services. Like you said, you can you can train an 18-year-old. I you know what? I think what's missing in this world, Amy, is um client relationship. I I'm not talking customer service, right? I'm not talking about yes and no, ma'am. I'm talking about connection. Can you can can you tell me about a time in the community, like a feel-good story where doing what you did made you connect with the client and maybe, maybe it was pro bono, maybe it was like a storm, maybe it was. I want to know, I want people to know when they hear Amy Nakai. I want them to know you're more than just a female-owned tree company that is extra, right? Like I love the word extra because this world was plain as hell, and people are just trying to get by with what they're trying to get by with. But go ahead and go ahead and share it.

SPEAKER_01: 10:23

Um I could miss list so many just stories that are memorable and personable to me. But one of them truly was obviously the elk horn tornadoes that's close to home. There, the day it happened. I actually had someone who lived on that street who's a dear friend of mine call me the day it hit. And I mean, within minutes of it hitting. And she's like, all she could think about is we have a tree on our house and I need your help. Like that was her panic. And she said, My whole street is gonna need your help. So we actually tried to get there that day. And obviously they were doing kind of a search and rescue, so they wouldn't allow us it. We spent two hours trying to get in from every avenue, and it wasn't, we weren't able to. Praise Jesus, there weren't any casualties, any injuries or anything. But the next day, the church at there, like the whole community relevant. Yeah, I was there. I saw you guys there. Yeah, we need people with chainsaws. And what we did, what my and what my team did, it was so cool. Cause it wasn't even like, hey, we like obviously we'll pay you, we'll take care of it. But everybody was like, what do you need? When do you need it? What will be there? It was just not even a question of, hey, can I get some extra overtime? Hey, can I be there? It was none of that. It was literally like, what do you need? And so we were there with chainsaws because what needed to happen is all of the hazardous stuff needed to be taken care of before the community was just stacking stuff. So we went basically and we marched in the people with chainsaws, we marched in and helped people just clear their house, their driveways, all of that. And we actually spent that entire week donating our services and just helping. And every day it was like, hey, should we like they're kind of tailoring off? Do they do you think they need it? And we were like, you know what, we're just gonna go. And we did see some companies that were out there, like the fly by night crews that are out there trying to make the money. And it was just like, there's a difference between storm work and there's a difference between just a need. And like, I think out of all of that, it was just the most the best feeling where it was like my crew. It was just without question, we were there. Not, hey, can I get some overtime? Not, hey, how do you? What can I do? It was just plain service, and that was amazing. Another service project that we've done that was just super close to home that just was super amazing. Is we worked with In Common and Lockwood, and we did on 40th and Charles, there is a there were some huge hazardous trees. They bought an empty lot and we removed the hazardous trees. But from start to finish on that one, we built an actual playground for that community at Walnut Hill. And like that stuff is just because it wasn't even like I asked my crew, hey, I know we do we do tree work, but we're building a playground today. Do you do like it was just so out of our wheelhouse, but it's still so much fun to be a part of that. So there's just we took a day to do that, and it's not, hey, we could be making revenue. It was literally, I mean, obviously we could, but it was just about serving the community. Those are things that are just there's key likes like moments like that that we've done so many things that I just love their attitude and heart behind everything.

SPEAKER_03: 13:27

I mean, you know, I think from afar, people can just listen to your energy. And I'm big into energy, right?

SPEAKER_01: 13:33

I'm big into what people Oh, I'm big time in energy.

SPEAKER_03: 13:36

Yeah, and and whatever it is that you're connected with, I think people want to be connected to that. So I want to make sure, you know, that I'm getting the word out about your, you know, your company. And I know that community has always been, you know, you didn't even need to tell me that, right? Like I know, I think a lot of people know, and I know where your heart is. What are some of the things that people think about, like they should think about ahead of time before they need you? Like, if I'm a homeowner, yeah, which there's plenty of trees you've been to my house before, right? Like what should we do?

SPEAKER_01: 14:14

Trees that are too close to your house. Trees that are too close to your house, for sure, for sure. That's something that people don't realize. And then getting it honestly pruned by a certified arborist. There are a lot of people who go out and prune trees, and they actually, because they go with the least expensive bid, which I get because I'm a big burnt budget person, I would rather tell you, hey, this is your most important need, this is your least important need, and be upfront and honest and rather get it done with a certified arborist than doing the cheapest version. Because what ends up, if you go with a cheaper company, not all the time, but most of the time, they prune it improperly and it actually causes longer or quicker issues and the tree can die, or they just try to get a quick buck. And like a big one we see around the community is called lion's tailing, where they trim the tree super improperly and it basically looks like a lion's tail at the end of it. It actually is more detrimental to the branches, the tree health, all of that. And so I would rather be up front and get it done properly. So that's a big one is proper pruning techniques and trees that are too close to your house. Those are the two big ones that we people generally don't pay attention to.

SPEAKER_03: 15:22

I think, Amy, in this space, most homeowners are afraid to even approach arborist companies because they've heard the stories, right? Just like every industry has it. But when you approach husband or wife or husband and wife together or whoever, however, you approach, are they are you are they obligated? You know, like I want to get estimates for certain things in my house, but I feel like I will buy from anybody just out on a second whim. How approachable are you? And and you know, do you estimate? Do you strategize with them? Do you have their vision and and then just leave them be and and let them come back? How's that work with you? Your price?

SPEAKER_01: 16:01

Um, I never sell on this, I generally don't sell on the spot because I don't want people to feel pressured. Generally, my personality shines with it. So they just end up saying, yeah, just get it scheduled. It just depends on the personality. I am a type A person. So some people like to get multiple estimates, but generally speaking, once I meet with people, they go with me anyway.

SPEAKER_04: 16:19

So that being to be honest with you, yeah, I've dealt with many. I've I've dealt with many.

SPEAKER_01: 16:24

That being said, I don't mind them getting multiple estimates, but generally I talk them through on like, okay, like I said, I met with a lady today and she said, Well, what about these trees way out here? Should they get pruned? And I said, I mean, can't I can talk you into it? You don't need to. They're not affecting your home. They're not affecting anything, they're not affecting your neighbor's home, they're way out in a field. You don't need it. So we will strategize on here's your budget-wise, your number one priority. Here's your budget-wise number two priority. I'm big time on that, but that's more because I'm a Dave Ramsey budget person. And I also explained that to him is like, if I were to say, if money were no object, I would absolutely try risking it on this. Like as far as a treatment. Sometimes trees are kind of like, hey, you're at a 50-50 if this treatment's gonna work or not. If you want to try, if money were no object, I would absolutely try it. But if it doesn't, you know, but if you're a budget person, don't spend your money, don't waste your money. I would just no, enjoy you the tree while it's living its life. And so I'll strategize like that with them. I don't know if that answers your question.

SPEAKER_03: 17:24

Yeah, no, it does, because I think most people say, wow, she sounds cool. And I there's people listening right now. Everyone has trees, like most everyone, but they don't take care of them. And by the time they get taken care of, there's some uh knuckle dragging, you know. I mean, listen, not I I I'm just saying in general, when people make hasty decisions and don't care about what they're choosing, it's too late. You're already going to be somewhere. I think you should get uh a consult with Amy, if if that's your business style, and and just say, look, here's here's my eight eight trees. What should I do? And I'm not trying to over token this or try to you know like tell people, but I'm telling you, once I do my trees, which we did before, then our neighbors asking questions and neighbors, uh I'll say, please give Amy a try, or not a try, give her a time to meet or a call, because you're easy to talk to. And and I think your service-led heart makes it easy for me to open my wall and say, okay, take take my money. No, but but I think it's important because knowing that I'm segueing into your community piece, it's important to me that the businesses that I support support the community. And I'm not saying everyone has to write a check. It's talent and treasure too, just like you did during the tornadoes. Yeah, yeah, sure. However, you did it, your time, I'm sure you spent some money, your treasure, and I'm sure your talent and your people jumped right in. And I and I want to talk about community, I want to talk about veterans because this is what the hardest crossing.

SPEAKER_05: 19:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 19:06

So I saw the design, which I'm gonna put up on the screen here, as well as the show notes. It said C S M Nikai, right? And I was like, wait a minute. And I didn't because here's here's what went through my mind first. I was like, oh, maybe I should be careful and ask, was it your dad? Or you know, could have been you, right? So I want people to know this. Like, I thought, okay, this could be anyone. So I want to know the story of the person on that shirt.

SPEAKER_01: 19:38

My husband, we have been married 20 years this year. So um yeah, thank you. He is a fantastic leader, retired command sergeant major for the Nebraska Army National Guard, um, was an Army Ranger, and then moved here and they offered him a full-time position. So he worked full-time for the Nebraska National Guard. So it's a little different than the one week and a month soldiers that are still awesome warriors as well. So, but he worked full-time for them. So he traveled around, I mean, did tons of different jobs throughout the Nebraska National Guard units. And so he I could go on and on, just an incredible leader, an incredible role model for me. I mean, I I would if I could be half the leader that a third of the leader that he is, it would just melt my soul because he's so good. And it's the biggest thing I I mean, I say it all the time. When he was deployed, hearing wives come to me and say, You're Bruce Nakai's wife, like my husband raves about. Like when he was deployed, even like that was just epic to me. Just I loved, loved, loved it. It unlike a lot of people that I've heard, it was very hard for me to have him retire. Most wives are like, I'm done. It was gut-wrenching for me to have him retire because I he loved so much of what he did. I mean, it started to emotion, he was so good at it. And it was hard for me to have him, it was harder for me to have him retire because he was so passionate and so good about caring for others and setting people up for I see this vision for you for five to ten years from now, and I see this vision for you for five to ten years from now. And just seeing learning from him all of that. It was, but also I know he wanted to be here and help with our kids too. And so he deserved that too. And so we came to an agreement, we prayed about it for him to retire and all those things, and it just kind of fell in our lap. And what God provides amazing things. So it was wonderful for him to he retired after 22 years, and so he's been retired now for five years.

SPEAKER_03: 21:48

So wow. So he's and what he's in a category of what I call fresh out. Five years is still fresh, you know what I mean? Yeah. As when you turn my age 55, I got out in 1998, so that's a long time ago, right? A long time ago. My hair was black. Anyway, you know, sometimes our our uniform is our identity. And it becomes part of us, you know, the things that we did with our family, the cycles, the process, the the deployments, the hey babe, I don't know when I'm coming back, or I know when I'm coming back, or the living out of a book bag. And I imagine, did you guys raise children then too?

SPEAKER_01: 22:30

Uh, not when he was deployed, but when he was in the military, yes.

unknown: 22:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_01: 22:35

So when he was full-time for the Nebraska National Guard, yeah, it was basically half the year he was gone. Just because of the way he did things, he would be like, yes, he was gone half the year. But it wasn't, it wasn't like deployments. It would be like, I'm gonna go scout a training unit. I'm gonna go. So it was just it was half the year for our entire marriage. He was gone, basically half the year every year. So it's funny that you say that because truly, the harder part for me when he retired was I realized it was literally a God moment. My identity was in being a soldier's wife. And that was harder for me. And I I was praying about it because I was, I'm gonna start getting emotional. I was praying about it because I was really like, no, I I I want you to do what you want to do. You deserve to do what you want. And he said, no, this has to be a joint. You you have to be okay with it, you have to be on what you want. Like, what do you think I should do? What do we should, what should we do? And it was very hard for me because he was so good at it. But I was praying about one day and God like told like Amy, this being a soldier's wife isn't your identity. And like that broke me. Sorry. And so that at that moment it was like, okay, you it is absolutely okay if you retire. And he's like, okay, I'm done. And I was like, wait, what? If you wanted to retire, it was okay. It's totally you deserved it. And he said, No, we had to make this decision together. So yeah. It was definitely my identity, but more.

SPEAKER_03: 24:03

I I will tell you that I don't care who the soldier is in the family, it's the whole family that's in the military. But I want you to know the critical function of a soldier's wife or a soldier's husband. Okay. You had to carry the emotional weight of what he may have brought back or may not have brought back, or the absence, right? Because when you're at home, I'm not saying you're in your domain and things are peaching. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying you're at home playing air traffic controller for your life, right? And then and then here he comes, or the not him in specific, but I want you to know my perspective.

SPEAKER_05: 24:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_03: 24:44

When I brought the energy back home, it wasn't always great energy. It was you are under a microscope in the military. And it's not about like being picked on or being called out, it's you have a you have a different standard of living. And notice I didn't say hire, I say you have a different standard of living in which certain more rules apply to you. And it is hard to navigate in those rules. But here's the hard part, and I'm and I'm gonna ask, and you don't have to answer for him if you don't feel comfortable, but after the last day that he put on his uniform, you probably remember the last time you saw him physically in uniform on in duty. What did you feel like and what do you remember him? Maybe that's the one.

SPEAKER_01: 25:30

Um it took me so when we went down to sign paperwork, I think that's when it hit me. Because he wasn't wearing a uniform that day, but that's when it hit me. Is it it took me two weeks because then he once he retired, he still had what is it?

SPEAKER_03: 25:46

Like terminal leave.

SPEAKER_01: 25:48

Yes, thank you. So he still had that. So it was still like he, I don't know, it hadn't hit me yet. And it was it took me a while to put into words this next journey for us. Because again, he's he's young. He like a lot of people are like, oh my gosh, he's only 40 and he's starting a second career. But that it hit me then when we were signing paperwork, where it was, it's okay. It was harder, like I said, it was harder for me because he was so good at what he did, but he also was gone for the kids and he wanted to be, he deserved to be home for the kids. And so it was this very, I don't mixed emotions in a good way. I it I equate it to last night. I was joking about Clayton Kershaw just retired. And I was like, what do you think he's feeling having pitched the last game? And I'm like, I'm sure it was a bundle of emotions because his new kid, who his wife is pregnant, is never gonna experience him as a baseball player. And that's kind of how I feel is like now the kids are younger, they really don't remember him in uniform because the majority of it was just not them. And he was, which is what we wanted is we wanted him to experience the kids being like in their sports and everything else. So it was this big mixed bundle of emotions of I'm so excited to experience this next chapter, but also he was so good and so passionate about such a good leader. So that kind of thing.

unknown: 27:15

And both.

SPEAKER_03: 27:18

No, I I love your perspective because I think you articulate it very well. I've I've spoken with a lot of military spouses or military families, spoken with mothers and fathers, spoken with brothers and sisters, but I never heard it like right now, Amy, where most spouses would be like, thank you, baby Jesus.

SPEAKER_01: 27:40

Yep. And that I definitely it's so unique, I would say, just not that I'm a unique person, but it was so different for me because I loved seeing him do his purpose. And that is really what I mean, I've spoken to so many um soldiers' wives about is seeing your spouse be in their purpose is so critical. And seeing them fulfill what God has chosen for them is so critical and so incredible to see and witness. So that was just like I I'm anxious for and excited for what God has in store, but man, I loved seeing you happy and doing what you were just so blessed to do. But I also love seeing him avail. It's like then he was home with the kids with their baseball games, and so it's just such a great blessing on both sides of it.

SPEAKER_03: 28:31

Yeah. I mean, absolutely. To to serve the country and have a great service record and then to retire and then, like you said, start a second career at age 40, I think is pretty incredible. And and not many people get to, you know, experience that. If your husband were sitting right next to you right now, what would you tell him about his years of service? For for I can feel that you're a patriot. I know you are. But if you can tell your father, you know, what what would you say to him?

SPEAKER_01: 29:02

Uh just his leadership. I think we talk, I mean, I just bragged about it and like loved it. Those key moments where it was people talking about him. I've not once ever heard anything talk. It's always been high praise. It's never been like he chewed me out this one time or he, whatever. It's always been he pushed me to be a better person and he set me up for success. And he always had my end goal, my challenge me to say, here, I want to see you here in five years, I want to see you here in 10 years. And that was inspirational to me.

SPEAKER_03: 29:37

The percentage of people that become rangers is very small. And then the percentage of people that hold the command sergeant major E9, the highest enlisted rank, is even smaller. And to have a 22 year career, have a family intact is a testament to, you know, probably your faith. The way I can hear your adoration. You said leadership. Probably 25 times so far on this planet. But I will tell you, and this is just me and my faith, when I hear a spouse adore their spouse, even a wife to, I mean, those words, so you don't hear people talk about, well, you know, my husband's a leader, right? Or my wife's a leader. Those words are not used. But I take it even in your house, and I'm just gonna ask, does he lead the house from a biblical sense or like a faith sense? Does he absolutely?

SPEAKER_01: 30:36

Yeah, absolutely. It's fun to see, because so we have teens now, and so it is just fun to see him lead my son and lead my daughter. And it's just it's so great to see his impact on their life. And I'm so grateful to have a spouse to have a different perspective. And even though we're both type A's, we come with from different leadership positions and leadership suggestions. And so it's really I'm so grateful to have that.

SPEAKER_03: 31:07

I love your take on it because it's so fresh and it's so eye-opening. And and I I want people to know how hard it is to transition. The worst day in in my career 10 years was the day that I took my uniform off. And my identity just for 10 years was wrapped into that battle dress uniform.

SPEAKER_05: 31:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 31:30

And and having it creased and ironed and boot shiny, and like I loved, I loved saluting people. I loved, I love the reach, I love the flag. I I mean, there's everything. I love shooting weapons, I loved formation, I loved, you know what I mean? I loved everything about it.

unknown: 31:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 31:51

And then, you know, one day I was just like, I I love this, but something inside of me just said, like, there's a there's another calling for me. And notice I didn't say bigger, there's just another calling for me.

SPEAKER_05: 32:08

Just a different, yep.

SPEAKER_03: 32:10

It took me, Amy, it took me 25 years to be really proud to be a veteran. You know what I'm saying? Isn't that crazy to say it's not? When I got out, I was like, okay. There's parades for Saudi Arabia. Yay! All right, oh, they're all right. You know, I wasn't mocking, I was feeling like I didn't deserve.

SPEAKER_01: 32:34

I was feeling a shame, and and you know my story of just I would say my husband has done. He's like, I didn't do it. So when I'm like, hey, get a military discount, I didn't do it for that. I don't need this. I don't like when they do stand up if you did this, he's like, I don't need that. He feels very similar to the what you experience is like I didn't do it for this. My purpose was literally to help serve other people. It wasn't for the accolades, it wasn't for that. I don't, I don't want recognition. He's big time on that.

SPEAKER_03: 33:06

Yeah, and and most good leaders are, to be honest with you. Um, they eat last, uh they make sure everyone's, you know, goes ahead of them. They take care of their, not not only their soldiers, but their soldiers' families that connect with people. The worst thing that happens is a high-ranking official like that looks past the spouse. And I'm sure your husband didn't do that. I I can tell just from the stories you you tell me of the adoration that even the spouse has had for your husband. Because when they're gone, all you guys is have have is each other. And I want to say thank you to you, Amy, for doing your part. Because, and I and this is a lesson for or an ex a shared experience for other spouses, right? Um, it's easy to go deployed again. It's easy to go, but you're gonna miss out on. It's easy to say, God, you just you just came back from England and you're you're gonna leave now to Iraq. Like man, it's not like they're like, How can I get away from Amy? Let me just sign up for this. Right. You know what I mean? And and I will tell you, a soldier's love for their orders and and and doing the things that they're good at and and and just they want to serve. But when it but when it comes to opposing, and I think spouses in general, even outside the military, you should support your spouse or find something that you and your spouse can agree upon that you can say at all costs, I will protect the household by doing this. Now, listen, there's people who, and I'm not chastising, they spend time doing other things there. I I don't know what I have not right hand to God. I've never played fantasy football once. Now, I'm not saying that makes me good. I almost don't want to admit that, right? But I'm saying my time goes other other places. And I don't know. I just think the structure of your household and the way you talk about it is very traditional. And I think we get away from that. Am I right?

SPEAKER_01: 35:05

Like Yes. Yep. It's you have your own interests, I have my own interests, and so it's never like, hey, what can we do? Like purposely, intentionally setting time together. Like we were on a curling league. That's my claim to fame. Yep, yep. So Bruce and I were always honored to meet someone. It is a lot of fun to meet me. So I have curling shoes and I have a curling broom. So we attention picked something that we could do together, that we both were like, we've never done this. And it's something that, like with his broken knees and everything, his jump knees out of it, all of it, that we could do together. Now we're big on like lifting together, but we were both we find those things that we could do together.

SPEAKER_03: 35:51

So that's a big deal, I think, because you know, as the kids grow and and as you know, kids move out of the house, like we have Mason who's 16 years old. He's the last kid in the house. We have 28, 26, 21, and Mason left at home, right? Three girls and Mason. And, you know, I think it is important, you know, like my wife and I tried to intentionally date each other. Let me ask you this, and then you know, we'll lead here to the to towards the ending because I want people to connect with you. What was the last date you and your husband had for a good time, like to go out and have a good time?

SPEAKER_01: 36:28

We go out every other Wednesday on a date. Oh, um, even if it yeah, and even if it's just hobbies, which shout out to hobbies because they are interesting.

SPEAKER_03: 36:37

Hobbies. I love hobbies for another community-oriented folks.

SPEAKER_01: 36:41

I absolutely love them. We go out to hobbies every other Wednesday for well, not I mean, it is hobbies because it's great street tacos. I would say it's not always hobbies, but it's like 99.9% of the time hobbies. So we serve our community youth group on Wednesday nights. We like my husband and I do, like kind of church security. And so while our kids are at youth group, we serve them. And then the following Wednesday we set a date night, and then we serve, and then we start have a date night. So we always do that every other week.

SPEAKER_03: 37:11

So having a pattern is important to you.

SPEAKER_01: 37:16

Yes, regardless of whatever if so, like this week it ended up being like Tuesday night, yesterday. So we went on a date night life, but regardless, we intentionally set that time. Otherwise, our lives get too crazy. So it's like like we he truly did say the other day, he said, When was the last time all four of us were in a car together? Because we just they have work and they have band and they have running and cross-country and everything else. So we have now set intentional family time dates together so that we can all four be together while we're still here and not in college yet.

SPEAKER_03: 37:48

You have to intentionally set the time or the world will take your time for sure. Yeah. And and unfortunately too. Yeah. And one thing, you know, that you and I share in common is we're both sober. I'm about a thousand one hundred days. What was it?

SPEAKER_01: 38:07

I just have to add the days up. I just know it's January of 2023.

SPEAKER_03: 38:11

Okay, you you I'll calculate and you tell me why you how it came about.

SPEAKER_01: 38:18

So I had heard this random thing about 75 hard from a friend, and I was everybody I talked to kind of was like, you don't have time, you're crazy, your schedule's already insane as it is. And because I actually, so unlike other female business owners who are doing like office work or bids or whatever, I'm actually out with the crew doing the work. So I'm like, how am I gonna squeeze in two extra workouts a day? Like, this is insanity on top of tree work. And the reason I did it on top of the tree work, well, the reason I was thinking about doing it on top of the tree work was because it was gonna require hard work and require sacrifice. And so I was thinking, okay, well, if I can do 75 hard, a couple reasons. One, the alcohol. I'm not a wasn't a super big drinker. However, I was definitely getting to a point with business owning where I was like, this was a stressful day, and then the next day was a stressful day, and then the next day was a stressful day. And so I just needed a drink at the end of the day because everything was hectic. And I got to ex yeah, exactly. Unwind and like, yes, I deserve it. I deserve it. And I got to a point where I was like, this is not, I don't want my kids to see that this is the solution, that this is the need to help unwind, and that this is the only way to do it. There are plenty of other ways to do it. And so I was a nervous, but I did 70, I started 75 hard. I actually ended up doing the entire live hard year for all of 2023, which was fantastic. I love it. And I basically just stuck with it. So there's been I mean, there's but I still read. I'm an avid read reader. And if you don't read, you absolutely should, even if it's just five pages a day or 10 pages a day, you absolutely should. So I don't necessarily get all 10 pages done every single day.

SPEAKER_04: 40:14

Some days you probably do more.

SPEAKER_01: 40:16

Right. Exactly. Some days I do more, some days I do less. I don't necessarily get all two workouts in every single day, but I'm still actively working out every single day. I'm still getting outside and getting like I still do count. So when I did 75 heart, I didn't count the tree work aspect of it during it. Yeah. Um because that was gonna be harder. Because I'm like, well, that's easy. I get that done already. And I'm like, no, this is supposed to be hard. So I didn't count any of the tree work towards it because a lot of people will fudge that and be like, well, I'm already working out. It's it's actively, I mean, tree work is hard, but I didn't count it. So anyway, so I did the live hard year. I still do hold to no alcohol. I don't think there's anything wrong with people that do it. I absolutely have nothing. I just I the more research I do, the more I'm like, it's you're literally entering a poison into your body, and I'm just I'm not okay with it.

SPEAKER_05: 41:07

Yeah. And I'm with you.

SPEAKER_01: 41:09

So that, and then I still do basically a follow-the-hole thing for the most part every single day, anyway, and have held to that since 2023.

SPEAKER_03: 41:16

So that's 1,04 days, by the way.

SPEAKER_01: 41:20

Well, hot days.

SPEAKER_03: 41:22

That's freaking crazy, right? And and so it's crazy until it's not, Amy. It's crazy until it's not.

SPEAKER_05: 41:30

Right.

SPEAKER_03: 41:31

And for you, then I, this is a new norm. And I have 200 bottles of bourbon downstairs in my house. Okay. And I still buy it and collect. I have not touched it. My wife still drinks every now and then, but I don't partake. And I'm not the one to chastise anyone either. No, I leave it up to them. You know, I'm not the guy that like, oh, sorry, I don't drink. Like, I just make it like, no, thank you. You know, and then exactly.

SPEAKER_01: 41:57

And I used to be controlled meat. That's the biggest thing. It's right. It doesn't control me. And having a cocky attitude about it of like, why would you put that poison in your body? That does nobody any good. The I just personally don't.

SPEAKER_03: 42:09

So or when people are like um trying extreme diets, or like, oh, well, I'm keto, like I can't even look at that Snickers bar. I'm like, you're just asking for trouble. Yeah. You're just say you're not hungry. No, thank you. You know, you don't have to give a dissertation and a and a whole preaching on on how this works. So, all right, let's lead into community. Okay, into your effort. And this is how I want people to remember our conversation. So from October 20.

SPEAKER_01: 42:43

2021. Sorry, it's 2021. It's 22 days. October 21st.

SPEAKER_04: 42:48

October 21st.

SPEAKER_01: 42:49

November 11th. October 21st. Through November through Veterans Day. Okay, so you're gonna portion of the proceeds of all of our work every single day is gonna go towards 50 mile march.

SPEAKER_03: 43:03

Wow. So I'm gonna definitely want to push this out, you know, as much as we can. There's many channels that we use. We have the private tribe channel where you know the walkers are there. Are are you in our little tribe group, the 50 mile tribe Facebook group? Okay, I'm gonna put you in there. Okay, that's just where the back channel where most of us who have walked or volunteered, we're we all hang out there.

SPEAKER_01: 43:26

You are no, but okay, fine we are.

SPEAKER_03: 43:29

Okay, yes, and and I never want to pressure anyone at all, but I'm saying to you, you would be or your husband, or both, it to connect to community. Right? Like I know you you do a lot already, but for me, and this is me, and this is just me, like I love volunteering. I do habitat sometimes, sometimes I do Crohn's colitis, a couple, you know, different fundraising nonprofits. But the reason I do this is for my mental health. 50 miles is a is a doozy, right? Like, let's just, let's just, I'm just being really polite right now. Yeah, it's harder than a rucker. Okay, so all I'm saying is, but what I love about it is every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, out right out there, crazy people show up at my doorstep, which I love them so much. And we walk, we rock five miles and we talk, and the phones are down, and we're like, yeah, and you own what? And what do you do? What did you think about this? I saw that the other night, and there are all walks of life, and guess what? People air their opinions, and nobody punches anybody. It's not even like it's almost culturized itself to learn from what's your religion, what's your belief, what's your, you know, we don't get into politics, we don't, we're not like this and that, but for the most part, it's a community of like-minded people who are supporting veterans that want to get better themselves. I don't know. Like, I would just challenge you to think about it. I don't want you to if you're on the podcast. But I would love to have you guys out one morning because you're right down the script for me today.

SPEAKER_01: 45:21

I know. And it's just because I I get to work at the butt crack of dawn. That's the only problem, is like I get it. I get it. Like I'm already at work when you guys are rocking. Like, that's the are you serious? Oh, yeah. Like both of us are at work by the time you guys are rocking. Like we wouldn't have time, like I am all for it. It's and it's not the because we get up at 4 15. Like, I get up at 4 15 every day. So the time a day isn't a problem. Like when we would do runs at Hitchcock, I'm up at 4, 3:30 to go run at Hitchcock. So time isn't the problem. It's just we have work.

SPEAKER_04: 45:55

The time.

SPEAKER_03: 45:56

Yeah, yes, the priority is owning. No, but so how will people order? Tell me how this fundraiser will work. And I yes.

SPEAKER_01: 46:06

Yep. So I would absolutely love for people to contact us if you have tree work. If you if you are any questions on like tree trimming, tree pruning, tree removal, tree planting, let me know because what we can do is schedule it because all of the a portion of the proceeds on those 22 days are going towards the 50-mile march.

SPEAKER_03: 46:32

That's I will tell you just from my standpoint, whether you raise a dollar or a thousand or whatever you raise is not important to me. What's important to me is that you see us. And I and I am love that you see us. I love that your you and your husband's relationship of of you know having a military family, you know, it's it's easy to dilute our time and put it other places, but I just want to tell you how much this means. And it's not even about the money.

SPEAKER_05: 47:03

No, it's about the community.

SPEAKER_03: 47:05

Yes. And when someone says, Amy, who is that? And you're like, well, this is what they do, the story gets told to another person. And I I just want to tell you this, Amy. From our from my standpoint, I can't speak for everybody, but it's healing to me when I hear people like you talk about us and that you choose us. There's there's 300 veteran nonprofits within a stone's throw of my chair, and and a lot, and they do good work. I just want you to know how much it means to me that if if if you could meet 1998 Jay in the J today, I mean, I'm just grateful. I would have never pictured having a conversation with a successful business owner like yourself who gives back to the community, who let alone has a military-serving family and is just driven. Like it's the chances of having a conversation like this, I don't take for granted.

SPEAKER_01: 48:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_03: 48:03

So I just want to tell you that.

SPEAKER_01: 48:05

Same.

SPEAKER_03: 48:06

And and and I want you to know that I want to champion your business. I want people to think about you, not just what you do, but why you do it and the and the how and the approachability. And I don't know. What do you want to leave people with? What are some things in life that you you your mantras or your your your message to?

SPEAKER_01: 48:29

It's so funny you said that because I was literally gonna be like, you should think about this at the end of the day. So like I it's funny that you said that. I truly, I think people need to get more involved in their community. I think like, I mean, truly, truly, it just changes you. We get so caught up, and I think it to echo with you guys' meeting every Monday, Wednesday, Friday. We as humans aren't necessarily meant to know what the heck is going on in the big world around us every single day. My friends echo that to me when I get inundated with world stuff going on. We need our community, and this is what we really were designed for. We're not meant to know what's going on big picture, like huge, huge, because it just overwhelms us and we get overwhelmed. And so meeting like that, and I champion that aspect of the community and echo that, it's so critical to get involved in your community, but to show up to these meetings on Monday, Wednesday, Friday to be a part of that niche community, that knit tight knit community, because it's so impactful in your life when you get overwhelmed and stressed and everything else, when anybody does, not just you, like when anybody gets overwhelmed and stressed, having somebody that you can just vent to and okay, are you needing me to, are you needing me to listen, or are you needing me to side with you, or you need me to do throw some punches? Like, what do you need for me right now? Do you just need a shoulder? That's fine. Having that community is so critical and getting involved in the community so you can be there for somebody is so critical.

SPEAKER_03: 49:59

That is so profound. That is so profound, and here's why it's profound. You're right. If I turn on the news right now, I can get sucked in for 41 minutes, and I'm like, oh my God, what is it that I wanted to do? If if I worry about every bit of news, now now listen, I care for the world, but but for me to make a change right now, for me to be the most effective, it starts right here, starts right outside my window.

SPEAKER_01: 50:29

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03: 50:29

For you on your on your on your next tree, starts with the next handshake. And I think we overlook that because we're like, you know, rooted tree specialists, like what? What's her deal? Yeah, it's not what you do, it's the community you serve and how you do it. And and I think I can hear you. There's people, Amy, that are going to work tomorrow that absolutely hate what they do. But they gotta do it. They gotta do it.

unknown: 50:59

Yep.

SPEAKER_03: 51:00

My advice to anyone and you is to love what you do, correct? Even if you don't, and here's why love the process so you can get better at whatever it is that you're trying, like God is preparing you for.

SPEAKER_01: 51:16

I literally just had this conversation. We, my husband and I just had this conversation with our son, because you never know the mustard seed or the seed that you're planting in someone's life. And your smile that day could impact and leave a legacy in someone's life. So it doesn't matter if you like your job or if you don't like your job or anything else. You just never know the impact that you're leaving going forward to whomever it is. It could be a laugh or a joke that you said that day, or the other day, my husband got lows. The lady told him, She's like, Wow, you have the patience of a saint. And he said, Me, me. And she's like, I've just never had, and he that was impactful for him because he never like he clearly had patience that day that he didn't realize he had, and it left a legacy. And she said, You know what? When I go home or next time I get frustrated, I'm gonna say Bruce had patience, and I need to have patience like Bruce. And like, you never know those mustard seats or those little impacts that you could leave throughout the day.

SPEAKER_03: 52:17

It's the plainest, most simple acts where people go, Oh, I, you know, like, oh Jay, it's so cool. You started this thing, and it's so impactful. Nobody was there on the first one, and it wasn't supposed to be a thing. It wasn't like, dear internet, I'm launching something pretty incredible in the next five years. Like I think that a lot of the things in life are just the mustard seed, just like you said. Not glamorous, no one cares, no one looks, but if you pay attention to that mustard seed, it's gonna grow. And I I think there's two things that I'm taking away from our conversation today. Number one is your perspective on the military family, like wow, okay. And then two is how almost every time that I've even spoken to you or messaged you, you're always talking about I'm involved in this and that. I'm you know what I mean? Yeah, and and you know, seeing you guys and at the the relevant center, I mean it's uh it's it's a lesson to me to say, Jay, stop. Uh pay attention to what Amy's doing, connect with her more. She's uh you've been in the peripheral vision, right? And you've been there. And I don't know, like I'm so recharged now that it's gonna be hard to sleep. This is not a draining conversation for me. This is not a draining conversation. This is a recharging gener uh conversation. I just want to thank you and your husband. I want to thank your husband, Bruce, for his 22 years. Man, no one does anything for 22 years, especially the military. You know, and and I want to say to you that if there's anything that the 50 mile march can ever do for you, your business, me at me personally, as a real estate agent or just a connector, I want people to know where your heart is. And I know where it's it's rooted in the community, right? I don't I don't know the taglines, but I don't want to mess it up.

SPEAKER_01: 54:18

In the community for the community, literally.

SPEAKER_03: 54:21

That's so good. Well, I'm grateful for your time and I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01: 54:26

And I just want a quick shout out. So Merch Club designed these shirts, they are fantastic. Yes, so show the shirts, but merch club put them together. Chris did a fantastic, Chris and his team did a fantastic job. We are gonna wear the shirts on Veterans Day. I'm really, really excited. And so each of these, it was cool because it my team came back and they're like, you know, we actually had to res we all were, I chose I told them, excuse me, you I want a soldier's name on the back, like you got to pick somebody. And they actually like they were like, we had to research people, like our family members. It took us time and like we really got a chance to like dive in and get to know people. That was really cool, like seeing them get to know part of their family that they didn't know. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 55:07

And and that's cool because like I said, every with every name on the back, there's gonna be like, who is that? Yeah, is that you? And and that leads to conversation, and conversations are healing. Sometimes conversations are way better than medicine. But I'm so glad that we tied this all together. And I definitely want to follow up. I want to see how things go. I want a champion in business, and and I thank you for your service to our community.

SPEAKER_01: 55:32

Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03: 55:35

All right.

SPEAKER_01: 55:36

Thanks.

SPEAKER_02: 55:39

Thanks for tuning in to The Connection. It's been a fantastic journey exploring stories, insights, and inspirations that bridge our lives. Remember, every connection has the power to transform. Please subscribe, rate, and review. Your feedback keeps us going. In this connected world, let's make meaningful connections that enrich life. Now, signing off until next time, the connection. Keep connected and let's go.