Some environments will lead you to believe that something is fundamentally wrong with you. I was finally able to sit back and realize there's nothing wrong with me, I just learn differently and I operate differently. When you're able to discover your uniqueness you discover how you individually contribute to the beauty in the world.

-Taylor Ratliff

This week's episode of The Uplifters Podcast features Taylor Ratliff, the remarkable Founder and CEO of Chocolate Babies in STEM, whose passion for creating a supportive learning environment is radical.

Imagine a room full of rowdy, outspoken teenagers, and then envision Taylor's genuine interest in them transforming it into a haven of acceptance and encouragement. Before embarking on her mission to share the gift of STEM with more students, Taylor was my daughter's favorite teacher, passing along the excitement she herself had received from another inspiring educator – a beautiful legacy of mentorship.

With warmth and wisdom, Taylor emphasizes the importance of understanding each student as an individual and investing in a nurturing classroom culture. Her insights shed light on the pressing need for better access to STEM education and her dreams for the future of Chocolate Babies in STEM.

The conversation is a poignant reminder of the power of love and acceptance and of embracing individuals for who they are. As you listen, I hope you’ll carry with you, as I did, invaluable techniques for nurturing safe and richly diverse communities wherever life takes you.

🔬 Lessons from Miss Ratliff (I still can’t call her Taylor):

- Investing in classroom culture and understanding individual students are keys to creating a supportive learning environment.

- Promoting diversity in STEM education is crucial to inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators.

- Empowering students to embrace their uniqueness and providing resources tailored to their learning styles can lead to greater success.

- Collaboration and a shared mission among educators, parents, and the community are essential for supporting students' growth and development.

Connect with Taylor on Instagram and Facebook.

After you listen, grab your ticket 🎟️ for Uplifters Live on May 17, where you’ll meet the inspiring Uplifters Ambassadors you’ve heard on our podcast, including Taylor, and many other inspiring women! Learn about this one-day in-person gathering for creative growth and collaboration HERE.

Welcome to the Uplifters podcast. I'm Arances Savas, and today I am joined by Taylor Ratliff. Taylor is the founder and CEO of Chocolate Babies and STEM. And until recently, she was my 15-year-old daughter's favorite teacher. Taylor, thank you so much for being here.

No, thank you. Listen, the invite is definitely appreciated. And I of course love your child as always.

I'm so, so grateful for this time with you. when I met Taylor, I walked in for a parent teacher conference and those things were always overwhelming, I think probably for everyone involved. And I was just blown away by this deeply thoughtful, curious person that I met that day. And

Yeah.

Thank you.

I understood immediately why my daughter loved her so much. And the reports that were coming home were, Mom, I have this teacher who asks us how we like to learn.

I'm sorry.

And she said, and you know what else? She didn't just ask us when we told her. She made that part of how she worked with us. And she was so impressed by your interest in her as a human being and as an individual, but way beyond just the interest was your ability to be responsive and adaptive to that. And I just.

Mmm.

for sure.

It was so exciting to me as a human being because I believe that's what we all crave. But it made me wonder who you are. And, you started to tell me about your big mission and what was energizing you I wanted to hear more about Chocolate Babies in STEM.

for sure.

and what you're doing. So tell me about you and your journey to where you are now, Taylor.

Listen, I'm old.

Awesome. So yes, I'm originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I grew up in the suburbs of Minnesota. but then I went to school in the inner city. IB school actually. Typical, I was one of...

Mm.

probably four students of color who were in the IB program at the time. And unfortunately, certain resources were not available to the grand majority of the population. But my parents fought hard for me to be a part of the IB program. So I was definitely introduced into the sciences early, whether that be math and science camps during the summertime.

or other experiences, other internships during the year, a pivotal moment for me would be my 10th grade year where I had to take chemistry and one of my instructors, Mr. Miller, took a liking to me and it mattered a lot. And it definitely had an impact on who I was as a person there were times where I would go into the class and Mr. Miller would just.

blow things up and we would have a field day with liquid nitrogen like he made the classroom come alive and I said this is what I want to do like I want to figure out specifically how things work and why it is they work the way they do and then I just want to explain it to kids because the truth of the matter is I'm looking at some of my peers I'm looking at a lot of our black and brown kids who are not in the classroom and I'm recognizing they don't get to have this experience

and no one's explaining it to them. So for me, I always made it my mission, like I'm gonna figure out how to do this and then I'm gonna figure out specifically how to explain what's actually happening. So I took an interest in chem during that time and he was very inspirational as a teacher and he made a difference. So much so that I went on to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the number one.

The number one HBCU, 17 years running, all women's institution. And I do pride myself on going there because of the level of support that I received from my science department. And also the rest of the faculty that I had a privilege of interacting with. They cultivated that gift, you know, they, they took, they taught me, of course, it's about the sciences, of course, about analytical, physical camps, so on and so forth, but more so they taught me how to be an advocate.

Right. through that process and through those years of just learning and just, I don't know, just overall character building, I learned how much I actually did fall in love with education and how much I actually cared about the growth of our kids. Upon leaving Spelman College, I was able to move back to Minnesota.

Mmm.

one of my old principals called me and said, Hey, do you want to, you want a job? You want, you want to work as a fifth grade math and science teacher? And I said, okay, that'll work too. You have to understand it's like college student, you're looking at money that you've never seen before. You're like, oh, for sure. Like I signed me up, so I was able to sign up my first year I taught math and science and I had a ball, and when I realized the impact that I had on my students I figured it out very quickly that this is definitely my journey. This is my path, and this is how I'm gonna make an impact on my community. So fast forward a couple of years, and I then transitioned to New York. And truth of the matter is, I got to New York and I was so excited just to move here, cause I'm like, hey, I always wanna move to New York, cause why not, right? Like you just figure it out as you go and.

Started teaching at a charter school in Brooklyn and I stayed in Brooklyn ever since. And so education is not, it's not a job, it's a passion, it's a calling to work with children, to work with young minds, to inspire so that they can be better than you. My goal is to make my kids always better than me.

because at the end of the day, they are the leaders. I don't want to make it sound cliche or corny to say, oh my God, they're the leaders of tomorrow. But, honestly, they are our leaders and they're the folks, right? They are the folks. They are the folks who are going to take care of me in my old age. So I would hope that they are going to, you know, surpass me and my abilities and so on and so forth. And so I enjoy what I do, you know, and I taught.

Who else is it going to be? Aransas Savas (07:13.471)

Yes?

you know, chemistry, I've taught biology, living environment, I've taught multiple courses throughout the years, but ultimately, whether or not the children are in love with the subject or not, I wanted them to understand, I'm invested in you. I'm invested in, your personal growth. I'm invested in you as a person. However I can serve you to get to the next step, we'll just do it, I'll do it. I want them to know at the end of the day.

Mm-hmm.

whether they care about chemistry or not, I could care less. I just want them to know that I am a teacher, I'm an advocate and I am on their side. Whatever you need from me moving forward, I got you. I love to see the transformation. I love to see the growth out of our kids and watching them become little adults, it's just fascinating to see. So I'm very passionate about what I do No.

I'm going to cry again talking to you because I think it is so, it's so formative to a person's identity to have people who believe in you and who see you. And my kids, like all others, have had plenty of teachers who were just about you complete the assignment and you follow the rules. If you don't, you failed. And I think what you're doing...

it is so much bigger than teaching science. It's teaching learning.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, yeah. And learning at your pace, learning with your style. I think growing up, it just never happened in my home. I grew up with two other siblings that were older. So, you know, naturally the youngest one you expect someone follows suit. what I appreciated about my parents is that they saw me as an individual. They saw me as someone who was different.

Yeah.

brought different gifts, who had different ideas, different reasons, I was able to develop my own path., but what was conflicting, I have to be honest with you, is the school system. So my brother and I attended the same high school and age. You know, I was freshmen, he was a senior, and they oftentimes would compare us. They would say, well, you're not doing it like your brother. Like he would do it this way. He's excelling in this subject and...

you know, there was a constant comparison. And if I can think of one thing that just killed the happiness. Any spark of joy that I had within the subject, it would be the level of comparison that my teachers made consistently between my brother and I. And at the end of the day, initially I started off freshman year doing everything opposite to him. If he took Spanish, I took French.

Hehehehehehe

I didn't know necessarily how to handle that level of comparison. But now looking back, I continue to appreciate my parents for being able to see the difference in all three of us and being able to allow us to all have our own space to grow and to just explore the world on our own. And I wish, and if I could like encourage teachers moving forward, just allow our kids to.

genuinely explore the world as they see it. Don't try to make them see the world and explore a different subject matter the way we do.

And once they explore avenues in which they would like to grow or change then you step in and question their way of thinking, not to challenge them for challenging sake, but truly just to gauge their understanding and figure out ways you can help them grow. That's all we're supposed to do as educators. And I didn't receive that, so I wanted to be that.

I think that's true in all relationships. Right? It is with our parents, our children, our partners, our colleagues. So let's see if we can take this very specific thing you've done and universalize it a little bit. What is it you are saying or doing

Hahaha

Yep.

No.

to help find understanding of your individual students.

at the start of the school year, we are as teachers expected to jump straight into teaching and curriculum. But I intentionally embed within my scope and sequence for each year, a unit that just focuses on student and staff culture. I find opportunities in which we can understand and learn each other as people first. And I find that I've had a lot of success when I've done that and implemented that unit first, because not only am I understanding this child as an individual, I'm understanding what they like, what they do not like, what are some triggers for them, what are some interests for them. If I find an internship...

Mmm.

I can definitely consent it towards them and their family. I know that I know them. when I intentionally take that time to understand and learn them, number one, you build a trust with our students. we don't know each other perfectly,? the unit typically lasts around two to three weeks, but they see the investment.

They see, okay, Ms. Radlib is actually trying. She could care less about science right now. She really just wants to know who I am as a person and how she can help along the journey.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

so big. And I think what you're saying here, it's a couple of weeks. But it's that whole old idea of move slow to move fast. So make that early upfront investment in relationship quality in order to teach and learn at greater speed and depth. And so,

Right.

Right.

Again, if we're going to attempt to universalize this a little bit, the way I would summarize what you said is that, and you kept calling it investment, which I just think is such a rich word for this, right? It's like pouring into one another. And investment expects a return that exceeds what's put into it. And that's what you're doing. Put a little in, get a lot out.

Yeah.

but the return is their success, right, ultimately. But what I did not expect, right, but what I didn't expect teaching early on, right, I'm, if I'm going to be honest, I didn't expect that they would then turn around and say, oh, but we also appreciate who you are too. ? we see who you are as an individual and therefore the expectations you have for yourself, we also want to meet.

Yeah. Also yours.

Mm-hmm.

So like academics aside for a second, if I know that I have this student Robert, who has an allergy to all nuts, he's a tactile learner, he reacts to certain lighting in the room. If I'm adjusting my style of teaching according to his needs, then that level of investment, that level of trust that is built also allows Robert to turn around and say, oh, well Ms. Radler, actually she's allergic to nuts too.

And actually she doesn't necessarily like when people curse around her. Like they're learning who you are as a person and we're able to meet each other. Right. And in a place of respect and just love. Right. I feel as though a lot of times when you see heightened behaviors in certain classes and teachers don't necessarily know how to manage behavior a hundred percent, it really stems from the lack of, investment in time with one another.

Mm-hmm. Yes!

Yes!

getting to know the student as an individual, not who their parents say they are, not who their friends say they are, who are they demonstrating themselves to be? And that investment definitely can eliminate a lot of those problems, So yeah, I didn't expect that return. I didn't expect the students to truly at that point too, to look up and say, oh, I actually respect who you are too, Miss Riley, intern. So.

Mm-hmm.

What is this?

Yeah. Well, you also gave them information to humanize yourself, right? So you weren't just an authority on some sort of pedestal telling them what to do. You were saying, hey, I'm this human being, and you're this human being. Let's meet human to human, expert to expert, and figure out how to work together. And there is a lot of people who are

Yes, that's it.

100%.

I'm sure resistance that you hear from other educators and other humans would be naturally, oh, Taylor, that sounds exhausting to create a responsive learning environment. But based on my understanding of human behavior, that's the exact opposite of what it does because it takes a lot more energy to live in constant states of resistance which is what we're doing when we're trying to make other people be us

And I can't explain enough, like the struggle, I go into other classrooms and I just observe. And sometimes people are like, why are you in here? And I just wanna see for my reference, for my practice, how I can either adjust, how I can improve as a professional. What are some things am I missing with certain students? Like what are some tactics that you are using that I need to adapt, right?

Mm-hmm.

And I just see too often, you know, like back in the stone ages, you just knew when we were in school, for example, like whatever the teacher says goes, don't you dare question it. They are the authoritarian in the room. This is one style of learning. And what I've noticed so often is that folks are still married to that idea. And what has worked for me as, humanizing myself, being able to identify.

That's right.

Hey y'all, like, here are some of the things that I don't do so well at, but I need you to have enough grace for me as I'm learning, right? So for example, I know faces. I know faces very well. Sometimes I struggle with names. So one example would be, hey you all, I'm going to struggle with names for the first two, three weeks. Please forgive me.

as I'm still trying to learn everyone's name and your pronoun as well. I'm not gonna be perfect, but please do provide a little bit of grace as we move forward. I'm going to make mistakes. And naming that, It's a huge learning curve for educators. When you identify that you are someone who makes mistakes often and name it, you gain trust.

There's a level of understanding that comes to the surface between you and your students.

people know that they can get things done by force. And it is an effective short term strategy.

Mm-hmm.

in terms of creating change. And it's understandable that people want to have quick wins. an approach like yours, which is one of an expansive view of the situation, looking at it in totality, gives us massive energy returns. Because.

Mm-hmm.

we tap into our creativity and we're able to address problems systemically and to create real change as opposed to just sort of outrunning the beast.

when you try to, as an educator, if I were to be 100% transparent, you try to adjust or address rather some systemic issues that are affecting the child's experience, you do get a lot of backlash.

You get a lot of folks who are a little resistant to that change, who aren't necessarily open to another way of possibly educating our children, who aren't actually open to the differences that we see within our children's learning abilities and their styles. And it is a bit disheartening.

Instead of figuring out ways in which we can be solutions oriented and address certain issues or address certain needs that are in the space regarding our students learning patterns, we shove them to the side and they don't get the experience that they deserve. And so when I say I'm an advocate, I genuinely understand that is a calling. That's part of my calling as to who I am as a person. Someone who is

familiar with being shoved to the background regarding my own journey and someone who was also at this point in my journey has a voice and can utilize that voice in order to make sure that folks who Are struggling or have specific needs get their needs met I think growing up and I definitely want to just tag this to my siblings

We just had different learning styles. Like my older brother and sister, you know, they could definitely, they're the type that walk into an exam, look at some material for like 30, 40 minutes, and they would ace it. I always thought there was something wrong with me growing up because I needed more time. I needed flashcards, I needed visuals, I needed to have that hands-on experience in order to fully understand what was happening. And it didn't take long.

into my college career to figure out there's nothing wrong with me. you hear that from your mother your father you're like oh well you're just forced to like me so of course you would say these things like but you know it's the truth like there's actually nothing wrong with you the style in which you learn is unique and should be valued and actually there's quite a few folks who are just like you just have to explore it and what does it actually mean as you're becoming an educator and you're faced with students who have more

Mm-hmm.

different learning styles. I knew right away that means that I need to learn every single one of them, right?. And even if I don't understand, find the resources so that they feel comfortable in a space to learn, right? Like understand who they are, how they learn, and how to identify the resources they need to get it. Bottom line, like I need to figure that out. And so I do not have a background in special education. My family, my mother does, aunts, like

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

They're heavy in special education. That's why I would say that I've grown to have an even deeper appreciation for those services specifically because they are angels. There are angels within the classroom who can identify, you know, those students need support in a different way. And here we are to support and to provide that. Systemically, I know that I am someone who has the voice and who's often shied away from saying things, but it's necessary that I do say and speak up so that our kids get what they need., whether our kids are LD, autistic, have behavioral issues, or they're auditory learners, visual, tactile learners, they need specific learning strategies that are gonna work for them. And...

Mm-hmm.

I'm not ashamed to challenge the system that is already existing so that our kids can ultimately get what they need.

Yeah. And you say LD, that's learning disabled or learning disabilities. Yeah. I do think it's remarkable when you say it wasn't long into college that I understood why and how I learned differently. Because I will tell you, it wasn't until like midway through my 40s that I really kind of got a handle around how I worked.

Yes.

Yeah. No, seriously.

Like my operating system was a mystery to me until that point. And I think that's true for a lot of people.

I have to also point out there are a lot of environments that will lead you to believe that something is fundamentally wrong with you. And because you haven't either identified it or you haven't tapped into that level of confidence and self to understand this is who you are. There is beauty.

There is power in that. And here's how you're gonna soar,? there are institutions, It just takes that moment in time when you look up and you realize, wait a minute, I've tried other people's methods. And I realized that once I was able to sit back and realize, like, wait a minute.

There's actually nothing wrong with me. There's nothing wrong with me. I just learn differently. I operate differently and I take time to review and I need visual. There's nothing wrong with you. And I think that's beautiful part about adulthood that also can be very painful when you're going through that moment of discovery. when you're able to discover your uniqueness and how you actually individually contribute to the beauty that we see in the world.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Like that is monumental. And I think really part of what my work is about also, because I didn't have anybody guiding me through those moments. I saw it in my parents, which I don't wanna negate their efforts, but within the school system, I didn't have anybody to help me navigate and have the language around what does it actually mean to be unique in a space, right? I want them to understand as you are going through the journey, you're going to receive pushback. But what I also want you to understand is that you are special. you have a special gift that needs to be shown and someone needs to spread light to who you are. And if no one else sits there and they scream to them out on the tops and say like, oh, you're special, Because you have to understand your worth. Taylor Ratliff (28:57.088)

you are worth someone paying attention to. Because if by chance we miss that opportunity, then we're missing out on something great. I'm telling you. That's it. That's the whole message right there. That's why I do what I do. I don't care if it's Kim. I don't care if it's biology. I generally don't care if you have an interest in those. I wanna know, do you know your worth? That's it.

Mm. And yet you're focusing on STEM, with chocolate babies in STEM, and yeah.

I'm focusing on STEM. if we were to be honest, there's a lack of representation of Black folks in the STEM profession. When you think about the individuals that are going into STEM majors within college, it can be very few. And so when you think about what is causing those gaps within education,

It's definitely related to lack of representation, lack of inspiration within our primary years, If we're going to sit up and teach,about Newton's law, you're talking about all these old white scientists, the truth of the matter is you're going to lose our kids. They're not going to find an interest. What they need would be project-based.

a project-based understanding of the world around them. How is what I'm learning in class going to affect my community? How can I take what I'm learning right here in these four walls of the school and really make my community better, right? Like we have to make this material applicable to their everyday lives. And I find that a lot of our curriculum is not geared towards that. And so part of why I do what I do

is to inspire those who can inspire the next generation of folks to go into the sciences as well, and who also can ultimately be better than me., I want you to be better than me. I want you to be better physicians than what we have now. I want you to be better chemists than what we have now, physicists. I want you to discover the next whatever. I want you to be that. And you just don't, see that within our...

community as we see it now.

Yeah, and what a waste.

, there are many ways in which we can be effective and cause that level of change. But I would also say that I have a responsibility to do at this level. I'm very passionate to do it at this level, K through 12 work, but it's my responsibility to speak out about it and provide resources.

Mm-hmm.

What are your big dreams for your role as an entrepreneur and founder?

Listen, here's the truth. I'm letting you into the inner core of my thinking. Like late at night, 2 a.m., I'm up thinking, wow, wouldn't this be wonderful if, right? if I could honestly think, you know, Chocolate Babies and STEM is a consulting firm that focuses on allowing black and brown children to.

Yeah.

within STEM courses and that also has a focus on special education, right? I can imagine going from school to school, providing this level of consulting support, allowing our teachers to see a broader lens as to how they could be more effective in the classroom. But then also I'm letting you in on a huge dream right now. I see myself developing multiple science centers

that can partner with different schools, school districts within New York, Jersey, and across the states, so our students can allow ourselves, or allow the kids rather, to have that hands-on science experience,? So when we think about STEM, I'm also thinking about ways in which they could also gain college credit by being a part of these experiences. My mind just blows up because, I see too often that our students don't get the hands-on experience that they need in order to be successful. And...

to possibly even gauge that level of excitement within the content area. So I wanna create that experience for them. I want them to have the opportunity to go up to the center on a Saturday, on a Sunday and say, hey, I don't understand these concepts, but I'm gonna dive into this analytical chem lab that'll help me understand this concept holistically. I want them to have access. And that's the biggest thing.. It's not limited to black and brown kids, but I also wanted to provide an opportunity for them to know that this is a program that is promoting who they are within this field in particular.

Mm-hmm.

Also, I see them partnering with the staff that are also there within this center to provide them with the tools necessary and even to go to post-secondary opportunities. I have a lot of visions and I have a lot of dreams. Dreams are dead without works. so I work consistently on ways in which I can become betterand to be a better advocate and educator for my kids. So.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Who's advocating for you?

advocating for me? It's a wonderful question. Can I say a silly answer? I would-

You can take any answer.

I would say my parents. it's very strange, you know, the role of a child versus a parent, like it adapts over the years, but there's still the same consistent love. And when I think about an advocate for me, it's always someone who's gonna have my back, who's gonna vouch for me, give me feedback when necessary, when I'm not necessarily being my best self.

I see my parents being that advocate and being that role model for me. I'm going along this journey. I've started the consulting firm and they're just, they're cheerleaders. They're on the side. They're like, go, go. They do your thing,

And we're all that for you too now. You are an uplifter and our community of uplifters is, I hope you can feel all of these heart centered folks.

I appreciate it.

I definitely feel it.

We're so lucky to have you teaching and teaching our children how to learn. My daughter thinks she's a chemist now. Maybe, maybe not. But she's a learner. And her standards are very high now for teachers. They're all very disappointing when they're not asking questions. And that's it.

Mm-hmm.

She is!

No, she is!

But then again, it's like, what is a chemist? What is a chemist? I asked them, I asked them.

Exactly. And shouldn't we all have high expectations? Yeah, yeah.

Right, right. You're right, you're right, you're right. And to make their experience better. We're served, I think when we take our eyes off of the idea that we're servant leaders, then we lose sight of the mission as educators. we're here to serve.

What do you mean by that?

You know, as an authentic, 100% all in educator, it's gonna require you to be transparent as a person. It's gonna require you to put 100% effort in. It's gonna require you to move beyond the expectations of the four walls of the classroom. If you understand who you are as an educator, you have to understand that I'm more than just

teaching content. I am a safe adult that the kids trust.

Do we truly care holistically about the child or is it just about the number? Is it just about the test score?

The kids need to know that they're safe to make mistakes. They need to know that they're safe enough to grow and learn in a way that may not be conventional to us as adults. You know, every generation is new, but they want to know that they have a space to just learn and grow.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

And as they're learning and growing, that we're going to accept them no matter what. I think that's the biggest takeaway.

I mean isn't that what we all want? That's love.

That's what we all want. That's just love. That's just pure unadulterated love. Like no strings attached. You show up how you show up.

Yeah.

and nothing feels better than to truly love and be loved.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

And you get to do that every day because you choose to lead with love.

Mm-hmm. That's it. That's it. That's the that's the best method. Honestly, I forget numbers, forget other demographics. Like, listen, I want to know who you are as an individual and I just want to love you for you. That's it. That's it.

Thank you, Taylor.

Thank you so much, I appreciate you.

Am I supposed to call you Miss Ratliff?

You can call me Taylor, is different, this is a different, this is a different relationship.Aransas Savas (46:15.406)

I appreciate who you are in the world. I appreciate.

how what you're doing, again, micro-macro, it affects my life in a really profound way. if I allow myself to see what would happen in the world if there hundreds of thousands of children running around who felt loved and seen and accepted what that would mean for the entire planet. What would that mean for the entire planet?

Yeah.

What would it look like if someone were to accept you and I? Like, no strings attached, you know, just embrace who we were and what we had to offer.

What a world we would live in, honestly. I'm still hopeful. that's a little secret I have too. The pureness that comes with children.

It's happening. That's all we know. It is happening.

These kids just look at you for who you are. They say, no, I accept Miss Ralliff because what I know is that I'm going to get respect and love every time.

That's it, I'm not perfect. They also know I'm not perfect, right? But she says that upfront. So, I love that. Their pure love is just unmatched, it's priceless. You can't get that anywhere.

just as children need mentors in that way of being, so do we all. So thank you for mentoring us. Thank you for having me, honestly.

I hope I get to see you in person on May 17th. Yay!

You will, you definitely will. Aransas Savas (49:54.862)

My pleasure. For those of you listening, join Taylor and me and a host of other Uplifters in a room in New York City on May 17. It's going to be the most amazing day ever. It's going to be all these little sparks lighting each other up. And I'm going to cry again if I keep talking about it. So I'll just see you there.

be there, be square, right? Is that what they say? Oh.

Yay. Yeah. Be there and be square. We'll accept you. Exactly.