Trudy Simmons with The Christian View Media

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Woodstock, Georgia. This is fearless formula with Sharon Cline.

Sharon Cline: Welcome to Fearless Formula on Business RadioX, where we talk about the ups and downs of the business world and offer words of wisdom for business success. I’m your host, Sharon Cline. And today in the studio we have a CEO and executive producer for the Christian View Media, which is also a nonprofit organization that produces the Christian View television talk show. She wears more hats than I can even imagine and looks amazing while she’s doing it. I’m so excited to speak to Trudy Simmons. Welcome to the show.

Trudy Simmons: Hey. Thanks so much for having me. It’s an honor to be here.

Sharon Cline: Well thank you. Funny enough, we were talking about how nice it is to just have radio rather than TV happening at the moment. So it’s like I get to kind of get into your voice. You get You get into mine. I feel like it’s a totally different kind of medium altogether, so it’s much more intimate.

Trudy Simmons: It is intimate, laid back. Right? We don’t have to worry about what our hair looks like. So yeah. Yeah, it’s good about.

Sharon Cline: All that just voice today. Amen. Amen. You’re actually doctor Trudy Simmons. I am. So what is your doctorate in?

Trudy Simmons: Um. I have a doctorate in family marriage counseling. Wow.

Sharon Cline: Yes. Okay, so you also family marriage counseling, but you also have your TV side, and then you also are associated with a, like, a counseling office, right?

Trudy Simmons: I do, so I, I founded the Milton Counseling and Coaching Office or uh, practice a couple of years ago. And we have like a brick and mortar.

Sharon Cline: A real a.

Trudy Simmons: Real place, a real place over in Milton. And I also do that, you know, online as well. But yes. So counseling coaching is part of my, my package. Yes.

Sharon Cline: You have a lot of different ways that you get to impact a lot of different people, which is really exciting.

Trudy Simmons: Absolutely. I tell people a lot of times, like, what’s the difference between counseling and coaching? Well, counseling kind of has to go backwards and kind of go work through the trauma or the abuse. And then when you kind of work through all that, then you go into coaching, which propels you forward. So first you have to go back and then you can move forward.

Sharon Cline: Got you. Actually I’ve been to counseling for many, many years. I never really put that together in my head about how important it is to unpack what’s in your past, and then the coaching to move forward to work around it or get tools to work with it. That’s very interesting.

Trudy Simmons: We tend to stuff things down, kind of like a suitcase or a backpack. We keep pushing and pushing and pushing and then one day you can’t put anything else in and then it just kind of explodes. So when you dive deep and dig in, then you can actually have room to move forward and put new, new things in your backpack.

Sharon Cline: Wow. Well, let’s go back a little bit to to the fact that you are a Georgia native. Which or really Atlanta native. Kind of. Right? Absolutely.

Trudy Simmons: Born and raised in East Cobb. Wow. Yeah. Yeah.

Sharon Cline: Like I was saying, few and far between.

Trudy Simmons: I went to Lassiter High School. I’ve lived in Georgia pretty much my whole life. I went to. I got married at 27, moved to London for two years. Oh, wow. And we lived there. And then we moved back to Atlanta.

Sharon Cline: So how did you get into all of the different things that you’ve that you actually are involved in? First? Counseling. That must have been a passion of yours.

Trudy Simmons: You know, it was because as you I was in counseling a lot of my life, you know, coming from a just a, you know, a dysfunctional background, dysfunctional home, you know, I really was like, oh, Lord, what’s wrong with me? And so I had to dive in deep for me. And I was like, okay, the Lord can take my past and make the mess a masterpiece. I want to go back in and help other people get set free. And so that was that had been my passion for a long time. But before I did that, I owned a women’s fitness center. And the interesting thing was people came in to work out and get fit, but then they would share all the things that were going on in their life. And I was like, okay, Lord, I know how to train their bodies. I need to really figure out how to help them mentally and spiritually, not just physically. And so that’s when the I’m going to go and get my counseling degree came into fruition. You know.

Sharon Cline: It’s funny because there’s something about working your body out. You know, where you’ve got that physical going on that like your body is occupied that way, but your mind and spirit get activated, too? Absolutely. Yeah. So it’s interesting that you kind of provided a safe space for them to be able to share who they were, what they wanted to work out.

Trudy Simmons: Mhm. Yeah. And they’re like, I can’t believe I’m telling you all this. You know like I can, you know, it’s because like you said, when you’re in a safe place and when you’re doing something that you enjoy, then your mind just starts to work and then conversation just starts to flow and it becomes easy and it becomes as long as the place is safe. Yes.

Sharon Cline: So once you decided that you wanted to go into counseling, what was your next step?

Trudy Simmons: So my next step was getting my degree. You had.

Sharon Cline: To sign up for.

Trudy Simmons: Like a schooling. I had to, I had to because I had gone to college and then dropped out of college, gone to college, dropped out of college. And then I had my my, my little boy. And I’m like, okay, I’ve got some more downtime while he’s sleeping. Who has downtime when your child’s sleeping. But you know. So I went back to college full time. When? When he was a year old. Wow.

Sharon Cline: Yeah, that’s a big undertaking. It was. What did you love about it?

Trudy Simmons: I loved the challenge. I do love a good challenge. And so just the challenge of learning and growing. And my husband and I at the time were leading the young marrieds ministry at our church. And I was like, the more I learn, the more I can help. And so it was just just a challenge that I had given myself.

Sharon Cline: I went back to school as an adult, nontraditional student, and I loved it. I loved school. Um, surprisingly, I would have stayed longer, you know, because I really enjoyed it in a lot of ways, um, and appreciated the effort that the professors were providing. Um, but I think about what it must have been like to be in a space of helping people at a church, but also knowing that obviously you have your marriage you can draw from, but also knowing that this is going to be what you what your ministry will be.

Trudy Simmons: Right, right. I mean, it was it was, you know, the Lord has a way of just kind of kind of orchestrating our steps if we listen. And, you know, when he put us into the young married ministry, I was like, oh, this is this is great. Because marriages struggle whether people want to admit it or not. And so when you can get educated on ways to help people, it does, you know, if we can get outside of ourselves and help others, then that actually helps us as well.

Sharon Cline: Is there anything that was really surprising to you, as you were actually in this practice and interacting with married couples? Were there any things that you sort of could see a pattern of that you were surprised about?

Trudy Simmons: You know, I don’t know if I was surprised.

Sharon Cline: But what’s notable, I know.

Trudy Simmons: You know, I think everybody’s hurting. Everybody’s struggling with something. I mean, statistically, they say 95% of the people walk around wearing a mask because they don’t want people to see their true hurt and the things that they’re struggling with, mainly because if you see that I’m hurting, if you see that I’m struggling, then you’re going to reject me. And people don’t want to be rejected. They want to they want people to see the nice little package that they want to, you know, people to perceive, but they but they don’t want to be real out of fear of rejection.

Sharon Cline: And I get that. I’m imagining it’s like a vulnerability. You just don’t want to show people because you could be hurt pretty badly by it.

Trudy Simmons: And the truth is, you know, Sharon, we are not meant to do this journey alone. And if we could find a few trusted people, whether it’s a counselor, a pastor or a friend, just to be honest and open with, that’s when healing really starts, right? If we continue, like I said, stuffing things down, then healing will never take place. Whether it’s in a marriage or a friendship or just in your day to day life, you have have to have those people that you can really feel safe with, feel safe with.

Sharon Cline: Yeah. Do you find that it’s a challenge to get them to open up, or what is it like when you’re meeting a new couple?

Trudy Simmons: You know, at first it’s just like a deer in the headlights. Why am I here? What am I doing? What am I supposed to say? What am I not supposed to say? And is this person sitting across the couch? Is she really real? You know, is she going to be able to help us? So, you know, the first couple of sessions, whether it’s a husband and wife or just, you know, a female or male, you know, it’s just let’s try to get to know each other and make sure that this is a working relationship.

Sharon Cline: What was it like during the pandemic with your practice?

Trudy Simmons: It was, you know, that’s when zoom became so popular and people loved zoom. Um, I think it’s great for the most part. I think sometimes it’s easy to hide behind a screen versus in person. Um, but during the pandemic, people really did get real. And that was that was good to see.

Sharon Cline: This is your full time job. Is that what you do mostly, or is it part time? I’m trying to imagine, like a day what your day would be like.

Trudy Simmons: So it’s part time for me. You know, I’m, I’m I’m a full time mom. I have a 19 year old son who’s very handsome and home from college. Um, and I have a beautiful nine year old little girl. Um, and so. And I have a husband of 27 years. And so that’s my full time job. And so I so I counseling part time. I travel and speak. But, you know, um, my day is full and it’s, it’s it’s fun and it’s exciting and it’s and it’s an adventure. And so one I don’t think any day is, is the same.

Sharon Cline: Will you talk to me a little bit about your speaking and that you are a certified public speaker? What does that mean?

Trudy Simmons: You know, certified. It means I went through the John Maxwell, you know, coaching and speaking certification. So you go to his you go to his, um, what’s it called? His conference. And you learn to speak kind of the John Maxwell way to get certified. I was speaking before I got certified with John Maxwell. Um, but I thought, wow, I’m doing this coaching. I might as well do his speaking, but I’ve traveled all over and just spoke to women’s events. Um, a couple years ago, I went to, um, speak just at a whole a men’s event, which was really cool, you know? So the Lord opens doors wherever he wants, you know, just for me to go and speak. And the topics vary from marriage to healing to deliverance to, um, to vision boards to, you know, whatever, whatever the Lord is leading me to, you know?

Sharon Cline: Was it intimidating being, you know, this woman in front of all of these men?

Trudy Simmons: You know, it was so fun. I was wondering.

Sharon Cline: If it even is a factor to think about. Do you know what I mean? I don’t know.

Trudy Simmons: I mean, you think about it. I’m the only woman. And actually, it was for the police department, um, chaplains for the police department. And, um, and at first I was like, wow, I’m the only woman in the room. But then I was like, men are so different than women, you know? And they’re they’re they’re can I say this? They’re they’re non-drama. And so it was really it was really fun. And they were really engaging and encouraging. And it was fun. It was fun. It was different, but fun.

Sharon Cline: How did you become a speaker?

Trudy Simmons: So this is a funny story because I’m a very much an introvert by nature. And I started teaching aerobics, um, years and years ago. And someone asked me like, why? Why don’t you start being a speaker? You have a lot to share. And I was like, no, I can’t be in front of people. And they’re like, you’re in front of people every day teaching aerobics. So it started slowly, um, through church, church events and things like that. But yeah.

Sharon Cline: So do you remember your very first speaking event?

Trudy Simmons: I do, so, um, well, my very first speaking event was when I was in sixth grade, and I spoke about potatoes.

Sharon Cline: All the way back.

Trudy Simmons: Then. Do you remember when you had to get up in middle school and give a presentation? Yeah, that was my very first one. I was like, I was so not good at that. But then years later, I was 23. My very first professional speaking was, um, I was speaking at a wellness retreat and all about health, wellness, mental, you know, physical, spiritual. And that was beautiful.

Sharon Cline: Did it unlock something in you that you thought, this is this is how I know I can help people this way?

Trudy Simmons: It did, it did. I left the stage thinking, Lord, I know I can help more than one person at a time by speaking, you know, counseling. You help one on one, maybe one on two speaking. You can help, you know, up to hundreds. How many are in the, you know, the room. So yeah.

Sharon Cline: Do you travel around and do speaking events or are you local?

Trudy Simmons: I do travel, I’m local as much as I can, but next month I’m going to, um, I’m going to Jamaica. I know I’m excited going to Jamaica to speak for two days, and then I’m. I’ll be going to Myrtle Beach to speak for two days.

Sharon Cline: Wow. That’s amazing. Yeah. And then so you also have the whole television side of you. So how did that come about?

Trudy Simmons: So years ago, I had a show called Everyday Living with Doctor Trudy. And I loved it, loved it, loved it. Um, but I needed to put it down because there were things in my life that I needed to focus on more. So I put it down, and then I get a phone call about a year later and asking if I would come back and be part of this show called The Christian View. And I was like, oh, that sounds really good. So eight years ago I started on the Christian view, and then a year later I took over and became the the producer and the host of The Christian View.

Sharon Cline: What is it like to be in that space, like the impact that you’re having, obviously, to whoever can watch, but also being able to help so many people in a different medium.

Trudy Simmons: It’s, you know, it’s it’s again, it’s an interesting feeling. You know, I never thought that I would be on TV. That’s just, you know, coming, you know, being an introvert and all that. It was like, you’re going to do what you’re going to be. Do what? Um, but it was just taping day was just amazing. I mean, we we studied the topic and then we presented it to, you know, whoever was listening and watching it and getting the feedback of, wow, that episode really changed my life. Or that episode really challenged me to think differently. It’s just a it’s just an amazing feeling of, wow, Lord, I can’t believe you’re entrusting me with this type of platform. So it was just a feeling of, wow, I’m humbled. I’m grateful, and I’m thankful.

Sharon Cline: I love that you kind of embrace these opportunities. They just come to you and you were like, okay, There are a lot of people that don’t do that. You know, there’s there’s an intimidation factor. There’s fear, you know. Well, I don’t really know that I have anything to offer. I can only imagine what people think. But what do you think it is that’s about you? That you are not letting fear make decisions for you?

Trudy Simmons: Um, you know, I think for me, for years, Sharon, I let fear run my life. I mean, for years. And then one day, I think I just had a come to Jesus meeting. I was like, I’m not getting any younger. And if God wants to use me and open these doors, then who am I to say no? And you know, Joyce Meyer always used to say, just do it. Afraid. Do it afraid. So I just started doing things. Afraid. Some of it turned out really ugly and bad. And then some of it turned out really good. And I was like, wow, Lord, if you can do that, then continue doing it. And for the doors that you open, I’m going to say yes and walk in. And if you walk in with me, it’s going to be beautiful no matter how bad I mess up. Because it’s not about me. It’s it’s about him and about what he wants and how he wants to use each and every one of us. You know, it’s easy to get complacent and stay stuck. But we’re not supposed to. God didn’t create us to stay stuck. He created us to fly.

Sharon Cline: But, you know, so many people have this. I don’t know exactly what I’m doing. I don’t like the controlling of the outcome is what drives them right, you know? And if they can’t, they won’t do it. Like, what you’re talking about is just like a faith of knowing that if if your intention is for good and you know you’re doing what you think you should, then the outcome will be whatever it’s supposed to be.

Trudy Simmons: That’s right. I mean, we’re not responsible honestly for the outcome. We’re responsible to be obedient and to take the next step that he’s given us. And the outcome truly is up to the Lord how he wants the outcome to be, you know, have have all my outcomes been great? No. Have I left the stage feeling, wow, I hope no one sees that. Yes, but but those times encourage us to to just do better and to look inside of ourselves and say, okay, I might have messed up there. How can I how can I move forward?

Sharon Cline: It’s true. Because like the notion of fear does really make you make you feel like it is a bit of a of a bondage. But if you if you are talking about breaking free from some of the patterns that you’ve had, you’re being an example of that is so inspiring. I mean, you must hear how you impact people.

Trudy Simmons: You know, I do hear a lot, but sometimes I don’t like sometimes I don’t hear anything. I’m like, okay, Lord, am I making a difference? But here’s the funny story. So I’m a really I’m afraid of heights. Like I heights are just not my thing. And so my son is an adventurous. And so he wanted to go and on the longest, highest, fastest zip line in North America. So we go for his spring break. We go to Canada, to Whistler, to the Sasquatch. It’s it’s 800ft high, a mile across, and you go like 90 miles an hour. So I’m driving up on this, the bus with him, and I’m so scared. And I’m like, Lord, I really don’t want to do this. And so we get to the top and I’m shaking, and this lady comes over to me. She goes, the Lord told me I me I need to pray for you because you’re you’re scared. And I looked at her. I was like, absolutely. I need all the prayer I can get. So she prays for me and she goes, we’re going to do this together. So there’s two platforms. So we both go up and she goes on the count of three.

Trudy Simmons: On the count of two, Sharon. She goes and she leaves me. And I’m like, Lord, what do I do? What do I do? So I shimmy myself off this platform and I jump off afraid. And I’m screaming so loud. And I get halfway across. And I really felt like the Lord say, open your eyes. So I opened my eyes. I mean, I am 800 to 900ft above these two, these two mountain tops, and I am flying. And the Lord said, if you kept your eyes closed, you would have missed all this. And it was so beautiful. When I got to the other side, they were cheering and clapping for me because they knew how afraid I was. But the point of the story is, if we do it afraid and we trust God, it’s going to be beautiful no matter what. Like, because he’s just that good. And so opening your eyes and doing it. Afraid and seeing what he wants us to see is is so important because so often we do miss it. We do miss it out of fear. And he doesn’t want that for us.

Sharon Cline: When you’re speaking to your married couples who are in counseling, do you find that fear is actually what drives them as well?

Trudy Simmons: A lot? Yes. I mean, they’re fearful of failure. They’re, you know, people are fearful of I’m not going to be loved. I’m not going to be enough. I’m not going to be what they expected me to be. Um, but a lot of times, too, there’s a lot of selfishness in there. Really. You know, I’m. I want what I want, and if you can’t, you know, meet my needs, then, you know. So that’s another that’s another issue. But marriage isn’t to make us. Marriage is to make us holy. Right. Not happy. And so we’ve got to get past the the, um, self. What’s the word?

Sharon Cline: Interest. Maybe self.

Trudy Simmons: Interest. Self interest. Self focus. And really look into the heart of the other person.

Sharon Cline: In. Do you think that that notion that marriage is not meant to make us happy? Do you think that that’s like the main theme of why marriages are not working or seemingly not working well?

Trudy Simmons: I think it has a lot to do with it because we want our needs met. And if you’re not going to meet it, I’ll find someone who will. Right. And so that’s that’s a huge thing. I mean, 85% of marriages end in divorce, and the.

Sharon Cline: 85.

Trudy Simmons: 85% of marriages end in divorce for the first. And I think it’s 90% of marriages who marry again end in divorce. And so it’s you’re looking for someone to meet your needs when not anybody. They can’t meet your needs. Only Christ can meet your need. And so if you’re looking for an outside source, I mean, it’s great to have that spouse. I mean, I’ve been married 27 years and we have a great marriage, but it hasn’t always been that way. You know, a marriage takes work, marriage takes dying to self. And, you know, being willing to humble yourself to help the other person.

Sharon Cline: Oh, when I got married all those all those years ago, I was married for 20 years. I don’t even believe that I understood the concept of what love really is, or the point of marriage really is at all. I felt like I was just so young, and I don’t know that I would have understood what you were talking about then. And I kind of, I don’t know, I’m imagining I still would have gotten married if someone was telling me, oh, it’s to make you holy. I’d be like, got it? Sure, we’ll do that and still get married. But now I can see it as, you know, a more mature person, I would hope. But gosh, how do you get someone who’s young to really even understand what that means?

Trudy Simmons: I think that’s really hard. I mean, people say, you know, marriage is 5050 and I always go back and say, no, marriage is 101 hundred. You give your 100% best, they’ll give their 100% best, and then you give the rest to God. So I’m working with a young couple right now who very much are both into themselves, very much selfish. And they have a young a young child in there. And I’m like, you’ve got to for the child. You’ve got to be the best version of you that you can be. And that means dying to your own needs because you have a child now. And so looking inside yourself, you know, what about what’s that movie? Um, Jerry Maguire, when she looks at him and says, you complete me? And I’m like, no, no, no, we have it wrong because no other person can complete you. You have to be complete in yourself and who you are in Christ, because if you’re not, you go into a marriage again trying to get something that the other person truly can’t give you. And that is your self-worth, your self-love, your self acceptance. And you can’t get that from somebody else. You have to get it from your relationship with God and who he says he is. You are in him.

Sharon Cline: I always think about the fact that we’re all evolving all the time, and who I was 20 years ago is not who I am right now. Absolutely. So there’s this question about someone like, imagine myself being married and the person I’m married to is evolving as well, but doesn’t evolve with me, you know? What do you do?

Trudy Simmons: Well, I tell people, so there was another movie out, another movie called, um, Fireproof. Have you seen that I have not. Okay, well, it’s really good, but one of the things that he says in that movie, which I think is so true. When you’re married, you should always be getting a PhD in your spouse, which means you should always be studying your spouse. Because we are evolving. And what I liked when I was 27, I don’t like anymore. And so same with my husband. And so we’ve got to be studying each other and engaging with each other and learning about each other as we grow older together. Because yes, we you have kids or you get you get so busy working and then you lose focus of the love that brought you to that person. So you’ve got to I think date nights are so important. Again, studying your spouse. Okay. So you don’t like strawberry ice cream anymore. Well, what kind of ice cream do you like? You know what I mean. You don’t like meatloaf anymore. Well, what? You know, what do you like now? Because again, like you said, we are always. We’re changing as we grow. And so we’re what we liked when we were 30. We don’t like anymore.

Sharon Cline: Do you find that social media and just the instant gratification that way is a huge factor as well.

Trudy Simmons: Oh yes. I mean, the first thing most people do in the morning is pick up their phone, and it’s the last thing they look at when they go to bed. I mean, we’ve lost communication because we’re so busy scrolling, you know? One person said, okay, when you’re face to face with someone, put your phone down, turn it upside down. Are you that important that you need to be looking at your phone 24 over seven, when you should be looking at the person sitting from you? And we’ve lost that. We’ve lost. We don’t know how to communicate anymore. You know, we’re looking. The grass isn’t greener on the other side. I mean, it just it’s just painted different, you know? And that’s what we’ve got to remember. Is that what we have is good, you know. And, you know, there’s that saying someone else is going to want what you have. So you need to cherish what you have, whether it’s that husband, that wife, the job, whatever someone else is, is wanting that. And you just need to embrace.

Sharon Cline: Have a gratitude.

Trudy Simmons: It’s so important.

Sharon Cline: Is there a particular couple that you felt like you could kind of high five yourself about because like, did you find there’s one couple where you’re just like, oof, that was a good one. I feel like I did a good job here.

Trudy Simmons: You know, years ago, yes. There was this one couple that we they were friends of ours and we loved them, but they were going and we did not counsel them just because they were our friends. But we met with them, you know, just as friends and and the church was saying, you need to divorce. You should have never gotten married. You know, the church was saying that to them. Yes, you should divorce. You should have never gotten married. This is never going to work. And so we had dinner with them one night. We’re like, could you give us six months? Just give us six months and let’s see where we are. And they’re still married today and it’s been 20 something years. They have three kids. And she told me recently, she goes, I’m so glad I listened to you. And if you ever need a reference, let me know. Because because of you, our marriage is still together and so probably them.

Sharon Cline: Yeah, well. How satisfying.

Trudy Simmons: Yeah. It’s nice, it’s nice, it’s nice. Yeah. You know, you want to know that you’re making a difference. Even if it’s just one person’s life.

Sharon Cline: Do you feel like there are other things, other aspects of life that you would like to engage with? Even though I know that you’ve got a lot going on in different ways, but is there something that you sort of feel pulled to do now?

Trudy Simmons: So you’re going to laugh at me, but I. So my dad died of cancer. Um.

Sharon Cline: So sorry.

Trudy Simmons: Me too. Um, when he was one of my very best friends and my biggest cheerleader. Um. June 14th, um, he died, and it was sudden. I was his caregiver. I became his caregiver, um, right away and spent hours with him. Um, anyway, his biggest, um, not his biggest, but one of his heartbeats were the children who had cancer. And he’s like, as soon as I get well, I want to go and minister to these families whose kids have cancer. Um, but he passed away. And so I have decided that I’m going to run 100 miles. I’m going to raise $100,000 for a ministry called Lighthouse Ministry. And they work with families who have either lost children to cancer or who are going through cancer right now. So I’m going to break through. You know I do, Iron Man. I’ve done many Iron Man, um, 16 of them.

Sharon Cline: Wow. Congratulations. Thanks.

Trudy Simmons: Um, but I’ve never run 100 miles, so I want to get out of my comfort zone. I want to do something that I’ve never done. So on June 14th, I’m going to go and run 100 miles on behalf of my dad for this ministry. So that’s that’s my next big out of my comfort zone goal.

Sharon Cline: Oh my goodness. It’s so spiritual.

Trudy Simmons: It’ll be fun. So have you heard of David Goggins? I have, okay. So he was my inspiration. I was out running one day listening to one of his podcasts, and he’s like, you got to get out. You know, whoever, whoever’s listening to this, get out of your comfort zone, do something that you’ve never done. And, um, and, you know, it’s it’s it’s going to be fun because it’s going to get me out of my comfort zone. So.

Sharon Cline: Yeah. How do you train for that?

Trudy Simmons: I don’t know.

Sharon Cline: I love how honest you.

Trudy Simmons: No, no. You know, I, um. Running was my strength in the Iron Man races, and so I am just. I have a plan. I’m just going to, you know, build up my mileage so that I’m at 50 miles a week and then at 70 miles a week, and then, um, just, you know, I really believe, Sharon, that it’s more mental than it is physical. And I already can see myself finishing the 100 miles. And so it’s just like, I would go do it tomorrow, but I know physically my body couldn’t handle it yet. So it’s just a day by day training for me, making sure I’m eating properly, getting enough sleep, making sure I’m stretching like I should be, and getting the, the, um, weight training that I need as well.

Sharon Cline: Are you planning on having, um, the TV aspect of it involved in what you’re doing?

Trudy Simmons: I don’t think so. Really? I don’t think so. Some people have said you need to document it.

Sharon Cline: I was thinking the same.

Trudy Simmons: Do all that and I just, I just don’t, I don’t know. At first I was like, this is just between me and the Lord, and whoever wants to help me raise the money, you know, I’m just going to I’m just going to go out and and do it. And then I started having people well, let me come run. Let me come run with you. I can run five miles with you. I’ll run a mile with you. I’ll do this. I’ll do that. And you should start videoing it. And so I haven’t gotten that far yet. Um, but it has. You know, it may turn into that. I’m just not sure yet.

Sharon Cline: It’s crazy to think that it’s like six months, five, five months away. It is. I’m still in December. I think in my mind I’m like, oh, it’s next year. It’s not almost in February.

Trudy Simmons: I think a lot of people I was telling people the other day, I feel like January is December, because things in things that should happen in January haven’t happened yet. You know what I mean? I feel like we’re still in the end of December, and February will be our new January. Yeah, that’s what I’m believing for right now.

Sharon Cline: So how are you promoting the fundraising aspect of it, or do you have to promote that?

Trudy Simmons: Um, I don’t have to, but if I want to raise the money, I do.

Sharon Cline: Right. What do you have to do?

Trudy Simmons: Well, I have a website that Lighthouse Ministries created for me. So I’ve just been posting it on social media right now. You know, just for, you know, friends to see, you know, I haven’t, you know, hit it hard yet. I’m never good at asking for things like that. So I’m like, okay, Lord, you gave me this vision. Bring in the. Bring in the funds. You know, cause 100% of it goes to this, this ministry. None of it. None of it comes to me. It goes to them. It’s called Miles for Marty because my dad’s name is Marty. And so totally in honor of him for this beautiful organization. I like that.

Sharon Cline: You’re talking about mindset, too, because there’s a lot of manifestation out there right now talking about, like, if you envision yourself completing something or having something. And I think they talk about it like vibrating on the right frequency or something like that, like you actually are matching the goal of what you want. You feel like feel like it’s already yours. Is that the same kind of feeling that you have?

Trudy Simmons: I believe so. I mean, I mean, they I don’t believe in like, name it, claim it kind of things. But I do believe that if your body, if your mind can conceive it, your body can achieve it. You know, it’s it’s speaking things into existence. Kind of like, you know, if we speak negative, then we’re going to get negative results. But if we speak positive, we’re going to get those positive results. And so, you know, I do I do think, you know, if I’m sitting here saying I’m never going to make it across the finish line, I’m never, you know, then I’m not going to make it across my finish line, you know? And I know enough about the mindset. You know, even with racing Ironman, you know, if you get in your head negativity then that’s all you’re going to produce, you know? And most of the time if it’s a quitting mentality, you’re not going to finish. And so it truly is, you know, a warrior’s mindset, a mindset of I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and renewing your mind on the positives versus the negative, because we have so much negative coming at us, so much. And it’s easy just to just to say, okay, that’s that’s just the way it is. I’m gonna go sit on the couch. But you never get anywhere sitting on the couch.

Sharon Cline: Do you think that there are different aspects, that different people that you can affect in the different ways that you are actually ministering to people all the time with what you’re doing, not only counseling, but like through television and through your speaking, you basically are giving good energy out there to the world. Which which medium is your favorite?

Trudy Simmons: Oh, gosh. Um, that’s a tough question. I do love, um, I do love TV. I do.

Sharon Cline: What do you love about it? Um.

Trudy Simmons: I just love the reach. The reach that you can get. Now, we were talking earlier about being in a podcast room where there’s no cameras, which to me, that’s great, too, because you don’t have to. You can wear your. You can wear your sweats and and all that, but just the reach I love, you know, you can reach so many people through through media, you know, and and that’s that’s my heartbeat. You know, Christ’s desire was that no one should perish, but everyone should have eternal life. And so my desire is that, you know, if people can get set free through something that I say, then I want them set free, you know, because if they’re set free, then they’re going to set someone else free. And then it’s just a ripple effect, a domino effect. You know, I have the ability or the privilege of leaving, leading my dad to Christ, which was one of the greatest honors. And so, um, being able to help get people free is just the most beautiful thing.

Sharon Cline: What is your reach like?

Trudy Simmons: You know, the interesting thing about Christian TV is that we don’t have numbers. They don’t. They don’t give us. They don’t give. There is something called the Nielsen Report where you can go and find the numbers. But, um, but we don’t get numbers. And so I can tell you that the Christian view was on 47 different networks around the world, including Pakistan. Um, we were in London. Where else were we? Um, all over the world. All over the world. We were. Yes.

Sharon Cline: Congratulations. That’s amazing.

Trudy Simmons: It was, it was. It was pretty cool. Yes. And then, you know, with podcasting, you can be you can go into every home if you know people just like your podcast. Right?

Sharon Cline: Right. I think that’s what I like about podcasts in general, is that notion that you can be I can be cleaning my house and listening to something or driving or running or whatever it is. Um, so it does have a different, totally different reach. So what’s next for you? I know you’ve got your running coming up, so what else are you working on? Is there anything else on kind of on the horizon for you?

Trudy Simmons: It’s a great question. So I’m just I’m trying to decide. Yeah. I’m thinking about going back to the doctor Trudy show everyday living with Doctor Trudy. Um, keeping in addition to keeping the Christian view. And I’m just. I think I’m going to do more podcast style, like we were talking about earlier. Um, which I’m excited about. You know, I’m excited about being able to to try something different and see what the Lord does with that.

Sharon Cline: Is there anything that you know now that you wish you knew before you got started with this whole side of your life?

Trudy Simmons: There’s so much, you know, so much. But the one thing that I wish I would have known or done differently was, and this is going to sound so funny, but we to keep an audience of one, we tend to be people pleasers. We tend to we tend to not be our authentic self out of fear of rejection because we want to be liked. And at my age, I’m 55. I’m like, you know, I just want to run with it, you know? I just want to be the best I can and not worry if you’re going to like me or not, because in the end, that doesn’t matter. I mean, I want you to like me, but you know what? You know what I mean? I do. We tend to we tend to not be our true selves because we’re afraid of that rejection and people aren’t going to like us.

Sharon Cline: So if you’re imagining yourself just speaking to one person, then that’s all that you’re trying to kind of interact with in your mind. And it’s not as not as overwhelming the fear of being rejected. Right.

Trudy Simmons: I mean, even the fear of being rejected. Like, it doesn’t it doesn’t have a hold on me anymore, if that makes sense. You know, because I’m going to like you no matter what. And I’m going to honor you no matter what. But I think that what held me back for so long was that fear of rejection. Was that fear of their not going to like me. And now it’s like I’m going to run anyway. I’m going to run my race, you know, regardless, I’m going to love you. Even if you don’t love me back, even if you reject me, I’m still going to accept you. But I am free from the fear of rejection.

Sharon Cline: So, so much of that drives everything. I think even just the notion of social media and manipulating, manipulating yourself into being what you think people want to consume in a certain way.

Trudy Simmons: And here’s the thing if you live by people’s approval, you’re going to die by their criticism because one day they like you and the next day next day they don’t. And so you can’t you can’t live by what other people think of you. You’ve got to be authentic to who God created you to be. And that’s where you keep your audience of one, because he’s not going to leave us nor forsake us, and he’s not going to condemn us nor shame us. You know, but the world, if we’re not fitting into a mold, you know, they don’t know what to do with us. And so they’re either going to criticize us, condemn us, or reject us, and then we live by fear, and then we can’t be all that God created us to be.

Sharon Cline: Who is your ideal sort of audience in terms of counseling, but also in terms of your ministry?

Trudy Simmons: You know, my, I, I was thinking about this the other day because my husband asked me a question and I was like, it’s not. So here’s a funny story to get to that point, but I, um, after my dad died, I was like, I need to go back and serve in the church somehow. So I called the church. I was like, where do you need? I was like, please don’t say the babies. Please don’t say the say the babies.

Sharon Cline: He just didn’t want it. Didn’t want the baby.

Trudy Simmons: I can’t do the babies.

Speaker3: And so I was thinking.

Trudy Simmons: Is it just the babies or what? So my ideal is probably upper high, upper high school to about 55, 60 years old.

Sharon Cline: That’s your sort of sweet spot?

Trudy Simmons: It is.

Sharon Cline: I’m not a babies person either.

Trudy Simmons: I mean, I loved them when they were mine, don’t get me wrong. But, you know, not someone else. I mean, they’re beautiful. They’re cute, but. No.

Sharon Cline: No, I know, and it’s funny, because I was volunteering with, um, hospice at one point, and, um, was this elderly woman not not too far from here that I got to know. I was kind of like her granddaughter. She was my grandmother kind of thing. My brother was like, I can’t work with the elderly. I can do kids all day. And I was like, I can’t do kids all day. I could work with the elderly. So it’s very interesting to me how there are just certain aspects of our personalities that just kind of blend well like that. And I love people who can take care of children because it’s necessary in life. I just don’t have that bend.

Trudy Simmons: But, you know, the elderly, they’re a lost population. Like my heart goes out to them because they not maybe forgotten. They’re a forgotten population that need, you know, love and people to pour into them on a, on a regular basis. So I think that’s beautiful that you are able to do that. Yeah.

Sharon Cline: Well, I was feeling kind of lost at the time. And this is about 4 or 5 years ago, and I missed my grandparents when they passed away. There was just like, I don’t know, something about that unconditional love of a grandparents different from a parent kind of thing. And I thought, well, I wonder if there’s a woman out there who wishes she had someone to love on as a granddaughter. So I had to go through like kind of training and certification, and I did enjoy it, but it was different than what I thought it was going to be. And when she passed away, it was very hard for me, I bet.

Trudy Simmons: I mean, it was because you were selfless and you gave of your time and emotions and energy to someone who needed it.

Sharon Cline: I was grateful for the for the experience, but also got what I needed out of it to kind of ground myself into who I believed I was at the time. I just felt pretty lost. And so it was mutual win win, I think.

Trudy Simmons: Absolutely. And that goes back to, you know, being selfless. And when you’re being selfless, you do get your needs met because it’s not about you. It’s about the other person. And that person can actually pour into you without you even knowing it.

Sharon Cline: Because the motivation isn’t to just get something. Correct. Interesting. I think that notion is missed a lot. It is that people are not that, like you were saying, more more self-centered as opposed to giving is actually an element of receiving.

Trudy Simmons: Absolutely. And the world’s not taught that. It’s taught different. It’s taught to take versus to give. There’s a lot of consumers out there, but there’s not a lot of givers.

Sharon Cline: I wonder which one I am. I’m both.

Trudy Simmons: I mean, I think we can both be both, but I think in your experience you got to experience giving. And as you gave, it was given back to you, which is a beautiful, you know, analogy.

Sharon Cline: Well, I brought my grandparents spirit with me when I would go meet them. This this woman in particular, I would just be like, come on, you know, you’re going to be with me and be my buddies. I still talk to them like they’re around all the time.

Trudy Simmons: I talk to my dad all the time like he’s around. I’m like, okay, dad, here we go. What are we doing today?

Trudy Simmons: I mean, yeah, they’re always going to be with us, I mean, always they’re not. They’re not going anywhere.

Sharon Cline: What do you think that someone is who’s listening now needs to hear in order to kind of embrace life in the same way that you do. I know we touched on having faith. Is there anything else you think?

Trudy Simmons: I mean, I think having faith is huge, but also having faith in yourself and not being afraid just to take the next step, I mean, you, we make goals all day long, and then our goals seem so big that we don’t ever do anything with them. So just taking that one next step, whatever it is and again doing it afraid don’t worry. If you’re going to look stupid, learn to laugh at yourself. You know? You know, because we’re all going to we’re all going to mess up.

Trudy Simmons: Right? So it’s okay to laugh at ourselves. It’s okay to see the big picture, but take one step at a time. I mean, you can’t. I mean, I guess you could eat a cake at, you know, all at once, but it’s going to give you an upset stomach. But one step at a time and just do it afraid because the world’s not going to wait and stop for you. You know, and as I said earlier, you’re not going to get anywhere sitting on the couch. So it’s let’s just take one step at a time and enjoy the ride.

Sharon Cline: I had a guest here on the show who’s a voiceover artist as well, and he said that he has, um, no, zero total days, I think is what the way he says it like no, zero some days where he moves forward just a little bit, even if it’s just rearranging his computer equipment and there still is movement and energy toward the goal.

Trudy Simmons: Absolutely.

Sharon Cline: And I love that because it seems like even something small, even if I research something about voiceovers or whatever I’m interested in, it still is moving energy, right?

Trudy Simmons: And one small step like you think about it. Lace up your shoes, go for, you know, a ten minute walk the next day, go for a 15 minute walk or read a chapter of a book, or just start doing something now. Because I think about me. I mean, again, I’m 55 and I’m like, oh, I could have done so much more if I would have changed my mentality, you know, 20 years ago. But now I’m like, oh, I got to catch up for lost time.

Sharon Cline: So I feel like you’re doing a lot,you know?

Sharon Cline: You have no regrets here.

Trudy Simmons: I’d like to live a life of no regrets, you know, making sure that I’ve. I’ve fulfilled everything that I’ve been asked to fulfill.

Sharon Cline: Well, that’s, like, such a wonderful way to end this conversation is knowing that you don’t have to beat yourself up for really not embracing what you feel like life was presenting to you, right?

Trudy Simmons: Absolutely. Because we can become our own worst enemies. Oh yeah. And we need to be our best cheerleaders.

Sharon Cline: Well, if anyone wanted to get in touch with you, how could they do that?

Trudy Simmons: They can write me at Doctor Simmons at gmail.com.

Sharon Cline: Nice.

Trudy Simmons: Or they can follow me on social media. Facebook? Instagram. Sometimes. Twitter. Not much though.

Sharon Cline: Well, social media is a whole other side of of marketing yourself, so I don’t know if there’s a way to get away from it, but, um, yeah, I think it’s a necessary evil, I suppose. I don’t know if evil is the right word.

Speaker3: Necessary medium, right?

Trudy Simmons: It’s necessary, you know it is necessary. But it can be oh so overwhelming for sure.

Sharon Cline: Yeah, well, I’m so grateful that you were able to come by today. And thank you so much for working with my schedule a little bit and just being so flexible and being so like such a light to the world. It’s a gift. And I hope, um, I hope more, even more people can appreciate that from from this show.

Trudy Simmons: Thanks so much for having me. It was so much fun.

Sharon Cline: All right. Well, thank you also for listening to Fearless Formula on Business RadioX. And again, this is Sharon Cline reminding you that with knowledge and understanding we can all have our own fearless formula. Have a great day.