Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonnca
Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonnca
Tee to Legacy Ft. Ann Baker Furrow Part 2
A street bearing your name might seem like the pinnacle of recognition, but for Ann Furrow, it's just one chapter in a remarkable life story spanning athletics, business, and profound spiritual awakening. In this captivating conversation, Ann reveals how at age 35, despite appearing to have it all together, she discovered the transformative difference between religious appearances and genuine faith.
If you are looking for a Realtor, don't forget to call The Landes Team to help you buy and sell!
Yvonnca Landes
Realty Executives Associates
865.660.1186 or 588.3232
www.YvonncaSellsRealEstate.com
Adrienne Landes
Realty Executives Associates
865.659-6860 or 588.3232
Click here: https://linktr.ee/talkintnwithyvonnca
Turning Knox Rental (Event Rental Services): www.turningknoxrental.com
Landes Home Collection Online Store: www.landeshomecollection.com
For promotion inquires please contact Yvonnca Landes. 865-660-1186
All Copy Rights are owned Yvonnca Landes and the Landes Brand ©. To gain legal access contact David Landes 865.660.6860 or theappraisalfirm@charter.net
Produced and engineered by: Adrienne Landes
Thank you for listening! Follow us on social media! https://linktr.ee/talkintnwithyvonnca
Check us out to hear the latest on life in the volunteer state. Yvonca and her guests discuss everything from life, love and business with a Tennessee flair. It's a Tennessee thing, always relatable, always relevant and always a good time. This is Talkin' Tennessee, and now your host, yvonca.
Speaker 2:This episode is brought to you by the Landis team, your go-to real estate family in East Tennessee. If you are looking to buy or sell, we are the ones you should call. Give us a call at 865-660-1186 or check out our website at yvoncasellsrealestatecom. That's YvoncaSellsRealEstatecom. That's Yvonca, Y-V-O-N-N-C-A SellsRealEstatecom.
Speaker 3:Welcome back to Talking Tennessee with Yvonca. I am your host and I am back for part two of the interview with Ann Farrow. Welcome back, thanks, yvonca. Thank you so much for coming in and just sitting down having a conversation with me about life and and just your journey and all the things that you've endured, good and bad, but it really is in your purpose. So let's talk about one of the big things. You have a street name, a street named after you. Yes, I do A street named after you and Baker Furrow Boulevard and Baker Furrow Boulevard. How did that come about?
Speaker 4:I'm really not sure. I'm really not. We didn't give any money to do that. People probably think you gave money for it. Now, we did give some money and the golf facilities named that.
Speaker 3:Could it be just all the things that you had done just to honor you?
Speaker 4:I think it was, and I was a. I told you in the last episode I was very active in sorority. I was pledge president, president, you know that's sweat equity.
Speaker 3:She put her time in.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I loved it and was very active on campus and, I think, being the first female and only female ever to get a men's athletic scholarship.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 4:Being the first woman and youngest ever appointed to the Board of Trustees, my involvement and I was very involved in alumni stuff and things like that alumni stuff and things like that.
Speaker 3:I mean, I think it just falls in line once they see your hard work and what difference you made in so many different areas they had to name it for somebody. Yeah, you're the best fit.
Speaker 4:Well, and I really was pushing for that to be there, because the poor women were stuck in Panhellenic building, which they just tore down, and then they were going to stick us over on Lake Avenue in one building, all the sororities in one building, and it just didn't make sense. And sweet chancellor took a chance and said no, we're going to go develop that property.
Speaker 4:Even though Sam my husband was totally against, really, and we own the post office Right the building there, tyson School yes, that's ours, and that other building that's where his office is.
Speaker 2:So his office is not, and he was still against it.
Speaker 4:He was against it because he thought there was a better use for it there was not.
Speaker 3:She said it was not. Sometimes you have to show your spouses that they may think it's one way, but it's another way and it's going to be better. Yeah, I mean he just didn't feel.
Speaker 4:I think now he knows it's fine. In fact they need to add three or four more sorority houses, which I've been yes, I mean pushing for pushing for oh, there's too many. They're required to kick. Now each sorority has to take 140 girls in the pledge class. Well, when I was, there was 30. Yeah, that's. And then they just add it and the reason is we have so many girls going through rush. Okay, all the new enrollment size and all so anyway we are. We really need to add some more shorty houses.
Speaker 3:So you got a street named after you. The first time that you saw it, what was your thought?
Speaker 4:Well, what?
Speaker 2:I said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony was.
Speaker 4:I know this light is very long at this street and Baker-Furrville. It's very long. Please don't cuss me when you get stopped, because you do get stopped and I said please say a prayer for me, for someone you love, and you would be amazed how many people come up to me and say well, I got stopped at your street, but I said a prayer, see well, I'll tell you this yes, saying a prayer for, especially strangers and for people that you don't know, that's one thing that God loves.
Speaker 3:A prayer, unselfish prayer, instead of you just praying for yourself, praying for other people and that type thing and I know you're a woman of faith let's talk about it. Happy to, you became a Christian at 35 years old. That is right.
Speaker 2:When.
Speaker 3:I was reading about you. Let me say first I was raised in the church, went to church every Sunday. I was too Every Wednesday.
Speaker 3:I wasn't that good. Well, my grandmother made it. Well, my grandmother made it. My grandmother made me. But I will say, yes, I went to church. Yes, a lot and did a lot of things in the church. You know plays and all kinds of things. But when you find Christ for me, it wasn't me showing up to church, it wasn't somebody telling me you need to find Christ. I found Christ my way. Let's talk about how you found Christ.
Speaker 4:Well, you would have thought I was a Christian and my roommates in college, I think, were strong Christians. Speak on it.
Speaker 3:Did you hear what she said? So sorry to interrupt. She said you would have thought I was a. Christian, you would have thought it because I was a good girl, cause there are so many people that don't realize just because you may be a good person and people think it doesn't mean you're a Christian. You have to accept Christ. You have to invite him in, invite him in.
Speaker 4:Go ahead. Okay, well, I was home now. You know it was a home war, I guess, Except no, I'd been home a long time. I was doing lots of stuff, I was busy and involved. But our next-door neighbors were Bo Schaefer and Mae Schaefer in Forestbrook. We lived in the wonderful neighborhood of Forestbrook. It was just fabulous. Bo gave me a book called how to Be a Christian Without being Religious by Fritz Ridenour.
Speaker 3:Say it one more time Because this is the difference.
Speaker 4:You were talking about how to be a Christian without being religious, yes, or without playing religious. It's what we all do. I mean and you'd have thought I was a Christian. Well, I was home more as I said, sam had asked me to stay home a little bit and I watched the 700 Club, yes, and I read the book by Fritz Ridenour and I finally understood what being a Christian was, what being a Christian? Was Not playing religion but humbling yourself and knowing you're a sinner and inviting Christ to be your Lord and Savior.
Speaker 4:Well, one day I got down we had this plaid orange-green carpet and this orange couch and then a picture window behind that couch and I got down with the TV the 700 Club and I prayed to receive Christ and I looked around make sure nobody saw me praying because, I thought they'll think that's stupid.
Speaker 4:I mean, you know it's gonna be stupid so I prayed to receive Christ and about two weeks later Bo was driving by because he lived right here and they had to drive by to go hit North Shore. And we stopped and we're talking and I said, bo, something's different, I'm changed Something is definitely different. I said I don't want to wear a flowery dress, long flowery dress, and say everything's a blessing. I don't want to be sent off to Africa to be a missionary, but however God wants to use me, I'm willing and you won't believe how God has blessed my life Unbelievable.
Speaker 3:Well, let me say this my husband got sick almost 13 years ago and when David got sick, we were doing a church cookout. It must have been the next day and we were planning for it the day before, because it was going to doing a church cookout must have been the next day and we were planning for it the day before, because it was going to be at my house and um, within 24 hours my husband went on life support. Um couldn't see that coming, nothing. And there was a time in my life that I wanted christ so bad, but I didn't. In the church I I was taught you know pray, but I wasn't taught how to pray. I didn't know how to pray and then I felt like that I was supposed to pray like the preachers, so I felt like that if I prayed to God, I was going to sound stupid. That's what I'm just being. I don't want to.
Speaker 3:I'm being real, and so I would never pray out loud, because I felt like, if I said it out loud, that people are going to be like you don't know how to pray. That's how I felt.
Speaker 2:I agree.
Speaker 3:And so I felt like, okay, god, people would say I hear God and I'm like I don't hear nothing. And so, three months before David got sick, my pastor kept telling me Yvonca, god, there's a call on your life and God is, you know, god is trying to talk to you and you're too busy. You're too busy. Three months later, everything happened. And so at that time, I didn't pray aloud, I didn't. You know, I loved the Lord. You know of what I thought the Lord was, and I had accepted God, you know saying I want to be a Christian, but I didn't know what that really meant. You know what I'm talking about. And so, and then, what was taught in my church? It was to show up to church. It wasn't relationship, okay.
Speaker 3:And so David got sick. I'm sitting in a CCU room because I never came home for that five and a half months. So that first three and a half months I was in, yes, I stayed in a recliner. I ran real estate, everything outside of CCU. I mean inside of CCU. So what was wrong with him? David lives without a pancreas. That person you met, oh my, they had to remove his pancreas, okay, because his triglycerides was too high and it was shutting down all his organs, okay. So imagine that that you're thinking you're going to church, you're on the pew and you're thinking you're doing something for God. So I understand what you're saying about being religious okay, versus being a Christian.
Speaker 2:And the reason why I'm sharing and reason why I'm sharing.
Speaker 3:That is because, uh, we're both women of faith and we both love the Lord and we worship every day. I have no doubt of that. Uh, when you go through those type things and and it doesn't take something tragic to happen to you to find Christ I want to be clear with that but you have to invite him in. And what was that like at 35 years old, inviting Christ in with everybody around you not ready?
Speaker 4:Well, amazingly, most of my friends were Christians. Really Okay, I mean.
Speaker 3:I told you I was a good person.
Speaker 2:I ran around with good people, but you know what?
Speaker 3:I can't say that on my end I had friends that were Christians, but then I had friends that played Christian.
Speaker 2:Do you get what I'm saying?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, no, I had both, yeah, and I didn't know the difference at the time. At the time, I thought everybody was Christian Me too. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4:Well, somebody, asked my friend, one of my friends, donna Trimble, in her this is so embarrassing in her kitchen and she said well, ann, what do you think a Christian is? And I said, well, they're like them in the United States, our sons. Yeah, yeah, I'm going. I mean, I just really. I guess if you went to church you were a Christian.
Speaker 3:If you believed in Christ, you were a Christian, because that's how we were taught, and not saying that our family, our parents, grandparents or whatever that's what they believed, okay, and so that's what was taught to us. But once you invite God in, I was like okay, god, I want to hear you, but I don't hear anything.
Speaker 3:Everybody else was telling me they hear Christ and I'm like God, I don't hear anything. And then I literally was saying I would go into my bedroom and I'd be like, okay, god, I'm going to sit here for five minutes Talk to me.
Speaker 2:I need you to talk to me.
Speaker 3:I heard nothing. Okay, and I'd come out the same as did the day before, and my pastor was like Ivanka, you can't put him in a box. You're putting him in a box. You're saying I'm going to sit in this room for five minutes and God, I'm only give you five minutes of your time. Now, looking back, that was so silly, but I wanted to hear from God. So bad. But I didn't realize I was limiting God, and so that's why I'm bringing that part up, because you can limit God and not hear him, because you're trying to what is it? Form him into what you want him to be. You can't form God. Okay, god forms you, that type thing. But so at 35 years old, you found Christ. So where'd you go from there?
Speaker 4:It's really unbelievable. Bo Schaefer, we were I think it's second prez then. Anyway, we started something called Spiritual Heritage Knoxville and brought in I'd read, and now I'm on fire. My fire, my passion is for everybody to hear the message of Jesus Christ and the gospel and to accept it. I mean, that is my fire and my passion.
Speaker 3:I think the reason why that is is because once you find Christ and you can feel Christ and he is in your day to day, you want everybody to feel what you're feeling you want them to have it.
Speaker 4:You want them to have it.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes. And so it's like you're not wanting, because I tell people, don't Bible bust people. I said because everybody finds Christ differently. Yeah, ok, they do. But I'm like, but once you find Christ, it's like a burst of fire to you inside, like you just want to tell everybody you know that type thing and, granted, I do feel like that you have to help people to welcome Christ. You know you can't Bible bust them. So bad that it's every time they taught you a scripture, scripture, scripture, because it just doesn't help. So when you started that, what?
Speaker 4:Well, and what makes me so happy is God has used my gifts, my life, my background, to open so many doors, my life, my background, to open so many doors. And so we started. Spiritual Heritage Knoxville had 25,000 teenagers at Thompson Bowling Arena hearing twice pardoned speaker. This was our first big event. I mean I figured if we're going to do it, let's do it big.
Speaker 3:She said do it big. Remember she said she was taught to do things the best to your ability.
Speaker 4:So there you go. Oh no, we had 25,000. We even put lights and screens, and all in the end of Nalin Stadium for overflow. What, yeah? Anyway, harold Morris wrote a book Twice Pardoned. He was pardoned by this. He killed somebody, yeah, and he was pardoned by God. So anyway, so we had that, and so that was our first big event, and we just we brought Promise Keepers. The reason Promise Keepers?
Speaker 3:came to Knoxville was because of spiritual heritage, Really, yeah, I mean.
Speaker 4:And all of that In the meantime. Oh, we did in 1994, we had Johnny Erickson. Oh yeah, this is a great story. At that youth event at Thompson Bowling that night was a bus wreck out on Straw Plains Pike and a young girl named Kelly Booth was permanently paralyzed from that bus wreck.
Speaker 4:She'd been at the event. The church bus had been at the event and so, Bo, we were raising money for Kelly Booth for a fun meet, and then you sat and all, and I can tell you exactly where we were sitting the corner of North Shore and Kingston Pike, and I was giving Bo some money to take down there and I said, Bo, why don't we do something for people with disabilities, like we just did for kids? Yes, yes, For kids. And who in Christendom would you call Johnny Erickson Tata? Well, it just so happened that Johnny Erickson Tata's chief assistant was with her for 30, 40 years still alive. But she was when Billy Graham came to UT in 1970, she was the office manager for the Graham people and she stayed with Dwight McDonald's family on Kingston Pike White store family.
Speaker 3:They were on the white stores. Yes, white stores. Yes, yes, all right, I worked for white stores in high school. Oh did you.
Speaker 4:Okay. Well, dwight McDonald's family owned them. She stayed there for six or eight months or a year. Well, just so happens, susan Overton. Susan McDonald Overton's a good friend. So I called up Susan. I said Susan, how do we get hold of Johnny? And she said well, you can just call. I'll think of her name in just a minute her assistant. And so I called up.
Speaker 3:Do y'all hear what she's saying? So let's go back some. She reached out to people and the reason why I'm pointing this out is because true evangelism is in the street, it's in your community. It's in reaching out to people, connecting people and for the greater good. I try to always tell people when I'm talking about crisis, because people will say, well, I did this and did that. And I'm like do you realize? That was evangelism? And they're like a lot of people are like what? And I'm like that's true evangelism.
Speaker 3:If you go back to the Bible, true evangelism was in the streets. Jesus went to the streets, okay, and so you started connecting and you were calling your connections. And do you see how? Her golf connections, her real estate connections all of a sudden because I truly believe that God I did mortgages the first 18 years of my career and then I went in real estate. Well, when I went in real estate, I'm going to be honest with you the market had tanked in 2008. I didn't want to lose everything we had. So I said I need to diversify. So I'm like, okay, here we go. So we've been in the industry for so long, I'm going to become a realtor, not realizing that God was using real estate for me to do true evangelism, pray for people, bring them to Christ, that type of thing. So I can imagine that when you started connecting different people, how it just came up.
Speaker 4:Well, from that we did four major events at Thompson Bowling with Johnny and had a church conference. 300 churches came to a disability ministry conference. She spoke at the prayer breakfast. But one of the great things we did, we had a disability expo at Thompson Bowling, had 9,000 people come through that and see what you could do for disability. Technology was just coming in then this was 1994 for people with disability, anyway.
Speaker 3:So and then we had Saturday night had 10,000 people come to but think about this all the time that you put in at UT, all of your being an athlete, and you were able to go back to where your life really started in college, you know, and playing golf. You got to bring something back to Thompson Bowling.
Speaker 4:Well, we've had a bunch of events there, big events I mean again if you want to do it big, that's amazing. We brought in Franklin Graham 10 years ago, no, and then we had another one in Neyland Stadium.
Speaker 3:Anyway, just and just the Billy Graham. I mean for people that don't know Billy Graham, rest in peace. He really changed a lot in the way people looked at Christianity. My grandmother watched the 700 Club. I meant like when, when they say religiously, religiously, you know that type thing, and so that we had those backbones, those type things that really really helped mold us. But being a Christian, nowadays there are so many people that are finding Christ and that's a great thing it is. But I think that this young generation, what would you say to them that when some of their friends may think Christianity is not cool, what would you say to them as a young person at 35 years old, finding Christ?
Speaker 4:As you were saying. I feel sorry for everybody that doesn't have it, and the only thing I can really do is, if the opportunity comes, expose them to the gospel, but then pray for them that they would receive it or humble themselves enough.
Speaker 3:And then another thing even with the praying, you know, like I was saying with David when he was in the hospital, god told me in the first week he said do you want your husband back? Literally clearest day in my ear he spoke to you. He's like do you want your husband back? He said get ready to work. I'm like what do you mean, god? I'm like God, please don't take my husband. I was like God, please. And he said get ready to work. Well, god made me go to every bed. There's 30 beds at Park West's CCU room. Okay, 30 beds. David was bed seven, 29 beds. I'd have to go every day for three and a half months to every room and pray for families that I didn't know nothing about. And I'm like God, I'm going through something. Why would you want me to do that, God? You know I don't pray out loud.
Speaker 2:This is because I'm not a good prayer. See, I talk to God.
Speaker 3:Now I am. But I'll just say back then that was the most scary thing to me and that's why I try to share it with people, because I'm like, okay, it's scary, so I go in these rooms. I'm like, god, these people think I'm crazy and so I go in there and they would open up. These people would just literally and and everybody wasn't a Christian, but not one person One said I don't want you to pray, I don't want you to pray.
Speaker 3:God challenged me so much, ms Ann, that while I was there, a lady that really believed in me and saw me praying for people had me to come pray. Her husband had well life partner had died and she wanted him to know Christ and so she thought, if I come and pray for him, that it would help. And I couldn't say, you know, I hope he found Christ before he passed. I couldn't say that. I couldn't say it because at that time she needed me to pray, because that's what she believed and I'm like God, you want me to pray over a dead body, are you serious? But it humbled me in such a way that it gave me a burning sensation of God of saying, if I can do that, I can pray for anybody. Because literally I was like this, because I tried to touch him at the same time trying to pray, and it was. But it was so humbling to me but it was something I needed to do Because now there was a time when people would say, well, will you pray for me?
Speaker 3:I'm like, I'll be praying for you, I stop. Now, if somebody says I need prayer, I stop. I don't care what I'm doing and I pray, because you may never get that chance to bring somebody to Christ. So my next question is is that all the different boards that you have sat on and you know help nurture? How was it like to be a Christian in the room of people that may not have found Christ yet? Was it easier for you?
Speaker 4:Well, once I became a Christian, so much of my energy was involved in Christian boards. That's a good point. Yeah, so I still did what I had to do. You know, UT-wise, I coached the women's golf team. I started the women's golf team at UT in 91. So I have been involved in a lot of things. But my real passion has been when we had Johnny come in and did those four events. A month later she called me. Do you know who Johnny Erickson Tata is? Your fans out there need to know who Johnny Erickson Tata is. She's a quadriplegian. She's 77 now. She broke her neck when she was 17. She has an international fabulous ministry. We have Johnny and Friends Knoxville here. There's Johnny and Friends Nashville. Now there's 24 or 5 area ministries of Johnny and Friends. But that's just a little bit. Collect wheelchairs, refurbish them in prison, send them overseas.
Speaker 3:Y'all make sure that you look up this story. J-o-n-i, Johnny, Johnny, look up this story and that's how you get involved. My next question is charity work. You know, so many people say they want to do charity work, but they don't know how. I was one of those people Years ago. I didn't know how to get into charity, and charity is not always big. You can start small and let God lead you. What would you tell someone that wanted to get into charity work?
Speaker 4:You've got to decide what is your area of interest or how are you going to use the gifts that God has given you. I mean, I think that's how you would decide what area you would be involved in. If you want to help somebody with disability, get involved with Johnny and Friends. They have camps. It's a wonderful ministry, amazing feeling to be connected to it and build it up. Yeah, I would imagine. Yeah, anyway, and one thing we haven't talked about is I'm on Ann Graham Lott's board.
Speaker 3:Let's talk about it, billy.
Speaker 4:Graham's daughter. Really yeah. Did you not know that?
Speaker 3:No, I didn't know that part.
Speaker 4:Angel Ministries is Billy Graham's daughter, ann, who is the best preacher in the family without question the best preacher in the family, really Okay, yeah, so you're on her board.
Speaker 3:I have been on it since 1999, I guess so basically what she said is once she found Christ that you started aligning yourself with Christian-driven boards and their messages. Yes, Is that what I'm?
Speaker 4:hearing Well again, how God has opened those doors. I mean you wouldn't say no, I'm going to go be on Johnny Erickson Tata's international board.
Speaker 2:Well, it just happened.
Speaker 4:It happened because we did this. And one thing when she asked me to go on, she says you remind me of my mother, did she?
Speaker 3:Although she's mine yes.
Speaker 4:Well, her mother was athletic and competitive, and Johnny was too.
Speaker 3:Okay and anyway, she said you remind me, yeah, but you probably have the. It probably gives her a sense of peace around you Because even though y'all are the same age age, there's things that remind her of her mother.
Speaker 4:Yeah, anyway, we love each other and, uh, I'm still an emeritus on her board. I was on for 20, I went on 94 and went off about 2020 or something like that so long time going back and forth to california. That's where their headquarters, so you're always traveling Well, not now, but back and forth Anyway. But Ann, how we got on, how I got so close to her, is when Leanne went to Duke. Our daughter went to Duke. She said Mother, this is not a southern university, this is a northern university.
Speaker 4:And it just so happened. Ben Testerman, kyle Testerman, the mayor and all his son was friends of Danny Lotz and Ann Lotz. Ann Graham Lotz and they, Leanne, went to their house. So she went to their house every weekend just about, and when I would go over to see her then I would go to their house. And this time I'm doing these events here in Knoxville, these major events in Knoxville, and Ann is changing course in her ministry and she it's an unbelievable story how?
Speaker 4:but we started Just Give Me Jesus. Had 35 countries, or 35, all over the world. Major events. The first Just Give Me Jesus was had 35 countries or 35 all over the world. Oh wow, major events. The first Just Give Me Jesus was done here at Thompson Bowling Amazing.
Speaker 3:Anyway, it's. So, looking back from 35 up, what's the one thing that you cherish?
Speaker 4:As a.
Speaker 3:Christian Right. But as a Christian, is there any certain thing in your early days that you can say I learned this and I cherish that and I always try to apply it? Are you?
Speaker 2:talking about my Christian life, your Christian life. 35 on.
Speaker 3:Yes, it's 35 on. Is there any certain thing that sticks out to you? It may not.
Speaker 4:It may just be a lie. Well, just try to glorify God every day, all day. There you go.
Speaker 3:I mean, we're God's child and we should, people should know that. It should radiate, it should reflect on us. I tell people this I said it's not what you talk is your walk. If you are, and yes, yes, you have to talk and say I'm a Christian, you know, if you're talking to somebody and you're trying to get them to turn to Christ, yes, there's going to be some talk in there. But I think that the biggest thing is, if you really know Christ, people should know by your walk, by your walk, and then you just naturally start weeding out things that is not pleasing to you anymore and that can be friends. It can be anything that is not pleasing or aligning with your walk with God. Do you agree with that?
Speaker 4:Yeah, but you're still going to have some associates that are not Christian. Yes, you are. You're going to have plenty, and it doesn't mean that they're bad people.
Speaker 3:It's just they haven't found Christ, and hopefully your walk will make them want to find Christ. Is there any certain thing that you would say that you would love, because the landscape of Knoxville has changed so much, so much? Is there any certain thing for the future that you would say, hey, I would love for this to happen for Knoxville? And the reason why I'm asking you that? Because, after all the things that your family and you have done, it's like everybody wants to hear what your future, what you see for the future of Knoxville.
Speaker 4:I think Knoxville is a special place. I do too, and I would hope that it remains a godly place and that our values remain centered. And no, I think I tell everybody, knoxville is a wonderful place, not only the beauty around us, but yeah, I think we're poised. For, you know, the whole world concerns me, the whole where we are the cultures.
Speaker 3:I totally agree, the clash scares me, but I know that God has a plan and I always keep that in my thing, even though that something is not pleasing to me or I see things or hear things. I had to learn that in the hospital, no matter what the doctors told me, no matter what I saw of David if I went off of sight, he was a dead man. If I went off the spirit, he was alive and David is alive. So that just tells me. With the world, I'm like, okay, I go back to David. I'm like, if God can do that and I saw death in front of me it was as close as it could be that my husband should not be here. And then I'm like, if God can bring him back from death all the way back for him to do a mission and do a blood drive every year to give back to the community and all that kind of stuff, I'm like the world is going to be okay, the way God would have it to be.
Speaker 3:Let's touch on your daughter. Your daughter has, and the reason why I'm touching on that is because your daughter, if I wouldn't have met your daughter, I would have probably never met you, and so your daughter is running all the dealerships and doing a phenomenal job. You know what do you think made her path that way? So your daughter is running all the dealerships and doing a phenomenal job. You know what do you think made her path that way? What did you and Mr Sam put in her mind to go down that road?
Speaker 4:Well, Leanne has always been driven. I mean, she did super duper in high school, all sorts of things Went to Duke, great, Then has a master's in clinical social work, but she's waiting on her husband to graduate from Duke. She came back to Knoxville, got him because she thought she might like to do some counseling.
Speaker 3:Realized there was no money in that. She said no money and I need to go somewhere else.
Speaker 4:Yeah, anyway, they got married and then he went to Harvard for two degrees. There she got an MBA up there, came back and said one day she called and said Mother, I want to get an MBA and a law degree. I said, leanne, why do you need to get an MBA? You know you've got all this. She said I just want to do that. And so she got all those things. But all along she said, though, I think I'm going to go in the car business because I can raise a family and still do that Really.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and she did that and she's done and she's shown women. But she saw it from her mother. Look what you've done. If she would not have had an example, okay, a strong example of a woman, okay. And I tell people this all the time. I'm like daughters may be close to their dads, what they say, but daughters have to see their mother excel. They have to see their mother excel in whatever it is okay and they have to see their mother be an example to them and I think that with Leanne, that she got to see you.
Speaker 4:Well, I think that's somewhat right. And again, do your best in everything you do and anyway I'll give you she would love for me. I always use this Vince Lombardi quote the quality of your life is directly proportional to your striving for excellence. Say it one more time the quality of your life is directly proportional to your striving for excellence. Now, you may not reach every goal you're trying to reach or do it, but you will have a fabulous life if you strive for the best, yeah, for excellence.
Speaker 3:And so let me just say to Leanne thank you so much for being kind, because I truly believe that your mother is going to be in my life forever and I probably would have never met you if she wasn't so kind to me that night, so I thank her for that. The last couple of questions is is there anybody that was a mentor in your life that you would like to say thank you to publicly?
Speaker 4:Well, my mother got me started on the right track, no question about that, but after she died.
Speaker 3:I had— what is your?
Speaker 4:mother's name Belle. What was her full name?
Speaker 3:Belle Hitch Evelyn Belle Hitch. We're going to dedicate this episode to her.
Speaker 3:Oh, thank you yes we're going to dedicate it to her. So we'll get all that down so that we can dedicate it and show that her legacy still lives in you. Well, thank you, thank you. Do you agree with that? Yeah, again, battling bell, battling bell. And the last question if you could give one piece of advice to young women in Tennessee today? Now, of course the world's going to hear this, but if you could give one piece to women in Tennessee, what would it be? That's a hard question.
Speaker 4:That's why I was trying to keep it at the end, because I'm like, okay, we live in a great state I call it a moderate state where people really still listen to each other. You've got to listen. You've got to communicate Personally. You're going to have to step out. If you're not feeling something, not feeling like you've accomplished something or doing something, you have to take a chance. You have to step out and take a risk. One thing I've always said is you got to have goals. I'm a big goal oriented person.
Speaker 3:I write them down every day Goals, dreams, and they got to become reality. You've got to fight to get them reality. So you're saying step out on faith.
Speaker 4:Yeah and you don't know what God's going to do with your life. Even if you're not a Christian, you still you've got to step out. One thing that I've used is that we're built like a bicycle. Only as long as you're pedaling and going forward will you not fall over. So you have to keep pedaling and going forward, keep pedaling and going forward.
Speaker 3:Yeah, guys, this was Anne Farrell. I am honored that you were on here. Thank you so much. Tune in next Friday. Bye, guys.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening to Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonca. Watch out for our weekly episodes from the First Family of Real Estate and check us out on the web wwwyavoncasalesrealestatecom. See our videos on Yvonca's YouTube channel or find us on Facebook under Yvonca Landis and Twitter at Yvonca Landis, and don't forget to tell a friend about us. Until next time. Yvonca signing off.