Ryan and Inez were both inside. Ryan was preparing his signature coffee brew and Inez was putting together a fruity breakfast for us. The first two days had been challenging. We were all learning and growing. I had a recorded conversation with Inez, which was delightful. We had some tea and fruits then we were off again on the 12minRVconvos podcast journey. 

Next up, St. Augustine to meet Jay Owen, CEO of design extensions. Jay was episode 1696 of the 12minconvos podcast and as with others, I was excited to meet someone I met virtually. The drive was just over 72 miles and took us just about 1 hour. When we entered Jay's office I gave him the customary welcoming hug. One thing immediately caught my attention. Jay had a barbering chair situated at the corner of the office. I remembered wondering exactly what type of design services did they offer. During our conversation, Jay explained that it was customary to provide complimentary haircuts every 3 weeks to his staff. How cool was this right? Jay's book Building a Business That Lasts shares what he's done over the last 20 years.

At Jay's, I met and interviewed Dwayne Gibson and Mike Rioux. This is where I officially decided to deviate from only interviewing those that were on the podcast. My thinking was that while it was epic meeting past podcast guests that it would be even more interesting to interview their friends as well. 

We then took an adventurous 3-hour drive to Savannah Georgia to meet the Barbers. Trivinia Barber, episode 214 of the 12minconvos podcast. I interviewed her, then asked if it would be ok to speak with her husband, who plays an integral part in their business, PriorityVA.com. Chris Barber is also an artist. His work is showcased on the video below. 

The drive to South Carolina would take an average of 4 hours from the Barbers. A total driving time of just about 8 hours from Orlando altogether. We reached just after nightfall to the Dixon's residence. Crystal was anxiously awaiting our arrival. This would be our place of rest for the night. After a warm homemade dinner, I playfully interviewed Crystal's daughter and husband. Her son wasn't into being interviewed.  

Crystal took great care of us. She helped us get our laundry washed and dried so that we could get some additional rest. She was adamant about us resting. Thanks, Crystal.

For me, it was the number of episodes recorded. There was a meetup that I was invited to in South Carolina. Being focused on the goal to get to 1001 recorded conversations I was constantly crunching numbers. Ideally, on day 3 we should have had, 36 recorded conversations. The meetup was where I would interview at least 12 people. Unfortunately, this wasn't possible.

The host told us the day before that there would only be a small window of time in which we could interview anyone. This was very disapointing. I would have only been able to interview 2 people. Driving east to then go so far west would not have been practical. We decided we would not. 

We were actually doing this. Yes, I knew it was ONLY Day 3 however we had already covered a huge amount of distance at this time. My confidence increased. Meeting those that I met brought encouragement. I was excited for what was to come. 

Meanwhile, in Trinidad, our two sons were doing great. Thankfully, technology and the internet brought with it the advantage of being able to see and speak to them live. It was very comforting to see how disinterested they were with us. We could barely keep their attention long enough as they were quite preoccupied with whatever they were doing at the point in time. Thankfully our family was doing a great job.

Reminders of my children would occur when we saw other parents with their children. Other than that we were overwhelmed by the multitude of task that went with this journey. Being busy actually helped us not to focus on how much we were missing our children. 

I shared the same sentiments with Engel, rested. Did I say I slept like a baby before? Well, I did. Thank you again, Inez, for your hospitality. On this morning, Engel would be recording his conversation with Inez. Before we did that, we took an early morning walk which was great for reflection. Every day needed to be processed in order to improve the next day.  

Our short-lived time with Inez was amazing. She made each of us feel special just by the questions asked and the pieces of advice given.  And just like that, we were on the road again. This day consisted of a lot of driving with Engel being the main driver. My driving ability went into hibernation once we were on American soil. I now had to polish my copilot skills which included ensuring Engel's comfort. For example, providing opened snacks and drinks to minimize distraction. We wouldn't want that, would we? 

Now, there were a few workplaces that we've visited which made us think, one of two things. One, wouldn't it be nice to work in a place like this? or two, this is an example of what we would like to create in our business. Design Extensions was one such place. It was pretty clear that Jay believed in the idea of treating your staff well to ensure your customers are treated well. All part of building a business that lasts, isn't it? Thank you, Jay, for the book and those cool hats, each played a part on our journey. Great literature and trendy, weather protection!

By this time we've met a few pets. Dogs, cats, ones we're accustomed to. Then we went to the Barber's in Savannah, Georgia. Trivinia was disappointed for us not being able to see a snake which was around earlier. I can't remember clearly if it was a frequent habit of this snake, or a one-time appearance, but I do know that we were NOT sad to have missed him. What I did admire was the work-life balance the Barbers were able to create. 

The anticipation of us all meeting Crystal Dixon in South Carolina soon came to an end as we pulled into her driveway. It was hugs all around. Then we were introduced to her family. The evening was filled with laughter and high spirits. Nothing less to be expected in the house of a Happiness Coach. We've had so many great online conversations with Crystal, now the offline, face to face conversation was even better.

North Carolina would be the next 12minRVconvos podcast journey stop. This is where SYNCHRONICITY begins to show up in ways that have all of us WOWed.

Follow us to the next day as we share the power of family as plans would have to change for our next stop. If you missed Day 2, click HERE to read now.