And now the 419 with Gretchen de Bakker.

Matt.

Kill em and Kevin Mullen.

Welcome in to the 419, powered by wget and presented by retro.

Well, that's.

Oh, that scared me.

Yeah, right.

Yeah.

That's a way to start.

It is.

Yeah.

I mean, if you did not know, you can start listening or watching the show, you know now.

That's right.

Brought to you by seasonal Allergies.

I'm Kevin Malone alongside Gretchen Debacker, and I'm Matt Killam.

Yeah.

And by Killam, you mean with kindness.

Thank you.

I was going to say also with seasonal allergies.

Sure.

We got it's, surprise guest, my surprise guest.

Very excited.

All right.

I've already seen them sneak in.

You saw her?

Was.

I did not I did not identify them.

I can identify them by their purse sitting over there.

Hint it's a woman.

That that didn't solve that for me fully yet.

There's a possibility it could have been a mask.

That's true.

The man man's carryall.

Yep.

Cereal?

Yeah, that could happen.

Hey, did you guys see, in the news?

US open is coming to Toledo.

2045.

So this is maybe the furthest out and maybe the most excited I've seen for someone for an announcement that is so far away.

I saw the mayor posted it.

He was in New York.

He went and traveled, to to hear the announcement.

And I always look at the social media stuff, and there were something like 400 shares of his post.

It went crazy.

People are so excited.

It is a it is it legitimately it is a very big deal.

But it is a very long time away.

And in a world where we're becoming increasingly like instant gratification.

Yeah.

To say like, hey, you're going to wait.

I was holding that sneeze for 30 minutes.

There you go.

Isn't it possible that someone not born yet would be competing in that?

Up and that.

That's an interesting thing to say.

Yeah.

That's interesting.

I mean, I guess you could have a 19 year old.

Yeah.

That's competing in the US.

Look at me.

Some interesting.

How old are you going to be?

Dead.

Okay.

That's near zero.

Yeah.

I would be 75 years old.

Okay.

So probably won't be going.

Yeah.

Well, there's the seniors.

Sure.

True.

They're probably a discounted price for you.

Yeah.

That's true.

How will you be?

All right, so, 63.

Okay.

That, I don't know.

Okay.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I so I was like, all right.

How old am I now?

Which is bad.

20 years.

Okay.

And then subtract one.

That's how I get there.

I still don't have it.

That drives my.

It drives my daughter crazy when I try and do math that way.

And I'm like, oh, well, that 19 is close to 20.

My mom does that with percentage off.

Like when you're somewhere, you're like, this is 25% off and social or whatever.

And then she'll just do it's 20 and then just add like another dollars.

Yeah or something.

No, no.

So it's I mean it's the 10%.

Yeah.

So he's moved the decimal point.

Yeah.

And then cut that in half.

Now what's your point?

Well, that's a whole different story.

All right.

So it's your surprise guest.

Yes.

It's my.

Let's get this.

Some really have a purpose.

I don't know why people tune into this for math lessons.

No they don't.

Thankfully.

Yeah.

We would not have anything to teach them.

Oh, I could do that.

This person is a woman.

Okay.

She is in her own right.

A very, I believe, a very well known, very well respected Toledo one.

But her family is also a sort of an iconic Toledo family.

I've asked her to come on the show multiple times.

I'm so happy that today it has worked out.

To a more hints.

Nope.

I would like some, like, actual hints.

She deals with money and she will be very good at math.

Okay.

I know who it is.

And at one point, she identified Chris Peterson and Mark Foley as the two Toledo.

And she admired the most.

So we're not going to go we're not going to take we're not going to take offense to that today.

Well, it's you know what?

Maybe she just hasn't met us and gotten to know us well enough yet.

I think she knows me.

Okay.

Yeah.

I think I know who it is.

Okay.

Well, she's had trouble getting in this chair.

We'll find out when we come back.

Yeah.

All right.

On the other side of the break, on the 419.

Support for the 419 comes from Whetro Wealth Management, where we understand that your financial path is personal.

Advisory services are offered through capital investment advisory services LLC, securities offered through Capital Investment Group member Finra, SIPC.

More information at whetroadvisors.com The 419, powered by WGTE is made possible in part by supporters like you.

Thank you.

Welcome back into the 419, a mystery guest edition, where it's Gretchen's surprise guest today, and she dropped a couple of hints that I think Matt had it figured out.

I had a pretty good idea.

And it turns out all of us were right.

Yes.

So welcome to the show, Rita.

Thank you.

Mansoor.

Thank you so much.

My pleasure.

Welcome on the show.

I've asked you how many times for I was.

Stop counting.

Yes.

I just run out of excuses.

And she almost had me here yesterday.

I did.

I sent her a reminder and said yesterday.

Well, that's not that's not right.

I know how to do this.

And she's like, isn't it Thursday?

I mean whatever day.

And I was like, yep, but that's your getting better every day.

Not knowing.

And if anyone shows up she just goes home.

So Gretchen in her intro said, you know, obviously, you know, well known in your own right, but family, you know, well known as well.

If somebody is not familiar with the family, how would they know you guys?

Unless your favorite from top to bottom, not doing that.

Okay.

Yeah, I can list them for you.

Yeah.

No.

How would they know my family?

Probably my my parents.

I think, you know, they my parents are immigrants.

They made roots in Toledo and, you know, everyplace they could have gone in this country, they came here.

And I think that's because they're proud of the community.

And what it has to offer.

And they wanted to raise a family here.

they wanted to be part of a community, I think, where we could assimilate, but also have, our cultural roots, intact, celebrating the duality of, your heritage and also being American.

How did the house work in that capacity?

Other than your fabulous sister who's art?

Well, she she's a naturalized citizen.

I mean, I think it worked well that my parents definitely wanted us to be proud Americans.

And we all are.

My dad will tell you we are American by chance.

Yeah.

Chance.

And he's American by choice.

God bless him.

He's 97 years old.

And, taught us a lot of life lessons.

We're very fortunate.

But I think, you know, we took advantage of every opportunity here in the United States.

And I think, you know, that's somewhat, I think, a gift and blessing to us that other Americans don't necessarily recognize.

Absolutely.

Dad was a physician in when he came to the United States.

Or did he go to medical school here in the United States?

No, he did his undergrad here.

He, volunteered to be part of the, Korean War.

So as part of the GI Bill, he was able to get his medical school paid for.

He started in Paris at the Sorbonne, and then all of a sudden the United States said, you can't go there, you can go to Brussels.

So, I mean, my dad actually taught himself French to go to medical school and then wanted to come back to the United States.

Yeah.

He was a busboy in the D.C.

area.

Well, now I have a relatable.

Now, now?

Yeah.

Could you share something with the guys who were bus or bus boys?

Right.

Yeah.

Our pastor just did a senator call you to his office?

I don't this is the best story.

So you have to tell this story about your dad.

So he's working as a busboy in a restaurant in D.C.?

Yeah.

And, some guy leaves a big tip, and my dad thought it was a mistake.

Like, the guy forgot his money.

So you ran after him, and it turns out that he was a senator.

Not that not a nice guy.

So let's just leave that up.

Right.

But he did help my dad.

So he said to my dad, no, son, that is a tip.

What are you doing here?

My dad explained, and then he said, why don't you come and see me in my office?

And he explain to him what the GI Bill was?

And so my dad signed up and, participated and participated, but served in the Korean War.

How about that?

We're talking with Rita mansoor, Gretchen's surprise guest.

I, I see you everywhere.

I feel like any community event.

You are there.

You two basketball games.

You are there.

I don't really know anything else about you other than anywhere I look.

Anytime I'm in a room that I want to be in, you're in the room first.

But tell me, like, trying to block you.

What is like, what is a 9 to 5, look like for you?

How would you know?

We talked about how people may know your family, but how would people know you?

My.

You're too modest to answer some of these questions.

I know, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Right.

I am proud of my community.

I feel it's important to, participate, give back.

So I'm involved in the community.

I, have my own wealth management practice.

As part of a greater company, McDonald partners.

We're based out of Cleveland.

We started that company 20 years ago.

So we also, as a company, try to contribute, in any way we can.

I don't know.

I mean, I've been here all my life.

Yes.

The community portion of it, also installed by your folks volunteering.

I have your face can touch a little bit about that, like it's you have a 9 to 5 job, but then there's a community that you're in.

Well, I don't know if it's 9 to 5.

Yes, that would be.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, that would be a part time job.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think I kind of learned about giving back through my mom.

I remember, being a child.

Sorry.

Watching my mom go door to door collecting for Easter Seals of March.

March times.

Right?

Yeah.

And then when I was younger, I'm like, hey, mom, they're doing this thing called Unicef.

Remember those orange boxes?

Yeah, sure.

I want to do that.

She said, okay, let's do that.

And, I don't know.

I just, got that feeling that she must have gotten.

Plus, you had to pay for your sisters first.

Yes.

Of course.

That's it.

Those don't pay for themselves.

Yes.

Right.

What are some of the organizations that you you spend the most time with?

These days, the Toledo Museum of Art.

The Arts Commission, the Greater Toledo Community Foundation.

The Ohio Arts Council, and, you know, just wherever I can help out.

There's a theme here.

So talk to me about arts and culture to you.

I like them.

Yes.

Give us that next question.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So again, you're being very modest.

I don't know why you're you're doing this because you have I don't know, I'm doing this to say about the arts organizations you serve on the board of the Toledo Museum of Art, board of trustees.

You serve on the board of the To the Community Foundation.

And you're, I think, in a mayor to member of the Arts Commission, which means basically, you're a member for the rest of your life.

They won't we won't let you leave, ever.

For the Arts Commission.

But your commitment and your dedication to those organizations is goes well beyond just trying to help out wherever we can.

Rit Why am I being admonished?

Yeah.

So, but the.

You guys, I'm Matt.

Why do you.

Hey, we didn't we didn't we didn't plan it, and I actually I participated if.

Yeah.

You if anyone who's ever been lucky enough to be invited into your home or to your office also knows you live in town.

I've heard of, that you have an impeccable, art collection that you you have local artists, you have regional artists, national artists displayed and beautifully in your home and and in your office.

Why is why are those spaces so important to you to be show that artwork?

Well, first, you you might.

I don't know that.

I call it a collection.

Especially because you gave me half of it, right?

That's right.

Well, I mean, little scribbles.

Yeah, but I'm sitting right here.

I don't want you to walk out there.

Yeah.

No kidding.

Yeah.

Why?

I, I don't know, I feel like art, helps people calm down.

I mean, I actually there are studies that show for people's mental health that, art does help.

So, I think I like things that are esthetically pleasing.

Typically.

That's why we're friends.

I know exactly what you're all the up.

Yeah.

And I like color.

I think color makes me feel good.

Other like today, that's.

I think any you can say.

Yes.

That is a color.

It is a color.

Is it sort of.

Guys don't fight on the show.

Does it?

What are you excited about?

Serving as a as a member of the Toledo Museum of Art board.

About all the stuff that's going on about the, the the reassertion of everything.

It must be exciting time to be a member because they're very exciting.

I think.

Adam, Adam Levine is a tremendous leader.

I mean, you've had him on the show.

He's very innovative.

I'm encouraged by his innovation.

Not just here locally, but on the international front.

We are getting so much attention, which is great because it provides opportunities for us to do things that maybe we may not have had opportunities to do.

The reinstallation of the museum is going to be tremendous.

Although it is disruptive, it's brave to do that.

It's very brave.

But the board supported him.

I mean, there was no real pushback.

Yeah.

So I think that says a lot for his leadership.

Yeah.

And the museum is free.

Yeah.

So it's amazing how many museums are free.

And so that that means anybody should come in and, feel welcome to come in.

I mean, you you for a living.

Manage finances and advise people on making good financial decisions that would not be described as a good financial decision is to have a world class museum, and you don't charge people to get in.

Well, unless you can cover it.

Right.

And so the, community here is very generous.

And, you know, right now we're in the middle of a, raising some funds quietly.

Don't tell anyone, but if you have any, let me know.

And so I think that allows.

So when you have an endowment that's pretty healthy, it allows people to come in for free.

Yeah.

And I think that says a lot for the community.

It goes back to, you know, where we live.

Do you have an moment for art?

Did you grow up?

Did you paint?

Did you.

Were there art classes that you took?

Oh yeah.

Do you make do you ever make you?

So one of the things that I hated about the museum was when I was little, we lived, in Old Orchard, and the bus used to go down the street, right across the street from our house.

So on Saturdays, my mom would have me go out.

I was the only one.

I think that did it.

Yeah.

Go out, get on the bus.

I was the middle child.

So you had to occupy.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I would go down to the museum, and I hated it because I am not good at art.

Oh, yeah.

And I watched these people create beautiful things.

But, yeah, you come home with something.

And what would your mom say?

Oh, you're going to go next.

This is your sister.

My sister n more snacks.

Go get it.

Both sisters.

We did.

We did that flip, though.

From from you going in the museum and hating that visit to now saying I want to.

I'm going to give of time, talent and treasure to serve this institution.

So, ironically, I do remember it.

It was at, we used to do that, glass event, the I wish I could remember it.

Don't tell Mark, but we got glass bottles.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Gretchen.

You're younger.

Yes.

And there was this glass.

You know, that I wanted, and I. You know, I was young, in my 30s.

Sure.

We're just going with it.

It.

Can grow.

Go on and I was digging deep in my pocket.

I'm like, how am I going to afford this?

Yeah, and I bet on it.

And I got it, and I still have it, isn't it?

Excuse me.

It didn't break.

And I was worried that Sue Rogers was gonna break.

Know which is.

Which is terrifying.

Any time.

Right.

I'm going to need everyone to designed our whole set.

We're turning around for people that are listening.

We're turning around and looking at a picture of Sue Rogers that's on our bookshelf.

She designed our set for us.

Oh, yeah.

It's beautiful.

Yeah.

So I remember that was the moment, and I got it.

And then I'm like, oh, and I have to pay for this.

Yeah, but but that was my moment where that bus was taking you, to school.

What did you go to school over?

Oh, no, the bus didn't take me to school, but I mean, I walked to school.

Yeah.

You were in a little doll, as was I. Yes.

Yes, yes.

And then where did you where was your education's path?

Notre Dame academy.

Notre Dame academy.

And all three girls went there?

No.

Where did they go to build this?

Oh, I didn't know that.

So you're also the one that went to Notre Dame.

Pedigree different.

I can see it now.

On which which one of you is the snobby one?

This in this wretched.

If it wasn't the French one.

Yeah.

Kevin.

Be nice.

I sit behind you.

Oh, I know, I know.

It's so interesting to me.

Matt has asked some other guests this question, but people that have.

And I think you're one of these people that have, both sides of your brain developed, if you will, because you deal with math and figures and money and planning during the day.

And yet you have this flair, if you will, for art, color, design and all of the things.

And there's not that many people that have both things at the same time.

Well, that's a huge compliment.

So was coming from Gretchen, so I don't know.

That's true, but she's very sweet.

Yes.

I think it's an outlet.

Yeah, I do so.

And I enjoy it.

I enjoy the Metroparks, too.

Don't worry.

Yeah, and the library.

Every time anyone says anything other than Metroparks, we just edited out and played Metroparks in my voice.

Don't fret.

It's like the metro parks.

Like the late night TV shows on Super Bowl Sunday, right?

When it's like, hey, congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs.

We just dove in.

Whatever you say.

We have the Metro parks over top of it.

As you walk through, Toledo in your wheel, sort of blazing your own path, your family, your faith.

It always a part of it.

What were some of those steps in the Game Academy?

What was a joyous experience?

Made a lot of friends stuck with you and obviously, again, what's the duality of that?

Well, I think it it provided insight to me that, in my opinion, all religions are the same.

I, that's what I learned because I had to take, religion class as a class.

So most people that weren't there, like Gretchen, probably were just snoozing.

She's like, I know this, but I actually had to take the test and pass it.

And so in doing so, I recognize that it's all the same.

I had the exact same experience.

I went from Devo to Central.

Okay.

And we had to take religion, and almost everyone else in our class was getting, like, over 100%.

And I had to study that, which I didn't, but they were like, yeah, man, we've been learning this since we were like six years old.

And I was like, well, this is a new sport.

Who were some of the teachers that you had that you still, you know, have have fond memories of?

We'll, we'll stay on that on that side of the line.

Okay.

Well, first I would start with, the who was the principal and president, sister Carol, urban dancer.

She's a rock star.

Yeah.

Sister Dolores was one of my teachers.

She was excellent.

She actually was my religion teacher.

What year were you there?

Seriously?

Sorry.

We don't ask these questions, Gretchen.

I graduated 88.

So you were there before you.

We weren't there at the same time.

I graduated in 1983.

Okay, well, that's not that bad.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, you'll still make it to the US open, probably.

No.

Yeah, I already did the math.

I will be 81.

Oh, is it?

Just gave it up.

That's right.

No no no no, we can't do math.

Also, no one can do that other math.

So no one knows if you're fine.

And then you went on from Notre Dame.

You went on to the University of Toledo.

Yes.

And you have your degree in what?

I don't know.

Yeah, I know of business, marketing and finance, although I spent three years in pre-med.

Did your debt.

I was just going to ask you, did your dad want any of you guys to become doctors?

All of you.

I made a mistake in the fifth or sixth grade and said I wanted to be a doctor because my sister Linda was a lawyer, and I was like, okay, what else is hard?

Yeah, I want to be the doctor.

Yeah.

What else is hard and better than Linda?

Not better.

Just.

Ha.

Yeah.

You know, because we're, again, immigrant families, doctors, lawyers, engineers.

That's that's that's it.

That's your ticket.

Yeah.

And so I, I spent three years, you know, I followed my dad around.

I went with him to, his rounds.

All this.

I worked in his office.

He overpaid me.

But don't tell him.

No.

I think what changed my mind.

Well, you didn't ask me that, but.

Yeah.

What did?

A couple things, but one, I went to this autopsy.

Yeah, and it was fine.

They had the guy's guts out his heart this that.

They were putting it all back in.

And then they peeled the skin to his face to prevent.

And.

Yeah, okay, I'll do it.

And then I also was sitting in organic chemistry lab, and at some point, I just had this flashback of my mom and my lemonade stand that I tell people this all the time.

And I thought, since she and I made all this money at the lemonade stand, and I think it was like 8 or 9 or something, and I ran in the house and said, mom, look at all this money I made.

And she said, that's not all your money.

And I said, what do you mean?

And in her accent, she said, mama, this is not out of your money.

You have to pay for the lemonade for the cups.

This is called profit.

And that's when I was like, oh.

And I was like, I was fascinated by that.

And it came back to me and I thought, you know, I really, I think I'd like to make more profit.

Yeah.

Tell me more about this profit.

That's so interesting.

So my dad, what did you teach from out of the business immediately?

No, my mom.

Never.

Chairman of the board.

Yeah.

This man.

So.

So what happened when you told your dad that you were going to change over?

Oh, well, I was fiscally responsible, so I immediately dropped all my classes immediately because I don't want them to lose the money.

But I didn't think it through.

And we.

I lived at home, so I got home and my brothers were sitting at the table.

My sisters were long gone, and they were looking at me sneering in a way, and I thought, what the heck's going on?

And then the check was in my plate for dinner, and my dad said, you want to explain what's going on?

I'm like, oh my God, they already know.

I don't want to be a doctor.

Why don't you want to be a doctor?

I want to be in business.

What are you going to do in business?

And lemonade, I think she's yeah, actually, that would have been a good idea.

Yeah, yeah.

We're talking with Rita mansoor.

Gretchen's surprise guest.

We'll take a quick break.

When I come back, I want to talk more about that journey from lemonade stand to where we are today, and kind of how you went from Bancroft to, Monroe Street, the art museum and all the other great things you're doing.

So we'll do that in the inside of the break here on the 419.

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Welcome back into the 419 powered by ZTE.

We're talking to Rita mansoor, Gretchen's surprise guest.

You were telling the story before the break about kind of that that conversation with family about I want to go into business.

And dad didn't fully understand.

What are you going to do in business?

What was that journey for you to, to go from, you know, that dining room table conversation to, you know, McDonald partners where you are today?

To be honest, I didn't know what I was going to do.

I just knew I pretended, you know, fake it to make it.

That's not a good thing to do.

I don't look at these three faces.

We total.

But I figured it out over time.

I was like, okay, get the degree.

I knew I was probably going to be in finance somewhere.

Yeah.

And actually, my dad said he going to be an accountant.

I said no for sure.

Yeah.

Not my thing.

Is that because you.

I hate the risk of making you feel very uncomfortable with the amount of flattery you've already received, which you're handling.

Well, is that because the relationship portion of it is so important to you?

You don't handle my vast wealth?

Because as far as you know, it's difficult for me to get it out of the card.

My grandmother gave me.

But, you know, I have always, been drawn to you.

I you I believe us to have a real friendship.

And you a caretaker.

There's a natural comfort I felt with you right away.

Is that part of, the thing that an encounter.

You're like.

No, thank you.

I don't want to just do spreadsheets.

I want to talk to the people I wish I was that, altruistic.

Sure.

I think I wanted to make a lot of money.

Yeah, well, that's also beneficial, but.

But the reason is I wanted to be able to control my own destiny.

Yeah, I wanted to.

I did want to help people.

So there's kind of like I concluded at the end, I want to help people.

I don't want to punch a clock.

95 I want to be able to give back.

Yeah.

And have a little bit more control over my destiny.

Oh, I think I could do this.

I want to be a financial advisor.

And so therefore, I pursued that and I was able to get a job.

And here I am.

Obviously this is based on, the personal nature of, of your work.

I'm not asking for any specificity in this, but was there an moment that you're like, okay, this is working, I'm doing it.

Again, the moment I started to interview for it.

Oh, great.

I was like, this.

This feels like my vibe.

This feels right.

I want to kill this.

Yeah, yeah.

Good for you.

How long were you doing it?

Before you had your own agency?

Or firm?

I don't know what you call it.

Yeah, not an agency.

Yeah.

That's okay.

Yeah.

You're a lawyer?

Yeah.

I think about this.

I wanted to respond to Gretchen with everything.

With that, like.

It's okay.

You're a lawyer.

Yeah.

You know how lawyers are.

Yeah, yeah.

That's right, yes, I do.

And anything she gets wrong, even stuff she gets right.

Yeah.

But she does it.

Like if you could.

Yeah I know, no one knows.

Let's see I worked I'm going to age myself for very large firms.

So I started with Cher something.

Manhattan.

Yeah.

You remember that?

Yeah.

Of course.

When E.F.

Hutton speaks, what happens?

Yeah.

You listen.

Okay.

Yeah.

There's one.

Yeah.

He's too.

Yeah I got nothing.

Yeah.

No, that's the age he was also he was also the product of lawyers.

Right.

Yeah.

So the television right.

Yeah.

So yeah I remember the commercials.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So my, my parents loved me and read to me.

So yeah.

Yeah.

I don't know what that's about.

Tell me more about the weird.

Yeah.

So I started at large firms.

And so I would say probably 15 years with large firms and then or maybe a little bit less and then we started our, the McDonald partners firm, 20 years ago.

Wow.

Yeah.

So we've already talked a, a bit about immigration and your upbringing.

Do you want to talk a little bit about some other challenges to overcome?

Not being tall enough to ride rides, not willing enough to give blood, not be able to get it out of this chair by yourself?

Being adult of your diminutive nature, size.

How do you get the day?

Is that why you like the women's basketball team?

All right, you're going to pick on me.

No.

I'm not.

I'm changing the subject because, we can talk about women's.

Yeah, we can't.

Because, I mean, you sit directly behind me at the, women's games, throw things at them.

No.

Okay.

I've had them on the field.

What?

What was your introduction to women's basketball?

Have you always been a fan, or was it, you know, I mean, was it the cultural change?

Yeah, Gretchen was part of it.

Tricia had asked some of us to be mentors.

She was a mentor.

Way ahead of me because she's a trail blazer, right.

But, like me, one of the basketball players was in pre-med and shifted to business.

And so, natural going.

Yeah, yeah.

So I and I really enjoy that piece of it because I think I get back more than I give.

Yeah.

But I do enjoy basketball.

I played it in grade school.

Same.

And in high school intramurals.

Yeah.

And I was scrappy getting to do that.

So we're a guard to the point guard.

Yes.

Yes sure.

But I, I enjoy it.

And actually, I want to make sure women are also represented there as well.

And, you know, I want to I feel like they should be paid equally.

Yeah.

I don't just feel it.

They should be.

Should be.

Right.

Yeah.

Right.

So anyway, that's part of my reason to participate.

And, you know, I'm a Toledo girl.

Yeah.

One of the players that you've mentored.

Sophia, we're wired.

I'm sorry.

Yeah.

And then, Dan Garcia, I was informed.

Yeah.

Informal.

Now I have Ella Weaver that we've we've.

Yeah.

Just great, great girls.

One of the one of my, the time period that I was able to get to know you was when I, we had lunch or something or.

No, I was having I had lunch with Chris Peterson and, and one of your favorite little ones, which is fine.

But she was leaving a week or so after that lunch, maybe ten days after that lunch, and she was going to be traveling with you and Rhonda, your sister, Rhonda Shropshire, to Jordan to on a mission trip with an organization called, Hearing Aid, which now called Hearing Aid.

And she was talking to me about it and was getting getting me excited about it.

And so we just reached out to you and said, Chris said, Gretchen wants to come to can she come?

And you said, yes.

And so I it wasn't my place to say yes, but I did anyway.

So I roomed with there were no rooms left.

All the accommodations were done.

I found a plane ticket, but I stayed with Chris and Riley in their room with her and joined this amazing trip and got to witness got got to go to Jordan and and Jerusalem and some other parts of the Middle East.

It was incredibly, incredibly, incredibly interesting and, rewarding.

But the interesting thing is this woman right here, she were in another country.

Half of us don't speak the language.

And so she and her sister Rhonda are just constantly going back and forth, managing the bus drivers, managing the hotel.

People everywhere were going back and forth between English and Arabic, running the whole thing, but in the sweetest, kindest way.

It was just such an amazing experience.

I would just watch what she was doing half the time we were there because it was so masterful.

The impact that up a little bit.

What?

Yes.

What it's about, that was a very that was a very long winded question, but it was, your with your sister have and some others from another state have your sister as an audiologist have founded this organization called Here Aid.

Can you tell us about that.

Right.

Actually, is it still called that?

Yes.

Okay.

Rhonda founded hearing aid, as a result of her wanting to give back to, not just the international community, but the local community.

So here it is, a nonprofit that provides, hearing assistance, which comes in the form of hearing aids, typically, for those who can't afford to get them themselves.

Hearing aids are very expensive.

Yes.

So here in Toledo, if somebody can't afford a hearing aid, Rhonda will dispense them.

Rhonda in her 501 C3 and, the only stipulation is that they have to give back to the community somehow.

And then, rooted in our, you know, parents and where they came from, my mom being a refugee, losing her home, or, you know, her father, her brother, we wanted to get to where we came from.

And so we go to the Middle East quite a bit.

The West Bank, and to Jordan, primarily, and give hearing aids to people who will never be able to afford them.

And they're typically for children so that they can get back to school, because in most countries where these children have disabilities, they get left behind.

Yeah.

And it's not just it's most countries because they don't have programs like we have here.

And so it just changes the trajectory of what happens to them.

They're able to get back to school.

We got to primarily go to refugee camps.

Hopefully they can get an education and get out of the refugee camp, right, and change that whole.

But and it's also a deliverable for safety.

If you can't hear what's going on, you're not participating.

And I've seen some videos online of, you know, kids getting a hearing aid and hearing for the first time, hearing smile, they call it, oh yeah, we got to see it firsthand.

Yeah, yeah.

It's amazing.

If, if the the risk of putting you on the spot to what are some of the common misconceptions of the Middle East, we're like your average American.

You made mention of something.

I think you and Mel articulated that a lot of faiths are more alike than they are different.

But as you're walking around hearing or just taking in the ether of everyday America, what are some of the things that there's a misconception.

Well, you know them better than I do because I'm an idiot and no because maybe you naturally have misconceptions.

Not that I know of, but that you may have had because you heard it through the media.

Because it's, you know, what's been told to you.

Misconceptions are that, you know, we're terrorists.

We, disrupters, hate mongers.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So, I mean, you know what they are, and it's absolutely untrue.

If you think about what's happened to the Palestinian people, you can look at them.

They're not hateful.

They're when you see the videos of them, they talk about their belief and faith in God that God's going to get them through it.

Most of us would have left 100%.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

But their determination to stay there and keep their families there and be rooted in a country that was Palestine, it was there.

Did you still have family members there?

Yeah.

And we we had the opportunity on the trip to go to into a family home, my aunt's house.

Yes.

How rude was Gretchen?

That's when she was actually very good.

She helped with the dishes.

Yeah, I did, yeah, I did do that.

Good for you, Gretchen.

Thank you.

You're an attorney?

Yeah, yeah.

So, I mean, charity, philanthropy is such a big part of your community reputation.

What's the commercial you would give to, somebody who's, you know, just starting their career?

Just thinking about, you know, how they they fit into this community.

How they find their thing and why they should, you know, give until it hurts to the Metroparks specifically.

Let me scratch my head.

Yeah.

Come on, lady, I love the metave You know that?

I think it's if you're going to be a full person and you want to be, feel the texture of the community where you live, you have to give back.

Because I think it helps you understand, people philosophy.

It helps you understand yourself.

I think, Kevin.

So your question, you have to participate where your heart feels like it's right.

So, like when I've been on boards and you see people that are there, you can tell they're there because they want something.

Yeah.

Don't be that person.

Yeah.

You know, align yourself there.

We have plenty of nonprofits and community.

There's going to be something that you can do.

And if you don't have money, give your time.

That's what I was going to give your talent.

I mean, you know, people say that talent treasure time, but it's really true.

You need it all.

And that is something that I've gotten the good fortune to meet.

Many parts of your family.

And the financial portion of it is of real value.

And it's truly not just statement, but showing up is an immense value, and your entire family shows up.

And I don't I'm sure that's something you're very proud of.

Even Darren shows up.

What's something that you do that's just really dumb?

Like, if you're not friends, if you're not, that would probably be.

If you're not working or volunteering your time or whatever, and you just have.

What's the downtime?

This is a great question.

It's something that like, you don't want anybody to know that you actually know.

What do you stream?

What dumb thing do you watch on TV?

Two things.

Okay, yeah, I've been streaming lately.

Like I liked to get to my bedroom a little bit earlier and watch something.

Why'd you walk like that?

Is it something like Love Island level, or is it?

Well, right now I'm watching industry or.

Sort of make sense, right?

Yeah.

It does.

Some of the things I'm like, Yeah.

Weird.

Yeah.

Weird.

Yeah, yeah.

What's the other thing you said?

Two things.

Well, the other thing is.

Yeah, that stuff happens.

Yeah.

All right.

Like, because you remember, I'm older, right?

Yeah.

Do you remember that you're older.

I do still, I still do.

Can I, can I ask it at the risk of putting you on the spot?

The first thing before I'd actually met you, I had, like, heard people talk about you and the way people say your name is very intentional, and so you're not real.

It's a good question.

You are a writer.

I've only returned because I grew up.

Remember?

My parents are immigrants.

They have accents.

And they said the t. That's the way I heard it.

That's the way I said back to my best friend calls me Rita.

So it's you have to say what's comfortable for you.

And I can tell when people are uncomfortable.

Oh, so you want us just to say it like Rita?

That's fine then.

But yeah, yeah, yeah, I do that because I like it the other way.

No, I think I think I think you live your life with intentionality, and I want to say your name with intentionality.

So I don't have a problem with me being uncomfortable saying, Rita, I've never I've never asked that question.

Yeah.

That's interesting.

A lot of people write.

It's now time for Gretchen's wacky quiz.

I'm going to ask you for rapid fire questions.

Gretchen's asking for your favorite thing in the region, and Matt is going to walk you through nine words to describe Toledo.

We'll do it.

We got to get the spot.

Yeah.

Gretchen should have sent this to you.

She said she forgot to study.

I was I was working, All right, well, this is not as hard as med school.

Yeah, okay, here we go.

Our finance, organic chemistry.

What is the one?

Food.

You never understood why other people liked pork.

Okay, that's a good one.

Way up there.

What's your favorite sounding word?

Mac?

Pork.

Oh.

My favorite.

I don't know.

That's three words.

That's a hard one.

My favorite sounding word is, Gretchen.

Okay, good.

I like it.

I like the word.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What movie do you love?

Wall Street.

I get good movie.

And then how would you rather spend your weekend on the beach?

Yeah.

What is your number one most favorite?

Or the thing that you would consider to be the best thing about the city of Toledo or the region people.

Okay.

All right, you and me.

Later, we're gonna close up.

Okay, so nine things that describe the city or region to put people, people first.

You're hot off the presses.

Number two.

Great, great.

Love it.

One.

Culture.

Culture.

She wasn't going to say.

Gretchen, stop my part of the story.

I'm sorry.

Innovation.

Innovation.

Love it.

The arts has got to be on there for it is arts.

What?

What?

That's almost home.

Oh.

You're checking?

This is my system, ma'am.

I've been going to the questions.

You said arts.

Yeah.

Can I add culture?

Yes.

You can.

Okay.

All right.

Got three left.

If you're capable of adding culture, can you add it to.

Man, I actually, interestingly can.

Okay.

That's right.

She's a wizard.

Yeah.

Wizardry.

Well, put that down.

For what have you got to left?

I said innovation, grit, community.

Intentionality is true.

Absolutely no one left to class.

Leaders.

Nice.

Which, of course, you are one of.

No, that wasn't the question I was telling you.

What's the next?

Oh, what's the next big event?

Big thing coming to Toledo that you're most excited?

No, the next big thing coming.

I'm really excited about the Arts commission's new space downtown.

Yeah, there's gonna be open houses coming up, right?

Yeah.

So where is it?

Where is it?

Right.

The building right across the street from the library on Adams Street.

Used to be a law firm.

It's going to be really cool.

It's a amazing new space.

Yeah, it's going to be able to do a lot of neat events and be in the mix.

Is going to be in that building this, this this year in May.

Well deserved.

Yeah.

Awesome Rita thank you.

So thank you for being here I'm Rita mansoor, our guest today Gretchen.

Nice job.

Nice job.

You, you are a lawyer.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Of choice.

That's all right.

When we come back on the other side of the break, we're going to be talking with Jessica molina from La Prensa.

One of the new hosts of the new show on the local thread.

We'll have that conversation when we come back.

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Welcome back into the 419, powered by ZTE.

There's great things happening.

And some new programs.

Not just the 419, but the local threads.

If you haven't seen it, you got to check it out.

The local threads, we're now joined by I already hurt Matt's feelings recover from Ikea.

Jessica from La Prensa.

Yes.

One of the hosts of the local thread.

We're talking about personal bubbles and personal space.

And, of course, we got tight confines here because there's a TV portion, to what we're doing.

And so, you guys had to get up in each other's bubbles pretty early.

I don't sit this close to my guests, so I so I'm recognizing that my personal bubble is being built.

Well, we don't have the mansion way out that you guys have all the time play out.

We just have a local friend, whatever the hell the show is.

So let's let's talk about what is the local thread.

So the local thread is a collaboration and La Prensa is a newspaper.

We serve northwest Ohio, southeast Michigan, and we like serving better.

You can.

Oh, you don't have to answer that.

Oh, you like that?

I have the wide range of it.

Yeah, but I would say me like the Michigan because of the distance from you.

Oh yeah.

Outside of my local school.

It was catching on.

You're never going to get over.

We're opening up a new Nova Scotia.

It's right.

Oh my gosh.

It's been such a joy.

Honestly, it's a 13 week endeavor.

What?

Yeah.

Is yours, like, forever?

Yeah.

Six.

It is.

Or so.

Well, that side of you guys.

Yeah.

You know, we do it.

We definitely go our time legitimately.

We as we were in the planning phases for this show.

Planning is also generous.

Okay.

So we're talking about it.

And then we is talking about their excitement for local threads and what they're going to do.

And we are equally excited about it.

And then we and then we heard that you guys do one day a week and rotate through and I'm like, wait a second.

And then they made us build your set.

Why did you build your own?

I guess because we actually don't have a set because versus you guys, we know you guys are in the podcast studio.

Yes we do have it's video in that there's like a video steering.

Right.

Yes.

It's very but they don't like film, the whole thing, you know, Chris will pull shorts from it.

So tell us a little bit about your involvement with La Prensa.

Do you were you working there first and then got asked to do the podcast?

How did you become acquainted with or become part of the show?

I find myself filling spaces, so I knew Linda.

I've known Linda for a while.

And I write articles for La Prensa, and I honestly, I think I was like her back up.

I would think I was like her second or third.

Yeah.

The first few people, like, could not commit.

So, it worked out for me.

And I think it worked out for Linda too, because it's it's been fun.

Have you ever done a show like this that before or interviewed people before other than obviously for your print?

No, not like that before.

But I'm a super organized person.

I think Linda is too.

Are you?

Well, I've got I'm gathering that from your dude all time.

Your page.

Yeah, yeah.

But, so we have to make some of that, I guess.

So we knew that we were going to have a process.

Like we were super intentional about brainstorming.

We we had a planning phase, right?

Where we're thinking about, like, who in the community could we invite?

There's so many people.

It's 13 weeks.

We're not going to get to everybody.

But, you know, hopefully we get another the local thread and we can have another season.

People ask us if we're going to they think we're going to run out of gas.

And I'm like, sure, they say the same thing to you, but there's no way.

I mean, there's so much people and time to say, right?

Yeah, yeah.

No, no, only it's only when or Northwest Ohio or something say we're going to run out of really in.

Right.

Like no way.

Once we start.

Like, we didn't even have to dig that far.

We had, can you imagine if we had the two people that Linda would have referred to you on the show today would have been great.

Oh, my gosh, it would have been better.

I would say it's somebody who's done, like, broadcast in, like, you're so offended, but so do you have any closer?

Well, that make you feel better?

I don't want to share.

You can't recover this can.

It's not a possible thing.

I had made the joke to people before about, like.

That's right.

You know, the, like the Mud Hens, like I announced for the mountains for years.

And so I, they would call me and I made the joke one time like, oh, everybody else you called said no.

And they agreed they were like, yeah, we've tried these other five people.

And I was like, yeah, right, you're our last resort.

And I was.

So I don't recommend you actually drive down that road because sometimes it doesn't lead to where you want.

I was the last resort and it's fine.

You worked out great.

It's been really fun.

I think if Linda could do it all over again, I think she would choose me.

Definitely.

So I think what's what's one of the stories that you've told that, that you were most excited about?

My gosh, there are so many.

The one that came to mind when we were talking about, like, digging a little bit deeper and finding people in the community.

Doctor, I, Andy Bonifacio, he's a professor at UT.

He, is from New York.

He immigrated to New York City, though, and he has just such a wonderful story that he told we as Latinos.

And maybe it happens in other cultures, too.

I think we get in the to this argument of like, who's more or less right, like, well, I immigrated here while I was born here, so you're Lassalle, I speak the language.

You don't.

So who's more or less.

And we really, tease that apart with doctor I, Andy Bonifacio.

And it was so good.

What does he teach at the university?

That's a great question.

I don't remember saying, but this is.

I mean, but like, we do that on our show, too, right?

Where we dive into, like, the, you know, I would say subculture, but like the, like the sub story, the second story for an individual and don't spend a whole lot of time like our conversation with Rita.

We didn't talk a whole lot about what she does for a living.

We spend all the time about what's important to her and what she loves.

I know that he's a historical literary in like he studies newspapers, is one of his things, which is really interesting.

But I don't know what is class, I do think, and just a slight commentary.

It is an interesting social example of no matter who you are, where you are, where you're from, no matter how much shared we do it, try to class each other even amongst ourselves, right?

Yeah.

I'm Greek and, I moved to Chicago and my partners are all Greek.

And the delineation between who was really Greek.

Yeah.

Just spoke it.

Yeah.

And those who didn't.

So it's like two speeches, right?

From Doctor Zeus, if you remember that book.

Those that had stars on their bellies were the superior class, halfway through the book.

Those that don't have the the superior, but we almost always want the up other people, even the ones that we are the closest.

It's a the unfortunate sign that we were maybe not that evolved in the species, but we're talking with Jessica molina from La Prensa.

What has has the local threads.

What is this program done for La Prensa?

You know, I think it's opened up the audience.

Right.

We don't typically serve, we're a newspaper.

We're out in the community.

A lot of, you know, you go through the South Side.

Any nonprofit, you'll see it everywhere.

But the viewers who are listening to the radio at 7 p.m., we might not be grabbing those listeners or those viewers.

And so our hope has been, you know, our people are in the news a lot right now, and maybe not always for the greatest reasons.

And so our hope has been, let's, broaden our viewership.

Let's be able to tell our stories significant the highs and the lows, the challenges, to that viewership.

But also like how you're saying, like also within the community, we're so diverse.

And that's okay.

And let's like embrace that about each other.

And so I think I'm thinking about we had one episode on mental health, for example, and oh dear Kevin, my co-host, our co-host Kevin, he opens the show by telling the therapist that he doesn't believe in mental health and my jaw just dropping, like, how are you saying that to the therapist right now?

But that's so true about our culture drift into flat earth or, it's almost entirely its own.

Gosh, yeah.

No kidding.

And you embrace that about her, right?

We don't know what to do with it.

Should they embrace it?

Yeah, they know journalism is in your background.

In your folks background.

How did you get to, who you are today?

To some extent, it's in my background.

Like I like to talk about.

I was the editor of my high school newspaper coeditor.

So, who was a better editor?

You were the other person.

Oh, she was so good.

We were a great team.

Where'd yo to high school?

Eastwood.

Okay, so it's in the area.

And then I've just always loved writing.

Okay, so I have a master's.

I did my thesis on a program here in Toledo, and I guess the Latino youth Summit.

Okay, out of the University of Toledo.

It was a programmatic evaluation.

So, like, how how well are they doing?

And I'm just always I always find myself writing for fun.

Yeah.

Do you do do you work for La Prensa as a, as a full time job, or do you have a, a day job that you also do?

I'm a consultant.

I'm an educational consultant.

So I pick up projects at different organizations.

School systems.

La Prensa is volunteer work.

So that's kind of what I mean when I'm filling in spaces.

So I was like, yeah, Linda, I'll help you out.

And then I did not realize that it would be the big project that it is today, I'm sure.

Why is why is that important to you?

Why is, you know, storytelling, storytelling within your community, important to where you.

I mean, you're volunteering.

Yeah.

It's important because, kind of like we were talking about before.

I think the acceptance of one another is really important, especially right now, because we are in the news.

You know, there isn't always a welcoming environment with its various populations.

I know you guys were just talking about, immigration and refugees with Rita, and, you know, that's that's like the highlight of what's in the media of our community right now.

And it's important to get out their stories.

We had a story of, a woman who traveled back to her home country because her mom had passed away, and she was in a certain part of her paperwork where she wasn't supposed to leave the country.

And she said, I'm going.

Your mom passed.

I did not go back.

And so she, almost lost her citizenship because of that.

But thankfully, she had an encounter with, a nice immigration officer who was able to help her through.

Unbelievable.

We're talking with Jessica molina from La Prensa and the local threads here on, do you know the URL where people can get the local threads.org/la Prensa?

Abla.

Awesome, right?

Prince of LA.

Thank you so much.

We appreciate you being on the program.

And when we come back, we will wrap up this Friday edition of the 419.

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Welcome back into the 419, powered by and presented by Retro Wealth Management.

Another exciting.

So great job with your guest.

Thank you so yes, Rita, I just admire her.

I admire her so much.

She's just a great Toledo.

And but I wanted to mention that you're using the Kroger's, thing that so many people say locally about Kroger, because it's not the threads, it's the thread.

Local thread.

Yes, I do like too much of that treatment.

I don't care what we call it.

The thread.

Local thread.

Local thread.

Yes.

Yeah I get I get s on the end of my name all the time.

And I tell people like get to know me and you'll know you don't want to.

You do not want to make that plural.

Of course, all of these programs are available on the new app as well.

You got to download that and check it out.

Chance to enjoy, all of this show, but also, our friends over at the local thread, thanks to Jessica molina from La Prensa for being on nothing.

You were just.

You shut up.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

When was the last time that you were really in somebody's bubble?

I don't know, yours.

It was actually just three minutes ago.

Yes, yes yes, yes.

All right.

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No, there's only one nine there.

All right.

Thank you so much to our guests.

And thanks to you for joining us here on the 419 powered by CTE, presented by Retro Wealth Management.

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