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 Haskins in Timothy Kuo. And guess what? Studio? Yes, he's here in Michigan. How's the weather
Timothy: for me? Yeah. Always is a nice break. A hundred degrees and all that. Glacier's loving it.
The humidity's low for me. It is. And get out in a nice, cool 62 degree weather in the morning. It's it's been perfect. Thank you for having great weather
Christina: up here. You're welcome. I did that
Leslie: all on my own. well, I think next time you visit it'll obviously need to be like a, a February timeframe. Yeah.
Christina: We'll make sure there's like five inches of snow
Leslie: on the ground.
Yeah. Yeah. Oh,
Christina: I mean, glacier her
Leslie: name. Her name is glacier. It would only make
Timothy: sense. I would come up here still and, uh, and, uh, I'll just, I'll just deal with
Christina: it. Very hesitant. Yeah. Very
Leslie: hesitant at that. Well, we are so happy you here are here because it's been a [00:01:00] really busy weekend. You arrived on Thursday and funny enough, you've been here since Thursday and it's a couple days later and Christina and I are just now seeing, I know, um, wait a minute.
Oh, that's right. You saw, I saw him on Friday. No. Yep. Yep. Timothy met for,
Christina: and I met for the first time. Was
Timothy: it Thursday? I thought it was Thur. No Friday. It was Friday. It
Leslie: was Friday on Friday.
Christina: Yes. I saw him in the hallway and I was like, guess who?
Leslie: Its and I's like the worst game member.
Christina: I was like, if he doesn't know my voice
Leslie: by now, we have to do,
Christina: I would only do that to Timothy.
I know
Timothy: I knew who you were immediately. So.
Christina: I wouldn't
Leslie: do that to someone, right. Dad? I didn't know. I'm totally teasing. I just thought that was funny, but
Christina: yeah, we had never met in person before.
Timothy: Never met just on the, uh, podcast and stuff like that. Not on the phone, but that that's been it. So it's been a pleasure meeting you.
Christina: Yeah, we became. Friends through head the headset headphones.
Leslie: Yes. I know it is kind of funny. And then Timothy, you and I have not seen each other in person since three and a half [00:02:00] years, but I think it's been longer because I, when you were here getting glacier, I was on maternity leave. You was on
Timothy: maternity, but see, I was here four months, February, so it's been three and a half years.
Has it been three and a half? Three and a half years since I was here for so was I pregnant with Alex? Yes, you, yeah. You were pregnant with Alice, but that's I
Leslie: keep pregnant with Zach.
Timothy: No. Cause when we talked about this morning, Wait a minute. No, you're
Leslie: right about Alice. Okay. It was Alice. Alice, you have two.
She, the trouble maker. mm-hmm
Timothy: because I was an influence already.
Christina: It would be Timothy was telling things to her before. Probably
Leslie: she she's a whole nother episode. Quite honestly, we won't get into that. We'll bring her on. Oh gosh. I can't imagine she, although she does have a great vocabulary, she would keep up with us.
No problems.
Timothy: That's great. She would probably lose maybe, or I would lose her because of. No, my, my go, just Southern the Southern draw, Southern draw, my ginner. So you've been here. What have you been doing? Well, uh,
Timothy: Friday I talked to the, the graduating class we had great on and M and yeah, [00:03:00] going out and, uh, eight more guide dogs gone delivered mm-hmm success successfully.
There's one of those stumbles, but, uh, they went out, so was a pleasure to be here and I, it was emotional for me to see it again. Yeah. Cause I know what those people are went through and what their lives are gonna be like. Yeah. So it was a great experience. And then on, uh, Saturday and Sunday, I talked to the lions that are here for their chili and donut.
And you figure, oh, my low. That was, was
Leslie: good. I know I
Christina: haven't, I've never had that, but it's a lion summer visits and it's the first time in person in quite
Timothy: a while. I think. When I was here was the last time they had it three years ago. Cause I, they were there that weekend. Okay. And it was a, it was a mad house here with full of bunch of lions and it was crazy.
So it was, I, now I can see what it was like and that chili was dadgum. Good.
Leslie: well,
Christina: that's great. And I was at that celebration ceremony that Timothy was at and Timothy you spoke and the whole room was. So touched by what you had to say. It was
Leslie: amazing. Give us us
Timothy: synopsis. Well, I'm shocked though, [00:04:00] because I made a blind mistake at 10 30 in the morning.
I took a sleeping pill
Christina: by accident. You did tell me that he came up and told me that. And he's like, I took a sleeping pill. I was like, did you drink coffee?
Leslie: always the answer. When you asked Christina something, did you have your coffee? Did you have your coffee?
Timothy: So I told Linda, she was sitting next to me, a G DMMI instructor here, and I said, Face goes into my plate, just gimme my pillow and my Teddy bear.
And I'll be fine. I'll be fine.
Leslie: Don't worry about
Timothy: me. But it, it was great to talk to everybody and send them off. And I put myself back in their shoes and I got emotional myself. So. Uh, uh, it was great to be here and, uh, seeing the lines this past two days, they are excited about leader dog, and it's great to be associated with people who have the same mission as we do and believe in the mission of leader, dog and supporting us like
Leslie: this.
Yeah. And we heard from several clients before you even got to campus, that they were so excited for you to be visiting. Yeah. You are a celebrity on campus. We're traveled fast when you were gonna be [00:05:00] there. People were lining up to meet you. When I met
Christina: Timothy for the first time. Yelled at him in the hallway.
um, people were coming up to him and being like, oh my gosh, Timothy. And then people were coming to me being like, can I say hi to him?
Leslie: I'm like, is that the real Timothy? Is that I'm like, yes, you can say
Christina: hi to Timothy. Like, hi .
Timothy: Well, the voluntary picked me up, Mike. Hello, Mike. He listens to the podcast. And, uh, he goes, are you Timothy Cooney?
You're the woman. Yes. Oh, is this glacier to, yeah, I didn't. Oh, that's all the way over here. That's all we talked was we had a great conversation and, uh, I, I guess that was the, the start of it. And we've had some, several, uh, clients hear my voice. And like last night we had a young lady come in and. Oh, my God.
You're on the podcast. Yes. Ma'am. Oh my God. She was shaking. Chad, come over and hug me. I'm nobody people. I'm just, , I'm one of three people here. So Timothy,
Leslie: you are even you're this star besides glacier, especially at
Christina: work because they see Leslie and I nobody all the time, like our coworkers. So everyone was so excited for [00:06:00] you to come and we kind of bugged them with other work stuff, you know, like.
We ask a lot of other people. Yeah. So, um,
Leslie: and half the time they think we're one person morph together. Anyways, Leslie and I, well, you guys
Timothy: are kind of, you guys could be sisters, you know,
Christina: well, they think we have the same job, but we have vastly different
Timothy: jobs. Well, you shared the same office. This is that doesn't help our case.
I cannot imagine walking by that office and seeing you two in there, what the, uh, stuff's like, so
Leslie: we're always working hard. Di that I'm assuming that's what you're, that's what I'm referring.
Timothy: I'm referring that.
Christina: Yes. Um, we are hiring for an assistant for our J our combined jobs. Yeah, that's great.
Timothy: Sue Daniels, are you listening?
Christina: no, but, so I got a picture of you presenting to the lines this weekend. What was it like for you to present in front of that group? Well,
Timothy: it got emotional of course, but, uh, I've told them about my story and it got emotional and they got emotional too. Cuz I was telling 'em a little bit more in depth that I haven't told out in public.[00:07:00]
And uh, it was an intimate moment and it was just a pleasure to talk to them about what leader dog has done for me and basically saving my life Ugh. In my self-destructiveness. And um, it was, they were very receptive of it and uh, I want to show that their investment and their time and their money and their effort is paying off and, uh, and believe in this mission.
And let's continue this cuz there's another Timothy out.
Leslie: Absolutely. Well, and we appreciate that. I mean, it's not easy all the time being such an ambassador for leader, dog and sharing such vulnerable experiences and stories. So we certainly appreciate you always taking the time to share that and let people know that their money or their time or whatever it is that they're donating is going towards a very, very worthy cause.
Timothy: This is the greatest organization in the country. Um, The dogs are tanks and they are probably the most healthiest dogs I've ever seen in here about, so thank you. Thank you, lions for supporting leader, dog and all [00:08:00] that you do. Yes.
Christina: Thank you to the lines. A huge thank you to them. And I know that you got to like spend the whole weekend with.
Them. They, you
Leslie: traveled. Yeah. You went
Timothy: hear the air airport spinning at the NBC. Sweet. Did a, did a dinner in the dark and it was great cuz we were at the table, but not blindfolded. Everybody else was blindfolded I felt dominant for once in my life. How do we cut our meat? How do we, which how do you know what size of the sharp other knife?
I describing everything. Two o'clock one o'clock everything. And it was, it was great. I had my plate done in 10 minutes. They struggled 45 minutes later.
Christina: I love that. That's awesome. So cool. I didn't know that they were doing that. I love that. I love that you got to be a part of
Timothy: that. I got to be a part of it, and I felt like Superman for once.
So it was great.
Christina: You were like, Did you him the right way to do it? GUID guiding, guiding them, GUID, guiding them through it. Timothy. How, I didn't know if you were playing jokes on any of all,
Timothy: how do I find my food on the plate? Where you get your, you feel with your fork or knife and how do you cut your meat?
You feel with your, you just it's, it's a technique. I'm glad I had that [00:09:00] technique still. So yes.
Leslie: Were they all wishing that it was chicken tenders so they could have just done the, the hands, the dunking with their friend's eyes?
Timothy: It, it was a great chicken Marla salad. Oh, so it was, they grilled the chicken too.
I was impressed. Okay. So, so Beth needs to be congratulated on a great meal. Okay.
Christina: Yes, that's they were awesome. And what was it like for them to see you and glacier working? Like did they mention
Timothy: that at all? Well, they were all happy to see glacier. Some of 'em do listen to the podcast. So hello and, um, they, they were excited to meet glacier and they saw her work me through the hotel and everything.
And they were amazed that when I got to the hotel, I went to my room and with glacier, I just go to the room one time, tap, tap, tap the door. I say room. We went in, changed. My shirt, went out, came back through, got out of the dinner three hours. Because the lines like to have a long meeting after day, he . And I glad I left my wallet in my room, because if you made a mistake, you had to give a dollar, but I didn't make any mistakes
But, um, so we got out of [00:10:00] the room and I, out of the, the place where we ate and I said, glacier, find my room. And she took me immediately to my, my room, which was all on the other side of the hotel. A good 10 minute. And they were fascinated that she knew by one visit to my room, where to go. That's
Leslie: awesome.
I love hearing those stories. What has it been like for you being back on campus physically? So you and glacier now came back as a seasoned team. What is it like traveling there? I
Timothy: got emotional mm-hmm cause I feel like I'm back home again. It's my second home. And when we arrived back, glacier knew exactly where we.
We got out and she immediately wanted to go over where the dogs are housed. she knew where she was. And she, we went in the, in, and of course I had a Parker when I got here and she went to the P gravel and used it, but she likes the grass. So we went that lasted
Leslie: a little, she costume a different
Timothy: lifestyle.
She spoiled a little bit. So, um, it was great. And when we came in the faces have some have changed, new friends. Old [00:11:00] friends, but the mission is the same and the attitude and the, everybody are caring just like they were three years ago. And it's nice to see, even though people have changed and people are no longer here, everything's the same.
And I feel so secure and protected here with what's going on in the world right now. I feel a hundred percent safe that you all are doing your best to keep that Ronna outta here. And you're doing a fine job.
Leslie: well, thank you. And you saw another really familiar face while here. Uh, Meredith
Timothy: Meredith. Yes.
Glacier saw her. She saw Christine didn't react. Then Meredith walked up. She react to me oh, there's Meredith. Which Meredith is, was her G DMI partially. Cause there was another one and uh, we didn't get to see her while we were here. And uh, she reacted and she said, can I pet her? I said, of course. And so, uh, she got the pattern we revisited and it was emotional and, uh, it was great to see Meredith again, it was, yeah, she's another, I told everybody yesterday.
Leslie and Meredith are the most, the [00:12:00] peop the women have changed my lives so much.
Leslie: Aww. You're doing it to me again, Timothy, we talked about this. I love you. Leslie.
Timothy: Love you too. I love Timothy. And, um, I'm ungrateful that, like I said, leader, dog can pair you up with two, a good dog. They paired me up with the best O and M instructor I could have and the best G DMI for me.
And it was a perfect match. Instructors.
Leslie: Well, thank you. I appreciate that. We had such a good time. Um, I know we've talked about it a lot on the podcast, but our week together was great and it clearly built this friendship when we were starting to do the podcast. And we were thinking about co-host and who we should have.
And Timothy was one of the very first names that I threw out because I knew what an impactful week that was. How leader dog has impacted you, but you're just a wonderful guy. And I know this has changed your whole world. You literally came on campus that one day and then from there, you've take it. And you've grown.
You've traveled the world. You're going all over the places you and Cheryl are doing wonderful things. She's retired now. It's just incredible. So, [00:13:00] um, we are so happy to have you as part of the legal dog family as well.
Timothy: What's important. Finally, we get to go on a cruise that she doesn't have to be my sided guide.
So she gets to enjoy a cruise a little bit better. Glacier has to do a lot of work. Yeah. And so she gets to enjoy this next one to be normal again. And I'm thankful for that. So I give her a break and, and I'm, I can say, Hey, I wanna go get me at burger, cuz I like to eat and, and I just know where it is. So I say, glacier, let's go get a burger.
And I say, see you later go Cheryl. And I go on my own on your own. Cheryl, I can do it. I can do it on my own now and now I have not been able to do that in quite a long
Christina: time. Oh yeah. That's so amazing to hear. And it's so amazing to see you two together. Leslie and Timothy. I mean. Just to see, like, you guys were both peering up.
I know, um, the impact that you guys have had. Well, and
Leslie: we haven't even talked about our true bond. We really bonded. Oh,
Christina: rusty Wallace. There's NASCAR fans over there.
Leslie: Yes. Embarrassment [00:14:00] here. Now
Timothy: we got there and I, and she goes, I, I don't know how we got on rescue. We were talking about NASCAR. Somehow. It came up here.
I am up in Michigan. and when I find out about, you know, and I said, well, I'm an rusty Wallace fan. And she goes, oh my God, I that's all we talked about. Yeah. And I, I was a fanatic for rusty Wallace. I drove my wife crazy about rusty Wallace. Everything was rusty Wallace in my house. Yeah. And, uh, he retired a long time ago.
Regretfully. And so go rust number two, even, even my, even my Yahoo email address has rusty in it somehow. Yeah. Yes it does. So, uh, that's a tribute to rusty Wallace. So when I found out she was a rusty Wallace fan, I knew I could trash
Leslie: bond. Yeah. We, um, my family growing up used to go to all the NASCAR races and you like pick a driver.
Right. And I picked rusty Wallace. Um, and so, yeah, he was my driver. I had all the, the rusty wall shirts and scrunchies and like necklaces. My mom still mortifies me when she'll like, send me photos and kinda a car. It's funny
Christina: is that. Leslie doesn't know what [00:15:00] football players wear. Oh yeah. It's costumes.
It's costumes. Don't
Timothy: they have pretty costumes talk
Christina: NASCAR. Oh yeah. Should know
Leslie: the talk you under the table. Well, I could back then. I can't, I can't say I keep up with it now, but back in the day, I could have told you all of the drivers, probably some stats, even I was in the rust Wallace. Fan club, man. Oh my Lord.
I didn't
Christina: know who I was
Leslie: around the big part of my life growing my
Christine: gosh, man. Well, and I'm just thankful you guys want me to be a part of this.
Leslie: Yeah, you, you should be thankful man. Special
Christina: thing we've got. Yeah, you guys let me tag along. I feel like the little kid in the back, like just tag him along.
Leslie: Oh, gosh, that's where we should do a, a live recording from is some, uh, a NASCAR.
Oh, we go,
Timothy: grace. Yeah, we can do, it'd be very loud though. So we go to MIS as long as mark can be our, our producer. Yeah. We'll
Christina: come with
Leslie: USS. Gotta be there with us too. Yes, . Well, this is so great. We're so happy that you are here in person and we got to come and show you in studio and meet mark our wonderful producer.
Um, so we're delighted that you're here and we really honestly, Timothy appreciate all the. That you [00:16:00] put into this podcast seriously. And the time you dedicate to this. Yeah.
Christina: Well, we're calling you all the time being like, can you chat right now? Can you record this the time? Can you record that? So just don't do it at three in the morning.
I'm not up at three in, well, I might be, if I'm going to the gym,
Leslie: I know certainly am not. So I
Christina: like how you just pointed me. Like, yes you are.
Timothy: No, the pleasures, all mine, anything that leader dog ever needs me to. I'm there. Just, if somebody calls me Timothy can, yes. . Before they get past the word, can I say
Leslie: yes.
Well, we appreciate you and the impact you are having. So, um, and thank you to our listeners for listening to the, taking the lead podcast. I'm Leslie Hoskins with host Timothy Kuo and Christina Hoeppner. We hope you enjoyed our conversation here today and enjoying Tempe in person present. Yes.
Christina: And if you'd like to learn more about applying to leader dog, you can head to leader, dog.org or call us at (888) 777-5332.
And don't forget, you can reach us at taking the lead at [00:17:00] leader, dog, dot, org, with any questions or ideas. And if you like today's podcast, make sure to hit subscribe and check us out wherever podcast stream.