Heather Willis Explains How Student Affairs Shapes Campus Life

College doesn’t feel like a community by accident. It takes people behind the scenes who obsess over the details, fight for student leadership opportunities, and turn “a campus” into a place students actually belong.

We sit down with Heather Willis, Assistant Director for Engagement at Case Western Reserve University, to talk about the real work of student affairs and student engagement. Heather walks us through how student organizations are supported, how big traditions like homecoming get built, and why school spirit is especially tricky at a high-achieving research university where students are laser-focused on academics. If you’ve ever wondered what student activities and leadership staff do all day, she makes it practical and human.

We also go off-script in the best way: Cleveland life, Playhouse Square, trying “younger people” activities and feeling it the next day, plus hobbies that keep you sane like board games, fantasy reading, and learning pickleball. Heather shares what it was like working with Fiddy on the university spirit committee, what makes collaboration click with campus partners, and why throwback weekends can teach students the history of where they are.

Before we wrap up, Heather plugs LEAP (Linking Employment Abilities and Potential), an organization supporting adults with disabilities across Cleveland through advocacy, independent living skills, and community activities. Listen, share it with someone who cares about higher education, student leadership, or campus culture, and if you enjoy the show, subscribe, leave a review, and send this to a friend.

All music brought to you by former guest of the show Speedo

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Transcript

Welcome And Guest Tease

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Welcome everybody to another episode of the Ride Home Rants Podcast. This is, as always, your host, Mike Fono. I have a great guest for us today. She comes to us all the way from Case Western Reserves University up in Cleveland, and that is Heather Willis joins the show. Heather, thank you for joining.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

Yeah, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 5:09

No problem at all. So tell us a little bit about yourself, Heather, you know, where you're from, where you grew up, you know, and stuff like that, and high schools and whatnot, and how you got to where you're at.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Sure. My name's Heather Willis, as you said. I am originally from Newburn, North Carolina, which means, of course, I have to shout out all the fun facts. It is the birthplace of Pepsi. So always get into arguments about which is better Pepsi or Coke. The answer is Pepsi. It's also home to the world's largest Harris Theater, which is a grocery store. And it is home to Nicholas Sparks. So lots of fun things happening in that town. So that's where I grew up for high school. I ended up going to a public boarding school, which is called the North Carolina School of Science and Math. Go Go Unis. Our mascot was the unicorns, very original there. So I went there for junior, senior year. And I think that's really where my interest in higher education and working in more like advocacy spaces started. I ended up then going to a college in Wilson, North Carolina called Barton College for four years. Um, had lots of different jobs and leadership roles in that. That ultimately led to my interest in going into higher education, which then led me to uh Kent State University where I got my master's in higher education and student affairs. While I was doing that program, I was a graduate assistant at Case Western Reserve in their uh residence-like department. So I worked as a an as an ARCD, so a community director basically. So I got to live in the residence halls, work with the students, supervise some RAs, and then I ended up liking it so much I decided to stay there full time, just in a different office, the Office of Student Activities and Leadership, which is all about like planning programs and supervising students. So it's kind of a very quick summary of how I got to where I'm at.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

Hey, no worries at all. That's that's definitely interesting. I didn't know that about uh Pepsi being in North Carolina. That's that's and you said Nicholas Sparks.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

Yes, Nicholas Sparks uh lives there. He interestingly, he he founded a school, like a it's I don't I don't know if it's K through 12 school, but he founded a school at the Epiphany School of Global Studies, and that's where my dad actually teaches. And my mom worked there in fundraising for a couple years, so she's actually gotten to meet him several times and get get some funding there. So we have interesting ties to Nicholas Parks.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

That's awesome. Hey, however, you can get it right when you get somebody like that in there. But you are currently working at Case Western Reserves, I believe you're in the student affairs office out there. So, what exactly do you do there at CACE?

SPEAKER_00 7:57

Yeah, so under the division of student affairs, my office is the Office of Student Activities and Leadership. My title specifically is assistant director for engagement, because we love long titles and higher ed. And so what we do is we oversee the majority of student organizations on campus, uh, which includes some of your bigger ones, like the student government, class officer collective is the student group that I advise, and they're all about planning programs for each class. So first year, second year, junior, senior, and some of the big traditional events on campus, like homecoming and Hudson Relays. So we oversee a lot of student groups and we do risk management for them, and then we do a lot of event planning. So a lot of your big traditions, we either plan fully or we'll assist with. And school spirit, of course, is a big one. I chair the University Spirit Committee, which is where I got to meet meet Johnny, who's an awesome individual, and so we're all about promoting school spirit on campus as well.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

That sounds like right up Johnny's alley. Uh, knowing him for as long as I have, known him from our days at Bethany College, way back when uh when we were enrolled there as students. And I mean, this man has more energy than anybody I know. And if there's one thing I know, he he he gives everything 152 of whatever he has that he dives into.

SPEAKER_00 9:25

Um it was such a big loss when when we lost him from that committee. Uh I'm missing.

Favorite Cleveland Spots And Activities

SPEAKER_01 9:31

Um I can say this. I mean, he's been helping me out with this show now for uh we're on season six, and he's come in about a quarter of the way through the first season, so almost six years now. And I wake up at 5 a.m. to a text message from him already about the show and stuff that we got going on, and he's already working that early in the morning. And just I wish I could bottle his energy and sell it. I'd make a killing, we would I would never have to work again when we get to that. And but with your job there, it has you in Cleveland right now. What are some of your favorite things to do in Cleveland? There's someone who's frequent did uh Cleveland a lot doing comedy and everything like that. So I'm familiar with the area. So, what are kind of some of your favorite things to do up in Cleveland?

SPEAKER_00 10:21

Oh, that's a good question. Um, I don't often have a whole lot of free time because I actually work another part-time job most days, so I don't get out a whole lot. Some of my favorites, though, I've gotten to go down to to Playhouse Square, that was great. Got to see six the musical. Definitely one of my favorite experiences in Cleveland for sure. Aside from that, my staff recently just went to this place called Activate. I don't know if you've ever been there.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

I've heard of it, but I've I don't know what it is.

SPEAKER_00 10:53

It's like you go into they have a ton of different rooms, and some there's one that's like a laser room. You're trying to avoid the lasers, and each round it gets progressively harder. There's like a trivia basketball room. There, it's uh there are so many things that they do in that space, it's so cool. Definitely want to go back there again because that was a really cool experience. It was really interesting though. I think it's designed for people who are a little bit younger than than my staff is because we were all hurting by the end of our hour with how how wild it was. But oh yeah, I that was really fun.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

I I get it with the the young activities. I still feel like I'm in my 20s and I'm not. Uh I'm closer to 40 than I am into 20.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

And you know, I I I recently got to to feel my age, I guess we'll say, in that my me and my son decided we wanted to just wrestle around and horse around in the backyard. I mean, he's been wanting to get into mixed martial arts and everything like that too as well. And as somebody who has a martial arts background, I've been trying to teach him on my own, yeah, and stuff like that, jump some stuff. So we've been we we just started wrestling around in the backyard. I I could not move the next day. Um I mean, my son's not little for anybody that's listened to the show, but for the new listeners out there, my son is he's 16, he is six foot one, 220 pounds, and he's he's he's a big boy, and he's he's a lot stronger than I give him credit for. The next day at work, everybody was just getting on me like, Why are you walking so slowly? I was like, I'm feeling my age a little bit, and I told him what happened, everybody got a big kick out of it because that's just I'm it's the first time in a long time it's like, yeah, I'm 37, I shouldn't be doing this anymore.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

Yeah, that's so funny. Yeah, I I think I have the opposite problem. I am in my 20s, but I don't feel like it. I feel more in the 30s at this point.

Getting Older And Staying Active

Board Games Reading And Pickleball

SPEAKER_01 13:04

I I I've told everyone because you know, everyone that I not everyone, but most of the people that I work with are right out of college that you know for my day job. So they're they're young, they're able to move around, they're they're they got a lot of energy, and they're just like, oh, it couldn't have been that bad. I'm like, I'm telling you, man, when you hit 30, that check engine light comes on in your body and it just doesn't turn off. Like that's that's where I'm at with that. So yeah, that that that was the first real experience in a long time. And it's like, man, I'm it it's I'm starting to feel my age, and you know, seeing the gray hairs and the beard and the hair is not fun. Because I again I still feel like I'm in my twelve. I feel like honestly, like this is again, I'm gonna show my age, and like when people were like, Oh yeah, time goes faster than you think, and you're like, Oh no, it doesn't, it it really doesn't. I still feel like I just graduated college like last week and I graduated in 2012. So, like, that's yeah, it's it's been that long, and so I you know, just enjoy everything and enjoy the time when you can move around because it doesn't last for long. But with that being said, I know you know work takes up a lot of your time as it does with mine too. So, what's some of your hobbies that you like to do in your like in your spare time if you have any outside of work?

SPEAKER_00 14:24

Yeah, I would say my biggest one is playing board games. I all of my friends know I am a an avid board gamer. I have the app board game geek downloaded on my vlog every time I play. I absolutely love playing board games, card games too, but most of the time, board games. We have some friends coming over tonight who are gonna be playing, so very excited about that. Yeah, it's a really fun time. If you have any board game rides, let me know. Aside from that, lots of reading when I can. Again, that's one of those if you have time before it, you have time, if you don't, you don't. But I love love to read, especially more of your like fantasy type type books there. So those are probably my two biggest hobbies. I recently got into pickleball trying to pick that one up because that was an interesting time I had recently with my brother. I went and played pickleball for the first time with two tennis coaches and someone who was in a pickleball league. And then there was myself who had never played before. And I like to think that I did well, but comparatively, it was so it was not the same, same skill level that that they displayed there, but that was a really fun time. So trying to get into pickleball as well.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

What what did you think of pickleball, like in general, what with with playing and not having played? My sister and brother-in-law play all the time. I see it on Instagram and that because I don't live anywhere near them. And she's always ranting and raving about how much she loves pickleball. And my my sister wasn't as much of an athlete growing up as I was. So to see her getting into a sport, like what did you think of pickleball? You know, just something trying to pick it up.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

And yeah, I I loved it. I don't love tennis. Well, tennis is interesting, I'm not good at tennis at all, but it is very entertaining when I play. So for that reason, I enjoy it sometimes. Pickleball I found to be much easier, so especially just like learning it for the first time. Uh, so I definitely really, really enjoyed that. Now, granted, I played volleyball for many years in high school and and middle school growing up, so it I think volleyball kind of translated really well to pickleball in a in an interesting way. So I think for that reason it was probably a little bit easier for me than a true true beginner, but I really, really enjoyed it. I thought it was yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:59

I I I wanted to try it, but like I I my schedule just hasn't really allowed me. But like, because my like I I keep going back, like, well, if my sister can do it, like I definitely could do it. Like, I was I was an athlete growing up. I mean, from I started sports from the time I was eight years old and started swimming then and went all the way through my sophomore year of college and swimming and you know, basketball, baseball, football. Like, so I was always doing something, like, so I feel like I could probably pick it up, but it's always one of those things, like, yeah, but I don't know much about it, and I'm one of those people that I'm I'm super competitive. I'm I'm a very like, no matter what it is, like my like my wife used to yell at me all the time, like when I would play video games with my son, and she'd be like, Well, why don't you let him win? I'm like, because dad doesn't lose. That that's that's rule number one.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

First off, my dad was the same way, so I get that.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

It's just like, and plus, it's not gonna teach him anything if I just let him win, so he's gonna have to earn it if he's coming coming for me for anything. I mean, even like just we we've tried family game nights, but then we realized that both my wife and I are super competitive. Like we would both love to play board games like like you were talking about, like you like to do, because we love board games ourselves, but it always ends in like a heated argument because we're both just super competitive and we both hate losing. So it it just ends that way. But yeah, like it's just it's something that you know I I I think I'm gonna have to just break down and give it a try and and and see what happens because I I hear everybody ranting and raving about it. So and I think that it's becoming a professional league now, pickleball. Like I think I saw that on ESPN uh a couple months ago, that there's now like a professional pickleball league, which I never thought was gonna happen.

SPEAKER_00 18:54

Yeah, that's that's not too surprising. I've seen a lot of like recreational leagues in Cleveland that are like specifically geared towards all types of players, so if you've never played before or if you're super skilled, so that could be something to look into. There are lots of those, I think, in the area.

Working With Johnny On Spirit

SPEAKER_01 19:11

Yeah, absolutely. You did mention it a little bit that you were the chairwoman of the spirit committee at case and that you got to work with Johnny. What was it like working with Fitty? Because again, like I said, I know the I've known the man forever, but I always love to give everybody's take on what it was like working with him, and if you have any good Johnny stories.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

Oh my gosh. So when I met him, well, I don't remember the first time I met him, but I remember his first meeting that he came to the spirit committee because it's it can sometimes our meetings are Fridays at 10 a.m. on Zoom, so it can sometimes be a challenge to get people in the mood to talk a lot. I didn't ever had an issue with John, not even a little bit. That's one of the things I always appreciated was at the very least I knew someone would be chiming in to give me their opinions on whatever we were chatting about. So it I loved working with him. If any if we ever needed any anyone to volunteer or any like ideas or anything, he would always throw himself out there. He always just had such good ideas, however realistic they were. He was never afraid to throw those out. So I really, really liked working with him. He always brought the energy to our meetings and our events. Ugh, I was so sad the day he left.

SPEAKER_01 20:36

It seems to be a general consensus of anybody that's worked with Johnny. Uh, is that they're like we just we we loved him, and when he left the the group or whatever it was, they were like, we just we didn't know what to do because now we had to find somebody to replace that energy. I was like, it's gonna take like three people to replace that energy, for sure. My w my wife, she she loves Johnny, but like there's times when she's just like, Yeah, tell your work husband I said hi, because I think he talks to you more than I more than I do sometimes. Like, I yeah, we we talk all the time, like it's just like anytime my phone dings, she's like, Is that Pitty? Like, yeah, yeah, it's Betty. And like, it's just it's I I love the man to death. He he's come on. I didn't even ask him. He he asked to come on and help out with the show and couldn't have been happier. And I I didn't think he was gonna hit the ground running the way he did to help the show out, and I'm we're super happy to have him. But I I still remember the first time I met him, I didn't know his name was Johnny. It was in it was in college, and he'd always introduced himself to everybody as Fitty. So that was kind of like that, and then we had a class, and the professor was just taking roll call, and she said Johnny Falcone, and I was like, Who the hell is Johnny Falcone? She was just and he was like, Yeah, and I was like, No, that's Fitty, like that's not Johnny, like I don't know, like I didn't know his actual name for the longest time because I've always I always called him Finney. And yeah, and we we got to know each other at Bethany, both being athletes and being at the the rec center and the sports complex at Bethany, and he was so I I never saw somebody so interested in my sport and swimming for somebody who didn't know anything about it, really. Um, he knew enough about it to have hold a conversation, but he wanted to learn. Like, did you notice that with the spirit committee? Was he always like eager to find out other things and learn more about that committee to to help out in any way?

SPEAKER_00 22:46

Oh, yeah, 100%. Yeah, he always wanted to wanted to help out know more about anything, any of the events, even if it was just like my office was doing it rather than the whole spirit committee, he was always invested in what everybody was doing for sure.

SPEAKER_01 23:00

Yeah, he's he's that's just that's just how he is, and that's that's all I've ever known from him. So with that being said, with both of you being up there at uh he's at Baldwin's now right now, I believe now. Yeah, he yeah, he's not a case anymore. But with both of you being formerly from there, you know, like we've heard Johnny's take on why people should use Case Western. Why should another student, in your opinion, choose Case Western?

SPEAKER_00 23:28

Oh, that's a great, great question. I think the big draw for Case Western Reserve is that it is a very prestigious research institution. I think they just announced just this past week that they uh they were ranked the number one fastest growing research institution. I don't remember in what specific area, but there it's it's a great, great opportunity for students who are interested in research or just want to go to an institution that has really high-level thinking classes. It's about as close as you can get to an Ivy League without being in Ivy League, I would say. So I would definitely for say for that reason, I could see why students should choose Case Western Reserve. That and also the area, just being in Cleveland. Case Western Reserve specifically is in located in the number one arts district or one of the top arts districts in the country. So it's a great area culturally, and Cleveland just offers so many opportunities. So definitely would say for that for those reasons, what I would choose Case Western Reserve.

Working With Athletics And Colleagues

SPEAKER_01 24:34

Yeah, we've had a lot of people on from Case. We'd love to get to talk to everybody in every different department up there, and especially with Johnny working there previously. So yeah, we we I'd love to give everybody's different perspective. We've actually had on TJ Shelton and Steve Furlow on the show. What's it like working with those guys? We've we've gotten the Johnny now. I need to know some about the the former guests of the show.

SPEAKER_00 24:59

Yes, two other great, great people I love to work with. TJ, so T yeah, TJ's a director of athletics. He is just, but you wouldn't know it. You would think a director of athletics is just this person who you know is sitting in an office all day, who's really, really busy, doesn't have time for other people other than maybe the athletes, but that's not TJ. TJ is always out in the community, he's always wanting to support people's events and have conversations on how we can collaborate, even if your office doesn't necessarily have the most to do with athletics. I I absolutely love working with TJ, and I think he's a really, really great person to have at CWRU. Steve, Steve is like my right hand person on this paper committee. I love Steve. Anytime I'm like wrestling with a challenge, I'll just go sit in Steve's office and just kind of like throw stuff at him and get his thoughts. He's so high energy. He if if you don't know what to say, Steve, Steve will. Steve will fill the silence. He's a great conversationalist and a great friend to other other people. And he loves to like just highlight the good work other people are doing. That's one of my favorite things about him is how much he loves to recognize other people. Oh, he's he's such a great person.

SPEAKER_01 26:21

Yeah, Steve, when he was on the show, I didn't even realize how long the show had how long we had been talking. And then I looked up at the clock, I was like, wow, we're out of time. Like it was it was that kind of conversation where like he just sucked you in and sucked me into the to the conversation. I was invested in every single word he was saying. Yeah, and like you said, it was a great conversation to the point where like I I Obviously for the show, you know, I have some type of script that I like to try to follow and stay on task with. And I think I maybe asked him one question from that script, and then it was just out the window, and we just went off onto a conversation. And I love love that about him.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

Yeah.

Building D3 School Spirit Traditions

SPEAKER_01 27:06

And then yeah, it was just like sitting down and BSing with a buddy at a bar and just having a couple of drinks and getting to sit and talk with him, which was an which was an awesome conversation. TJ Shelton, same, same thing. You know, I've had him on the show a couple of different times with a couple of our sports rounds tables that we do to get his opinion. And somebody who works directly in athletics. We love having him on. Every time he's on, it's it's it's great to have him on. But yeah, again, just two guys that it was that they brought the energy to the show where normally I'm bringing the energy as a comedian. Like that's kind of my my mantra, and I kind of love to bring the energy and be that kind of life of the party if I can. But yeah, those two took the kick, and I was so happy that they did and so happy to have them on and love hearing good things from about them. I always try to stay in touch with any any former guest of the show. So we will we will obviously be staying in touch together. So just to forewarn you now, neither whether that's through fitting or whatever, I will be checking in and and seeing how everything's going for you because I love again like TJ and Steve. I just love to see people succeed. And and it that's part of why we want to have people on the show, is so that we can highlight them. And we definitely I like to highlight you guys and everyone there at case because Johnny and just being up there and knowing how you guys are. So that's that's awesome that those guys are still that way. Well, and no, and never fails somebody calls me right in the middle. But yeah, so any good like with TJ being in athletics and you being like on a spirit committee, do you like do you two get to work a little close more closely together with like the athletics and trying to coordinate stuff with that with them?

SPEAKER_00 28:52

Yeah, occasionally. I first met TJ when I was forming the spirit committee because I know he had been involved with it prior to when I joined the or when I got into this position. So we kind of pretty quickly met and started chatting a little bit about you know ways to increase school spirit, increase attendance at the athletic events. Case Western Reserve is a D3 institution, and all of our students are so focused on academics that we don't often have the best attendance at athletic events. So we'll occasionally kind of get together and chat about you know different different things we can do to increase uh attendance. We mostly chat when it become when it comes to our like bigger athletic events that revolve around traditional events, too. So, for example, these past couple years, we've been celebrating our bicentennial at Case Western Reserve. So we have what's called throwback weekend where the the basketball teams they'll dress up in the old jerseys because we used to be three different institutions that then merged into one. So the men's team will wear the Western Reserve Redcats jerseys, and the women will wear the the yellow Mather College jerseys that weekend. And so we've we've been working with him more to plan like a big pep rally leading up to that and do lots of giveaways during the games to really like amp up that school spirit. So those are typically the times when we we get together the most, is when we've got some events we can also throw at these athletic games too.

SPEAKER_01 30:29

That's awesome, and I think a lot of people, whether they're sports fans or not, love those like throwback games and like even just seeing the old jerseys and everything like that, because then you get to know a little bit more of the history of where you're at, too, as well. So I think it it gets both sides of the coin for that, where you pique people's interest and you get them out to a great event and a sporting event.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

Yeah, I absolutely agree. I think that's that's one of the most unique things about Case Western Reserve is that history of being several different institutions that a lot of our students still don't even know. So we're really trying to to make sure that they, yes, of course, celebrate where we are today, but not to forget where we started, because it's a really cool, really cool history we have.

SPEAKER_01 31:16

Yeah, I I I loved it at Bethany College when they would do those games, whether it be in basketball or football or baseball or anything. And they they they had those throwback jerseys on. And being somebody when I was at Bethany College, I was the you know, sports director, so I got to announce all the home sporting events for the radio out there. And just I you would never see the stadiums more packed than when it was on throwback weekend, uh, when they were doing that, and it's just it's an awesome experience, and it made the games that much more fun to me to one get to call the game and get to see everything from a little different bird's eye view being up in the press box, and also just just being there while that game was happening and getting it it like brought you into a different time. One of the games I remember when I was there, and I I got to call it is Bethany College football, way way back in the heyday, actually played Ohio State in football and won. That was that was the other big thing in that Bethany College. The one time they played Ohio State, they were actually able to beat them in football, and they wore those jerseys, and they kept talking about that during the game and that. And I had a lot of talking points that I had to get on on the radio, and like you were learning while being entertained at the same time, is what I loved about those games.

SPEAKER_00 32:47

Yeah, that we had something very similar this past year at our throwback games because we were playing NYU, which is a significantly you know better school at this year, anyways, than we were. So we weren't expected to win, but I just I think it was the energy and just how many people there were there, we we did not beat them. But for both teams, we were within like 10 points of in this final score, which was again much better than I think we had expected to do. And so I do think a lot of that is contributed to to just how high the energy was that we don't usually see there.

Career Goals And Financial Reality

SPEAKER_01 33:26

Yeah, and that that was the the other thing, and like everybody was invested in the games, like they weren't just there just to be there because it was a special weekend and a special game, like everybody was there and like getting involved in and in the game and were was cheering and you know just being being rowed like you would at a at a sporting event, and I think the players can feel that. Obviously, as somebody who's who's been on fields and has been in the pack stadiums, you feel that energy from them, and it and it it helps you perform uh just that much better to to make it an even better game in in general. But with you being at case, you know, you've been there a little while. So, what do you think the next steps in your life journey is? Do you think you'll stay at case long term, or is it more of like that stepping stone for what you're wanting to do in life?

SPEAKER_00 34:22

That's a great question that I have not figured out the answer to yet. It's that's so tough because I I love my job, I love what I do, I love the people I get to work with, but just where we're at and in the economy and just things going on, things are not the best financially. I work two jobs, you know. And uh while I love both jobs that I work at, ultimately I would love to not be doing that. So while I don't necessarily want to leave Case Western Reserve anytime soon, always looking for potentially some other opportunities. I'm one who likes to move around, I don't necessarily like staying in the same place for a super long period of time. So it really just depends on what presents itself. But I do really enjoy working in the higher education area, specifically in more like advocacy spaces, which is why I originally went into higher education to begin with. And that's not really where my position has taken me at the moment. So if I were to guess where I would go next, it would probably be going back to more of an advocacy-centered uh officer space.

SPEAKER_01 35:39

Okay. I can I can respect that. Obviously, I get that. I I technically work three jobs. I have a day job that I do, you know, basically every day, 48 to 55 hours a week. I also do stand-up comedy. I've been doing that for 13 years, and I run this this podcast now, obviously. If you've gave me the choice, you know what I mean? Like I wouldn't be doing three things, I would be able to focus on one. So I get that with being busy in that, but I think that's all a part of the journey that we we set for ourselves and that sucks right now, but at the at the end with the bow, which a lot of people can't see that light at the end of the tunnel, it all will pay off with all the hard work that everybody puts in.

SPEAKER_00 36:28

100%.

SPEAKER_01 36:31

So that is awesome. You know, good for you because there's not a lot of people that I know and that I've talked to that I know you said you were you were still in your 20s that would work two jobs and to to make it work. So kudos to you for that. That's that's a very I don't want to say old school mindset, but it's it's a very old school mindset, and I appreciate that. And and that anybody that has that kind of attitude that they're gonna do whatever it takes to get to where they want to be. And that those are people I like love to surround myself with.

SPEAKER_00 37:05

Yeah, for sure. It's it's definitely a lot of work, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end.

Fast Fitty Five Rapid Fire

SPEAKER_01 37:11

Sucks in the short term, pays off in the long term, is what I always say. So that being said, Heather, we are running down here near the end of this episode here. I do have to get this one segment in, and as somebody who knows Johnny, you'll appreciate this segment here. And I know you've listened to a couple of shows, so but it is the fast fitty five. Five random questions from the wonderful manager of the podcast, Johnny Fitti Falcone. He sent these to me literally two minutes before you got on this Zoom call here. So we're gonna read these together and we're going to get it for the new listeners out there. This is kind of rapid fire, but Heather, you can elaborate if you need to. So if you are ready, we'll go ahead and get started.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

I'm ready.

SPEAKER_01 37:54

All righty. Question number one dishwasher microwave stove. If you had to eliminate one, which one would it be?

SPEAKER_00 38:02

Oh my gosh, microwave. 100%.

SPEAKER_01 38:05

Microwave for me for sure.

SPEAKER_00 38:06

I don't I will never get rid of a dishwasher.

SPEAKER_01 38:08

Oh, absolutely. I wish I had one. Question number two Would you rather have a pet duck or a pet rabbit?

SPEAKER_00 38:17

Oh, pet duck. I've had a pet rabbit, I don't ever want one again.

SPEAKER_01 38:22

My wife keeps talking like she wants a duck, and I keep telling her no. It's just I know I'm gonna come home to one day where we're gonna have a duck. Question number three: if you could have dinner with one famous person, who would you pick?

SPEAKER_00 38:37

Oh, one famous person, probably oh, either Julie Andrews or Dick Van Dyke. Those two have been two of my favorite celebrities since I was a child. So probably one of those two.

SPEAKER_01 38:49

Wow, that's was not expecting that from anybody. Honestly, that those are two great choices, but yeah, it was just that that went through me for a little bit of a loop there. I'm not mad at it. Question number four if you only could have one of these for a week, which would you pick? Electricity or hot water? I don't think I read that correctly. Hold on. If you only could have one of these for a week, which would you pick? Electricity or hot water? I don't know what that means, Fiddy.

SPEAKER_00 39:24

So yeah, that that's a tough one. They're both things that I like. I would probably choose electricity because I could then just boil water if I really needed hot water.

SPEAKER_01 39:43

I I don't I I I don't understand the question, and if I'm being honest with myself, but I I I have to choose electricity because, like you said, yeah, you could always just boil water. Yeah. And question number five: what is an overrated board game, in your opinion? Oh, he he's cutting you deep on this one.

SPEAKER_00 40:03

Uh, an overrated board game. Oh, that's tough. I feel like there are there are so many. I'll go with the most obvious answer, I guess, which is Settlers of Caetan or Catan, however people prefer to say it. I do like that board game, but I would say it is quite a bit overrated. There are so many other strategy board games that are a lot better than that one. So that would probably be my answer.

SPEAKER_01 40:34

Okay, I've never heard of it, so I'm gonna take your word on that one. For me, it's Monopoly.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

It's every time I I love Monopoly.

SPEAKER_01 40:43

I love it, I love it too, but like it's to the point where we're talking about being competitive of like that game, and it just it takes forever to play with anybody, and yeah, it's just it always ends in fights. Every time I've played with anybody, it always ends in some type of some type of argument, but but that makes it fun, I think. I guess, yeah. I mean, and they've they've had so many spin-offs of it, like with all the different characters and that. So I think it's getting a little overhyped in my personal opinion. But anybody wants to know my real opinion on that. I we did have a show based off of just games and board games and card games. We have like a 10-minute segment where I just go on a rant about Monopoly and how much that that game infuriates me. So if you want to hear my true thoughts, go back and check out that previous episode. That's Heather. That was the Fast Pity Five. I mean, he he took it easy on you up until that last question. I think I he knows you with your board games, and he had to get that dig in there, I think. Knowing Johnny.

SPEAKER_00 41:50

No, that was that was a tough. I was prepared to answer my favorite. I was not prepared to answer overrated.

SPEAKER_01 41:55

Overrated, yeah. What is your favorite board game?

SPEAKER_00 41:58

I would say worm span. It's a Stonemeyer games board game, it's a it's a big strategy game, it's a spin-off of Wingspan, which is that game's about birds. Worm span spelled with the Y, it's about dragons. It's a really cool, like kind of an engine building game. I would highly recommend, but it does take two to three hours to play.

SPEAKER_01 42:20

Okay, yeah. I mean, again, another game I've never heard of. I thought I knew games until now. I'm now talking to you, and I don't I think I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_00 42:31

I only I play weird games.

LEAP Disability Services Plug And Farewell

SPEAKER_01 42:33

Hey, I'm with it. I'm always for learning new things. I am going to look those two games up when we're done with the show, just so you're aware. But that is the Fast 85. And Heather, I do give every guest this opportunity. Like I said, we are running down near the end of the episode here. Um, if there's anything you want to get out there, whether it's about case or what you got going on, or even if it's just a good message, I'm gonna give you about a minute and the floor is yours.

SPEAKER_00 43:00

All right. Well, so the other job that I work at, I do need to plug. It's it's called Bleep. It stands for linking employment abilities and potential. It is an organization that works with adults with disabilities all throughout Cleveland. So they do a lot of things from advocacy to independent living skills training, peer support, nursing home transition services, and then community education and activities, which is where uh my role falls in. I'm one of the activities coordinators. So every Monday I meet a group at a mall to just walk for an hour. Tuesdays we'll do things like fun and games or bowling. Thursdays, we're doing arts, video games, and it changes up all the time. So if you're an adult with disabilities in Cleveland and you uh want to get involved or do any recreational activities, I definitely recommend checking out Leap because it's a really, really cool organization. So that is my plan.

SPEAKER_01 43:59

Absolutely. Oh, I love it when people can get something out there, especially for something like that. That sounds like that's a great cause and something I will be looking into when I'm next time I'm in the Cleveland area for sure, and offering a hand up there when I can for you because that's just phenomenal to do something like that.

SPEAKER_00 44:18

Yeah, they're really cool people.

SPEAKER_01 44:20

Yeah, absolutely. And with that being said, that is going to do it for this week's episode of the Ride Home Rants Podcast. I want to thank my guest, Heather Willis, for joining. It's a lot of fun to get to talk to you and learn a little bit more about you and everything that you got going on. And as always, if you enjoyed the show, be a friend, tell a friend. If you didn't, tell them anyways, they might like it just because you didn't. That's gonna do it for me, and I will see y'all next week.