Just Make It Work!

Simone talks about her friendship with the speaker, how they met in college, and their experiences together. Simone discusses her career trajectory, starting with her passion for veterinary medicine and her decision to change paths due to the emotional toll it took on her. She shares her journey in the sales and medical industry, eventually becoming the CEO of a hospital in Tampa. She talks about the importance of communication and meeting each other's love languages in her relationship with her husband. They support and uplift each other in their careers. Be open to change, because you don't know what that next step is going to bring to you when it comes to mental satisfaction and true joy in your life. So this week we have my friend Simone and her dog Achilles, he's a big baby. I met Simone in college, we can get into that a little bit if either one of us really actually remembers how exactly we met. But Simone is one of my friends from college that I've kept in touch with, she's great, she has so much energy, she's a ball of fun. I call her my sunshine in human form, and she's here to talk to us about whatever we want to talk about this week, so we shall see. We shall see, but yes, I'm not branding that, oh my gosh, it's 11 years, 12 years? It's got to be something like that, it's definitely senior year. Yes, I remember it was like my senior year of college, and I don't know, it kind of, we met through mutual friends. We met through mutual friends, but then we ended up becoming closer friends than mutual friends. I think it might have actually been at the library. Probably. Because all you bio people used to study together, and I'm like, I'll go study at the library, but I'm not a bio person, so I'm like, they're studying organic chemistry and drawing on whiteboards, and I'm like, nah, that looks fun. You know what, yes, that is correct, I was a nerd, I think I still am a nerd, and yes, biology, biochemistry, all that sort of classes. But yeah, I think that's what it was, I think we met through the library, and then we decided to go out, and it was a Saturday night, and then we went a few more Saturday nights, and just kept going. Nice, that's how it happens. And we had to pick places where I could get in, since I wasn't 21 until like three weeks before. Yes, yes, little baby. So then the night Simone met her husband, I couldn't get into the bar. That is true. But how did we get you in at the end, did you land up coming in? Yes, you did. I don't think so, I think we might have, I think I was with y'all before, and then y'all went to Scroft, and they wouldn't let me in. And I think we were at what, MemeFund or something before that? Yes. But yes, we were there, and then we went to Scroft, and yes, that is the night I met my husband, who initially I was not paying attention to. Our common friend was more interested. Yeah, we can get into that at some point. Can we talk a little bit first about, like, I guess your work history, what you've done, what you're currently doing, how, and like, you've decided to change different positions, and the opportunities you have and haven't, you know, taken? Because you're kind of a boss lady. I don't know about that, I tried though. How far back do you want me to go, baby? Since graduation? Yeah, you've been with Tinder since, right? Well, a few years after, but yeah, I can kind of go through that real quick. So I never actually wanted to be in the position that I am in today, or in the ones that I've been in for the past 10 years. I wanted to be a vet. I love medicine, I'm obsessed with my animals, and that was my passion since I was a child. However, when I came to the U.S., and, you know, I came at 16, and I started working at a vet hospital, and, you know, did that, and really enjoyed the experience. But after graduation, I was working at another vet hospital, and I think I was ballparking about 65 hours a week. I'd wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning, have to get at the hospital by 5.30, 6, and then I'd be there 12, 13 hours, and then go home. And I lived an hour away at the time. And in the vet industry, you know, you work five days a week, sometimes six, usually five days and then a half a day. And I still loved it, and it was still my passion, and I, you know, it was just, oh my God, I was so happy. But I started seeing a lot of the vets just leaving the field and retiring or just saying, I don't want to do this anymore. And people aren't happy. The pay is not great. I don't know if people know that, but vets really don't get paid very well. But they have to do four, maybe sometimes six additional years of schooling after your undergrad. They are pretty much the equivalent to a physician that we have that sees us, but they get paid maybe one-third of what a physician could potentially make. A lot of them are in over a quarter of a million to half a million dollars in debt. But they will probably never be able to pay that because we don't make that much. Taking all these things into effect and just the emotional condition that someone has to be in when they are so passionate about something and they love animals so much. And then putting a dog down. You know, it takes a toll on people emotionally, and it definitely took a toll on me. This one thing will never leave my mind, but I had to put a dog down, and the dog was a child. It was a baby. It was like two years old. But the parents, the owners were getting a divorce. And to me, that made no bloody sense. And I was like, no, we will call the rescue. We will get arrested. Come pick up this beautiful black lamb. Baby. And she was like, no, it's just too painful to know that it will go to a rescue. And, again, in my head, I was like, you're providing for a better opportune life for this pet. I don't see why this is such an interest for you. And, again, as Brandy has already mentioned, I'm very funky and very opinionated. And, obviously, I have a lot of opinion. So as I walked out of the room, I was about to go eat shit and just call the rescue or start calling people to help come and take the dog. Because I was like, I will not put down a two-year-old black lamb, beautiful baby. I was just not going to do that. And the vet took me aside and said, in Texas law, this is property. You cannot do that. If you do that, you will go to jail because you're stealing someone else's property. And I was like, fine, I'll do this shit. I will go to jail. And, eventually, she made me actually do the euthanasia. Like, I gave the medication. I injected it into the lab's hind leg. I will never forget it because it's so vivid in my mind. And that was the day I decided that I'm not doing this. Shoot. If it were me, I'd be like, yeah, the dog, I don't know what happened. It got out. Yeah. That's what I was going to say. Oh, shit. It left the building. I don't know what happened. Don't know what to tell you. It walked. It went in the woods. Sorry. My bad. Yeah. So that was a very, like, defining moment. And I called my husband, who was in France at the time, because we did long distance relations. What happened to me? I covered myself. Yay. Great news. And he said, you know, it's okay. Don't cry. Don't laugh. We'll get through this. And he tried to console me. But then eventually, you know, I made the decision that this was probably not the right thing for me. I do love animals and I have a passion for it. But I don't have to give back and help by being a vet. I could do it in many other ways. So I didn't have to be a vet to have that impact on the animal community. So then I went back to the drawing board to say, okay, what are you good at and what can you do? And somehow, you know, in college I worked in sales for the university at Baylor. I worked at the Lariat in advertising. And so I was like, okay, I love medicine and I really am good at sales. So let's see if I could make a career out of this. So I applied to quite a few organizations. And eventually I started working with Medtronic in their sales department to, you know, sell medical devices because Medtronic is a medical device company. And I did that for about a year. And then eventually I fell into Kindred, which is a huge organization in the country. It has 75 hospitals, the whole nine yards. It's a specialty hospital. So I applied. I got in. I was shocked because I didn't think they would hire me. But apparently they did. I stayed here for nine years. Started off in clinical liaison, which is the UVA, essentially the hospital, both your hospital and their hospital. And you work very closely with insurance and payers. And you work very closely with patients. The entire gamut, essentially, doctors, patients, case managers, everybody. Did that for three years. Went into a SOAR leadership program within Kindred for sales. Did that for another year. Then became an area director of sales and marketing. After that I became, you know, assistant, well, went into an executive fellowship program for operations to be able to run a hospital. I already finished my master's at that point. After I finished my operations, kind of the executive fellowship, I became an assistant administrator at one of our flagship hospitals. And then I got promoted to CEO of a hospital in Tampa, Florida. Later on, I decided, well, earlier this year, I made the decision that it was time for me to come home. Sexist. And, yeah, I reached out to my leadership and let them know that, hey, I think it's time for me to come home because my husband couldn't relocate with me. And we tried the long distance thing again and it just was not conducive to my well-being. Honestly, it really wasn't. I was working 60, 70, 80 hours a week and even though I had to say they didn't have much support, and I think my support was my family and my dogs and, you know, my friends and I had nobody in Tampa. And so I reached out to all my other leadership and they were still very extremely supportive. I mean, I couldn't be gifted better leadership. And them. And my mentor said, okay, you know, there's this opportunity back in Texas. It's remote. It's a little different than what you're used to. And, you know, would you be interested? It took me a couple months and then I took the job. I think I was definitely floored when the president of my organization reached out to have a conversation with me and say, is this something you want to do? Are you happy? You know, I don't want to lose you as an employee of the organization. I want to make sure you're happy with the decision you make. And I think that conversation definitely meant a lot to me. But I came back and I'm in my new capacity as Director of Management Relations. So I provide guidance and support to 12 different hospitals in the state of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. And, yeah, that's what I do. And that's kind of my career trajectory through college. Boss babe. We love to hear it. That's awesome. I'm embarrassed. Look at that. So, yeah. Yeah, and her husband's a boss too. They're just a little power couple. Yeah. Husband is also, he works super hard and he's doing well. I'm very, very proud of him. He works extremely hard. I remind him that his priority is to watch. Oh, yeah. Watching them is the best thing ever. Yeah. I think everybody listening can tell, obviously, Simone has an accent. She's from India with a British boarding school. Like, it's the cutest thing ever. It's fantastic when she gets mad. But then her husband's from France, so he's got a French accent. So listening to them bicker back and forth is just amazing. And we bicker. We bicker. This is true. There is no filter when we have our friends over. And usually it's Randy and Haneeba. If they are over and, you know, I have no issues just saying what I have to say. And he usually, like, side eyes or eye rolls. But, yeah, he, you know. I think that's, like, one thing about him which I'm very appreciative. He has no issues telling you just shut the hell up, you know. I don't think anyone has been as confident in doing that in the past because I would shut that down. No, you cannot talk to me that way. I don't know who you think you are, but that's not happening. But I think my husband just, you know, he does it in a way where I'm like, okay, fine, whatever. Do what you want to do. You know? So. Yeah, it kind of goes to, like, Simone, you're so cute to, like, Simone. And she's like, okay. You guys just get each other. That's so funny. It's cute. I don't know. What do you do? Like, I don't know what happened today. He called me. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. He called me on FaceTime. I'm like, what do you want? He's like, why are you so mean to me? I said, I'm mean to you because I love you. He's like, other people would not feel that you love me by the way you talk to me. I said, because you're bothering me right now. What do you mean? He's like, get on with it. But, yeah, he's at home because he has soccer tonight. And, yeah, he left at, like, 6 o'clock in the morning. And I'm probably not going to see him until 8 or 9. So, he's trying to make sure that, you know, when he came home at 8 or 9 from soccer, I wasn't there. That's the plan. Ah, there you go. So, both of you guys just, I mean, boss babes just working it, killing the game. How do you find time to hang out with each other or make time for each other? Like, how do you both fill your cup so you know your presence are acknowledged? Because I'm sure quality time is, you know, maybe up there for you guys as far as, like, importance. Yeah. Yeah. So, like, you know, for me, I think just the way we communicate, like, he really is my best friend. Like, hands down. And I think he knows that, too. We can have a conversation about anything. And I'm never fearful that I'm going to lose him for a conversation that I've had. Right? And I don't know if everyone feels that way. I honestly don't know other people's relationships, you know, unless someone shares. You don't know, right? Right. But we go through patches where we're both working. And that's just us, right? We can have those conversations. But I think when it comes to spending time, like, for him, it's physical affection. Like, that's his love language. And so when he comes home, that is not my love language, let's be clear. Unless I want to be touched, please don't touch me. I'm a big hugger, but then that kind of ends. You know, like, I love to hug you, and that's about it. But, you know, in a relationship, that's not really love language, obviously. Right? But for him, it really means a lot. And so I put the active effort when he comes home at the end of the day or when I see him, like, give him that. And for me, like, for me, it's acts of service. And he puts the effort to do that. For example, yesterday was a long day for both of us. Okay? It was long. He came home at night. I was annoyed because I wanted to go get a massage. I was like, I'm so tired. Let's go to Chinatown. And, you know, he didn't answer my phone calls or my texts from 4 p.m. I was like, okay, what is he doing? Like, why would he never, he says he doesn't answer. But this was a very extended period of time. And after 4 hours, I'm like, dude, he's frickin' ignoring me. What's going on? Like, are you busy? So when he came home, he looked tired. I looked like shit because I was exhausted. But he made the active effort to give me a foot massage yesterday. In his suit, he sat on the couch, and he was like, I know you want a massage again. I'm grouchy. You know, I'm in pain. I'm old. My frickin' knees hurt. And he was like, go lay on the couch. Go lay on the couch. Like, stop talking about it. Go lay on the couch. And I was like, no, I'm not laying on the couch. And he said, just go sit down. So then I sat down, and, you know, I laid down. And he gave me a foot massage for like 20 minutes. In his suit, he was still, like, ready for work. You know, like, that was just so, that just meant so much to me. Because I truly felt so de-stressed after that. And then, you know, like, yeah, when he came home, I hugged him. And I was like, oh, my God, he looks so handsome. Oh, yeah, I hate words without foundation. Let's be on the phone. And I told him, like, how proud I was of him. Because he interviewed, like, six people. Yeah, he's creating a whole department from scratch. Like, he's doing all these really cool things at work. And I'm so proud of him because it takes courage. Some people, they're able to go and tell their boss, like, this is what I want. This is why I want it. And this is why I bring value to you. Like, I have no issues going and saying, like, this is the value I bring. I really would like to be compensated accordingly. Or, you know, like, I don't think I'm getting paid enough. But I understand that you will see the value I bring in the next year. And you will accordingly pay me. Like, I have said that before. Not as brutally as I just said it. But I know how hard I work. And I know that if I focus on something, it will be successful. My husband, he doesn't typically go and say that to me. Like, he would not be content saying this shit. He asks me if something is wrong with me, I'm the baby. And I'm like, I will say it. He will never say this. And so, for, like, over a month, I've been kind of coaching on things. Like, baby sugar words. You know, you know everything. You are, like, legacy of your organization. You created this from scratch. Like, people didn't even do this before you got there. Like, this is the value you bring. And he's had this conversation the past week. And yesterday, it kind of came to, you know, the pinnacle. He had a bunch of interviews to hire for this position. And he was interviewing these people. So, it was a really, really good day for him. So, I wanted to, like, share that. So, when he came in, I hugged him and kissed him. And I said, I'm so proud of you. I said, look at you. You're so freaking handsome. Smacked him and, you know, all those things. But that's not the shit, you know, that I'm talking about. But, like, those are all the things that he feels loved with. And the thing that I feel loved with is hands-down acts of service. I mean, he gave me a massage and I was so happy. So happy. And, yeah. So, those are the things that I try and, I guess, we try, you know, to constantly fill each other's cup. Because we don't have all the time in our lives to be able to do something more elaborate or, you know, like, the TV romantic gesture kind of shit. We don't have time to do that kind of stuff. So, it's these things that will continue to keep us, you know, very in line with each other and help us get to the next phase in our lives. Yeah. It was a very roundabout answer, but I'm a person that gives a lot of examples. So, obviously, this is a great person. I know. I know. It's great. It's great. Because I feel like it's a common misconception of, okay, once I get a partner and we're both working so hard at our careers, but if we want to get married and have a family, like, one of us needs to sacrifice while the other one, like, gets promoted and moves on and kind of directs where our family goes. And you're just showing that you and your husband, it doesn't need to be like that. Like, both of you are thriving in your careers. And CEO of, what, five different states? No, director of five different states, but I was a CEO before that. Yes, yes. But, again, just amazing. And you're just showing, like, yeah, you both can thrive in your own individual careers, but the reason why you guys are such a strong couple is you really value each other, you listen to each other, and you hit on each other's love languages. So that's just, it's great. I do want to preface this. When I told my husband about love languages, he called me ridiculous. Really? I love the banter. Yeah, I love it. I love the banter. The bantering is fun. He's like, you're ridiculous. He's like, you are a scientific mind. How can you think like this? Well, honey, there's the independent and dependent variables. Yeah, I usually don't even, I don't care because I just know that. But I will say, we both have taken turns in how we've grown. Like, there's never been a time where we've, well, there has been a time where we were both kind of getting, you know, ready for a promotion at the same time. But at the same time, we kind of cheered the other person on, like, you keep going. Keep going. Don't stop. Okay, we'll figure it out as we go. And that was a big part of last year. In December, not last December, year before last in December is when I was offered the position for CEO. And I was literally relocated in three weeks. And Brandi actually knows the time because she had come over and we were talking through it, and I was really in a very chaotic state because I couldn't make up my mind. Right? And I went because my husband was like, go, and Brandi and Habiba were like, go, just do it. You never know. Get the experience. Right? And so I did that. And the whole intention was in a few months, Benoit was going to follow me and we were going to look at, you know, homes in Tampa and the whole nine yards. Well, April came around and Benoit kind of got the promotion deal. And that whole plan changed very quickly after that. It no longer was we were going to do it. We were going to do long distance now. And at that point I was like, do you want me to quit and come back? He's like, no, keep going. Push for two years. I was like, okay, you keep going. We'll make this work. We'll make this work. And I think that was the point in time where we were both under so much stress. And there would be maybe 24 or 48 hours we wouldn't have a chance to talk to each other because we had so much on our plate. But then when we did talk, we talked for hours and we texted. I think that the past year definitely put us through a lot of emotional growth and just growth as a couple. But we have to do that because I wouldn't let up. And I told him this, you know, 10 years ago when he decided to not pursue his Masters and just stay in the U.S. and I'm like, no, sir, you will go back to France and you will do your Masters and finish it because I will never be used as the person you blame. Oh, you didn't let me finish because you wanted to stay in the U.S. No, it's okay. Bye. You know, and I never wanted to be that person. And I think he has always done the same thing for me. Never pushed himself or his feelings before my career growth. We will just figure it out together to get to that next step. Yeah. Yeah, and that's such a mature way for both of you to think about each other like that because a lot of people do get insecure and jealous and, you know, all the same. Why is my partner doing all these great things and they're going to look down upon me because I'm just doing whatever it is I'm doing. But, again, it's just the act of respect and being like extra supporter, cheerleader for each other. I think that's important, too. Yeah. I mean, I was going to say we don't scream and yell. We do that a lot, too. We're very, very vocal people. But, yeah, I mean, that's kind of what we have to do. And there are some things that he's really good at and there are some things that I definitely suck at. And when we take turns, we figure it out because I can't just say, this is definitely what it is. Like, I don't want to deal with people. You know, he's more of the introverted. Until he knows you and likes you, then he won't stop talking. I won't talk to everybody unless, you know, I'm like, okay, I can't touch this person. Bye. I'm not going to talk to you anymore, kind of. So we just have very different ways of handling situations. So we try to learn each other, I guess, every day. Every day is a learning day, honestly. Relationships are hard. People think, oh, it's so easy. You and Ben have been together 10 years. Yeah. I'm shocked he's still alive. I didn't kill him. That's so funny. I'm not going to lie. Yes, but someday, you know, once I told him, I was like, I'm just going to let you know. If you ever die, they won't find you. And he said, why? I said, because I have my mom and we'll figure it out. And he just started laughing. But, you know, things like that, it's hard, it's difficult, but it's an active effort. It's an active effort every single day. Yeah. Yeah, this is another one of my, like, couple friends where they are legitimately just best friends in a team. And it's really cool to watch them. Because, like, with the CEO position, like, when that was coming up, like, Ben was like, go, we'll figure it out. And a lot of people, like, wouldn't have done that. Especially men. Yeah. I do want to give kudos here. Men would not be okay with their significant other just leaving and going and doing a position like what I did. Yeah, right. And I think it's like a very confident man, like, confident in himself, confident in where our relationship is, to be okay, like, go. I know a lot of men who are in relationships, like, my friends or a couple friends, that they would not, like, they actually told them, oh, we would not let, you know, our spouse go. And I'm like, yeah, I know. I mean, I am blessed. Like I said earlier, just the mature way of thinking and just the amount of respect that you guys have for one another, the trust, too. Like, yeah, like, I'm your supporter. I want this for you. Why not, you know? In my field in sport, there's a lot of female athletic directors where to get to where they are. Their partners are, I don't know, I don't want to say they're kind of put on the back burner. But what I mentioned earlier is, like, a lot of couples feel like it's one or the other. And I feel like in my area, at least, or my field, a lot of people that are in those higher level leadership positions will have typically one spouse will strive for that while the other one is maybe just maintaining it and travels with them. Same thing with, like, coaches, like head coaches for football and basketball and all the things. Normally, the spouse as the coach is kind of directing where that family is located based on the jobs that they take or positions, things like that that pop up while the spouse is kind of just there to support them and to go with it. So it's really cool to hear a dynamic like yours and your husband's where, no, like, both of you are thriving. And damn, you both worked hard for it, so why not, you know? You both have an education, you know? You both have that work ethic, so why not, you know? No, I think once we have kids, that dynamic will have to change, right? But until then, yeah, we're going to keep doing what we do and we're not going to stop. We're just going to make it work, and I don't know. But you're right, because it's funny, because one of the things, you know, my president, I was talking to my president when I was transitioning, I was like, how do you do it? Like, he's young, okay? He just lost the 40 Under 40 Award and all these things, and he is really a great leader and, you know, he's doing everything at such a fast pace, so it is extremely impressive to watch. So I asked him, I was like, how are you doing this? And he said, I have a very, very strong support system. And I was like, okay, he has four kids, and his, you know, parents and her parents, his wife's parents live literally a block from them, so he has a strong support system. And then he has a wife who is able to manage and, you know, sustain and maintain everything from, like, everything so that he is able to focus on work. With us, and I was like, oh, that's so sad. You know, like, in my head, oh, my God, we don't have that same kind of support. But then I always go back and I'm like, yeah, it's because I have Benoit and Benoit has me that we will figure it out together, you know, because of that. Like, we might not have the same kind of, you know, support or the ability to be able to support the one spouse because it's just not possible. If Benoit has to cook, he's going to prep his stuff. If he's going to clean, he's going to vacuum, he's going to do all that. Laundry, all nine jobs. If I have to do the cleaning, I'll do the cleaning. But, I mean, it is what it is. Can we talk about something real quick? Yeah. So since you were just talking about, like, house chores and stuff, one of the things that you all have is very different cultural backgrounds. Yes. Can we talk about the time that Benoit's parents were visiting and his mom cleans the house? Oh, my God. I'm scared that no one's going to hear this, but okay. Let's hear it. It's not that bad, okay? But, like, I love my husband's family. They're literally, when I say I have been blessed, I truly mean it. I am not just saying it to be, like, fluffy, because I'm not a fluffy person, but I have truly been blessed with a great husband, an amazing husband, and even better in-laws. But, you know, and they have all taught me so much about the social dynamics of people and how you accept people where they are and not where you would want them to be. And all these things, you know, I don't think I would have learned from anybody else, but I learned them from his family and him. And it helped me grow as a person. So, with that being said, very, very early on in our relationship, this was like when we first bought our house, okay? I came back from work, and our house had marble floors. The whole house had marble floors, white marble floors, being a natural stone. There is a particular way that you care for such stone, because they stain easy, they get damaged easy, and then to fix that is quite expensive. I came home one day, and my mother-in-law, she meant really well, but she moved all my furniture from one part of the house to the other part of the house, and used ammonia cleaner to clean the floors. So, I came home, and I was like, oh my God, did the dog piss? Because that was my head, like, it smelled like piss. And so, you know, I walked to the backyard, and my father-in-law was, you know, working on a project in our house, because my father-in-law is amazing like that. And I was like, you know, did the dog have a mistake in the house? And we had four dogs at the time, so it was quite probable that the dog had an issue, and did all my house. You know, that was my head. And I was like, did something happen? You know, why is all the furniture on one side of the house? And he's like, I don't know, I'm busy, you know? And I was like, okay, I got you. So, I asked his mom, and his mom was like, I was cleaning. And I said, okay. I said, why does it smell like this? She's like, I used this cleaner, and it was ammonia, a giant bottle of ammonia. And I was like, oh, you don't use that. That's not the right cleaner. And she's like, why is it in the house if it's not the right cleaner? I said, because your son bought it, and don't ask me why. But they had used ammonia to clean their home. Like, you know, in other countries, they use that as a cleaning product. So, yeah, it was bad. It was very bad, because the house sunk of pee for a long time. And then we had to go in. Anyway, on my way out, I was like, I can't be here. I'm so frustrated. I called my husband, and I was like, my love, I'm pissed, and I'm leaving. And he said, what happened? I said, your mom just emptied that bottle of ammonia all over the house and all over the floor. And he went into a panic, because he was like, what the heck? You know, so he had the same reaction I did. So then he immediately came home, and he told his mom, like, you can't do that. But she meant so well, trying to help him clean. But, yeah, it was bad. It was bad, because then he had to, like, flush the floor, because natural stone, it soaked the ammonia. Oh, so it just, yeah. And, yeah, so it took away the luster, and it was just very, very disgusting. It was not great. Not great. But, anyway, yeah, so that eventually, you know. But it was, and we had, like, a lot of circumstances like that, because, you know, we have two different cultures. And having to mix the two different cultures, and then being in an American culture, you know, cultural environment, it's an amalgamation of way too much. And that's because we, and it has in the past, to misunderstanding, communication barriers, you know. I think one time, I was trying to sit on the bed, and I heard, I need to shit on the bed. And I'm like, why are you trying to shit on the bed? And he was like, I'm not trying to shit on the bed, I need to sit on the bed. And I was like, no, you are not shitting on the bed. But I didn't understand, because it was the accent. And, you know, I was like, what is this weird French thing about shitting on the bed? But, yeah, it was just the accent. It's so funny, like, we actually got him to say that, and it did sound like shit on the bed. Yeah, yeah. It was funny. I actually have one of the first pictures we took, and I think it was my birthday, Brandi, that we were all sitting on that, you know, the corner table at BJ's brew house. And then I was the only guy in the middle of all of y'all. Do you remember that? Kind of, because I feel like I remember getting a drink at BJ's when I wasn't allowed to. I just waited to order until everybody else showed their IDs. Yeah, because we were sitting like sitting at the bar top. Anyway, I will send you a picture. It was just funny. He showed it to me the other day, and I was like, oh my god, that is so long ago. We looked like babies. Mm-hmm. Yeah, we looked like babies. Oh, yeah. Also, very early on, I forgot like what it was, but we all went to this Mexican restaurant called Chewy's. And this was like at this point, like Simone and Benoit are actually dating. So I was like, he's like one of my besties now, too, so this is fine. So I just like smacked him on the butt, and he got so freaked out. Yeah. So I told Simone, he's like, your friend touched me on the butt. What does this mean? I was like, that's okay. You'll be fine. So funny. She was genuinely so concerned. What a sweetheart. Like, got me, got me turnt. Oh, my goodness. Well, you know, I think in every relationship, I think there's a baby. I don't know. If there's one crazy and one boring, I am definitely the more crazy. I'm definitely the crazy person. Like, I'm not going to lie or try and say that's not true because it's true. And this is Ben. When he's being polite because the friends are around, he's like, oh, Simone, you're so cute. She just starts patting him. I know. Can we talk real quick since we're like back to college about the night you guys met and how that happened? Because that's still just so funny to me that you guys ended up getting married. I know. I think that's so, yes. Yeah. So we all went out one night to this dive bar, you know, at the end of the night. That's where people go, right? And I've come to realize, by the way, Brandy, fun bar. Everybody's perception of the night is very different, right? And I'm pretty sure that's obviously because we were all drinking prior. So there is some maybe not as factual as probably was, but this is my reflection. And now Ben was because we had arguments over this. And now we actually did. Yeah, we were in Austin a month ago. And we had an argument about how we met and what conspired this. And now we are aligned. But pretty much, I walked into the bar and there were all these, you know, people that was packed. And another friend was like, oh, those are the exchange students. And I was like, okay. And she's like, I slept with three of those. And I was like, oh, okay. And then she pointed out which three. So it was great. Because he had just gotten literally there maybe two weeks prior. Because it was mid of January. And so we went and we were talking to them. And we had a friend, Brandy and myself, who definitely took a liking to Benoit. Like she was really, yeah, she had a conversation. I mean, I was not paying attention to him much. We talked. We were nice. Poor joke, right? But they talked further. And they exchanged numbers. Was it the following day maybe? I can't recall. But I think it was the following day, Brandy texted me and says, hey, the French guy wants your number. So I was wondering which one because there were two. And she was like, I don't know this one. And I was like, ah, sure, whatever. You know, give him my number. And he didn't text me. But let me back up. Let me back up. My bad. So our common friend and him exchanged numbers. And apparently he asked that common friend who liked him for my number. And then she reached out to Brandy and asked for my number. Because only Brandy had, like, I had met that girl that night. Now, you know, I don't know. Did I misplace the story a little bit? No. All right. So that's kind of what happened. And he didn't text me. I don't know why he didn't text me. I don't want to waste my time for two weeks. But he didn't text me. He didn't text me. And then two weeks later, we went to the same bar. And I saw him there. And he was like, oh, hey, how are you? And I said, hi, I'm good. How are you? And he said, I'm good, good. And we, like, had a, you know, quick back and forth. And I think it was, you know, at 2 a.m. So everything closes at 2 a.m. Yeah. And so before we were, like, walking out, we were, like, right at the bar. And he was like, oh, can I have your number? So I am very expressive. And I was like, huh? And I was like, okay. And he's like, you know that I have your number. And I was like, I do. And I was like, maybe he shouldn't just text that number. And so then, you know, he was like, oh, okay, okay. And then we kind of, like, went our separate ways because, you know, my friends were pulling me and we were, like, going right into those conversations at the bar there pretty quick. The following day, he did text me. And I responded with, I was just kidding. You don't have to text me. I'm good. And then he was confused. And I think that's where a part of the cultural difference came into play. I was being a shit. And he was like, show me the text first. And I did. And I was like, fuck this. But, yeah, I mean, then I was like, you know, if you want to text me, you can. But you have no obligation to. You know, we're good. And so then he was like, no, we're good. I would love to text you. I would love to meet you. And I was like, sure, I'm very busy is what I, yeah. I was reading this book at the time. This is a whole back story. But anyway, so I was like, no, I'm really busy. I study all the time. I really don't have much time in my day. However, he would like to join me at the library. You know, I'm totally fine with coming and studying at the library as well. And then that's kind of how a lot of our first dates were in the library. He would bring me food while I would be studying or get me coffee. You know, he'd always come bearing fruit and food and coffee. But, yeah, that was a good chunk of that semester is him supporting my craziness so that I had a very hard semester. I was in biochem too and P-chem and, you know, a bunch of classes, finishing off the year. And so, yes, a lot of that semester was him supporting me and letting me study and feeding me, essentially, because I was not eating. And picking me up from the library and dropping me off at the library and all that. So, yeah, that was that semester. Yeah, that's how we met. And four months after. That's so cute. Well, there we went to the library. It's really funny. It's like, oh, you know that French guy I was really into? Well, he wants Simone's number. I was like, oh, that's awkward. And Simone's like, what the fuck? Okay. I love that you called him out on it too. Like, why is he trying to be sly with you and ask for your number when you knew he already had it? I knew. Yeah. You're like, no. I'm not going to play this. You had my number for two weeks and you chose not to do anything. That's like, you know, having the wild card and not playing it. Oh, no, that's exactly what he was doing. My husband is the most strategic person I have ever met in my entire life. And I thought I was a very strategic person. Oh, no, he takes the cake. Like, I am nowhere even close. And in my work arena, everyone thinks that, oh, my God, Simone's mind works very strategically, like she plans it all out, like I have it. No, when it comes to my husband, nowhere close. Like, this man knows exactly what he's doing. So in those two weeks, he was having way too much fun with all the sorority girls, by the way. Yeah. And, yeah, so, yeah, someone actually locked him in her house. Would not let him leave. Oh, I haven't told you this yet. No. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah. So he was having way too much fun. So even, like, the first few weeks of our relationship, you know, he was playing the field, even though he would never agree to it, but it was happening. And I think at one point, like, his phone was blowing up and he was in my house, and I was like, you know, like, I'm totally fine if this is just, you know, friends with benefits kind of situation. Like, I really am fine, because back then, I was very snarky about the fact, like, especially when I came to dating. I go with my boyfriends, but when it came to dating, I made sure, like, they knew, like, I don't need to be a doctor, I don't have time to waste on bullshit, so if it's not the same thing that she wants, then I'm good. Like, I really am fine. And so I told him that, and he's like, no, no, no, I'm not dating anyone, these are just my friends. I was like, please, don't give me this bullshit of they're just your friends. No girl is just your friend at this point in your life and in your career. Like, not in your career, but in your life, at this point, no girl is just your friend. Right. So, yeah, that kind of, like, you know, changed our paths. But, yeah, until that, I think he was still, you know, texting around, whatever. Whatever. They try to be sneaky, they're never sneaky. Oh, it was worse because these stupid girls were in my class, and they'd talk about it. Oh, no. Oh, no, but, like, no, I'm too confident in myself to, like, say anything. I mean, she was like, oh, I saw you with him, and I was like, yeah. And she's like, yeah, you don't text all the time. I was like, I'm so glad. Sure. Don't care. Yeah. Like, that's cute. I'm actually with him while you're texting. Like, she texts at my house every night, but that's okay. I'm glad he's, like, entertaining you. That's all good, you know. That's all good, yeah. Yeah. And then, eventually, at the moment, it's like, I think Fimo actually really likes me. What do I do? And I was like, I don't know. Yeah, I was concerned. Yeah, that's true. You were concerned. You won't leave. I was concerned. Yeah, this is true. That's so funny. Because he didn't want to go back to France. He wanted to stay here, and I was like, no, you should go. And, you know, that first, like, year of our relationship, long distance, definitely, like, tested us a lot. Yeah. But, you know, then I guess everything is just meant to be. It's meant to be. It just works out somehow. Even if you try not to make it work out. Honestly, it's the most bizarre thing, but I honestly believe that, at this point in my life, you can try and tailor your life to your life. You can do that as much as possible. I mean, I feel like I plan out my life. I'm a planner. You're going to laugh, but I'm going to turn the camera off. That's my vision board and all my other shit right there. So every day, you know, I look at it and I plan out how am I going to get to that next step, right? But there are some things you can't control. Like, for example, I never thought I would marry a French person. I never thought that I would not be, you know, a best today. I'm going ten years ago thinking this now. Everything that's happened to me in the past ten years, I didn't think it would. Even though I was planning for something completely different, all of this happened. I was in French class for four semesters, almost five, because Baylor has a stupid rule that everybody has to take four semesters of a foreign language. And every semester, I complained and said what a worthless, you know, waste of my time this was, because I'm never going to use this language again. I said it every semester. Every professor knew how much I hated it. I had four different professors. They all knew I hated French. And I was like, I am never going to use this language. What happened literally the last semester of French, like I finished French like December, you know, the previous year, and three weeks later, who the hell meets her husband? Me. Me. Dumbass. Yeah. So I was never using this language again, and I have to use this language all the time. There you go. Joke's on you. Yeah. Joke's on me. God's been laughing. Dumbass, you know. Gotcha. So maybe talk to me about, like, your family dynamics. So is all of this family in France? Yeah. Okay. And then all of your family, where? So my mom is here. My mom lives, like, 45 minutes from me. Okay. My younger brother just moved back, and so he lives 15 minutes from me. My dad lives in India, but he's currently in the U.S. staying in my house on the maximum above me. But the rest of my family is kind of all around the world. Oh, wow. I have cousins in New York. I have cousins in France. I have a lot. Oh, this is the other thing. My mom has seven sisters, of which two of them are married to French people. So I don't know. It's maybe a thing of French to the French. But, yeah, so I have family everywhere. I have a lot of family in India still, family in the U.K., Australia. Oh, wow. So is it hard balancing between seeing the different families as a couple or just individual and then maybe even, like, talk about, like, holidays, too? Because I'm thinking about all the different, like, cultural holidays, too. Like, oh, we've got to make sure we see this family around Christmas and Thanksgiving and whatever. You know what I mean? Like, how do you guys do that? So I think we are still adjusting to that. We don't have a process down, and I'm sure we will have to have a process down on Thanksgiving. But right now, it's whatever we can make work, right? My husband really does love spending Christmas in France. That's just something that he really gets a lot of joy from. We've only been able to do it a few times. We haven't been able to do it a lot because, you know, COVID hit, and then three years were gone, and that was the year we were supposed to go. So, you know, it's a lot of different things. But pretty much what we've been able to define is we have to go to France every other year, and every other year after that, we have to go to India. So we take turns on which country to go to so we get to see the family. So when he has business trips, he always includes a, you know, a France layover so we can spend a week or two there. And that's, you know, kind of how we make it work with our families because it's hard. In the U.S., when it comes to Thanksgiving and Halloween or whatever else. Yeah, all the other things. Yeah, all that. We spend a lot of time with my mom, and, you know, now my brother and I are supposed to be with my brother. But it's going to be similar dynamics. My brother says his wife is very close to her family in Pittsburgh, so we kind of all have to coordinate of how we can, you know, have family time, essentially. Because then they plan on going back, and if they plan on going back, it's just me, my mom, and Benoit. So we don't really have a lot of family in Pittsburgh, per se. But, yeah, that's kind of how it is. So, you know, every year we do make a trip to each of our countries, too. And we go together. Benoit loves India. I mean, we were there in February for two weeks. And, yeah. I mean, it's kind of a hard thing. We try to make it work somehow. Yeah, I feel like that's your nature. Like, yeah, we just make it work. Somehow, you know, just, oh, okay, we need to do this. Okay, let's figure out how to do that, right? And I think for me, one of the important things is I grew up in boarding school. And so I was in boarding school from seven until I was around 15. And then I went to another school, and I lived in a hostel for about a year and a half after that. So until I was 16, I was in India doing all this other stuff. And then I came here. So during that time, I think I'm very attached to a lot of my boarding school girlfriends, just because we grew up together. I mean, we saw each other every day since we were seven years old and six years old. So there is a passion and a bond that is really very difficult to explain with a friend. And my husband just, he laughs, but whenever any of them are having a wedding or something important in their lives, we try and go. So we've traveled a lot of crazy countries because of weddings. So Mali and Africa and different parts of India, all for their special days, we try and make it work. So in January, and then obviously, you know, it's a good time if they take it long enough. And I can also see my family and travel to be with my family in different parts of India. And that's kind of how we kind of coordinate all of this. So, yeah, you know, he enjoys the experience, and I enjoy the experience. And we explore something new together, and they go through it 50 times. Oh, we'll get there. We'll figure through it 50 times. Like he knows when it comes to long flights, I will not sit down. I will cry and complain and bitch and moan. It's like there's a child. It's just sweet. I've lost it. My mood's gone. Yeah, I'm a horrible flyer. Yo, don't fly with me. If it's four hours, you're good. If it's anything more than like eight hours, yeah. Done. No, no. A little breath. I'm not going to lie. I'm a little breath when it comes to something. Okay. I think part of it, too, and I know this is some of my experience, and yours, and Habiba's, because we all have some international families. When you're kind of used to everybody being so far apart, you almost become even closer to the people that you want to stay in touch with, even when you have the distance. So it's not as weird almost. It's like, oh, I didn't see you for Christmas. It'll be like I'm in Texas. I'm going to be like, Simone, I'm going to be in Houston in like three days, and she's like, done, dropping everything. It's like, we know that's what we have to do, and so you kind of figure it out. That is really spot on. Like when I was in India in February, it was so spontaneous. I literally booked my tickets 10 days before, and that never happens. No one should book their tickets so close to the evening because it's just too chaotic. And I texted my cousins, my dad, me, obviously, and some of my close friends, and they all figured it out of how to make time to come see me. I was so grateful for that. And, yeah, when we go to France, that's the same thing. Somehow the whole family will find this in their schedule. Even his friends will find it in their schedule, like, okay, we have only two weeks. How do we pack it with as much to see and as many people to spend time with? And then even when, like, for example, when he travels, his friends will come to wherever he's at in the EU. So when he's in Germany, like his best friend and his best friend's wife the last time, you know, took a train and went all the way to Germany from France so that they could spend time together in Amsterdam. No, they met in the Netherlands. They met in Amsterdam. But, I mean, yeah, you're correct. You have to be a spot on. You have to make it work. And I mean, like, she already texted all the time. Like, exactly. You literally get the example of in December. You were like, I'm going to be here. I'm like, okay, come over. And then randomly, Habiba also surprised me at the day of. We didn't know Habiba was coming. Oh, good. No, no. Yeah, it was good. And, you know, this past weekend, I was warming, and I texted Habiba, and I'm like, I know this is last minute, and I know you don't have much time, but are you free for brunch on Sunday? And she said, yeah, let's do it. And we had brunch together on Sunday, and it was perfect. It was what I needed to see her. Yeah, it was really fun. Everything was like all last minute. I told Simone I was going to be in Houston. I was like, I'm coming to stay at your house. She's like, all right, I'll walk the sheep. It's just like we're doing this. And then we always just figure it out. And then I told Habiba, and Habiba's like, okay, I'm going to come. And then Habiba drives down the next day and FaceTimes me. And then Simone's like, you're in my neighborhood. And I'm like, oh, my God, this mess was so bad. We were in the bathroom getting ready, so I was in the guest bathroom with Brandy, and she was on the phone with Habiba, and she was FaceTiming. And I was like, okay. And then Habiba was like, do you know where I am? And I was like, I don't freaking know. And then I'm looking at her background, and I was like, that's my neighborhood. You're in my neighborhood. And she was like three houses down at that point. And I was like, oh, my God. And so, yes, I went running down like a crazy person. Yeah, no, it was a good surprise. I love you so much. And then Benoit's like, oh, my God, both of them. He calls us the Spice Girls. I don't know if Brandy told you all that. But, yeah, he calls us the Spice Girls. The Spice Girls is so cute. Yeah, because I'm white, and Simone's Indian, and Habiba's, like, black mix, so we're all, like, different shades of skin color. She does. Love it. But from, like, all my friends, I think, oh, Benoit's home. There we go. Mind if I come here? Don't bother me. Just watch. Ah, hello. Okay. So, yeah, I mean, from all my friends, I think he loves them the most. Well, he's told me he loves them the most. It's not like he said it many times. So it's great, you know. You always want your significant other to really like your friends, because you're all about to bond. You're all about to hang out. It just makes the whole thing so much better. For sure. That everyone can just hang out and be happy. So, yeah. And Habiba has a boyfriend now, too, and everybody likes him. You don't like him? No, I said everybody likes him. I do like him. I do like Scott. He's so easy to talk to. Even Benoit likes him. Got along really well with him, just like this. It's great. Scott's funny, though. Mm-hmm. We'll have to get Scott and Habiba on here. But, yeah, no. But even this weekend when we saw them in Austin, Dallas, yeah, Scott was there. And he was like, I wasn't sure. Did you not recognize me? Because, you know, people just love it. It's like air. It's like, air, Scott. You're fine. But, yeah, it was nice to see him. And, yeah. At the end of the day, I just think, what? I'm just thinking about how your reaction of Benoit getting home is just representative of your entire relationship. Yeah, we're going to come in and be like, hi, babe. And then we're going. I'm still on the phone call. Uh-huh. Yeah. It's like all those French guys, like, hanging out with me. He, like, brings food. And then you're like, oh, he's cute. And then you're like, oh, I think he really likes me. And you're like, ah, fuck that. I don't have time for a boyfriend. And then you're like, I have a boyfriend. And then you're like, ah, fuck that. I don't have time for a long-distance relationship. I'm going to France. I don't have a fucking husband. I'm married. And then at every step it's just been like, Simone just goes, I can't believe I'm fucking married. I can't believe I have a fucking boyfriend. And then she just goes, I love that motherfucker. Yeah, this is so true. This is so true. She just did the whole progression of her relationship in a minute and a half. That is great. But it is true. That is exactly it. I got married extremely early. Yeah, I did. I mean, I think I got married when I was 24 or 25. 25? I don't remember. One of those years I got married. And at first I was like, why am I doing this? Oh, I was so stressed out. I didn't know what I was doing. Because, you know, again, it goes back to my five-year and ten-year plan. That was not in my plan. So, yeah, the only person who stands to, like, make me change my plan is Benoit, because he beats me with logic. That's really what it is. He beats me with logic and then you can't. My brain doesn't know how to function after that. It's not logically sound. So, okay, he's right. That's really what, yeah. Yeah, it's always funny. Simone will be like, we're going to do this. And then Benoit will be like, how are we going to do that? Because I'm the more, you know, and that's the other weird part, because I'm the more spontaneous person. Uh-huh. But when it comes to things like this where I'm like, I don't want to do that, and he's like, no, I think that's good for us. And then, like, I don't know. It's weird. We take turns in driving the other person, if that makes sense. Yeah. They're not just one driver of the relationship. We take turns who's the driver. So, based on the circumstances, we tend to switch. So, more of, like, life, you know, like marriage and having kids and all of that. My husband, he's the driver. He drives me crazy, but, yes, he's the driver. With work and investment, I tend to be the driver, and then he is the negative Nancy who's all freaking out. And I'm like, we'll make it work. We'll figure it out. So, I don't know if it's like the delusional part of me where I'm like, ah, we'll figure it out. But, yeah, so we take turns in that kind of stuff. Yeah. No, you shared a great background and great story, and I feel like a lot of gems, too. Maybe, oh, maybe any college students or young professionals leaving college, or whatever, people that are finding new careers and are kind of balancing between, like, well, I'm in this career, I want to thrive, but I also want a partner, too. Like, what advice do you have to give to those individuals that want the best of both worlds? No, I get that. Yeah. So, one thing I did want to share, though, was you may change your career path so many times, even though it's not something that you want to do. I've done it twice now. I didn't prepare for each one. It just ended up happening, and I think the advice is be open to change because you don't know what that next step is going to bring to you when it comes to mental satisfaction and true joy in your life. And this year is my year where I'm, like, truly focusing on my true happiness, internal happiness, and mental safety, essentially, because I gave 500% of myself every single year since I was alive. I never took a step back. I never took a step back to just say, you really need to focus on your happiness, because I was just trying to, like, climb the corporate ladder and all that stuff. Pretty much to say, do not put your happiness aside just to climb the corporate ladder. That's point one. Don't ever do that because you will be disappointed. You will never get the happiness you're seeking by climbing the corporate ladder. You will only get that happiness you're seeking by doing things that truly bring you so much joy, memories, and things that truly will come, right? And yeah, you definitely can't have it all, but don't set an expectation for yourself where you're going to be disappointed. Don't set something that is so lofty that just will not exist, no matter how you try. It's just not possible. But is it possible to have it all? Yeah, I hands down believe that. Yes, you can have the career you want and have the partner you deserve, but it's not what you want. It's what you deserve and what you need in that point in your life. And it might not be the partner that will take you to the aisle and you'll walk down the aisle with that partner. It might not be that partner because that's probably the person you actually need in your life. But at that point or where you are in that circumstantial situation, the right person will find you. And there's no harm in letting people go. Partnership, let them go. If your partner's holding you back, let them go. Yeah, I've let go of a lot of people. Let them all, you know. Junior year, I thought I was, I met the man of my dreams. What a dumbass I was then. That's not true. Ah-ha! Now it's not true. You definitely leveled up. No, but like literally, I was willing to give up everything I wanted to be with this dumbass. That's the point, right? You don't have to give up what you are striving for to be with the partner that you deserve. That was one of the big things I learned in college. Junior year, I thought I was with the guy that I was going to be with. He was like, oh my God, he's buying me all these things and, you know, take care of everything for me. Like, I didn't have to think. But he also treated me like shit. And I was willing to give up my dream at the time of wanting to be a rocker in a band or whatever to be with this idiot. Until he just ended up dumping me on my biochemistry two finals. Oh, you don't do that. But you see what I'm saying? Like, I didn't, at the time, I did not think that. So, yeah, there's no harm in giving up because that person is not the right person for you. That person is never going to support you, is never going to be by your side when you just need them to exist. They can't be needy. You need someone that's able to let you flourish and help you flourish while you're doing the same thing. So, yeah, that would be my advice to a college student who's making all this transition because a lot of people are going to find that hard, right? Like, they're graduating college and they're like, oh my God, I have a relationship and this guy's not going to want to go there or this girl's probably not going to want to go where I find my next job. They're not there for you for the next phase in your life. They're not that person. If they're willing to put the effort, then great. If you are willing to put the effort into, you know, helping them, then great. And sometimes you need to drift apart to come back together. That's fine, too. Amen. What gems. Just dropping like rain there. Thank you so much. You don't have to be so nice. It's okay. No, I love it. No, I mean, even, not even just young professionals, but just so many people, I mean, even for me, like, it resonates. Like, hey, like, oh, man, I really like this guy or guy likes girl, whatever, and it doesn't work out. Well, maybe that's to your benefit. It didn't work out because something better is for you down the line. So you need to get back in and manifest that. Yep, exactly. Like, everything that I was running away, that ended up being what was needed for me. How bizarre is that? Everything that I didn't want, everything that I didn't plan for in my, like, personal life, not my career. My career is very, like, eh. I want it, I'll go get it. But, like, in my personal life, everything that I didn't plan for was what was supposed to be for me. I just have to be patient and accept it when it came. That's all. Thank you for sharing with us, Simone. This was super unplanned, but I think it, like, it went really well. We talked about some great stuff, like career, mental health, relationships, different cultures. I think at the end of the day, it's just figure it out. Make it work. Make it work. That's the motto of my life. I think that's the title of this. Yeah, we just make it work. Just make it work. No, but honestly, thank you so much. Truly, you dropped a ton of gems, a ton of insight, and just very inspirational. Loved it. Loved meeting you. It's been fun. Aw, y'all are so sweet. Oh, don't make me blush, but thank you, thank you. This was good. I'm so glad that Brandy asked me to join, and she said, do you have time? I said, yeah, I can do it, but this was good, and I'm grateful that I still get to share, and hopefully some of this will be impactful to other people who are going through similar things that I went through, and if it brings them joy, and they're able to use some of those tips in their own life, and that just kind of heals the deal. Thank you for listening to another episode of Branded and Tailored. Join us next week on Wednesday. Bye. Bye. Bye.