Stacked Keys Podcast

Growing up in an entrepreneur business life with her parents, she learned early on to smile, be happy and bring in a ray of sunshine. Today this guest is running a women’s program at Tect Center in Eastman, Georgia— which is a gym focusing on MMA and jujitsu through Jimmy Barnett— Taylor Windley found her group of people and she loves her job and life.Meet Taylor. You’ll immediately hear her encouragement and confidence. We talk about having a voice on the mat and loosing the intimidation one can have when going in to train in jujitsu. She got advice while in the jiujitsu community to overcome her insecurities, become a good leader and increase her own game. She realized that how she felt would spill over into her students and she wanted to bring the best forward. Taylor has a heart for women who have experienced domestic violence to give them power that she too found — with personal connection— that leads her to be comfortable in her own skin and presents opportunities to share her skills. According to Taylor, jujitsu is empowering in that you can use skills you learn that can protect you—you don’t have to worry or look over your shoulder, it can make you be more comfortable in day to day living.We talk about relationships and working together with your partner like she and Jimmy do every day. Learning to put away on the shelf some issue while they work -- yet sometimes they take it to the mat. She jokingly says that it is terrific couples therapy.When we talk of their specific gym feel, Taylor says that it is “slow is steady, steady is smooth, smooth is fast” as people just try to blast through life. She says they focus on technique. You will find sayings to encourage on the walls throughout the gym. Life lessons are sprinkled throughout the programs they hold on every level.Taylor is fascinating as she talks about the benefits of the stable and steady aspect of gym life. Team building and coordination are elements that translate off of the mats.You’ll hear Taylor talk about challenges that affected her that she thinks of as learning experiences which landed her in places to share or give to others. She would tell her younger self that "she is worth more than the situations you put yourself in." Great advice and encouragement.Taylor is a reader and can recommend both serious business reading and reading for pleasure. On the business side she and partner Jimmy are reading like Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark Winters that explores the visionary and the integrator in business and the roles they play. You then might see Taylor pick up a mystery and lose herself in some fiction writing. Tune in!Music “STOMP” used by permission of artist Donica Knight Hoidman and Jim Huff

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Two questions she constantly has is what will they catch and what might break next. That means the work day brings challenges from every direction. This career requires a lot of thinking on your feet.She is in and out ports going out sea for research. This episode is a fantastic look into the life of a lady who’s career actually impacts most of us. Meet Katy McGinnis who is a marine biologist and is involved in fish studies and so much more — plankton tours, mammals tours, bird sightings as they come in to eat a catch, and so much that creates so much excitement in her current job, It’s hard being gone 180 days, but you figure out how to cope and loving her job makes it all much more bearable. Can’t wait for you to meet Katy McGinnis. In this episode you’ll hear about how she builds community and the most fun adventures and the most terrifying! You will catch her enthusiasm.Katy has learned the skill set to fix things herself. She has lots of responsibilities and her career can seem like the dream job. There are moments where she has worked harder than others. She’s seen the sun rise in amazing settings and lightning storms that are a light show up close.She has a great relationship with her family and enjoys spending time with them. The opportunities on a ship give her variety frorm day to day.We talk about professionalism and how you react and what it is like to hold your own as a female. Katy shares her passion and how she has her career planned and how she loves to travel, but at the same time settled.She’s grounded with family, her dogs and she has a great day in general. Katy’s hobbies often include what she is doing in her work too. She makes earrings, fish prints and works out. When on the ship, she has to do the elliptical or she can’t get in the 10,000 steps.Her advice is that you should find a job that you are passionate about and that science is fun. Get involved in projects that are in your local area. Tune in!Song "STOMP" is used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Meet Mary Barron. She is passionate about life and she’s involved bringing on a competitive nature. She is down-to-earth, welcoming and loves connecting with people.Her career as an occupational therapist can be difficult to bring enough comfort and confidence to truly impact, but she brings herself to the job as she works in home health and special needs. There are many opportunities where she can connect. There are some things she can’t fix and those situations can keep her up at night and make her cry in the shower. She wants to advocate and be their hero, but at the same time it has taught her to find boundaries.We talk about being a person who can set boundaries and where Mary wants to be sure that she doesn’t over-correct and become icy and jaded. In her overall life she’s found that she gets comfortable fast and fails to see warning signs…a work in progress, she calls it. Listening to her explain how she functions in life and in her chosen career, sport, and life with so much blending and working together one could say that everything combines to make her the person she is today.We talk about her jiujitsu path that began in 2018…a month before she turned 30. She says that the sports brought her back to who she was in organized sports. She is a life long athlete and the aspects she was missing included the need to compete. Experiencing competition in a new way brings joy and satisfaction…Mary use to punish herself in a very unhealthy ways, sometimes physically hurting herself and with a mindset of intensity of perfectionism. She tells us some of those instances. Mary has always demanded from herself and appreciated pats on the back, but her own expectations were higher than anyone else could possibly set for her. That approach was across the board in her life and not just athletics. Now, she competes and is controlling how it affects her and applies tools she’s learned from the mat and in therapy — like giving grace and learning to accept defeat and not let it define her person. You will lean into this episode because Mary is open and vulnerable in her conversation as we talk about the process of the sport and how it applies to her life and how she talks to herself. She realizes her limitations and where she actively manages her thought patterns — that in itself is newfound strength.We talk about her process to compete and manage her energy levels. She is in tuned to herself and has done a lot of work to get there. We zero in on a discussion about therapy and the idea to embrace mental wellbeing and growing in areas to improve from the talking points to not drop the ball. Mary talks so easily about the process of the idea to have freedom and we talk about simply observing thoughts that gave her freedom to reach a goal and to apply what she has learned to excite and fuel what she can apply to her sport and to her life. It is refreshing to hear Mary’s openness and to know that she is willing to share so much of who she is and address what so many may indeed be feeling. "If you don’t set goals, then you can’t meet them and that can be a pattern of self sabotage. Accept and revel in your accomplishments." Tune in!Music "STOMP" used by persmission of Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Having to answer a lot of the questions that I ask guests can be difficult, but I did it! We meant to air this actually on my birthday, but life happened and I stopped podcasting for a minute. With Becca and Seth’s wedding pending and my 97 year old mother passing away four days prior to the wedding, I stopped. I celebrated and I mourned and tried to reset.So here we are back! I am thrilled that Seth is now officially a part of the family and the wedding was over the top in what the two kids wanted, but seeing their friends come together makes me want to explore more of the dynamics that make it happen. I have some fantastic friends in Teresa, Lyn, Jennifer and Dawn. A sister I treasure in Margaret. Children who make my world work through Isaac, Becca and Tori. Kids who joined our family through marriage in Kim and Seth who quickly become us. and my spouse, Tom who carries more than he should have to as I sort out this crazy life. and all of the kids who have come into our lives making it so much better!THEY ALL THREW A 60th birthday party right in the middle of this wedding!This was fun. March 24th is my birthday and I get to share with you an interview conducted by my future son-in-law, Seth Morson. I am a roll up the sleeve kind of worker and person. We sat down and chatted a bit as he set out to introduce me to you. We talk family structure and what we did within our family.Seth noted how different our kids are from one another and how we support each one as an individual. We talk about our family and who we present ourselves to be as we add to our framework. Seth says that we soak in people and we gather people as we meet them. We love people and love helping them figure out who they are meant to be.We talk about change and Covid and the emotions and responsibilities and how to deal with internet, family, work and careers. We explore how we live intentionally.We talk about parenting, what it was like to juggle a career and relying on friends and parenting together in community-- building your own community and what you need at different times.There is a chance to dive into career and the advertising industry and talking about the mediums that we operate in and having Isaac work with me. Being an asset in the industry is a fascinating part of our conversation. We dive into relationships and how that affects personally and professionally. We talk about the Stackhouse work ethic and what it is like to accept love, care and the giving process.Know who you host is…Amy Stackhouse and the Stackhouse family gives light according to Seth and for that we are very grateful. As a people connector, the common denominator is that people are not alone. People need to feel loved and that they are contributing. We impact the world as we live life with honesty and straight forwardness.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

This guest sits in her head a lot and looks at her perspective on the world around her and how she interacts with it. In the headspace to work on herself and grow, she finds she can keep climbing and celebrate the wins and continue forward. She wouldn’t describe herself as extraverted, but she has learned that she loves good energy and surrounds herself with people who are fuse lighters. Meet Destiney Word. She went to college to be a high school Ag teacher, but she found that traditional path is not what she expected out of life. She wanted to connect with people and change their lifestyles, so she went into the fitness and the exercise community.When we talk about how she was introduced to martial arts —she showed up to get a make up credit in PE Class in college and it took off from there. She didn’t want to dabble in jujitsu and the more committed she’s become, the more she’s fallen in love with it. For Destiney it is a physical and mental challenge and a lifestyle.Teaching has made her a better student. When you teach she says, “you have to know it well enough to look at it backwards to know what they are doing right and wrong.”We talk about methods and techniques and the detail orientation of jujitsu and how one can notice the detail.Her move? She loves arm bars and reverse ranges…and biceps slicers. One move is more drawing because of style and size. She trusts her own abilities. You build your confidence because when you train with bigger guys, you are having to rely on technique. We talk about the level of respect that you see in the ranking. There is more knowledge and trying to understand how to connect the dots to make a big picture.You learn to struggle with yourself and your own abilities. As you keep coming back— then you end up learning. There is a mutual level of respect for all players but only you can make yourself better. How much you consistently train is a direct reflection.We talk about injuries of the sport and you see that you might not have the strength or dexterity to do something the typical or traditional ways. So find a way. That appears to be Destiney’s way—to look deep within and evaluate all of the pieces to create her pathway.It’s not if you get hurt in her sport, it’s when and how bad. We talk about the responsibility, limitations and ego. We talk about the amount of confidence that goes into this sport and the maturing process and being around the game long enough to be very sportsman. The table can shift and you will be forcefully humbled.Speaking about women in the sport and what it is like to train consistently is also a topic in this episode. Guys can train with you and make you better and there is a range of how the guys do interact. Destiney says “bring it on.” There can be a toxic vibe at times, but there are “mat enforcers” that will keep the environment in check. She tells her ladies not to avoid training with the big dude because from a self defense standpoint, that is what the reality will be in a defending situation. Destiney says there is a lot of self defense in the jujitsu. As an instructor she likes to see the ladies grow their confidence and opinions of themselves. Those who are grown women and are fearful and have had a traumatic incident and start training and then you see the light come back in their eyes is rewarding. Having the opportunity to see kids in her program is also rewarding as she is watching kids grow and transform within the sport and in their lives in general. There is an uplifting of female fighters. We talk about cage fighting and Destiney says there is nothing more intense and satisfying for her to know she did that and survived it.When asked what does she think of as unfair—her response is gender inequality. She works hard and wants to work in creating the dreams and goals for herself and others.Tune in!Song “STOMP” used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

“Life is hard and sometimes you got to sweet talk it or sometimes you have to just buck up and do.” Meet Tori Stackhouse who introduces herself as a hard worker who works tasks to the best of her ability. She’s an adrenaline junky and finds ways to challenge herself. She is an outdoors person and always has been.Repelling off of a cliff, diving or anything to get her blood flowing. She scuba dives, hikes, repels and travels all while meeting nature and wildlife. She is a preparer and puts those key elements she learned from hanging out with scouts— learning to be prepared.We talk about her most exhilarating experiences and that was in Alaska for her to meet an amazing bear. We talk about her most heart stopping experience and that was when her sister had a close call when she missed a jump over a waterfall drop. The people Tori hands out with on trails and such are very trained and certified in medical rescue calls—knowing what to do and knowing something going wrong can always happen.We go down the road of why Tori is certified in so many ways from lifeguarding, scuba diving, stress and rescue. She has the theme to her life that she wants to be able to help herself and others. She wants to be overly prepared and she went to get her EMT so she could—once again— help people.This podcast peeks into a young adult as she went to Auburn and got into her passion of Wildlife and Forestry at Auburn University. She learned out in the field so much because she paid attention and stepped up for opportunities. She fell in love with bats and studies that centered on them. The internships Tori experienced are fascinating and she shares some stories. With a need to protect wildlife, she went on to get her masters in homeland security and she started working in intelligence combining law enforcement and wildlife.We talk about the sacrifices she makes and quickly she says it is time. The experiences are great but she was studying or working when others were playing. That continues to be the case. You hear about her move to Arizonia and what life is like as a young adult making it all work. There are tips of money management, getting hobbies underway and figuring out life on your own. Tori embraces where she is —she finds comfort in her stepping stones and focusing on herself.There are many aspects to Tori’s life and she shares some of her strategy. One commitment she made was to find mentors and she learned at a very young age to learn to communicate with people in positions. She believes that you look to people who are in the fields or jobs that she had an interest. Those people invest in her and push her.She has insight into athletics and why she has that as an outlet today. There was a tough spot she found herself in with a knee injury and having to have surgery. She’d say that nothing in life is handed to you and working hard is part of the thrill.Tune in for this episode!The song “STOMP” is used by permission of song artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Focus on the SeasonLawren Johnson is conflicted because she wears many hats… but as she has gotten older, she has stopped trying to fulfill the roles that are not who and what she wants to be. She is a wife, a mom, a dancer and entrepreneur. She loves aging and getting into the aspects of personal and mental growth. Stripping off other’s opinions and finding her own way is the most freeing feeling.We talk about relationships and how she communicates everyday, all day walking through life with her partner. There are methods to creating the life that you want and she has a few techniques to share.We venture into church, faith and how Lawren had to review and change what faith and who she is and what God has to say in untraditional ways. As a new mom, she was trying to figure out how to start a career that involves some of her talents she’d developed over the years. She started a preschool dance class and she saw how many sniffles and colds the kids experienced. Having a need for childcare and being in her family remained a stop priority.You’ll get to hear about her business of YoungLiving and she approached and became one who used them herself. Her story of a gradual change within herself and her family made her dive right in to find the science behind them. It is a lifestyle for her family. We talk about seeing what is truly in the product and how others use it. It is a very real discussion of the process.Children are each different and you’ll hear her heart as she talks about her children’s needs and how she seeks to figure out what each personality needs and wants to grow. Making huge decisions and advocating for them. We talk of dance as an art and what it’s like to grow up with that gift and how you can use that to benefit the world. As Lawren shares her story, we get to hear of her education process and the foundation laid for her. With firm thoughts on social media, we discuss unplugging. Raising children and goals toward being who she wants to be.As a planner, it is sometimes difficult to enjoy each step of the way. Our conversation centers around genuine life and Lawren attracts people who live that exact same way.Lawren’s contact information is [email protected] "STOMP" used by persmission of song writer artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

A stay at home mom, full time student in environmental management—also holding a degree in safety— and a veteran are a few of the labels this guest sports. Meet Janette Snedecor. She’s a gym junkie and body building competitor. If you’ve ever wondered what a day in the life may look like then this is a fabulous conversation you’ll love. There can be some mind games that can happen in her sport and we talk of those and about body image. She says you get “prep googles" and you can’t see what other people see as it becomes a constant pursuit. “You know you spent time cutting weight that isn’t healthy and you have to watch for eating disorders.” But the satisfaction is huge. Janette gives us a look into the bodybuilding world and competition.Nutrition is a huge aspect of her life and she is a baking enthusiast, so we talk about the sweet spot of balance. Finding time for what Janette calls her nerdy side— to play video games —actually played a dual role in her life to connect her to her boyfriend, now husband, while they were stationed in different locations. Once you start talking to Janette you find that all of her activities serve a purpose in her life. For instance the lifting weights was an activity that she and her husband started together and she found a passion that led her into the competition world where she competes in bikini.We talk about what it’s like to be overseas with your kids with the aspects and lifestyle you have adjust to. Navigating the school system and figuring out the options can bring tremendous anxiety. Moving and restarting allows you to both recreate and to have new experiences. Janette’s philosophy is that you live once and she wants to enjoy what she is doing. In one place too long creates an itch so trying new experiences allows that change or new feeling to surface and she does focus on herself some. Making a long distance relationship was what kept her running to the gym. It has become a me time and one that avoided conflict.Being a body builder takes a lot of time and you have to be congnesent of your priorities and if you are capable to separate the responsibilities of family and the draw to work on yourself— she says “you’re golden”. She loves old school gyms and her goals include opening a gym when they retireWe talk relationship and how you figure out how not to stress the relationship or the family. Most parents instill specific characteristics in their children that set their values and life tone—Janette says that confidence, nutrition, and the idea to look at mommy and understand that it’s okay to be scared and still do or perform is important as she raises her daughters.Finding a balance comes through being scheduled and disciplined, as well as listening to your partner for cues when you need to change how you present or react.You’ll hear how she is intentional in approaching life. We discuss how she’s grounded and that Janette turns to her mom for advice and mentoring and her spouse. You can follow her instagram @janettesnedecorTune in!Music “STOMP” is used by permission from the artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

When you want to do something, you have to make sacrifices. Jiujitsu Is a huge part of her life where she learned confidence that no one can take away. She is in the gym to work. Work and gym are her priorities. Meet Daya Smith who is a part of 10th Planet Decatur in Decatur, Alabama.In this episode we talk about the aspects of her life that she is passionate about and a time where she found herself in a relationship that caused her to step away from much of her identity. Ever think about the boulders you continue to find in your own pathway? We dive into that topic and come up with a discussion which Daya explains as a panic and difficult on the mat. When she gets in a tough situation, she finds that she gets worn out and holds her breath which makes her next moves impossible. We talk about how she is working to control and overcome panic and where Daya returns to regain her grounding. We talk about relationships —those that are toxic and those that are healthy. Daya talks of her relationship where communications is key and the different elements she and her partner bring to their relationship as individuals. This is a podcast episode that explores jujitsu from one who is talented and is going through the ranks. We explore the mental and physical aspects of her sport. It is astounding that bullying is as prevalent as it appears to be and being bullied is what walked Daya into the gym for the first time. Her parents wanted her to be able to take care of herself—she learned that words don’t matter and through jiujitsu her confidence was boosted.This young lady is giving and compassionate, but can be extremely competitive and focused.Daya wants to be known for being “Daya” not someone’s girlfriend or daughter and to be known for being great at her sport. Having the community and the family feeling of the gym are truly important to her.Daya has plans and believes in herself and what she is doing day in and day out.Tune in! Song “STOMP” is used by the permission of the artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

She can come across strong and can be all business, but is unapologetic to run a tight ship. Meet Lindsey McCaghren who owns 10th Planet Decatur with husband Brandon in Decatur, Alabama. There is a community within the gym and she wants their members to feel comfortable and cared for and to have open communication. As a math teacher Lindsey picked up a lot of her teaching skills from the classroom that she translates on the mat. She figured out that there are foundations to lay down before you begin teaching any kind of concept. You have to be assertive if you want to get anything across to others. Lindsey is amongst an elite class…the third black belt woman in Alabama and the 5th in the 10th Planet System. It is not easy to land there without a lot of dedication and tenacity. Lindsey possess both.She started in MMA years ago to find something to incorporate getting healthy and working as a couple. As the couple conquered one aspect and sets of goals, they sought out more.We talk about her journey and what she felt like she had to prove. It’s interesting to hear her perspective and what she felt like she needed and what she must do in order to make her love it. Lindsey didn’t want to walk around scared and had the desire to provide her children with real tools and ability to know that they could take care of themselves confidently in any situation where they felt threatened.There is continual learning, but not being completely immersed through living, breathing, reading, watching informational and training like Brandon was, they grow at a different pace. With that said she notes the years let her take to the leadership and respect for Brandon to be her coach. There’s balance between being spouse and working together. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the difficulty to figure out where she stands as a woman in this sport because the measuring stick in practice is hard to have a true gauge. So for Lindsey, she has a constant conversation with herself to evaluate her own game and as well as feeling her true age and how she functions on the mat. But then there is a new day and her satisfaction is just being better than the day before.Lindsey discusses her experiences of teaching and how she learns best. Her method is —“show me how to do, then as the teacher she watches and makes sure parts and pressure are in place, then answers questions and then let the student go to learn through practice. “ There’s a bit of mind games you have to play because grappling is fast and people are good at different parts of it and so in her head she can handle other black belts in her class and not be overly intimidated—“surely they can learn one thing from me,” she says.As Lindsey looks back at her father’s parenting particularly, she sees that he was leading her to be independent. She wants her kids to have the same skills to be on that path as well. You’ll hear Lindsey’s take on parenting in this sport and her philosophy to allow her kids to learn enough to be able to defend themselves and have exposure to the sport that occupies both she and her husband. We talk about business and how the roles work. Tune In!!Song “STOMP” used by the artist’s permission Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff