Shownotes
The Journey from Switzerland to America
The practical reason why Elizabeth left Switzerland. [3:35] The announcement and travel plan. [4:53] Starting off on the trip and their route. [7:12] The daily struggle. [8:55] Meeting and marrying Nicholas Meyer [9:29] Traveling on the sea in the 1800’s. [11:09]Arriving in American
Seeing New York for the first time and on to Wisconsin [14:33] Elizabeth doesn’t like Chicago. [16:41] Stopping in Niles Center [18:00] Building and living in their cabin. [19:50] Elizabeth defines her “trade.” [22:36]Elizabeth’s Reflections
Comments about her choice to come to America [24:17] Family and life review [25:23] Woman Power! [27:35]Rebecca’s Comments
Rebecca’s side interest of famous women in history. [29:40] Elizabeth Meyer’s land as it is today. [30:31] A review of the historical places today. [33:22] The overall message for our lives today. [34:41]Rebecca’s Past Podcasts
021 – A Lesson in Courage and Impact (Abigail Adams) 117 – Why Life Insurance is for Living Not DyingContact Links
Website FacebookIf you found value in this podcast, make sure to subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. That helps us spread the word to more makers just like you. Thanks! Sue
Transcripts
Hi there.
Speaker:This is a special edition for our upcoming labor day celebration
Speaker:in America.
Speaker:Gift biz unwrapped episode number 125.
Speaker:Time's near must go.
Speaker:Where your heart is that just what you want to do?
Speaker:Hi, this is John Lee,
Speaker:Dumas of entrepreneur on fire,
Speaker:and you're listening to gifted biz unwrapped,
Speaker:and now it's time to light it up.
Speaker:Welcome to gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped your source for industry specific insights and advice to develop
Speaker:and grow your business.
Speaker:And now here's your host,
Speaker:Sue Mona height.
Speaker:Hi there.
Speaker:It's Sue and welcome to this very special edition of the
Speaker:gift biz unwrapped podcast.
Speaker:Whether you own a brick and mortar shop sell online or
Speaker:are just getting started,
Speaker:you'll discover new insight to gain traction and to grow your
Speaker:business. And today,
Speaker:do I have a treat for you?
Speaker:We will be hearing from Rebecca Bloomfield of Jerry Pearlstein and
Speaker:associates, but not really.
Speaker:You see Rebecca has been privileged to work with the lives
Speaker:of famous women in American history like Abigail Adams and Ladybird
Speaker:Johnson. She's also been asked by small communities to honor the
Speaker:lives of women who were important to their beginnings.
Speaker:We have the fortune today of meeting one of these women
Speaker:against Rebecca portrays of Elizabeth Meyer.
Speaker:Let me introduce you to Elizabeth.
Speaker:She was born in the South Eastern corner of Switzerland in
Speaker:1818. Elizabeth had a strong desire to open her life to
Speaker:a new world and new way.
Speaker:So she joined a Swiss Protestant group headed for Wisconsin in
Speaker:this land called America.
Speaker:She had never traveled more than a few miles from his
Speaker:parents' farm.
Speaker:She wasn't quite sure where she was going,
Speaker:but she took it step by step.
Speaker:Let's talk with Elizabeth now in here about her remarkable journey
Speaker:and the life she created for herself in America.
Speaker:Elizabeth, welcome to the show.
Speaker:Thank you much.
Speaker:So I'm so glad to be young,
Speaker:Ms. Monheit.
Speaker:I am honored that you have agreed to talk with us
Speaker:today, and this might seem a little bit silly to you,
Speaker:but I'd like to start off our talk by having you
Speaker:describe a motivational candle.
Speaker:So if you were to think of a candle that describes
Speaker:you, your life,
Speaker:your journey,
Speaker:what you've experienced,
Speaker:what color would your candle be and what would be a
Speaker:quote or a motto that has driven you your whole life?
Speaker:Oh, that is a very interesting question.
Speaker:I would think my candle would be red,
Speaker:like a Christmas candle,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:bright red.
Speaker:I love always the holidays to be with people.
Speaker:Christmas is my favorite.
Speaker:And when I have this candle,
Speaker:I would be so grateful for everything that I have.
Speaker:And it would remind me that I got here bit by
Speaker:bit. You have to do it bit by bit.
Speaker:Your motivation has been taking bit by bit,
Speaker:little step after a little step.
Speaker:And it brings you to great places.
Speaker:Would that be Right?
Speaker:Great places.
Speaker:Indeed. Yes.
Speaker:Your life is so fascinating to me and all of the
Speaker:people who are listening to us today.
Speaker:Can you start back when you were in Switzerland and what
Speaker:gave you the courage to leave your family and go to
Speaker:this unknown place called America?
Speaker:Well, we had a very nice life.
Speaker:They had been great was on the European continent.
Speaker:Napoleon had gone every place and made have like,
Speaker:but where I lived was not so much problem.
Speaker:The problem was there is only so much land.
Speaker:You can only divide the land up so many ways to
Speaker:support somebody.
Speaker:And then there is no land to make a new family.
Speaker:You must find a man who has some land to raise
Speaker:goats or some Cubs to support the family.
Speaker:And it got so small and everyone was after me.
Speaker:Elizabeth, it's time to marry Elizabeth bit.
Speaker:You are 16,
Speaker:you are 18,
Speaker:you are 20.
Speaker:It is time to marry,
Speaker:but I did not see on me who I would marry
Speaker:and how I would make a life.
Speaker:So I heard that every people going to America and one
Speaker:day I just decided that I would stop.
Speaker:And I would see how I could do that.
Speaker:Now Were other people that you knew doing the same thing
Speaker:or were you the only one?
Speaker:Oh yes.
Speaker:There was some of us,
Speaker:Carlos, Kevin Protestant,
Speaker:preacher. And they were going to Wisconsin in America where there
Speaker:were others like us also who wanted more opportunity.
Speaker:And so after church,
Speaker:one day I had a conversation and a trust.
Speaker:They run up so pleased to take me because I was
Speaker:a single woman.
Speaker:And I had cried talking to do to say,
Speaker:I won't cause any trouble.
Speaker:I won't go after the husbands.
Speaker:You know how that is?
Speaker:Then the youngest of the group that came over,
Speaker:I was the youngest,
Speaker:single person.
Speaker:The others were families.
Speaker:They had children.
Speaker:So that's what I said.
Speaker:I could help take care of the children as we went
Speaker:through, we didn't really know how long it was going to
Speaker:take. I stopped you for a second.
Speaker:How did you tell your parents and what did they say?
Speaker:What was their reason?
Speaker:My parents already sought me so headstrong.
Speaker:I think that they were mad,
Speaker:so cried that I would be going.
Speaker:And my father,
Speaker:he had a talk with the man who was heading the
Speaker:group. There were 14,
Speaker:maybe 15 of us and what I would need.
Speaker:And I think maybe he was happy.
Speaker:He didn't have to feed me anymore.
Speaker:My mother,
Speaker:she was the one who was so upset.
Speaker:She did not want me to leave.
Speaker:Sure. Because you may never see them again.
Speaker:Yes. That was two.
Speaker:And I was an adult woman in the household for her.
Speaker:But sometimes near must go where your heart is.
Speaker:That's just what humans do.
Speaker:So you were an adventurer and your heart just told you
Speaker:that because of the limited land,
Speaker:that continued to be smaller and smaller and smaller,
Speaker:that your future couldn't be where you were raised.
Speaker:You had to go somewhere else.
Speaker:Yes. You know,
Speaker:you stand on the mountains and you look at the mountains.
Speaker:You see so far you say there must be some more.
Speaker:If these mountains are so big with Vista is so big,
Speaker:there must be some more.
Speaker:So you decided to take the trip.
Speaker:You said your goodbyes,
Speaker:how did the trip go?
Speaker:The rhino river starts from near where we've in TRIBE,
Speaker:Jenn Switzerland.
Speaker:And it travels nose to the North sea.
Speaker:So we knew that this is how we would go by
Speaker:boat from place to place.
Speaker:And the head of our group already had written to some
Speaker:other communities of churches,
Speaker:like followers and Calvin and what we believed in.
Speaker:And we would go from place to place our group and
Speaker:start with these communities of believers like us.
Speaker:No. If the leader had a map all the way through
Speaker:or did he just know from the next place,
Speaker:and then at the next place,
Speaker:you found out how to get to the following place,
Speaker:et cetera.
Speaker:In this part to go from our religion,
Speaker:to alter them up under North,
Speaker:see this renew,
Speaker:but to go this way was easy.
Speaker:We went on out and boat.
Speaker:We went on a river boat.
Speaker:We went from community to community.
Speaker:We could get supplies of people,
Speaker:took us in.
Speaker:They fed us.
Speaker:They gave us more to grow on.
Speaker:But once we got to other them,
Speaker:we now had to cross the North sea and the Atlantic
Speaker:ocean. And then how far was this Wisconsin?
Speaker:That was a big question to know how to do.
Speaker:Sure. So did everything go pretty smoothly though,
Speaker:as you were traveling?
Speaker:Oh my goodness.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:each day you had to think what might happen,
Speaker:would the boat go?
Speaker:Would the weather be good with a community that said they
Speaker:would take,
Speaker:you really take you in,
Speaker:would your money last,
Speaker:but everybody stay healthy.
Speaker:But I loved being with so many people.
Speaker:I loved seeing so many new things.
Speaker:So the river part of out,
Speaker:I still love,
Speaker:I love it too,
Speaker:because in one of these communities,
Speaker:I met Nicholas Meyer and he was a man thinking,
Speaker:like I was thinking,
Speaker:and there was a much chaos in Europe after Napoleon,
Speaker:no jobs,
Speaker:people moving around and ideas that he did not like.
Speaker:So I met him in one town and two towns later,
Speaker:we were married.
Speaker:Oh my word.
Speaker:So he wasn't part of the initial Group,
Speaker:but You met him.
Speaker:And then did he join your group to come to America?
Speaker:Because I think so.
Speaker:And because this is what he wanted and he saw some
Speaker:courage that we had in the group.
Speaker:And so he packed up what money he had sold,
Speaker:what he could to get more money,
Speaker:packed up his things and came.
Speaker:And as we TRIBEr soon,
Speaker:very soon we were married.
Speaker:The man who held that group,
Speaker:he said,
Speaker:Oh no,
Speaker:either you get married or Nicholas has to get off the
Speaker:boat. So You got married so fast because just the culture
Speaker:of the day would not allow both of you to be
Speaker:single and be traveling together.
Speaker:That's right.
Speaker:Yes. But it was good.
Speaker:It was a good thing.
Speaker:Yes. Very good.
Speaker:Okay. So continue on with the journey.
Speaker:So now at least you have a partner,
Speaker:you have someone who is now forming a family around you.
Speaker:You aren't even in America yet.
Speaker:So that had to be comforting for you.
Speaker:Well, it was,
Speaker:and I really needed him because Susan,
Speaker:I am not for the C the no C was so
Speaker:awful. The Atlantic was so awful.
Speaker:I was so sick.
Speaker:They kept saying,
Speaker:you will get your sea legs.
Speaker:And then I thought I would get my sea legs,
Speaker:but I was with child and I am sick because of
Speaker:this child.
Speaker:I am sick to be cause of this sea.
Speaker:And it takes a very long than there no fresh food
Speaker:there. All of us huddled together in this ship.
Speaker:And if not for Nicholas Strong arm around me and he
Speaker:kept saying,
Speaker:one day,
Speaker:one day,
Speaker:Elizabeth, here is one day.
Speaker:He would say,
Speaker:one month now,
Speaker:Elizabeth, the baby is going,
Speaker:you are doing a good job one month,
Speaker:one more day in Elizabeth.
Speaker:And so that is how we cost this enormous seas.
Speaker:So you just took it day by day,
Speaker:even if you were sick,
Speaker:if you were cold,
Speaker:surely the boats were cramped and you just looked at it
Speaker:day by day.
Speaker:Yes. And you prayed some and you did what you knew
Speaker:to keep healthy and made.
Speaker:And the ship sun kind of all the,
Speaker:some kind of a routine to clean,
Speaker:to bleeds,
Speaker:to exercise,
Speaker:to read from the Bible,
Speaker:just to something,
Speaker:to get schools a day that would keep you stoned and
Speaker:make you stronger.
Speaker:Wow. Did everybody on the ship survive and get to America?
Speaker:Yes. They were lucky that that happened.
Speaker:That it was a good captain that we found.
Speaker:This was not always true for everyone,
Speaker:but this was an upstanding man who was the captain on
Speaker:the ship.
Speaker:And his school liked him and the group together.
Speaker:There were some people who came not to like each other
Speaker:and there were arguments among them.
Speaker:But I was able to see what was my part too,
Speaker:in the argument or my path,
Speaker:not in the argument and to stay out if it was
Speaker:not my path.
Speaker:Yeah. So you were looking at the bigger picture and clearly
Speaker:I can only imagine Elizabeth with such close quarters and all
Speaker:these people together and everybody anxious because it had to take
Speaker:such courage and such willpower.
Speaker:And it was uncomfortable.
Speaker:I'm sure.
Speaker:But clearly,
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:just by human nature,
Speaker:there's going to be some friction.
Speaker:And every day I had to play that we would reach
Speaker:land before my baby came.
Speaker:Yes. How long was the trip?
Speaker:Across the sea?
Speaker:The North sea.
Speaker:And then to wait for the big boat to go,
Speaker:because one boat from Rotterdam to England and then another boat,
Speaker:we had to wait for it to go from England across
Speaker:the Atlantic.
Speaker:And that took almost two months to New York.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:So, all right.
Speaker:So two months,
Speaker:so you land in New York.
Speaker:Tell me about that.
Speaker:Oh my goodness.
Speaker:I saw the Rotterdam where so many people,
Speaker:I thought in England,
Speaker:so many people,
Speaker:but here in New York,
Speaker:I never saw so many people,
Speaker:so many buildings in the distance,
Speaker:no mountains,
Speaker:just more buildings in the noise all day long,
Speaker:all night.
Speaker:And so now we find regens and retake dragons to where
Speaker:the ear we can nail stuff.
Speaker:And now I know that if I'm going to be in
Speaker:this country,
Speaker:my next step is to learn English.
Speaker:I must learn how to speak English for the first time
Speaker:I am with people who are speaking English and this eerie
Speaker:canal. You notice this Erie canal.
Speaker:Yes, of course.
Speaker:It goes to Buffalo,
Speaker:New York and Newell.
Speaker:And the mans I walked and they pool the flat bottom
Speaker:boat along the canal to get to,
Speaker:to Lake Erie along this canal.
Speaker:And I learned to sink Erie canal.
Speaker:They think yearly Connect.
Speaker:I learning this English.
Speaker:And again,
Speaker:I am hoping we will get to where we are going
Speaker:before this baby comes.
Speaker:I am now over halfway with this baby.
Speaker:And so you had no one really who was watching your
Speaker:health other than yourself,
Speaker:because you didn't have access to a doctor.
Speaker:Would that be right?
Speaker:Oh, there were other women with us and they tell me
Speaker:going into air can.
Speaker:Now you could always get off and found a midwife.
Speaker:But once we get to like area and these great lakes
Speaker:is like being on the ocean again,
Speaker:then weeks and weeks we going across,
Speaker:this is a great leg injury come to Chicago and do
Speaker:not like Chicago.
Speaker:Why not?
Speaker:Like mud everywhere is mud and people.
Speaker:And I am getting so big.
Speaker:And now we get a Ragen and we are supposed to
Speaker:be going to Wisconsin.
Speaker:Elizabeth, what time of year was this?
Speaker:When you got to Chicago,
Speaker:We had started out at the end when the river was
Speaker:no ice at the end of March.
Speaker:Whoa. So you were on the river.
Speaker:It was still very cold too.
Speaker:Yes. The wind on the liver was cold,
Speaker:but so we start at the end of March so that
Speaker:we can go up the river and cross the ocean in
Speaker:more summertime and get to where we need to be before
Speaker:another renter.
Speaker:That was the plan.
Speaker:So it may start out and there is a road that
Speaker:comes from Chicago and it old called the Lincoln tool that
Speaker:is covered in planks,
Speaker:not so much mud,
Speaker:but I say to Nicholas,
Speaker:when we get to this town called Nial center,
Speaker:I say,
Speaker:I cannot go anymore.
Speaker:I must stay here and wait until the baby is born.
Speaker:He says,
Speaker:it is just maybe days to go to Wisconsin.
Speaker:I say,
Speaker:no, Nicholas,
Speaker:I must stay here.
Speaker:And so we stay there by this path of this Lincoln
Speaker:road, that is,
Speaker:you must pay a toll to be on and amending Peter
He had the idea to build this road for people coming
Speaker:from Chicago,
Speaker:into Wisconsin,
Speaker:and he makes money on the toll.
Speaker:And he also builds many things.
Speaker:So Nicholas Key is very good to build things with wood
Speaker:is strong,
Speaker:man. And he talks to this,
Speaker:Mr. Peter
who tells us that we can take some trees down where
Speaker:the Oak and the maple that he uses for his road
Speaker:and for what two years building.
Speaker:And we can build our own cabin.
Speaker:And Nicholas can help us with the building.
Speaker:He is to make some money to now support a family.
Speaker:And that is very stuck in a cabin by Lincoln worlds
Speaker:that Mr.
Speaker:Peter Blom ICER has built.
Speaker:Wow. Okay.
Speaker:So now at least you are settled for at least the
Speaker:time being,
Speaker:and how's shortly after that.
Speaker:Did you have your baby Less than two months?
Speaker:I have my baby.
Speaker:So I'm still on my feet when we are making this
Speaker:Kevin, where you Helping to build the cabin also.
Speaker:Yeah. Not with the wood or the big logs,
Speaker:but there is you put this dog between the road so
Speaker:that the wind will not come school.
Speaker:This clay there's much clay in a fridge is a good
Speaker:thing for the cabin,
Speaker:not so much for making the garden.
Speaker:And that was the part that I did in that I
Speaker:made it's summertime.
Speaker:So I could make some garden,
Speaker:some beans and many kinds of beans.
Speaker:And I find blueberry bushes in this area.
Speaker:And there is much rabbits,
Speaker:but you mustn't take rabbits in the summer.
Speaker:So you have to wait for four,
Speaker:but we are settled by the time I have my baby
Speaker:baby, our first child.
Speaker:And we will be in this cabin in the next years,
Speaker:I will have four children in this cabin before Nicholas can
Speaker:build this hose.
Speaker:So Are you telling me,
Speaker:you never did go to Wisconsin,
Speaker:But I like this nails.
Speaker:People come,
Speaker:they speak German.
Speaker:I speak French.
Speaker:And they speak Germans after for Mecklenburg and from Germany.
Speaker:And they build churches and there is two stores,
Speaker:general stores.
Speaker:And over one of the general stores is a dance hall.
Speaker:And there is a market comes to town every Thursday.
Speaker:And so,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I love the people I love that is always something as
Speaker:a church.
Speaker:And there is always something as a dance hall.
Speaker:I like this nerve center.
Speaker:So you had really established the dream that you had set
Speaker:out for.
Speaker:When you left your family in Switzerland,
Speaker:you were looking for a place in America with land where
Speaker:you could make a living along the way you found your
Speaker:husband. And now you have a family of six,
Speaker:is that correct?
Speaker:Yes. I had stopped.
Speaker:I would have another farm,
Speaker:just like
but no farm,
Speaker:no more than a kitchen garden and some chickens and pigs
Speaker:and goats.
Speaker:So that was not what I had planned,
Speaker:but to be with new people,
Speaker:to be in something,
Speaker:growing to have children and sees them go to school.
Speaker:This is the part of my dream.
Speaker:Since maybe it was more important than regular,
Speaker:it is done on the farm or in a town or
Speaker:village like nail center.
Speaker:Sure. And did you do anything else in terms of having
Speaker:any type of a trade?
Speaker:Well, my was keeping us fed and clothes,
Speaker:and then,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I work with the church ladies and we take care of
Speaker:the church and we take care of charities and it was
Speaker:a very busy and the full life.
Speaker:Sure. Sounds like it.
Speaker:Did you ever get homesick or wish you hadn't have made
Speaker:the journey?
Speaker:I could not allow myself to get homesick.
Speaker:If you think your heart is at home and you think
Speaker:you must give heart to where you are going,
Speaker:and if you have in two places,
Speaker:then you have a book and half Oh,
Speaker:that's very wise,
Speaker:Elizabeth. Well,
Speaker:you must keep,
Speaker:what is your purpose?
Speaker:How are you going step by step,
Speaker:day by day is where your heart must be.
Speaker:What happened today?
Speaker:That was a good step.
Speaker:What happened today?
Speaker:That is your dream coming to,
Speaker:this is what you must do.
Speaker:And yes,
Speaker:I would this again,
Speaker:because I came so wonderful to be with Nicholas and have
Speaker:my family and be part of a place that is growing
Speaker:and changing every year.
Speaker:I, I liked that.
Speaker:It's so interesting.
Speaker:And I think that you feel the way you do,
Speaker:probably because you were an adventuresome spirit when you left your
Speaker:family, it wasn't like you already knew Nicholas and were going
Speaker:because he wanted to,
Speaker:you already had the vision.
Speaker:Yes. I think if I had stayed at the time,
Speaker:I would have become bitter.
Speaker:I would unhappy I would do what I do,
Speaker:but something would always be missing.
Speaker:Sure. I believe that.
Speaker:Do you recognize how valuable and important your journey was in
Speaker:terms of establishing a whole nother group of people here in
Speaker:America? Did you see that when you were landing here and
Speaker:starting to build your cabin?
Speaker:Oh, I know from his skill,
Speaker:how important Nicholas was in the building because so many people
Speaker:coming railroad,
Speaker:coming to Nile center,
Speaker:right by the big general store,
Speaker:visit dance for a lunch.
Speaker:And also people who come visit their doings like we did.
Speaker:And I can have people when they come and Nicholas builds
Speaker:for them.
Speaker:And so I think that was important that we could do
Speaker:that for them.
Speaker:Absolutely. And how has your life continued to play out?
Speaker:I have called children.
Speaker:They have also survived and they are healthy and I am
Speaker:part of this community and it is my dream come true
Speaker:to be well,
Speaker:there is more than just the small farm and the same
Speaker:people every day.
Speaker:Elizabeth, I would like to offer you a special gift.
Speaker:It's called daring to dream.
Speaker:I'd like to present you with a virtual gift.
Speaker:It's a magical box containing unlimited possibilities for your future.
Speaker:So this would be your dream or your goal that you
Speaker:would have right now that could almost seem unattainable kind of
Speaker:like when you left Switzerland,
Speaker:like, will you really even make it,
Speaker:what would be that dream that you have now?
Speaker:That's, what's inside this box.
Speaker:So if you would open it up for us and let
Speaker:us know what's inside your box Also,
Speaker:I would like to see what you see of Nile's center.
Speaker:What is the Nial centers that you see as the people
Speaker:that I knew,
Speaker:the clams,
Speaker:the
the children,
Speaker:the grandchildren,
Speaker:what is it like from what you can see in your
Speaker:crime? That is what I would like to know.
Speaker:Very interesting.
Speaker:Just as we're so curious about the courage that it took
Speaker:and everything that you did with your life,
Speaker:which is why I'm so grateful that you're sharing it today.
Speaker:It's interesting how we're all curious about other people and how
Speaker:they've lived and especially women,
Speaker:because even though we live in different times,
Speaker:we're still so bonded to each other.
Speaker:I dunno what I would have done if it had not
Speaker:been for a wonderful woman along the way,
Speaker:who shared with me,
Speaker:you could not sit with men.
Speaker:You're always had to have other women with you.
Speaker:And they were wonderful women.
Speaker:They were courageous women too.
Speaker:And I could not have done it without other women.
Speaker:Always the women must lead the women.
Speaker:The women must allow as a women to lean on them.
Speaker:The women must give a strength and courage is the women
Speaker:who give this thing encouraged to everyone.
Speaker:And that there was wonderful.
Speaker:It's still the same today.
Speaker:We lean on each other for sure.
Speaker:And there's a strength in women not to discount the men,
Speaker:they have their role for sure,
Speaker:but there's strength in women and having that connection.
Speaker:And that bond is like no other Elizabeth,
Speaker:thank you so much.
Speaker:I appreciate your sharing your journey through this life and through
Speaker:this world.
Speaker:And I appreciate you're talking about your candle,
Speaker:that beautiful red candle and how bit by bit you did
Speaker:something that almost seemed insurmountable.
Speaker:Being able to come from Switzerland all the way over to
Speaker:a community in muddy Chicago,
Speaker:but to let us have a little bit of insight into
Speaker:the strength of women of your age and what you've done
Speaker:for us.
Speaker:I so appreciate your sharing this with us and may your
Speaker:journey through this world continue to burn bright.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:So, all Right.
Speaker:Gift biz listeners.
Speaker:I hope you enjoyed meeting Elizabeth as much as I did.
Speaker:And now I would like to bring back in Rebecca so
Speaker:we can talk a little bit more about Elizabeth,
Speaker:but from Rebecca standpoint.
Speaker:Hi Rebecca.
Speaker:Good, good,
Speaker:good, good.
Speaker:This is always so interesting to do with you and give
Speaker:biz listeners.
Speaker:You may be familiar with Rebecca.
Speaker:She did an episode as Abigail Adams almost a year and
Speaker:a half or so ago.
Speaker:I'll connect that up in the show notes.
Speaker:We also did an interview as herself surprised,
Speaker:surprised with her insurance company.
Speaker:And that is an excellent episode.
Speaker:It's part of our summer school series.
Speaker:And I'll also connect that in the show notes.
Speaker:But one of the things we talked about there was this
Speaker:side interest or hobby that you have in terms of researching
Speaker:and then portraying historical women.
Speaker:Tell us a bit more about that.
Speaker:Rebecca. I have always been interested in history and how we
Speaker:got where we are.
Speaker:I have a very big family and my family has traced
Speaker:their origins back to the early 18 hundreds and cousins have
Speaker:done family trees,
Speaker:but it always seemed to me that history is not date
Speaker:history is people making decisions.
Speaker:And how did they come to make those decisions?
Speaker:Some of the questions that you asked Elizabeth,
Speaker:why did you decide to go?
Speaker:Why did you decide to stop?
Speaker:Those are very personal and they do,
Speaker:as you suggested it towards the end of the interview,
Speaker:have many times global consequences from an individual's move.
Speaker:So the Skokie public library,
Speaker:which is a nationally recognized library for most of the time
Speaker:that I've lived in Skokie and Skokie was NILD center until
Speaker:after world war two.
Speaker:Yeah. And give biz listeners,
Speaker:that's about just to give you a little perspective,
Speaker:it's about,
Speaker:I don't know,
Speaker:12, 15 miles North of Chicago,
Speaker:Right? It's Southern border is on the Northern border of Chicago
Speaker:and it's served by Chicago transit.
Speaker:It was called Niles center and Niles center road.
Speaker:The road that Elizabeth talks about is now Lincoln Avenue that
Speaker:runs on an angle out of Chicago from around Milwaukee Avenue,
Speaker:300 North,
Speaker:almost in downtown Chicago,
Speaker:all the way up through Skokie and ends a little bit
Speaker:past Skokie.
Speaker:It had been an Indian trail and then people sectioned it
Speaker:off and put down plank roads or graded it and then
Speaker:charged wagons to go across their section of the road.
Speaker:So the Skokie public library and Carolyn Anthony was director of
Speaker:the library for the longest time,
Speaker:helped me work on Abigail Adams.
Speaker:And while I was doing that,
Speaker:introduced me to the Skokie historical society who asked me to
Speaker:come to the cabin,
Speaker:which they were refurbishing and be a living history in the
Speaker:cabin certain days.
Speaker:And they helped me find the story.
Speaker:The interesting thing is that Skokie's first head of the public
Speaker:health in which was Louisa Clem.
Speaker:And she was a doctor.
Speaker:She became a doctor in 1896 at the university of Illinois
Speaker:and in Chicago,
Speaker:the reason she became formed of board of health for the
Speaker:Nile center area was because of the Spanish flu in 1918.
Speaker:People think they're just living in a little history in a
Speaker:little village,
Speaker:in a little suburb,
Speaker:but there may be a lot of history to your own
Speaker:suburb that ties you to the place that makes you proud
Speaker:that you were there.
Speaker:That shows you courage.
Speaker:People who first came that may give you courage when you
Speaker:need it.
Speaker:Okay. That's so interesting.
Speaker:So what still exists?
Speaker:I think you were referencing just now the cabin,
Speaker:is it still there?
Speaker:Yes. The cabin was moved so that it's next to the
Speaker:old firehouse so that the grounds can be taken care of
Speaker:and it's still there and it is still open on certain
Speaker:days and they have sleepovers for kids and kids from the
Speaker:public school come to it.
Speaker:Lincoln Avenue is still there.
Speaker:It still runs through what is now Skokie.
Speaker:The interesting thing is Elizabeth youngest son,
Speaker:Samuel built a theater near Mr.
Speaker:Clemens general store with a dance hall on top.
Speaker:He built his theater when silent movies came in because the
Speaker:Keystone cops who came from Keystone Avenue in Chicago,
Speaker:came out to where the railroad was and where the general
Speaker:store and the market were.
Speaker:And they filmed there.
Speaker:They pretended it was the wild West or the Keystone cops
Speaker:came and were chased by the train and stuff like that.
Speaker:So he built a theater,
Speaker:which is now the Skokie theater,
Speaker:and that's still there in Skokie.
Speaker:It's been million dollar sound system inside and the Chicago cabaret
Speaker:coalition has taken it over.
Speaker:And there are programs going on now in Samuel Myers theater,
Speaker:That is crazy to know that some of these buildings go
Speaker:back, you know,
Speaker:from the origins of the people.
Speaker:And then the descendants of the people who came and first
Speaker:lived on this land apart from American Indians,
Speaker:of course,
Speaker:well give biz listeners,
Speaker:Rebecca. And I decided to do this specially as a gift
Speaker:for you for labor day,
Speaker:just because I think,
Speaker:and the majority of my listeners of course are women,
Speaker:is that,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:there is so much courage and strength and determination and ability
Speaker:to succeed and make a way in this life that looking
Speaker:at some of the people who had challenges way different than
Speaker:what we have today that might have seemed insurmountable.
Speaker:They did,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:Elizabeth spirit of leaving her family,
Speaker:never seen her parents again,
Speaker:could you imagine?
Speaker:And then not even knowing if you'd survive,
Speaker:the journey really ended up turning into a beautiful thing for
Speaker:her, with her life,
Speaker:meeting her husband,
Speaker:having children landing and making a life for herself in a
Speaker:place that she ended up loving.
Speaker:So think about this for yourself too.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:some of the things that we think about with our businesses
Speaker:and being entrepreneurs seem like they're just out of our reach,
Speaker:right? But I want you to harken back specially on this
Speaker:labor day to Elizabeth story and think about what she was
Speaker:able to achieve.
Speaker:And I wish for all of us to have that same
Speaker:type of courage and commitment to our dream and deciding that
Speaker:we're just going to go,
Speaker:as Elizabeth was saying,
Speaker:and Rebecca also said the same way bit by bit step
Speaker:by step,
Speaker:because it is achievable for all of us.
Speaker:Rebecca, would you add anything else to that?
Speaker:I think that what you said is just wonderful and yes,
Speaker:I think that you have to remember that Abigail Adams and
Speaker:Elizabeth Meyer didn't know how it was going to come out.
Speaker:We know now,
Speaker:but they didn't know.
Speaker:And so they stayed in the present and did what they
Speaker:needed to do in the present.
Speaker:Always keeping in mind where they wanted to go.
Speaker:And that's always been a fantastic lesson,
Speaker:Wonderful point,
Speaker:keeping an eye on the goal,
Speaker:right. Clarifying for sure in your mind what you're trying to
Speaker:achieve and then keeping your eye on that.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Well, we're going to wind down here,
Speaker:Rebecca, but do you want to just really quickly because how
Speaker:could I have you provide all of this great.
Speaker:I'm going to say entertainment and motivation to us through Elizabeth
Speaker:and not let you give a little bit of a summary
Speaker:of what you do with your career.
Speaker:So talk to us a little bit about insurance.
Speaker:Well, thank you.
Speaker:My husband,
Speaker:Jerry Preston,
Speaker:and I have a unique insurance agency in that my being
Speaker:in the creative world,
Speaker:I was always around people who had to get their own
Speaker:insurance, their own retirement plan,
Speaker:doing that planning themselves.
Speaker:And didn't have somebody who specifically would take care of them.
Speaker:Dividual, family,
Speaker:health insurance plans,
Speaker:the right kind of life insurance for somebody in business for
Speaker:themselves, or in a very small partnership and how to put
Speaker:together your own personal pension plan.
Speaker:So that's what we decided to do.
Speaker:And we've been doing it now for I think,
Speaker:16 years.
Speaker:And we love the people we work with.
Speaker:We started with people in the arts world and then support
Speaker:the arts world and manage it have 500 clients,
Speaker:mostly in the North shore area who are entrepreneurs and who
Speaker:inspire us every day.
Speaker:Thank you,
Speaker:Rebecca. And again,
Speaker:you can hear more about her business.
Speaker:And then also Rebecca gives some really great information about insurance
Speaker:overall and heads up insurance is not just for when you're
Speaker:later in life and to help people who will be here
Speaker:after you're gone.
Speaker:And she talks about why there's value to having insurance.
Speaker:I call it insurance while you're living,
Speaker:but that's all over in another episode.
Speaker:So you can go check that out later.
Speaker:All the information is going to be over on our show
Speaker:notes page at gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped as usual and Rebecca.
Speaker:Again, I really appreciate you coming on with a special talent
Speaker:of yours,
Speaker:giving us insight and some really strong courageous women.
Speaker:So thank you so much.
Speaker:And also to you,
Speaker:we've talked about your candles.
Speaker:You've had now three candles kind of only one of them
Speaker:has been yours though,
Speaker:from Abigail to you and Dow to Elizabeth.
Speaker:But again,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:I do the candle because it's the light of the future
Speaker:and our ability to be strong and share with others,
Speaker:et cetera.
Speaker:So also for you,
Speaker:Rebecca May your candle and your success always burn bright.
Speaker:Thank you,
Speaker:Sue. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity gift biz listeners.
Speaker:I hope you enjoyed as much as I did that interview
Speaker:with Elizabeth Meyer.
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:just thinking of women at that time and how courageous they
Speaker:had to be and all that they had to do in
Speaker:terms of getting themselves prepared to go into what was an
Speaker:unknown and putting their life at risk,
Speaker:really, we can be so appreciative and grateful for these women
Speaker:because they were so courageous and they led the way for
Speaker:us also to be able to build on top of what
Speaker:they've already done and move forward with our dream towards that.
Speaker:And I have a little confession to make.
Speaker:I think I was remiss in not making the announcement here
Speaker:that the gift biz builder program was open about three or
Speaker:four weeks ago to accepting new students.
Speaker:I've had a number of,
Speaker:you asked me about the course.
Speaker:It has opened up and since closed already.
Speaker:I'm supposed,
Speaker:sorry to say.
Speaker:So let me just tell you that the gift,
Speaker:this builder program is a step-by-step course on how to start
Speaker:your business.
Speaker:So virtually from nothing,
Speaker:how do you decide what you're going to do?
Speaker:What you're going to name it,
Speaker:everything all the way to,
Speaker:should you be home-based brick and mortar.
Speaker:How do you work?
Speaker:Social media?
Speaker:What do you do about email?
Speaker:How do you get customers?
Speaker:How do you do networking?
Speaker:Just the complete package a to Z.
Speaker:If any of this is of interest to you,
Speaker:I don't want to make this same mistake again.
Speaker:So I've set up a list that you can get on
Speaker:so that I can notify you when the gift,
Speaker:this builder program reopened.
Speaker:If you're interested in this,
Speaker:I put together a link.
Speaker:You just go put your name and email and then you'll
Speaker:get an announcement when get this builder to get yourself on
Speaker:the list.
Speaker:Just go over to Bitly forward slash G B B.
Speaker:Notice that's B I T dot L Y forward slash G
Speaker:B B.
Speaker:Notice with that,
Speaker:it's a wrap and I look forward to being together again
