Visit Vegas Places with Coyal
Visit Vegas Places with Coyal is a podcast that connects listeners with inspiring entrepreneurs from Las Vegas and beyond. Through our in-depth interviews, we aim to motivate and empower our audience to achieve their goals and make a positive impact.
Visit Vegas Places with Coyal
Harnessing the Power of Mentorship in Business and Beyond with La' Toria Kern
Embark on a journey with us as we uncover the pivotal role of mentorship in both personal growth and the mastery of social media for business expansion. This episode is a treasure trove of advice, from creating captivating content that strikes a chord with your audience to fostering genuine connections that form the bedrock of an engaged community. I also pull back the curtain on how strategic mentorship has not only streamlined my own path but provided a compass for navigating the ever-changing currents of digital trends and targeted advertising. It’s an insight-rich exploration for any entrepreneur eager to amplify their online presence and save time in the process.
The heart of our discussion beats with the inspiring story of La' Toria Kern from Family Arts at Whaler's Creation, who joins us to share her mission of empowering youth through the arts and advocacy. La' Toria's dedication to transforming the lives of older teens in the foster care system is nothing short of remarkable. We dive into the profound impact that mentorship and practical skills have on these young individuals as they stand on the cusp of adulthood. Her organization's innovative approach, from hosting events that galvanize community support to creating platforms that give these youths a voice, is a testament to the powerful change that occurs when we invest in the next generation.
In the lighter moments of our conversation, we peel back the layers of our guest’s daily life, from her simple pleasures to her preferred seasonal Vegas escapades. Later, we revel in the nostalgia and networking opportunities found within the vibrant walls of Circus Circus Adventure Dome, reminding listeners of the joys that come from revisiting old favorites with fresh eyes. So, if you're ready to be moved by stories of hope, gain actionable insights for your business, and maybe even pick up a Las Vegas travel tip or two, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
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Hold on. Thank all of you guys for engaging with me on my social media platforms, on like all eight or ten of them, thank you. We are on there. If you're on LinkedIn, follow us. If you're over there on Pinterest, follow us. If you're on Facebook, instagram or even X, which used to be Twitter threads follow us. Even come to TikTok shop and come, follow us. Come shopping with me also. Us Come shopping with me also.
Speaker 2:So today, before I start, I wanted to get into an important detail, and this is all surrounding social media. So having a mentorship is very important with social media. I had to learn the hard way. This is my third year going in as full-time and I can get insights, best practices from anybody, and there's nothing like a mentorship of a person or a direct connect that you can actually call whenever you have issues or whenever you're stuck. You could just call and get a little best practices or some nuggets just to open up that window again where you can see clarity and where you're headed, and there's nothing like that. So in today's digital world, social media is a powerful tool, especially for new business owners. Now, navigating the ever-changing landscape can be overwhelming, and this is why a media mentor can be a game changer.
Speaker 2:Now, strategic guidance. I always stress that about strategy. All my clients I say you got to have a strategy. You just can't be posting. To be posting, there has to be some sort of strategy. So you develop a social media strategy and a mentor can help you define a target audience, set realistic goals and also choose the right platform for your business, because keep in mind, like I say, I'm on eight to 10 platforms, but I am aware that each platform caters to a different audience. They are all not at the same and they're not all at the same time or the same day.
Speaker 2:Engaging with the content I publish Content creation get advice on crafting your engaging content which resonates with your audience. Also, you'll want to drive results. Everyone loves to drive the results. And how are you measuring it? You can get best practice on how should I be measuring my results Now, boosting visibility and growth. Campaign optimization. You also can learn how to run target ads. I was just speaking to my guests who have been on about target ads. Targeted ads are very important promotions, also to reach a wider audience and also attract new customers. You can't leave money on the table. So once you learn how to run targeted ads.
Speaker 2:The next thing is you want to learn how to make videos and create content specifically knowing that you're going to run an ad with this content, and not just try to run ads on content that you already have. That's probably not resonating with the message that you're trying to get across. So you want to build your community. Very important, you guys. I always stress that there's a difference from trying to gain audience and building a community. Those are two different things. A mentor can show you how to foster a genuine connection with your followers and build brand loyalty, and that will be a community that will follow you no matter where you go. Even if social media shut down, even if the internet shut down, they will still try to find you and follow you. But if the platforms all shut down, there is some kind of community you need to build to capture emails where you can continue to communicate with your community in case something does happen like that.
Speaker 2:Stay ahead of the curve, you guys. Trend awareness, gain insights into the latest social media trends, technology, and ensure your content stays fresh and relevant. Avoid pitfalls, those roadblocks. Learn from your mentor's experience. Believe me, I'm not speaking out of this like if I mastered everything. I still have roadblocks myself, but there is a mindset that you do have to have while still producing the creativity of whatever you're trying to do, while going through these pitfalls or it might be just a stop or a quick setback, but you can overcome them and a mentor will help you overcome it quickly and also change your mindset on how to look at it while you're going through this process. So there's additional benefits also you can increase your confidence. Of course.
Speaker 2:A mentor can help you overcome anxieties in a pro social media with a different kind of confidence, especially when it's time to just get the camera out and do a story, hit that red button and go live. Everyone goes through the bubbles or goes through the like. Okay, I have a little anxiety. Let me wait. Is this going to come across right? What are they going to be thinking? We all go through that. A mentor helps you with that and it is time-saving. Also, learn best practices. That will save you months and years of mistakes.
Speaker 2:Networking opportunities you guys, mentors, have established networks. They know people. That's been in the game for a while. As far as social media, I call it living on the internet. Remember you guys, mentorship is a two-way street, be prepared to ask questions, share your ideas and actively engage in the learning process. There's no such thing as a dumb question. I always tell all my clients the only dumb question is the question that is not asked. So ask everything. You will not feel stupid after you get the correct answer. That will give you that confidence to move on. Find a mentor you guys with a successful track record, and don't be afraid. And if you're thinking that I can be your mentor, coyle, yes, I probably could Just look into the show notes.
Speaker 2:There's a link right there where you can click on and you can set a calendar date for me to mentor you, to get you on track with either if you want to run a business, if you want to just start engaging on social media as a content creator or an influencer or a foodie, or you might want to start a podcast for your business. That's what I'm here for. You can click the link and we can get on that. You can click the link and we can get on that. Now, not only is mentorship vital in the business community, which I just explained, it is also important in the community we reside in, especially concerning our youth. My next guest believes. Together we can make a strong youth community, which is true. I want to welcome you, latoria Kearns, owner of Whalers Creation. Latoria, thank you for joining me.
Speaker 1:Carl, you are the master.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:I'm looking forward to our conversation. Thank you.
Speaker 2:It's every guest I have. When I finish the intro, they always get stuck on it Like all right. Even I have a show with my girls and when we're doing our show together, when I get done with the intro, they all just looking at me like dude Coyle, how do you just keep doing it Like it's just, it's just natural, and I love it, and then also. I want to make sure I present the person I'm bringing on correctly.
Speaker 1:Well, you did a good job with that and I am in need of a mentor. I love what you said, because this social media stuff is real and if you don't know what you're doing, you definitely need a mentor, so I didn't know that. That's what you did, so I'm super excited to hear more about being a mentor or a mentee to your mentoring.
Speaker 2:Yes, and once I get off the line I will give you all that information, which is new. But you know, this show is all about you, so we're going to talk about you today, ok All right. So first, before we get in depth, introduce yourself to the audience and give us just a little brief background.
Speaker 1:So my name is Latoria Kerna and I am the founder and executive director of Whalers Creation and our program is called Family Arts and we entitle our programs Family Arts because it really describes who we are and the work that we do. Family for us stands for a foster, adopt mentor investing in lives of youth, mentor investing in lives of youth. And what we do with the arts is that we provide kids, young adults 14 to 24 years old, opportunities to find out about jobs in various art career fields, and we'll talk about that, I'm sure, a little bit later. But we got started when I was in grad school in Anchorage, Alaska. That's how I got started.
Speaker 1:A beautiful lady walked into my office and changed my life and I don't know what she's doing today, but she was a former foster youth living on the streets in Anchorage, Alaska, because she was a runaway from a foster home and I advocated to ensure that she had a better life, got her settled and have not looked back. I have been advocating and fighting for kids ever since that young lady walked into my office. Yeah, that's how we got started, that's who we are For your business.
Speaker 2:now, forrest, let us know about your business and the actual service you offer that support the youth in foster adoption and mentorship.
Speaker 1:So we hold events, we plan and host events, and this is why I'm super excited to hear and connect with you on that level as well. But we host events. It could be, you know, we have a talent showcase coming up. The talent showcase it's just anybody that want to come in and perform on stage. We're going to allow you to do that and, you know, sell tickets and you know, and then give away, you know, some money, all that good stuff that's coming up in August I think August 3rd, if I'm not mistaken. And so we have other events, like you know, celebrity golfing event Um, we're going to do a golf, a celebrity golf. Um, uh, tournament for kids. Um, I'm not exactly certain on the dates, but I think that one is going to be in November, but we're super excited about the Celebrity Golf Tournament. And then we have a run-walk coming up.
Speaker 1:We do events, we plan events for the purpose of people coming together. When they come together, when they come to meet with us, we talk to them. It's a captive audience. And then we start talking to them about the need for people to consider becoming foster parents, adopted parents and mentors to young people between the ages of 14 and 24. I've always preferred working with older young people, because older teens, because most people, when you think of becoming a foster parent or a mentor or an adopted parent to a child, you usually think children look like little babies. They like them. You know most people like them small, younger. But the need, the tremendous need, is older kids, kids who are about to age out of the foster care system, kids who don't have that mentor and or or it's about to turn 18 and you know, don't know, don't have a clue as to what they need to do. So we always and because that young lady that walked into my office was an older youth in foster care has always made me comfortable working with that population, because that's the population I was introduced to and I like working with that population. So the young people that we work with, we advocate for, is older young people. So we invite people to come listen to our spill about the need to become foster parents, adoptive parents and mentors when we're not hosting an event. And then I have to say that we have this big event coming up at the end of the year, in December, and that's our Heart of Gold ball. That's going to be at the Ahern Hotel, so that one's going to be. When you come in your tuxedos and your gowns and you're all dressed up and looking pretty. That's going to be a really nice event for us at the Ahern. That's going to be a really nice event for us at the Ahern.
Speaker 1:So then the next thing that we do when we're not promoting is we work directly with the young people that we are talking about. We provide job skills training for young people 14 to 24 years old. We have a performing arts program that we teach kids about various careers in the performing arts. We have a media arts program where we teach kids about various careers in media. We publish a magazine that comes out every month.
Speaker 1:We have a radio station that's on all the time, 24 hours, seven days a week, 24, 24 hours, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 a year. It's on all the time. And then we have a social media talk show that's called Fanversation and this is us meeting with professionals like yourself and talking about how you became professional, how did you get to be the successful superstar that you are in Vegas, whomever the young person is talking to. So we teach them about various careers that they're able to partake in. And then lately, we just started recently offering housing for kids, you know, making sure that they're able to have a safe place to live. So that's what we do. We do job skills training, we provide housing and food and mentoring opportunities for our young people directly.
Speaker 2:This is beautiful. You have many of hats and that is so key and important, especially in our community. But as you were speaking too, I had totally forgot. When you're right, when you think of foster or adoption care, you do think of younger kids and their adolescents, not the older teens and all that. Somehow we just forget that out of our mindset. But not only that. What I was thinking when you were speaking is you not only have to make sure you place the kids in the right place and take care of them, but just the recruiting process of making sure you team them up with the right parent or the right family, oh my gosh yes, that's like two different, two different, you know right.
Speaker 2:So I can respect you doing that, because I can imagine it's not an easy pair.
Speaker 1:No, it's not an easy pair or easy tasks or anything like that, but because there are a lot of sickos out there and they try to get to kids any kind of way they can, and so you know you want to try to, you know, just, you know, vent people out the best way you can, and that's what the child welfare agencies come in and that's why they scrupulize and dig so deep into people's backgrounds, because they do recognize that there are a lot of predators out in the community that will try to get to our children. And so people, a lot of people, are turned off from becoming a foster parent or an adoptive parents because they have to dig deep into who you are as a person and you know to make sure that you know you're, you're not some crazy person trying to put your hands on children. They, they still get, they still slip through the cracks, because if if they did not, then we wouldn't have you know, the amount of kids reporting the abuse that they experienced in foster care because they, you know, they, you know look good. Of kids reporting the abuse that they experienced in foster care because they, you know, they, you know, look good on paper, they look good in a community, but then they have this wicked side of them. It's very real and I don't try to shy away from that, because that's how I was introduced into becoming a foster parent, because I was on the path of saving a young lady's life, and I've just been saving children's lives, in my opinion, since the beautiful young lady walked into my office who didn't come to me about becoming a foster parent, about being a foster child.
Speaker 1:She came to me because she wanted to go to school and I was working in an admissions office. She wanted to go to school, she wanted to better her life. She just needed a hand, she just needed someone to help her out. And when I found out about her story, there was no turning back and I dived in. I worked hard, I called everybody I could think of, I called out of anger and passion, and then I started helping kids get off the streets in Anchorage, alaska, because I was like this is not.
Speaker 1:This is Anchorage, alaska.
Speaker 1:There's snow everywhere.
Speaker 1:You know I don't want these kids on the street. What can I do to get them off the streets and make sure they're in a safe place? And that's what I've done 25 years ago and that's what I'm doing 25 years later, because this lady who just needed a helping hand came into my office and I only found out about her problem or the issues that she was dealing with not because she came into my office to go to school was because I got to know her, and in getting to know her she started sharing stuff with me, and the more she shared with me, the deeper and deeper and deeper I wanted to help, and so she has totally changed my point of view and perspective on children in care. So I do everything I can to make sure that they are in safe places and that when they leave the foster care system which is supposed to be a safe place for them, when they leave the foster care system, that they have some place to go and they have some skills to fall on and to move forward with.
Speaker 2:Now, piggybacking on what you just said, would you say latoria are some of the biggest challenges that you see faced by youth in these situations, and how does your business address them?
Speaker 1:um housing, um ill preparedness for the world of work, when, when they um age out of care and and even if they're, even if they're not in care, because we do work with other children also you don't have to be a foster youth to work with us.
Speaker 1:I met with Judge Sullivan when we first moved here and he's a judge of family courts. And when we first moved to Las Vegas he said take foster off of what you do. He said because that's just the situation they're in. He said because that's just the situation they're in, they're kids. And I took that to heart. So you know we, yes, we do work with kids in foster care and kids aging out of foster care, but we also work with kids who also just need support and encouragement and mentorship and, you know, skills on learning how to work in certain career fields and you know it may not be a career field that we have, it could be something totally different than what we offer, but we still try to connect them with mentors that can help them with the areas that they're interested in.
Speaker 2:So the biggest thing for me is aging out and getting ready for adulthood because I I can see that the situation too, I think probably is also overlooking. I'm probably sure you've seen this to where, uh, even if you find um, the kid to get with the right family it's the perfect chemistry and they're there that doesn't mean that the parents are either experienced parents or either mentors. So therefore, that uh, that kid in the foster care, the parents that which are good for that situation, they might still need mentorship, if that makes any sense. So could a kid need both of the service? You know, like we, we need to find them in a foster care and they still need the mentorship while they're in that care. You know that home.
Speaker 1:And let's not think of mentors, of you know, just for kids that are, you know may have a rough life and you know, don't have, you know, a lot of support.
Speaker 1:Kids in general need mentors, kids in general, and I use my son as a prime example, because my son need a mentor. You know I'm a professional, my husband is a professional and my son grew up in a two family household of professionals who did pretty OK. But when he left our home he was exposed to the world and you know it was me finding a mentor for him to for him to connect and to be able to listen to somebody else. Because you know kids, like you're my parent, you know you don't know, you've lived your life, you know all this crazy stuff. I'm like I need you to be able to relate to someone that you can relate to.
Speaker 1:So I just feel like all kids need a mentor because when a parent can't get through to a child saying the same thing that a caring, loving a mentor would be saying, they just receive it differently because that's their friend and friends have these major influences on our kids. And so you know, an adult, positive adult working with a kid, that's like one of the best things a kid can have. Adult working with a kid that's like one of the best things a kid can have. Being a foster youth, a homeless youth, a youth with two-parent household, youth with a single-family household, living with relatives living with grandparents? It doesn't matter. All kids could benefit from having a mentor.
Speaker 2:I concur on that and I definitely agree with you. Now, with that being said, how, latoya, would you measure the success of your programs and the impact you have on these young lives?
Speaker 1:Washington DC and I still have a 202 number. For the reason I keep my 202 numbers, because kids that I touched 15 years ago I've been in Vegas seven years. The kids that I touched before I came to Vegas will still call me and say, ms Latoria, and a lot of them call me Mommy T, mommy T, I just want you to know this is what I'm doing. You know they want to meet, they want me to know that they are successful, they want me to know that they're doing really good things. And you know, and that brings me so much joy that I will always keep my 202 number because I always you know, you never know, you never know, you know the kid that you touch how they may turn out.
Speaker 1:I had this one little boy that just came out of incarceration and he was in foster care and when he came out of lockup he was still very much a part of the streets but he knew that he wanted a better life.
Speaker 1:And so when he came to my program, you know he was really rough on the edges and I just just kept, just just kept giving him that love, just kept giving him that love, just kept encouraging him, just kept telling him, I believe, telling him, I believe in him and kept offering opportunities for him to be involved in things, and I could see him blossoming, I could see him growing, I see him developing. And he left my program because all the kids graduate from my program. So he graduated and when he graduated from my program he was such a changed person, he was able to get a good job and he's one of the ones that would call me and let me know, mama T, this is what I'm doing. I want you to know that I'm still doing the right thing, I'm making the right choices.
Speaker 1:This young man sticks out in my head because he was so rough and hard, but there was a softness in him that if someone just, you know, just just gave him the time and just worked with him, it was there. It was there crying to come out. And because I was there and you know, and I just kept working with this young man, you know he's a successful businessman today.
Speaker 2:That's the success story I love to hear. That's the success story I love to hear and I can imagine.
Speaker 1:just by your warmth, I can imagine how many still keep in contact with you from how?
Speaker 2:you changed their lives. You know I'm sure that's a job on its own. You know, with that because you probably didn't say so many that it's just your family. You know you have a sense of that family.
Speaker 1:I can think of it that way. Yeah, as time goes on and you get older.
Speaker 1:Right, right, we started a culinary arts program because I was eating one of my mother's sweet potato pies. My mom is famous for making these sweet potato pies and I was eating one of her pies one day and I thought, as I was eating it, wow, kids that are removed from their loved ones will not learn about family homemade traditions. And so I started, and my board chair at the time was a restaurateur, so I went to him and I said let's start a culinary arts program. And he loved it. You know he's in the restaurant business and and and.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, we started this culinary arts business, this jobs training, job skills training program. And, oh my gosh, you know we would. We would have kids making these old, rich, traditional foods that you know you can, you know you go home and you can make this and make these healthy, nutritional meals for your family. So, yeah, I, I, I, I love, um, the work that we've done and the kids that we've been able to teach, but those old traditions is like it's nothing like it. You know, got to pass that stuff down.
Speaker 2:Nothing at all. That's key, nothing like it. Oh man, now, like you were mentioning the culinary and you had someone to do it with you who's went to culinary school I was just about to mention, as far as like your mentors, what are some of the like key qualities you look for in a potential mentor for the youth you serve?
Speaker 1:So they have to. They have to have a heart for kids and and and have a strong desire to want to make a difference in a kid's life. And we ask them for patience because sometimes you know mentors and mentees, you know they connect immediately and that's that forever bond, like my son's mentor. You know they met when he was in middle school. He met his mentor when they were in middle school and my son is now 21 years old and they're still extremely close and they will always be close. And you know not saying that mentors need to do that, but that's the one that is like, totally dedicated to making a difference in a kid's life.
Speaker 1:So the kind of mentors that we look for are mentors that have a big heart, that want to make a difference and have the time. Can you spend an hour a week with a kid via telephone, meeting in person, communicating some kind of way, just those words of encouragement, some kind of way, just those words of encouragement? So, yeah, so time, commitment and plus you have to get a background check because you have to make sure that we're not matching people who we know not have the right mindset for children. But that's it. Your time is your time. What you're able to give is good, but just be committed. If you are going to get involved in a child's life, be honest and be committed. If you have the time, you know, give them the time that you have. It's not, you know, you've got to do five hours a week or whatever. Whatever you have, you know, give the time that you have and stay connected.
Speaker 2:Now for my listeners who are interested 21, okay, I was just about to say by listeners who are listening, that are interested in becoming a mentor and get involved with your organization or similar programs that you're offering in your community. What do they have to do? How can they get involved and what would they have to do?
Speaker 1:Just call us. Just call us and let us know that you are interested. We'll do an application and we'll sit and meet with you and find out what kind of person you're, what kind of young person you're looking to be a mentor to, and we try to connect those. I have a couple of young ladies who are interested in becoming Marine biologists, and I have a young man that's interested in being a meteorologist. So it would be really, really great to be able to connect with someone who's a Marine biologist for these two young ladies who I would love to have someone that's in that career field to come and mentor them. I haven't been able to find a marine biologist yet, so something I've been looking for for a minute, that's just one thing. But there are other opportunities. There are other career fields. I have a young man that wants to be a mechanic you know.
Speaker 1:so a man, that man or woman I shouldn't say man, man or woman that's in the mechanical engineering careers. Yeah, I have a young man that's interested in being a mechanic. I have a young man that's interested in being a barber. I have a young man that wants to be a dancer. So it just depends right. I don't know if I lost you or not, because I can see you and hear you, but I don't know if we got disconnected yeah, the connection you okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we do. Yeah, your connection was kind of like bad. It's whipped off and everything. Are you on the wifi? I am, I am on my that it's whipped off and everything.
Speaker 1:Are you on the wi-fi? I am, I am on my wi-fi it's okay.
Speaker 2:It's okay. Well, uh, hopefully this was it's all getting recorded. We will be okay now uh, for anything. Before we get into this or that, to find out personal, is there anything that I left out that you would like to to educate our audience on what you do? And then, if it is anything you left out, following that, let us know how can we reach you and also engage with you on social media.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean one of the things that an organization and all nonprofits are in need of financial support, and so if there's a philanthropic person out there that's looking for an organization to support, we would definitely encourage you to reach out to us and to call or email us or, like Coral said, to connect with us through social media. But if you wanted to reach out to us directly, you can call 702-235-5490. And you can reach us directly. Or you can call my office and my office is 702-997-8061. So you know, definitely eight zero six one, so you know definitely, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you Now, latouria, we're going to get a little personal. Let my audience know whether you like this or that, and I might just give you two options, and then you let me know which one you prefer out of the two, and then after that we're going to test your. We're going to test your Vegas. We're going to see how very veryus you are with a trivia question. And with that trivia question, of course, I'll ask you the question and then I'll give you three multiple choices for you to choose for that perfect cancer.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm glad there are multiple choices. That's good. I'm ready.
Speaker 2:I used to didn't back then, but I was like the multiple choices makes it a little more interesting also All right. So with this or that, when it comes to your orange juice in the morning, if you drink orange juice, do you find yourself buying store brand or major brands like Trop or Simply?
Speaker 1:Is that my only choice?
Speaker 2:Store brands or major brands.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I prefer. For juice, I prefer.
Speaker 2:You have? Yeah, because I prefer. For juice, I prefer. You have another choice.
Speaker 1:I prefer fresh squeeze.
Speaker 2:Oh, you're a juicer, yes, yes, okay, so natural Right. She said I prefer natural. You ain't got neither one of my options.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, natural, I like that, I need to lean towards that. The orange juices today.
Speaker 2:Right, don't taste the way that we're going up. True it is. It's very expensive. It really is yes.
Speaker 1:And then you're right.
Speaker 2:It doesn't. It tastes like it's processed, but also the price goes up. So you lower the quality and up the price.
Speaker 1:Yes, Not going to mix. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:That's not going to mix, but I know what you mean. It almost tastes like I always tell my wife like that coin taste. You know what I'm talking about. When it has that coin process taste Like you put coins in your mouth.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's like no, I can't do this Because I can remember back in the days I could down it.
Speaker 2:I can't even down it no more because it tastes so horrible.
Speaker 1:It tastes so horrible nowadays, I got to like sip it to make sure it's good. I don't know what they're doing, but they need to fire their what do they call it? Their chefs in the kitchen.
Speaker 2:The taste testers? Yeah, wherever that tasting going on, or if they're even tasting it All right. Now Vegas. This is strictly Vegas. You got to let me know you prefer Vegas in the winter or the summer.
Speaker 1:Definitely winter.
Speaker 2:Love it. You're a true local, you're local. When you say winter, like Definitely winter, love it, you're a true local, you local. When you say winter, like yeah, winter Got to and I think the best like really hot time is spring, like if you're listening and you're planning to travel into Vegas, make sure you come in spring. I know I understand, yeah, the kids are out in summer and all that.
Speaker 2:Right, but if you can make a spring trip you're going to experience like no other Because you're going to be able to walk freely, not sweat, and the heat won't play a factor to your visit. So definitely that's spring, but winter. I see a lot of travelers that come in wintertime also especially those who are frequent to Vegas.
Speaker 1:Right Right. When we first moved here, I got a scarf and glove set for a Christmas present. It is still in the package. I have never opened it. I've been here seven years Because we don't need hats and scarves and gloves in the summer, in the wintertime you just need a jacket.
Speaker 2:Nah, you'll use that to protect you, to pick up dirt, before you use it to protect you from the cold.
Speaker 1:No, I need them when I go fly East Coast Gotcha Okay yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And if you do need it out here, it's probably for like a cool hour timeline. You know, some mornings and sometimes we might get that little hour window where it's just freezing, but after that is you know, I know the morning is that mountain cold breeze. It's an old breeze to play with. Oh man Right. So our last one. We have what would you say, your most focused Latoya when you're working at home or working from the office.
Speaker 1:Wow, 50-50, because I do work from home and I work from my office. I like that. So, yeah, can I do 50-50?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I like that I like the 50-50. Yes, because I can go with the 50-50. Because there's a lot of times that I need that office environment, that office feeling, to really get that grit in. You know, and I at home it's a different, kind of like swag, but when I'm in the office it's like it's all, like yeah, it's a whole different zone it's a different tone.
Speaker 1:It's a different tone, that's true oh. So we're going to see how very very Vegas.
Speaker 2:You are All right and you're going to get this. I think you are, but you've probably been already too, and I know you have, if you've been here a while Any time over five years. You've been here, but we're going to see, all right. So with this question, it is to see how Vegas you are, and also, after the questions, I'm going to give you three multiple choices to pick one, all right? So the indoor park at Circus Circus features roller coasters, arcade games, mini golf and carnival rides, which is perfect for a day for the family. What is the name of this indoor park? Is it Six Flags LV?
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:You're okay, you're okay. You're trying to answer it already I got this, so is it Six Flags LV? No, is it the Fun Zone? Maybe, Is it the Adventure Dome theme park?
Speaker 1:I think it's the fun, fun dome the fun zone yeah, you're almost close.
Speaker 2:It's actually the adventure dome.
Speaker 1:It's the adventure dome.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's the, the, the little pink dome next to it. You know circus, circus. Well, I've been there. Have you been in there yet? But yeah, I don't. Well, I've been there, have you been in there yet?
Speaker 1:Latoya, I've never been there, but yeah, I don't remember the name.
Speaker 2:You've been there recently.
Speaker 1:I've only been there, okay, so I failed that one. What's the next one?
Speaker 2:Have you. That was it. I was dead already. It's getting started. It's getting started. When was the last time you've been to Circus Circus Adventure Dome?
Speaker 1:when the last time you've been to circus circus adventure dome when I was seven years ago.
Speaker 2:It's okay, I used to go seven. I need you to go now. It is so revamped. You know what really let's. It is revamped, I need to you.
Speaker 1:You ride roller coasters, though, right, oh heck to know, you do no, you ride roller coasters though right, oh heck to the no, you do no, no, no, latoya, why don't you ride them? Why, why?
Speaker 2:Let me know why.
Speaker 1:You have to let me know why I did my last roller coaster ride at the Six Flags in. Maryland and the roller coaster was so big and it dropped and left the tracks and we were in the air flying down and hit the tracks. I said I will never in my lifetime do this again.
Speaker 1:It's meant to do that. It wasn't an accident. That's what it does because that fear factor it makes everybody so scared. And I was like serious, when I got off the roller coaster the bottom of my lip was all bleeding because I had bit down so hard on my lip. So I was like I will never, ever again in my life do another roller coaster. I was so scared.
Speaker 2:I would, and I definitely wouldn't want to re-trigger that traumatization, so we're going to leave the roller coaster out, but you need to go and check out the arcade, though, and they revamped it in there, everything is nice. Go in there and check out the arcade, though, and they revamped it in there, everything is nice. Go in there and check out the arcade. You know what? That's going to be one of my plans. We want to create content on some of the kids you got, or even the teens. The teens love it. We're going to team up. We're going to take them there to Circus, circus.
Speaker 1:Okay, so, you and I, we're going to team up, team up.
Speaker 2:We're going to get them to Circus.
Speaker 1:Circus. I'll take them and sit back and watch, but I'm not going to partake. But I will definitely take them.
Speaker 2:But I'm going to team up with you because I'm going to create content and everything. We're going to capture the moment.
Speaker 1:So we're going to do it right. I'm game.
Speaker 2:We'll talk about that and get that scheduled Okay.
Speaker 1:And then that'll be a good thing to input circus circus and everything and all that.
Speaker 2:What you do, we're going to make that happen. We're going to make it happen, ok. Right, I love it All right, latoya, give any shout outs, let us know them. Shout outs before we head out of here now.
Speaker 1:Well, I always want to, you know, definitely give a mad shout out to my board of directors, whom the work that I do I could not do it without their support and their volunteer time commitment. They are amazing groups of people. Definitely want to shout out to all the kids that we've had an opportunity to love up on and to try to help change their trajectory for their career futures and understanding and loving and appreciating the value of family. And then I definitely want to shout out to my own home, my house, my husband, my family, my kids. I love them. You know, they support me and I, you know, would not be here if it wasn't for the support that I get as a whole. And then, of course, the sponsors. We always want to say thank you to the sponsors, anybody that sponsor the work that we do. We love you and appreciate you to the depths of the earth. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Beautiful, beautiful. I'm so thankful that I met you. If I'm not mistaken, we met at a network mixer, didn't we?
Speaker 1:we did at the at the chamber. As a matter of fact, we were featuring a chamber in the March issue did you see it? That's right what did you see it? It's in the March issue do you have it? I do have it. I'll send you the link we can go.
Speaker 2:Please do, please do I missed that I totally missed that and I just went to their last coffee and commerce and I was looking for you. I thought you were going to be there, I'm like hopefully she'll show up okay so and and I and the reason I mentioned this audience with those who are business owners, latoya and I met at the Urban Chamber of Commerce workmasters and I'm bringing that up to let you know how vital that is.
Speaker 1:No, not the Urban. We met at the Vegas, the key. We met at the Vegas Chamber. Oh, the Vegas regular one, yeah, the Vegas Chamber.
Speaker 2:You're right, the Vegas Chamber, see yeah.
Speaker 1:So go to all of them, you guys. If you them, go to all of them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but we met at the Vegas Chamber and the Vegas Chamber is the one that featured me in their magazine. I got to see that. I have to see that.
Speaker 1:You got to send that okay, good deal, congratulations.
Speaker 2:So definitely show up to the Chambers, whether if it's the urban, whether if it's Latino, whether if it's Vegas. Show up to their network mixers. You guys be surprised of how many people you meet, that you network with to take your business to the next level, that are like-minded, just like you. Believe me, believe me, show up. You guys, don't be afraid to show up. And we all go through that thought like, should I go, should I not? And then when you go, when you leave.
Speaker 1:You're like, man, I'm so glad I went. Yes, yes, yes, yes, Because, honestly, the day that we met so show up, you guys the day that we met, we met at a breakfast and the day that we met I was like, oh man, I don't know if I want to really go because I got all these other things going on and I met you there. So I'm really really glad that I went. I'm a proud Vegas Chamber member and they and they're doing amazing things in the community, connecting me with all kinds of resources, and you were a major connection. So shout out to Vegas.
Speaker 2:Chamber. Thank you, thank you, yes, yes, Vegas Chamber shout out Keep doing what you guys do. We love you. All right, Latoria, thank you. Now, if you guys are listening, you guys interested in A either being a mentorship or taking up foster and adoption? You need to connect with Latoya. I have all of her social media handles and her website. It is linked into the show notes so you can also go to the show notes. I also have her phone number and address there where, if you want to just directly contact her, skip all the social media. I need to talk to Latoya. The number is right in there. You guys give her a contact and let them know. Coyle sent you. Okay, that's right, All right.
Speaker 1:Right, thank you. Thank you, coyle, sent me.
Speaker 2:Exactly. I appreciate you and now you guys look out for all the collaborations. If you're listening to this now, you already seen the first video that I created with Latoria, so look out for the next content, also the episode, and make sure you download this episode. Okay, not only support, but download the episode and go check out Latoya, even if you want to stop by just to give her roses and thank her for what she's doing. That goes a long way, it does. You'd be surprised how long that goes if you just stop by like hey, I heard that and I just want to say you're doing great. That goes a long way. So, thank you guys for tuning in and listening and Latoria, thank you for what you're doing in the community. You know, if you need anything, you let me know. Ok, you got it. Thank you, buddy. All right, no problem. Thank you, audience for listening and again, make sure you download, make sure you tune in and subscribe and I will see you guys next Friday. Take care.
