Dennis
Welcome, everyone, to another episode of Uncommon Convos. I’m Dennis VanDerGinst here, as always, with my lovely co-host, Dana Watkins. And before we get started today, I’d like to remind you all if you haven’t already done so, please register, subscribe or follow Uncommon Convos on your favorite podcast platform. Absolutely free to do so. And by doing that, you’ll get reminders each week when the next episode drops it. It also, by the way, helps us with our sponsorship efforts. So please don’t forget to do that.

Dennis
Also, if you’d like to watch the video version of this or any of our episodes, simply go to uncommonconvos.com and follow the links and prompts on that website.

Dennis
So now on to today’s Uncommon Convo with Lisa Lynn Eveleth. She’s a published author, a professional speaker, and the owner of Body Design Fitness and Wellness. She’s a fitness model, a fitness trainer, and was the 2015 Miss Iowa United States.

Dennis
She’s certified in nutrition, coaching, counseling, exercise science, personal training, group exercise, yoga and Pilates. That makes me tired just saying it all.

Dennis
And she’s done all this for over 20 years, living with the challenges of the autoimmune disease lupus. She discovered a path to wellness through nutrition, exercise, and an integrative medical approach, and her journey led her to become the founder and CEO of LiveFit with Lupus. The, the mission of which is to educate, empower and inspire others across the country and around the globe to overcome their own obstacles with respect to autoimmune issues.

Dennis
I’m proud to have called her my friend for many years and I’m happy to welcome her here today. Lisa, thank you for being here. How are you?

Lisa
Thank you for having me. I’m doing well. And how about yourself?

Dennis
I’m doing great. So as we get started here, I want to mention Lisa and I met like 12 or 15 years ago. And I’m guessing, Lisa, you probably don’t even remember this, but the first time we met, I had actually hired you to train me.

Lisa
Yes, I do.

Dennis
OK, and then, you know, which is a big undertaking in and of itself, mind you. But unfortunately, that only lasted a couple of times and then you kind of disappeared. And I was unaware at that time of the struggles that you had with lupus. And my recollection is that you were, you had a flare up and you had been unable to work for some period of time.

Lisa
Yeah. In fact, I actually at that point, I had the West Nile virus and…

Dennis
Oh.

Dana
Oh my goodness.

Lisa
… it really exasperated my lupus. Yeah.

Dennis
Oh my.

Lisa
I do remember that.

Dennis
And then I know we came, became more acquainted when, when Lisa volunteered to help with a few fundraisers that my law firm had sponsored. So she’s obviously flourished in her career since then and has gone on to do some great things that we want to talk about. So I’m happy to feature her in our female entrepreneur series.

Dennis
So, you know, Lisa, obviously there’s much more to you than, than your association with and your struggle with lupus. But I want to begin there and let the audience have some insight into what lupus is, what autoimmune diseases are in general.

Lisa
Sure. Absolutely. Well, lupus and other autoimmune diseases, I’ll kind of start with lupus first, which I do have other autoimmune diseases as well. But lupus is an overactive immune system that creates auto or antibodies against yourself. So it’s almost as if you’re allergic to yourself.

Lisa
So if you if it sees a foreign substance, like I don’t have a commander that says, hey, kill the bad guys, not the good guys, it kills everything. So if there’s something awry in the body, then it just has a party, so to speak, and tries to kill everything.

Lisa
So that’s where the inflammation comes into play and and all the, so with lupus organ involvement is more of a, I mean, a tough issue and that’s what I have had over the years. And that’s been more of my struggle than just the joint pain and the fatigue and and that type of thing.

Lisa
So with other autoimmune diseases, they also attack the body, but it’s different. Like with with R.A., which I also have, rheumatoid arthritis and it just focuses on the joints and like with M.S., terrible, it focuses on the nervous system, which I have definitely had some issues with nervous system and seizures and little TIAs, mini-strokes and things like that.

Lisa
So, you know, like, for instance, celiac is, is all about gluten and the gut, which I do believe that all autoimmune have issues with gut health. So once you can help your gut and get the right balance of bacteria, good bacteria, bad bacteria, you can, you know, balance out the body a little bit better and handle an autoimmune disease much better and much more of a quality of life.

Lisa
But, you know, just to kind of give you a little bit of tidbit on that. So definitely autoimmune disease is something that attacks one’s body, one’s tissue, one’s connective tissue, and that really can take a part in lots of things on the body. So it’s, it could be I could be here for hours talking about that. So just to sum it up, hopefully that helps you understand a little bit better.

Dennis
Now, you mentioned multiple sclerosis. Have you been diagnosed with that as well?

Lisa
They, they looked at things. I didn’t have any lesions on the brain. I definitely had tons of MRIs, tons of seizures, a lot of, you know, I know when I’m getting to have some type of nervous system involvement, and that’s a scary thing, definitely a scary thing. That was a whole nother story that I could have. I could write a book on just that part of suffering during that time frame. That was, it was really tough, tough world at that time.

Dennis
Well, and I want to talk about that time frame.

Lisa
Sure.

Dennis
When when was it that you were first diagnosed? How old were you? With any autoimmune whether lupis or anything else.

Lisa
Yeah, so I was I started about 13 or 14 years old, I was having some problems with bloody noses. I was having ,my blood wouldn’t clot, basically, it wouldn’t stop. So I’d be vomiting, blood. I had bruises all over my body and it mimicked, you know, a little bit of like leukemia, cancer. So they were testing, you know, I did a bone marrow test and did definitely different types of testing. They found that I had idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, which is ITP, which is my, my blood wasn’t clotting. So by basically, again, it’s kind of like an autoimmune as well in itself, but it is a symptom of lupus as well. I just wasn’t diagnosed yet with lupus until a little bit later. But it’s it’s definitely a symptom of lupus, a very serious symptom.

Lisa
I couldn’t even shave my legs when I was, you know, during that age. And I they wouldn’t let me use knives in the kitchen just because I could bleed to death. I mean, it was very serious. Me platelet count would drop daily thirty thousand. It’s supposed to be about 150 to 400 thousand. Mine got down to eight. So I had emergency surgery done where they did an exploratory and they ended up removing my spleen.

Lisa
The spleen helps cleanse the blood, purifies it. So my liver has to do a little bit extra work now, you know, not having a spleen for so many years. So that’s where it all started.

Dennis
So you didn’t have any symptoms until then? Did this just come on suddenly or, you know, evolve over time?

Lisa
Look, I was pretty healthy. I was very active growing up. You know, I played all kinds of sports. I mean, I remember, you know, living at the ball fields, playing softball. My dad coached my team. My mom coached my sister’s team. They’re always so active. And everyone kind of considered me like an Energizer bunny because I just would go, go, go. So I didn’t notice any symptoms. The only thing I would say I used to have a bloody nose is a lot like on the playground, which just one of those things thinking it was dryness or whatever.

Lisa
So I didn’t really think too much of it. Maybe I fainted a few times. I was very accident prone and now I think back and maybe that was part of balance, nervous system, you know, you never know. But I did a lot of E.R. visits not having an autoimmune, but just accident prone.

Dennis
Oh, yeah, now is that, is that is that unusual as far as the, the typical progression for lupus or any autoimmune that it come on like this, or is it something that most people have at an earlier stage? Can they develop problems at a later stage or?

Lisa
It’s usually a little bit later than myself. I was pretty young and so it is a little bit tougher to diagnose, I would say, because they weren’t quite looking for that because I was a little bit younger. It’s usually more childbearing years. So there’s…

Dennis
I’m sorry, go ahead.

Lisa
And so usually the there’s not there’s not a pediatrician rheumatologist here in town. So I did have to go to Iowa City and I did see a hematologist at first because it was a blood disease, not necessarily rheumatic-type disease.

Lisa
So there is still to this day, not a pediatrician or pediatric type of rheumatologist. So they usually have the younger kids go to Iowa City.

Dennis
What’s the process typically to, to make the diagnosis? I understand especially probably back then that it can be really difficult to actually arrive at a diagnosis of lupus or other autoimmune diseases that literally take years before they arrive at those conclusions.

Lisa
Absolutely. 8, to be exact, is the average. 8 years.

Dennis
Wow.

Dana
Oh wow.

Lisa
So, which is a struggle. And that’s what I like to help patients. In fact, just to kind of on a side note and I’ll answer your question. So, I mean, if someone doesn’t have to be diagnosed yet with an autoimmune, I help people, I guide people to get the right medical advice, whether it be integrative approach, whether it be medical, because I’d like, because they don’t have to have a diagnosis, they can just feel ill and I can help them, because I hate, it’s almost, it’s almost better to catch you early than later because I struggled a lot.

Lisa
And I think it wouldn’t have been so bad if I would have been diagnosed sooner or knew what was going on. And so it’s a little tougher. So on an average, it is eight years, but it’s really tough to diagnose because again, like in the beginning, it mimicked a type of cancer in your blood. It can I mean, it definitely attacked my blood.

Lisa
So for I’ll give you the signs and symptoms of lupus usually. So I had 11 out of 11 criteria. I had the butterfly rash across my face. I had hair thinning. My hair would fall out by handfuls. In fact, that was awful. I had the nose ulcers and mouth ulcers. I had the brain involvement, the cerebritis, which is three percent. So that’s, I was kind of a lucky one. I had the kidney failure, kidney involvement. That’s 50 percent of patients have that. I had the photosensitivity to the sun, which most patients have that and they don’t even know it.

Lisa
And that’s usually sometimes will exasperate that. And I think that exasperated myself and then having to do all of my, when we moved here from El Paso, Texas, when my parents got divorced, we were, we had to do all my vaccinations again from kindergarten because they couldn’t find all of them.

Lisa
And so that sent me over the edge. I really think so, because it was too much at one time and my body was just a little fragile. And I think I had the predisposition anyway. And then it just that was the last straw. So, but as far as all the criteria, I did meet all the criteria, the joint pain, the fatigue.

Lisa
I think I listed all 11, I was trying to count on my fingers.

Dennis
I’m hearing a, I’m hearing a noise in the background is that…

Lisa
I’m going to turn down. I think it was my phone. I’m sorry.

Dennis
Oh, that’s OK. You gotta take that?

Lisa
No.

Dennis
So, anyway, Lisa, you mentioned how you help people who may not have had a diagnosis. I’m assuming you’re talking about LiveFit With Lupus.

Lisa
Yes.

Dennis
Which, of course, we’ll talk about in a bit. But once you learned that you actually had the diagnosis, how did you and your family handle it? I, I recall, for instance, either reading or watching you in an interview where I believe you had mentioned that you did some of your own research when you found out and saw something that said you may only have five years to live.

Dennis
I imagine that had to be awfully scary.

Dana
Oh, geeze.

Lisa
Yes, absolutely scary. You know, they say usually after a diagnosis, because it takes so long to get diagnosed and then it becomes an issue because you’re not being treated whether with medicine or natural therapies. And so and it’s like I said, it’s better to catch someone early because then the progression damages so much tissue, damages organs, damages joints, all of that. And the organ involvement becomes the scariest.

Lisa
And that’s where, you know, I have definitely had almost every organ involved, including my skin. I mean, it’s the hugest organ on your body. So and people don’t think, you know, so when your skin is showing signs of something, then, you know, internally things are happening. And so that’s a big sign that there’s definitely problems, big problems internally. So it was tough. It was very tough. I had such a supportive family. I always have. And but yet they weren’t dealing with what I was inside.

Lisa
So it’s different when you have someone. That’s why it’s so nice to have a like-minded community to be able to share those types of ailments that you have with others that understand, you know, definitely understand you because they’ve been through it. And that’s why, that’s why it’s so important that I did something with this, something so bad I wanted to show, get to make something positive out of something bad.

Lisa
So I think that people don’t realize the feelings, the darkness that you feel, the alone, even though you have such a support system, you do feel alone because you’re trapped inside your own body. And I feel like sometimes you just can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Dennis
Sure. Well, and I know you’ve mentioned the hair loss that you experienced. And I’ve, I’ve seen some of the photos on your website where you definitely had weight loss. You were relegated to a wheelchair for a while. And with your permission, at, for our video portion of the podcast, I’m going to ask Justin, our producer, to throw some of those photos up so they can see kind of what you’ve been through and and understand the the perseverance and determination you must have had in order to get from what you had to deal with then to where you are now.

Dennis
And what what what’s it been? I mean, what kept you going? What, you mentioned family, and you mentioned the support group, but you really are the one who has developed that support group here in at least locally through LiveFit. So up until that point, what was it that got you, got you through to the point where you are now, when you had to, you know, and obviously attain some degree of stability with such a disabling disease?

Lisa
Well, you know, I’m writing a book right now, in fact, so this kind of brings me to this moment, this ignite moment, I would say. So I feel like I’ve always had a fighter spirit. I think I just came out of the womb that way. And and so I believe that in, inside me, I had, I had the fight I had, there, oh believe me, there were times I wanted to throw in the towel.

Lisa
There was times I wanted, I did pray to die. I prayed to God to please take me because I was tired of it. I was so tired of it. And I do remember this is a moment that I talked about in my book just recently, so it really kind of comes to fruition right now. Um, excuse me if I get a little choked up, but I can envision it. But so my my cousin had also been through a lot of issues with her health, she had celiac, a type one diabetes, which is also autoimmune, so, you know, it’s in the family, it’s genetic. And so I can remember a time like I felt like she could read my mind honestly.

Lisa
I was in the hospital and having a bad flare up. And I just I was so tired. I was really tired. And I think she just knew it. I was comatosed so, but I could still hear her. And in fact, I, I watched both of us from above. And she was sitting on the side of my bed and she said, you know, you’ve got to fight. There’s so many people that still need you here. And I know what you’re thinking, but you can’t go there. You have to, you know, you have to stay with us and you have to fight. There is a purpose for you. We don’t know it right now, but there’s a purpose for you and…

Dana
That gives me goosebumps.

Dennis
Yeah.

Lisa
And so I think that there’s something, you know, definitely God had a hand in it, but it wasn’t my time. And, you know, I was just, I was in ICU at that moment and something changed that night. Something really changed. And I have goosebumps right now, too, because I can remember the lighting, I can remember everything about it. And so I think that that was my point of moving forward.

Dennis
So, so you had that literal out of body experience?

Lisa
I did.

Dennis
Was your body, had your body failed, had, had you been proclaimed gone at that point or was it were you still alive but just having this experience?

Lisa
Well, I did code. I mean, there’s more than once that I did code. Had nurses come, all these, this team came in. But at that moment, you know, I was out of it. So I really don’t know if that was the exact moment when things like that happened. But that happened quite a few times during that month, I would say, because I was in ICU for that whole month. And so it was just, it was on and off. And so I don’t know exactly at that moment.

Lisa
I just remember watching literally watching us and you know, it seemed, it seemed so dark and lonely, but yet I felt there was light, I can’t even explain it. I was I was watching and feeling at the same time. I didn’t wake up right away, but I woke up the next morning and things just turned. I mean, it didn’t happen as far as healing overnight. You know, I had to go through the ladder down, up, down. But, but I had I brought that fighter spirit back, which I always have had.

Lisa
I feel as though, like I said, I was just always a positive, happy child out of the womb. And, you know, it was just it’s hard when you keep getting knocked down and knocked down. And there’s times I mean, you can be a positive person, but you’ve got you’ve got bad days too. Everyone has a bad day. So I think that just felt like this everything became lighter.

Dennis
You know, it’s funny because Dana and I have had this discussion, at least on a few occasions, where we talk about these type of out of body experiences and life after death and, you know, that that whole thing and I’m sure a lot of members of the audience have often, you know, discussed it or wondered about it, because you hear these stories. And I I believe that you’re probably the person close, that I’ve ever been closest to who’s had that kind of experience.

Dennis
So that’s that’s kind of an amazing thing. A blessing in a way.

Lisa
Yes.

Dennis
You know, to kind of see the other side, even a glimpse of that other side. And it obviously had a huge impact on you and thankfully helped you find that strength to come back and and continue your, you know, to face these challenges and and triumph in so many ways.

Lisa
Absolutely.

Dennis
Now, you mentioned the darkness that that you had faced, including up to that point. And I’m sure other people face the same type of depression and issues. I know with LiveFit, you’ve talked about an integrative medical approach. Does that include psychological counseling and therapy to address that?

Lisa
Absolutely. It’s, it’s so important mentally. It’s mentally a challenge, not just physically. And so, yeah, I could be, you know, because of the physical challenges as well, you know, thinking about living life in a wheelchair for a while. I never could purchase a wheelchair. My dad wanted me to purchase the wheelchair. And I’m like, no, we’re renting it. We can’t, we can’t buy this. We can’t have this in our house and own one.

Dennis
Right.

Lisa
It was just because I was just so determined to walk and do normal things, drive a car, all the normal things in life, you know, and not be waited on and and be independent. And so I I think that the psychological aspect is one of the most important, because you have, that, that runs your world, your brain and your powerful psyche.

Lisa
You know, that’s that’s what gets you going. That’s what keeps you moving forward. So I would address that more the, the first thing.

Dennis
And that purchase of the wheelchair, that would be a submission, right? That’d be like, yeah, you can’t do that.

Lisa
I’m like, no, we can’t do that.

Dennis
So in addition to that type of, of treatment, what kind of treatment would you, for instance, routinely undergo or what kind of treatment do you undergo? I think I’ve seen infusion type treatments and things of that nature?

Lisa
Yeah. So I have done lots of chemotherapy, believe it or not, for lupus, because lupus is an overactive immune system, like I talked about in the beginning. So chemotherapy is a drug, a medication that suppresses the immune system, so, and sometimes I would lose hair from the chemotherapy or just from the lupus.

Lisa
When your body’s trying to survive, your hair, skin, that’s not very important. Your, you know, you’re working on your organs. Your body is very smart. It’s going to work on some, you know, the things that are needed to survive.

Lisa
And so, yes, I’ve done, gosh, cytoxan, cyclophosphamide, Imuran, done rituximab. So a lot of IV therapy, intravenous. For some reason my body works very well with intravenous therapy. I’ve done, of course, steroids, prednisone, IV steroids, CellCept is an anti rejection drug which they use for kidney patients. But I’m still on that. Plaquenil, hydroxychloroquine, I know you’ve heard a lot of hype about that in the world today, but it’s a good drug. It’s a good, safe drug, to be honest.

Lisa
And I’ve been on it for…

Dennis
For some things.

Lisa
Right. For 20 years I’ve been on it. So, I mean, it has been something without side effects for myself. And most people that I know, patient-wise, it’s it’s one of the go to drugs for lupus and RA. And my mother’s on it, too, and she has Sjögren’s. And so, what else am I on?

Lisa
And then I do integrative-wise. So I am on, I kind of have a mix of both worlds right now. And in fact stress is a big killer for everyone, including someone with an autoimmune. And so before my dad passed, which has been three years now, I was off all medicine for the first time.

Dana
Wow.

Lisa
And then the stress of everything. I’m still dealing with his estate. So I have gone back on medicine, which is really unheard of for a lupus patient to be off medicine. So I hope to get there again someday. But it’s OK that I’m on medicine too, to help me where I am today. So, because I want that quality of life and, you know, I’ve learned to accept it, it’s OK to have medicine to help because it’s there for a purpose.

Dennis
And yeah, hopefully you will get back to that point that you were prior to your dad’s passing.

Lisa
Yeah.

Dennis
When you say you’re on medicine now, though, does that involve intravenous application or is it just popping the pills?

Lisa
Yeah, just, just pills right now. So I’m really thankful for that. So I was able to I was on the, in fact, I worked for GSK for a while, GlaxoSmithKline, and traveled around and told my story and I was on their Benlysta drug, I was an ambassador for that medicine.

Lisa
So Benlysta is actually the first drug for lupus in like 50 years that they came up with about five years ago. And it was basically, actually it’s been a little bit longer that maybe seven years, but anyway, it’s, it actually focuses on certain cells, which is amazing, instead of doing the chemotherapy. And when someone is very sick with, you know, organ involvement or a little bit more serious involvement of their immune system, Benlysta has been very helpful for a lot of patients.

Lisa
But now I think I’m, I’ve, you know, it can have side effects. So side effects, you’ve got to have the benefits outweigh the side effects. So when a drug starts giving you more side effects, it’s time to taper it. Now, with Benlysta it’s really tough because it’s kind of a set dose for your weight. And so when I was getting more of the side effects, it was time to try it without. And I didn’t need it anymore because I was getting better and better. So it was a good thing.

Dennis
By the way, I know that I tend, especially with people I know, that we’re interviewing for the podcast, I tend to ask the questions and start rolling and I don’t give Dana many opportunities to jump in. So I’m just going to let her know.

Lisa
Sure.

Dana
I know.

Dennis
Just jump in whenever you want. So having said that, I’m going to keep rolling. You know, we’ve talked, we’ve kind of skirted the issue of LiveFit With Lupus. But I think this is the time to talk about how that came about, because now we’ve talked a little bit about, you know, the struggles that you’ve had, the way that you have dealt with it medically and, you know, and some of the the battles that you’ve overcome.

Dennis
And, and now you’ve reached this point several years ago, and I’ll let you give us the history, where not only does it seem that this foundation is, is helping other people, it helps you as well. So talk to us a bit about that.

Lisa
Sure. So we actually started started discussing things, I was actually before LiveFit With Lupus, I was president of Lupus Foundation of America. So in Iowa, and then I was working at the state level. And so we had a support group, per se, when I was first diagnosed. Well, actually, I take that back, not quite when I was first diagnosed, I couldn’t find a support group. But years later, Doctor Staub, my rheumatologist, told me about there, there, was people meeting at Village Inn. So I did go and check that out and got involved.

Lisa
The thing with that support group, it was. It was. And it’s good to vent and it’s good to get that negative, you know, the darkness out and to talk about it. But I also wanted to make sure that we had a pause, on a positive note, but what can we do to change things? OK, these are things are happening, but what can we do to make a difference instead of just venting? And then you go about your day and you keep venting, then it’s then you’re stuck in a vicious cycle.

Lisa
So I wanted to change that. And I didn’t see that in in that type of group. So something happened. Long story with that, where they weren’t going to hold everything in the Quad City area. So that was a little tough. So we had to give, like, all the money that we raise fundraising, we had to give it all back to Des Moines. Nothing against Des Moines, but I wanted to help our QC area. And so I decided to start something on my own and and have a different approach also.

Lisa
So that way we could have, we can, you know, we don’t have to have just lupus, we don’t have to have just a diagnosis at all. You don’t have to have a paper slip that says you have this label. You know, I want to help everyone that is ill and that could be, you know, moving towards an autoimmune disease label.

Lisa
And so I decided to start something, and I like to do things big, so we decided to do a race to start the awareness. And that was in, so 2012 is when we started kind of we got our501c3. 2013 we started planning for the race and so we did a…

Dennis
Let me, I’m sorry.

Lisa
Sorry.

Dennis
Let me stop you there because…

Lisa
OK.

Dennis
You know as an attorney who has created a few 501c3s, non, non for profit, not, not for profit organizations…

Lisa
It’s not that easy.

Dennis
I know. I know how daunting that can be. How did, I mean, I assume you had an attorney assist you with that or maybe not. How did you get that done. On your own? You’re crazy, girl. Wow.

Lisa
I’m glad you know that because not everybody knows how tough it is.

Dennis
I do know how it is.

Lisa
And I had the help of I, so I started to board and, you know, Kelly Shoan and she was wonderful with helping and Justin Holsteen and Mike Dinglebe and they were on my board, too. And so they were helpful as well.

Lisa
But that was a tough, yeah, that was tough. A lot of paperwork.

Dennis
Yeah. For sure.

Lisa
You understand that.

Dennis
But but you got it done, and then we move on to the first fundraiser, the race that you were starting to talk about when I so rudely interrupted you.

Lisa
No, that’s OK, because that is true because it is a tough it’s tough.

Dennis
I think people need to…

Lisa
It’s not that easy. Oh yeah. I’ll just sign like on a few lines.

Dennis
Yeah.

Lisa
That’s not quite how it works.

Dennis
I think it’s important for those in the audience. And of course, you know, we have people who are listening from all over the country, not just in the Iowa or or the Illinois region. And it’s different from state to state as to what’s involved. And but there are also federal regulations that are involved with respect to the 501c3 aspect of creating these these foundations and these charities. And it’s a diffucult thing to do. I encourage people to do it. But, you know, I encourage people to do it a little easier and raise some money and get an attorney and let the attorney do it. And not me. That’s not my deal.

Lisa
So, yeah, we didn’t have any money at first, so…

Dennis
I hear ya, yeah. Kind of jump the gun.

Lisa
We hadn’t even done a fundraiser, you know.

Dennis
Right, right. Well let’s talk about that.

Lisa
Yeah and some people don’t. Yeah. And some people don’t want to you know, they, they, I mean they want to give to charities but they also want to, you know, be able to write it off. So with the 501c3, it’s important to be able to have that option for that business.

Lisa
So that, that was an important step for me. I wanted that. I wanted to make sure that happened. So, yeah. So we did our first race, in fact, where this is our 8th or, well, Covid happened. So this is our 8th annual, 8th annual race coming up here.

Dennis
Did you do a virtual with with covid?

Lisa
We did.

Dennis
Did ya?

Lisa
We did. Yeah. And so it was yeah. I was just a tough year, as we all know that.

Dennis
Well, tell us about the races. I know you’ve had a number of different types of fundraisers, including the race. What’s it titled? LiveFit With Lupus Race?

Lisa
Yeah. So now, so we’ve changed venues because the Black Watch closed. So now we’re at TBK Sports Complex. So we’re, it’s called LiveFit TBK Autoimmune Awareness Race.

Dennis
Got it.

Lisa
So it’s kind of a long title.

Dennis
You know, and I want to revisit all of the different fundraising efforts that you, you use to raise money, but before we get there, what is the, if you have one, the mission statement for LiveFit With Lupus?

Lisa
Yeah, so I like to help people overcome their own obstacles and basically, globally, I want to create awareness for lupus and autoimmune globally, internationally and with the help of, like you said, psychological and emotional help with those patients and their loved ones and their family.

Lisa
So it’s definitely important to guide the patient through their tough times and and guide them to where they need to go. Whether it be beauty, wellness, even. We talk about that. We talk about the psychological and emotional support. We talk about exercise guidance, nutritional guidance. And not so that for medical, you know, wellness, not just a medical doctor necessarily, but it could be we have medical therapies that we do at our office. We have, you know, integrative doctors, too, so that people have choices in where they feel fit and, you know, to interview their doctors because not everyone’s happy with their doctors.

Lisa
Not every one has a good fit. So I think it’s very important you’re going to have a marriage with that person or, you know what, man or woman for a very long time. You know, it’s a chronic condition. So it’s important to have a good relationship with that doctor or doctors.

Dennis
Right now, you’ve mentioned that you don’t just help lupus patients and it’s to help not even just autoimmune, or patients who have been diagnosed with autoimmune diseases. You help people who are having problems, whether they’ve been diagnosed or not. But as we know, there are probably more than 100 different autoimmune diseases out there. So I guess my question to you is, have you ever thought of changing your name?

Lisa
Yes, we have. In fact, we we went ahead and bought like I talked about this a few years back, even before Covid hit, we bought some domains just in case, you know. So I still like LiveFit. So the reason why I kind of came up with the logo, which is a square, it has actually two L’s and then the square. So it’s LifeFit I wanted to make one word for that purpose, lupus. So those are the two L’s.

Lisa
And then Lisa Lynn is my name. So anyway, and my dad was an architect and I like squares. He liked squares. So there was a purpose to that logo. But then I wanted to kind of keep that same rhythm. So I purchased LiveFit With Life. But I know it’s a little bit broad.

Dennis
Mm hmm.

Lisa
And I know we have now we’ve kind of are putting LiveFit With Autoimmune.

Dennis
Yeah.

Lisa
So if you looked at our website lately.

Dennis
Well, I did. I did notice that. And actually I was thinking this through too. And I’m like, well, maybe it should be LiveFit With Autoimmune Disorders or LiveFit With Autoimmune Diseases, but then that becomes LiveFit With AIDS and can’t do that.

Lisa
I know.

Dennis
It’s a tough one. But I do think, yeah, there’s a, there’s got to be a way to integrate LiveFit

Lisa
Yeah.

Dennis
And keep that branding and but broaden the name.

Lisa
It has been a question for us. I know. So I liked LiveFit With Life, but then you’ll have to know. But I think about other charities that don’t necessarily have the name in the charity and then you just kind of learn to know about it.

Dana
Yeah.

Lisa
So we have that domain.

Dennis
Right, right. So how do you go about, you mentioned all the ways that you are addressing these issues that people are experiencing. How do you go about accomplishing that? For instance, I think you mentioned some of the doctors in your office. And by the way, I believe you have an office through Genesis Health Systems, correct?

Lisa
We do.

Dennis
How did that come about? Is that donated by Genesis? And…

Lisa
It is.

Dennis
…do they, do you also have paid staff or is it all volunteers or? Give us a little bit of the infrastructure.

Lisa
Sure, sure. So, yes, I do have my board members are not paid staff, but then I have paid staff in the office. And so actually how it came about with Genesis is we asked for a donation, one of our first years, and they did give us a nice donation with a little bit of monetary and including a suite at modern Woodman Park and things and so well, then somebody is calling me.

Lisa
I can’t talk right now. I’m on podcast. Sorry!

Dennis
Hey, life happens, right?

Dana
That’s the world we live in now.

Dennis
LiveFit With Life. Here we go.

Dana
That’s our world now.

Lisa
Yes, exactly. And so, so anyway, so on the second year, we asked again for a donation and they had office space available and they said, hey, we can’t do a monetary donation, but do you need office space? We’re like, yes, that would be wonderful. So that’s how that happened. And they’ve been gracious. Yes.

Dennis
Are the staff employed by Genesis or are they employed by LiveFit?

Lisa
By LiveFit. Yes.

Dennis
And that that’s funded through your fundraising campaigns, right?

Lisa
Absolutely.

Dennis
So I also know that you have a lot of volunteers.

Dennis
How would somebody…

Lisa
We do.

Dennis
Yeah. How does somebody get involved and what, what levels of involvement are available? You know, what do you need people for?

Lisa
Gosh, anything and everything. So especially with the events we have, like we need volunteers for water stations for our race, you know, for the finish line, the start line, the timing chips to take those off.

Lisa
And then, you know, just when we have the cooking classes and even just helping with that, as far as organizing. We do our golf, which is we need a lot of help with our golf tournament every year, you know, with we have a whole sponsors and we do fun games at each hole.

Lisa
Plus we do raffle tickets and all those prizes to sell and we do auctions at everything. So you know how much work it is to do an auction. I know you do, because I’ve helped you with some.

Dennis
That’s right.

Lisa
And and so, like, we also do a dancing, QC’s Got Talent event, Dancing with the Stars event. Definitely need enough volunteers for that. So, yeah, we like our first race, I think we had one hundred volunteers.

Dana
Wow.

Dennis
That’s great.

Lisa
And they all come out of the woodwork and it’s just it’s funny how you plant seeds, I think, throughout your life and you do good things for people. And you know, what comes around goes around is what I feel.

Dennis
And for those, and for those who are not aware or familiar with with Lisa and her story, she is well respected and well-liked around here. So I’m sure she has no problems getting the volunteers. But if you if you are interested in volunteering, I presume they should go to your website, livefitwithlupus.org?

Lisa
Yes, that would be great.

Dennis
That the best way? OK.

Lisa
You can contact us. Yeah.

Dennis
Yeah. And of course also if they want to donate money, better yet, right? Do you have a place they can donate on the website?

Lisa
Yeah. Yes. There’s, you can just scroll down on the home page. Yeah.

Dennis
So what do you do with the…

Lisa
We need some sponsors for our race.

Dennis
Well, you know, I’m in, I’m in for something there. So what do you do with the money then. I mean, you have staff. What what are they there to do for, who are participants?

Lisa
Right. So we like to help patients, and I have a little breakdown, and you can actually go on our website to, you know, X amount of dollars helps, you know, like $250 dollars helps twelve patients. So basically, you know, what they’re needing if they need help with, you know, paying for doctor’s visits, if they need help with nutritional supplementation, things like that, it helps pay for that patient and also getting them to the right source.

Lisa
And we do pay for, you know, if we can make enough money for that patient, we’ll do so many fundraisers, which we’ve done before. We’ve donated to people with a cause. Like there was a certain patient just that comes to mind right now that she was having kidney failure. And she, you know, her parents couldn’t work. They were, you know, having to care for her.

Lisa
And so we donated money to her cause, too. But she was also a patient of ours, things like that. You know, we’ll use money to help others, too.

Dennis
You also have the support groups, meetings on a routine basis with a, for lack of a better term the patient members. Is that accurate?

Lisa
Yeah, that’s good. Yeah, we do. And I call them healing meetings. OK, so instead support groups because we usually have I’d like to try to educate people because I feel that education is power, knowledge is power. So instead of like I kind of back to what we talked about in the beginning when I first went to the support group, it was all venting, but then there wasn’t like a moment where we were going, OK, what we’re going to do to change this. This is the way you’re feeling, this is what’s happening in your world, but, you know, the next day is going to be the same if we don’t do something different.

Lisa
So I like to have speakers come in and different doctors come in. We’ve had, you know, Jim Perry, a compounding pharmacies. You know, even Dr. Staubs come and spoke. Had everything from massage therapists, to acupuncturist, to integrative doctors, you name it. Just different things. I mean, even someone that does emotional freedom technique. Just all kinds of different types of techniques, therapies to teach people of different ways to heal.

Dennis
And those meetings would be at the office location?

Lisa
So Genesis Health, Heart Health Institute is usually where we hold those. And then we also have had meetings at our office. There’s spaces that we can utilize there as well. So, Genesis, yes.

Dana
How many members do you think you have right now?

Lisa
Oh, I would say so, I know someone had asked me that, I would say, there’s at least 5000.

Dana
Oh, my gosh.

Dennis
So what what are the goals going forward for LiveFit? Are you hoping to make more of a national presence with this in, you know, for lack of a better term franchise? It in some sense.

Lisa
Yeah, you’re exactly right. You’re exactly right. So, you know, our goal is to, I can envision a home. I’d like to have a home that instead of doing all these types of things that we do all over the place, I’d like to have a home where someone almost like, you know, if you think of a boot camp, I like to call it like that since I’m in the fitness world or someone comes, they get out of their element, so to speak.

Lisa
So, you know, someone buys Oreos or whatever because they have kids and they have to buy Oreos. Well, we don’t need Oreos. Sugar creates inflammation. Inflammation is, does not fuel our body and it creates more inflammation. And therefore, this is what we have, an inflammatory condition. So just that’s an example. So I’d like to have, you know, like a week, so, like a weekend thing, like a retreat, a whole week long thing to teach people how to live fit.

Lisa
You know, live differently than what they’re used to, because there’s definitely things they still have this illness, they still have this chronic condition. But there’s ways that they can live quality of life and they sometimes just don’t know. Not everybody knows that French fries are not good for you, right?

Dennis
Oh, that’s not true. As long as you have a Diet Coke with it, it’s the diet sucks all the badness out. So don’t listen to this, people.

Dennis
Well, obviously, you’re doing great things with LiveFit, but in the meantime, you’re also having to make a living elsewhere. And I know that you’ve worked as a casino showgirl/model. You’ve competed in fitness competitions. You’ve modeled and obviously I’ve known you as a personal trainer. What are you currently doing in addition to LiveFit to earn the living?

Dennis
Because I know you, like you talk a lot about the nutrition and fitness as part of that integrative effort to address autoimmune. And you you don’t just preach it. You know, you teach it. You live it, you know.

Lisa
Yes. Absolutely.

Dennis
Tell us what you do along those lines?

Lisa
Sure. Sure. So I teach classes at, I teach group fitness at Ultimate Fitness and at TBK Sports Complex as well. So I teach there and I have personal clients that I work with either for weight loss, and and so I’ve also have, it’s funny how things happen, you know, in the midst of train them, they come up with an autoimmune disease. And I’ve already been their trainer or something.

Lisa
It’s just weird, weird how the world works, you know, in mysterious ways sometimes. And so I do have a lot of clients that have been clients for a long time that do have autoimmune diseases. And so not that I just focus on that wholly, but it is my passion, of course.

Lisa
And in fact, we started, my sister and I started a company last, this is all along the side not of fitness, but just something different. My dad passed away, like I said, and he had McCormick Architecture and McCormick Construction in El Paso, Texas. And so my sister and I and another partner started EMC Squared Architecture. And we pretty much are in Dallas, El Paso and just starting here.

Dennis
Because you don’t have enough to do, right now?

Lisa
Because I don’t have enough to do. Well my sister and I wanted to do something together and just kind of to flow from my dad. And my sister is an architect and I do like, believe it or not, I love numbers, I love, you know I also have a business degree, so not just the fitness, the exercise science degree. So I do love business as well. And I think that’s what’s helped me start the 501c3 and and all of that.

Lisa
So and just even having my own body design fitness and wellness business, it’s still business as well. And you still have to do the business side of things. And I do enjoy that. So.

Dennis
Well, speaking of the business side of that particular business, the training and that type of thing, I assume that you had been adversely impacted by the pandemic. Is that accurate?

Lisa
Absolutely.

Dennis
How’d you get past that or what’d you do to to deal with that?

Lisa
Yeah, well, we did a lot of Zoom everything. You know, I have to say should have bought stock in Zoom. I guess we did a little bit on the side, my financial adviser did, but yeah. So we did a lot of Zoom meetings and it seemed to work out OK.

Lisa
And I’m still doing Zoom meetings with people right now.

Dennis
Entirely, exclusively, or are you doing in person?

Lisa
Yes. Now in person, a little bit more. But I still have some that are fearful of going out and going to the gym and things like that, so and I’m OK with what ever they feel comfortable with. So we’re still able to do some things, but it definitely was an impact financially on everyone. You know, for LiveFit we couldn’t do any events. That was, that killed us.

Lisa
So we did apply and we had to apply for the PPP, Payment Protection Plan. So that helped us a little bit. But yeah, it’s been tough. I haven’t paid myself so, that’s OK.

Dennis
We’re going to get you lots of plugs for LiveFit. Try to get you some donations here. So what’s your typical day entail now? Now that we’re starting to see a little bit of a return to normalcy. How does the day progress for you?

Lisa
So I always teach in the mornings and then I see some clientèle and then I spend the afternoons working. I, I do have, So I also do Zoom and I have been doing Zoom for a long time, or we do messenger video conferencing. So I have patients all over the country. So I do like to see them so I know how they’re doing. So I do do that in the afternoons and that’s kind of what my day looks like.

Lisa
And I, I’m still working on my dad’s estate, so that’s a full time business too.

Dennis
Yeah, that can be crazy. I hope you have a lawyer for that.

Lisa
I do. But gosh, I wish, I wish I could have gotten you because this I don’t want to say it too much, but anyway, I’ve done most of work myself, so.

Dennis
Yes, I’m sorry to hear that. Yeah. We’ll talk off the air.

Lisa
Yeah I know. I don’t want to say too much, but it’s been rough. Rough.

Dennis
Well, even on the medication that you’re taking now, do you ever get flare ups of symptoms lupus related.

Lisa
I do. I do especially…

Dennis
How often. And what happens with that occurs?

Lisa
Well, once we talk on the side here, I’ll tell you what a nightmare this has been for this estate. So it’s been very stressful. And I’ve lost a lot of sleep in the last, you know, shed a lot of tears in not just the grieving of my dad, but just the whole estate. It’s been, it’s been rough. So I have, you know, like I said, had to go back on medicine and had to go on, when I’ve had flare ups, I’ve had to do some prednisone, steroids.

Lisa
But I also have found, you know, I’ve learned, you know, different ways naturally to do things, too. I mean, I can do a little boost of vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and I can do a little boost of colostrum and kind of that’s an immune mediator. So it modulates your immune system so you can just calm things down a bit before it gets too out of hand. So I’ve at least learned not to be hospital bound. So that’s a good thing.

Dennis
You know, in in, you know, in every context in which I’ve I’ve seen you and come across and dealt with you and worked with you. You’ve always been this bubbly, inspirational person. And I know that’s not always the case. As you’ve mentioned, you’ve had these struggles physically related, you know, related to physical maladies and the impact that that’s had on you. The loss of your dad, the estate, all these things. How is it that you get the strength to just keep persevering and being this public persona that so many people know and love?

Lisa
I think it’s about the fire spirit. I really do. I just think it’s inbred. My dad was the same way, too.

Dennis
Yeah, well, we have to before, and, you know, there’s a lot of things I still want to talk about. And one of the things I have to talk about is the Miss Iowa United States stint that you did, because not long ago I had founded a pageant system that was dedicated to fundraising for charity, right up your alley.

Lisa
Yes.

Dennis
I couldn’t, I couldn’t get you to do that. But a few years later, you compete and win the Miss Iowa pageant.

Lisa
Sorry.

Dennis
So what was it, that’s OK, but what prompted you to to compete, first of all?

Lisa
Oh, well, I was doing, let’s see, well, I was in, I did a couple of little reality shows and I was in Mexico and there was a crew, I should say, that just kind of compelled me to do it. They said that, boy, you have stage presence. You have this platform, this foundation, like you need to do this.

Lisa
This would be good for your you know, your journey and for LiveFit With Lupus. And so when they said it would be good for LiveFit With Lupus and not about me, then it was OK.

Lisa
I think I just, I mean, even though I may be bubbley, but I’m a little humble and shy when it comes to like that, like I don’t know, but it was more about the LiveFit With Lupus and the platform, and so I decided on a whim to do it.

Dennis
Well, what was this reality show? I don’t know anything about that.

Lisa
Oh, it’s Planet Beach. I was asked to do it, so, yeah, I don’t know.

Dennis
What, what? Tell me more. Tell us all what was Planet Beach? Is it something that was on television?

Lisa
And it was again, to like promote. Yeah, it was. It was on a different channel like, gosh, what was that channel? Let me think of it. It was it like a, you know.

Dennis
Not network.

Lisa
The network, yeah, but anyway, it was, it was really to promote different charities also. So that’s what it was about, too. But I mean, you would get, you could have raised money for that charity. So that’s kind of what, again, focuses me on doing those types of avenues.

Dennis
Was it some kind of competition or, yeah?

Lisa
Yes, yeah, I did get top 10. It was a competition where you, and it was a little bit more like you had to do the interview, you had to do, it was kind of more like a fitness, not just bikini, it was like fitness. And you did eveningwear. But it was also just to promote what you were trying to, and just yourself, too, because you need marketing is always good to promote and then promote what you have.

Dennis
So it sounds like it was kind of like a pageant itself.

Lisa
Yeah, it was.

Dennis
So you did have that bit of training before you went to Miss Iowa. But was Mrs. Iowa the first true pageant that you ever had done?

Lisa
Well, yeah. I mean, my dad had me do a little Made of Cotton pageant in El Paso, but it wasn’t like anything quite like that.

Dennis
Well, you know, I have to say from my little familiarity with the pageant world, down south Texas and anywhere down there, pageants are way of life. It’s like a religion. It’s like a sport. It’s crazy. Some of the people that get involved there, that’s, that’s what they live for.

Lisa
No, it wasn’t that for me.

Dennis
No. I hear you. You know, there are literally hundreds of pageant systems and most of us are familiar with the America system. The Universe or USA system. And the United States system is, is probably in the top three. But even though I’m somewhat familiar with some of the nuanced differences, the biggest one being that the American system requires a talent, what’s the the the distinction between the Miss United States and other systems?

Dennis
So, for instance, what what categories were you judged on that propelled you, you know, on to to victory that first time out?

Lisa
So they have the, obviously the interview, the evening gown, swimsuit fitness. And so those are like the three top ones. And then they had just a side, which was more than just an interview, it was kind of about your platform. So it wasn’t like questions. It was definitely questions just about your platform. Which was a little bit different than just the interview. They could ask you a broad question about the world, you know.

Dennis
And did you then go on and compete nationally?

Lisa
Yes, I went to Vegas. I was that was a lot of fun. A lot of fun.

Dennis
Yeah. How’d you do there?

Lisa
I did pretty well. I didn’t win, but I did pretty well. I got top fifteen.

Dennis
Well, that’s great.

Lisa
Yeah.

Dennis
So you’re going to do a pageant again in the future?

Lisa
I’ve been asked to do one. It’s just. I don’t know. I don’t know. We’ll see.

Dennis
Well what about, and what would you tell, by the way, what would you tell young girls or women who are considering pageant competition? Because, of course, there’s been a little bit of an uproar in the past few years where it’s focused too much on beauty and body and not so much on brains and that type of thing. And of course, again, I don’t want to get people angry because every pageant system is different.

Lisa
Right.

Dennis
What would your advice be to someone who’s interested in looking into competing there?

Lisa
I honestly think it can be a really good thing. You know, you hear the stigma on it. And I had a great experience with the girls and the ladies. I just feel it was a very good confidence booster and I think it was important to feel good. But any size you are, any shape you are, short, tall, whatever. And I think it’s important to feel confident with the body that you’re in.

Lisa
And so I think I would advise someone to, you know, experience that if they had the opportunity or if they wanted the opportunity, because it can be a boost for your confidence and I think that’s very important moving forward in this world.

Dennis
Right. And you’ve talked about your experience with that reality show and that was, you know, a competition of sorts. And I know you’ve done some fitness competitions. By the way, are you doing more fitness competitions or have any planned in the future? And then just before you answer that, though, because my secondary question to that is, well, how do you prepare for those? Isn’t that taxing on you, on your body, especially with, you know, the, the problems that you face with with lupus, and I would think even rheumatoid arthritis might be a killer for, you know, that kind of training regimen.

Lisa
You’re absolutely right. So, in fact, the last one I did, I had a very bad flare up like a month later. And it’s like I had all this muscle mass and all of a sudden it was gone. So it was a little tough on my body. So I do, that’s why the Miss, Miss Iowa after, after that, I had a little bit of time to get my body built back up again. But I, it wasn’t as strenuous as the competition with the fitness competition because, you know, I’ve learned different ways of, you know, there’s so many people that have different theories on what’s best for them.

Lisa
But when they cut the water, things like that, it’s just not good for me. So I learned my way. You know, I think everyone individually needs to know what their body is capable of and not push it past that limit, especially living with an autoimmune disease. But it was awesome for me because I had been on so much prednisone and so much, to get to that point where I feel like fitness for me is health. And that means that I’m in good health and that’s all I want to be.

Lisa
It doesn’t mean I have to be the the leanest and the meanest or whatever, but I’m just in good health and I think that’s important, you know.

Dennis
Well, I at this point, again, with the video presentation of this podcast, I’m going to ask our producer, Justin, to put up some of those fitness competition photos that I know you’ve got on the website and elsewhere. So people can see what what what Lisa’s talking about with the lean and mean.

Lisa
Yeah.

Dennis
She looks great.

Lisa
I think I have them on my lisalynnfit.com one.

Dennis
All right. Well, we’ll find that. And by the way, those of you who are listening, if you’re interested in fitness, you might also want to check out our interview with Dale Ruplinger, a former Mister America, Mister Universe, etc. He has some great tips as far as fitness as well. But but definitely, if you’re looking for a trainer, Lisa, and or Dale, would probably be a good place to start.

Dennis
So obviously, you’ve been an inspiration to a lot of people. Who is it that’s inspired you and in what ways?

Lisa
Oh, that’s a tough one.

Dennis
Oh, you don’t have to mention me. That’s OK.

Lisa
You know, I really think my parents are a good role model for me as far as, and I’ve been told that I’m very much like my dad as far as personality and my demeanor, not as far as you know, and he was also into fitness and things like that, too, so. I just really I’d say I’d look up to them.

Dennis
Oh, those are great role models to look at. Are there any books or other resources that you would turn people on to as far as autoimmune disorders or fitness in general?

Lisa
Yeah, I really do like The Diet or the Inflammatory Free Diet. In fact I could grab it. Do you want me to grab it and show you?

Dennis
Oh, sure, sure. We’ll talk while we’re waiting. So, Dana, what do you have to, jump right on in dana, you can. What would you like to talk about now?

Dana
Well, I don’t know. We were talking about Hobbit houses earlier.

Dennis
Hobbit houses. Yeah. We’re going to have to do a podcast on The Hobbit house and not having shoes. But, oh here we are. OK, The Inflammation Free Diet Plan.

Dana
That’s probably good for anybody.

Dennis
For those of you who are listening in, the author is yeah, we can see it, but I can’t see who the author is.

Lisa
OK, Monica Reinagel. And then I love this one.

Dennis
The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Aggressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine by Terry Wahls, M.D..

Dana
Wow.

Dennis
All right.

Lisa
Look at the back of hers. See? So I could relate.

Dennis
Well, yes. And these our photos, again, if you’re watching on video. But it doesn’t do much good, Lisa, for those who are listening to the audio podcast. Let me tell you there’s some good photos there.

Lisa
Right well she’s in…

Dennis
Of her in a wheelchair.

Lisa
She’s in a wheelchair, and then she’s on a bike.

Dennis
Yeah, exactly. And that’s very, very similar to what we’ve seen as far as Lisa’s journey, you know, seeing some of the pictures from when she was first diagnosed, where she is right now, a fitness model, competitor, you know, Mrs. Iowa, et cetera. So so tell me, Lisa, when is the last time you laughed out loud and why?

Lisa
Just now.

Dennis
All right.

Dana
That was an easy one.

Dennis
I got a good question.

Lisa
You guys are so good.

Dennis
I’ve got a good question for you. If you in this moment had a heart attack and died, what would be the one thing that you would truly regret?

Lisa
Hmm. Well.

Dennis
And you can’t say that you didn’t take better care of your heart.

Lisa
No, I wouldn’t say that.

Dennis
That would be gimme.

Lisa
Well, I feel like I still have more things to do and maybe I don’t know what they are yet, but I, I still feel like my purpose is still moving forward. So I don’t think I’m ready yet. But if I was, I’d be OK. I’m not afraid to die.

Dennis
What what are your, I know you said you’re not sure what you have in store, but what are you hoping for professionally and personally? What’s the future look like?

Lisa
Well, I’d like to grow, like you said, talked about, I mean, if you want to say franchise as a word, that’s fine, but I’d like to have a home for, a healing home is what I want to call it for autoimmune patients in the Midwest, in the South, in the North and the East and the West.

Dennis
That about covers it, right? You don’t want much.

Dana
I love that idea. Do you imagine having families of the patients come also?

Lisa
Absolutely. Because they have to live it to. The loved ones, you know, they need to understand and be familiar with everything. And if if you can teach them as well because they’re living it too. They’re living it too. So absolutely. Because then it can be a fun family affair, you know.

Dennis
Oh, Dana, you’re on a roll there. Do you have some other insightful questions you’d like to ask? Because I’m going to I’m going to start playing a game with her pretty soon.

Dana
I literally asked one question.

Dennis
I know, that’s your roll. You’re on your roll.

Dana
I do, I do want to know more about your book, though. Is it your story or what’s the focus?

Lisa
Yeah. So I was looking, I’ve been looking at my my dad really has always wanted me to write a book. And five years ago I was on my way on that path and then my dad had an ear cleaning that went bad. And that’s another story.

Dana
Oh gosh.

Lisa
Yes, it was a long, it’s been a long five years, in fact. So he got the ear cleaning on April 4th of 2016, and then from there it was downhill. And then he passed on December 14th of 2017. So my life has been his, you know, it’s kind of at a standstill. So that’s why I like we’re getting closer to ending the estate or I’m getting closer to ending the estate. And so I knew I needed to do something for myself.

Lisa
So I was researching. I was going to look at ghostwriters and then I found this company through this Bootcamp TV, through a, a friend of a friend, of a friend, of a friend. I didn’t know this person. And they contacted me and asked me if I’d be interested in doing an interview. They’re looking for different authors. And I’m like, this is a great way to start.

Lisa
So I interviewed with this Ignite company I loved. J.B. Owens is her name.

Dennis
I know Ignite. Yeah.

Lisa
You do. And so they do coauthors. So they’ve been in business for 16 months and they’ve done, they published 13 international bestsellers, just in the 16 month time. And so we’re going to be coauthoring. So we’re all, there’s a, I don’t even know how many coauthors there are, so it’s a story, but it’s a great start. And then I’d like to do a solo because it was just perfect timing.

Lisa
It wasn’t as much time as I needed to spend still working on dad’s stuff in my own life.

Dana
Yeah.

Lisa
And so it’s called Ignite Possibilities. And it’s, I just it’s going to publishing. In fact, we have an interview. I have an interview. Another interview. So you had to be picked and chosen for what they were looking for, for this. And so it was wonderful, though. We worked with, it was all my own words, all.

Lisa
So it’s different than a ghostwriter, which I loved doing. I always have loved writing. I’ve loved it since I was little. I used to write books like write poems, write little chapters, which is something that was just fulfilling for me. And just, but it’s action steps. I love it because it’s not just about your story, you know, it’s exactly my mission. It’s exactly like I talked about with the healing meanings instead of the support group meetings.

Lisa
You’re going in there, here’s the story, to give someone hope and know that they can change their world. And then here are the action steps, because we all have to take action to help ourselves to move forward.

Dennis
For sure.

Dana
Well that sounds exciting.

Lisa
Yeah. So it’s coming out soon. It’ll be, I’ll keep you updated on that.

Dennis
That is definitely exciting. And we’ll, whenever it comes out, you have to let us know. We’ll post it on uncommonconvos.com. Keep everybody apprized.

Dana
Yeah.

Dennis
So you ready for this game or Dana, do you have another question?

Dana
Go ahead. Play away. You’re chomping at the bit. I can tell. Go for it.

Dennis
OK, we’re going to play would you rather, OK? So would you rather be able to talk to animals or speak all human languages.

Lisa
Talk to animals.

Dana
Same.

Lisa
I have a thing for animals.

Dennis
Yeah you don’t care about people.

Dana
Obviously she does.

Dennis
OK, would you rather be reborn into the past or into the future?

Dana
Hmm.

Lisa
What do you say, Dana?

Dana
That’s tough. I feel like I would have to flip a coin that’s too much pressure.

Lisa
Yeah, I always think like it’s, so I’d say the past just because I think about these 60s, where they dance all the time. Yeah. So fun.

Dennis
I mean, that’s all cool. And it’s like, well, could would you be allowed to know what you know now and take it with you to the past? I don’t think that’s part of the hypothetical, though.

Dana
The whole rule is you can’t you can’t, can’t give the hypothetical.

Dennis
I’m giving the hypothetical.

Dana
You can’t. You’re breaking the rules.

Dennis
I’m making the rules.

Dana
Breaking them.

Dennis
But because, that surprises me, I would have thought, well, maybe you’d want to be reborn into the future when maybe autoimmune diseases are a thing of the past.

Lisa
That’s true, too. You know, it’s funny the question I was asked for Mrs. Iowa, and it just came to my mind, which I don’t know why, but they said, what would be your super power? And they said, a super healer.

Dennis
There you go.

Dana
That’s a good one.

Dennis
Right.

Dana
That’s a good one. We need that.

Lisa
Definitely. Because I was asked that question from when we talked just about, you know, our charity. And it was funny because they’re like well what if autoimmune becomes not an issue anymore? Then what? I’m like…

Dennis
Great!

Lisa
That’s not a bad thing.

Dennis
Right?

Lisa
I’d be OK. I’m always going to be able to do something different. That’s not a problem.

Dennis
Yeah.

Dana
Yup.

Dennis
Well, OK, so so I’m going to take that answer, though, that you gave before and say that you want to be a flower child of the 60s.

Lisa
Ok.

Dennis
All right. So so would you rather give up your favorite food or give up sex?

Lisa
Hmm. My favorite food I’d give up.

Dennis
Well, I’m sure your husband’s glad to hear that. OK, would you rather be able to to run 300 miles an hour without tiring, or fly, but only at 20 miles an hour?

Lisa
Fly.

Dennis
Yeah, that’s kinda, that’s hard, I mean, it’s kind of cool if you can run without tiring.

Lisa
I know if you could run.

Dennis
Get there faster.

Lisa
But you could fly and see the whole world.

Dennis
Yeah.

Lisa
Different perspective.

Dennis
I love, I love that idea, too. All right. Last one, would you rather be forced to eat plain bread and drink, just bread and water for a year or be forced to shower at a public gym for a year.

Lisa
Okay, I’ll go for the bread because I’m too modest.

Dennis
Good answer. Well, I want to thank you again, Lisa, for your time and everything that you do in, you know, not just the community in which you reside, but, you know, you’re helping people everywhere deal with autoimmune diseases. And like I’ve mentioned before, you are an inspiration. And I’m truly thankful that you’re, that I’m able to call you my friend. So I appreciate you being here with us.

Dennis
Anything that, any final thoughts, either Dana or Lisa, that you guys would like to add?

Lisa
Well, thank you so much, both of you. You’ve been wonderful. Wonderful people you are.

Dennis
Well, I’m glad you can see that. Anyway, I want to thank everyone for joining us today. Again, please be sure to register, subscribe or follow Uncommon Convos on your favorite podcast platform. It’s absolutely free to do so. And you’re going to want to check out this video recording of the podcast at uncommonconvos.com so you can check out those pictures and actually see the book that Lisa was holding up.

Lisa
Sorry.

Dennis
It’s alright. You can also leave comments and suggestions for future guests there. Please also check out our other podcast, Legal Squeaks, for concise blurbs on various consumer and legal topics that may impact your world.

Dennis
So join us next week for another Uncommon Convo. In the meantime, have a great day. Stay safe. And I love you all.