Christina: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Taking the Lead podcast where we empower people to be unstoppable. I'm Christina Hoeppner with my co-host Leslie Hoskins and Timothy Kunow. Timothy, you have some news that you wanna share with everybody?
Timothy: Yeah. Fairly recently ago, I, uh, put in an application to come back to Leader Dog, to, uh, get a brush up on my o and m skills.
Uh. It's been a good six, six and a half years now and my eyesight has gotten slightly, well, I should say much worse since then. And, uh, just wanna be comfortable using the cane and, and for those days, uh, that the glacier can't work or go to an environment that glacier can't work, I need to have those cane skills and, and, 'cause I used my eyesight a little bit, of course, when I came for o and m with Leslie.
Oh, so many years ago. So, uh, it, it, it is time to come back and it, it's been, it, it's a good idea that everybody somehow gives a refresher somehow if you feel, uh, comfortable with your [00:01:00] cane skills.
Leslie: Yeah, I mean, so many things have changed in the last six plus years that you came for orientation and mobility.
Honestly, the profession of o and m is still fairly new. We're still learning a lot of different things. Uh, research is being done about different techniques or different cane tips and different things like that. So, um, I bet it'll be a very different experience. Now, if you're not working with me, obviously it won't be asked.
Fun of an experience.
Timothy: You need to put that special request in. Yeah. Leslie, she can take, take a week off.
Christina: Yeah. She'll work o and m that week. Timothy, what was it like for you coming to that conclusion of that you wanted to apply? Because I know it's, it's a difficult journey. You losing more vision and then realizing I should go back and I should receive more services.
Timothy: Well, glacier, you know, she's getting ready to turn eight years old here in a couple of months, and so I know her career's going in. Soon, not tomorrow, but within the next year or two probably. So I need those cane skills for that time buffer [00:02:00] between Glacier and my next dog. And, and for me to get comfortable with those and use those.
'cause there's been some issues when I'm don't have glacier. Um, I'm getting ready to go on a cruise here in about a month and glacier's not going. And so for that month, I mean, for that, that week. My cane skills are gonna have to be used, and they're not too good right now because I've been using glacier for so long.
So I'm using glacier more than I'm my cane. And after a while you forget things and the techniques that you use. And yes, the, the techniques that the cane does get brought into the dog by listening, crossing streets and stuff like that, but using that Cain's a total different tactile, uh, experience.
Leslie: Yeah, and that's really common, right?
When you're traveling with a guide dog, you have to get your guide dog out, especially right now, kind of the, or the summer months when it was extreme heat, you're only getting out in the mornings or evenings and you wanna make sure you're getting your dog that exercise. And, uh, we do, we do understand that we of course, encourage everybody to get out, hopefully at least once a week with your cane.
But we're [00:03:00] also realistic and know that that doesn't always happen. So I'm really proud of you, Timothy, for recognizing, you know what, it's time for a refresher. I think that's fantastic.
Timothy: Yeah, I just need to put in a quest for Leslie to help me. I can leave Christina behind me filming me.
Christina: There we go. And then I said I would watch Glacier while he, no.
Timothy's immediately. No Timothy won't. Come on. Gotta watch
Timothy: her weight. Gotta watch her weight.
Christina: I won't feed her. I'm just gonna let her play and hang out, you know? Wow.
Leslie: Oh no. I'm sure you can almost believe that. Yeah. Well, good Timothy, please of course, keep us updated on this journey and, uh, we look forward to welcoming, welcoming you back for o and m.
Timothy: I'm looking forward to it.
Leslie: That's awesome. So today we are very excited because we're joined by a guest that I also have the honor of working with for orientation and mobility. And this client was also featured at this year's Dinner In the Dark.
Christina: Yes. Jeff Peterson came to Leader Dog for both o and [00:04:00] m, and most recently a guy dog.
He now lives in Texas with his leader dog Audi, and Jeff owns an ACE Hardware and they share their journey through his YouTube channel.
Timothy: Good morning, Jeff. Welcome to the podcast. You and I have talked before on the phone and it's great that you're here this morning. I find you very interesting 'cause you, you own a Ace Hardware.
So what else do you do? Can you tell us about yourself?
Jeff: Yeah, so, um, gosh, I, I had another career previously. I was in the highway construction business up in Colorado. Uh, did that for over a decade with my family. Um, our construction company has been around since 1924. And, uh, about a decade ago, I decided to, uh, make a change and I moved back home to Texas and, uh, built a Ace Hardware store from the ground up.
So I own and operate j and R's Ace Hardware in Porter, Texas. Um, we went big. We, uh, we bought land and, uh, [00:05:00] cleared it and developed it, uh, myself. So, uh, very proud that we have been open for six and a half years now. And, um, yeah, it's, uh, it's a very interesting business. Um, in the six and a half years, uh, we've been operating, uh, had to deal with a lot of challenges.
Uh, right when we hit our one year anniversary was when COVID started, and that threw a lot of, uh, a lot of challenges at us. Also have had to deal with various, uh, supply issues. Um, right now we're dealing with, uh, the effects of price changes, um, that are coming down daily. Um, but I, I'm very involved in a number of organizations in my community.
Um, I am on the board of directors of our local Chamber of Commerce. So it's just a very fulfilling, uh, business to be in.
Leslie: And it's such a personal experience, I feel like. Right. Like how did you decide Ace Hardware was [00:06:00] what you wanted to do, and then how did you decide to also start sharing your journey on YouTube?
Jeff: Yeah, so my first job in high school was that the local Ace Hardware store. And so a few years ago when I was, uh, still doing highway construction. I actually started looking at Ace Hardware as a diversification for my family's business up in Colorado and speaking with my parents when I was visiting for Thanksgiving that year.
My dad. Suggested that I go into this myself. And, um, he was letting me know about all the growth, uh, near our hometown, and he felt that a store in that location would do really well. So we started pursuing that. Um, [00:07:00] so yeah, he, like I said, it, it, it all kind of just went back to when I was 14 years old in my first job.
That's so funny. As far as YouTube, um. One of my good friends from Rotary Club had told me several years ago that I'm a very passionate speaker. I have great stories to tell and I'm a very hands-on person. I do a lot of work on projects, um, around my store, around my property, and so he felt that. I should start recording what I was doing and sharing it with people.
And so all that started with me just doing, you know, little projects, um, how to videos, uh, startup videos on chainsaws, things like that. Um. So my, my YouTube channel is JR. Helpful Hardware. [00:08:00] So again, it just started off as me trying to be helpful and give people tips and things I like about certain products and recommendations.
Um, and then when I started on my Guide Dog Journey two years ago, uh. I decided just for documenting things. Yeah. Um, yeah, it just, it, it was something a lot of people had questions about and it struck me that maybe there are some other people out there that are curious. I, I, I've been visually impaired for over 28 years and.
I only pursued getting a guide dog in the past two years, and I decided to pursue, uh, going to OM training at Leader [00:09:00] Dog, um, to really help prepare me as much as I could to improve my cane skills in preparation for getting a dog.
Timothy: What made you decide to go to Leader Dog, and what was that final thing to make you say, Hey, I gotta do this?
Jeff: Yeah, so I had initially applied for a dog with another program, and that program did not offer o and m training, and so I was trying to figure out where I could go. To improve my O and M skills, and I had reached out to my longtime low vision doctor and she put me in touch with a leader dog employee, Barry Stafford.
And he and I spoke on the phone that day, and I'd say the rest is history. Uh, he, he was, [00:10:00] we, we really hit it off. Uh, we, we formed a great friendship. Um, but he highly encouraged me to apply, uh, with Leader Dog. And so I did, and I was accepted into the o and m program. Uh, went up to Rochester in January.
Yeah, the
Leslie: Texan came in January. Oh my goodness. Yep. Yep.
Jeff: It was, it was very icy. The temperatures were in the mid twenties and it was fabulous.
Christina: It was, see, I was just cold. Just telling Timothy he should come in January. Yes. Well, it was so funny. I highly
Jeff: recommend it. Yeah, Timothy, it's great because you get to see all the holiday lights see in downtown is beautiful.
So everyone should go in the winter.
Leslie: It was so funny, Jeff, actually. So yes, Jeff came for uh, like the first week in January, which we often partner with Western Michigan University and their practicum students come. So it is a really fun week [00:11:00] 'cause there's lots of people there and involved. Um, and I had the honor, oddly enough, one of our o and m specialists was.
Under the weather and couldn't teach that week. So I stepped in for what was supposed to be a couple days, but then, um, we just decided because Jeff, you and I really hit it off also and had such a great time that I had the honor of working with you all week and we had such a good time. It was fantastic.
You were a joy to work with. And I also loved that you were doing your YouTube. Videos and different things. We were walking downtown Royal Oak, and we had to stop so that Jeff could take a video of the, um, of the, like the igloos, the igloos that were outside that you could like dine in and stuff. It was so funny.
Was it
Timothy: snow?
Jeff: Was it Uh, yeah, there were, there was lots of snow on the ground. Uh, we did a couple walks in snow. Um, yeah, and it was amazing through, like Leslie said, through a series of. You know, unforeseen circumstances. Uh, I ended up gaining a new bestie that [00:12:00] week. That's
Leslie: right. We had so much fun. And honestly though, that is such a great week.
'cause it's a great week to connect with others and this, uh, practicum students are there also, so everybody's just like learning and absorbing so much information. Um, and I'm so glad that Barry and you have really hit it off, both of you being Texans and I know you've continued to, uh, reach out to one another, which is fantastic.
He's a great resource and I think, did he help? Also with your video when you were applying then for a guide dog?
Jeff: He did. I was having some technical issues, uh, when I was trying to record my application video and I had done, it was like a 45 minute walk and it was summertime and it was hot. And I completed it and I realized that I had run out of memory on my camera.
Oh my gosh. And I was frustrated. I didn't know what to do. And, uh, Barry offered to, um. Stop by one day and he and I [00:13:00] walked a route together and he helped film everything. So it was pretty cool.
Leslie: It's so fantastic having him out on the road and having him available to do such things. I know you guys are, you know, living somewhat close by, so it's a little bit easier, but, uh, yes, having Barry be able to assist with those types of things.
So, okay, so you came for a week of o and m. I'm sorry, we're getting so off topic here with so many different things, but you came for your week of orientation and mobility and then you. Also were accepted to another Guide Dog program. So what was that determining factor of like why Leader Dog?
Jeff: Yeah. So when I went for that week of o and m, I had my mindset that that's what I was there for, was to do o and m with Leader Dog.
And then I was going to, uh, continue with getting a dog from another organization. And I think it was my second to last day, Leslie sat down [00:14:00] with me and, uh, you were aware that I had applied for a dog somewhere else and you just had a, a great talk with me and, and kind of went through some of the advantages of continuing to work with Leader Dog and I.
Really just, I fell in love with the organization that week. It was not what I expected going into it. It was so much more, uh, the relationships I formed with everybody were incredible. It just from, from the other clients to all of the staff members, just everything about the organization felt like a great fit for me.
And so I knew after that week. I really wanted to have a leader dog.
Leslie: I think that's awesome. It's one of those important conversations that we sit down and we talk to clients and talk about the pros and cons, and I will say we encourage people to [00:15:00] find the right organization for them. So if it's not Leader Dog, we certainly understand we want people to travel independently, but I am so happy that you felt so connected to Leader Dog and one of the benefits of coming for orientation and mobility and then coming back.
To the same organization for a guide dog is, you know, the people, you know the schedule, you know the layout, you know the route. So you already have a really good understanding of all those things so that when you come back for that second time, you can really focus on just getting to know your new guide dog, right?
You don't have the stressor of what is the dining room set up like, or what are the meals gonna be? Or where am I gonna be traveling? You know, you'd already done all of those things one time through, um, which makes it a little bit easier. To come back. And then you met your new guide dog, DY, what was that like and how has that been since you've gotten home?
Jeff: Yeah. So and, and those were wonderful points about being familiar with everything. And then on that second time around, just being able to focus on, uh, the bond and [00:16:00] the training with. You're a new dog. And so in my video where I documented my three weeks of guide dog training as soon as I arrived on campus, I made that comment, uh, in, in the intro of my video, I believe, uh, where I said I just, I felt like I was home.
Um. Everything was comfortable. I knew as soon as I got to the front door, I knew where to go to the RA's office to get checked in and just start going through everything. So yes, that was fabulous. Um, but getting my dog, um, it was, it, yeah, such an experience is very emotional. Um, I was actually supposed to be up there a month earlier.
When I had gotten a match, uh, with a dog, and unfortunately my trip was canceled less than 48 hours before I was supposed to [00:17:00] go up there. And gosh, that just, like I said, it was so emotional. Um, I, I was, I was so excited. I was ready to go. I was literally packing when I got the phone call saying that, um, I.
That my trip had to be canceled. And so I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know how long the wait was gonna be before I get another match. And fortunately it was about two weeks later, I got a phone call again and uh, Laura called me and she said, Hey, have good news. We have a dog for you. And. It was kinda hard to get excited again because I didn't want to be let down.
Um, but you just have to have faith in the process that everything happens for a reason. And Adi was the right dog for me. [00:18:00] And the day we met, um, you know, part of the, the preparation for meeting your dog, uh, we're told. That we as clients are so excited to meet our new dog. The dogs don't know that it's a special day that they're gonna be meeting their new person, and so we're super excited.
But they told you, they told all the clients, don't be disappointed if the dog isn't super excited and super affectionate when you first meet. But from the moment that ADI came into the room. He has such an expressive tail and he was just wagging his tail like crazy. He was, I mean, he was just all wiggles and so happy to see me and we bonded from the very first moment and over those three weeks I was up there.
I heard from multiple [00:19:00] staff members and volunteers that. We looked like we had been together for years, not just a matter of weeks. So I was so blessed. Uh, yeah, I, it's amazing the thought that goes into the matching process. I'm still blown away by just all the different things that the team considers when they're trying to match a dog with a client.
And they do such an amazing job of creating that perfect pair.
Leslie: We are so happy that you are paired with Adi and you guys are out living life and accomplishing things left and right. What has it been like now? Your new employee, ADI, you guys are walking around these hardware together. How has the community and your employees, everybody, uh, worked Audi into the world?
Jeff: Yeah, it's um. You know, it's a transition, um, going [00:20:00] from being, uh, a prominent cane user to, uh, now having a guide dog as your, your primary, um, method of getting around. Um, my employees were very excited. Um, they have all done really well with adi. They, they love him to death and. Going to meetings in the community, uh, whether it be Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce or other things.
Everyone knows Adi. I, I tell people all the time that he is probably the most known dog in our county. And when I'm at Chamber of Commerce luncheons with 250 people, our chamber, CEO. When he calls me up to the front, he doesn't just announce me, he announces me and Ady,
Christina: I love that.
Jeff: And I, I love that when I'm out at ribbon cutting ceremonies for new businesses in [00:21:00] the community and our county judge, uh, sees me and comes right up to say hi to me and to Adi every time.
It's just, uh. That, that connection that people want to have with you when you have a dog, it's, it's an icebreaker.
Christina: Yeah.
Jeff: And so it takes me from where I used to be on the sidelines and I, I wouldn't ran, I even now, I don't randomly just go up to people and start a conversation, um, because I don't know who I'm approaching.
Yeah. And so having that dog, I have found people feel much more comfortable approaching me, and it's, it's just that icebreaker to start off a conversation.
Christina: Yeah. And I can't even imagine how many people in your community that you're educating that are learning about how a Guide Dog works and seeing it [00:22:00] firsthand, which is so amazing.
Jeff: Absolutely. Um, yeah, and I travel quite a bit. So my interactions with people all over the place, I at airports, on a cruise, on whatever. It is really cool having those conversations with people. And so it was, uh, last month Ady and I went on our first cruise together and we went to several ports, uh, two in Mexico and one in Honduras.
And it was amazing. Uh, interacting with locals who were so curious because they're not used to seeing service dogs, but they were so respectful. They, like I said, they were so curious. And I, it was more than I expected. Um, I, I thought I was gonna have challenges on the trip. Um, but everything [00:23:00] went really, really well for us.
Timothy: What's it been like for you to have that independence now that you didn't have 8, 9, 10 years ago?
Jeff: Yeah. Um, as, as much as I travel, uh, using airplanes, uh, it was difficult, uh, for me going through an airport I wasn't familiar with. Or god forbid, construction would happen. And all of a sudden things were changed at the airport.
Uh, it, it would set off panic. Uh, it was, it was frustrating. It was very stressful for me. And traveling. Now with dy, we. It's just, it's so easy, it's graceful, it's fun. Um, a few months ago, back in March, I had gone up to Colorado to go skiing and when my cousin dropped me off at the airport to come home.
She had asked me if I had been through DIA since they [00:24:00] redid the security layout and I had not. Uh, she let me know it was on a different level than it had been before. And so at least I was prepared knowing that things were gonna be different than what I had been used to for over a decade. And we went inside Adi and I, and.
He led me right to the new security area. I don't know exactly how he knew what to do. Um, I, I guess he was, you know, kind of just figuring out the flow of, of people and what they were doing. But he led me straight to the new security entrance. We went right through all the lines, and then when we were done with security.
We went straight to the escalator and took two escalators down to go to the train, to head to the terminal. It's just, it's amazing. [00:25:00] I, I would've been panicked trying to figure that out using my cane. I would've had to ask people for help. Um. Yeah, I could have done it, but it's just, I'm blown away by what he can help me do.
Leslie: You know? I am so happy to hear it, Jeff. I am, uh, feels a little personal somehow here. No, I'm kidding.
Christina: Leslie was, you should have seen the look on Leslie's face. She was like rolling her eyes.
Leslie: No, I love, I mean, of course these stories are. Fantastic. And I'm so happy to hear you and audio working so well together.
I always, of course have to bring it back to the cane because that's my thing, but I do in fact, contrary to what many people believe, love guide dogs and love what they do for people. And I love that you guys connect. Um, but that's fantastic, Jeff. Thank you so much. Well, and
Jeff: and and there's a, there's a place for both.
Yeah. Yes. Um, you know, there are when I know we're gonna be [00:26:00] traveling, uh, I. I give Adi a day or two off before we have really stressful, busy travel days, and so when he has an off day, then I need my cane. Um, so yeah, it's, it's, there's a time and a place.
Leslie: Absolutely. Thank you. And thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your story.
We really appreciate it.
Jeff: Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me. This has been a huge honor.
Leslie: Awesome. And thank you so much to our listeners for listening to the Taking the Lead podcast. I'm Leslie Hoskins with host Timothy Kyo and Christina Hebner. We hope you enjoyed hearing about Jeff and all of the wonderful things he's been up to.
Please join us next time as we continue to dive into the world of blindness. And if you'd like to learn more
Christina: about applying to our free services at Leader Dog, you can head to leader dog.org or call us at (888) 777-5332. Don't forget you can reach us at taking the lead@leaderdog.org with any [00:27:00] questions or ideas.
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