Tiffany Shultz
Tiffany Shultz is a seasoned professional with a diverse background and a strong commitment to her community. A proud graduate of Arizona State University, Tiffany has called Arizona home throughout her life. Her journey began in broadcast journalism before transitioning to a successful career in public relations.
Tiffany's professional trajectory took an exciting turn as she shifted her focus to organizing large-scale festivals, showcasing her versatility and ability to manage diverse events. Notable among these festivals are "Bacon Blues and Brews" and "Vintage & Vino," where she likely demonstrated her skills in event planning and coordination. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Tiffany is a dedicated wife and mother. Married for sixteen years, she and her family have been residents of Gilbert since 2007. This commitment to her community extends beyond her personal life into her professional endeavors.
Tiffany is the proud owner of "Sip & Shop," a business that has flourished under her leadership for three years. What began as a popup at SanTan Village Mall has now expanded to two stores, with plans for a third location. This growth is a testament to Tiffany's entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen.
Beyond her role as a business owner, Tiffany actively contributes to the community in various capacities. She serves as the president of the Higley School Board, highlighting her commitment to education and community development. Additionally, Tiffany is involved with the Gilbert Leadership Board and is a Gilbert Leadership Class 29 graduate, showcasing her dedication to fostering leadership and growth within the community.
Recognized for her achievements, Tiffany was named in 2016 by the Arizona Republic as one of the "Top 35 Under 35." This accolade underscores her significant impact and leadership within her community. Tiffany is excited about her continued involvement in the Gilbert community. Her multifaceted roles, professionally and within community organizations, reflect her passion for making a positive impact and contributing to the growth and vibrancy of Gilbert.
Episode Transcription
Guiding Growth. Conversations with Community Leaders. In this podcast, we'll explore the human journey of leaders, their stories of humility, triumph, roadblocks and lessons learned. Come join us as we journey together and uncover the questions you've always wanted to know. This podcast is brought to you by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, providing resources, connections and belonging for business professionals and modern moments, an event and meeting venue in the heart of Gilbert and at Gilbert Independent, your valley. net dedicated to serving readers with good community journalism. The Gilbert Independent is a nonpartisan newspaper, an online site that covers our town's institutions, development and events.
Subscribe and follow your valley. net Daily to stay up to date with latest local news. Should I start off with your favorite saying of what your favorite holiday is? Christmas? Yeah, Christmas is my favorite holiday and speaking of favorites, I have a favorite in the room today. For real. She's a rock star. This guest grew up locally and is a graduate of Mesa High School in Arizona State University. She has a background in broadcast journalism, public relations and event production and now the proud owner of two retail boutiques.
She is the governing school board president of Higley Un Schools is married to Thomas and is raising two incredible and very active daughters. She is a graduate of Gilbert Leadership and now serves on the program's board of directors. Please welcome Tiffany Schultz. Tiffany, welcome. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Thanks for being here. We're going to start off what we call rapid fire. Ok. I'll go first this time. Would you rather sing in public or dance in public dance in public phone call, facetime or text message, text message.
I wish it was a phone call. This is a tricky one for me. So we'll see what you say. Favorite snack food. I love chocolate. Anything chocolate. So peanut butter M and MS there with you. Yeah. Ok, Saturday or Sunday. Saturday. What makes you hopeful other than Saturday? My Children. Best room in your house. The room. Well, I want to say bathroom but I mean because my tub is there so like a nice bubble bath. Thank you for that answer. Wow. On that case, this next one?
Perfect. Have you ever skydived? I have my junior year of high school and I didn't tell my parents. So we'll ask who signed that consent form later in your teen years. What was your favorite hangout or maybe where was your favorite hangout in the probably the mall? Ok. Which Superstition Springs Mall or Fiesta Mall? You are Schmancy. Look at you. Ok. Uh Would you rather travel to the past or to the future to the past. Ok. Glass half full or half empty, half full. There we go.
That wasn't so hard, was it? She blew right through those things? Ok. Every day at A PS, we're here to help you save energy and money. A PS solutions for business can help you make energy efficient upgrades, more affordable, find rebates at a ps. com/business, rebates. Well, I'm pretty impressed by superstition because that was, that was a nice mall that was for the big shots back in the day. It was brand new. I had to go to that, you know, ride the carousel back in the day.
I still do that. By the way, I still take my kids there. That's a good thing. Is the carousel still there? Still there? Ok. I haven't been in a while. Ok, let's go into the beginning. Ok. So Mesa, but did you grow up in Arizona? Is that where you always started or you know how, let's talk about that a little bit. Your family back then? And how things I did. I've been in Mesa since I was a year old. I went to Mesa High group up on Vesta and Southern basically, right where we're recording when it was uh cotton fields.
And, um, you know, my dentist's office I think was here was the only thing. Um, and uh, yeah, I grew up in Mesa my whole entire life. Ok. And Mesa high. So we talk about that a little bit. Um Was there any particular events you were focused on in high school or anything like that? Um, well, I played golf in high school because my dad always told me that business deals happened on the golf course. I have yet to make a business deal on the golf course.
However, I did enjoy playing golf. He wanted me to be able to hang out with and that time or as far as, you know, business goes, um, and hold my own on the golf course. So I actually got a scholarship for golf, um, to Scottsdale Community College. I didn't take it. I chose to work at Boeing at the time while I was going to college because I really wanted to earn money and live on my own. So I working in working and going to college at the same time and I had to have more of a, a better paying job.
Did you, were you an only child or did you have siblings? I have a brother. Yeah, 22 months younger than I am. Did he also have to learn how to play golf? No, that's, yeah, I believe that my dad tried to get my brother to play golf. But, um, yeah, he promoted it more for me to play golf. I was involved in student council and other, you know, groups and various things but, and dance and that type of thing. But I ended up enjoying the golf team and that's awesome.
I had no idea. Yeah. She'll probably take you golfing now, huh? She would not have fun. I probably would slow her down just a bit. I mean, I enjoy riding in the golf cart too. That's also fun. The beverage cart is also fun. I can see. This is gonna be a good one today. Ok. So a su came into the picture. How did that happen then? Yeah. So I was working at Boeing. I decided I didn't want to sit at a desk forever. Um, I wanted to get into broadcast journalism.
I actually started at NAU and I worked at, um, back then. Channel 21000 had a station two news. Channel two news, they were part of the broadcast for Northern Arizona. And so I went to school at NAU at first for a couple of years, I decided I wanted to go to the Walter Cronkite School of journalism. I wanted to intern at, um, bigger stations down here. So I left and came to a su I interned at channel 237. I got my degree in political science and mass communication and now I'm a member of the school board.
So that helped out there as far as what you're saying is being in front of mic is like no problem here. Huh? This is good. Uh Yeah, I don't mind being in front of a mic. I don't mind talking. I don't necessarily mind talking. I don't necessarily enjoy talking about myself. Um, but I don't mind talking. Public speaking was my favorite course in college. Yes. My absolute favorite course. I still can remember it fondly and just how much I loved it. Which I know is not because I also remember it but not fondly.
I still remember speak from the yellow space in your stomach or something like that. I don't remember all of it but it was like, ok, yellows coming out of my stomach. I don't know. I don't know. Oh, my gosh. I love public speaking. Um, I loved working in broadcast journalism. I worked as a producer for channel 50503 for a long time. I wanted to start in a smaller market and work my way up on air. Um, however, I sort of chose my long term boyfriend who became my husband at the time instead of moving out of state.
Um, and, but it's been a blessing. I mean, I'm happy with how everything has turned out in my career. I just saw it a different way as far as I saw myself starting in a small we market like Yuma and working my way up. Um, but broadcast journalism was great for it, exposed me to many different kinds of people and many different stories. Um, working at channel 25050 and even in Flagstaff as well. And, um, I don't remember where else. Well, that sounds like a lot of learning is happening there.
Is there anybody in that journey that that comes to mind when you think about that time period that like, wow, this person really helped me get through this kind of stuff. So there was, there is still an anchor at channel 22020 at the time who was super supportive and super um motivating. And that's Linda Williams and she's been a staple in broadcast journalism and news for a long time and she helped me and taught me and I respect her so much. I still think about the things that she told me at the time.
And that's why also I'm confident that she's been in the business for so long and is beloved because she is just such a great person as well. And gave me pointers would take me under her wing, helped me with making a tape at the time when I was doing my internship. If I wanted to be on air. Just I, I still think of her. Like I said, what do you think are some of the misconceptions about broadcast journalism? And what do you, what did you find most entertaining about it?
Well, I think some of the things is that people think you, you get your hair done and it's glamorous and you make a ton of money and um it's just a lot of, it's all on air fun, but there's a lot, I mean, nobody does your hair anymore, your makeup unless you're on the Today Show and it's a, a lot of hustle, hurry up and wait and it's a lot of the people right now, I think, think it's sensationalized a lot right now. And so there are great journalists that, you know, you do want to find the story.
And I think that that's also the thing is that they're trying to find the story and they want to know the story. And no, I think that's, I think that's great. Do you remember? Was there any particular experience that you really like, um, found rewarding or uh you look back on with fondness? I got to start, well, this, there's a couple different things but one of the things is I was able to be the first internet reporter at channel 220 and that was kind of a fun thing at the time and I got to report on fun things like spas and stuff like that.
And so back when, you know, they were just starting internet reporting and trying to figure out what to do with the internet and which makes me sound old, but it wasn't that long ago. But when they were trying to figure out, you know, what are we going to do with the internet? What are we going to do with broadcast? How are we going to make this work? We're going to give everything for free on the internet and we still want people to watch. So that was kind of a difficult time and they've changed things since then but we used to, I used to do the stories and they'd put them on the internet, um, just straight to the internet, um, rather than being on broadcast, being on the television.
And I really enjoyed that. Um, I liked getting to tell stories. Um, I liked breaking news a lot. That was really fun living in that moment and just the hustle of it and trying to get things on, um, as well. So how do you translate from or transition from broadcast journalism into public relations? It's a natural transition. Really many, many people that have been in broadcast journalism, media, some forth, then they transfer into public relations. I was pregnant with my daughter at the time. I didn't want to work at one o'clock in the morning.
I didn't want to work Christmas and Easter, my husband works for the fire department. I looked, I saw our Children with nobody on Christmas morning, um, which we talked about was our favorite holiday. And so I didn't want, I didn't want to do that and an opportunity came along and I took it to be a public relations, um, account executive. I was able to work on accounts like Barrett Jackson. Um I even did work for Sheriff Joe Arpaio at the time, um, and some political candidates as well.
So then after this particular part of your life, where are you going from there? What happens after this? So I had a new baby and no fault of my employers, I guess at the time because, you know, he was very successful and it was a small business, but he wanted me to go back to work right away. Uh So when I hear about people that get, you know, 12 weeks of maternity and um, you know, 14 or sometimes longer, I'm envious because uh my employer at the time wanted me to go back to work the next day.
So I was booking clients while I was actually in the hospital on television at the time. Um So it didn't work for me as far as what I wanted to do. And I wanted to be able to be there for my kids. I still wanted to have a career. So I ended up branching off with someone, another person and starting my own agency. As far as um we took some of our clients, we took Barrett Jackson, the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild, Arizona Beer Week, a handful of doctors and lawyers and things and we went off on our own.
So that way I could manage my role as a new mom and then also continue on with my career because I loved public relations. I love representing people and telling their stories, building their businesses, helping them. But I didn't want to not be there for my daughter. But you mentioned you had a partner in this particular adventure I did. So the name of our agency was up agency at the time and uh partnerships are hard. And so um it worked out for a little amount of time and then I decided to go off on my own and start a levitate agency.
And I was representing the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild. And at that time, it was 2012, I want to say 2013 and craft breweries were all the rage in the state, you know what I mean? They were popping up everywhere. And so it was a lot of fun to be a part of that and to represent them and do strong beer festival and beer week and all of their different festivals at the time. I'm curious, um if you can go back to that point in time where you have to make that decision, like do I give up a safe job and a career and go start something?
What do you think? Uh looking back any regrets on that? And, and what do you think you learned in those moments even still today? Sometimes I want to go back to a steady job and it's just because it's hard to, to not have a net and as a mom who you want your kids to see you do well. Um so sometimes I do, but as my husband likes to point out, I wouldn't be able to work for anyone. So I, I did learn that it's important to take a leap.
You only have, I mean, this sounds, might sound cliche but you only have one life and as far as being able to take that leap and go for it, I'm really happy that I did. I'm really happy for, um, the things that I've been able to do on my own and also with the help of other people and to make my own path and, you know, come up with a creative idea and test it and try it out and see what happens. Uh I feel like every five years I've changed my career a little bit as far as that goes, some of it forced by COVID and some of it.
Um just, hey, let's try this something new. And so as long as I can continue to move forward, then, then I think I'm always learning and always learning. What do you think you uh what are some major lessons learned during that time that it's ok to take a leap that it's ok to let go of the net? I mean, it does help that I had a W-2 husband at the time. I mean, that does help. It is a little bit harder when it's just you. But if you believe in yourself and you believe in what you're doing, then you'll make it.
I just, I'm always inspired by individuals who have that. I don't know, it's, it's brave because I just think so many people have the desire, but they just don't have the will to do it. So it's always impressive to me to hear stories of people who just both of you jump off and take a leap. Oh, you're bringing m well, you too. I mean, you started something. This is unusual. OK. Well, let's talk about this other, let's try something. Then the boutiques this kind of happened now as well, right?
Like when did this start? Well, ok, so there's a little bit in the middle there where I was doing pr and marketing and then I started doing all these festivals, doing the pr marketing for the festivals. And I thought I want to do my own festivals. So I started producing um festivals like bacon blues and Brews Chandler craft Spirits Festival. I did a festival called Messy Fest. We had food fights and shaving cream. I have not, I've done the pr for a barbecue festival, but OK. Yes.
And uh currently I vintage and Vino, which I still have that we're celebrating our 10 year anniversary of vintage and vino, but 20203 couldn't do festivals anymore, you know, it was March and I had a brunch festival coming up that I was supposed to do in downtown Phoenix. And we thought, OK, we'll push it back, we'll push it back, keep pushing it back. Um It was either collect unemployment uh for a period of time or figure out what I'm going to do. That was a very scary time. Uh or pivot.
And so the mall, Santan Village mall approached me about doing a six week pop up. I had done a smaller event in June with them. When the cities and towns in 2020 wouldn't let me do anything on their property. They let me do a little small event there in June of 2020. So they approached me about taking over the old Disney store. Disney had moved out and doing from November to the end of December, a store with a bunch of my vendors who were at my markets and festivals who didn't have a place to go as well.
And I thought, OK, you know, let's try this. What do I really have to lose at this point? Um And so six weeks, we thought everyone came to me, uh all of the other small businesses in the store and said, uh can we stay? We want to continue this. And I'm like, no, I'm going back to festivals. You know, I have all these plans. I don't really want to own a store and they talked me into it. I had uh probably 30 different vendors at the time. Um When I say vendors, jewelry makers, t-shirt makers signs all of those that are in my store.
And then I said, OK, I'll sign another six months and then I signed a year and then we just celebrated three years. Um So it was something that I never knew I wanted. And that I love doing now. And yeah, it is. If you would have told me, you know, even five years ago that I would be owning a store, I would never even think that, I mean, I would have thought maybe a bar instead of a store. I mean, working with the Brewers Guild and all the b root beer and everything.
Um, but I love it and it allows me to be creative and still do the pr and marketing side of things and still do smaller events um while supporting the small businesses in our community. And honestly, until today, I didn't know that story. I didn't know that it was a temporary concept that turned into. I mean, now two stores. Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah. And looking at a third, hopefully. So, um which is a lot when I said it, you know, I have regrets or I think about going back to just a 9 to 5 job.
I mean, just the other day I thought, oh, just because it's holiday time and yeah, just to not have to worry about that power of pivoting the risk that that is, but that the way that frees you sometimes it's interesting how that works and I can relate to that. But also I respect that too. And I go, wow, thinking about that, the risk and all that, that's involved in that process and then you look at how it's now evolved into what it is and you don't regret it at all. Right.
And so, yeah, that's amazing. Absolutely. I mean, when it's December 23rd and I'm running crazy all around. Then at that time I question my life choices. She'll be home on Christmas morning. Yes. But I will be home on Christmas morning and I will not be, you know, reporting on sad stories. And so it's all worth it. I actually love the story that you are telling your girls and your resiliency and your hustle. Yeah. Um, it's important for me to see that women can do things, um, and for them to see and for them to want to be self sufficient on their own.
I mentioned, you know, my husband had a W-2 at the time and so it was easy for me to take a leap, but I want them to take leaps even without having Annette or another person or to be able to do something on their own. So, what is it? So your dad mean, do you learn how to play golf? What do you make your daughters do? I make them work in my store? Smart choice. I make them learn important things such as something, you know, counting cash, talking to people, you know.
Um I make my daughters, I tell my daughters to pay them to do this. Right. Yes. Yes. You know, they want their hair done and, you know, they tweens and teenagers and all the latest things. So, yes, I pay them. Um, I'm teaching them about money and you know what it takes to work an hour and how much money you're going to get in return. Um, and so those are important life skills to me and to also, I'm teaching them, I may, I make them ask for things on their own.
I make them when we go to restaurants and when we go, since they've been little to speak to people and to ask for what they want instead of having me speak for them. I think that you're right on your spot on. I agree with your philosophy there too. I think, you know, never putting your Children in yourself. Right. That nothing's beneath you. It sounds like you're in the same philosophy that so, you know, I'm the chief bottle washer and you probably are too. I have my Children just like you probably do watch us do these things and then they do it too.
They learn that, you know, it doesn't matter what the job is, it's just got to get done sometimes. Right. Absolutely. I mean, I'm not going to ask anybody to do anything. I wouldn't do myself, you know, and I have done some really gross things as far as festivals go and picking up things and things that you should try doing a podcast like this. Oh my gosh. Yes. To sit next to him. So I will say, um I have observed your husband by your side. Um, over the years and he seems to be your biggest champion 1000%.
Yeah, I love that about you too. What, um, along the way has he been fully on board? How has he supported you through this journey? He has been fully on board. He's always, you know, if I'm having, if I'm down on myself, then he's always there to pull me back up and he just, you know, he's like we're going to make it. You just need to think positive. He's very positive thinking and very supportive of everything I do and willing to help out. Um He's currently making 37 Charcuterie boxes for the ladies night right now that we have going on at the store.
He is willing to help out wherever he can, he helps out with our girls. You know, it's a 5050. I shouldn't say he helps out. They're his kids too, you know, it's 5050 but there's never a time where he hasn't told me to go for something and try something and do it. That's awesome. Yeah. Ok. So now let's look a little bit beyond you mentioned, possibly a third store. Is that the future or what else do you see the future? I do. I see a third store um out in the Southeast Valley again in Queen Creek, hopefully uh that we can grow and open a third store and continue to support small businesses.
I also see I've also been speaking to people about or speaking to someone about Franchising, which is scary. Um I have been supposed to get him my paperwork for that for a couple months now, but I just, the leap is a little bit hard for me, but I there's hesitation and you probably know that already. Yes. Yes. And so that's something you know, that I'm toying with. I don't know if I see that in the future, but we get a lot of people that are out of town that say they love the concept.
Um And so I see that, but I definitely see us opening a third store in Queen Creek and continuing the concept and being able to support the local businesses. And how are you going to do this pr stuff? Is that still floating around or is that subsiding a little bit? Uh It's subsiding. I've done my pr and marketing, you know, for my stores. We've had a, we had a lot of news stories. I continue to maintain my contacts with the media. Uh Although some of them have gone on to other places now or, or retired.
Um But I continue to do that. I don't know that I see myself getting back to it into it. It's nice to fall back on during the pandemic. I went to real estate school because I thought maybe I would try that. I should finish my license if I could have that. Um Since I started it but I was trying everything in 2020. You know, I learned to not put all my eggs in one basket. Um, which I'm guessing many people learned that, I mean, festivals was a very difficult thing to do and just to see it all go away, not something you would expect.
Um, so I'm trying to diversify myself and so I'd like to do that. There's been a charity that I've wanted to start for a long time. Um And I'm hopeful that I can do that in the future too. Well, I think that you um have made a difference in the lives of many um entrepreneurs and business owners. And I think that's a pretty incredible thing. What have you um gained from that experience? I have III I feel very happy to be a part of this community and to support them and, but they also support me.
Um It's a two way street. I feel very fortunate that they trust me to be in my store and to be a part of it. And I have learned, um you know, there are just so many different types of makers and um creative minds and I've learned to actually think more with my creative mind a little bit or part of my brain a little bit more. Um and try to be more understanding that not everybody thinks with the business side of, does that make sense so that I can support them and they can support me and we can work together, you know, with the different creative and business.
I mean, you really give them a place for their artistry. Yeah. And that feels great. I love seeing the new things that people bring in. I love the new ideas. I love the creativity because I don't think like that. I like something. I'm more of a big picture. I see that, but creating it, I can't do. I love to see what people create and what they do. Well, it's really a perfect match because there are a lot of people out there that are tremendous at their craft as you're suggesting, but they don't necessarily know how to market and sell theirselves and the things they do.
So this is a, this is a good match for that. Right. Absolutely. All the time, you know, we have conversations on how we can do something better, market it better or tweak this, you know, to appeal or display something better. Um Because plus when you are so close to your art and what you do, sometimes it's hard to see, you know, past that. And so having a different point of view to say, ok, if we tweak this or we do this, then more people will buy it.
Even if something so simple as taking something out of a bag or what it's packaged in, attracts more people um to purchase it. And I love doing that. A lot of people start their businesses because they're really great at what they do and then they want the freedom to do it on their own. And then as they get into it, they realize that they're doing it, they don't actually get to do that anymore because as it grows, they have to hire other people to do the things and they're doing a thing they never thought they'd be doing. Right.
So, this is a cool match. I like the, we're putting this concept together allows them to continue to do their craft but not have to deviate into the operations of. Absolutely. Yeah, they can continue to, you know, make their products and then we'll get it to the people and, and market it for them. So, while you balance all of this, you also serve, um, on a school board and I'm curious where you find the inspiration to be involved so heavily in education and why that's important to you.
Public education is extremely important to me. Um, I believe in it. Um, I do not want to see public education go away. I think in Arizona we have a lot going on and I'm afraid that it will go away and I want to be there to support and support our teachers. I believe in our teachers and the programs and being a part of Higley school district, I'm also doing it for my girls. I want to be there for them and I want them to, to have a great district, um, that has different opportunities for them too.
But really public education is super important to me and that people know how great public education is and how Great Higley and Gilbert and Chandler and all the school districts that exist and the teachers that teach in it. Yeah. I think serving over these last few years probably has been one of the more challenging times to serve. Uh, what lessons have you learned about yourself or about the community in that time. So it is a difficult time for me to not always say what I feel. And I struggle with that every day in my life.
I do it and I don't want to, but I want to be respectful of everybody. And I realize I can't always say what I feel and I have to listen to all sides and I, I use a lot of constraint because it is a difficult time where I do feel there's a lot of outside noise trying to affect our school districts and public education and what our great teachers are doing because every day they're doing amazing things. There's amazing programs in our district. And so I've also learned um listening, I think and just listening to different, more and more different points of view and trying to understand where people come from and be more sympathetic of that.
And just, I've learned a lot about the district. I've also learned that what I thought I was going to be doing on the school board is not necessarily what I've been allowed to do or what we do do. But I really, I love supporting the district. I think so often we take positions like that or the work that's done within an organization at surface level and it's not until you're in that seat that you really understand all of the decision making and all of the investment and sacrifice that goes into running an organization, any organization, but especially school district and, and the things that teachers face every day, uh We probably can't imagine half of them. Absolutely.
I mean, there's things that I never even knew that I, sometimes they're just so unbelievable to me, but there's really great things that happen too. But they deal with a lot and they deal with a lot of different personalities and a lot of, you know what I mean? They want the best for their kid, but that's a lot of different voices that, that teachers have to deal with at the same time, you know, curious you were in Gilbert leadership. Did you decide to do the school board run before or after Gilbert leadership?
I had wanted to do Gilbert leadership for a long time. I kept looking at the application and trying to get to it and I think that I had wanted to run for the school board for a long time. So both of them happened at the same time and the reason it happened is again because of COVID because I had more time. Uh I was, you know, doing pr and marketing and events and everything and working so many hours and had two little kids, but it kind of was like, ok, I have a second.
I will do both. Now, I have an hour to apply for a program. I'll do it. Yes, I, I did my um interview online for Gilbert Leadership. I talked about how I couldn't figure out um Zoom at the time and I had an avocado head behind me. I was in the pit of the avocado during my interview because my kids had used it for school. Fit right in then. Yeah. So, I mean, I think it was like, ok, I have nothing to do. Now, let's do 20 different things.
Let's go to real estate school, let's open a store, let's run for the school board. All the things I wanted to do I just did because we were kids, didn't have any dance lessons or anything going on. So I sort of miss those news. I, sometimes I don't, I mean, I would like to be in court one, a couple of weeks out of the year, you know, just have where there's nothing going on and it's not just us sitting out like everybody stop for a few weeks.
I agree, but not because of the pandemic just to clarify. Right. Absolutely. Not because of a pandemic, but just so we could have a moment of pause every year would be wonderful. Um I did enjoy the family time of that and also being able to put out different feelers and try things and do things like running for the school board. I mean, all of my, um, signatures where I had to put in an envelope and leave and, you know, we, we didn't have signing in person at the time.
So that was difficult, but I'm glad that I was able to do both of them. I'm, I'm glad to be a part of Gilbert leadership as well. I'm glad you're a part of it as well. Uh How do you decompress? I go on vacation, I go to the beach. Um I also, I like, I mean, a bubble bath and, you know, reading and working out. I think if I didn't work out um working out just helps the stress level in many different ways and being able to have that outlet too.
Well, I am grateful for you. You do incredible things for our community. I love working with you through your Gilbert leadership. I'm so proud of your investments in sip and shop in both locations and I'll even be proud of your investment in Queen Creek, but I appreciate your time today. Thank you. I appreciate you having me. Thanks for being here. It was a good conversation and I know everybody listening agrees that this is a great conversation. So if you would like to get these coming to you live as we launch them out, subscribe to our tribe, you get them in your inbox and you can listen with joy in this holiday season.
Thanks for being here, guiding growth, conversations with community leaders. Ben, let me ask you a question. How do you see other community members being involved in this podcast? This is going to be a great opportunity for so many people in the community to have a chance to be heard if they want to tell their story or if they just want to be part of this journey with us and help sponsor in a way that helps bring more people to the table with us. So I think there's many opportunities at hand whether you want to again be on the show, reach out to us, let us know what your story is and how you think you could be part of it.
We'd love to hear from you. Reach out, let us know and we'll see if we can make that connection.
