Jennasis Speaks: The Transformative Power of Women's Stories

A Heart of Gratitude with Jennifer Malcolm and Hubby Chad Malcolm

November 26, 2020 Jennifer Malcolm
Jennasis Speaks: The Transformative Power of Women's Stories
A Heart of Gratitude with Jennifer Malcolm and Hubby Chad Malcolm
Show Notes Transcript

On this special Thanksgiving episode, Jennifer Malcolm sits down with the "wind in her sails", husband Chad Malcolm. It's all about family, love, growth, and the future of happiness. Hear how their story began, how it's grown, and his perspective on supporting Jennifer's path in creating a women's movement. 

Jennifer Malcolm:

Welcome to the Jennasis Speaks podcast, The Transformative Power of Women's Stories, a platform that empowers women storytelling to promote collective vulnerability, acceptance and healing. I am your host, Jennifer Malcolm, self made entrepreneur, women advocate and life balance expert. Welcome to the next episode of Jennasis Speaks podcast, The Transformative Power of Women's Stories, where every woman has a story and every story matters. And that means you today we're doing something different in preparation for Thanksgiving release. This is coming out on Thanksgiving morning. And in the studio with me today is our first male, my orgeous I always say my hot husband, Chad melco, Dr. Chad, Malcolm, and Kelly wait for my team who runs Jennasis and associates with me is here to interview us on this Thanksgiving Day special. So welcome, everybody.

Kelly Waite:

Well, howdy.

Chad Malcolm:

Good to be here.

Jennifer Malcolm:

How's it feel to be the first man on podcast?

Chad Malcolm:

I mean, it feels fantastic. I'm not sure why it took till Episode 20. But I'm glad to be here. Glad to be the first one.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Well, it is a women's podcast. So, you know...

Chad Malcolm:

I understand that. But every once in a while, you know, a man should be able to give a perspective as well.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Maybe, hey, all right. So this is warranted and we're gonna it's gonna kick back and have some fun today. So Kelly, you're on?

Kelly Waite:

Okay, so y'all got married? What? Like, a year, year and a half ago, two years ago? Two and a half years ago. My goodness, time flies when you're having fun, huh?

Jennifer Malcolm:

Absolutely.

Chad Malcolm:

Very much flies when you're in a pandemic.

Kelly Waite:

It just goes right by right. Every day, every day seems like like the next one.

Jennifer Malcolm:

It's a groundhog day, every day the same? Yeah. So two and a half years

Kelly Waite:

Two and a half years. So how about telling the since this is a different type of podcast, and we're going to be a little bit fun today. Let's tell the audience how y'all met.

Jennifer Malcolm:

He fell in love with me at first sight?

Kelly Waite:

I'm sure he did.

Chad Malcolm:

Of course. Of course. But you know, it's like, it's like they say in Jerry Maguire, you had me at hello. I knew from out of the car that it was done. No, it just I mean, I mean, come on. No, we, we met on match.com. It was one of those kind of serendipitous things, I guess that you know, after so long of not trying the whole dating thing. I tried online dating by the behest of a couple of my friends. And I signed up on a Thursday night after probably way too many Bourbons. And then, you know, Thursday night, early Friday morning, Jennifer decided to sign up as well. And we connected through the app or through the website on Saturday, and just started talking back and forth. And went from there.

Jennifer Malcolm:

And my version of the story is similar. So I had been on match previously and had dated about a year previously and tried it. And I just couldn't find anyone and I had fun, met some great people. And I was like, I'm going to meet someone across the fruit stand and the grocery store. And they did not want to get back online and match. And I had my friends convinced me to jump back on but they wanted to run to write my profile. Because I said I wrote too conservatively. So I set my profile up helped them. They helped me write it. He looked at my pictures and fell in love through the internet.

Chad Malcolm:

No, right. Yeah. Yeah.

Kelly Waite:

It was. It was her profile. It was her profile friends, you know, additives that they put in there that really attracted them.

Chad Malcolm:

Right. Um, yeah, it, it was a good profile. It highlighted her very well. The pictures that she added were great. And, you know, it was refreshing to see that she included pictures with her kids. Yeah, you know, a lot of times, you know, people aren't going to do that on a dating app. And then, you know, you start talking to them an article by the way I have you know, a one year old a three year old is like I don't know if I'm signing up for that. But you know, you know, I right from the start embraced campaigns and Reagan fully and completely tried to make sure that I did everything I could to be The role model for them and give them everything they could they could need. So

Unknown:

well. And the fun part is, is we connected on Match. We were messaging all weekend, we It was a Superbowl weekend, we place bets on the game, he let me pick whichever team, of course i think i think i picked the Patriots say always one thing, Who wouldn't? And so we went to set up a date. And then you came over one day, and I was telling you about Chad, I do remember that, until the audience about your role on all this was,

Kelly Waite:

I do remember that. So I, she, I remember you telling me like, well, I've been kind of messaging with somebody, and you're like, didn't want to like talk about your like, you serve, like all shy about it. And you could but she You can't hide her grin. Right. You know, like, when she smiles from ear to ear, you know that there's something more to the story. And you're telling me about it, and about how you just had, you know, it's completely different and on and on and on and on. And you're like, well, I'm gonna go meet him. And I was like, Oh, really? We have we have to do some digging first. So we found out I said, What is his name? And I instantly I think we I think we like stopped all work or like, Oh, no, we need to do this, we need to make sure that he's not an axe murderer. He's got, you know, like, 12 families somewhere. Um, you know. And so we found out that he does not have social media profiles. And so at first, I was like, Oh, no, who doesn't have social media profiles? Like everybody has social media profiles. But apparently, Dr. Malcolm does mess with how established that he was.

Chad Malcolm:

Yeah, no, it was the only social media I have is Twitter. And I use it pretty much just to promote, you know, what my students are doing, what the local schools are doing, to kind of help repaint the narrative of education. I don't do Facebook. I don't do Instagram, I don't do any of those things. Because I just, I'm not big on the whole living my life on the outside. You know, like I do everything I can to be present. Whenever we're when we're together when we're with a family, you know, in general, from short, will tell you at some point, like, I'll go hours without looking at my phone touching my phone, you know, whatever. And, you know, family members, neighbors will be emailing me and they finally you know, messaged me, and they'll finally messaged her like, Hey, tell Chad to check his phone. You know, because I just I don't I don't live that way.

Jennifer Malcolm:

And then he married someone who runs a marketing social media.

Kelly Waite:

From her phone

Jennifer Malcolm:

Rrom my phone. No, but keep going with your story because you were very you cyberstalk to this man.

Kelly Waite:

Oh, totally did. Like we looked him up. We knew every piece of property that he that his name was. We looked at every public record out there. And we finally established that he was a real person. He didn't have you know, 10 arms and six legs or anything like that and tentacles coming out? Because he found him on BWI. I'm sorry, Baldwin Wallace for those people who are not, you know, native Clevelanders listening Baldwin Wallace's college profile because he's a professor there. And so I kind of at that point was I noticed he was a professor and he was early childhood education professor. I was like, Oh, well, okay, so maybe he's not a crazy axe murderer. So I'm not so scared. So it's okay for you to go meet him in person.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Yes, I had to get past the Kelly filter up. I think I told you there. Were

Kelly Waite:

there were Yeah, we had to have girls like you had to be in public during the day. Yeah, so uh, so that was that was the fun part of Yeah, I kind of been there from the beginning. So it's been a beautiful kind of thing to see your all's progression and connection. So. So you guys went on your first date? Right? How did the first day go?

Chad Malcolm:

Well, the first day, um, got canceled. Because well, I have quite the sarcastic sense of humor. And someone in the beginning, didn't have the sarcastic sense of humor that I did. Because we spent all weekend kind of messaging back and forth. You know about the whole online dating thing. And how well we both received pictures of things that well, maybe aren't the most photogenic and then um, commiserated a little bit about it, and kind of made jokes about it. So we were set to go to breakfast on Monday morning after the Super Bowl between my classes. And I got up my new morning and I decided to well, have a little fun. So after spending all weekend, talking about inappropriate pictures. I decided to send Well, a cockpit. But I went and found the largest, most colorful Brewster I could on Google Images. And good morning cockpit. With a couple minutes, all of a sudden, one of the kids is sick. And she can't see.

Jennifer Malcolm:

I did. I actually did. I was like, that is not funny. It's not funny.

Chad Malcolm:

I thought was hilarious. I still laugh. Our friends all laugh about it. I mean, come on, you know. But it was one of the things of you know, he could have ruined us like had she not continue talking to me and we didn't reschedule, I wouldn't be here. But at the same time, it was one of those things for me of like, if you don't have a sense of humor, we're probably not going to make it anyways. I am sarcastic can be on sarcastic. So I kind of wanted to get that on the table early. At but she canceled

Kelly Waite:

You let it you let it all hang out. Right, right.

Jennifer Malcolm:

I did. I cancelled and I did not think it was funny. I was like,

Kelly Waite:

How did he redeem himself then? Cuz he's sitting here today. So obviously he did

Jennifer Malcolm:

He up we just continued there was something in that connection over the weekend. That really made me curious about who he was. There's a lot of common interests with food and family. And, you know, we we both at one point, used to run half marathons. And so his, his athleticism and but it was just the banter back and forth. We had not talked on the phone. This was all just you know, black and white messaging through match. Kind of just gave me the reassurance like all right, get out there and at least meet them. So we met on a Wednesday thing right around three or four in the afternoon at our little winery wine bar here in homestead. And he fell in love at first sight.

Chad Malcolm:

It was it was clearly the other way around. You know, she was smitten. I mean, as soon as I got out of the car, and she laid eyes on me like it was it was over.

Jennifer Malcolm:

And anyone who knows me knows that I was I've actually really gotten better in this pandemic as a health as well. But I am notoriously late, everywhere, especially if it's personal business. I'm typically not. But I think I was 15-20 minutes late to our date.

Chad Malcolm:

She was twenty-seven and a half minutes late. But who's counting?

Jennifer Malcolm:

And he I was like this go in and order a beer or order a glass of wine. I'll meet you in there. And he's like, No, I'm just gonna I'll wait here for you. Which was significant. Like he was from the beginning was a gentleman. He walked over as soon as I get out of the car walked in together. And it was it was magical from the moment like it was really magical. He said I applied lipstick or drop lipstick or made eyes are.

Chad Malcolm:

Yeah, I mean, you know, in the movies whenever like the the young lady walks to the bathroom, and she kind of does one of these, like, looks back over the shoulder at the guy or the guy kind of getting that little like lean forward like to check her out as she's walking away. Like, that was totally what happened when she had to go to the bathroom. She looked back like, huh, yeah. So,

Jennifer Malcolm:

so down the rabbit hole we went

Kelly Waite:

Okay, so you y'all met Match got married. You guys got married on a beach? We did? We did. And that was pretty magical, fun experience. There was a kilt involved.

Chad Malcolm:

Of course. Yeah. Without a doubt,

Kelly Waite:

why don't we? Why don't we tell the audience a little bit about your kilts.

Chad Malcolm:

So my family is Scottish Scottish heritage descend the mountain clan from the clan mccollom. central part of Scotland. Little bit about an hour north of Edinburgh in a small area called Perth, about 45 minutes from St. Andrews, on the west side of Scotland. And I've always liked our heritage. So, you know, when we decided to move forward and getting married, I only had two requests. And the rest of it would could be any way that Jennifer wanted. It was up to her. My two requests were I wanted to be married outside. Not in a church. I'm not a religious person. And I married into a religious family, which is kind of crazy to a lot of my friends. And I wanted to wear my kilt. So that's it. That's the only two things the rest of the reading you can do as you please with and we'll figure it out. So we talked and talked and talked. I proposed effective February of 2018. Not on Valentine's Day. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It was the 16th of February. I went in and found engagement ring I wanted to give her the the girls page and Reagan both helped me pick it out. They were kind of shocked at how much engagement rings cost when they were looking. I said, Yeah, don't you tell me? You know, that'd be great. But, you know, if they would pick a cheaper one that mom would like, it would be great that they didn't. But in the process, I individually talked with all three campaigns and Reagan and kind of asked, you know, their, their blessing really for it. And early February, Jennifer was down in Orlando for business trip. And I manage the the the gumption to sit down with mom and Papa, and ask for their blessing. And I gotta tell you, I wasn't really sure how that was going to go. I love Papa, I love mom. So much, you know that I've been a part of the family for four years. But when I sat down with them, and I told them how I felt and I wanted to be a part of their family permanently. It's kind of an icy feeling like over your body when Papa looks up and goes, Well, Kathy, would you like to start or would you like me to start? And I don't think this is gonna go have I planned. But after sitting and talking with him for a little bit, a little bit that evening. They both you know, open me with open arms, so welcomed with open arms and you know, it had been great to be a part of the family. So

Jennifer Malcolm:

and the fun part was that when we got married at the beach out, those of you who know my family, we go to Destin typically every year, so we decided to do it outdoors for Chad wanted to be outside. And so it was just his parents. His two siblings came down. And my my sister and her family so was like 12 1420 of us at the beach and and it was magical. So simple, but you know getting married on the beach on a Tuesday night as the sun is you know, lowering in the sky. And I surprised chatting got a Bagpiper which proceeded and the hilarious part if you talk to anyone who was there was that the Bagpiper almost fell as he was coming?

Chad Malcolm:

Well, I was gonna say this this was a great surprise. I mean, the Bagpiper like leading all of them in it was incredible. The execution of the Bagpiper like Had we known there was a Bagpiper, we may have picked a slightly different location. Because from the condo we're staying in that week, there was a longboard walkout and then probably about 35 steps that went down, lay down to a landing. And any of you have tried to play a bagpipe. It's hard to play a bagpipe and look down at the same time. And they To make matters worse, the guy was like 84 years old. So I know he was doing great then like the last couple steps like I thought he was biting. But he never played music hung out with us afterwards on the beach and played music Actually, let me try bagpiping I was in Nashville, like I am with everything. But no, it was terrible. like trying to bagpipe. Not a fun instrument to play. But no she she did surprise me complete with a Bagpiper and it was just made the entire evening even more magical.

Jennifer Malcolm:

And it was fun because those of you know who my dad my dad he's a pastor and Minister so he was able to marry us wait settlements are legally married because we never said I do

Chad Malcolm:

Right he says we are but I never wants in the entire ceremony said I do. And she didn't say I did. So we're not really sure we're actually married. We're gonna go well, it's not just easy. It's

Kelly Waite:

done. It's done. Got the ring. And yeah, I think that that's what it comes to.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Exactly, so yeah, two and a half years ago now.

Kelly Waite:

So okay, so so we figured out how you met. Y'all got married. So let's get to the fun part. So Chad, you entered this marriage with a four legged child right?

Chad Malcolm:

Yes. Yes,

Kelly Waite:

yes. So your your dog Brooklyn. Yes. I and then you inherited three humans with Jennifer.

Chad Malcolm:

Yes.

Kelly Waite:

How did that go?

Chad Malcolm:

It's not the fairest trade in the book. You know, if I was a merchant, I kind of got robbed I think, you know, teenagers and you know Trading my dog for them. But no, it, it's been great. I was never really sure growing up, you know, I, you know, that did I was going to have kids that I wanted to have kids, those types of things. And, you know, when I decided to get back out into the dating world, it took a lot for me to decide to give a chance to somebody who had kids, because I wasn't sure I wanted to wait in that pool. But like Jennifer said something about her profile profile, something about her pictures kind of just pulled me to her. And, you know, then when I, you know, had a chance to meet, you know, Paige Reagan and cam it just seemed right. You know, it just seemed like yes, I you know, this is this is where I can be, you know, I can fully love these three kids. You know, no matter what, and if not, we wouldn't have been here. Because I wouldn't do that to kids, if I couldn't be everything for them as much as I am for her. So

Kelly Waite:

that's, that's a beautiful statement. So this is the, the Holiday Edition. So we've got to talk some holidays, right? So, uh, how was your first Thanksgiving together?

Chad Malcolm:

It was fantastic. Great, you know, the, you know, it's just it's it's so amazing again, I love mom to death. But she is really the family his family. I kind of got help with somebody who ever crosses one of these one of her kids or grandkids cuz I really think she'd be like the Godfather and like you would not find them ever again. Oh, we you know we do we do Thanksgivings over mom's in the gray. No, we get there like 10 o'clock in the morning. And we eat dinner like

4-4:

30 when, when the kids come back. And what I didn't understand the first Thanksgiving was that we're all expected. We were all expected to stay there all night, like all night, and like, stay over. And so finally at like, 930, I looked at Jennifer, I'm like, I gotta roll. Because I gotta go let my dog out. I got to feed her. I haven't seen her since 10 o'clock in the morning. You know, and at this point, Brooklyn was like, maybe a year, year and a half old is like, I have to go Walker, I go let her out. And I started saying goodbye to everybody like, Hey, I'm gonna go walk the dog. And, you know, again, mom is fantastic. first comment to me was well, we'll see in a couple minutes, right? And I think I just stood there with an awestruck look on my face. Because I didn't know how to answer that. You know, coming coming from a highly religious family, like, in my head, I'm processing the question like we'll see in a couple minutes, right of like, Okay, if I come back, I'm either sleeping on the couch or the floor. Because we can't stay in the same bed together?

Jennifer Malcolm:

Because we''re not married yet.

Chad Malcolm:

Right. We weren't married yet. Or, I could stay in a king sized bed. It might my house five minutes away five minutes away from their house. So I politely declined and said, No, I'm gonna stay at home and spend some time with my dog. And you know, take her for a nice long walk. And don't worry, like I will be up in over here in the morning prior to anybody else. And I hope how cold breakfast. So because I get up early. I was like, I can be here at seven what time you want me here, mom. And she said said seven would be good. So at 6:45 The next morning, I wrote in to help cook breakfast the next morning. Little did I know, on that first Thanksgiving, that as soon as I kind of said I was leaving to go take care of Brooklyn. Paige was like, affixed to my back pocket. It was like I'm going with you. Don't sleep in my own bed too. And if you can do it, yes. She's like, if you can tell Grandma that's happening. And I'm going with you. And I said, sweetheart, I can't do that. Like, do that with mom. And then you have to be the one that tells grandma like I'm kind of newer to this situation. I have a dog to take care of. You don't. But she did. She did you know say hey, I'm going home to sleep my own bed and she came back over with me that house And I dropped her off and then you know, took the dog for a walk. And you know, and then she got up in the morning came right back over with me. You know, so it was great. But that's that's Thanksgiving

Jennifer Malcolm:

that was that was our first Thanksgiving and the ease of it has only continued to grow, right. But my family is very tight and on Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially, like you get there early and no one leaves like you're like in this lockdown. And it's a blast. We play games and cook food and hang out and watch football and, you know, make a fire, but he kind of broke, broke into it a little differently. And, you know. Anyone who knows my husband walked to the mark the beat of his own drum. It is what it is.

Kelly Waite:

So he made it out alive, he's still here. So I guess my mom was a blessing

Chad Malcolm:

If any listeners who are out there if you do not have a hot meal on Thanksgiving hit us up. Because between mom and Jennifer and Pamela, we cook for about 70. us at the table, so we have leftovers for days. So please, if you need help hit us up. Chad, great. Help me help you.

Kelly Waite:

So more importantly, are you allowed to leave now to sleep in your own bed?

Chad Malcolm:

Yes. And we both Yes. Um, so to go to Christmas. We were we're all done with presence. It was like 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock. And I was like, Hi, I'm, I'm ready to roll and she's like, I'm ready to roll and Paige was already in the car. Cam and Reagan like to stay. They like to hang out with the other nieces and nephews. Paige just you know, she's amazing. She's a lot like me, where when she's done peopling she's done peopling It doesn't matter how much she loved them loves them or how much they mean to her. When she's done. She's done. You know, and at 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, Christmas Eve. She's done for people, you know, and she just wants to come home. She wants to lay in her own bed, and she wants to go to sleep.

Jennifer Malcolm:

And she's an early riser, too. So she's up in

at 'em at 6:

30 in the morning. And,

Chad Malcolm:

You know, so that Christmas Eve, you know, I was like I'm gonna I'm gonna get going. I wrote homeless page. I think Jennifer actually stayed a little bit longer and then came back over. And then amazingly enough felt guilty at like 3am so got up at 3am and drove back over. And like kind of stuck my parents house. I was like you will see it seven them for breakfast. But the unfortunate thing that that Christmas was as I'm riding home with Paige, she was just learning she just gotten her driver's license in October. So she was just passed, you know, the two month mark, and backs into cams car, which is the end of the driveway. And just seeing her reaction to that and how that how she was reacting to this situation was hard for me because she was like, she was so shook up. Not from the accident, but from the, you know, now what kind of standpoint of you know, do you kind of let me drive you're not gonna let me so you know, she cried the whole way home, in the car, and I took the dog for a walk and she still was laying in bed crying when I got home from walking Brooklyn, and just having to talk to her of like, it's not a big deal. Like, we can get the car fixed. Yes, you're gonna pay for it. But we can get the car fit, you're safe, you're safe, nobody got hurt. The car's not broken. Like we can figure out, you know, and, you know, just talking through that was was interesting.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Well, that's fun, because you know, anyone who is close to our family. You know, Chad's their stepdad, but they're older. You know, Ken is going to be 20 pages 18 Reagan turned 16 this month, and so they call him Chad or they call them step Chad. And then they became step chatty, instead of step daddy. And that name is stuck because I know our Jennasis team calls Chad step by step chatty. And so Yes,

Kelly Waite:

Chaddy. It was just a sweet. He's the chatty of all of us.

Chad Malcolm:

Keeps the boat rolling forward.

Jennifer Malcolm:

The hot mess express, right. No, so we were blessed. We've had some great holidays. We're looking forward to I'm going to say today because when this comes out, it's going to be Thanksgiving. So looking forward to spending the day with Chad and the family and in the kiddos and, and watch football and eat way too much. Probably.

Chad Malcolm:

Yes.

Kelly Waite:

So is there any other stories that y'all want to talk about? Or should we get into my lightning round of Thanksgiving?

Jennifer Malcolm:

I think the only thing that we wanted to be purposeful because this is the Thanksgiving Day Special is to just I want to express gratitude to my husband. Because I couldn't be here, creating this movement creating the Jennasis Speaks podcast, the the vision that's in my heart without an amazingly strong man next to me who, when I tell him my big, hairy, audacious goals, he asks maybe some clarifying questions. But his response has always been, go for it, if you can see it, and you can dream it, and you can do it, or believe you can do it, go for it, and just being very grateful for Chad, Camden, Paige Reagan, who are my world, and that they see me going down this new path in 2020 of the women's empowerment series. And he's never told me no, he, he's just his the wind in my sails. And, you know, as encouraging, he built my studio for me this this summer, during the pandemic, and just is all in believing in what is in my heart. And he's like, as long as I can still teach and have my half years off and smoke my cigars and have some bourbon, and we're good to go. So I want to just to be purposeful to say, thank you.

Chad Malcolm:

And to help clarify a little bit like I've tried saying no, before. So it's just say yes. And support. No, I I do I do support? I think the, I think a supported women's movement, you know, it's gonna sound kind of cliche, but I think it's a little overdue. You know, I, I have the, the opportunity to work with a lot of young women. In my classes, you know, I'm, as Kelly said earlier, I'm a professor of early childhood at Baldwin, Wallace University. And 99% of my students are, you know, 20 year old, you know, females that, you know, and one of the first things I learned, when I changed from teaching pre K, three, four and five year olds, to teaching college students, especially college female age, was that there's such a lack of confidence in themselves. And it, it's, it was so hard for me to grasp that. Because anybody who knows me knows, I mean, I have a little, a little bit of a little bit of an ego. You know, that comes from years of, of being an athlete, you know, and being a top level athlete. And, you know, so to not have confidence in yourself was kind of shattering to me, you know, that when, you know, these young ladies would stand up and do a presentation in class. And they, they couldn't look at you, like, they were so nervous, that they just stared at the floor, or they stared at or notes. And so I realized seven years ago, even before meeting Jennifer and seeing her passion for women empowerment of we need to do better at supporting young women, women of all ages throughout, you know, what Jennifer is doing, to have the ability to do whatever they want to do. So I again, I realized long ago that that was one of the first steps I had to do was to start building confidence. You know, so when we do feedback in class, like we always start out with all the positives. And a lot of times at the end, I don't say any negatives, like the students around them will say, Well, I heard a couple of crutch words. I'm, like, you know, things like that. I try not to show any negatives, you know, I may pull them aside later and say, Hey, you know, these a couple things you might want to think about working on. But that way, they're only hearing positive from me. And they're getting support from their peers giving positive and, and some feedback, but, you know, it, it is one of those things that you know, it's long overdue, you know, what's happening, you know, the, the healing of the women in our country of our world that have dealt with so much. You know, bigotry and just oppression, for lack of a better word. It's, it's time, you know, to start having better conversations.

Kelly Waite:

So you have two daughters now, what would you What advice would you give to them if they wanted to be a you know, a business owner and they were looking for a partner? What, what, what, what step chatty wisdom would you invoke on them?

Chad Malcolm:

Well, first, I mean, we've talked with with all three kids, you know, As Kim went off to college and pages in college, you know, trying to pick her career choice, you know, we only have small criteria for them, you know, it's the productive member of society, which means get a job and pay taxes, to be happy. You know, and whatever that realm is, however, you want to find happiness, however you define happiness. You know, it's interesting how different, you know, kids from the same family can be, you know, cam, I believe, would be happy making, you know, three bucks an hour, you know, running a surf shop or running a small, you know, you know, kind of convenience business, and working 15 hours a week, and, you know, playing the rest of the time, his life page, completely opposite is driven that, you know, if everything goes to plan for her, she should be done with med school. By the time she's 2222 and a half, which is when most people are graduating from, you know, just regular college level on the four years of vet school. And, you know, I have no doubt that somehow she's going to be, you know, one of the world's premier vets, because that's what she does, she doesn't do anything half assed, you know, if she's going to, to be the best at something, or she's going to continue until she is. So, you know, we just want them to be happy. At the end of the day. It's not about money. It's not about fame. It's not it's, you know, they find something that's fulfilling to them. You know, Paige, I think, is finding careers through vet school. And veterinary work. Because, you know, she's loves animals. And, you know, the nice thing for her is like animals called talkback. So because the people actually want you to be a regular doctor, it's like, because people talk, animals don't know. So I was like, I get your kid, like, I mean, it's, she and I are so much alike in that, you know, so, you know, we, we believe that, that's, that's gonna be a good thing. Reagan, you know, right now, keep saying she wants to be a nurse. Great, go for it, kid. You know, do the do what you have to do to get there. And you know, she's taking classes already in high school level, they're leading her down that path. Again, just be a predictable member of society and be happy, you know, in whatever you choose, you know, if it's not a nurse, if it's not event, if it's whatever, but just, you know, happiness is more important than than anything.

Jennifer Malcolm:

And we're raising our kids not to be Boomerang children. So, right, get out, get out of the house.

Chad Malcolm:

Yes, get out, get out, not live in our basement. If you're listening to this podcast, you cannot live in our basement. short window. It's funny because I never thought that I kind of thought it was funny. But I'm realizing now as as a as a parent. And as a parent of older kids, one of my best friends. His parents had the rule that they could come home one time. Right college, did at one time post college, they were allowed to move back in with mom and dad and live rent free utilities, free, food free, whatever, for whatever period of time they needed. And I never realized that that was an issue. Because as much as I love my parents, as much as I love her parents, oh, I will be darned if I'm moving back in with somebody, you know, 40 some years old, like I'll sleep in my car, under under a bridge before my parents or my or my or my wonderful in laws. It's just who I am. You know, and but I'm realizing we may need to put that rule into play in effect, you know, for some of our adult children, because if not, I think we may have a couple of them living with us for a long time.

Jennifer Malcolm:

And we love We love our children like we love being around them pages coming home, we can't wait to spend time with them. And we love our marriage we love the traveling that we get to do the not having to wait noses and and feed we love our family dinners but it's it's fun becoming into a season of potential empty nesters and it's going to take us six, seven more years. But there's a lot more freedom of not having to worry about and I know you have adult children as well. So that piece of just they can function there, okay, we have to trust their adult choices, even when they make mistakes and just guiding them we know we're friends, you know Camden's you know here with us right now he did a gap semester. And we we say you're our roommate, we want to treat you like a roommate, we want to treat you with respect. But that means you have to treat us as a roommate and you know, clean ups up clean up after yourself and participate in the house and he pays rent and food and all those things so that we're growing that muscle in him for his next season of life, but we're enjoying you know, we want our kids just to be healthy, safe and productive and not live in our basement. So

Kelly Waite:

I love it. So we're gonna do I think we're about time but I think we can. We're gonna do it. Rapid question and you just shout out which one so we'll see how compatible you are. And sir, thanks for giving it all.

Jennifer Malcolm:

We are pretty opposite.

Kelly Waite:

We'll say okay, this is our Thanksgiving lightning round ready? So we're talking specifically about Thanksgiving, like the day of Thanksgiving. So is it a football on TV or you go play outdoors?

Jennifer Malcolm:

Outdoors.

Chad Malcolm:

We live in East or Northeast Ohio. So usually football because the weather's terrible. Either way, there's

Kelly Waite:

some people have like an annual game or something. And so people just prefer to sit on the couch and watch it.

Chad Malcolm:

Yeah, no, I mean, if the weather's nice, we try to get out at least walk once or twice. You know, but normally

Kelly Waite:

no foot No, no football games.

Chad Malcolm:

Oh, I mean, I think we threw the football round a couple years ago. But yeah, not really.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Okay. Anyone who knows me knows that. I hate hate hate. watching football games. have teams they don't know. So unless it's the Ohio State Buckeyes or the Cleveland Browns. It doesn't matter. They're just a little strangers running on the field back and forth. So much other play. Okay. All right.

Kelly Waite:

This one's really important. Pumpkin pie or pecan pie? pumpkin.

Chad Malcolm:

Something with chocolate. I don't I don't do pie of any type. Unless it's like peanut butter pie. Which I don't really consider a pie. It's more like a loose crust me. Oh, no, I would choose neither one. Okay, yeah. Someone just give me a Hershey bar. I'm good.

Kelly Waite:

Okay, already then. Are you all dress up type or a lounge? You know, lounge pants and sweatshirts all day. Why do you guys dress up in gaming? lounge pants?

Chad Malcolm:

We dress up in holidays, it appears that maybe people really jeans and we can't go in like pajama.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Well, we can't go we've been in pajamas for nine months with COVID we should probably get dressed up for Thanksgiving this year.

Chad Malcolm:

The interesting thing about where we are in life is that there's there's not very many times we do dress up. Really nice restaurant. Mike went to chez Francoise a few weeks ago to kind of celebrate our anniversary late because of the pandemic. That's about the last time I think either one of us, you know, just dressed up probably put your pants on. time since COVID. started back in March that that Jennifer put on a dress? Oh yeah. You know, so we don't dress up a whole lot. But to me like jeans and a button down stressed up. So I will wear

Kelly Waite:

that. Okay, good.

Chad Malcolm:

But no, we're not like sitting there. It's like suits and ties. No.

Kelly Waite:

Got it. Okay. Um, all right. So stuffing with or without sausage. With without, with or without.

Chad Malcolm:

I don't think I've ever had sausage in stuffing

Jennifer Malcolm:

You've bacon and stuffing and I know all about that.

Chad Malcolm:

Yeah, I've never had well I've had meat stuffing kind of put sausage. So celery I mean, dumbed down for that.

Kelly Waite:

Well, I put stuffing and so I mean, I quit celery and sausage in mine. So I love to save you some

Jennifer Malcolm:

All right, y'all save us on this year.

Kelly Waite:

Okay, okay, that was a total loser. Okay, I must most important question of Thanksgiving. Do the Christmas decorations go be on before after Thanksgiving?

Jennifer Malcolm:

Before.

Chad Malcolm:

After

Kelly Waite:

We finally got a slip decision.

Chad Malcolm:

I'm a big fan of like every holiday gets to do like I hate the fact that when you go into a store now, like even before like the beginning of October all the Christmas stuff was out. They Halloween have Halloween. Let the turkey have its day. On Friday. I have no problem setting up the Christmas tree and setting up the Christmas lights and all that. But not toy Turkey. Don't don't don't call the holidays. Let everyone had it. Right.

Kelly Waite:

Instead of where you just want to make them all use them for them all together.

Chad Malcolm:

Well. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no she doesn't. Because if that was true, we could roll her birthday. Oh, Christmas and that would be fat. No. Four days aparto. Nope. But no, that's two separate things. But I can't have Thanksgiving in the separate Christmas. All o

Jennifer Malcolm:

In my min, if we're gonna make a mes. Let's just make a huge mes over cooking. You know all the decorations and kind of do it ll together and I really don t know Have we carve our pum kins for Thanksgiving, but we' e not big. I mean Halloween, mor not very. We're not the peo le that put out the spring stu f. And then the the Hal oween stuff and the fall stu f. So really Christmas is the only time we we decorate our hom. And so for that, oh my goo ness, let's just do it all tog ther.

Chad Malcolm:

And when there's a we, just for the standpoint that we is the "Royal We" that real y means everybody. But her. O, you know i

Kelly Waite:

She's organizing it all. She's organizing the chaos.

Chad Malcolm:

No, no, no. On Friday after Thanksgiving tomorrow after Thanksgiving page and I'll grab the Christmas tree and we'll drag it down and probably like, seven 730 in the morning. And then when, you know Reagan can get up at you know, 830 or nine. You know, we'll have the tree ready to go and get it decorated. And then if the weather's nice, you know, the kids will help me do outside lights. And I'll just sit and watch. And yes, she'll sit and watch or read a book or read a book, you know, cuz, you know, that's what we do.

Jennifer Malcolm:

We do. Right?

Kelly Waite:

Okay. Well, I think on that note, I think we should call it before it goes anywhere. And it goes any further.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Thanks, everyone. We are excited. We're blessing you with the very merry Thanksgiving. See, I put the merry Thanksgiving together. And we are grateful for all of you listeners. We hope that you have a great day with your family and friends. And from our family from Jennasis, the weight family, the Malcolm clan, we wish you the happiest and healthiest Thanksgiving Day today. So thanks everyone. Have a great one.

Chad Malcolm:

Bye, everyone. Happy Thanksgiving.

Jennifer Malcolm:

Thank you for listening to the Jennasis Speaks podcast. If you love the show, one of the best things you can do is to share it with a friend. Tell them what you like about it, how it inspires you and invite them to listen. Subscribe to the Jennasis Movement to empower women's voices and reclaim the power over your own narrative.