VTP: Elizabeth Strong

All right, Elizabeth Strong. Yes. Welcome to V the people. Thank you so much.

I'm so excited to be here with you. I'm excited that you're here. I have tons of questions because I actually did some research on you. Oh, OK.

Oh, I'm excited to see what you want. I also, the reason I think I found you, which sounds so weird, but I was looking on all kinds of Instagrams and trying to find people that I thought would make great guests. And we'll get into it later, but I want to give a little sneak peek that you actually got to introduce Vice President Kamala Harris. I did, yes.

One of the greatest honors of my lifetime, yes. You got to meet her. You got to meet her. I'm going to have you tell this right.

OK, if you're allowed. But yes. But in my research, I saw and I thought this was a great way to kick it off. You quoted one time that you say a fantastic life happens on purpose.

Yes. So when did you start to feel that way? Oh my gosh. Maybe the past 10 years or so?

I think that I kind of measure a lot of things by my son's age and what my son's doing. He's currently in college. But when he was in high school, I kind of started to have this feeling like, oh my gosh, I raised this little boy. I'm a mom of one.

So I have one son who has grown now. I won't tell you his age because then you'll try to calculate mine. But I have one grown son. And when he was in high school, I started to get worried about what I would do after he finished high school.

So I knew he was going to go to college. And I knew he was going to be great. And of course, his mom's always want our kids to be better than we are. So I just knew he was going to be great.

But I was like, oh my gosh, my whole life really kind of does revolve around him. So I started thinking about my life going forward. What my life is going to look like without his mom every single day. Without having to be on top of him every single day.

He's growing up. He's becoming a man. He's becoming independent. So I really started to think about life and what that looks like going forward.

And what I wanted to do and how I wanted to live. And how I wanted to be in the community. So I started there. OK.

I love that. And you've been a salon owner for 17 years. I have been a salon owner for a week. It's longer.

It's longer. Yes. So this is the beginning of March. I'm so excited.

This is my favorite month of the whole year. This is the month of my birthday. It is also the month of International Women's Day. And it is Women's History Month.

And it is also the anniversary of my business. My business will turn 23 years old this month. Oh my god. The internet is wrong.

23 years old. I know. I was like, we don't have to do a little Google update. You got to get on with the piece.

Yes. Congratulations. Thank you so much. So much of such an honor, such an incredible honor.

So what has that legacy meant to you as a business owner? Well, again, in my little kind of what is my life purpose? And you know, my know my passion in life is to make people, especially women, feel beautiful on the inside and out. That is just my passion.

And I feel like with my career in hair styling, hospitality, I have made people feel beautiful on the outside for so many years. The past 10 years, I've had this incredible opportunity of making people feel incredible on the inside as well. So I love the way that my Instagram handle is still at E strong beauty. But if you go on my page, you might take a little while because there's so many other things.

But I never want to forget that beauty is what started this all. That cosmetology is just kind of what started this whole thing. And it's just been just incredible journey to see how my salon life has kind of grown. And I do like a lot of community outreach and work with the community now.

So I think I get to live and leave. And this incredible legacy of making people feel beautiful, all over the Lehigh Valley. I've done New York Fashion Week too. So in New York City, making people feel beautiful.

I actually done Poonta kind of Fashion Week in the Dominican Republic. So I've got to make people feel beautiful all over the world. And now I get to make them feel beautiful on the inside too. Hell yeah.

Yeah, all right? So that would you think originally was calling to you as far as wanting to get into owning a salon? And was it that kind of? I'm so glad you asked that question.

So this is a really neat question. As part of my story is when I was in high school, I always felt like I wanted to own something. So I've had an entrepreneurial spirit my whole life long. Even my family when I was little, they said I was making businesses.

I was a waitress for the family. And then everyone had to pay us and tip us. I was trying to sell things. So I had this entrepreneurial spirit my whole life long.

So when I was in high school, after high school, I knew I either wanted to own a daycare or own beauty salon. Oh, interesting. I know, because I really love kids, I love children. So then I went to beauty school and got pregnant.

Now that is not how I thought that that was going to go down. Yes. So true story. That was a little surprise.

I got to do both who knew that I have a daycare in my house. All of a sudden. So yeah, so interesting part of my story. So I got pregnant and beauty school.

That was not the plan. So that was a little surprise, a little happy little pivot. Looking back now, I'm like, oh my gosh, it's just the way that God has a whole plan for your life because I love my story and I love that my son and I are kind of close in age. So I ended up being a young single mom for a very long time, which is a really big part of my story.

So I said my son and I, well, just one son. We are very, very, very close. But I think that's just a neat part of it. So I went to beauty school, got pregnant, and then just really felt like this was my dream to open my own salon.

So of course it was difficult because I had a little baby. And I was a young, struggling, single mom. But now that really plays a part of my story. That I ended up having, I would never want to encourage anyone to start too soon.

Had to start too soon. They're not ready. But in my case, it ended up being a success story. That's yours.

Did you go right from finishing school to starting your own business? Was there any in between? There was a thing between. So I went to high school and then beauty school.

And then there was about three years in between. Were you working for other people? I was working for other people. I was working for other people.

And I said, I always knew I wanted to open my own salon. And that's also a crazy story. It's kind of a long story. But the short story is I was working doing hair one day for a local business.

They're not in business anymore. But I was clocking about noon. I did one client. And I went to the parking lot to get something.

And I fell and broke my foot. Oh, God. I know. I fell and broke my foot.

And it was awful. It was terrible. So now I've got a little boy. And I'm a broken foot.

So of course, imagine being a hairdresser with a broken foot. So we have stools now. But we didn't have stools back in the day. OK, so it was like, you have to struggle.

So I had to have some time off, which was very, very difficult. And I went back with the boot on my foot. And they fired me. Oh, shit.

It was the only job of my entire lifelong I've ever been fired from. And it was the reason. So I there was a whole lot of shadiness behind the scenes. And let me just tell you that.

Some lawn didn't last long after me. So as soon as they fired me, they ended up closing several weeks later. But I know. Like, I don't want to ever wish bad or anybody.

But you got to be careful how you treat people. You got to be careful how you treat people. You got to be careful how you treat people. So I was like, now's the time.

So me with my boot and my crutches did everything I could yet. And then it becomes difficult. Because now you can't get a business long because you have no job. So I studied and learned.

I went to Lehigh University, Small Business Development Center. And I got an advisor. And I did everything in my power. So I had to take two smaller personal loans, one with the help of my mother, God rest her soul.

So I would not have my salon without her. And I had to get smaller personal loans because I couldn't get a business loan because I was on an employment. And that's how it started. So I knew I wanted it to happen.

But I didn't think it was going to quite start like that. I said, let's do it. So I did most of that with a broken foot, healing a broken foot, trying to do hair, trying to do clients, trying to take clients on the side while I was trying to get the business open. Wow.

Yeah. Was that the hardest season you think? I think that the end of being some more. That was definitely a hard pivotal season.

And of course, I opened my salon. I was pretty young. So doing all this at that young age, now I look back now. I'm like, oh my gosh, how did I do that?

I'm like, how the heck did I do that? That was definitely a hard season. But I'm so glad I made it through. And like I said, it ended up being successful.

But it was a little difficult. 23 years later. Is it the same building that you first started in? No.

I'm in my one, two, my third. OK. Yeah. So the first building where I started, I was only there about a year.

It was a very old building. So it didn't last too long. And then I was actually in the area of 12th and Tillman for 10 years, 10, 11 years there. It's a barbershop now.

So it's a great spot for me. I did great there. Amazing. A lot of amazing clients came from that location.

And then the area that I'm at now, which is 1727 Liberty Street. So I'm there 11. And then if the map is right, 11, 12 years there. Wow.

Yes. Yes. So we moved there because we needed really growing. And I needed a parking lot.

So right. Yes. I needed a parking lot. I love our little location, which is close to where we are now.

We're in the West End. I love being in the city. I love we've got great windows. We've got a great view.

We're across the street from the fairgrounds. And you're right up the street from that amazing coffee place. Yes. Three-staries.

Yes. I love to support local. I love to support local, love to support local businesses. So I can get you right in town where I like to be.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about the beauty industry? I think probably I think I'm going to give you two. I think one is I think there sometimes is a little bit of a stereotype, a little bit of a stigma that hairdressers maybe are, let's say, not the most educated. OK.

So I think there's that little stigma like, oh, hairdressers. Yeah, you know what I mean? Right. And I think we are filled with this industry.

It's filled with the most incredible, amazing, intelligent trailblazers that I've ever seen. And I think the other one is our competitiveness and our jealousy that sometimes happens with the industry. Right. So I think that's a little, that's probably not so much for the public, but more for hairstylists, that there's this spirit of competitiveness, obviously, because whoever comes to you, that's where the money's at.

But I've been really loving this spirit of collaboration. Yeah. That's been going on for the last couple years, where I think people realize that there is enough hair. And people took the thing around.

There's enough. Yeah, we can all win. So I want you to know I like to promote that concept all the time that we can all win. So there's enough success for everybody.

Success doesn't run out. You don't just wake up today. I'm like, oh, success right now today. You know, there is enough for all of us to win.

So those are my two little, yup. I think hairdressers and cosmetologists are just the bond. They are incredible. They change lives.

They are essential. They are trendsetters. They're just everything to me. I love that.

I can see how someone coming into your salon would just leave feeling like a million bucks. I hope so. That's my goal. I would love to change their entire outlook in one day.

We had actually an incredible, it's Sunday today. And I'm coming off of an incredible salon Saturday yesterday. As you know, our weather's changing a little bit. It's spring.

It's not spring yet. But soon it feels that way. It feels like spring. And we had just such a great salon day.

And we had some really great moments yesterday of women feeling amazing. We had a new client yesterday. And she went to several salons. She's got real curly textured hair.

And she had a hard time trying to find a salon that could do curly textured hair. And we have a really diverse salon, which was a dream of mine. And we wanted a multicultural, diverse salon. We are multilingual.

So I never wanted to ever have to turn anybody away. I want everybody to be able to get service and feel loved at my salon. And we had a moment of that yesterday. And just like, clients were hugging other clients.

And I was secretly filming people behind their backs. And I was just like, oh, this is it. This is one of my heart. This is everything.

This is what I always wanted it to be. Yes, I love that. How do you think, because I'm sure you meet so many different women, how do you think women can stop putting themselves last? I think that's one of our toughest struggles.

I think it's probably just with NS that like these natural caretakers. We want to make sure everybody else is OK. Our sisters, our besties, our spouses, our kids. We want to make sure everybody else is OK, that we sometimes make ourselves come last.

And I like to be your proponent for that. For not coming last. For making sure that we're taking care of our own selves, too. For putting ourselves first, that we can't do it all the time, at least some of the time.

Making sure we're just carving out some time in our schedule. Some self-care time, some gesture. You can't pour from an empty cup. So you have to make sure that you're filled too.

And doing that looks different for everybody. So some people, I like vacation. Some people, like vacation. Some people like to read.

I like to watch Netflix. I just finished binge watching Bridgerton. So a little self-care time looks different for everybody. But I encourage it.

I like to help women achieve it. Making sure that they're taking time for themselves, too. And just letting them know that self-care is not selfish. That's one thing we had to put in our minds.

Our little minds said that self-care is not selfish. 100%. I actually was going to ask, how do you think, because I know you speak very passionately about the Dominican culture and the Dominican community. So how do you think culture and confidence intersect for women?

Well, one of the things I think is so beautiful. I started traveling 15 years ago. I just fell in love with Dominican Republic. With the culture, the music, the people.

Dominican people are the most hospitable people I've ever met in my life. And I've traveled to, I think, 18 or 19 countries. And there's some definite close seconds and thirds. But the Dominican people are just the most hospitable people I have ever met in my life.

And one of the things that is so neat is to see the difference in the culture there. And right along with what we're talking about, one of the things I think that they do so well is they live life. And they enjoy life. And one of our big differences, I think, is which I might miss out the phrase, but we live to work to work and they work to live.

Sometimes we are, and I'm guilty of that myself because I'm a little bit of a workaholic. So I really like my job. So I will think nothing of working at 10, 11, or 12 hour day. And then be like, oh, my feet.

I like what I do. But making sure you keep that balance. And they really have a culture in the Dominican Republic. It's the only other country I know as well that I can compare to that where they enjoy life.

So I just came back. And of course, they have the advantage of having perpetual summer. So of course, they have great weather all year long. But one of the things they do so well is they enjoy every night.

So we just came back and I was over there. And I couldn't believe it was on a pop-it on a Tuesday night. Yeah. It was like Tuesday.

I was out to eat Wednesday night sitting outside. And it was like a debate from at your drums. Like over here was my dangay back. Here was salsa over there.

But you're like, every place had some kind of live music going on. And I was like, oh my gosh. I said, my friends are going to be my friends over there. Do not have this at home.

I said, well, for one reason. So we can't do this. But I said, well, we do our going out night. So Friday and Saturday.

Maybe a little Sunday. And then we have music festival. We've got a week of celebration there. And we have Elentown Fair.

We've got a week of celebration there. But other than that, we have two going out nights. And I feel like I need to change. We need to go to the Dominican Republic.

Yeah. And you don't have to be like, you don't have to be all drinking. Every night. We're just out having lemonade.

They love them. They're just like, yeah. Like they're also having a good time. Like, why are we not enjoying every night?

Like, why are we not talking out? Like, OK, now we got to relax. Now we got to have dinner. Now we got to have a conversation like this.

Now we got to, so that's my goal. I love that they live a little bit more relaxed. Yes. Yes.

I love that. And definitely I could see how it could make you less anxious. And then just naturally make you feel like a happier, more confident, kind of go lucky person. And I think that European lifestyles like that too.

So when I was in Paris a little bit too, kind of getting used to a little bit more of a laid back kind of living. You know, here on the East Coast, you know, we're on the East Coast here, so we live very structured. We like everything very now. We don't like to wait.

We're very move, move, move. Yeah. So sometimes people when I travel, I do have to check my own self. Because I know that it's a little bit of an East Coast thing.

Yeah. That we're like, you know what I mean? Hold on. We're not waiting around.

What time is it? You know, we're pretty prompt over here. Yeah. Yeah.

Even at the airport, we don't wait. We don't, you know, if you go check your leg and move aside. You better be walking fast. Yes.

You're walking fast from inside. Yeah. Yes. Yes.

So obviously I know that culture and community have just played such a big part in your salon and your job and your life. How did it come to be that you now serve as the commissioner for Latino affairs? Correct. Yes.

Correct. Correct. Yes. For the Commonwealth.

Yes. For the Commonwealth. I am a commissioner on the Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, representing my county, Lehigh County and the city of Allentown. Add that to the list of incredible honors of my life.

I told you I got, I started to get more involved in the community. And I had the opportunity to meet the governor before he was the governor. He is incredible. So he's one of my favorite people.

So he's just, he's a phenomenal human being. He's a phenomenal leader. He is what true leadership looks like. So we met before he was the governor while he was campaigning at an event here in Allentown.

And he just happened to be there. I got an invitation and I did find out several years later who recommended me for this round table. So there's a round table discussion and I have to tell you because of my little humble beginnings, I still often have imposter syndrome where I feel like, are you sure? Again, I do not have a college degree.

I have, I went to trade school. So I have a cosmetology license that I am very, very proud of. But so sometimes I feel like, oh my gosh, like you sure you want me? You know, I don't have a bachelor's.

You know, I, you know, I probably do have a master's and a PhD in people because I've been working with people for years. I'm great with people. 100%. But I still have this, you know, this imposter syndrome.

So I got an invitation to a round table discussion that the governor, he wasn't the governor, but campaigning that he was going to be at. So it was 25 business leaders in the city of Allentown. I believe it was Latino business leaders. And I got this invitation and oh my gosh, when I tell you, I felt like, I felt like actually standing up believing through how I'm like, wait, they must have got the wrong person because these when I tell you this was the best of the best in the city.

I was at a table with, you know, most of the, a lot of people in my call, I call friends. And they're just incredible people. They run businesses. They make moves.

They're politicians. They're, they're doing, you know, they're running on profits. They're phenomenal. I was like, I'm not even at this level.

It sounds like you're describing yourself. Oh, thank you. 100% you're at the right table. They were lucky to be there with you.

Oh, thank you. And you know, I'll never forget. We were seated. Like how kind of like you and I are right now, the governor and I were face to face of all the positions him and I were face to face.

And I'll never forget he made sure every single person was seen and heard. He looked every person in their eye and talked to every person. There was some kind of very important, all the questions were important, but there's some very important question. And he looked me straight in my eye and he said, Elizabeth, what do you think about that?

Oh, let me look and see which other Elizabeth he talked to. It wasn't back me. It wasn't me. So I was like, oh my gosh, I answered, you know, answer the question.

And I just remember that feeling that he gave my, oh my gosh, just like, right, you know, this guy is different. It's all genuine and not it did. It felt genuine. Yeah, it felt genuine.

So after that round table, he made sure that all of his staff connected to everybody there. And soon after, so the governor, he won, of course again. So the governor won. And he took office in that January and two weeks after he took office, one of the first things he did was sign an executive order updating state licensing procedures and expediting wait times for people who held state licenses, including cosmetology licenses.

Oh my gosh. So little me with my only degree that I have my cosmetology degree and then his staff called me and they said, we'd like to know how comfortable you feel talking about your state license. And I said, well, I've held one for 20 years. You know, I said, you'll do.

Yeah. So what was, what did he change with the process? Explain what you do. He, one of the things he did was he expedited wait times.

So to get the licensing. Okay. So which is very important. In fact, I had an issue with that one time myself.

There's been a little, for a long time, there was like, okay, if you're dealing with the state board of cosmetology, I don't know about any other state boards, any of the licensing as far as doctors or teachers are real estate, but I know about cosmetology, we had long wait times. Yes. We had long wait times. What do you mean?

I don't remember correctly, exactly, you know, wait times, but in the other part was of that was there was always this little thing like, and you couldn't get through to the state board of cosmetology, you couldn't get anyone on the phone. There was always a little, so you couldn't work without your license? Yes. You can't work without your license.

I think you work on like a temporary, because it's been kind of a little while, so I don't all the way around, but I think you could work on your temporary right away, but there was always like, okay, there's, you know, even when I relocate it, here I'm going to give your prime example. When I relocate it to the 17th Street location. Okay. Here's my example.

I was able to just move because I was in good standing for so many years, my license was good. I was able to just move and just open and someone would come and inspect me and give me my official stamp of approval within 90 days. And I moved and I was halfway through the 90 days and I heard nothing. Nothing.

So I got closer and closer to the 90 days. And I was like, if no one comes here soon, like I can't open the next day. Right. I've been working since I'm 14, you know what I mean?

Not doing hair since working, but working. So I never not work, you know? So I was like, where are they? Oh my gosh, you can't find anyone.

You can't get a response. You call and no one answers the phone. And I began to call and it didn't go well. It didn't go well.

And this was probably the first time I had to learn how government works because I had to figure out like what to do. So I remember that I had a ribbon cutting on the ribbon cutting wall and there were a couple of political officials there and I called one of them. Shout out to my state rep, Mike Schlossberg, because he is the man. He was the man.

He continues to be the man. Yes. And the first time I ever had to reach out to state government and it worked. And I called him.

I had two not great phone calls with the state word of cosmetology where I was crying and they couldn't give me a date. Didn't know when extra woman fuzzy and they said, you know what I will get back to. And I was like, if you don't come on the state, like I can't do hair the next day. Right.

You know? So I said, I don't want to, I can't do hair, you know? So I called my state rep and he said, let me get to the bottom of things. Let me investigate.

And within that phone call to my state rep, I think the inspector came, I think maybe 40 hours later. Wow. And came and approved that 17th Street location. Yes.

And then I had several, several years ago, well, that point maybe 10 years ago, but that was the first time I've ever had to use the, you know, what should I do? Can I contact a legislator and it worked for me. Right. So my legislator was there for me, helped me out.

I got the inspection. Everything was great. But that was something that stuck out in my head. I retold that story to the governor and I have to tell you the, since the governor took office, I have now helped several girls locally with licensing, calling them, helping them, telling them what to do.

And you know, I really feel like we have a trickle effect from the top down because I have never experienced that level of weight delay or not great customer service ever again. In fact, the last couple of times I've called the State Board of Cosmetology, shout out to the State Board of Cosmetology because they have been the nicest. I have ever experienced in all of my years. It's been an incredible experience.

Like I said, I think it comes from the top down. So I've had great experiences. Emails get returned. People are getting help.

Cos licenses are coming. Inspections are coming. So that's just a little, a little bit of how I think that that helps. Well, and it's also such a detail that helps the economy.

It does. We're, we're, the small businesses are running the show around here. We're the phones of our communities. Why would it not be a priority?

Yes. I don't know. I think the great mind that the governor was updating these commissions and I started to kind of research what they were because I thought how incredible is that, you know? And I know you and I have very similar political views, but not to go too deep.

I feel like we all know that traditionally politics has typically been the older Caucasian man's club. So I think that it is such an incredible idea to have these commissions. So the governor has six of them. So there are six commissions making sure there is a seat at the table for everyone.

So there is representation for everyone. I know you are the commissioner for Latino affairs. I serve on the list. Let me see if I can give you all six.

And I believe there are several other states that have these as well. If they don't, I don't know why they don't. This is just making sure there is a bridge between what is going on in communities where like the eyes and the ears of the governor and everyone's covered. So we've got the next gen, which is the youth, so the youth has their own commission.

So the next gen, the Latino affairs, the African American affairs, the women's affairs commission, the LGBTQ and the Asian American Island Pacificer, Pacific, I, Pacific Islander, Pacific Islander commission. So yes, so everyone has a seat at the table at this government. And I got a phone call from someone and said, you know, they're, you know, kind of, you know, updating these commissions and putting people in new commissioners and positions. And is this something you'd be interested in applying for?

I said, absolutely. And let me tell you, when they were like, we need you to email your resume now, actually, when I got this phone call, I was in the Dominican Republic. Of course I was. So they said, we need you to email your resume now.

Like the time limit is cutting off soon. And let me tell you, ladies, you need to stay ready. So you don't have to get ready when I tell you that that email was ready and update it. That resume was done and updated.

I sent it in an instant. I'm updated. That's such good advice. Stay ready.

So you don't have to get ready. So, and then I found out probably a month later that I got a phone call and at that point, it's been a month later. As you know, I don't have, at the time, I did not have a lot of political experience. I have experience in community and people.

And which evidently means a lot, you know, which means a lot. So after about a month when I didn't hear anything, I was like, oh, they didn't pick me. Oh, it's okay. I understand there's probably more qualified people.

You know, I don't have a political background. I don't have a master's degree. So I'm sure there's way more qualified people. And I got a phone call a month later that did bring me to tears.

And they said, and we just want to tell you congratulations. The governor has approved your appointment. You've been appointed to the governor's advisory commission. I cried real tears.

Yeah, of course. I cried real tears. Yes. It's such an honor.

And also like just speaking on behalf of someone who lives in the state of Pennsylvania, that makes me so happy to know that that program exists and that he's listening to people who are in the community who are so intertwined with the people that make the community what it is, knowing that you're going to sit at a table with him and tell him what's going on. That gives me such comfort. Thank you. I want to do that.

So what are you responsible for doing? So, like I said, we're kind of like the eyes and the ears of the governor. So this has been, so I've been reappointing on some of my second term. So yeah, I got one term now.

I got two. So that's just really an incredible honor. And this has been such an incredible feeling and way to give back the way that people come to me with concerns with issues. And I'm able to help them point them in the right direction, take information, concerns back to, like I said, we're almost like a bridge.

So when people come to me, it's like it's been beautiful to be able to feel like I'm helping people when they come to me with things, to be able to take back issues and concerns and take them right back to the governor's office and to the right people and connect people and get them in the right hands. That's been great. I do advise, these are the commissions do advise the governor on situations that are happening in our community so that he is better informed and equipped to make decisions. And some of the things, particularly for my commission, that we work on is affordable childcare, language access, and it's working.

So it's working. So things are getting, the governor really wants to make sure that there is a seat for everybody at the table in Pennsylvania, he always says no matter what you look like, what language you speak, who you love, who you pray to, you have a home here in Pennsylvania. So we're working hard to make sure that that that's happening. So in my particular language access, making sure everyone has language access to it.

So cool. So do you think people are able to speak in your salon? Okay, so we have for sure, we've got English, Spanish, Greek, Albanian. Wow.

Yes. And we did, like two Christmases ago, we did a really cute little reel for Christmas because I looked around and noticed that everybody in the salon, I think there was probably 70 languages happening one time. I looked around and saw there was this massive multicultural, I said, oh my gosh, I said, you guys, I'm going to take a video of everyone. I want you to say Merry Christmas in your language.

So yeah, I think we had somebody from the Philippines. I guess it was just, we had a multicultural group of people and we did a cute little Merry Christmas reel. That's very cool. But at any given day, we're English, Spanish, Greek, Albanian.

That's awesome. Okay. So I know you've already told me the story, but the same day that you got the phone call about introducing Vice President Kamala Harris was also the same day of the Sequan Barkley backwards hurdle. Yes.

Girl. Yes. And you guys can't see her, but she isn't her Kelly green. Jalen hurts Jersey right now.

When I open the door, she made me so happy. Come on, go first. Go first. Yes.

Not only are we the same side politically, we're on the same side. I mean, on the sports teams here too. We're on the right side. Yeah, we really are.

Yeah. We really are. Okay. So she's got her Jalen Jersey on and you guys add this to a more incredible stories of my life.

I am an Eagles fan. I am a home team girl all the way. So I love to rep us all the way around here. I am repping the home teams.

It is iron pigs. It is Philadelphia Eagles. It's us all the way. It's Lee High Valley.

It's Eastern Pennsylvania. So I go to the Eagles game. I like to catch you know, one in person game a year and I am at the game. I believe it is against the Jaguars and I am at the game where Sequan does the backwards hurdle.

So and of all the times when I'm filming, I film everything and I'm not filming at that time. I'm watching with my own eyes. So I'm missing the actual video clip, but I saw it with my own eyes and during that game, well, let me rewind a little bit earlier that day and I already was campaigning for several months. So I was campaigning for our first female president who should be the president right now.

But so I was in campaign for months and her campaign had reached out to me earlier that day. At that point, we were talking almost on a daily basis and they reached out to me that day that morning and they had a couple of really specific questions. I answered the questions and they said to me, there could be something. I kind of already got wind that she was coming.

I'm not sure if it was announced yet, but I kind of got wind because you know, I'm a little bit connected. I have to say she needs to come to Amazon. Yes, I wish I would have been sooner, but okay, so we got to stop in there. So I was tipped off a little bit and I got a phone call that said there could be something big happening.

I answered a few questions and then almost like how all of my political phone calls I needed to say I was like, we'll be in touch. Yeah, okay. And so I understand the for safety reasons to not giving too many details in advance. Everything when you're campaigning, everything is very last minute, which does not work well in my life.

Girl, I haven't a pivot. I am the most OCD type a personality. I plan my whole life long like the next like I'm planned at least eight to ten weeks out. As you know, we had a plan this like three months out.

So I am like, you know, so campaigning is difficult for me, but I love it so much. I love it so much. You know, so they call me and they say, you know, answer the question something big, maybe happening will be in touch. Okay, off I go.

Off to the game I go, but half of the game I'm not sure if this is before or after the hurdle. I see like a DC number call me because at that point I had known DC area code at that point. You know, so I see that it's DC. So I have to leave now.

I have the best Eagles link seats of my life. So now I have to walk far away because I can't hear. So I said, oh my gosh, I have to take this call. So I answer the call and I'm like, wait, just wait, hold on one second.

You know, and I'm like, you know, and the person was calling me was also like, it's better. I was like, I don't know, though, you know, I'm trying to get away. I'm walking up all the stairs. So walk away from the game.

You know, we did when that game so the crowd's been wild. I walk away and they say to me, they said, Elizabeth, we want to be the first to tell you congratulations, you will be introducing the vice president tomorrow in your city tomorrow is what they said to me when I tell you, I was like, what, excuse me, come again? I said, what did you say? They said you will be introducing the vice president in your city tomorrow when she's there when I tell you I started to cry.

I cried, I cried then too. I started to cry and I was like, oh my gosh, I said this. Are you serious? He said, yes, I'm very serious.

And he said, again, much like the phone calls will be in touch. So yes, and I go back to my seat. I'm crying. All you had was tomorrow.

There was no like details as you got it. We'll call you back soon. We'll call you back in a few. Yes.

And it's an evening game. Girl, yes. I think it was probably like four o'clock. It was a four o'clock game.

So now my gosh, what is it? Six seven o'clock. Oh my gosh. So now like chills.

I'm crying. Oh my gosh. Go back to game. They won.

Say, come on, it's like happening. Oh my gosh. And they said me, we'll call you back shortly. They called me back on the Northeast extension on the right home because like, what am I like?

I'm wearing the I mean, the questions, how did you sleep? Girl, I had to throw this together. Okay. So they call me back.

They call me back on the Northeast extension. And I'm just like hyped on 1000, which I usually am any day. Anyway, they call me back and you know, someone else calls me from the campaign and they say, congratulations, we heard the news. We heard you are the one tomorrow and they said, we're here to help you with your speech.

So I said, oh, do I have to go over the whole speech? And they said, well, at that point, I had already been well vetted and background checked and like they've been campaign and know a lot about me all along anyway. So they said, we have a pretty good bio on you. We know it's a while they, you know, yeah, they at this point, like I had already been invited into rooms that were majorly important in this campaign with, you know, incredible, really important people.

So I was like, I know that they had that mean background check me. And so we have a lot of information. So we'll help you. And I said, I said, okay, great.

And they said, well, we can get together with draft. You know, I said that'd be great. Give me some, you know, some direction. Your head's going all over the place.

But I said, I do have something to say. I said, if I'm going to do this, like it has to be me. Like I don't want to just read, you know what I mean? Like, yeah, like, okay, like prepare for marks to be nice.

But I'm going to give you a speech like I want it to be me. I said, this is actually, I said this to them. This is my home. These are my people.

I said, it has to sound like me. They know me. And they said, absolutely. They said, we too want it to sound like you.

We want it to be authentic. We want it to be you. We picked you for a reason. And we want it to be you.