Up from the Muck Podcast
Up from the Muck Podcast seeks to provide encouraging interviews of Christian believers, showcasing their “stories of the middle”, the mucky moments where God steps in, highlighting the gritty middle and not just the polished end.
Up from the Muck Podcast
You're Still a Good Mom with Hallie Dye Episode 79
Our latest episode dives into the ins and outs of Hallie Dye's new book, "You're Still a Good Mom: Motherhood Surrendered to the One Who Never Fails (Even When You Feel You Have)". Her book addresses what it means to be a good mom on God's terms.
This conversation emphasizes the worth of a mother. In order to do so, Hallie takes us all the way back to Genesis, where everything good was created.
This conversation also highlights some of the behind the scenes of how Hallie became and author and how she stated her Podcast show, The Salt Works.
Please listen along and find yourself being encouraged!
Get your copy of Hallie's book, "You're Still a Good Mom," available on various platforms!
The Saltworks
You're Still a Good Mom: Motherhood Surrendered to the One Who Never Fails (Even When You Feel You Have) by Hallie Dye
Click HERE for access to extra content through my Patreon Account.
Motherhood and mom life is so difficult it's more chaotic than I actually anticipated and there's such a much needed antidote encouragement out there for us moms. The mom guilt is real. Out there for us moms, the mom guilt is real. So, luckily, today I'll be interviewing a special person that has such a book that can give a lot of encouragement to us moms out there who are trying to navigate and need that encouragement of. Are we doing this right? I think I am. So in this episode I'll be talking with Hallie Dye. Hey, thanks so much for having me. I'll be talking with Hallie Dye. Hey, thanks so much for having me.
Speaker 1:She is an author, a speaker, and she also hosts her own podcast called Saltworks Podcast, and she's also a wife and a mom of three and just all kinds of talents, and so today we're going to talk about her book called You're Still a Good Mom. Surrender to the One who Never Fails, even when you Feel you have, and we're also talking a little bit about her podcast and how it started. So that's kind of today's show today, and listen y'all to the name of her book You're Still a Good Mom. Surrender to the One who Never Fails, even when you Feel you have? I mean that right there. I need that. Just listening to the title is like I need that.
Speaker 2:Me too. That's why I wrote it, cause I needed it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh man. So but thank you for coming out here. I know we're. We kind of live on opposite sides of the town. You know you're way over there and like the North side and I'm over here, the Southwest side, it was worth the drive, thank you so much for having me. We've been trying to do it for a long time, yeah, I know like this is like taking yes, but I feel like this is really better timing best you know like it's closer to your book release.
Speaker 1:It's coming out. So, yeah, yeah, so excited for that. And I'm also just excited to have a fellow podcaster I don't know that many and and for a local person, I was like something understands, I know. Yes, for real. Yeah, that was really cool. I get it. Yeah, all right, so just tell us about it. I mean, the title itself is like wow, like I said, I need that. You know, tell us more about what it's about.
Speaker 2:So the book I'd started it like, I think, the beginning of 2020. I've always written, I've always liked to write. I have had many poorly kept blogs, you know, poorly worded and poorly kept. But I'm an external processor. I like to talk things out, write things out, kind of figure out. Why am I feeling this way? What's true, you know? And so writing helps me do that. And at the beginning of 2020, before we knew what 2020 was, I really was like I just I kind of felt like I wanted to get serious about writing. I didn't even know what that meant. I'm not sure I would have worded it that way at the time, but just like. No, I'm going to. I'm going to like, have better journaling habits and, you know, really do this thing. I know I love stay at home, mom. We had, let's see, our kids would have been four, three and one at the time. Yes, very busy. Then the world closed down. So I'm already depleted, I'm already swamped, outnumbered. Lots of wonderful things, but also lots of heart lots of busy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, three and a one-year-old together, it's. I could just cut it. Yeah process that me either and it used to not mean as much to me. But now that I have a four-year-old, like now, I cannot try to imagine another one out in that same season with that one. It's like, how do people do this all the time? Yeah, it's well the Lord, yes, and no sleep and caffeine.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Yes, that's exactly where we were, and you know, staying home full time, and then you throw in like our sheltered at home. Now we can't go to the park, that's right.
Speaker 2:Can't go to a friend's house, you know we didn't know anything then, and I just remember this feeling of like, just depletion, like just this feeling of like I don't even know if rest could refresh my soul. You know, like you feel that sometimes in motherhood. Maybe that's true, because sometimes we need more than just rest. We need more than just coffee, more than just a nap. Sometimes those things are the holiest things you can do. But you know, you know you need this deeper thing. And I sat down one night and just literally, in the notes of my phone, typed something out and thought this is so funny that I that I have this thought because little old Hallie in 2020 had no idea. But I thought, you know, this could be the beginning of a book and it was. It's the beginning of a book and it was. It's the intro to my book. Oh wow, that's been edited a lot. Oh yeah, many times over. But it was, and I had no idea what it was. But I think the feeling that I really had was you know, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know if I'm doing. I don't know if I'm doing this.
Speaker 2:Well, what is a good mom? Can we even define that? And you know, we, we want to hear that from our spouse. We want to hear that from our friends, from our parents, our in-laws, our kids. But I think I recognize somewhere along the way of writing this book is I really need to hear this from the author of goodness himself? Yeah, and I wanted to know that answer for me. That's what kept me writing it, and so that's the premise of the book is addressing. Can we define that? What does that look like Biblically? Yeah, can we actually be free of this mom guilt and walk in this Like what does God say Exactly?
Speaker 1:A good mom is yeah. Some good thoughts there yeah. So we definitely know it's for moms. But you know, do you have a specific type of mom in mind, Like a? Phase of life or anything.
Speaker 2:You know I would say this book, I pray, is beneficial for any mom who wonders am I a good mom? Yeah, obviously. The book is written more to the younger mom scenario, because that's where you're from that, that is, the examples. But because it is not a how to become and not a checklist of things to do, it really addresses the worth of a mother biblically, and so I've had readers who you know in the process of editing whose kids are grown and gone. I didn't know I needed to hear this, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I did.
Speaker 2:And so I don't want I, I want to walk in wisdom of there's not a whole lot I can teach a grandmother, you know. Yeah, but at the same time, because of it, it is a biblical truth based on the worth of a woman in motherhood. I do believe, if anyone has asked that question, that it has something for them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's really cool. That's really cool that this book can be like timeless. Really special, I hope and pray. So yeah, yeah, that's awesome. You were just saying a minute ago, like where you were when you were like thinking of this book, yeah, but was there anything extra that did inspire you to say, okay, like for my idea of? Like you were, you know, in the middle of the night, to like now, this is actually a book, book like when did that part happen?
Speaker 2:a lot of times it happened in 20 minute increments.
Speaker 1:You know, I get that because, like as an author as well like you just kind of start doubting yourself and you're like, oh, this is good enough for that, is it not? So you kind of like, yes, not quite put it in the wastebasket, but you put it to the side, yeah, or you go.
Speaker 2:I'll remember this, yeah, don't. So you're like learn to write things down right when you think of it yeah. So a lot of times it would be like let me run in here and write this thought down you know, later I'd go back and go.
Speaker 2:Oh, that was dumb, you know, I'm like no, okay, I need to flesh this out. There were at least one, maybe two different summers Cause I've been working on it for five years off and on putting it on the back burner. We had different things happen in life. Just kind of I would have a babysitter come and she would stay for about two hours and I would go to the coffee shop and I would write furiously and I'd come home and, honestly, brandy, like that shaped, I think, my writing habits.
Speaker 2:Because the truth is like, if you feel called to write, you need to write. When you feel like you have something to say, you need to write when you don't. Because if you wait until you've got childcare and you've got, you think you have an idea, you know. And also, if we believe the work we do in his name is spirit led, then he's going to lead you. Whether you're feeling creative or not, yeah, whether you're feeling exhausted. You didn't sleep, you know, but I couldn't do like the babysitter's coming. It didn't matter if I didn't sleep last night, I have to go do it. And on the way there I would just pray like, okay, lead me. And then on the way back I'd pray like if this is not what you want me to share. If this is not not it, then just nix that chapter, nix this, and I honestly quit the book way more times than I worked on it.
Speaker 2:I can't do that anymore. It is yeah, yeah, but yeah, audibly I would say I'm done, I'm done. But the thing that kept me going back was, you know, his prompting and and me needing to know these things and his kindness to me and grace and all of that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how did you get connected with your life? Is Moody your publisher? Yeah, how did that happen? It's a weird, crazy story. I mean, guys, it is hard to get into that world. So how did this happen for you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so little backstory for people who aren't familiar with publishing, because you're so right, that's not how it works and I want to be so upfront that I should not have a book deal Like that is 100% been a miracle in my life and it's given me so much peace Because one of the things that I prayed over and over and over in the writing is if this is not going to glorify you and it's not going to be what moms need to hear, then don't let it go out. Yeah, I pray that all the time and so now that it is, I'm like okay, I'm resting in you, cause, of course, you're going to have doubts and fears as you go, and so that's been my like. Okay, you meant for this to be here. So, for those who aren't familiar with publishing, it is a safer bet for a publishing company for you to have some type of I don't want to say following, because it doesn't have to be social media. Yeah, but you have people who are interested in your reading somewhere, or writing as a person or something.
Speaker 2:Yes, your voice and some capacity. So for a lot of people, that can be social media, it can be a newsletter, it could be, you know, a podcast. It could be different things. I do think the podcast helped because I don't really have a platform. So a lot of people talk about building a platform and that sort of thing and you're familiar with all that. But for those not familiar with publishing that's, you know, you don't know how it works until you need to. So I was set on self-publishing.
Speaker 2:I've done lots of writing classes and courses and groups just to hone that skill, make some connections, ask questions, push through a lot of imposter syndrome.
Speaker 2:Yes, I'm familiar with that too, yes, yes, and so I know, yes, I've battled that in every area of my life, and so writing was no different, and and all those things were so helpful. But everything you do is going to tell you need to build a platform in order to publish a book. It is a little backwards. It's a little backwards the publishing world, but at the same time, publishers want to know they can make their money back yeah, because you're their investment and so it's them being, it's them being safe, absolutely, and we've taken all the risk yes, and they know who you are, they know your theology, they know you know there's a lot that they're betting on and how serious you are about it.
Speaker 1:Like you know, is this something you're trying to make a quick buck on or is this really something true to you. If you're putting in the work right to build that up, I mean I get it, but it is it's hard it's hard.
Speaker 2:It's hard and and the system's not perfect and so, um, but I had pretty much I had finished the manuscript at this point but put it on the back burner for other things going on in our lives good things but just yeah, things are on the forefront, just of it had been so long since I'd picked it up that I was kind of like, do you even like it? Was this? Was this something you called me to do because you needed to refine me, or is this something you actually want me to keep going forward in Cause I'm not going to publish this book? Just cause I've said publicly I'm writing a book, like it's not about me. Yeah, if I need to fail publicly or look foolish, I'm used to that by now you know like, yeah, that's okay. So I was kind of praying those sort of prayers. I had been working full time, I wasn't. My kids were all three going into school that year for the first time. So just kind of found myself in a new season. I had the podcast, I think. Let's see, I think we had done season one and we're about to begin season two at this point, yeah, and so it had been a while since I had worked full time actually.
Speaker 2:So the First Abide Conference for anyone who's not familiar, it's a conference that Divine Ministry of Pregnancy Mentoring Ministry here in town puts on, and it was the very first Abide Conference. And so they're learning what they're doing. I'm a good friends with one of the founders and so I was, you know, wanting to help in whatever capacity. And it gets closer to time and she says would you host the speaker, which she had arrangements in a hotel? It was just, will you pick her up from the airport and make sure she eats, make sure she knows what song we need to come out for? You know, like when she speaks, and I said, yes, I would love to. And I really felt like, whatever you need me to do, you know direct traffic, you know, which would have been a ministry because it was August, um, uh, yeah, and so here in Louisiana, well, so I was like, yes, I will do that, that. And I had COVID the week before, so I had major COVID brain. I was like, am I even going to be able to have small conversation? You know, make small talk. So I pick her up from the airport.
Speaker 2:Her name's Trillia Newbell. A lot of people might know her book, 52 Weeks in the Word. But she has lots of great books and just launched another. Pick her up. She's the sweetest, kindest soul, just really enjoyed her and I'm getting to know her. She's asking questions and I'm honestly. She asks a couple of questions like well, bethany, my friend at the Vine, was like you know, she mentioned that you teach, you know your life group and I'm like, yeah, you know we do, and so I kind of talked about that and then switch the subject and she said well she tells me you, you know, you wrote a book.
Speaker 2:And I'm like, yeah, you know such you know, and I try not to really expound, because who wants to be picked up from the airport?
Speaker 1:And then you know, you tell them.
Speaker 2:Right, yes, and so I'm, like you know, asking questions about her. She's got two kids and they're older. Well, the next morning we go to breakfast, so we have time to just sit and visit before the event. And she's asking more and more questions about the book, like, well, give me an example of that, what's the chapter? That kind of thing. And so I'm explaining and we end up both tearing up yeah, I don't like public crying for me at all, which the Lord is slowly breaking down, but we ended up both tearing up, as I'm telling this one chapter that ended up being chapter three in the book. She said well, I'm actually the acquisitions director for Moody.
Speaker 2:Publishers? Yeah, and I know that. And so she said would you want to? You know, maybe Zoom she was flying out that day Would you want to zoom and meet about it? And I'm like okay, and I honestly thought I was playing it cool. But when we got inside she said are you, are you doing okay? And I was like yeah, like I'm great, you know, and I'm thinking my COVID brain, you know. I was like yeah, you know, and I'm honestly kind of trying to be quiet because she's got to speak and I know I get really nervous and I don't know if she needed to look over her notes a little bit. She said are you sure you're doing okay, like you're counting? It's just like your spirit seems down. And I was like, oh, and I honestly wasn't processing this in the moment. But I said well, I think I just don't want you to think like I've driven you around so that you'll look at my book, like I mean, I didn't know what she did, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she goes oh, you know, lay that down, that's this is what I do, this is this is my job. Like I'll I find joy in this and, like you know, I can't promise anything that's going to happen, but I think it's worth meeting about. So we did, and she encouraged me to go through the book proposal process with them, and you know there were a couple different steps, but yeah, which that's a process too. Yeah, it was. It was weeks of waiting and but yeah, I mean very wild story yeah, that is really cool.
Speaker 1:I feel like that's even just a word about putting your yes on the table, being willing to serve it something else, and how? Yeah, that was put together.
Speaker 2:Even with COVID brain, the Lord can work miracles, yeah.
Speaker 1:Or how to just always purpose behind any little thing that you do, like yeah, you're helping out for that event, but then you know we're always there for a reason. That's really cool, it was. Oh man. So you mentioned chapter three a little bit out of all the chapters. Was that the hard one to write, or was there any other hard ones or special? Ones that I won't tell the chapter three story because it's so good, you just gotta read it you gotta read it it's.
Speaker 2:It's a really, really sweet one. I think it'll be, I think it'll be something people really enjoy and connect with. But I would say the hardest ones for me to write were chapters five and six. I added them later in the game, like I actually had to get my proposal re-approved, which wasn't a huge deal, but I just felt like I felt like there was a hole, there was something I needed to say and I honestly couldn't even like couldn't say with clarity what that was.
Speaker 2:So chapter five is talking about how we have lack and limitation and that we're supposed to. That's designed so. It really attacks mom guilt, which we can go into if you want. But chapter six is goes into when we do fail, when we actually have failure, and his sovereignty even in that. But but I, for the love of me, could not stop mixing the two chapters because that's what we do. We think that our limitation is failure and I knew it. But I'm telling you that's how deep that is ingrained in us it is. We want to make our limitations and our lack outside of the lord failure. It's's not. It was designed to depend on him.
Speaker 1:So that one was really hard. I don't want to ask you more about that, so tell us more about the chapter about the limitations.
Speaker 2:Well okay.
Speaker 2:So so I'll give the chapter opener, basically, which is you know, I don't know, brandy like what you need as a person. I know I need, obviously, x amount of meals, snacks, enough water. I need my coffee, you know. I need time with friends, I need time alone to recharge. I need, every once in a while, some time to create and dream, you know, and I like to take a walk every once in a while, cause that gets me out of my, you know, out of my head and connect me with the Lord.
Speaker 2:And so I have all these things that I need, and I've always had those. I had those before I had kids, and all of those needs are good, right, I mean, we haven't said anything that's bad, All those things were acceptable, they're good. And then all of those needs are good, right, I mean, we haven't said anything that's bad, all those things were acceptable, they're good. And then, all of a sudden, something happened and between my water breaking and me coming home with a newborn, all those things were bad, because now, when I need those things, I have to take away from my child, and so there's this feeling of failure and simply needing to be a person and being selfish, all of a sudden, absolutely, and not that all of those things I mean many of those things had happened daily.
Speaker 2:Some didn't happen every week, even always. Get to create, you know, or dream, but but all of a sudden, having those things that I needed and the things I wasn't good at, the things that I was lacking, that was okay. Well, now my lack is my kids lack. Now, my limitations are things they can't have through me, and I think there's an obvious truth of we're not their savior. Yeah, but also, you know, it's really hard to define goodness.
Speaker 2:And what does God define as good? Well, it's interesting because when you go back to the Garden of Eden, he calls it very good. Once he created male and female, everything was good. Then it was not good for man to be alone. And then they're very good, right, yeah, well, good for me to be alone. And then they're very good, right, yeah, well, they were very good and they were not clothed, they had no clothes, they had lack. And the interesting thing is in, I guess, chapter three, in the fall, they hide. They hear the sound of God walking in the garden. Which, how crazy is that? Always like that, that wording yeah, he could walk in the garden with them.
Speaker 2:They hear the sound. He calls where are you? And Adam says well, we heard the sound of you walking in the garden and we hid because we're naked. Yeah, Well, they feel shame because they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Well, it wasn't that they all of a sudden were naked. It's now that they have knowledge of their lack, but in their previous state he had called it very good, yeah. And so he clothes them. He gives them their consequences, he clothes them. But the idea there and what's interesting is, if you go back and read that passage, God's first response before getting to the consequences, who told you? Who told you that Exactly? And so I'm not saying we should all not be wearing our clothes. Okay, that's not what I'm saying here. But what I'm saying is in a world where they didn't have need of a savior yet, because there wasn't sin.
Speaker 2:they always had needed of a God, and when they reached outside of his presence to get with, she and and Adam both thought they needed. That is when sin entered the world, and so they had life. They had limitation, but it's where they went with it.
Speaker 2:And so this idea of goodness isn't that you get this checklist right. I mean, if I teach you how to abide and I say, Brandy, here's the checklist, have I really taught you the essence of remaining in him? Or have I taught you self-sufficiency? And so the idea of a good mom is faithfulness Like you can't hold the outcome, but you can seek him and everything, you can depend on him and everything that's a really good. Is that something I can just skip?
Speaker 1:to read that one, absolutely, you can read it however you want to. You have permission. That's chapter seven, that's, that's, that's five okay, chapter seven's rest. That was hard too, okay that's hilarious, okay, but seven's on rest, which is kind of interesting. Is that on purpose or is it just it was on purpose.
Speaker 2:But the lord I love that. You saw that. But the lord really kind of orchestrated that because I moved a lot of chapters around. But that was one of the things I was like, probably nobody will notice this, but it makes me happy, yeah I'm a little bit of a Bible nerd, so I guess we'll clue everybody else yeah, yes I'll let you do that so well, on the seventh day of creation. So we just talked about the garden he rested, and also, you know seven's the number of perfection and you know the fullness.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's right so, yeah, awesome, awesome. So is a lot of the book. Are you drawing a lot of your biblical truth from genesis, like from the garden scenario, or is it all over the place or a lot of it is simply because, like, what do we all want to be in motherhood?
Speaker 2:it would be perfect, right? We want we had this level of perfection, whether it's the way something looks or the way we, the way we said we do things, the things we said we'd never do you know, before entering in motherhood, or even just the way we feel like there's a whole chapter about compassion, because sometimes we just have this low simmer of mom guilt because we don't feel the way we thought we should about motherhood all the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, where is that, you know? Yeah, and so there's this whole compassion of the Lord. There's a little chapter about that, but, yes, we go back to the garden a lot, not every chapter. There are other passages, some in the New Testament as well, that we'll dive into for different principles, but we do go back there quite a bit, especially in the beginning, because we think if we could have perfect circumstances, we could be the perfect mom Even before the role of mom existed. That was not the case for eve, yeah and so. Yeah, and on the flip side of that, like we have been made righteous with the blood of christ, like it's no longer me who lives, it's christ who lives in me. And yet I still want to add to that in terms of worth. Yeah, you know, and it's like Eve sort of had to depend on doing everything. Right, I actually don't. Yeah, in some ways we have this level of perfection she couldn't dream of. Yeah, and we want to go back to perfect circumstances and that's, that's evidence of some, some idols in our hearts you know?
Speaker 1:Yeah, would you think that has more to do with, like, the American culture versus some other cultures, or do you think that's just kind of probably everywhere?
Speaker 2:I think it is probably everywhere to some extent, probably in every person's mind. If we could have this then we'd be complete, and I think it has to be, because I mean, look at the American culture we do. Everyone lives in wealth, no matter what that compared to other countries, yes, we live so comfortably, you know and.
Speaker 2:I realize there are varying degrees and that's not the case for every single person, for the vast majority, like, yeah, in the times we think we're struggling, we have way more than other places and it hasn't filled the void, you know. And so I do think that in every heart there is something, because there is this void that only God can fill. But I mean absolutely.
Speaker 1:I think the fact that it feels attainable in the American culture can make yeah, I think that's probably the great Gby, that like constant illusion of like it's just right there. If I just one more thing, and it'd be yes, and that's what keeps us on a farce you know.
Speaker 2:think about how privileged it is to have the idol of self-sufficiency. Yeah, If you, if you live in an agricultural area and you're, you're completely dependent on your crops or your herd or whatever you. You realize how out of control you are. Like you're waiting on the weather. Whether you're a believer or not, yeah, you realize the weather, the soil, the animals, the pests. I mean, you know there's a lot of things outside of your control. But the american dream is well, if I could do more and be more and earn more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can fill enough, or even even in that scenario, if I can just monitor more or just be the really great caretaker and have no other life. Yeah, oh, yeah. You know like yeah, oh, man, absolutely well, this feels like a really great book, thank you yeah, I'm really excited about it yeah, I really am so. When's it come out? I know it's coming out soon.
Speaker 2:I pre-ordered it already yes, yeah, it launches March 4th, so it's yeah, right around the corner.
Speaker 1:Yeah, are you having like a lunch party or like um, gonna be a book?
Speaker 2:signing or anything. I don't know if I'm gonna sign. I've had people ask that I'm like I don't think there will be any line there for me but there might be.
Speaker 1:I mean, how you know, you're also a podcast host and speaker, like it could be a little bit.
Speaker 2:That's so funny. I don't know if that's true. I know I will sign if people want me. I feel like that would just like bring the value of the book down right now if I put anything.
Speaker 1:Impostor said don't go away in jesus name be gone um, it's with us forever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know. This is funny, though, actually, that you say that because we are doing a launch party. I don't really know what that's gonna look like. Totally, we have a meeting about that this week, but something with friends and family, I think of the church, and I'm like having to mentally prepare to celebrate, because when I signed the book contracts, like all of my friends wanted to celebrate and my imposter syndrome would not let me, and I'm like how about you will pull it together and celebrate the work of the Lord has done because there is a time for everything under heaven.
Speaker 2:But what's funny about book signing is actually I think one of the things this was Andrew's idea that we're going to do is have a copy of my book and let everyone else sign it for me to keep. That is special.
Speaker 1:so, yeah, a little backwards, but that's what we're gonna fight because you always have to keep at least one yeah, that's right yeah, because I have a few I have to call back to make sure it's not in an inventory.
Speaker 2:Yeah it's like this is mine right. Yeah, yeah, give them all away.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so true, yeah, that's really. That's a great idea.
Speaker 2:Good job, andrew. Oh, he's the best. I feel like most of the chapters of the book are like me, just like explaining the struggle, and then Andrew's wisdom, I can give him a cut, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome, that's awesome, oh man. Yeah, that's awesome, that's awesome, oh man, so is your pre-order still, sale still going on, it's still going on. Yeah, do you have any record of that? Can you see? You know that on your side.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I can see it or not, but I'm like maybe that's the lord's protection yeah I will say this like I'm shocked that it's happening. So I have no preconceived notions about book sales, or yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm just yeah Well, similar thing for myself, like after well, it's complicated, but essentially no, I could not see it wasn't accurate. Yeah, hardly at all. So, oh, so the numbers you were seeing, I can't, actually, couldn't really, or I can't not, couldn't, I cannot, like I can see Amazon sales and that's it, and that's because I have a different.
Speaker 1:I have an author account through that so I can only see Amazon sales, but it's everywhere we can buy it. So like I didn't get a different royalty check this month, that only happens like quarterly Gotchacha, but I still don't even know the numbers from that.
Speaker 2:like I don't know what that means right.
Speaker 1:So I'm like, I'm like in the middle, like email.
Speaker 2:This is way too. I'm just curious and like and also, you know, for marketing purposes. You're like you know whatever but.
Speaker 1:But I told my kind of a similar thing like um, I think this is a good thing, so I don't, yeah, obsess about that, that, and just move on and live in the message of the book. And so I think, yeah, I'm with you on that. Yeah, that's so funny, yeah. So I'm super excited and you guys go out there, get that book. And I know it's on Amazon, I mean, that's where I pre-purchased mine. Do you have other places that are going to be available? Um?
Speaker 2:Barnes and Noble Books a Million. Moody's website I don't know. Last I checked Moody's website, which has been a while. I don't know if it was available for pre-order, but it will be available but it will be there just yeah, and they side note Moody runs like really good sales. They do like a I think it's a semi-annual sale where I mean it's like 40 or 50% off. It's crazy, Wow yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, looking there for some sales. Yeah, be good for like baby shower type of gift, maybe Mother's Day, so those would be coming up just around that. Well, everyone has babies anytime.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Mother's Day being May, it's maybe good. Good for that too. You know some yes moms are being new moms, yeah, so yeah, well, I'm excited for you. Thank you so much. Yeah, I'm really excited.
Speaker 1:Well, I wanted to ask you too about podcasting, for a minute since I mean, I don't have this chance to talk about that and I know here people don't really know all the things, um, but for you, like, how did you get into that? Like what was the was the idea for that? I know you have some. You had some background work with working with a different podcast for a minute but how? Did like salt works. How did?
Speaker 2:that come. Yeah, you know I had worked for a podcast before. That's very successful and well-known, but I was helping with content and I was not at all ever like with in front of the camera, or technical, or even scheduling.
Speaker 2:you know any of that and I can remember thinking like I don't think I could do that you know, like it was just so I would get nervous and I'm not, I wasn't recording, you know like just I would just get nervous on recording days and so never saw that happening for me. But when I went back to be home again we had kind of a health crisis with my youngest and that kind of just reset like I need to be back home. That's the only way I know how to really describe and he's well, he's good, but it was a whole deal.
Speaker 2:It's a long story that kind of just reoriented my priorities, um and so that's kind of how that came about, but in the season where the vine was starting. So that's that same ministry that I mentioned earlier. That put on the conference. They're just beginning, so the conference is not in sight at this point.
Speaker 2:My friend invited me to a prayer meeting. They were opening, their doors had officially opened, but it kind of happened so quickly that they were like you know, our doors are open, our website's live, so we have to be there, but we still want people to come and pray for this meeting because nobody really knows what we do, you know. So we go they're in our life group at the time and we go and she gives us the whole story, which is just, I mean, miracle after miracle, of the Lord opening doors, and the timing of everything is crazy. That's actually the first episode of the Saltworks. For anybody that wants to hear it, it's wonderful.
Speaker 2:But I just can remember thinking like, because I had kept blogs before, like I wish I could get their story out and I didn't really have anything at that point that would be feasible for me to use. And I just remember thinking like man, if I had a podcast, like I would love to interview her so they can hear her say what it is, because she just told it so well and it was just so real and genuine, you know, and then they could know what to bring and what to provide and know where to send funds or whatever, because they had a lot of needs starting out. And I'm praying and you know, we're we're prayer walking.
Speaker 2:We're praying in the bathroom, so that's where women will take pregnancy tests and you know, just whatever. And I just remember thinking like this is crazy. But I went up to Bethany and said okay, this is a little insane, but if I can pull a podcast together, would you be my first guest? And she said okay, and I was like I'll take it, yeah, so I started pulling together Like I don't even know what the first steps of starting a podcast are.
Speaker 1:I literally Googled. I was Googling and there's like a wiki how on it actually which is very helpful that way, I probably did the same thing, I don't remember.
Speaker 2:I just blacked out in that part, no, but it was like, okay, what do I need next?
Speaker 2:And when you know and kind of I needed to pull in other people Can you help me with the cover art? Can you help me with the cover art? Can you help me with the music, can you? And because I did that, that kind of kept me accountable for like, okay, I've told this many people, I'm doing this, I can't just quit because it's scary or I don't know how to do the next thing. And so I just kept going. I mean, my feeling was okay, I was working in a full-time ministry. Now I'm not, and I know where I'm, I'm where I'm supposed to be. But now my kids are in school and here's this need and I have this time. If I can figure out how to plug two microphones into my computer, why wouldn't I be doing this? That was kind of my feeling at the time, and lots of imposter syndrome, lots of.
Speaker 2:At that point I had no expectations for anyone to listen at all, because I'd kept many blogs where people didn't read, you know. And so you know it was just like if one person needs to hear it. But it's just been how to eat an elephant, one at a time. You know, and you figure it out. We're still figuring things out. We're in a studio now we've got things like lighting and cameras and we just kind of hope and pray that they work. I don't know that we can set it back up again. And now Lindsay Stagg, who you know, know what we would do without Colin. Yeah, just have a really messy finished product, I guess. But yeah, honestly, if it weren't for Lindsay and Colin, I'm not sure we could have had season three because of everything with the book. I mean, they really have carried the podcast. Yeah, I'm so grateful for them. Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's great, well, and I'm glad they've been able to jump into it because it is a good podcast and I didn't even say the name of Saltworks, but when we were starting it and the idea was interview people like like the vine, where nobody knows. This is the need. Nobody knows the story and I'm like there's so many untold stories. People who might not write a book, might never stand on this stage, but they have stories to tell, and so that was kind of the idea and my mom suggested the name Saltworks, and Saltworks is a term meaning a place where salt is literally refined. We're called to be the salt of the earth. That's what we're undergoing, this refinement and sanctification as we walk on this side of heaven with him, and so there's that. But saltworks can also be a slang term used for jobs, of meaning like drudgery and like. That's what it looks like a lot of days.
Speaker 2:So it's meant to be this encouragement. As you hear other people's stories oh my goodness, I didn't know that was happening. You know, in their life or in in right here in this town this ministry is starting, or whatever that looks like for that week. In the person's story, it encourages you to run the race set before you and your corner of the saw works. Yeah, so it's been really neat. It's absolutely not what I expected and it's way better than I could have asked or imagined.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, isn't it great, like I love doing it, yeah, and we always get a bit more of the story than what's actually gets produced out but I have no idea what all I've said. No, no, but there's usually always a little bit extra little side conversations here and there before and after it and you know you carry them in your heart. I like finding people and encouraging them to share because in their arms, whatever it takes, because I like people, people and encouraging them to share, twisting their arms whatever it takes, because I like people to understand that they all have a story.
Speaker 1:We all have experienced God, whether we know it or not, and we all have one. They're all worth sharing. I mean, sharing in our testimonies are so powerful. You know, for some people that is their Jesus. That they see, yeah, or hear, that's the gospel they're hearing is your life, your experience, and so, whether it's a salt work or somewhere in the muck, you know like and that's the genuineness part of it, hearing that from other people like man, that is that encouragement they need.
Speaker 2:So yeah, Well, and, and there will be people that listen to your podcast that will never listen to mine you know, and so it's just like you know, I've had to remind myself as you go for anyone out there that's like I don't know if I can do that, or I don't know if I should write or start a podcast.
Speaker 2:I can remember reading a motherhood book I think it was a waking wonder by Sally Clarkson, what was one of hers. She's great, she's just this sweet soul that it just she dreams well, she's an encourager, she's just kind and gentle and I just like her. She's got a podcast, written a lot of books and there was this one chapter and I think it was waking wonder and she just basically gave you permission to like need some time for yourself. That is not like a groundbreaking truth, yeah, but I needed to hear it from her voice. Yeah, and I've carried that with me of like I mean, she worded it so well and it was truth and it was good, but I could have heard that from someone else and it might not have carried as much weight, but like Sally Clarkson gave me permission.
Speaker 1:She said that that's right, yes gave me permission.
Speaker 2:She said that yes, and so you know, sometimes your voice brings credits into things that someone else might not.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, annie F Downs like certain things from hers, is like for me. I'm like oh yeah, well, annie said it.
Speaker 2:That's right. Annie says, so we can.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Oh man, I was going to ask a little bit more about your show. Do you want to share a little bit more about like how often?
Speaker 2:I mean y'all it's pretty weekly, you're pretty regular now yeah so I think when we talked last year, I'll say this when I started the podcast, I was a one woman show, like I was recording, editing, scheduling, all you you know, you get it.
Speaker 2:A lot of things, a lot of things, also still a mom of three, and so I had to say, okay, our goal is weekly, every Tuesday, but if I have sick kids like the three, kid life we're going to somebody's going to have fever for two weeks, yeah, and so if that's the case and I don't have a show stockpiled, then we're just not gonna have a show like we're not out here to look perfect or have this professional, this curated product like this is real life, and if I can't record, then we don't have an episode. So we did season one for sure, like that season two a little bit more as well. Lindsey helped so much because she does all of our logistics and, yeah, I'm not good at and so she keeps a lot of it.
Speaker 1:Like that's half of it. So much of it and figuring out what we can both get together Right, yeah, and just answering a text back.
Speaker 2:That's not my spiritual gift, and so she carried that. But even in season two we would sometimes and she's a mom too, so you know we would sometimes, and she's a mom too, so you know we had things going on. We would still not have an episode, but we've done ads this year, so we haven't been able to take a break. But the Lord's provided yeah, he's provided, he's stretched us in ways, because we used to only do so. I would do like probably three stories and then a standalone where we got into someone's story in the Bible, which I love and we still do occasionally. But we had kind of a drought at the beginning of season three and like I don't know why, but we could not get people into the studio. I mean, we were opened up like whatever time, whatever, we'll meet you up here. It was all legitimate reasons, this person had that and this person, but it just wasn't happening. And so when you hit moments like that in ministry, you feel like, is this still what?
Speaker 1:you want us to do you know like?
Speaker 2:are we trying to do this in our own strength, is this? But he really obviously built a lot of refinement and faith in those moments, a lot of learning and leaning on him to be the provider that we can do all the right things. But he brings the stories like it's not us, and so that was a reminder, but it also stretched our capacity to go. You know what me? And you can have conversations, you know, and so we've done that a lot more on season three and we've enjoyed it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, great, I'll turn one on forgiveness. That's pretty good.
Speaker 2:Oh, that was Lindsay's idea and I was like okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So so you know it's convicting. I've done something similar, but I like y'all's take on it, it was good.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, y'all should listen to Lindsay Nally thank you, do as we say, not as we do yeah, well, thank you for talking about both of your things your book and your podcast and whatnot.
Speaker 1:Do you have any merchandise, since you have a website?
Speaker 2:and whatnot. So, okay, technically, right now we don't have our website up, so we're moving towards that. We worked on one for a while and then kind of put it on the back burner. All in good time, we had sweatshirts for a while and then we closed them, but we have talked about having more merch soon, so I'm excited. On the lookout, on the lookout. Yes, that's something I would love to do. I love some good merch.
Speaker 1:Yeah, who doesn't?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so stay tuned for that.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you so much for coming out all the way out here. No, it wasn't bad at all, and it's been great to hear from a local author, a local person, yes, and I wish you all the best with your book and everything else, so you had to get it.
Speaker 2:You got to go get it. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thank you for having me. My name is Hallie Dye and this is my story of the middle and I'm your host, Brainy Bostic.
Speaker 1:You've been listening for the Up for the Mutt podcast. If you're interested in merchandise or other uplifting stories, check me out at upforthemuttcom.
Speaker 2:Psalm 42,. He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on the rock, making my steps secure. Thank you.
