.png)
Small Lake City
Small Talk, Big City
Join host Erik Nilsson as he interviews the entrepreneurs, creators, and builders making Salt Lake City the best place it can be. Covering topics such as business, politics, art, food, and more you will get to know the amazing people behind the scenes investing their time and money to improve the place we call home.
Follow along for more!
Small Lake City
S1, E95: Liddy Huntsman
Liddy Huntsman brings a unique perspective to Salt Lake City politics as she transitions from comedy stages to the campaign trail. In this captivating conversation, she opens up about growing up as the self-proclaimed "black sheep" of the politically prominent Huntsman family, sharing hilarious stories of hosting High School Musical dancers at the Governor's mansion and navigating life in the public eye.
After fleeing Utah to pursue comedy in New York and working at Saturday Night Live, Liddy's journey took unexpected turns through Washington D.C. and the Dominican Republic before the magnetic pull of Salt Lake City brought her home. "Salt Lake City is the black sheep of Utah," she explains, "and to understand a black sheep, you really have to understand what makes them a black sheep." This insight fuels her passion for building bridges in a city experiencing tremendous growth and change.
At the heart of Liddy's campaign for City Council is her commitment to addressing mental health challenges in the community. Having been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age seven, she brings personal understanding to discussions about chronic conditions and mental wellbeing. Her late-night research of police scanner calls revealed a startling statistic: 40% of 911 calls are mental health-related. This discovery sparked her mission to create better systems connecting law enforcement with mental health resources.
Liddy's approach to community building centers on authentic connection – bringing diverse lived experiences to leadership positions and creating spaces where people feel truly understood. Her vision for Salt Lake City acknowledges both its challenges and potential, embracing the uniqueness that makes it special. As she puts it, "I know what it has been, I know what it can be, and I want to be a part of that process."
Ready to hear more about Liddy's plans for Salt Lake City? Follow her campaign at electliddy.com and join the conversation about building a more connected, compassionate community where everyone feels they belong.
50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY
RSVP to Live Podcast at Flanker: posh.vip/e/small-lake-city-podcast-live-recording
www.skydiveutah.com
Head to www.smalllakepod.com/merchandise for Small Lake City Gear!
Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time
Join Small Lake City: https://www.smalllakepod.com/subscribe
Instagram: @smalllakepod
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast
TikTok: @smalllakepod
Long story short. I ended up in New York working for Saturday Night Live. I said I want to do the bottom of the bottom of the bottom of the job. My husband's Dominican, so we live down in the Dominican Republic and I did a lot of work with diabetes organizations down there. You know the biggest problem in Utah with mental health, the biggest population that struggles with it are middle-aged white men in rural areas. I'm on to something Like we've got to figure out this mental health situation. That's everywhere. It's not just in Utah, because I believe Salt Lake City is the black sheep of Utah. To understand a black sheep, you really have to understand what makes them a black sheep.
Speaker 2:What is up everybody and welcome back to another episode of the Small Lake City Podcast.
Speaker 2:I'm your host, Eric Nielsen, and this week's guest is Liddy Huntsman, the daughter of the once Utah governor, once ambassador to China and presidential candidate, John Huntsman Jr. Now Liddy is her own self-coined black sheep of the Huntsman family, growing up here, moving to New York to pursue comedy, eventually joining SNL, getting married before moving back to Salt Lake. Now Liddy is someone who's seen and loved this city for so long and is finally wanting to take it into her hands and also fall into the family business of politics. Now she's starting with local community, especially around the area that she grew up, to help make it better and make this city a better place. But great conversation with her. She's someone I've known for a while. She was one of my sister's best friends in high school, so always someone that I saw around, but not someone I got to interact with a lot. So great conversation with us, Definitely one you're going to enjoy and hear more about how we can make Salt Lake a better place.
Speaker 1:I was just about to say it's okay, it's Friday, but it's actually Monday. So there we go, that's, not the most depressing phrase I've heard of today. I know it's definitely been the most Monday of Mondays.
Speaker 2:Well, because there's even a long weekend for me because I had it was actually kind of fun. We had Visit Salt Lake through this content creator conference on Friday, Cool, and so I was like I'll take off work for my side work.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And it was fun because, like I mean A, to be completely honest, like I usually hate going to those things, yeah. Because it's usually people like I don't know, just like an energy I don't necessarily love. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And but thankfully one of my friends that I partner in a lot of content with Jordan Schmidt. We've kind of realized like, okay, we both go to these things, we at least we have one other place.
Speaker 2:Yeah exactly no-transcript Exactly, and so it's fun, like we talked about that, talked about some of the opportunities for content creators.
Speaker 1:Were you with Ryan. Is Ryan Mack?
Speaker 2:Wasn't he doing business at Salt Lake, which is going to be Into three random like friends of siblings or friends from like East High specifically. Yeah, Okay. So yeah, so Ryan.
Speaker 1:Mack was there, yeah.
Speaker 2:Because Ryan Mack, like six months ago, dms me on Instagram. He's like hey, man, love everything you've been building. Yeah, you probably don't remember Like, of course I remember. Yeah, like, yeah. And so, which is wild, because, like, like, I also think, and we'll come back to that in a sec yeah, so I see, dms me and says let's do this, we're having this thing. Would you like to come? I do, and I seem like dude, I can't. I don't think I've seen you since, like after my mission. Oh, yeah, I got home like 14 years ago. Yeah, yeah, so it's fun to see him. Which was so last week I had someone text me, I mean from a number I didn't have. I was like hey, by the way, this is John Craycroft. I don't know if you know me or remember me, but our moms used to work together. Your brother's my friend. Like, yeah, I mean, that's unique enough of a name and Parker Craycroft is good enough of a friend of mine.
Speaker 1:I'm like yeah, yeah, I remember, and I, of course, I remember.
Speaker 2:And my memory is a blessing and a curse, like I can remember everyone, everything good and the bad and the ugly. But so I'm like yeah, of course no. Parker, like let's hop on a call. So he talks about everything that his wife's doing, which is amazing. We're going to record pretty, uh, pretty soon. And so it's kind of like wild. Like I texted my sister who's works in medicine, cause usually if someone comes to me it's like oh, and be on the podcast, yeah, let's workshop with this. A couple people first. Yeah, yeah, and I was like I just talked to, uh, john and melinda craigcroft, she's like, or melissa craig, anyway, we'll figure it out.
Speaker 1:Um do you? Think that'd be good. She's like oh absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2:So that was that one. And then, and then you dm me. I was like, hey, oh, my gosh, I'm running for office. Yeah, well, the podcast will be. I'm like, yes, because there's a lot of things I do want to talk to you about, because it's like it was like a very unique and niche experience in high school Having, like John is one of my really good friends, while his dad's the governor, living in the governor's mansion. Yeah, a lot of confused pizza drivers.
Speaker 1:A lot of confused pizza drivers, a lot of confused friends. Every time someone would be like, what's your address? 603 East South Temple. And they're like, all right, we'll be there. And then they're like we're outside this government building. I'm like, yes, that's my house, come on in.
Speaker 2:Come on in, the highway patrolman will stop you. He will open up the gate. He will say your name.
Speaker 1:They will do a whole pat down everything. But it's fine, come on in, we're having a great time. We had a great Well. Yeah, it was so fun If the Wiles could talk in that house.
Speaker 2:When it's wild, because, like even just when, because I can't remember if they took out the bowling alley before you guys moved in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they did Okay, or else we would have destroyed it. Yes, in a good way, right yeah?
Speaker 2:Because I always remember, because we would always go downstairs because that's where John's room was, yeah, and he have like a TV going and was always playing Travis, patrona, something or dirt bike, always, always. And it was just so funny because, like I remember, there's probably at least two dances where I mean again, like the typical Utah, you have your before activity, you have a dance and your after activity my favorite were the after activities there yes yeah, yeah, I have a crazy story too about when we lived in the governor's mansion.
Speaker 1:This is so relatable, let me just tell you, by the way, just kidding. Well, we went to east and that's when High School Musical was filming the first one, and a couple of like my friends got to know some of like the backup dancers. And let me know if you need to pause.
Speaker 2:Just turn it on Focus. All right, we're going to do that. What's happening? No, we're good.
Speaker 1:But we met some of the backup dancers and I'm like, oh, you guys should come have a dance party at the governor's mansion, right, thinking I was so cool. Whatever, my friends, this is before the movie came out, so nobody, it did not blow up. They're like, oh, a Disney movie, and Disney movies are filmed here all the time, so it wasn't a big deal, and so I invited. You know, all my friends Only friend still to this day that shows up is Alicia too. I love her, and Tanner, but Alicia shows up. All my other friends were like oh, you know, what are you guys doing? I'm like I don't know, these people are going to come over and do a dance party.
Speaker 1:Well, all my friends ditched me and I sat there with Alicia up in the ballroom in the governor's mansion while they did the entire high school musical. It was Troy, gabriella, all of them. They did the entire. My parents came home from an event and they're like what the hell is going on? The house is shaking right Like the whole high school musical, you know, dance, like it was a whole performance. And I'm sitting there and I'm like I just invited them over to like come and jam, or like you know, and they literally did the entire high school musical dance for me. I was like, well, it was very interesting. But yes, that was an interesting time in my life and the governor's mansion had a lot of really interesting events. I feel like like that, especially for our age group, like my brother, and yeah, a lot of dances, a lot of sneaking out, a lot of you know things I can't talk about in public.
Speaker 2:But all good, um, but no, but it was also fun because you were my stepsister becky cannon, one of her really good friends in high school we've laid basketball together exactly yep, and so I was very excited that you reached out.
Speaker 2:I think we had like one. I was looking back at our message history. There was some other time that you'd reached out or replied to something stupid that I posted. But okay, because I'm excited, because it's like it's, it's fun to see how, because, again, john, good friend of mine, yeah, he went up to the pacific northwest after school. Yep, I went with the pacific northwest after school. Okay, so we actually never met up just because of kind of where he was and I was. He was on would be.
Speaker 1:I was down in seattle yeah, it was kind of very far, very, very close, but far Exactly. Yes, it's a drive.
Speaker 2:And so he's like one, because he's he's still down in Vegas.
Speaker 1:They just moved back up to would be oh yeah, I'm trying to recruit him to come back here after he's done with flying jets and all that. So we'll see. I don't know, Fingers crossed Right and everyone either died or left. So you know, here I am.
Speaker 2:Insulting.
Speaker 1:Sorry, I'm very dark with my humor, but you know, it's how I cope, but yeah, so yeah, I'm trying to recruit now family to come back because I love Salt Lake.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and I'm the same way. I left and saw everybody leave and then all of a sudden all of us came back. So be like listen. I still kind of need like a little bit more time.
Speaker 1:I actually had a lot of people when I moved back here. They were like, oh my gosh, you're like you're moving back to Salt Lake or whatever, and I'm like, why would I not this? When you have experienced other places, when you've been stripped of your community familiarity, things like that, you come back to Salt Lake and you're like I'm never leaving. Like I'm never leaving. This is the greatest place in the world and I will always say that to everyone I talk to. But that's really why I'm like back here, because I can't imagine being anywhere else. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And like, and it's fun too because, like, there's been so many random parts of your family that have showed up in my life at random times. There's a lot of us.
Speaker 2:Like I remember it was in eighth grade, seventh or eighth grade grade, seventh grade, in between those probably. But like one of my best friends, brad weaver, got me back into tennis because I played when I was younger before the four douglas with the jcc and that's when my parents would drop me out there and be like listen, have fun, we'll be back. And so I got back into it and sure enough there's. I mean, we were probably like the younger people there and, lo and behold, one person was like hey, my name's abby, nice to meet you. Oh yeah. So I was like hi, ab, my name's Eric. And then he, as high school, came around. I was like wait a minute. You're like, wait, you're my old tennis friends.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's like how are you, john? Oh yeah, she was our tennis star at East. Yeah, such a small world.
Speaker 2:And then one memory I have and then we can get into the fun stuff. But I remember it was your dad's going away party before, or did I just cut?
Speaker 1:out yes, no, yeah, in 2009,. I was in college, but that's when they left Utah.
Speaker 2:And so I get an invitation from John. He's like hey, we're having a go-away party, like come show up, and I don't realize it's like the family going away party. I think I was just John. So I show up in like ripped jean shorts, like a blazer and some sort of stupid shirt underneath, and I walked in and I was like oh no.
Speaker 1:Oh, no, I love it.
Speaker 2:But I'll never forget your dad Because you're like Eric, like thanks for coming, yeah. Looks me up. He's like good to have you.
Speaker 1:Hey, he would have been offended if you wore anything nicer than that. So you know what.
Speaker 2:You're always good with us with ripped jeans. I mean, like your dad and his whole aspect of him.
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, yes, of course, and I. It's funny because when they're in town they're always getting stopped and they're like, oh yeah, we went to Highland together. Everything is Highland, highland, highland. My mom still tells me about her tragic trauma, cheerleading stories that haunt her, and I'm like, oh my gosh, highland.
Speaker 2:I mean I went to because I know the main thing that you're up to right now is making the decision to run for office, and city council especially. I can't remember the number, but downtown Salt Lake, district three, district three, that's right. Someone actually texted me the other day who is a councilwoman. She's like how do you feel about your council person? And I was like who is my? It's you right? She's like no, I'm like then I don't know. But yeah, but because I know that you've been I mean obviously just your life in general has been surrounded by politics and entrenched in the world of it but kind of want to go back to even like those early like I mean not even early necessarily, but like high school memories of kind of like how, when was like the first time that you realized like, oh, politics is a part of my life and I have a seat at something that most people don't?
Speaker 1:You know, I don't think I thought about that until recently.
Speaker 2:OK.
Speaker 1:Because I was. I was really, and I guess still am we never go away, but I'm really the black sheep of my family and so my trajectory of life has been very different than a lot of my siblings, um, where I was like you know what, no one. I love humor. I love the way that people connect through humor and teaching through humor. And so I said, you know, I want to get into comedy. And I said no one in my family would ever stoop that low to get into comedy, stand-up comedy. So you know, I was like no one will want me in politics, no one will want to do any, I'll just do, you know, have my own voice through comedy. And that's kind of where I wanted to find my own voice. But I guess now comedy is politics so here I am.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that Venn diagram just keeps getting right. I'm late, I just can't help it.
Speaker 1:I'm just passionate and I'm vocal and I'll ask the questions that nobody wants to ask, and I'm happy to do one. I'm happy, and I'll ask the questions that nobody wants to ask and I'm happy to do one.
Speaker 2:I'm happy to take one for the team. Yeah, I mean, I also love that like kind of part of life, that or not life. But like the world we're in, where we kind of went through these like late 2010s where everything had to be perfectly curated, everything had to be beautiful, and you open up Instagram and everything is amazing and blah, blah, blah, blah blah. But now we've reached this time of life, whether it's just what the world has done to us.
Speaker 1:Well, it's rare to have authenticity. Yes, and I think people are craving authenticity and real connection, and I think that's where you see a lot of the issues that we're dealing with, and not just in Salt Lake City, but I think in our country. It's the lack of connection, right, authenticity and I think social media plays a lot into that of how we should be looking, especially in Utah. Women here, especially, have a lot of things that we feel like we have to keep up with. Yeah, perfectionism.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's entrenched in the culture and I mean it's a physical representation, it's an easily identifiable physical representation of that.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:Because, like even with I mean I hate to talk about good old Love Island, but like when Love Love Island, when Vanna comes on and they're like 21 years old, from Utah, you're like I mean yeah, yeah, but you know, what's so crazy is that I was telling someone today.
Speaker 1:I was like, if you want to really understand the heart of Utah, which I believe is Salt Lake City, it is Salt Lake City. I identify so much with Salt Lake City because I believe Salt Lake City is the black sheep of Utah and if you to understand a black sheep, you really have to understand what makes them a black sheep, right, like the background of it and the culture and the things and the experiences. And I think that Salt Lake City is the black sheep of Utah and it's kind of always been that way. And that's why I find it so fascinating here in Salt Lake, because I identify as being a black sheep and beating to my own drum but also having that strong community sense which is so special about Salt Lake. I mean, we haven't seen each other in so long but we still have like a connection because we are part of this bigger community here. That I think it's what life is all about.
Speaker 1:And I think when you travel, when you, when you grow and mature, right, you think of, like, what are the things that mean the most to me? For me it's community familiarity, like where do I belong? Right, and everything has pointed back to Salt Lake City, because this is where I'm from. I'm born and raised here. Right, I left, I fled the nest, I got to learn a little bit, but now I'm raising my two boys here, so, which has been really fun.
Speaker 2:Exciting. I totally get it too, because I was the same person that I mean, I was definitely the black sheep of my family, yeah, with my family, yeah, and all I wanted to do was leave, which ironically, ended up in a mission in Washington and then came back and then left, live in Seattle for a few years, but then came back. Even then I was like I just don't know, still I don't want to buy a house, I want to do this, and like I mean, lived in a van for six months, 36 states six months later, and I was like I'm actually very excited to go home now. Yeah, because I can see, yeah, just all the life experiences. Again. Like I always joke that I'm a Salt Lake citizen, I'm not a Utahan, because the further I get away from Salt Lake, I'm like love this for you, but like my people are kind of back there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't go past 24 South, so yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, me and you both.
Speaker 1:Try not to no, I'm just kidding no-transcript.
Speaker 2:So my girlfriend's very involved in the running community, okay, so I've been going to run clubs, I've been going to like all of these different things, and it's wild because I introduced myself like oh, where are you from? Like from here, like wait, like really, like where, like yeah, like salt, like there, and then there yeah, and like no way, like we never meet anybody it was never happened.
Speaker 1:We're like creatures that like are I don't know. We need to get out more, I guess yeah, we're also dying.
Speaker 2:Uh, so you lean into the black sheep of the family like I'm going into comedy, whether you guys like it or not. Yeah, I mean, what did that look like? I mean, did you go? I mean new york, one of the? I was in New York, ok, and so my comedy.
Speaker 1:So when my dad ran for president in 2012. Yeah, 2012. Right when I was graduating from college, right when Twitter came out and I've always been very into, like, new tech and more storytelling, and so I thought what is the way? Because I think politics, I just think it's so lame. Right, like, how do you get someone who has no business being in politics interested in politics? Because, as Americans, we all need to be involved in politics. But it's how do you like tell that story? So I use the medium of Twitter and I started John 2012 Girls, which was three my two older sisters and myself.
Speaker 2:That's right, I forgot who it is already.
Speaker 1:But I was the one that was, you know, behind the scenes and you know said a little something about Mitt Romney. The next day I'm on the Today Show. I'm like, oh shit, Like I probably should like do so. I need to like go be in a closet or something, I don't know. Anyway, so, going through this, we got, like you know, and then we did the smoking video.
Speaker 1:So back in 2012, there was this big smoking commercial of Herman Cain's campaign manager where he was smoking a cigarette and he blew it in front of the camera and it was like this very dramatic. It was like one of these. You're like this is a parody, Like this is not a real. So I was like I'm obsessed with Saturday Night Live. So I was like we have to make a parody of this commercial, Like we have got to make a parody. You guys, we have to do it. My sister's like absolutely not, Absolutely not. I was like I'm gonna write the script, let's go. And we ended up doing it and that's kind of what set us kind of going and kind of made us I don't know storytelling throughout the campaign.
Speaker 1:But I was in that point. I just graduated college. I knew I was always funny. I acted since I was little, but I was always like the fat girl in the corner making all the jokes. That's kind of how I framed myself. How kind of other people. It was just the funny girl. I didn't realize you could make a living off of comedy. Like I had no idea, right, it was like oh, comedy, you can actually do that.
Speaker 1:So after my dad's campaign I actually moved back here to Salt Lake and I started doing radio with Jim DeBacchus, who was a former senator here, and I love talking current events, but also, like I was missing that humor, Right, Long story short. I ended up in New York working for Saturday Night Live. I was able to get an internship. I said I want to do the bottom of the bottom of the bottom of the jobs because I want to figure out what I want to do and I want to. This is when I was 23. So, like the world is your oyster, yeah, Like I don't care, I'll do anything. So I was like so I went and worked on this film that Colin Jost was doing on his live, called Staten Island Summer. Do not look it up on Netflix, Just kidding, Do it because my name's on it, but it's really funny. It's kind of like a super bad, but it was Colin Jost who is at Saturday Night Live. It was about his summer before he went to Harvard at like the swim club.
Speaker 2:And so so I remember his autobiography.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, so I remember his autobiography. Yeah, so, like it was filmed at his childhood house and like, so I like lived in Staten Island. I was, you know, basically busing.
Speaker 2:We really did put you at the bottom of the bus.
Speaker 1:Oh, I loved it.
Speaker 1:You do a city to Staten Island I remember they sent me to Staten Island and I was like someone I got in Texas. They're like do you know how to drive a box car or a box cut With a truck? Yeah, a box truck, yeah, a box truck, yeah, yeah, and I'm a really good driver. And so I'm like, yeah, of course. And then, like I went to pick it up and I was like I cannot drive this Are you kidding me In New York City, I'm not doing this yeah, so I had to do like bottom didn't think I was talented enough to go on stage. So I was like maybe I'll go in like the producing route. So that's kind of how that happened.
Speaker 1:And then, you know, life happens. I met my husband and got pregnant very fast and got married and started a life with him and we eventually ended up in New York City and that's where I went to comedy school and then I ended up going to improv school and that's where I went to comedy school and then I ended up going to improv school. So for four years while we were living there, I was going from dive bar to dive bar doing open mics and stand up and loved it. It's like such a part of me and I've done it at Wise Guys and I love you know. But you know, utah is a little obviously a smaller network of people. In the comedy scene, I mean I knew everybody in New York because it's a smaller network, um, of people. And the comedy scene I mean I knew everybody in new york, um, because it's a smaller scene and you're literally just bar hopping every week, which I loved, um.
Speaker 1:But I really I think comedy for me it's like a way to teach people things without you know, I don't know. I like teaching, that's what I do. So then I went and got my master's in digital storytelling because I love telling stories and I think that people need to probably get better at storytelling, because that's, I think, a big part of how you share a message, how you connect with people. My big thing is connection. Like we lack connection, right. So I worked for a company where I focused on friendships, so I studied friendships. What makes a friendship? Why are people friends? Right, and for me, somebody came to me and said, hey, let's target moms to be friends and I said, ok, but just because you're a mom doesn't mean I going to be best friends.
Speaker 1:Right, and so I think that it's like but you have to get deeper into why people connect. And so I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was seven and I've been a huge advocate in the type 1 diabetes space, but more for mental health. Because when you deal with a chronic illness, when you deal with any issue right whether you've gone through a divorce, whether you've gone through cancer, whatever it is when you meet somebody that has gone through the exact same thing as you, you feel this like peace. You feel this like connection that you don't have to explain and that is so powerful. I think it's the most powerful emotion that anyone and I share this story all the time.
Speaker 1:So when I was in the Dominican Republic my husband's Dominican, so we lived down in the Dominican Republic and I did a lot of work with diabetes organizations down there I went to this little meeting. It was in this like dirt, no electricity, building Went in. My Spanish was not great at the time and I sat there in a group of families in the DR aging from like two years old up to high school, and every kid in there had type one diabetes. And I got up and I started crying and I had to, like, leave the room and the CEO was like or the head of the organization was like are you okay? What's going on? I was like I may not understand what they're saying, but I hear them, like I know what they're.
Speaker 1:So it's like when you've experienced that type of connection, it just makes you more passionate to have other people experience that type of connection, because I think that's really what heals, and so for me that's kind of storytelling comedy. I think that you know, comedy is a great way to share, like. For me, comedy is a way for me to have my own voice and to share my story the way that I want to. I don't want other people to share my story, I wanted myself to tell it and so, yeah, that's kind of I don't know.
Speaker 2:I could talk all day about comedy and different things, yeah, same, because I love, because comedy is a way of just like disarming people in general's, like she's like like wine and dine them, get them all ready, and then you're like, by the way, bam, emotional punch, bam, he had a cool message, bam, whatever it could be. Yeah, and like I even remember I mean one of my favorite um uh comedy sketch well, not comedy sketches, stand-up, uh routines of all time is killing him softly by dave chappelle. Yes, and it's wild because like I mean, he talks a lot in there about like police, yeah, and then I remember, like, as police brutality became a lot more valid later in life, I was like wait a minute, we've been talking about this for a long time.
Speaker 1:See, I think Chappelle is one of my favorite comedians because he brings in like current events and I my favorite type of that's. My favorite time of comedy is when you're able to talk about current events real, real issues in a way that people can understand it and it's light-hearted, right, because a lot of the times everyone no one wants to talk about serious things. So how do you take a serious subject and make a light-hearted? And that's why I love um on snl when they do the news and current events, because it's like, yeah, that would have been my dream job, because I'm a connoisseur of current events, love current current events. Could talk about anything, current events, love it. But I think comedy is a way to make it lighthearted and I like that type of news because news gets so dark and, yeah, I just think we need more comedy, we need more humor in the world and if I can help people get more involved in comedy, yeah, I love it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we got to get you to do open mic because, like here's, the thing about me is like you meet a lot of people and they're like oh, I'm scared of public speaking, scared of audiences. No, yeah, give me a mic, I'll talk about something. As long as you don't turn it off, I'll keep going. Even turn it off, I'll probably start yelling anyway, um, I feel my most alive on stage and, um, I'm more of like an introvert.
Speaker 1:I do very well like one-on-one and, but I do the best on stage, which is really people are like. I find that so interesting that you feel most confident on stage but may have more anxiety in like social spaces, right or with a lot of people, and I know I just feel free and I feel like it's a nonjudgmental zone and so I love comedy because it's like get up, I say it's an aa meeting, but no one is sober. Yes, that's what an open mic is, and I love it because everyone's up there trying their best, putting themselves out there and really what comedy is?
Speaker 1:it's people's insecurities, things that make them uncomfortable, is how they cope with it and how they talk about it oh yeah so that's how, like for me, I talk a lot about like my upbringing, right, or being married to someone from another country and a different culture, right, and things that were harder for me to kind of, you know, go through Like I was, like you know what I'm going to put comedy in and just make it and heal it and like I just, yeah, that's kind of how to like champion it as well yeah because, like, if you can laugh at another, you can make other people laugh at it.
Speaker 2:All of a sudden, like I mean, if you laugh at anything, yep, it's almost like a I don't know why my, my brain has been going to harry potter metaphors recently, but it's like it's all those commercials, it's like the booger in um harry potter, like it becomes the thing you're scared of the most yep, but then you turn it into like the thing that you laugh at the most and all of a sudden it's not this like daunting thing anymore. Because, like, I'm in a similar way, like I will always make fun of I mean anxiety, depression, mental health, uh, being the chubby kid in high school I mean anything really like.
Speaker 2:It sounds like we have the exact same problems as exactly um, but I wish I was gonna say but oh, I was gonna say is, and it's like wild with me and I don't know if you agree or not, because it's either one or the other, but like the thought of walking up onto a stage and there's 10 seats and it's 10 people I know very well Pass.
Speaker 1:No, thank you Not doing it yeah.
Speaker 2:But if it's like a hundred or a thousand people that I don't know, all of a sudden, like there is no individuality anymore, it's just like a group.
Speaker 1:I get people all the time they're like invite me, invite me to stand up or whatever, and I'm like, yeah, but I'm like such perfectionist, right Like I don't. I'd rather like strangers judge me and not laugh for me than my like own friends or loved ones, or like I brought my mom to like some dingy dark.
Speaker 1:It was like one of the worst open mics I'd ever been at. I was like, oh my gosh, we probably should like admit some of these people Like it was like really bad. And my mom's like why are you like, why do you do this?
Speaker 2:I'm like do you need money, Are you okay?
Speaker 1:I was like mom, because everybody is accepted here. I said it doesn't matter. I said I've always wanted to feel connected. You know, growing up just being different, having diabetes, looking differently, having to deal with different struggles and other people, other peers Like. For me, comedy is like my outlet. It's like my way to heal from that and to show that you're I don't know different. I love it. But yeah, we're going to get you to do open mic. I know I need to just like block off a Wednesday and just go with the line at Wise Guys.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'll do it, but yeah, we're going to get you to do open mic. I know I need to just like block off a Wednesday and just go with the line at Wise Guys yeah, I'll do it, I'll go with you.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you, yes, we'll go do it Honestly.
Speaker 2:I might. What do you count on that? Yeah, so I mean, that's such a unique course of life Because again you go, because I assume you met your husband in New York.
Speaker 1:I. So my husband and I both went to college at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and he was two years older than me. So I did not meet him until a year after I'd graduated, at homecoming. So we did not know each other. But our friends, like we had similar friend groups, so it wasn't, he wasn't like a total stranger and we connected and he was from the Dominican Republic and I always was like I do not want to date anybody in politics, get me away from politics.
Speaker 1:God has his jokes because I married someone in politics but in another country, got it.
Speaker 1:So my husband is very involved, or at least he was.
Speaker 1:He was um, so we lived in, so I met him in philly, then we were in dc where I had my first son moved to dominican republic and then he was vice consul for the dominican republic in new york, which was a big role, because the largest hispanic group in new york are dominicans and puerto ricans, like 1.4 million Dominicans.
Speaker 1:It's funny because you think in New York you know, coming from here there are no Dominicans. Here it's maybe like 7,000 Dominicans in Utah, but in New York there are no Mexicans, and that's I think it's people realize they're like oh, you're like, no, everyone around are, they're Dominican and it's such a beautiful culture and my kids, you know, are bilingual and we're sharing this beautiful bicultural life. And so my husband he's out of politics now but yeah, so kind of we live in the DR and there was just I was aching to come home, I needed to come home, and so I came home almost four years ago, moved back cool, yeah, and it's been amazing since yeah, yeah, there's, uh, because so on topic of one of your past roles and bringing hispanic people in new york together.
Speaker 2:So tanner too, yeah, one of my good friends who was once upon a time on a bumble um advertisement maybe I knew someone that did that for him.
Speaker 1:It might have been someone.
Speaker 2:And because it's funny, like I, because I went to Spanish speaking mission in Washington, everybody's Mexican, yeah. Then I go visit him in New York no one's Mexican.
Speaker 1:You can't understand their Spanish.
Speaker 2:It's like they have a mouthful of marbles.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's, it's, it's very fast and it's a very yeah Dominican Spanish, because I've tried to do like Duolingo, I've tried to do like private classes, whatever, and it's like very Spanish. Dominicans have their whole other, it's a whole other type of language which I love.
Speaker 2:And now I usually go to Florida once a month-ish for a day job and go talk to a bunch of Cubans Very different in dialects and everything Very different in dialects and everything Very different yes. So you make your way back to Utah after a couple different stops along the way. I mean, was your goal? Because again I like how you have these parts of like. All right, I'm getting away from here. I don't want to do politics. I hate this life of politics. My husband. Never say never, never marry anybody in politics, politics.
Speaker 1:This is why I do comedy, because my life is a joke hey us not a bad one.
Speaker 2:I'd rather laugh through life than like be angry, be like stoic through life or be like my husband's stoic.
Speaker 1:That's why I have to bring the comedy. No, my husband's very funny, but yes, yes.
Speaker 2:But so you come here and eventually I mean walk me through that logical path of how you're like, you know what time to join the family biz.
Speaker 1:You know, family is everything to me everything. And a big reason of moving back is that I feel like we have to give back to what raised us, and my grandparents were at their end of life and nobody was really living here, and so I just felt that I needed there was something bigger in Salt Lake for me to come back, and so I was their caretaker for probably a year and a half, and so I was really just dedicated to coming back. Right, I was aching for this. You know we'd have so many conversations because the Dominican culture is so beautiful. Right, I was aching for this. You know we'd have so many conversations because the Dominican culture is so beautiful. Right, like, you can meet Dominicans can be anywhere in the world and they get together. They have the same language, right, same music, culture, everything.
Speaker 1:And I was really like, what is my culture? Like, what is my identity? Like where am I from? I feel like I've been all over the place, you know, and looking at moving at other places Miami or wherever it's like okay, where do we live, where do we send our kids to school, who's our community, where's our family? And it really was like, you know what? Salt Lake City. That is the only place for me, like that is the only place I belong, and so we really made the jump And's been.
Speaker 1:It's been a wild ride so far. I never thought I would be where I am today, but it's kind of crazy how I feel like my path kind of put me exactly here. So yeah, it's been, yeah, it's been fun, um, but it's been really exciting to move back here right like growing, growing up, while the city's also growing up, and it's kind of interesting, like we've talked about you come back and now our friends are running the show. So I have, you know, friends now that are doctors here, friends that are teachers, friends that are doing local business right In politics, all over the place, and you're like, oh, wow, I'm part of something, like we're doing something, and Salt Lake is just I feel like it's on the cusp of something really big and I think that's why it's not looking good here, and you can tell there's been better days and you want to be like, hey, it's going to shape up.
Speaker 2:You're like I have no idea how it's going to shape up. Actually, good luck. And you see how many people are immigrating from, or emigrating from I mean, midwest, other places and being like oh, salt Lake, obviously. And so it's interesting to talk to people of like oh, what brought you here? And all of a sudden, you have this great appreciation for like yeah, I mean grew up in ohio. We didn't have mountains and now I get to look at them every day. Yeah, where I grew up in a place where all there was to do is farm, and now I can actually go to a place where there's, I mean, diverse jobs and opportunity and in 30 minutes, in 30 minutes, like it's so unique and I could get like. And also, nowhere is perfect.
Speaker 1:And I say this all the time Nowhere is perfect, but I think Salt Lake, from the rest of the places that are you know other options or whatever Salt Lake is very unique and once you live here and you're here, you realize how unique it is and I'm just, I'm just happy to be part of the community, to be honest, and I'm really looking forward to helping whether it's in the private sector or public sector helping change, like I want to be part of this next chapter for Salt Lake City Totally, because I've seen it through. It's like your sister. I've seen it through every stage as long as I've been born, right, but I've seen it through good, I've seen it through bad, I've seen it through scary times and I want to be able to help preserve it. I think that's really like coming back to Salt Lake. You're like okay, I know what it has been, I know what it can be and I want to be a part of that process, and so I think that's been a real reason why yeah, why not get involved?
Speaker 2:right, like it's the most american thing you can do, exactly, and we're there's like always this voice of like oh, I can't do it. Right, someone else will take in another harry potter metaphor. So, because, like, there's always these moments I run into and like talk to people where they find themselves, into this moment, and thankfully the podcast has given me that opportunity. But there's all these times in life you look around, you're like, well, someone's gonna take care. Right, like, someone's gonna do this. And it's just like in harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban. When harry's, after they've taken the time turner and gone back, he's like, hey, my dad's gonna show up, he's gonna catch a patronus, right, percasta patronus, he's gonna save all of us and everything's gonna be fine. He's like, if he's coming, he's coming, he's coming like, never mind, it was me, I'm the one that had to do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, looking like, I mean like zooming out on Salt Lake over the past 20, 30 years. And you have, I mean the Olympics, you have all of this mass growth. I mean this emergence of Silicon Slopes, this hockey stick of entertainment and travel Potential, mlb, exactly, you see all of these things happening. And I mean like talking to some people. I mean especially like I've done. I've like been talking to a lot of people about like Sugar House and how it's changed, like been talking a lot of people about like sugar house and how it's changed, like because I've seen like the buildings change. Of course I didn't understand because I didn't have the context or knowledge or like yeah able to participate in the community in a meaningful way when I'm that young.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like hearing from their perspective, especially like talking with chad hopkins, where he's like, oh, it used to be kind of this like underground grungy place and then the olympics came. They developed all this money into it, all these chains came, and then they kind of kept developing and then now they're kind of phasing their way out outside of, I mean, the real estate developers.
Speaker 2:But everything else really there now, yeah, is more or less like local things yeah and so, in the same way, we have this other opportunity the olympics is coming back where it's like, okay, we've learned something from there.
Speaker 2:I mean we learned. I mean we have a freeway, we need to have all this other infrastructural change, we don't need all these community spaces, and so I'm curious that we have that springboard looking forward that we can start to make better decisions and face all of that. But then also, on like the more granular side of things, I mean it's interesting to talk to so many people about it, from, I mean like Mayor Aaron Mendenhall, and then talking like Preston Cochran from Other Side Village and talking with, I mean like Missy Grice and all the work that she does. I mean the list goes on and on and on, because so many people are so likely to point their finger at one person and say things aren't great, it's your fault, yeah. And then if you pay attention to the problem or if you actually are willing to scratch under the surface, you're like, oh, it's much more complicated.
Speaker 1:It's much more complicated.
Speaker 2:It's much more complicated. It takes a lot more people working together than we think.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so when, in reality, we like to poke at these things and say, oh, it's someone's fault, or like just to have one person?
Speaker 1:It's easier to complain than do something about it.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and so, when you can instead be like, all right, we actually need people who are going to work together towards a common goal, because synergy is so real we need to, and majority of things getting done is getting the right people in the right room.
Speaker 1:Right, that's all it takes. And I'm realizing that now, being here in Salt Lake and trying to get my things done, and what I'm passionate about and you know like I'm very passionate about law enforcement and like Salt Lake PD, right, like they can't take everyone wants to point at them for what's happening downtown and they can only take so much. Right, because they're only there to, um, help with the law. They're not there to help with mental health services, they're not there to help with homelessness. So, um, yeah, you bring up a really good point of like, yeah, it's easy to just point at someone, um, but, yeah, once you start digging, you're like oh wait, it's not just one person, it's like multiple entities and different things of. Yeah, so that's where, for me, I'm like such a I love puzzles and when I see like a missing piece, I'm like.
Speaker 2:Are you a new york times puzzle person?
Speaker 1:yes, okay yes, so like it's. So it's hard for me to be like, sit back right and be like when I'm like, oh wait, I actually feel like I can do something, I feel like I can help make things better, just given my lived experience. And I think a big part of leadership within Utah is we need to have more diversity and lived experiences in leadership, right Like? You can't have leadership that all thinks the same way. No community thinks the same way. No community has the same person all in the same row, right? So it's like how do we make downtown more diverse with lived experiences and how do we bring lived experiences to make a positive impact and growing downtown in a thoughtful way?
Speaker 2:yeah, so no, I mean, will always be a big believer in diversity and everything. Because, like every, there's one place I won't name them just because they suck but cicero group, they were terrible, just kidding, I will blank it out. But, um, because there's a guy who's I mean it was a very conservative place, very like lds heavy place, and there's a lot of like yo, we want the smartest people. I'm like a you don't realize the subjectivity in that word yeah, and then b, like if everybody's thinking the same, then everybody has the same blind spots, everybody has the same biases and just the problems continue to conflate on top of themselves you're only able to cater to one audience when you have such a small frame of mind and not other experiences
Speaker 2:yeah, and like I can't think of the type of research it is, but it's, maybe we'll come to, maybe it won't, but like, essentially it's a market research way of gaining different messages towards people or solutions to be had, and so it's not. You don't want all of the messages to be the same thing and have this like, essentially, instead of a venn diagram, everything overlaps, but instead you want everything to be as mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive as possible. Right, because again, the more they overlap, the more biases that are there, the more same kind of thoughts, consciousness, background, cultures, whatever it could be. But if everybody brings something unique, then that's when all of like, the power in numbers comes out, because everybody brings someone unique to the table.
Speaker 1:That's why New York City is one of the greatest cities besides Salt Lake.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because you have I mean, it's Ellis Island you have how many cultures, how many languages, how many people from different lived experiences where you're able to shape this type of vibrant city which I definitely see Salt Lake in the future being like that. It has every reason to be successful.
Speaker 2:And it's like one thing I think about. A lot is kind of like the like peaks and valleys of like American history. Good example Detroit used to be the capital of the richest city in the world? Yeah, and then it's not, and it's not looking good anymore. That's why local politics is so important.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 2:And so we like zooming out to like the United States. I mean you look at the cities that have been I mean tertiary cities, secondary cities or primary cities, and it's always kind of had this ebb and flow. And then I look now and I'm like Salt Lake is pretty poised to like just continue to go up that list. People keep moving here, people keep staying here. I could talk about that on nauseam. But again, like we don't want to have growing pains that we've seen in the past, we want to continue to grow, to be a place that people feel welcomed here and have some sort of desire to be here. And again, less of those bad reasons and more good reasons, because again, when you put it head to head with most places, it's going to win. But when you think about I mean again, this new chapter that you're facing with, I mean outside of, like you mentioned the police department and making sure that they have the tools that they need to, I mean, what other things are you passionate about bringing center stage?
Speaker 1:So my biggest thing that I'm passionate about, the thing that I wake up at 2 am and I'm like I've got to figure this out, working with Solid PD and then also working with mental health on my family side, I've kind of seen there's a massive gap between law enforcement and mental health. On, like my family side, I've kind of seen there's a massive gap between law enforcement and mental health. When I was like grieving my grandparents, I got into you know, we all get into different grieving methods I started listening to police scanners. So that's when I, you know, and I still do today, every day I will turn on for five. I just like to understand what's going on. But I started understanding patterns with the 911 calls, 40% are mental health calls. So why are we not? What are we doing about that? Because you're wasting law enforcement that they're only trained to detain, they're not trained to deescalate to detain, they're not trained to deescalate, where 40% of a call are of mental health or a problem, we should really focus on that problem. And so what I dream about and think about and really the big reason why I'm running is I want to figure out how do we get the first mental health task force with downtown because public safety needs to include mental health.
Speaker 1:I've gone out with 4th Street Clinic and, have you know, spent time with unsheltered and understand that majority of them are very complicated. Each one has such a different story. Right, there's a lot of populations we don't understand with the unsheltered 40 are sexual offenders. What do you do with them? They can't get jobs, they can't get houses, so it's, it's. There's so many layers. Right to the problems that we're dealing with. I just see a revolving door and my goal, however I get there, is to stop that revolving door. How do we get it so that people can get help right Like and really help, and it's like a full, transformative thing.
Speaker 1:So I think mental health is my biggest passion. I'm really working, hopefully right now, on 988. I really think so. 988 is a mental health 911. So like 5,000 calls from 911 had to be diverted to 988. They're the ones that you can call or text for mental health. And you know the biggest problem in Utah with mental health, the biggest population that struggles with it, are middle-aged white men in rural areas. So it's, how do you get to them right? So I think 50% of dealing with mental health is first, education. Second is resources and how to get to them Right. So my big push is like how do we get people to understand in the rural areas what 988 is Like? 988 can save your life Call or text it, you know. Like how do we get that information? So for me it's like education. I really want to just teach and help people with resources.
Speaker 1:So my family we just opened up the Huntsman Mental Health Crisis Center in South Salt Lake, which is a step in a very positive direction, especially when it comes to law enforcement and mental health. Example law enforcement picks up somebody and they take him to the hospital. They have to wait four or five hours at the hospital ER room. So that's four or five hours of this police officer not on the streets not helping right when? At Huntsman Crisis we now have a receiving center where cops ambulance, they come, they drop off somebody that needs help, they can get a coffee, turn around in five minutes and go back to their job.
Speaker 1:So it's like how do we figure out programs right to help, whether it's through the budget, whether it's like are we funding the right programs right? So that's where I'm like curious. So I, that's where I'm like you know what I'm just going to run because I feel like there's I'm onto something Like we've got to figure out this mental health situation. That's everywhere, it's not just in Utah, it's an epidemic everywhere and there's no reason why Utah, you know, should be last place when it comes to dealing with homeless, when it comes to dealing with affordable housing, when it comes to mental health. So, yeah, that's really is my passion, like if I could change anything, if that's that's what it would be Changing how law enforcement views mental health. And then also like the stigma of mental health. That's really what I dream about, what I talk about in my sleep. I'm talking to everyone about it. That's really like my passion, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean thank you because it is. I mean, mental health will always be something that's been very important in my life, like I've always been someone who's struggled with mostly anxiety, but there's always been depression in different parts of my life. And, like, really like in anybody who I talk to who like feels like they're beating their head against the wall or feel like they just can't, like they're just being held back and they don't know why being held back and they don't know why. So I was like what do you like, eric? What do you like? What should I do? Like therapy go?
Speaker 2:to therapy yeah, because you can tell like sometimes you can't see your own blinders until until it's too late, exactly, yeah and like unfortunately, I've also had like a lot of friends pass away because of mental health issues.
Speaker 1:Yeah, to help battle, you know you're my brother and one of your very close friends. That was the first person that I knew in high school Bueller, and that was really the first time that we had really dealt with something like that Right, and now you see how much it is. You know it's still becoming an epidemic. And so I think for me in community building, like what is a community without mental health? Right? Like we need to educate schools. Community without mental health? Right, Like we need to educate schools. I have two boys in school. We are severely lacking in mental health education and resources in elementary school, and that's where it starts.
Speaker 2:And like going back to your point of like community being so important and how it dovetails so well with mental health. Because for me, like mental health in order to I mean I like what you're saying earlier about shared experiences, especially the more niche, and it dovetails so well with mental health because, for me, like mental health in order, I mean I like what you're saying earlier about shared experiences, especially the more niche and nuance that they are that creates an instant way to have connectivity with people. I mean like, for example, just in utah. Like I mean I've gone through my own faith crisis from the mormon church, I'm a divorced person and as soon as I talk to a person about either one of those and there's like a couple of boxes as soon as they check like well, you get it.
Speaker 1:Like thank you, I don't have to share my story, yeah.
Speaker 2:And like, unfortunately like not a lot. I don't know why. I think about it a lot, but it was the old mayor, governor, someone, and someone else decided to be a homeless for a week.
Speaker 1:Yes, that was Ben McAdams.
Speaker 2:Yes, ben McAdams, of like could I do this? Like could I actually? Or would I? And like. The short answer is we shouldn't have to, but we can still try to understand these people, see where they're at, understand these stories because, again, like your example of, like the police scanner, the more time you spend with things, the more you get exposed. You start to put these patterns together and understand what's going on, to the point like, hey, we're doing this wrong, correct, and how do we create the system or update the system in a way to help it? So I live in Marmalade District and I take my dogs to my district, great district.
Speaker 1:I used to live on Almond Street, right there.
Speaker 2:Great street yes.
Speaker 1:About.
Speaker 2:Marmalade. I'm like right by, I'm technically right on Third West.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:But I'll take this out. But like New Townhouse Development, I like her little bar Yep. So I go to warm springs park all the time. Yep, one thing that's nice is nobody cares if your dog's off leash, because there's a lot of everyone's off leash over there. I'm gonna keep using that thank you and like, because I like don't get me wrong, like if I ever feel like, thankfully I'm a person of like larger stature, so I never feel like scared, like I didn't feel intimidated or anything going through there yeah but I never feel like I'm in dain again because I used to live in Seattle.
Speaker 2:I've seen it all to be like, yeah, he's just having a minute, Like yeah it's how he like charging at me. It's not about me. Right, right, but at the same time, like you see the signs of like man. It is such a mental health issue and is kind of insane and the only way a lot of people do get that I mean empathy, really, or sympathy- is because they have a family member go through it or a sibling go through it, because it's all about connection.
Speaker 1:It's all about connecting right, and that's why I love going out with 4th Street Clinic and then.
Speaker 1:I also love going out with police because it's like I would. I want to see both sides of the story, because to fix a problem, for any problem, you have to understand both sides of the story. So, and I mean the mental, I mean the unsheltered, the homeless in Salt Lake, I mean it is a massive mental health epidemic and fentanyl is not getting cheaper, right, so they have a lot of these different issues, but I I'm very impressed with our new chief, chief Red. You know he, for example, pre-academy kids that are coming in usually they have a couple months before they get their badges and there's nothing really for them to do shelters, mental health places, community just to get like their eyeballs on. Like the other side of it, right, like how do we treat these people when I'm arresting them? How do I, you know? So I think that that's a big part of it and I'm, you know, really excited to be a part of changing law enforcement and how they are viewed, because, at the end of the day, they are the lifeline to our community.
Speaker 1:If your get home and your house is broken into, who are you calling the police? If you have someone has a heart, who are you calling the police, police, police. So it's how do we strengthen that part of the community? Right? Whether it's helping them reeducate, maybe it's, you know, focusing more on mental health? Right? Because you know the largest mental health institutions in the country are where LA jail and Rikers Island, which are both what Jails, institutions, correctional facilities so there's clearly a mental health component to it, right? So it's how do you distinguish between someone that's a criminal and someone who is going through a mental health crisis?
Speaker 2:distinguish between someone that's a criminal and someone who is going through a mental health crisis. So You've got to be triaged before. Because, again, like we need the police to do their job and can't do their not job. Right, but we need to figure out what that other side of the job is and how do we create a system around it. Because, like I'm a big, like one I don't want to call it necessarily a pet peeve, but like, one thing that bothers me is like, when people are like, oh, I can never talk about my mental health, and you're like, oh, I don't never tell someone I have a therapist, I'm like, listen, if we're trying to get over these stigmas, how do you think this is going to change?
Speaker 1:It's just going to magically wake up one day and they'll be like hey, by the way, like See, I'm very open about all of my you know struggles and things about mental health with people with chronic illnesses, specifically type 1 diabetes, because it is something that you it's a marathon that you can't get out of and it's just a fight every day. And I remember when I was when was it 16 years old I went to my parents and I was done and I said listen, I'm not taking another shot tomorrow, I am not taking. You guys can't force me like I'm done. I've been doing this for 10 years. I'm coming up on 30 now, but this was back then and that was really, I think I kind of understood mental health before.
Speaker 1:Mental health was a name, right, like I had a lot of like sick days, but those today would be mental health days, but those today would be mental health days and really a part of healing my anxieties and mental health with a chronic illness was to give back, and that's a big part, I think, of mental health is giving back.
Speaker 1:So, like for me, I created a national program where, when you're first diagnosed with diabetes as a child, you're given a bag called the Bag of Hope and it shows you like you can do this and it's delivered Well before HIPAA. It was delivered by another type one diabetic. So that connection that I talked about earlier of like walking in somewhere not having to explain yourself, but you have that deep connection, you're like you get it, you get it. That is the key to healing, right? So that's kind of my dream is to kind of create that type of connection and philosophy in life into healing. So it's like if you were to bring someone off the streets and just connect them with someone or connect them to healing, and everyone's very individualized. So I just feel like that's what people are missing is the connection, yeah, and feeling, understood, feeling, understood, feeling understood.
Speaker 2:And it's that individuality behind it Because, like so much of the world is trying to find like, oh, what's the silver bullet, what's the solution? What does everybody have to do? Everybody's just well, what do I do next? Tell me what to do? Yeah, it's like well, it's actually a lot more personal than that. Yeah, and so the more again, personality, individuality, that you can get at that level of just having someone sit with them, be like listen. That's one thing I actually really appreciate about the Other Side.
Speaker 1:Academy is I'm obsessed with it. I think the best program running right now in Salt Lake City is the Other Side. Yes, I think that their work, I mean, yeah, I think they're going to take over Salt Lake in a good way.
Speaker 2:And it's fun to talk with them about how other cities and communities reach out and like, hey, how do we do this? We're on a plane. Tomorrow We'll come walk you through our playbook.
Speaker 1:It's brilliant, their programming is brilliant, and that is the connection, though. Right, you're giving people a purpose, you're giving people another lease on life, and I think that people that have been incarcerated a lot of them make mistakes in their early youth or whatever, and they want a second chance. They want to be able to give back, and I think that you know we need 20 more programs like that to help, and, again, people just need a purpose at the end of the day, so, Especially if someone says I've done this, you can do this, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:People who I've done this, you can do this, oh yeah. I mean again, like the other side, is the private sector coming in and helping with the public sector and creating, but that's a community you need both sides, and that's why they're killing it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I love them.
Speaker 2:So, lydia A, this has been great. You're someone who I always like, because I was I mean, I was a freshman and you were a senior and your friends were like my older sister. I would see you and be like, oh, like, that's John's older sister, abby's little sister, yeah, yeah, the middle child, yes, and but it was fun to just, I mean, sit down and chat and hear about all the fun things that you're doing.
Speaker 1:It's so fun and I will say like the best part about moving back is just reconnecting with people that you've just known for a long time. So that's Small Lake City.
Speaker 2:Amen, but I want to end with the two questions I always ask everybody at the end of each episode. Number one if you could have someone on the Small Lake City podcast and hear more about their story and what they're up to, who would you want to hear from?
Speaker 1:Oh, that's a good question. I'm a really big fan of Java Joes, yes, and I find those brothers fascinating. Okay, like they need a show. I'm always like you guys need like an office show, you know, like a coffee comedy, like it's hysterical. Yeah, I think they would be fascinating. They've been around for so long and, yeah, I love their coffee, so I think they would be a great, great, yeah, a great story of how they built their empire of java joes yeah, they kind of java joes I used to.
Speaker 2:So when I got divorced and moved back to like down to salt lake, uh, which was like right in that cabriolet area, I would go by java joes. It was like golf in the morning and if I shoot, well, not playing golf and I would go get my frapp from uh java joes and be like my little trophy and I go home.
Speaker 1:So yeah, they're my therapist too there. I love all the girls they like are now my friends. And yeah, I'm a Java Joes girl, so I'm about it yeah.
Speaker 2:And then, lastly, if people want to find out more information about you, the organizations you support and create, or more about your political ticket, where's the best place to find information? So, more about your political ticket. Where's the best place to find information?
Speaker 1:So right now, my biggest fight right now is city council, and so you can find more information on electliddy L-I-D-D-Ycom, and it'll share more about my story and my beliefs and things that I hope for the city.
Speaker 2:Yeah, liddy, it's been great. Thank you so much. Thank you, it was so fun To see you tackle these problems. It means so much, not just to us, but to everybody.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, it's a community effort, so I'm just happy to be a part of it. Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
