ABC’s General Hospital’s Pearl: Deception Beauty A Reality with Andy Paige
Are you ready to discover the inspiring journey of a true multi-talented entrepreneur? In this episode, I sit down with Andy Paige, a powerhouse in the entertainment industry who has worn many hats throughout her career – from soap actress and QVC guest host to bestselling author and innovative product creator.
We explore Andy’s fascinating origin story, from her early days in a small Alabama town to her bold move to New York City at just 17 years old. Andy shares the valuable life lessons she learned along the way, including the importance of faith, curiosity, and perseverance in achieving one’s dreams.
Key Takeaways:
- The power of embracing diverse experiences and learning from every opportunity
- How to leverage your unique skills and background to create innovative products
- The importance of maintaining professional relationships and never burning bridges
- Strategies for adapting to changing industries and technologies
- The value of continuous learning and personal growth at any age
From Reality TV to Soap Opera Stardom
Andy takes us behind the scenes of her transition from reality television to her current role on ABC’s General Hospital. She shares insights on the challenges of scripted television and how she’s adapting to this new chapter in her career.
Revolutionizing TV Merchandising
We discuss an exciting new experiment Andy is part of, which aims to bridge the gap between television content and consumer products. Learn how this innovative approach could change the way we interact with our favorite shows and characters.
The Birth of the Girly Go Garter
Andy reveals the inspiring story behind her patented invention, the Girly Go Garter. Discover how a personal challenge led to the creation of a product that has helped countless women solve everyday carrying problems.
Lessons in Resilience and Adaptability
From navigating the challenges of the pandemic to reinventing her business model, Andy shares valuable insights on staying resilient in the face of adversity and adapting to changing circumstances.
This conversation is packed with practical advice and inspiring stories for entrepreneurs, creatives, and anyone looking to make their mark in their chosen field. Whether you’re just starting out or seeking to reinvent yourself, you’ll find valuable insights to help you on your journey.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Andy’s diverse experiences and entrepreneurial spirit. Tune in now and get ready to be inspired to give a heck about your dreams and aspirations!
Connect with Andy Paige:
Website: https://andypaige.com/
Website: https://shophomeandheart.com/
Website: https://girlygogarter.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andy.paige.9?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theandypaige/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andypaige/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/andypaige/
Connect with Dwight Heck:
Website: https://giveaheck.com (Free Book Offer)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/give.a.heck
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dwight.heck
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Giveaheck
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@giveaheck
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwight-raymond-heck-65a90150/
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@giveaheck
X: https://x.com/give_a_heck
Key Moments in Episode(Complete transcript after)
00:00:02
Introduction to Andy Paige: Multi-Talented Entrepreneur
Andy Paige is introduced as a soap actress, podcast host, QVC guest host, and beauty and lifestyle expert. Her accomplishments include starring on ABC’s General Hospital, authoring the bestselling book “Style on a Shoestring,” and inventing the Girly Go Garter.
00:03:30
Andy’s Origin Story: From Small Town to Big Dreams
Andy shares her background, growing up in a small Alabama town with strong religious influences. She discusses her decision to drop out of high school at 17 and move to New York City to pursue her dreams in the modeling industry.
00:32:33
Transitioning to Scripted Television
Andy talks about her current role on General Hospital and the challenges of transitioning from reality TV to scripted television. She discusses the differences in performance styles and her efforts to improve her acting skills.
00:58:15
Revolutionizing TV Merchandising
Andy explains an innovative experiment she’s part of on General Hospital, which aims to make products from the show available for purchase by viewers. She discusses how this could change the future of television and advertising.
01:12:38
Closing Message: The Power of Effort
Andy emphasizes the importance of putting in effort in all aspects of life. She encourages listeners to plant seeds for future success and to approach life with
Complete Show Transcript(unedited):
[00:00:03 – 00:01:44]
Good day and welcome to Give A Heck. On today’s show, I welcome Andy Page. Where do I begin with such a long list of accomplishments? Well, how about this? Andy is a soap actress, podcast host, QVC guest host, beauty image, lifestyle expert for national TV and radio. She currently is one of the stars in her current role as Pearl on ABC’s General Hospital and he mimics her actual QVC guest host experience captivating and selling products to both TV audience through innovative consumer advertising. Andy’s international bestselling book Style on a Shrew String which helps develop your sense of style and look like a million without spending a fortune. There’s also hundreds of fabulously frugal makeovers and over 200 episodes of television airing in 14 countries that earned Andy the TV guide appointed title. Budget bombshell and his extensive work on television have all made Annie the charming and sassy go to gal for red carpet style and courageous image help. Andy also worked her budget fashion magic on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice proving her theory. You don’t have to spend a fortune to look like a million. Annie in 2013 added to her successful line of products and launched her internationally patented girly gold garter, the smart garter with pockets that sleepily holds your phone, money, credit cards, etc. I’d like to welcome you to the show, Andy. Thanks so much for agreeing to come on and share with us some of your life journey.
[00:01:44 – 00:01:48]
Dwight, I cannot believe you did all that. Oh my gosh.
[00:01:49 – 00:01:52]
I narrowed it down. I narrowed it down.
[00:01:53 – 00:02:02]
I appreciate the deep dive into yeah, many of my accomplishments. That is very, very, very kind. Thank you so much for such a lovely introd section.
[00:02:02 – 00:03:03]
You’re welcome. I was going to read the whole thing. For the listeners or people watching. Andy’s bio is full of nuggets that I never even shared because this, this lady has accomplished so much, so so much fabulous things and helped so many people. But I had to narrow it down otherwise I would have been reading for a few minutes because it her accolades are so great. You should just go check her out. We’ll talk about her website and how to get a hold of her later. But let’s dive into the show. Andy. One of the things I like focusing on is a person’s origin story because I believe our origin is so important. So many people discount our past and they, and they hide the pain and the sorrow and some people it’s. They hide the great things that help them project themselves or you know, be have their trajectory be very positive in their adulthood. So good, bad and Ugly. I’d appreciate you sharing anything that you feel comfortable sharing from your earliest recollections to where you are today.
[00:03:03 – 00:04:48]
Oh, Dwight. Well, I’m an open book. There is a lot for you to discover about me. I come from a very small town in Alabama and I’m really fortunate that I had the extreme influence of my grandparents and my great grandparents. So I went to a small Catholic school, even though I was a Southern Baptist. I was in church six to sometimes seven days a week in one way or the other, whether it was at school or, you know, at my Baptist church. I had a lot of churching growing up. I had was instilled a lot of really important life lessons and important, you know, talents. And I’m really fortunate that God made me tall because by the time I was 10 years old, I was 5 foot 11. So I was a very, very tall person. Yeah, by the time I was very young and at 17 I became a high school dropout. I dropped out of high school, moved to New York with the belief that, you know, God was my bud and I was going to be just fine. And I moved into a model’s home. Within six months I had my own apartment in New York and I got my GED and got into college. I now have a double master’s in media studies and Broadcast journalism. But I just have always walked with a great amount of faith and curiosity and belief that the life that you want can be yours if you just try hard enough. Leave a legacy of kindness, plant good seeds and see where life can take you. So that’s a little bit of my origin story and a little bit of my philosophy.
[00:04:48 – 00:05:31]
That’s awesome that you saying that you’re Baptist and I have a lot of Baptist friends and went to a Catholic school. Like there’s, there’s commonalities, but that must have been an. A character building experience. So going to school with Catholics and then going to a Baptist church six to seven times a week because right where I mentioned to you before we hit record, where my parents live is in a small community literally out the one window as a huge Baptist church. So some of my closest friends went to that, went to that church. We’d meet in the parking lot or whatever. Just because the community was only 10,000 people when I was growing up. Right. So what was that like? Can you. Do you have recollections of that?
[00:05:31 – 00:06:21]
Oh, I definitely do. The school that I went to was very small and I was in that school for nine years. So I was there from. Yeah, so I pretty Much went to school with the same, you know, 20 kids. So it was wonderful. It gave me an education that I’m so very grateful for. And, you know, there were lots of practices. I mean, even though I did not go through the actual ceremonies, I went through confirmation, I went through first communion. I did everything through the Catholic faith. But then on the weekends and Wednesday nights, I would do everything of the Baptist faith. So in the Baptist faith, you know, you have to choose baptism. There’s no statuary. You know, we, we don’t believe that there is a separation between you and God. So you don’t have to go to the priest to actually, you know, get to God.
[00:06:21 – 00:06:23]
You can pray for reconciliation.
[00:06:23 – 00:07:12]
Yeah, so there was lots of differences, but I, I didn’t really fully understand it until I was older. I just knew that, you know, I was surrounded by people who had great faith. And so I was just constantly given the message that God was important, God was good, God would protect you, God was watching. So I kept myself, you know, on, on the right path. And I’m really glad that, you know, I had all of that, that influence. So I definitely understand. You know, my youth group in the Southern Baptist Church was huge, and I loved being around those kids. And then, you know, I was also just as comfortable with nuns and priests and the small, you know, 20 group of kids that I went to school with as well.
[00:07:12 – 00:08:07]
I love that because one of the things that I talk about quite often is the life should be like a buffet. You go up to the buffet, you don’t eat everything, but you might try a little portion. I remember first time, everyone to a buffet. My dad and mom say, just take a little bit if you don’t like it. So you don’t want to waste, but you get to experience it. You don’t ever have to go back. Well, you have the buffet of two different faiths that made it so that I imagine when you got older, though, like you said, you’re very good at explaining that you got to experience so many different, different things. You got to experience the sacraments of the Catholic Church and you got to see what the Baptist Church believes. And. But at the end of the day, really, at the end of the day, what do you go to a buffet for to satiate yourself? Well, you go to about. You get a buffet of religion, you’re satiating yourself with, with the Lord, right, With God. So that I, I find that you were blessed. That I think that is most definitely right.
[00:08:07 – 00:08:46]
Yeah, most definitely. And I, and I have respect for. So I Mean, I love the Catholic ceremony and how, you know the rituals. I think that, you know, that’s beautiful thing, and I love and respect that. And then I also love the. At least in my church, it was very casual and, you know, there was nothing. There was very little pomp and circumstance to it. So I am really fortunate that I had that perspective. But the overarching umbrella message was the same no matter what, what type of building I was in. And that was, you know, you want to lead a spiritual life. And so I was always taught to take care of my mind, my body, and my spiritual.
[00:08:46 – 00:10:26]
That’s awesome. I was. I grew up in a Catholic church. I’m still practicing Catholic. My parish, on an average, my parish is huge because it sets 1500 people a mass, right? They have four masses a weekend. But I grew up in Camrose, which is a small little farming community southeast of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. For those that are listening, that are from some place besides Canada. And I used to have friends that went to the Lutheran church, Baptist church, Protestant. And I used to. We. I’d have sleepovers. While it was always an expectation to go with them to. To their church, to their Mass. Right. My parents were. But as long as you go to a mass somewhere, if you don’t go to their Catholic church this weekend, oh, well. And boy, was it like a buffet, though, and their thought processes and their thinking and. And I found it really good for me, right, that I had that opportunity to go to all these different type of churches and even Jehovah Witness churches. Right. Stuff like that. Whether I agree with something or disagree with it, it’s always nice to stretch our thought process, our vision of what the reality that we live in is sometimes so encapsulated and so narrow. So I think you and I are both blessed. But thank you so much for sharing that. I appreciate that. So I want to focus on one of the things you mentioned, because I do have that here. You dropped out of high school at 17, headed off to New York City by 18, you are on your own in college. You mentioned that you had managed to get your own apartment and stuff. Looking back, what was the most difficult part of that journey and what did it teach you?
[00:10:28 – 00:13:33]
The, without a doubt, the most difficult part was money management, you know, because I knew I could do it. But, you know, I had a full year where I lived on a $5 budget, and that $5 a day had to get me to and from home. So there was the subway that was involved, and that left me usually about $3 to eat. So, you know, I had a lot of dollar pizzas, a lot of, you know, really ramen. But I was determined to make it. So I, you know, I figured it out. There were lots of, I mean, I was young, I was attractive, there was lots of dating involved. So I just, I just kind of figured it out. But, you know, the hardest part was definitely money management. There’s no doubt about that. I was determined to do it. You know, a lot of people would think that it would be the rejection because I was in the modeling industry. However, I will tell you that I had a genius agent who really instilled in me a practice that I still do today. And you know, she sat me down at 17 and said, okay, we need, I need you to really understand that if you can book, you know, 10% of the jobs that I send you out on or 10% of your go sees, then you’re going to be a successful model. But that means that you are only going to book one out of every 10, you know, opportunities that you have. So we’re going to look at every no as one step closer to your yes. And every no is just, you know, one check. And so she literally gave me the visual and she said, you cannot be discouraged by no. There is a lot of no in this business, and no’s just get you closer to your yes. So if this is the average, then just check it off. Be glad you had the opportunity. Be glad you’re one step closer. So a no is a positive, it is not a negative. And that actually was a huge lesson that I still live by today. So, you know, food management, money management was hard, but there were lots of lessons for my little young mind to grapple with that I still deal with today. I grew up with the belief that I could do anything. I come from an area of the country that deals a lot with hurricanes. And so at a very young age, when a hurricane would come through, I would help my parents, my grandparents, my neighbors, with plumbing, with electricity, with cutting down trees, with chainsaw work. And I know that this isn’t exactly an answer to, to your question, but what that does for a young person is it really gives them the belief and the confidence that no matter what comes, I can do it, I can pitch in, I can make it happen. So I wasn’t going to New York, you know, like a deer in headlights. I was going to New York with the values, the skills, and the belief that I can figure it out. I can make it happen. I’m going to be okay. I can Feed myself. Like, I just had a belief that I was going to be all right and it was true.
[00:13:33 – 00:15:13]
That’s awesome. I love that story. At the end of the day, we. I was thinking, as you were speaking, a thought popped into my head about what we talked about being, you know, curiosity and tenacity and your superpower is one of your superpowers. You maybe ever labeled yourself as your tenacious because to go from being, you know, at young age, drop out of school, go to New York City, go through everything you went through, live on that ramen pizza diet and have, you know, just. It develops us, right? It gives us. And you learn to have the. You probably had days that were a real struggle and you, and you learned resilience and you learned to, you know, just keep on climbing. You probably had those moments where you were camp, those character building moments, and you push through it. And a lot of that has to do with our faith too, and what we learned within our religious lives. That we learned that to give it up to God and trust in him and that, you know, his will will be done. Things happen for us, not to us. And I love the fact that the person that taught you that every no is closer to a yes. I’ve believed that now for 30 some years myself, and it is so true. Some days I get disillusioned about the things that you and I are talking about again. I, even at my age, I have character building moments and I just accept them and move on. I don’t have bad days. I just have character building moments and I circumvent them and go on and push forward. So I appreciate you sharing that. Most people aren’t willing to admit that money management issues, so, So I appreciate that too, that honesty.
[00:15:14 – 00:16:03]
No, it was, it was, it was, it was all of that. But I also knew that, you know, there were some things I was overcoming in that, you know, I do come from, you know, a small town in Alabama and spent the first 10 years of my life practically barefooted. So. And I knew that I had the moniker of being a high school dropout. I had that kind of cross to bear. So I very swiftly got myself into school and started educating myself so that I had the confidence of an education so that I could carry that as an accomplishment. So I did know that that was important. But I did, I was willing to be like, I know me and high school is not for me. This is an amazing opportunity and I am going to do something a little, I’m going to do things a little different. I wasn’t afraid to do things a little different.
[00:16:03 – 00:16:13]
Oh, yeah. And you know, again, back to that tenacity. You got your ged, then you went to. You went to college. You said you had two different degrees. Is that what you said?
[00:16:13 – 00:16:20]
Yeah. My undergrad degree is in liberal arts and then I have a double master’s in media studies and broadcast journalism.
[00:16:20 – 00:16:33]
So. Yeah. Bye. Bye. High school. I did it anyway. Right. At the end of the day, we could get into discussions about our broken school systems in North America. But we won’t, right? Yeah.
[00:16:33 – 00:16:33]
No, no, no.
[00:16:33 – 00:17:07]
My one daughter was a. Dropped out and then went and got her ged and I was at her graduation and she only did. She did it a couple years after most people would did, but she went through her ged. I was just as excited for her when she graduated. Walked across the stage. It didn’t. You know, at the end of the day, everybody’s got a society puts us on a timeline. And this is what you should be doing now. This is, you know, and they, here’s the rest of your life mapped out for you. You know, here’s your road map of life. And go to work, go home, get paid, enjoy that hamster wheel. Right. I just.
[00:17:08 – 00:17:38]
Well, I definitely don’t believe in a timeline. I mean, I am 54 years old and I am engaged in my first acting job, so I do not believe in norms. I don’t believe that, you know, life is what everyone else says it has to be. I am so excited and curious about what’s next. And I don’t believe that, you know, you should be put in a box or that you should be told you can’t do something because of anything I do. I hate the word no and I hate the word can’t. And so it’s just not in my vocabulary.
[00:17:38 – 00:17:45]
I agree. Or one of the words I dislike the most is maybe it’s either yes or no.
[00:17:45 – 00:17:46]
I do hate that one too.
[00:17:46 – 00:19:32]
Right. Because you mentioned a couple words, but maybe just drives me crazy. When my kids were growing up, I’d say to them, blah, blah, blah, or they’d say to me and they never hear maybe from me, they heard it from everybody else. It was either yes, no, or, you know, dad’s got a few things going on in my mind right now because usually come to me right after school and I’m starting to make supper for everybody, and I’d say to them, you know, I’m currently involved in something right now and I can’t give you my full attention. Can we revisit this In a few minutes. So it wasn’t a yes. No, but it was never a maybe. Making him think, oh, yeah, he might do it and then run off. No, I need to think about this. We’ll have a discussion after supper, usually when they were doing homework or whatever. But I’ve never liked the word maybe and can’t. Yeah, it’s just, I. I don’t get. You either do or you don’t. Like, I don’t understand why people say can’t. I just don’t. But any. Everybody’s different. I respect everybody for their word because I believe in wordsmithing. I spend a lot of time on creating not a Persona, but a conversation where I know what the right way to phrase things or the right words to say. Because you know as well as I do, especially being a media personality, that you can say something one way and it offends somebody. Using different words or phrasing or tonality or body language can get you completely different results, but you’re saying the same thing, and people just don’t do it. So I’m always cognizant of the words I say. Do I slip up? Absolutely. And I try to correct myself immediately. Even in a conversation, I’ll say, you know what? That word was kind of negative. I should have said it this way. And people will be like, whoa, it does matter, right?
[00:19:32 – 00:19:49]
No, I definitely think it matters. I find that a lot. I do my best to teach my girls that. That as well. Words matter. Tone matters. You can definitely get a lot more accomplished with kindness and words that lend themselves to being kind. So I would agree with you.
[00:19:49 – 00:20:57]
Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate that. So those listening or watching, you know, you’ve heard me talk about it. There’s a thing called. It’s the thoris. And it tells you, like, there’s 10 words that mean this. It’s so much more deep than that. But that’s a good start. If you’re always wondering why people are offended by what you say, sit back and do what I do multiple times a day. And I especially do it when I go to bed. I evaluate my day and conversations, and I think to myself, what did that person. Why did that person respond that way? And it gets to me to a point where I’m strong and confident enough to be in the middle of a conversation, like, let’s say with Andy, to say, I notice your. Your tone changed or your body or you lean to certain, did I say something that I offend you, or did I say something that triggered you? If I did, you know that was not my intention. Would you like to talk about it? And sometimes people will be, oh, really? Well, this is what you said. And it kind of reminded me of this or that. Oh, okay. And you know what people want to know? They don’t care what you know. They want to know how much you care. They really do. And then they care what you know after the fact. Right. And I believe in that model.
[00:20:57 – 00:21:06]
That’s, that’s a good one. I have. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that, but that is definitely a good one. They don’t care what you know. They want to know that you care. That’s a great one.
[00:21:06 – 00:22:42]
All right, Absolutely. And I don’t want people to think I’m perfect. And I work at it, being a good person every single day. I make mistakes, I own up to it. I understand the difference between, you know, doing a correct story versus forgiveness. And you know, but again, I work at it. And I’m a work in project. And I want people to want to talk to me again in the future after we have a conversation. Right. I want them to see me again or be excited to see me not going, oh, I don’t want to talk to that person. Oh, gosh, they are as offensive. You know what I mean? You’ve ever thought that there’s people you meet and you just think, oh, I don’t care if I ever talk to that person again. They’re so, they’re so talk toxic or energy vampires. Right. So. But yes, this has been a. This is a great conversation. So one of the things that I was reading about you and some of the listeners, you know, you might not want to hear about this, but I do because it is part of Andy’s journey more. You know, the story about you cutting off your foot at age 39, you jumped off a cliff, missed the water, ended up falling into the water. Because I read about it last night. Like, I. I wasn’t kidding. I did. I enjoyed finding out about you and the process of what you went through, you know, at age 39. And what was the catalyst for. What did that do as a catalyst for any big changes in your life? What happened from that point? I know you were in. It took three years for recovery. Was it? If I read right, yes, it was.
[00:22:42 – 00:25:20]
Definitely a life changing 10 seconds. I was less than a week away from going to start to film the next season of my show. So you mentioned in my bio that I have done hundreds of episodes of television. And it’s true in the 2000s, I was very active in makeover television. I did. I was one of those people that had, you know, I had my own show. I contributed to shows. And I was very close to going to start to film the next season. And I was actually dating my husband at the time. And we went to a beach club, and there was this huge rock, like a cliff that everybody was jumping off of. And I was like, oh, I want to go do that. And he was like, that’s crazy. It’s so dangerous. I was like, are you kidding me? That’s not how I live my life. I jump out of planes. I’m a bungee girl. Like, I. I want to experience life. I’m not going to sit here and watch all these people have fun. I want to go do that, too. And I climbed up and stood in line, ask everybody how to do it. And I just did it wrong. And I jumped off of the edge of this cliff, and I missed the water. It did sever my right foot, and I. It changed my life in a matter of seconds. So I was very mad at the universe and God. I got real quiet and had this huge argument with God while I was actually in the hospital. And under morphine was like. I couldn’t even believe it. And I had this calm come over me, and I realized that I was probably not going to walk or walk in the same way again. My life was obviously going to have to change, and I was going to have to pivot. And I had remembered very vividly an idea that I had had for a product. And so from the hospital bed, I started researching and figuring out how I could take the idea of what is now the Girly Go Garter and bring it to life from a chair. Because if I couldn’t walk and I couldn’t be, you know, the dynamic person that I was before then, what could I still do? How could I still contribute? What was, you know, my next path? And it was very clear to me that the Girly Go Garter was that path. And so from the hospital, I started figuring out how to, you know, patent an item, how to develop an item, how to build a business plan, how to, you know, approach investors. And so that became, you know, my focus while my body was healing.
[00:25:21 – 00:26:48]
And that’s amazing. Like, when I was reading about that, I was thinking, wow, who does that? Most people will. Most people in our. In our society, in our world, let’s face it, they’ll dwell in that. That victim mentality. They get stuck in it, and rightfully so. What you went through is horrible. Whether it was that, you know, you didn’t do it right. It was 10 seconds, you’re angry at God. At the end of it, your tenacity came through again, like, I love it. I attract a lot of guests that are tenacious and they just don’t realize that they don’t give up. Who sits in a hospital bed trying to recover from the multiple surgeries that you had to make it so that you could still, you know, be somebody that can walk and like you said, change things for you but and develops a product. And like, I’ve got some other things that I’ve put down here and stuff about you in that development of that in the hospital room and you, you had to approach family and friends to raise $300,000, I believe that’s what I read. And that must have been challenged too, because how much of them are, are looking at you being in the hospital or even getting out, you’re still trying to, I don’t know how long the finance period took to generate that would look at you like you’re crazy. Like, what are you doing? You should be focusing on getting better and healing. Why are you worried about this and putting this pressure on yourself? Did any of that happen?
[00:26:48 – 00:30:09]
Well, sure. But to be honest, anyone who knows me knows that I am going to succeed. Like, I do not take failure very well. So I am going to give everything I have to making something succeed. And I even ended up going to Asia by myself on crutches, just determined that I was going to follow every lead and make it happen. But I think the big overarching message is when you are down, if you can find another focus, if you can go outside of yourself and just don’t let your mind eat at you where you dwell on. If I had done this differently, I couldn’t be a victim because I did it to myself. So am I going to beat myself up forever? I mean, I definitely had my down moments, but really focusing in on, okay, what can I do not to, you know, become a burden, a real burden on everyone around you and society and how can I still contribute and how can I still be valid? And you know, what can, what can I do with what, you know, God has given me? Because I do believe I was given the Girly Go Garter, you know, as an idea. It was born out of necessity. So the Girly Go Garter is a hands free purse that you wear on your leg. It is a pocketed garter that you wrap on your leg. And I invented it because I needed it as a place to put my mic pack when I was on camera. Because coming from the reality, you know, reality television world, you are constantly miced. And usually if you’re a girl or a woman, they hang that mic transmitter off of your bra. And after you’re wearing that 12 to 16 hours a day. I started to get water blisters on my back. So I needed something for my. For my leg because I needed to shift it. And most of the time I was in a dress on camera, so I didn’t really have pockets. But everything that they gave me for my leg ultimately didn’t work, or the minute I moved a little bit, it would fall. So I had already started to construct, you know, the. The genesis of the Girly Go Garter while I was on set. And I had just. I’d given it some credence, but not a lot. And so when my accident happened, it became really clear to me that this was my focus. And the other thing that happened to me is I had been dating, you know, my now husband, and my husband had three children, and I had just ended a marriage because, you know, I just did not want to have children with this man who I loved very much, and he really wanted to have children. And so we very lovingly split or uncoupled. But I didn’t think that I wanted to be with my now husband because he had young kids and, you know, God made it very clear that I needed to listen and I needed to be still and that I needed to change some things. So because I cut my foot off and, you know, my life changed. I developed the Girly Go Garter. I ended up marrying my now husband and becoming, you know, a true bonus mom to these amazing girls that have impacted and influenced and enriched my life in more ways I could have. I could have ever thought or even imagined.
[00:30:10 – 00:31:18]
Yeah, it’s. I talked to a lot of people that have become like a bonus mom to children or bonus dad. And they’ll tell me because all the clients I’ve had over the last 20 going on 23 years will tell me that, you know, they didn’t realize it. Like, they. They’d look at other people that had children and think to them, oh, I would do this, I would do that. And why aren’t they doing this? Because they babysat a couple of times. They knew everything, right? You get those people and then they’d. All of a sudden they get into these relationships or they’re with other. With younger kids and same sort of thing. Like you said, it was like a giant Glow of light hit them and said, hey, this is your destiny. You’re going to be a great step parent or whatever you want to call a bonus mom or dad, and it’s going to help you develop and in ways that you never, ever thought. Children do that to us because their curiosity. Back to what you talked about, curiosity of children, if we could encapsulate that and hold it in our heart, oh my gosh, could we? We could. There’s nothing that could stop us between tenacity and curiosity. Look out world, you know.
[00:31:18 – 00:31:49]
No, it’s true. To me, the minute that you stop being curious is when you start to age yourself. If you really think that you know everything, you basically stopped growing. So I cherish and hold curiosity. And these children, you know, also have taught me so much. I believe that relationships are the ultimate opportunity to grow and heal. And, you know, having kids gives you an opportunity to do things differently, to heal some of those wounds. And so I didn’t even know that I needed that, but I really did.
[00:31:49 – 00:32:15]
That’s awesome. Congratulations. And you’re lucky to have them, but they’re lucky to have you too, because again, I’m just getting to know you. But from everything I read, I can imagine that you added a lot of value to their lives too, and to your now husband. And, you know, it’s just. Congratulations. It’s, it’s. It takes a special person to take on somebody else’s children. It just does.
[00:32:16 – 00:32:52]
Well, that’s a very good point because I have always been very clear that my job is not to be their mother. My job is ultimately to help their mother and father be the best parents they can be. So I have basically just been a support to each of them in very different and separate ways. But I have never tried to replace their mother. I have always upheld her as a very important person. And just because their parents weren’t together, that didn’t mean that they weren’t the most important people in their life. So my job has always been to help them be better parents and not to replace the parents.
[00:32:52 – 00:33:15]
Well, that’s awesome. Your, your personality is somebody that’s looking to enhance, not replace. And that’s. That’s fabulous because you have a place in their world, they have a place in your world. And obviously, this many years later, it’s worked. And good for you, good for them. It. It’s. God puts again, does things for us, not to us.
[00:33:16 – 00:33:22]
Most definitely. Most definitely. And again, I’ve learned so many lessons from them. So, yes, I appreciate your, Your kindness with them.
[00:33:22 – 00:34:24]
Yeah, of course you would like. That’s another thing, though, since you brought that up, you’ve learned things from them. Thank you for being aware that you can learn from somebody that’s younger than you, somebody that is not biologically yours, that we can learn things. That it’s. Having an open mindset is something we need to practice. It doesn’t come naturally. Society wants us to have a. A fixated mindset on things like with politics, what’s going on right now in. In your country. What’s going on in my country? What’s going on with the wars around the world. Everybody wants us to take sides. We don’t learn from one another. We’re. We’re discompassionate. We don’t have empathy. And, you know, to learn things from children is a. Is something that is great. So you were blessed. But again, it works both ways. They’re blessed, too, because you’re somebody that’s receptive to it. So that was great. That’s fantastic. And they. They’re still. They’re still younger or how. How old are.
[00:34:24 – 00:34:29]
My oldest girl is 22. She’s now living alone in New York City.
[00:34:29 – 00:34:29]
Wow.
[00:34:29 – 00:34:48]
In the. Very close to the neighborhood that I moved into originally. And then I have twins who are 18 or who are in their last year of high school. They. One has already decided on a college and the other is just finishing up her applications. And we’ll have everything actually in next week. So it a very exciting time for the twins.
[00:34:48 – 00:35:08]
Congratulations. That’s awesome. Yeah. Well, being part of the journey of raising children is something magical because as long as you’ve been. You’ve been participating, those memories will stick with them forever. And you. Right. So that’s awesome. I’m a family guy, so I love hearing stories like that.
[00:35:08 – 00:35:13]
You sure are. You’re a big family guy. I love it. You’ve got your heart on your sleeve big time. I love that.
[00:35:13 – 00:35:50]
Thank you. So one of the things that I. When we talk about the Girly Go Garter, and you know, you had the challenges. You were. You were selling it in different markets. You had it on qvc. You had all these different retailers that were selling it as well. Then the pandemic hit and you struggled and you didn’t want to let go of anybody, wanted to keep the lights on. What was that like? What did you end up having to do or. Or pull from your internal resources or external or a combination of both to sure that your product survived through that. That trap. Pardon me, that trauma that we were all going in the world.
[00:35:51 – 00:38:02]
Yeah. Well, it was. It was definitely difficult. I mean, it still is. We’re still dealing with the repercussions of the pandemic because, you know, we have a product that is. It’s built around events and production and activities, and when people stop doing all those things, your product’s not needed. But the biggest problem has been that we lost our manufacturing. So all of our plants in Asia closed down. And that was really hard. So the way that I. And we started to lose a lot of retailers. A lot of retailers. I mean, at our height, we were in over 6,000 retailers throughout the world. So what I knew that I needed to do is, as people were, you know, liquidating, I needed to be the person to buy my product back or it was going to, you know, cannibalize all of my efforts if all of those products ended up for pennies on the dollar or they were liquidated to a big. Who spent, you know, 25 cents on something and could sell it for a dollar. So I basically reached out to every one of my retailers and I started actively buying my product back. So I bought it all back so that I could then repackage it, reformulate it, and become a company that was direct to consumer, not really understanding what kind of environment the pandemic. The pandemic. The pandemic was going to leave us in. So that’s the first thing that I did which proved to be extremely good for us because I was able to buy, you know, thousands and thousands of units back. And that has sustained us as we have continued to shop for new manufacturing and develop new resources. Because not only did my manufacturing close down, but all of my resource agents, my quality control people, everybody left Asia. So reconnecting and reestablishing manufacturing channels has been definitely difficult. But I’m very proud that, you know, there’s never been a day I haven’t sold a Girly Go Garter since, you know, the day I launched it. And it’s still helping people all over the world. We are still a very active company. And I, you know, just dug in and figured out how to keep the doors open and the lights on.
[00:38:03 – 00:39:23]
Congratulations. That I love. You’re very obviously being 200 shows and doing TV, you know, like reality television and now General Hospital. You’re good at being a storyteller, but you’re good at transmitting that. That energy with it too. And your confidence, even sharing this story about the fact of, you know, you lost all your manufacturing, you did all this, but you’re constantly. People don’t like the word but I do. You, you’re constantly were pivoting. You were constantly, you know what? I and you mentioned this earlier for those listening or watching, Andy mentioned she does not like failure. Right. Most successful people don’t and they’re not going to sit back and they’re not going to play that victim card or be boohoo woohoo. Like a lot of businesses collapsed. How many of them, if they had been tenacious and been and looked at their circumstances would have survived? Right. You could have just went, ah, whatever. I’m going to be like everybody else in the world and I’m going to throw up my arms. But no, you went, I’m going to. This isn’t going to beat me. And obviously I’m not going to discount. It was challenge. I can imagine there was a lot of emotions when it all happened. And you know, and that’s exciting to know that you’ve been selling them every single day. Right. You’re just constantly pushing forward and right. Go get them. That’s awesome.
[00:39:23 – 00:40:46]
I also have, I have a great belief that, you know what I what the Girly Go Garter is, it ultimately helps a lot of people. So you know, originally I developed it as a mic pack holder but I had very wise counsel who suggested they’re like, you know, have you ever thought about using this for medical purposes? Or you know, I can understand that. You know, brides need a place to, you know, put their cell phone and you know, money id, lipstick, whatever it is under their wedding gowns. And prom goers are told that they can’t bring a purse to prom anymore and you now have to wear a clear bag to a stadium and you can’t bring a purse to a concert. And so there are lots of opportunities for women to enjoy the benefit of having extra concealed pockets, which is pretty much what the Girly Go Garter is. So I stay so dedicated to it because I know that it’s so helpful. It’s so needed and it’s kind of a game changer. We call it the strapless bra of handbags. I mean you don’t wear a strapless bra as a woman. You don’t wear a strapless bra every day. But when the occasion arises, you need it in your wardrobe, you need it in that lingerie ray dream. So the Girly Go Garter is just one of those things that you want to have available and I believe that every woman on, on the planet should, should have one for the occasions when she just needs an ex a little Extra pocket or security for certain events and certain occasions.
[00:40:46 – 00:41:52]
I think it’s revolutionary, really. I was reading about it, I was reading about it and I was thinking, hmm, I’m a dude, but I can see value, extensive value in this. And I went research, I googled it to see, See the extent of the product, and wow, it’s. It’s definitely out there. And I’m thinking to myself, like, who would think of that? Then I read your. I can’t remember. I read the story about how you, you took specific types of fabric and you were trying to make it. And I thought, wow, going through all you’re going through and then you’re trying to build this to make it easier for yourself. And I thought, well, that would kind of suck. When I was reading about the fact that as you’re standing all day and all of a sudden it slides down your. The pack would slide down or whatever. The things you were different, different things you were trying to do to figure this out, that just goes. Goes back to. I guess you’re going to get tired of the word, but you’re tenacious. You just like, I’m never going to give up on this stuff. Right. And I honestly believe that, like I said to you earlier, I’m going to take curiosity and add that to my superpower list along with tenacity. And I think you fit both of those very well.
[00:41:52 – 00:41:53]
Thank you.
[00:41:53 – 00:43:49]
You’re welcome. That’s just, it’s. It’s amazing. Good for you, though, to keep the, to keep your company going to. And I get like, manufacturer, pardon me, the retailers you bought the product back were probably. You had a lot of respect from you too, because how many people would do that? You could have just went like this. Ah, you’re stuck with it. Sell it. Your problem, not mine. Right? But instead you flip the script, bought it back and used it now as your inventory as you continue to rebuild. And one of the comments you mentioned about the pandemic and reeling from it. I’m still reeling, healing from it. My business hasn’t been the same on the finance side because everybody’s so scared still in regards to investing or, or even doing, you know, life insurance and stuff like that that I do, or the financial planning. It’s like everybody’s still caught and capsulated in that little bubble. And it’s just, you know, those listening are watching live. Life is in session. This is not a dress rehearsal. I’ll say that again. Remember this phrase, Life is in session. This is not a dress rehearsal. You only have one shot at life time is something you can’t buy back. So work at being the ultimate version of you so you can serve others. And why do I say that? Because serving others is what gives me joy. Maybe not you, but it gives a lot of us joy, including Andy. And that fills my tank. My. Fills my fuzzy love tank. People laugh, but it’s true. Right? You gotta fill your tank with good vibes and you gotta work at it. Right. It’s not something that, that some people, it comes naturally. I don’t think that’s the case for everybody. We have to work at it. And I work at it and I love it. It’s all good. So. So thank you for talking about the Girly Girl Garter for the ladies or even men that are listening. Hey, maybe your significant other would love you getting this. Maybe. That’s a great presentation, Right. For Christmas, along with the diamonds, jewelry and all that other stuff. Right. I’ve never.
[00:43:49 – 00:43:59]
I’ve never met a man who didn’t love the Girly Go Garter ever. Because so. So often we ask our husbands or our significant others to carry our stuff when we don’t.
[00:43:59 – 00:44:00]
Yeah.
[00:44:01 – 00:44:07]
And so now the role can be reversed. And you can carry his wallet very comfortably. It’ll carry up to three pounds.
[00:44:07 – 00:44:56]
Yeah. No, I was reading it. It looks like, what a revolutionary product. Like, really, you revolutionized something that I thought when I first read about it, I thought, what? There’s nothing like this out there already. And I’m thinking to myself, well, so many people just look past. There’s so many ideas out there that people could go and, you know, carpet EMCs today and develop and create and introduce to the world. And you gotta be somebody that’s willing to put up with the school of hard knocks. And you did that in a hospital bed yet with a severed, like with a foot. And I can’t, you know, wow. It’s just. I think it’s. It’s really outstanding that you are where you’re at and you continue to push forward. Like you said, 50 in your 50s and now you’re on General Hospital playing their part of Pearl.
[00:44:56 – 00:45:03]
And can you believe that, Dwight? I mean, come on. I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it when I think about it.
[00:45:03 – 00:45:31]
I mean, I can believe it, actually. Do you know why I can believe it, Andy? Your tenet, just our conversation. You are a person that’s tenacious and you’re a person that’s curious and you’re a person that’s not going to be defined by your age. Or your status in society, you’re going to push forward. And I can see that. It being attracted to you, not you being attracted to it. Being attracted. General Hospital. Being attracted to your energy. I can see it. I just can.
[00:45:32 – 00:45:33]
Have you ever watched General Hospital?
[00:45:34 – 00:46:14]
Years ago, when I was a kid, like a long, long time ago, Another world was another one. My mom used to watch Young and the Restless. What was that other one? There was a few. There’s so many of. But I was like. I had two older sisters and a mother. It would be. It would be in the afternoons during the summer, sit down and they’d put on Young and Restless. Or Another World was still on. And like that’s been gone a long time. A lot of people are probably going, another world. Never heard of that. Young and Restless is still playing as I think it is, isn’t it? I’m not sure. But yes, I have watched General Hospital back. Back in, you know, when I still had hair. I was a young lad and probably 30 pounds lighter.
[00:46:15 – 00:47:07]
Well, it is the longest running television show in television history. It’s 61 years. Yeah, 61. It’s just amazing. And away we talked about, you know, our grandparents a little bit. So I actually was introduced to the show through my great grandmother because, you know, going back to school, we had Wednesdays, Wednesdays were half days. They were teacher days and Wednesdays were half days. So we come home from school early and I’d go and I’d sit with my great grandmother and we would have real Coca Cola and real Nutter Butter cookies and we would watch her two favorite soaps and one of them was General Hospital. So the fact that I am now the latest cast member. That’s what I mean when I tell you it’s like all circle. Yeah. And did you. Did you see who my guest. My guest star. My guest star is.
[00:47:07 – 00:47:08]
No.
[00:47:08 – 00:47:09]
Morgan Fairchild.
[00:47:10 – 00:47:12]
Are you serious? Morgan?
[00:47:12 – 00:47:13]
Do you know who Morgan Fairchild is?
[00:47:13 – 00:47:17]
Yes, yes. My one daughter’s name, Morgan. Because of her.
[00:47:17 – 00:47:18]
Oh, come on. Are you serious?
[00:47:19 – 00:47:37]
Dead serious. I had such a crush on her when I was growing up. Oh, absolutely. I know Morgan Fairchild is. I’m dead serious. My one daughter. Daughter. My third oldest, her name’s Morgan. And she asked one time, dad, why did. Why did you and mom name Morgan? Well, your mom wanted this and that and I wanted Morgan.
[00:47:38 – 00:47:38]
Why?
[00:47:38 – 00:47:57]
Well, I have a. Growing up, I had a huge crush on a lady by the name of Morgan Fairchild. And she. And they obviously no Internet. Now all of a sudden, Internet. I’ve told her to research it I don’t know if she has or not, but, yeah. My one daughter’s name’s Olivia. Can you guess why? Olivia Newton John, of course.
[00:47:57 – 00:47:58]
Oh, my gosh.
[00:47:58 – 00:48:19]
I was a Grease. I was a Grease freak growing up. I’ve seen that movie so many times. What can I say? I love women. What can I say? And I loved Olivia Newton John. I loved Morgan Fairchild. Like, yeah. What a small world, though, eh? Asking. Asking a dude, do you know Morgan Fairchild is from Canada yet?
[00:48:20 – 00:48:35]
Well, I mean, I was the same way growing up. I mean, she was a stunning, beautiful woman. She was this powerhouse on television. I remember her on Falcon Crest. And then my daughters remember her as Chandler’s mom on, you know, Friends.
[00:48:35 – 00:48:36]
Yeah.
[00:48:36 – 00:48:48]
So the fact that I. I mean, I was literally just on set a few days ago and I am saying lines and acting with Morgan Fairchild is just. It’s mind blowing. It’s mind blowing.
[00:48:48 – 00:49:02]
No, that is mind blowing. I’m going to have to go look at some of those snippets because, yeah, I haven’t seen pictures of her in years, but she was always somebody that was very well kept and took care of herself. I imagine at her age, she still looks stunning.
[00:49:02 – 00:49:31]
She’s almost 80. She still looks stunning. But, you know, what we’re doing on the show is really. It’s an experiment. It’s revolutionary. And if it works, I think it’s going to kind of change the way that we all watch television. So I’m very excited. I mean, of course I’m excited to be a part of General Hospital and excited by her, but I’m also really excited about this experiment, which really involves advertising and marketing and fans and a way to sustain the show, to be honest.
[00:49:31 – 00:49:40]
Oh, that’s awesome. So. So next time you talk to Morgan on a personal level, say, hey, I was. I talked to somebody that named her child after you. I did.
[00:49:41 – 00:50:01]
Like, I actually went as her for Halloween this year. So I dressed up as Haven. I went as Haven to Haviland, which is her character. Her. Her character’s name on the show. So, yes, I have a lot of respect for her, but I’m sure that you’re not the only one. I mean, she was a beauty. She was probably on lots of young people’s walls, as they said.
[00:50:02 – 00:50:40]
Yeah, I didn’t have a poster of her. I just appreciated her from television. And I remember watching, oh, my gosh, I’m going to age myself. Merb Griffin show. I used to love that growing up. And he interviewed her a couple times. I think Johnny did Too to. But I remember seeing her and I just found her to be a very classy person when she was communicating and conversing. Right. So yeah, small world. The things that come up in conversation. Right. It’s, it’s amazing. So You’ve been on TV for 50 years. We talked about you being on the longest running. Because it is the longest running television show in history, correct?
[00:50:40 – 00:50:40]
Yeah.
[00:50:40 – 00:51:17]
Was it, was it a struggle to like, you know, it’s amazing as we talked about, you’re in your 50s and now you’re, you’ve gone from reality television to being an actress and you know, instead of just selling on tv now you’re like you said, talking to, to Morgan Bear Child. Was it a struggle to going from, from one to becoming that actress? Like did you have to, was it a huge transition or did you find it relatively simple? Did you have to take any, any, any sort of classic training or advice from anybody to learn how to be an actress in front of live, like not live, but recorded television.
[00:51:17 – 00:52:29]
It is a very different world than reality television because reality television and what I do on QVC is extremely. You are entrenched in really being very much the character of you. And they’ll give you talking points and how you express those talking points and get, you know, the details across to the viewers or the listeners is really up to you. It’s really all about your personality. But that is very much not the case when it comes to scripted television because there are Emmy winning writers behind every word that is uttered on those shows. So soap operas are very dedicated to you saying the words the way that the writers actually explained it and put it on paper. So that was a huge lesson for me. And soap operas are very different animals, period. I mean the very first day I was on set, I was in set seen 47 and 49 of that day. I mean they create, yeah, they create 250 hours of television a year and they film in two different blocks. They film from 5:00am to noon and then from 1:00 in the afternoon to 8:00 at night.
[00:52:29 – 00:52:30]
Wow.
[00:52:30 – 00:54:19]
So there are hundreds of people behind the scenes involved in wardrobe and audio and editing and producing and writing and you know, as an actress who is ultimately there to make all of them look good, you are the vessel. It is a lot of pressure and I don’t mind telling you that I only took one acting class in college, but I have learned that there is a lot for me to learn. So I am now in more acting classes so that I can get better Because I am very comfortable looking at a camera and explaining something. But there is definitely a different level of knowledge that’s needed to portraying the words that someone else has written. And they really care that it’s portrayed the way that they have written it. As a matter of fact, I had the dreaded third take last week because they tried it. You really get like one recorded practice and one recorded take, and that’s the way they like to do it and move on. I had the dreaded third take last week because I kept forgetting the word new. So in the script I was supposed to say new deception beauty and new deception color, and I kept forgetting the word new. So I am now actively taking an acting class so that I can get better at this because I certainly don’t want to let anyone down. But, you know, the other reason why I think people thought that I would be a natural for this is because my role is that of a host on the fictional Home and Heart, which is a home shopping channel within the show. So because I am a guest host on qvc and I’m very comfortable, you know, in that environment and selling I. My role on General Hospital is as a guest host on Home and Heart. And again, that’s the. That’s their home shopping network.
[00:54:19 – 00:54:46]
But you talked about the talking points of being on QVC that they, you know, but you still had to be your own personality. And all of a sudden you’ve got a Emmy winning, you know, writer. How do you remember your lines like you had. You kept on getting caught up in the word new. I’ve always wondered, how do. How do actors, actresses, how do you remember your words? Like, what kind of pressure does that put on you to remember this exact words they want you to say?
[00:54:46 – 00:55:05]
Yeah, it is a lot of pressure. And I don’t mind telling you that out of camera shot or out of eye shot, you will see scripts under pillows and, you know, things take to the floor and, you know, car. There are literally cues for you to help remember everywhere.
[00:55:05 – 00:55:23]
Okay, that’s good. I’ve always wondered, right, Because I think it is totally unbelievable how many words. Some of. Some, you know, the professionals in Hollywood have to remember. I was thinking to myself, like, I would have lost my hair in my teenage years, not in my adult years. Like, holy.
[00:55:24 – 00:58:20]
I know. I mean, I can remember in the sixth grade having to learn the, you know, the preamble or having to learn certain things of the constitution and stand up and reciting it, and it is a very different animal. Let me just tell you, acting is Very different. I have a lot of respect for, you know, but soap operas and actresses in general. But do you mind if I tell you about this role and what we’re doing? Yes, I do think you’ll find it really curious. And so what I am basically doing, I’m engaging in this experiment and you know, they call it soap operas because to be honest with you, soap paid for it. So soap companies ultimately paid for daytime reality, or should say daytime scripted television. And that’s why it was called a soap opera. However, we’re all watching television in different ways. We are, for the most part streaming it. We’re doing all that’s necessary that we can to kind of avoid acting. And I completely understand that. There’s still 2 to 3 million people who watch, you know, General Hospital every day and the majority of those are now streaming it. So what do you do for a show that is, you know, basically bolstered by ad sales, but, you know, advertisers are not being reached because people are watching it in new and different ways. So what the producers came up with is there has been a 20 year old storyline of Deception Beauty and Deception Beauty Within General Hospital is this amazing cosmetic company that’s run by these powerhouse women and they’re beautiful and gorgeous and backstabbing and all the things that you would expect in a soap opera. But the fans have watched for the past 20 years these incredible women develop products and the fans have been taken along in the patent process and the packaging process and, you know, testing and all of that. So there’s been a lot of knowledge and education to it. But the producer said, well, what if we brought Deception Beauty to life for the fans? And what if we made, you know, some of the products and the items that the best and the most favored characters use? What if we made those, you know, purchasable? And so when it was pitched to me, you know, I was told, you know, what if you could have bought Fonzie’s jacket? Or what if you could have known about, you know, the hair care products that, you know, Monica and Phoebe and Rachel used on Friends. So the goal with this is that as products are developed and licensed and ready for consumers and fans, they are brought to Home and Heart, the fictional shopping network. And I or Morgan, we actually pitch the products within the fictional show, but then it’s brought to Shop Home and Heart and shop home and heart.com is where you can see all of the products that you’ve watched, developed, or perhaps you’ve seen your favorite characters wear and Then you can both be a part of the show. You can enjoy things from the show, and to be honest, you can help sustain and keep the show running.
[00:58:22 – 00:59:50]
That’s awesome. I did check out that website, actually, I checked out, obviously yours, but I checked out and I thought, you know, and I did have that farther on, but I’m glad you brought that up again. Part of the conversation, it all flows. I thought that was amazing, and I thought, what does that have to do with it? But now you tied it all together very nicely. It’s called, you know, longevity. We want to be long, continue the longevity of General Hospital and what. We’ve already developed this in the mindset of 2 to 3 million viewers, all these products, why not elevate it to the next level? And people might say, well, why didn’t they do it sooner? Well, maybe it wasn’t ready yet. Maybe that time wasn’t there, but now it’s there and. And I could see the excitement in you and your energy as you’re talking, talking about it. Your passion, and that’s part of anything to succeed is passion. So they’re lucky to have you. You’re lucky to be with them. But, you know, you having that QVC background is a blessing for them. Yes, you can get better. Like you said, you’re taking an acting class. You, you know, can say new and stuff like that or, or maybe just fine tune your body language. Who knows? Whatever it’s going to teach you, but passionate whenever you’re learning. My whole point for that, whatever you’re learning and trying to get better or to support and help people like General Hospital, you have to have a passion for it. Right. And that will keep you and have longevity with General Hospital. And I can see that you’re enjoying it, right?
[00:59:50 – 01:60:46]
Yeah. Well, I’m so excited because just think about, you know, I think there will come a time when every show that we watch, whether we’re streaming it or whether we’re watching it on network television, that we can literally go to their website and whatever we’re seeing, we can purchase. I used to be completely obsessed with a picture that Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City had in her apartment. And I researched and researched and researched, trying to find this one, like, love poster that she had in her apartment. And I could never find it. But now I think that in the future, if this experiment works, I think that whatever we’re watching will be consumable, that we can go to an adjoining website that basically talks about the show, but it also offers almost everything that you See for sale. I do think that that’s one of the things that we can expect, and that’s actually really exciting to me.
[01:60:47 – 01:61:07]
It is exciting because you think about all the product placement that happens in television and movies, and people see that, but then they have to go find it. Well, all of a sudden now, like you said, if there’s a sublet station to it. Like, I look at Kelly Clarkson and. And what is that? Who does she support? That online retailer that sells furniture?
[01:61:08 – 01:61:08]
Wayfair.
[01:61:08 – 01:61:46]
Yes, Wayfair. I’m thinking to myself, well, hey, you should have Wayfair couches on your show. You know what I mean? And she could direct. She doesn’t have to create her own. She’s already got a relationship with Wayfair and said, hey, give me more. I’ll do this right. And I love that idea that I never thought about, but again, I’m not in that industry. But it’s always nice to have people share with you their excitement of what’s happening and what they specialize in and how it can be tied together. But that makes so much sense. Like, I really like that jacket that Fonzie wore. I want that jacket. He was my hero. Girl, I love that piece.
[01:61:46 – 01:61:54]
But I mean, imagine how many of those jackets they would have sold if people could have literally gone somewhere and bought those for their kids. I mean, I would have wanted Fonzie’s jacket.
[01:61:54 – 01:62:42]
Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Or his. Like, you said, his hair. Well, not that it matters for me. His hair gel. You know, all of it. Yeah, yeah. Or. Or. Or the goopy stuff that Richie used to wear that people thought were neat, too. Like, who knows? You gotta. Everybody’s got a flavor, right? You never know. But that’s awesome. So I want to talk about your international bestselling book. In 2009, you were released a book, Style on a Shoestring. Develop your sense of style and look like a million without spending a fortune. Which, by the way, listeners, is available in three languages, which I thought was awesome. My book’s available in one. It’s English. And I don’t know if it’s the best English, but it’s in English. What was the journey like, you writing the book? Was there any one thing or person that sparked you to want to write a book to inspire others?
[01:62:43 – 01:65:07]
Oh, well, most definitely. I have a very good friend, Rhonda Britton, who is the founder of the Fearless Living Institute, and we did lots of television together, and she was the one who really told me I need to write a book. But so, you know, I talk about my grandparents a lot. My grandmother was a master sewer. I could literally pull something out of a magazine and be like, I really like this. And she could create it for me. And she was of the firm belief that no matter what our means were, that the way that you present yourself ultimately dictates the way that people are going to treat you. And so she was a firm believer that we always look polished and pulled together and had, you know, effort in our appearance, that we took effort into our appearance. So, you know, me landing in New York at a young age without a lot of money and on a really deep budget, I cultivated a lot of skills in how to, you know, thrift things and, you know, what I should invest in, what I shouldn’t invest in. But I was very aware that I was in a very glamorous world and I didn’t have a lot of money. And I needed to figure out how I could be a player in that world and not kind of fool the eye, but at the same time, walk with at least perceived value with what I had on and how I was presenting myself. And so I just built a lot of skills on how to do that. And then when I started to be a beauty and style expert on television, I naturally started to teach those things to the people that I was making over. We would do segments on it. I would always have a twist on how we could get away with, you know, buying something for $20 instead of $200. So the book is basically a culmination of all of my skills as a model, as a make a makeover guru on reality television, and how to build a wardrobe that is really your workforce, that reinforces you and fortifies you every day and gives you the confidence to look people in the eye, linger in longer conversations, and kind of engage. Because so many of us have a wardrobe of just default, we reach in, and we really only utilize about 20 to 30% of what we have hanging in our wardrobe. And we don’t realize that this is a missed opportunity, that our wardrobe can actually empower us and make us feel great, make us feel energized, and really, like I say, fortify us to take on our dreams and the challenges of the day. So my book is a culmination of all of those things.
[01:65:07 – 01:65:56]
Wow. I like how the origin started back with, you know, your family. That’s. That’s awesome. And. And again, it always goes back to our origin. We don’t give. We don’t give those in our lives enough credit for that little spark they give us in our mind or that seed they plant and then they help water it. And then we continue to fertilize and water it as we grow into, you know, amazing adults like yourself. And I can’t imagine how many people that book has helped. You even used it to navigate. And not necessarily the book, but you’ve navigated and helped, you know, Celebrity Apprentice, like, I read that and went, wow, what a. What a. You grew over here and then you’re helping Celebrity Apprentice. That must have been quite the journey helping out them.
[01:65:56 – 01:67:25]
It was. Because what happened there is, you know, when I severed my. And my life in front of the camera kind of came to an end at that time, I was like, again, how can I still participate? And so, you know, because I had the great fortune of working with like dozens, if not hundreds of producers in my lifetime who have gone on, you know, when a show ends and you’ve worked with 30 producers, those producers go to other shows. And so when they are, you know, looking for other people to participate and to help and to make a situation better, quite often you can get a call from one of those producers. And that’s exactly what happened with both Celebrity Apprentice and to be honest, it’s what happened with General Hospital as well. But when it came to Celebrity Apprentice, I mean, you’re talking about 18 celebrities and there’s still a budget for the show. There’s, of course, clothes that are borrowed and that are swapped out, but you’ve got a budget and this is a high powered show that you’ve got to create, you know, really high powered looks on a budget. So, yeah, I was tapped to actually do that for the show. So I became a lead hair, makeup and wardrobe person for Celebrity Apprentice, which was. Which was wonderful. It’s a huge resume boost. I’m so happy to have had that experience. But it does actually prove that, you know, the proof is in the pudding. And my strategies do work. It’s been proved on one of the largest playing fields that there is.
[01:67:25 – 01:68:32]
And to add to that though, too, it always goes back to who we are as an individual. Your kindness comes through. So those producers from all those different, as you mentioned, there’s 30, 40, and they go off to different projects. Your kindness or your ability to know they can count on you, that you are somebody that is knowledgeable, that is going to work their best to stay in that budget. That’s all part of you, your. Your actual life DNA. So, you know, they blessed you, but you bless them or they would have never. Hey, Andy. Come on over to General Hospital. Come over to Celebrity Apprentice. Right. So congratulations. Right. I don’t know if people give you enough kudos, but I will, because I’m. I’m. I can see past everything. Like, I can see all that. Like, I tell people, a spider and a spider web goes everywhere. Well, Andy, you go everywhere. But the reason people are attracted back to you is because of who you are as a person. And that’s something that you should be proud of. You’ve worked hard at that, so you deserve all your successes. I appreciate you sharing that, too. Thank you.
[01:68:32 – 01:69:08]
I definitely agree with that, though. You know, one of the things that my grandmother used to say is that you do not eat the fruit the same day that you plant the seed. So you’re going to plant the seed the best that you can. Just like you say, show up on time, you know, do your best. Be someone who makes a situation better and not worse. Be someone that people can count on, and it will leave a lasting impression. And I am so grateful that my life is a real example of that in many, many ways. Even my current QVC job. So I actually, you know, went through the QVC auditioning process when I was 25 years old. 25 years old.
[01:69:08 – 01:69:09]
Wow.
[01:69:09 – 01:69:58]
And I never made it to air, but I did not burn any breath bridges. And when Covid hit and they needed people who could do their own hair, do their makeup, understood lighting, understood, you know, so much of the television industry and could do that from home, they reached out to me 25 years later because they had seen me on LinkedIn, and we’re like, you know, would you be interested in doing this? We think that, you know, you could be a great guest host from home, and we can train you how to do that. I mean, I have so many examples in my life, life of, you never want to burn a bridge. You always want to leave with a good impression. And then don’t be afraid to reach back out with gratitude and say thank you for the opportunity, even if it didn’t work out, you know, if things change, maybe one day, you know, I can be top of mind for something else that might come up to you or come up for you.
[01:69:58 – 01:70:56]
That’s. We talked about that earlier. Always leaving people with that impression of wanting to see you again someday or never having that negative thought when somebody brings up your name. And just always. Kindness. Kindness is so simple. And people still don’t get it. They still don’t get it. They. They lash out. They don’t realize that sometimes. They always think of they’re very introverted to themselves and they don’t think about the circumstances of what an individual or a group are going through or why they put them through, letting them go or not accepting them into their circumstances. Because there’s always things outside of our world. And it’s tough because we’re designed as a world that we want, want, want where we, you know, we’re entitled to this and that. And why don’t they see my greatness? How about you just earn that seed like you left for them 25 years prior and it took forever to grow, but look where you are today, right?
[01:70:56 – 01:70:56]
Yeah.
[01:70:57 – 01:70:57]
Good for you.
[01:70:57 – 01:70:58]
True. Thank you.
[01:70:58 – 01:71:07]
Awesome. So, Andy, if you had to give our listeners one last closing message, what would you tell them in regards to giving a heck and never giving up?
[01:71:08 – 01:72:22]
Oh, well, I definitely think that effort is one of those things that that’s, to me, that’s about giving a heck. And I never shy away from effort. I never shy away from giving my best. So I just think that it’s undervalued. I mean, so often we’re looking how to see how we can cut corners or not be thorough or, you know, not take that extra minute or not take that extra time. For me, it is always worth it to put in just the effort, the effort of presenting yourself in a certain way, the effort of leaving a good impression, the effort of leading with kindness. Effort is like a big thing for me. So if there was one message I would love to leave with your beautiful audience, it is that the effort is worth it. And you again, you might not eat the fruit today, but you will definitely see the effort pay off in the end. I believe that wholeheartedly and I’m an example of that. And to be honest, I want to live to be 100. So I’ve got a lot of seeds out there that I’ve planted and I am not done. I mean, I’m only halfway there. So I’m very excited to see what all of these seeds that I’ve planted, how they’re going to bear more and more amazing fruit. And I would encourage your listeners to think the same way.
[01:72:22 – 01:73:34]
That’s a great, great closing message. I really appreciate that. And at the end of the day, you, you have to continue to push forward to live a purposeful life. Like my book is, how do we live life on purpose? Not by accident. Right. And at the end of the day, a purposeful life involves being engaged. You’ve got to be present. You’ve got to work on things and realize and not we beat ourselves up so much when we have bad circumstances happen. And yes, you’re going to have tragedies or things that happen that it’s going to take you days, weeks, you lose a loved one or whatever, but at the end of the day, so many people climb into the rabbit hole and never get back out when they hit hard times or they’ve had a hard childhood. And I’m here to tell them, and so is Andy, that, you know what? Push forward. Don’t give up. You are worthy, every single person listening or watching this show. You are worthy of greatness. You just got to go out and take that baby step. Find that book to listen to. And I know yourself. You started a podcast now, too. I guess there’s one last thing I should bring up. It’s live now, correct?
[01:73:34 – 01:73:36]
No, I haven’t launched it yet.
[01:73:36 – 01:73:36]
Okay.
[01:73:37 – 01:73:55]
I haven’t launched it yet, but it is coming. Sorry, called. It’s all right. It’s called the Dating Lab with the Hillbilly Yenta. I’ve actually, to be honest with you, I’ve recorded several sessions, but I’m not 100% happy yet. So as soon as I get the first three that I’m really, really happy with, we’re going to. We’re going to launch from there.
[01:73:55 – 01:74:11]
Awesome. Congratulations on that, too. Always doing more to serve others. I love that. I appreciate that about you. Definitely. So our time is almost up. I want to respect our listeners in your time. Before we end, though, could you please tell the listeners and viewers what’s the best way they can reach you?
[01:74:11 – 01:74:42]
Of course. So you can reach me@andypage.com. that’s a N D, Y, P, A, I G. You can, of course, find the Girly go garter@girlygogarter.com, but I encourage all of your listeners to head to shophomeandheart.com and see everything that we’ve developed within the General Hospital brand and just really experience this new wave of television. Because I’m very excited about that and that’s ultimately why I’m doing all of this podcast tour that I’m enjoying so much. But, yeah, so. Andypage.com girlygogarter.com and shop, home and heart.com. awesome.
[01:74:42 – 01:75:15]
For those new to the show, go to giveaheck.com at the top. You’ll see podcast. Click on it. You’ll see Andy’s picture. You’ll see the show notes, you’ll see the links to her social media, the websites she just mentioned. I’ll make sure that’s in there. So One Stop Shop. You don’t have to stop and rewind and write this down. Go to giveaheck.com go to my website and find out everything you can about Andy and listen to the show again. Wow. What an amazing show. I really appreciate you. Any final last words before I wrap up?
[01:75:15 – 01:75:25]
Andy, you are just so very special. What a special human you are. It’s been a real pleasure to be with you and to feel your energy and to have this beautiful conversation. I’m so grateful.
[01:75:26 – 01:75:41]
I am as well. Thank you so much. So we’re going to wrap up the show now, so thanks so much for being on Give a Heck. Andy. I appreciate your time and share some of your experiences so that others too can learn. It is never too late to Give A Heck.