The Boys

S2:E11 Creating a Beautiful Life

• Jeremy Rice • Season 2 • Episode 11

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 Hey listeners, we talk a lot on here about creating beautiful homes that will bring you joy, but what about a beautiful life that does the same one that feels as good as it looks? Well, today, we are getting a little more real. No talk of draperies, no paint colors or gallery walls. Just the messy, beautiful truth of what it means to find your joy in unexpected places AND being open to share it. 

And if you've thought, I am too old to do something like that, or I've missed my chance, well guess again because our guest is the perfect example of how it's never too late to create a life led by joy again and again.  Believe it or not, her story starts with a cookie and discussing her gynecologist appointment with a stranger. I am not kidding.  

You are going to love her story, but most of all, we hope that it helps bring the idea of not just creating a beautiful home for you, but to create a beautiful life and to share it with others.

You are going to love it. Let's get to the story. 

Find her online: CheerfulBaker.com
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Find her book: The Boy Who Lost His Colors

Call or Text our Hotline and leave a message : 18594121572
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Hey listeners, we talk a lot on here about creating beautiful homes that will bring you joy, but what about a beautiful life that does the same one that feels as good as it looks? Well, today we are getting a little more real. I. No talk of draperies, no paint colors or gallery walls. Just the messy, beautiful truth of what it means to find your joy in unexpected places and being open to share it. And if you've thought, I am too old to do something like that. Or I've missed my chance. Well, guess again because our guest is the perfect example of how it's never too late to create a life led by joy again and again. And believe it or not, her story starts with a cookie. And discussing her gynecologist appointment with a stranger. I am not kidding. You are going to love her story, but most of all, we hope that it helps bring the idea of not just creating a beautiful home for you, but to create a beautiful life and to share it with others. You are going to love it. Let's get to the story.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

We are so excited to introduce you to a sweet friend of ours that we've known. was trying to think about this ahead of time. I think Dwayne, you may have known Lauren longer than the rest of us have, but it has to be close

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Uh, yeah. You wouldn't have known Lauren if wasn't for me.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

that, well, I know that.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well, Lord.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Dwayne and I have been friends for,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Don't

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

probably 26 years.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

my

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

26 years.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

years.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm. She knew me when I had hair.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah, it was before Stacey and I got married, and we've been married almost 26 years, so we've probably known each other 27, 28 years.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm. True story. Oh yeah.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

you

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

And we still like each other.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

We do.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

And that's a miracle when Dwayne's involved. Um, for those that don't know Lauren, Lauren is a category of person that, we describe as a joy dropper.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Aw,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

a term that I stole from our friend Amber. but she was describing,

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

dropper?

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

No,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I guess it depends on the day,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I'm too old for that.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah, no.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Uh,

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

there's something for everybody.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

but she is one of those people.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

love again. Oh.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah, he did. He did. She is one of those people that when you are around, your spirit is always lifted and you're always happier after you've seen her than before. Is that fair?

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Gosh, that makes me wanna cry that those are the nicest things. Thank you.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

It's the truth. It's the truth.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

in a little bit. Don't

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah. We'll get you later. Yeah,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

But that, but

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

no, it's the truth.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

It's just always, she's just like a little beam of light,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

You know, are there's people around your life? We had a, a former employee name, not to be mentioned, but I termed her, deemed her eor, right? Huh? Everything's nothing. I'm, I have a townhouse, but I have two steps to get in, and I got a Lexus, but it's two years old and my son's only visit three days outta the week. I'm like, oh my God. Quit complaining. Right? And so there's eos and then there's you. There's joy droppers when you walk in. There's smile, there's happy when they leave you. Like that was just a little fresh ray of sunshine. So,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Oh,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

you may not get it, you may not get that. You're a joy dropper, but you are. When

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

thank you.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

all said and done,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

So for those of us who know her as a joy dropper, we love that about her. But the other side of Lauren that I find is so fascinating is that I have no idea how old you are, Lauren, and I'm not gonna ask, but you have had so many. Acts in your life as far as like when we, how, just as when we've known you of like

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

True.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

and from our perspective, it's always seemed like you've been very successful at what you've done, but more than anything you've been able to find the joy in all of those things.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yes,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

So,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

true.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

um. Thinking back to when we originally met you, you were already friends with Dwayne, but you were, selling

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Southern living at home, Southern living at home.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah. And so she would bring in containers? And we would, I don't remember how we did it twain. Do you remember?

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

That's how we did it. I'd bring in containers and,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

yeah,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

you all would put the flowers in them.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Lord, he probably already

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

yeah.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

about it.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Lord.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well, I kind of did truthfully, it's like, just like with Lauren, I've had 4,000 lives. I'm like, I don't remember that, but Okay. Yeah. Well, I don't remember the specifics, but what I'll say is this, Lauren's always hustling.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

she's a

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

That's what I

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I am a hustler, hard work hard worker. Let's say hard worker.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

hard

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

hard worker. She's a right.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I mean, you, you absolutely, you're a hard worker, but hustler, like

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

have always been busy and it's always kind of been whatever you've been involved in, there's always been like this creative aspect to

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I say it that way in that I ain't gonna have to worry about Lauren and Right. Feeding her babies and stuff.'cause if she going, if that one doesn't work, I move on to the next thing. Or I'm gonna find this other new shiny object that I'm gonna make this work, she's gonna be fine. So when I say that she's a worker, absolutely. Yes.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Okay, so she did that and then I know that there was some time in between. But now she has written a book. She was on food network's Christmas cookie Challenge, now she has her own, business where she, draw and design cookie cutters

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yep.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

cookie makers all over the country. And I'm like, where the hell did all this come from?

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I know from a little, little bitty kitchen in a little town in Kentucky.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well, okay, so out of all that, guys, where do you wanna start?

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well, I really think he has to start with the cookie thing, right? Because the cookie thing led to the next thing, to the next thing, to the next thing, right? let's backstory is, is this. You are incredibly artistic, right? And creative.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yes.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

we talk about a cookie, you gotta look up the Cheerful Baker, right? And you gotta see her. Right. These are cookies that are Kathy, um, Lauren, um, has, uh, I dunno if you still do or not. You have classes in your house and you bake cookies and you show'em how to decorate. So my wife and daughter have done it at least once, if not twice. you can make a pretty cookie. And boy do they make pretty cookies, right? But more important, they taste real good.'cause a lot of times you get these cookies and it tastes like a piece of dry toast or brick, and then Lauren's cookies are real pretty, but they taste real good. And that's what impressed Kathy the most. It's like, oh, I can eat the cookie too. So anyway. So what's your, what's your cookie recipe? Or at least a secret to it. What's your little, what makes your cookie good?

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Years of experience, like I started making cookies. You can look on my Facebook, and there's a picture of me sitting on the counter with my mom. I mean, I've been baking a long time, and it makes a difference. You know, the basics of making a cookie, how long you cream the sugar, what kind of sugar and the butter, what kind of butter you use. I mean, all those. Things make a big difference in the product, and I'm thankful that my mom taught me all those good things.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Who's an earth angel Also, I think that's part of, if you were to ever meet Lauren's mom and dad, they are joy droppers, right?

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

are

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I'm gonna say it this way. They are advanced age and maybe they're starting to slow down a little bit. Right?

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Not

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

But

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

really

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

not really. Well,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

no.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

at it, okay, good. That's a, that's a good thing, right?'cause I haven't seen'em in a while. I haven't seen your mom in a while. Uh, but you say that and it's like, you would not guess their ages, right?'cause of how they act or personalities, how they, how they dress their, every, their aura.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Right.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

doesn't say, this is what my age is. And you go, you are what? Anyway. So part of your, part of your joy has to be from their influence and their personality. So, and her encouragement of you. So really, you've been doing this a long, long, long time to get this perfected recipe. And what think of, I, I don't bake, I don't, that scares me. But baking kind of like science, but then you're putting art, art on top of that?

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

It is. And I think that's why I like baking, because it is science and I've always loved science and my husband's really funny. You know, we both love to cook and he'll say. Put a little bit of this and put a little bit of that. I mean, and he's always saying, you need to throw in a little red pepper. That's what's gonna be on his tombstone. Just put a little dash of red pepper. And I'm like, you know, you can't do that with baking. And honestly, you know, all four of us are very, very creative and I think that's why I've always been drawn to you guys plus your, you're nice fellas, but you're creative. And I love creativity and creative people. When you're creative, sometimes you can, you know, flip from here to here. It's hard to stay focused. And I think one thing that I like about baking. Is, it slows my brain down. Because you have to do it exactly like the recipe says. You have to follow the directions. Exactly. And that's really the only place in my life where I do that. And so I find that it really settles me, honestly. And you know, when I started decorating cookies, one reason I started, well, I thought it would be fun, but also, you know, it was a tough time because my kids were little and my oldest one. Had a learning disability that made life very, very difficult for him. And you know, hard for us because we were trying to get him the help that he needed and struggling to find him the help that he needed. And so for me, baking and cookie decorating really slowed my mind down and I could sit and focus on something and kind of push out the outside noise. And find my happiness because you know, when you're decorating cookies or you're putting together a floral arrangement or decorating someone's mantle piece or Christmas tree or home, you can kind of put aside the things that are happening in your life and just focus on what you're doing. And I think we all need something like that in our lives.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well, maybe you can. Dwayne can't. He talks the whole damn time. He will talk about anything and everything.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

He does. And it's funny that, it's funny that you say that.'cause usually when I'm on an install, whether it be a. One room a whole house, or Christmas or whatever. I don't bring my phone in with me because I don't wanna be distracted with it. And people are like, well, I know you're there. Why didn't you call me back? It's like, well,'cause I'm busy I'm in my own little world. So I get, I get how you escaping your

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yes.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

That explains why when we call you don't answer and then you call back. Okay. I, I really didn't know that. I just learned that. I, I didn't know that. Hmm.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah, that's very helpful to

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

aside.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

a business down when you don't fucking answer the phone, but that's okay.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I have two very competent business partners

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

You have

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

have one. You have

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

21.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

won very

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I'm taking myself out. Yeah.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

that is correct.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

So in the, so cookies, you were doing that. It was being able to, to slow your mind down, which I would've never thought about. But that makes so much sense, especially if I think for the three of us where our minds also go 24,000 different directions all the time. and then how did food network happen? Because that was in 2022, right?

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

No, it was in 2020.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

oh,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

it was, it was crazy. So, well, maybe 20, 21. You know, I, I'm creative dates mean nothing to me, but, um, it was season six, I can tell you that. But no, it was the craziest thing because, you know, I was making my cookies and it's so funny, Dwayne, because I did used to have cookie decorating classes in my house, and I think. Kathy probably came and your daughter came to the very first one. I don't do'em in my house anymore. I do'em at a winery in Versailles. But that, when you mentioned that, I thought, oh, that is a memory. That was a long time ago. But anyway, you know, I, I was decorating cookies. I was, I started to sell cookies and, during Covid, I couldn't sell cookies'cause nobody was doing activities. So I got involved in this Instagram group. And we were trying to, learn how to create videos and do things on Instagram. And I thought that was so much fun. And our mentor said to us, if you aspire to be on the food network, which that we all do, I mean, I don't wanna say we all, but as a cookie decorator, there's a lot of chatter about that. You know, you want to be on the Christmas cookie challenge. And I never thought that was possible for me. I really didn't, because again, I'm a mom. Who makes cookies. Who lives in a teeny tiny town in Kentucky. So if you would've asked me when I first started, do you think you could ever end up in the food network? And I'd have been like, are you insane? No. And I'm a dreamer, but I just would not have thought that that was gonna be anywhere in my life. So. In Instagram, he said to us, if, if you want to do that, you need to set yourself apart. So you need to make sure that you have your photo and your, all your information on your Instagram, but you need to do things that other people don't do. So I started dancing. I mean, I think I've probably taken down all the videos, but I, I would, I would dance in my. You know, in my kitchen and I would dance when I was making cookies. And I just had a lot of fun. And then during that time I changed my name to the Cheerful Baker because my brother's a minister and he preached this wonderful sermon during Covid VID, and he said, our lives are gonna be changed in some way. How can they be changed for the better? And so everybody had sort of teased me. It's funny you said IOR because my nickname in my neighborhood was Tigger because I'm happy and I bounce around all the time. And so there's a verse in the Bible that says A joyful heart makes a cheerful face. And I thought, you know, that's me. I'm joyful because I'm a Christian and I'm happy most all the time. So I thought, I'm gonna make myself, I'm gonna turn into the cheerful baker. So I couldn't believe there wasn't a cheerful baker. So I think my name being the cheerful baker and the fact that I did all these fun things on Instagram, I think that's how they found me. Because if you watch the Christmas cookie challenge and, and the next time you watch it, you'll see this. There are different personalities and one person is happy. And so I, I mean, really you watch and you're like, oh yeah, that's, that's the Lauren on this show. So I think both those things together, they found me and they contacted me through Instagram and they said, we would really love to talk to you about being on the Food Network. And of course, I immediately looked at the person who had sent me the message. There was nothing about the food network and I, I didn't think that it was real. but then I thought, well, I'll, I'll respond. So I said, yeah, sure. You know, I'll talk to you. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'll be done about one 30. Why don't, why don't you call suny? She calls and she's like, Lauren, how was your doctor's appointment? I'm like, oh, it was the gynecologist. You know how that is. It was great. Because I was not at all professional because I thought that some, I didn't think that it was a real thing, but that worked to my advantage because we laughed. I talked to her the whole way home and she said, have you ever watched the Food Network? And thought I need to be on there. And I'm like, are you kidding me? I've never thought that. And so we laughed and laughed and by the time I got home, which was about a 30 minute drive, she said, you know, you're a lot of fun. I'm gonna send your name in. To the producers, and I'm like, okay, ha ha, ha. Well, within an hour I had a very professional email from the Food Network,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Wow.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

and a lot of interviews. No, but I couldn't believe when I found out that it was real, I thought, oh my gosh, I can't believe the things we talked about, but.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah. I was like, oh lord. There's too much information here. Right.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

It was, but I was just trying to have fun and I was probably nervous. You know, when you're nervous it. When I'm nervous, I talk too much. So, um. They, they chose me and, am I the greatest cookie decorator? No. I mean, I'm fine. There's lots of great cookie decorators, but they said to me at the very end of the interview process, I. They said, Lauren, you have a great personality for television.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

took that as such a compliment because, you know, I just, I am happy. I look at the glass half full. I try and make the best of situations and I just like to smile and laugh, and that's what they were looking for. So that was crazy. I still can't believe I did it.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

What I love from that whole story is that you found something that brought you peace, brought you joy, and you turned it into something by being your authentic self.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Right.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

too late for a mother of two to have a new dream. And I love that. Like that's e every time.'cause people always feel like if they haven't done something by the time they're 30, if they haven't done something by the time they're 40, it's too late to dream. Right?

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well listen.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

that. I

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I don't mind telling you, I, I'm almost 57, so this happened when I was 51. So if it's not too late for me, I mean, it's never too late.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

you know, one of the coolest things about that whole experience was, if not probably the best, was at the watch party and Dwayne was at my house for the watch party. Watching my children watch me on TV and the pride that they felt was really incredible. That was great.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

fun, wasn't it, Dwayne?

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

It. No. True fun. Had a great crowd. Now tell the the audience, it's a competition, tell'em about you winning the competition.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Oh wait, you didn't,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I didn't. Oh, thank. Okay, now.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

chose. They chose Now you were so gracious about the, uh, the competition and the girl that won and I wanna. you as I remember it, but you said, um, that she needed this, she needed this encouragement, she needed the money, whatever the things that, whatever you said

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yes.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

needed it. So you instantly took your ego, your wanting to win out and said to the side, and you were truly I felt the energy you were. Happy that this young girl from wherever, won. How, how did you, how do you reconcile that? How did you get to that part of your heart to be able to go? I, I'm good with this.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

You know, when I was going to the food network, a friend of mine said to me, you know, you're going to talk about Jesus. And I'm like. Am I really, because although being a Christian is a big part of my life, it's not something that I have ever felt real comfortable just going up to someone and talking about. So,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

You

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

um,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

faith versus preaching

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

yes, yes. So she said that to me.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

have, you have to have a Diamond Cross on today to show that you're a Christian? No.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

No,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

good.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

no.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

move. No,

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

d Wade.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

No, I think you love people. That's, that's how I like to show that I'm a Christian. You love people,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

it.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

so. Anyway, I tried to do that, you know, just during this competition I tried to love the people that were there and the girl who won was such a doll and she, she wouldn't mind me sharing this. She really suffered from, anxiety, I mean. Big time anxiety. And she did not, she almost said no to coming on the show, and she was so talented, you know, and she had worked in food service her whole life and she struggled financially. And so, you know, I just tried to love on the people that were there. Well, at the end, the producer said to me, Lauren, we notice something different about you that we don't normally see. He said, you just see this. We see this light and happiness about you that we don't normally see in people that come on this show. And I said, well, you're seeing Jesus through me. So that experience for me was the win. That was the win. So when I didn't win, of course I was, I was disappointed at first, and then I thought, you know,$10,000. Won't make a difference in my life. Sure, it would be nice. I would love to have$10,000, but I'm very blessed. Stacey has a good job. You know, we have everything we need. She could really use that. You know, she was young, she was talented, she didn't have a lot of money, and I thought, gosh, how wonderful for her. And so I think both those things combined. You know, after the sting of, I mean, of course I was disappointed, but then after I really had time to think about it, I thought this happened the way it was supposed to happen.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

So, you know, we've never had this conversation. This is the first time, right? I was there and I was there at the real moment. But why I'm saying that. Is, that's the energy, right? This is your first time you hearing this. You might have heard it from others, but for me, this is the first time you saying it. That was the energy I felt that there was still joy in your life and you've, and I didn't understand, I really was asking the question. I didn't understand how you got there. And it

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

your love of people. And so that was fascinating because, um, I have to, I'm being a true teller, right? Yours was better. Uh, now I don't know how they make decisions and how they choose and things, and I'm not the whole background of everything, but the night of the competition that they made the decision on who's best. And I'm not saying this Lauren just score point, or for at least as I mean this sincerely. That night. not nights before, right? I don't know that. But that night we saw that cookie, what you made was the best. And so

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Thank you.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

she got robbed. She got robbed. Big time.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

But you know, a lot of blessings have come from that experience. I mean, my business grew. I've been able to teach people all over the country with my subscription box. You know, it let people kind of know who I was, which as you know, as a business owner, that's. That's part of it. So I reaped some incredible benefits from that experience that had nothing to do with whether I, I won or lost, and I can put that on my resume, you know, food network. That's kind of cool.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

So what's this thing that you call subscription box? Tell us about this also Bo, been joy dropping, trying to get us to do a subscription box for bows. Bose on your front door. So anyway, you tell your subscription box and then you'll get these other people to, uh, help us get rich. There you

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yes, I'm, listen, I'm going to, I'm gonna hold you all accountable now that you've put it out in the universe. So I was teaching classes, As we've already talked about in my house and then when I came back, well, before I went on the food network, I started making cookie cutters because Stacy, my husband's really techie and he wanted a 3D printer. And so I thought, okay, we can print cookie cutters, and that sounds like fun. So I learned how to do that, design'em and print'em. And then I thought, gosh, I've been given this incredible opportunity.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Okay.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Stacey's techie. So, you know, I, I had, I couldn't have done it without him, but, um, I thought I'm gonna have this incredible opportunity to be in front of a nationwide audience. How can I harness this to help put my children through college?

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

And I thought, you know, I Kentucky will not allow you to ship cookies. You're not allowed to ship them outta state, nor would I want to because it's a lot of work, you know, a lot of packaging. I, I, I have shipped cookies to friends from college and I thought, I don't wanna do that. And so, um, I thought, you know, I love teaching classes. I love teaching people. I mean, don't you all love when someone comes. To your shop to learn how to do something creative. It just gives you a lot of joy teaching someone else to do that. So I thought, okay, I know how to make cookie cutters. I know how to teach a class. I know how to film video because of my Instagram experience. I know about marketing. I know, you know, all these things I've done in the past. Gave me the skills to be able to do everything that a subscription box needed, and I thought I can put in cookie cutters, I can film a class, teach other people how to do it, because when I started I could find the cookie cutter, but I didn't know how to decorate it. Or I could find the tutorial on Instagram, but I didn't know where to find the cookie cutter. So cookie. Decorating has given me so much in my life. I mean, stress reliever, finances, fun. Um, I thought I wanna be able to do that for other people. So I had a friend who had a subscription box and I had lunch with her and I'm like, you know, tell me about this subscription box. And she did high end home decor. And so she gave me this little thin book about how to do a subscription box. And I jump in. I mean, I think Jeremy, you're probably the most like me in that. Like, you're like, okay, I'm just,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

gonna do it.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yep.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

So that's what I did. So I put together, it wasn't very good. You know, I got some boxes off Amazon and I tried to make'em pretty and um, put some cookie cutters in a class that was. It really wasn't very good and I had, I think maybe 18 people sign up and then it went to 30 and then it grew and I became better. Now I have a beautiful box. You know, it's, it's the way that it should be now. But the coolest thing about that is my, like I've never been money oriented ever. I just do things'cause they're fun, but I thought maybe I can pay for. Caleb my oldest, maybe I can pay his college tuition. And that'll kind of take some stress off Stacy, because you know, when we had kids I said, I don't wanna work, I wanna stay home. And he said, that's fine, you know, no problem. So I thought, if I can pay the college tuition, that's one less thing that he has to, you know, in his brain worry about. And so, do you know the first month that I paid his college tuition? Was almost, almost to the dollar of what I made from my subscription boxes.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

wow.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Wow.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

It was incredible. And so now, I mean, I just love it. I, I love when I see cookies that people make, because they learn that from me. And you know, there I have, I'm looking at my map up here. I have a map with people's names and push pins. I think there's only, I can't see that far'cause I don't have my glasses on, but I, Wisconsin and we might, I think there's only two states where we don't have subscribers in, so that's really exciting.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

That's

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

gotta get Wisconsin on it.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well, this

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well, the thing that, as you're sharing this, everything that's evolved. Is because of love, right? did this because this is your love. You did this because you wanted to love your son. You did this because you love Stacey. You wanted to take another obligation off him. All these things are your creativity, but ultimately I'm doing it because there's love in my heart

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

True.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

these things.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yes.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

saw it that way,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

No, but you're right,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

saying. Yeah, exactly.'cause I, I was thinking as Stacy in, in taking it off his shoulders or out of his mind. I'm doing that because I love him.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

right.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

this is one of the reasons why it was really

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

that we wanted to share you and your story with our followers.'cause you know, obviously it has absolutely nothing to do with home design, floral design, and tears, but the point, but she lives what we say and talk about on here all the time. Find your joy, live it, share it. be inspired, and you can make a life out of that, right? Like that

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yes.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

whole purpose is. And I just think this is a great story for people to be inspired and be able to identify with. I, I, that's, I just think

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

But I will take Umbridge, what you just said. I think she has everything to do with what we are.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Oh, the listeners don't know this, but she's the reason why they're hearing us in this podcast. She was, she was

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

yes, yes,

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

yes,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

like, oh,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

yes, yes,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

right.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

started chatting about it and I was like, I think

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

yes.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

this. I think we're gonna do this. She was the whole, she was the reason.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I forgot about that. You're right. So

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

this is, yeah, what I walk away from all this so far is is, this show is not about design, but this show is about love what you do, be happy in life. You have the ability to change your life and we all are that right Because we three boys have had to reinvent. Ourselves 22 times with this business.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

yes.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

it's the tenacity. It's about never giving up. It's about seeing the next opportunity. And if the listeners get from this, what I wanna get from this is first, it's never too late. Don't be an eor, don't give up. Be a joy dropper. You can change people's lives. You, you control your lives. You, don't cover your head up with, uh, the blanket and, and crawl into bed. can do this. And I think that's what we are about is we are joy droppers that people come in and they've said, this is our happy place. Well, I had somebody say to me once, what you do seems so right? I, I said this before, and I just say to, to all those people who think that cookies are frivolous cookie colors are frivolous, or design is frivolous. Okay, fine. But what we know there's other people that don't think it's frivolous and it gives them absolute, utter joy. And when we understand the joy that we give others, it's infectious. Once it's all said and done,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yes, and I think too something that. Probably people who listen to your podcasts are creative. And I truly believe that all of us have some type of creativity within us, whether it's writing, singing, design, um, you know, baking. And if you can find that, I truly feel like that brings you a lot of happiness.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm. You know the one thing, let's talk about your son's book. We just touched on it very briefly. Now you know she's a cookie extraordinaire, but she's an author.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Now

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Tell us, tell us about the book and why you wrote the book and how,'cause this is important, another important layer to who you are.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

This is the thing I'm the most proud about and I har don't talk about very often because, because of why I did it. So Caleb has dyslexia and like I said, school was really hard for him and when he was young, we went to this place in Lexington. It was a learning center. And what they did is they would do the most fun things to help children learn how to write. And one activity was they said, take a pen. You have to use a pen'cause you can't erase it. Take a pen and a piece of paper and set a timer for five minutes and write and don't stop. And so. We, we enjoyed doing that. We thought that that was really fun and he was really little. So one day I was at home and I literally thought, I'm gonna do the same thing. And I have to preface this by, I'm not a writer, I. I thank God for chat, GPT. I mean, I'm not kidding. I am, I'm really not a writer. That's not my strong suit. So I wrote, I sat down, I set a timer for five minutes and I wrote this little story and it just poured out of my heart about a little boy who, uh, and I had no intentions of. Making a book out of it. I just wrote a story down and I put it in my drawer for years, and it's the story, it's called The Boy Who Lost His Colors, and it's Caleb's story. It's a, it's a story of a little boy who is filled with color because he reaches up and he grabs some blue from the sky and he grabs green from his pop's grass and love from his mother's heart, and he's filled with all these colors and he goes to school. And he's frustrated and then he becomes black and white so through the story, the illustrator was incredible. She, you know, she shows him becoming black and white, and so his mother says. I'm gonna help you bring your colors back. So that's what I did with Caleb. You know, I find I found ways to teach him differently. I took him outta school and homeschooled him. I put him in different schools, Stacy too, you know, that would help him. And so by the end of the book, this little boy, the mom peeks around the corner and she sees all the colors of the rainbow on the wall. And she knows that her, that she did her job, that she filled him with his colors again. And so, like I said, I just wrote this little story and then I shared it with a friend of mine who. I was an editor for the Lexington Herald Leader, and she said, Lauren, this is really good. She said, you need to turn this into a book. Well, during Covid, I thought, okay, you know, I'm artistic. I'll try and illustrate it. Well, I'm not that artistic. But then I was in a group of people that were trying to learn how to draw on procreate. We did it every single day. That's how I got through. Being stuck at home. There was this incredible illustrator. I mean, every time she would put something out there, I just loved it. So I reached out to her and I said, you know, would you be interested? Would you illustrate a book for me? Because all I wanted was one book to give to Caleb when he graduated from high school. Um, and so at first she said no. And then after talking to her a little bit, she said yes because she had done it once before and had a terrible. Experience. And I said, listen, I don't care what you do. I'm gonna give it to you. You give it back to me, I'll pay you. Whatever you do, it's fine with me. Well, it was incredible. And so this little project, I thought, okay, maybe I'll self-publish. So the reason I say I don't ever talk about it is you can find it on Amazon. I only, I really only did this. To have a book to give to Caleb, but I, I need to talk about it more because having a child with a learning difficulty is hard, hard, hard on the parents. I. 10 times hard on the child. But when you love your child so much and you don't know how to help'em, you just feel like you're sinking into this hole that you can't get out of. And really that's why I started decorating cookies'cause I needed something to, get me out of my own head. And so, um, one of the. One of the proudest moments of my entire life was when I went into my local library and I looked my name up on the card catalog and I found that book, so

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

that's my most, that's my most proud accomplishment is that book that I wrote.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I saw you doing press, like locally, like on the TV stations here, doing for, and of course was very proud and happy for you and, and at the time didn't get a chance to look into the book. And so before we talked to you today, I was trying to just make sure I had all my, like, t's crossed, and I dotted just to have to know anything to talk about it. And I started reading some of the reviews of your book, and I don't know if you've read them, but it has made a difference for a lot of people out there. And one of the reviews I thought was really sweet and she was talking about her, child and she was, I pray that this is an every school library in the

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Aw,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

my child needed. And I

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

that makes me cry. That's so not, it does. That makes me cry because. Because the thing is, is, you know, if our story can help someone know that there is a rainbow at the end of the tunnel, then that what a, what an incredible thing that is because my son is doing great, you know, he's doing great. He went on a mission trip. He, he. Came back, a much happier person. He's in college. He's doing wonderful. You know, it's hard for him. It's no fun. But he pushes through. He's, he's doing fantastic. And if, if that can happen within our family, it's possible for anybody. It just takes a lot of work, a lot of prayer, and a lot of help.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

And a joy dropper of her mama.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Right. That's right.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

more. I gotta do a, we're running out of time, so I'm gonna say we got a hard little segment switch to, so Lauren, again, author, cookie cutter, maker and cookie. Extraordinary teacher. But now she's involved yet again in something new. So let's talk about the supper club. Tell us

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Oh.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

this.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Oh,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

'cause I'm fascinated about this one.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Oh yes. You all need to check you. Who, which one of you are gonna join the supper club? That's what I want to know.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Stewart

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

so.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Stewart is, is the bougie gay,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

the

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

and I feel like he is a social butterfly. He just bought him a, a European station wagon so he can pull up at these mansions and look good. He's got the best clothing,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

There you go. You're in, you're in.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Here he is.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

So the Supper Club is, from this wonderful, amazing woman named Lydia Menzies. That that is who, started it. And it's a group of creative entrepreneurs. And most everybody is either in the entertainment industry, home design, loves doing parties. Um, a lot of interior designers. And we get together and we share ideas and we collaborate and we go on these incredibly fun soiree, but we just put out a book and it's called The Supper Club, and it's, I think there's, there might be 52 i, I could be pulling that number outta my head. There's a ton of parties, so any kind of party you could ever want, you flip open this book. And you can find ideas. And so I have tons of cookies in there. It is a beautiful book. And we did, we did an incredible derby party in Kentucky that's in the book. Um, we did a golf party in Kentucky, but there literally any party you could ever wanna have, you can find in that book. So you can go to Lydia Menzies. Just look up Lydia Menzies Supper Club. It's M-E-N-Z-I-E-S. And you can find out how to join the Supper Club. Um, you can find out about the book, but it is such an incredibly fun, fun group. In fact, yesterday talking about my mom, my mom's 89. You'd never know it. We went to Nashville yesterday. Or the day before, and we went to a supper club event at Draper James where there was a book signing and it was fun and bougie and there were gorgeous fresh flower arrangements that she showed us how to do. And we had great food and it's a fun group.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well, we'll put all the information down in the show notes so people can follow up and find you and look at your, uh, cookie cutter subscription box and find all things Lauren or the cheerful baker. but.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Sounds good.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

though.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

it is a lot. Well, I mean, she's, that's why when I was, I was telling my husband last night, I'm like, we're we're chatting with Lauren tomorrow. And she was, he was like, oh, um, what, what all you're talking about? And I'm like, so I started to giving him like, you know, all these things and he was like, this is the same person. I was like, yeah. I was like, this is just like an excellent example of someone who just lives with their heart, who finds their joy, who just goes with it, takes the opportunities when they're presented, prepares for them, and. She's just got an amazing story. So I hope our listeners today gained some, inspiration today.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well, I need to give a shout out to Dwayne before we hang up. Dwayne, you have been probably my number one supporter through everything I've ever done. You have, I mean, I remember when I started doing Southern Living, Dwayne was like, bring in the containers. We'll put flowers in them. When I started doing cookies, he's like, bring cookies into the shop. We'll give them out to customers, you know? I go in the shop and Dwayne immediately finds someone and brings them over and says, you need to meet my friend Lauren. She makes beautiful cookies. So seriously. Dwayne, you are incredible like that. You are a supporter of people and I love that about you. How when you meet someone that is an entrepreneur, you do everything you can to help raise them to a higher level, and that is a very special quality in you.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Thank you. We're all in this together. We really are.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yep.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

I had be in it a little bit more with some cookies.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

And they're good cookies. Well,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

you hinting?

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Levits?

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Are you hinting?

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

brought in and she's like,

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

it's got lavender in it. It's lavender. Because it's like, that sounds awful. Well, I ate the

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

They were good,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

okay. It's good.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

lavender, lemon.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Real good.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Mm-hmm.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Sounds

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

you brought some of those for our Christmas in July sale. I remember one year at the store and oh, Lord, they

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

That's right.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Well, Lauren, thank you so much for joining us today. I think it's been a,

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Thank you.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

and, and inspirational and motivational and remember, it's never too late. You can do anything.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yes, that's right.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

we're back every Wednesday with a new podcast. If you have not downloaded our mobile shopping app House Floral, please do so. You can follow us along with our live sales that we have every week. Don't forget, we also have a hotline that you can call and give us any of your opinions and some of y'all have some opinions, um, but we love to hear it.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

And watch out for their subscription box of beautiful bows,

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah.

lauren_1_05-01-2025_085757:

right.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

we gotta figure that out. All right,

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Yeah.

jeremy_1_05-01-2025_085757:

you all next week. Thanks for joining. Bye.

stuart_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Thank you.

dwayne_1_05-01-2025_085757:

Bye.

People on this episode

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Dwayne Anderson

Host
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Jeremy Rice

Host
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Stuart Hurt

Host