[00:00:06] Speaker A: Welcome to from caving in to crushing it, the podcast for those who find themselves immersed in adversity and choose to write their story instead of having others write it for them. I'm Drew Duraney, and I'm your host. Today's guest is Dorothy Odell. Dorothy O'Dell is from Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
She is the founder of Unstoppable Overcomers Productions and full service media agency.
She believes our stories matters. Every story has an element of hope in a world that is full of hopelessness.
They are the hope dealers.
From their shows to their courses to their clients, Dorothy and her team bring hope to entry level, every level.
They help you get your story and your brand in front of the world, whether that be on one of their shows, speaking engagements, or other live and virtual events, they are committed to getting you seen by the world. For more information or to schedule a discovery call, email Dorothy Athenae g r a h a m. That's Graham. Dorothy. Dorothy 400
[email protected] or go to her website at www.unstoppableovercomers.com.
enjoy the show.
Dorothy, my friend, my sister from another mister. It's so good to see you.
[00:01:44] Speaker B: It's amazing to see you, my friend. I always love getting together with you.
[00:01:49] Speaker A: Absolutely. I always like to thank the person or people or events that introduced us. And if I remember correctly, I have a spreadsheet here which I intended to look at it before I started recording, but I didn't cause we were talking and when you and I talk, we could talk forever. Let me see. I think I have you. Yeah, I don't even have you under Odell. I have you underground. I think it's Christy Matusiak. That's who I'm gonna.
[00:02:17] Speaker B: Yes, doctor Christy.
[00:02:19] Speaker A: I think it was Doctor Christy.
She is awesome. So I'm going to say that it is Doctor Christy. So, doctor Christy, thank you for introducing us because this is that.
Yep, Christy. I have it right here. So. Yeah. Because my friendship with Dorothy is the gift that keeps on giving. And you always want good gifts that keep on giving, not other stuff. So thank you, Christy.
So, Dorothy, this is part two of you being on. And I'm sure there are going to be more parts cause you are evolving as a human being. And I love you're doing it right in front of my eyes. And I love hearing it and seeing it, and you're an inspiration.
And this program has evolved. I talk more lately about how when we're young, we're taught that life is linear and it's not really a malicious teaching from who we're surrounded by. But we're told if you do a plus, b plus, c, d is going to happen. Life is going to be great. Everything's fine. And we tend to believe it when we're young because we haven't experienced anything, and then life gets in the way and we have to make decisions. And there are what I call defining moments in life that are in front of us every single moment. And depending on our level of awareness, we're either woman number one, woman two, or woman three, or man one, two, and three. So for the sake of argument, I'm going to say women, because you're a woman. So woman number one is that woman where these adversities in front of her, defining moments in front of her, doesn't even notice it. Blind spots like you wouldn't believe and continue just to go through life because this is how life is supposed to be, and you. You just do it. Then there's woman number two, where she notices adversity, notice stuff's going on, yet she plays the victim. This is life doing it to her. This sucks. I'm blaming everybody. This is life. I'll just keep going. And then there's woman number three, who you are, where at some point in your life, whether it's the tap on the shoulder or the two by four upside the head, you're like, shoot, Dorothy. There's something in front of me that's not a barrier. That's an opportunity for improvement. That's life doing this for me, going to take this on, do something different and change my life. That's who you are. And that's the woman I interview on this show. And I wanted to bring you back because you're doing more things that you are even more so, woman number three. And so, for the sake of argument, and it's going to be fun, because when I ask you to reach back for the defining moment that put you on the path you're on now, I'm thinking it might be a different defining moment from the defining moment you gave us when you were on last time. This should be fun. Reach back, Dorothy. You are now. How the heck did it happen?
[00:05:18] Speaker B: That is a great question. And you're right. I don't even remember the answer I gave last time. So because I'm not even the same person I was last time, that's the point.
So my defining moment, the start of the defining moment was, you know, I thought I had it all. You know, I had a great marriage.
Finally, we bought our first home and I still felt that there was something more.
[00:05:53] Speaker A: You're breaking up a little bit on the audio. You're breaking up a little bit on the audio.
[00:05:58] Speaker B: So before I met my husband, did a lot volunteering in the local suit kitchen.
Okay, hold on 1 second. Yeah, let me take this wi fi off. There we go. Is that better?
[00:06:12] Speaker A: Yep. And, you know, I don't even edit this thing. I don't because this is, like authentic live and everything. I'm not even gonna edit this. So this is happens, so go ahead. Okay. So I thought it happened. You thought. I thought you had everything, and.
[00:06:25] Speaker B: Yeah, found I had everything, and I. And I truly did, but there was just something felt like I was missing. And I went to my husband because, you know, when you're married and you were a certified people pleaser, you don't want to rock the boat because the marriage is great, and so you don't want to rock that boat. But then I thought, you know what?
I just. I sat down with my husband. I'm like, you know, before I met you, I was involved in all these different things, and I feel like part of me is missing. And I said, I would really love to get back involved in the community, and I would love to get back involved in a lot of different things. And he was 100% on board. Like, he didn't understand it, but he's just like, okay, do what you got to do. And. And that was journey. That was the start of something like, like crazy. That was four years ago. And since then, you know, I had this burning desire to get my story out. So, like, I wrote my book. That was great. But then I thought, you know, there's still something more. And then I started one of my shows, and then I met the veterans, and when I found. When I found out that 44 were date, 44 veterans day were dying by suicide, I knew I needed to change that.
[00:07:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:07:44] Speaker B: So that started me on the trail of helping veterans and first responders, especially with their mental health. Right. And as somebody who has had several people from the military serve in my family, I knew that the importance of it, and so I knew that I really had to, you know, I focused on that.
[00:08:05] Speaker A: Right.
[00:08:07] Speaker B: So, so that's great and wonderful. And I had also had shared before that I had an uncle that took his life on Christmas Day, and so I knew what that was like. And so I'm walking around and I'm working in the job that I have, and I'm, like, just meeting all these people that are sharing their stories and something in them was like, they're alive, but they're dead inside.
They're overwhelmed. They have no idea what their next steps are. They are just putting 1ft in front of the other. They're thriving. They're surviving, not thriving.
[00:08:43] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:08:44] Speaker B: And this is everyday people, like civilians.
[00:08:47] Speaker A: Absolutely. 100%.
[00:08:50] Speaker B: And I'm looking at these people, and I'm not going to say that I've never been there, because there's been several points in my life that I've been there, and I'm like, how can I help these people? How can I help them evolve from where they're at to where they want to go, to where they want to be in life?
[00:09:06] Speaker A: Right.
[00:09:06] Speaker B: And so I'm like, how did I overcome what I did?
[00:09:10] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:09:11] Speaker B: You know, like, the bullying, the low self esteem, the abusive relationships, all that. Like, how did I pull myself out of the ashes and be the phoenix?
[00:09:20] Speaker A: Right.
[00:09:21] Speaker B: So I thought, okay, so why not help other people do the same thing? And so I. That was, you know, the next thing that has evolved, just putting a program into place to do that, to help people and just really help them. And everybody. Every coach I've had says, you know, you have to go within yourself to find out what this is. And I thought that was the biggest bullshit ever.
[00:09:45] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:09:46] Speaker B: And I. Until I was just like, okay, why am I still in the same place? Like, why. Why is that? Right.
[00:09:52] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:09:52] Speaker B: And so that. That's part of the. One of the steps that I do. Like, we really have to look at our own crap.
[00:09:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:09:58] Speaker B: Because if we don't look at our own crap, then we're not gonna move forward. Right. If we don't deal with it. And healing, I've always said it's like an onion, layer after layer after layer.
[00:10:09] Speaker A: True. Yeah.
[00:10:10] Speaker B: So you can think you've got it all.
[00:10:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:13] Speaker B: But then some. Somebody's going to come along unbeknowing and say something that's going to put you over the edge.
[00:10:19] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:20] Speaker B: And you're going to think, why did that put me over the edge? It was just a simple statement.
[00:10:24] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:10:24] Speaker B: Because there's something driving you subconsciously that you might not even be aware of until you start to take a deep dive. Right.
[00:10:34] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:10:35] Speaker B: So, you know, that's one of the things we take a look at, you know? And when was the last time you had fun? Like, really go out?
[00:10:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:45] Speaker B: For you.
[00:10:45] Speaker A: That's a very good question. And my kids have asked me that, and I don't have an answer.
I have to reach back almost to college, and you're talking about 30 years. 30, 40 years ago, so. Yes, 30 some odd years ago. Yep. I know. I know.
[00:11:01] Speaker B: We put everybody ahead of us.
[00:11:03] Speaker A: We do.
[00:11:04] Speaker B: I know. I know that as a certified people pleaser, and trust me, I am no longer that people pleaser. And that's why some of my family members may not be 100% okay with. With the new Dorothy, but the new Dorothy needs to take care of Dorothy.
[00:11:20] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:11:21] Speaker B: You know, I don't know about you, but the old tapes, especially for my grandmother. You have to take care of your mandev. You know, if you want to keep your man, you really got to bend over backwards.
[00:11:32] Speaker A: I love that.
[00:11:33] Speaker B: And I I took advice from somebody who got divorced.
[00:11:38] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:11:39] Speaker B: And I'm not making her wrong for that.
[00:11:41] Speaker A: I mean, I get you. I understand.
[00:11:43] Speaker B: My grandfather was my grandfather, and that's all I'll say. I won't speak ill. The dead.
[00:11:47] Speaker A: No, no, no.
[00:11:48] Speaker B: And. And I'm thinking, wait a minute here. I'm taking advice from somebody whose relationships were not that great.
[00:11:56] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:11:56] Speaker B: And I don't live back in the fifties and sixties.
[00:12:00] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:00] Speaker B: Right.
[00:12:01] Speaker A: Yeah. Things change.
[00:12:04] Speaker B: If. And no disrespect to my husband, but if he could bring home $200,000 and I don't have to work a year, you know, and take care of the home where I don't have to work outside of the home.
[00:12:17] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:18] Speaker B: Then, fine. I'll bend over backwards, and I'll do anything you want.
[00:12:22] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:23] Speaker B: And age with the cost of everything.
[00:12:25] Speaker A: We all need to pitch in. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:12:28] Speaker B: We all need to pitch in.
[00:12:29] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:29] Speaker B: So those. Those ideals that we got from our parents or grandparents no longer apply to this day and age.
[00:12:38] Speaker A: They certainly don't know.
[00:12:40] Speaker B: You know, and as a family, like, we work together. Yes. So. And basically, you know, that's so taking those old tapes that we've had running in the back of our head and getting rid of those.
[00:12:54] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. Yes, they are.
[00:13:00] Speaker B: You know, or, you know, I don't even remember the last someone, if I remember when my dad was diagnosed with cancer.
[00:13:08] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:13:08] Speaker B: And I was the only one that took the. We were allowed free counseling at the time, and the first thing I took advantage of it, and the counselor, the first thing she said to me was, what do you do for self care? And my left in her face.
[00:13:22] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:13:23] Speaker B: And she said, what is that? Like? I've lived in chaos my entire life. I'm getting married. My dad just got my hero, just got diagnosed with cancer, and I've taken care of my parents my entire life. Now I'm taking care of my husband who has an autoimmune disease and things like this, and you want me to find time for me? And she says, well, if you don't, you're going to have a nervous breakdown. Which amazingly, I had not yet. Yeah, at that point I had not had. And I can remember back when I lived at home, my parents and I had the same doctor. And so my parents would talk to him about me. Of course I would talk to them, him about them, and got the real truth of what everything was. So my doctor, our doctor at one point had said, you know, I'm really afraid for her. And my parents said, he said this to her, them, not me. Oh, she has, she has gone through so much change and, and stuff in her life that it's just along the same lines as a Vietnam veteran.
[00:14:35] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:14:35] Speaker B: And I was, and that time I wasn't dealing with veterans like I had. No, I wasn't in that space.
[00:14:41] Speaker A: Interesting.
[00:14:42] Speaker B: And I'm just looking at that and I'm thinking, well, that's funny. He could tell you and not me because at that time, I had just gotten out of the abusive relationship. I had just gotten out of an abusive job. I had just gotten rid of a lot of different things. And, you know, the change that I had within those two years was, would, would probably have made anybody else just think so.
[00:15:09] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:15:11] Speaker B: And so anyways, so all that to say that I had never, ever put myself first ever up until that moment.
[00:15:20] Speaker A: I'm with you. I'm with you on that because I had never done that either. Okay, this is a go ahead.
[00:15:27] Speaker B: So, you know, putting all these things together and making a program that says, hey, wait a minute, if I can do it, you can. And now we're bringing this out to the civilian world.
[00:15:37] Speaker A: Okay. What's the name of the program?
[00:15:40] Speaker B: It's called Operation Hope. And Hope stands for helping other people evolve.
[00:15:44] Speaker A: Okay, so let's, let's use the duration of this episode, if you so desire, to talk about Operation Hope, because I'm on board with you on this.
[00:15:54] Speaker B: Yes. So Operation Hope is a seven week program that I've designed. Like I said, we're going to take people right back to the beginning, help them get past their, their limiting beliefs, those tapes that they've been carrying around with them for decades.
We're going to, you know, take a look at those, put some truth to the lies that you've been really living in.
[00:16:21] Speaker A: Right?
[00:16:21] Speaker B: So we put truth to that. We are going to help you design your own roadmap from where you were to where you want to be.
[00:16:30] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:16:32] Speaker B: We're going to also put together, you know, a self care program specifically for you because we want you to have. We want you to do what you like to, not what I think you should like.
[00:16:45] Speaker A: Beautiful. Beautiful. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:16:47] Speaker B: Because it's about you.
[00:16:48] Speaker A: Yep. Yep. Right there.
[00:16:49] Speaker B: It's not about me.
[00:16:50] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:16:51] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, we are gonna have fun while doing it. We are going to also. Because I believe in giving back.
[00:16:57] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:16:58] Speaker B: So we're also going to, you know, give back to our communities as well as part of the program. So we spend a good chunk of it, though, going through your old. Your old beliefs and all that, because it takes. Once you get past that.
[00:17:13] Speaker A: Mm hmm.
[00:17:14] Speaker B: It's like an open geyser. Right. So what's next? What's next? Right. So, yeah, that's. That's what we do for seven weeks. We. We put that program in place. We help you. I'm also going to do things a little bit differently. The first time, I didn't have, like, I didn't have a Facebook group, but this time I'm going to have a Facebook group. So that if during the week, we meet once a week, but if you have questions during the week while you're doing your homework, because, yes, there will be homework. Yep.
[00:17:43] Speaker A: You need home.
[00:17:45] Speaker B: Yes.
You know, that way you can do the home, you can ask me questions during the week, and that way when we meet up as a group, then we'll be ready to go.
[00:17:57] Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. I love that. I love that. Well, I want to learn more about it after we hit the record, the unrecord button or the stop button, because that's something I would love to get involved in and help you out.
So the essence of Dorothy Graham Odell has evolved even more so.
And I would love if it's the same audience who listened to part one of you also listening now, because there's now an additional essence of Dorothy Graham Odell that's been captured. Folks, definitely get in touch with Dorothy on LinkedIn, and in the show notes will be her LinkedIn profile link and also whatever website she wants me to connect you guys to. But get in touch with Dorothy so you can learn more of Operation Hope and the other programs that she is working on because she's helping a tremendous amount of people diverse like you wouldn't believe. You talk about evolution.
So, Dorothy. Okay, so now I'm going to ask you the last two questions I ask every guest, and you have answered these two questions before, but it was months ago, so I know you don't remember. So I'm going to ask them again, and then I'll do a little comparison later. But we'll. We'll see. We'll see. We'll see. So you have another opportunity to sit down with young seven to ten year old Dorothy to give her advice about life.
What are you going to tell her today?
[00:19:26] Speaker B: Do not let other people talk you into something else that you don't want to do.
[00:19:32] Speaker A: Love it, love it, love it. I'm going to take that advice. Okay. Thank you for that. All right, now switch hats. You're now sitting down with young Dorothy, the young businesswoman entrepreneur, and it's time for some business advice for her. What are you going to tell her.
[00:19:51] Speaker B: If you have a coach that is. There's just something inside of you that tells you to run. Run. Don't listen to advice from, uh, from somebody that either has never done it or has is telling you something that you know in your gut is 100% incorrect.
[00:20:12] Speaker A: Got it. I love it. I love it. Um, that following your inner compass is so important, and many of us don't listen to it. And so you and I are aligned with that. Dorothy, thank you for. For being in my life, sister. Uh, this. I am inspired by you, and I am so grateful that you are who you are. Keep doing what you're doing. All right?
[00:20:35] Speaker B: Thank you. I'm inspired by you. You do the male version of what I do with the female, so I love that.
[00:20:44] Speaker A: Yep. Yeah, we got it. We need to unite, because what I believe, and I think you believe it, too, we need to develop strong men in this world who want to be with strong women.
[00:20:56] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:20:56] Speaker A: Because if we can, when we align a strong man with a strong woman, we build strong ties, strong children, strong families, strong society.
Tired of the weakness in this world. We need to be strong together and unite, not divide. So we got a lot of work to do, Dorothy, and we'll do it together.
[00:21:16] Speaker B: I love that. Let's do it.
[00:21:18] Speaker A: All right. Hey, everybody. Take care of yourselves, please.
Thanks so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe and give us a review to help others find it.
I'd like you to answer this question. Are you living the life you want to live, or are you living the life others want you to live? I'd like you to think about that for a second, because I strongly suggest you live the life you want to live. If you want to learn more about what I stand for and my services and how I'm able to help many men get out of their own way. Please go to my website at www.prophetcompassion.com.
feel free to also email
[email protected] dot I'd love to have a conversation with you. Take care of yourself and choose to write your own story instead of letting others write it for.
