Jason Alexander (7:18)

I'm Jason Alexander.

Peter Tilden (7:19)

And I'm Peter Tilden. And together on the really Know really.

Jason Alexander (7:22)

Podcast, our mission is to get the true answers to life's baffling questions, like.

Peter Tilden (7:27)

Why they reflect use to make the bathroom door go all the way to the floor.

Jason Alexander (7:31)

We got the answer.

Peter Tilden (7:32)

Will space junk block your cell signal? The astronaut who almost drowned during a spacewalk gives us the answer. We talk with the scientist who figured out if your dog truly loves you and the one bringing back the woolly mammoth. Plus, does Tom Cruise really do his own stunts? His stuntman reveals the answer. And you never know who's going to drop by.

Jason Alexander (7:50)

Mr. Brian Cranston is.

Peter Tilden (7:51)

What are you. Hello, my friend Wayne Knight about Jurassic Park.

Jason Alexander (7:55)

Wayne Knight, welcome to really no really, sir.

Peter Tilden (7:58)

Bless you all.

Peter Tilden (7:59)

Hello, new. And you never know when Howie Mandel might just stop by to talk about judging.

Jason Alexander (8:03)

Really?

Peter Tilden (8:04)

That's the opening.

Jason Alexander (8:05)

Really?

Amy Brown (8:05)

No, really?

Peter Tilden (8:06)

Yeah, really? No really.

Jason Alexander (8:07)

Go to reallynoreally.com and register to win.

Peter Tilden (8:10)

500 a guest spot on our podcast or a limited edition sign Jason Bobblehead.

Jason Alexander (8:14)

It's called really no really and you can find it on the iHeartRadio app on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Amy Brown (8:24)

Second thing. All right, for this thing, my friend Allie Fallon is here and you put up an Instagram post recently where I thought, oh, I want you to come and share it with the podcast, because I thought it just came from such an honest place. And originally I thought you would do this on that Way, which is my podcast that's dedicated to disordered eating, eating disorder recovery, body image stuff. But we're going to put it here because I think it's just going to resonate with so many people.

Allie Fallon (8:55)

I love it.

Amy Brown (8:55)

So, Ally, I'll let you take it away with the post that you put up, like, when the thought came to you and when you started implementing it into your life and how you see it playing out.

Allie Fallon (9:04)

Okay, so basically, in the last two years, while the world has been in lockdown, I've had two babies back to back very quickly. And it has really shifted the way that I experience living life in my body. I don't know if that sounds like, very ethereal to say, but for all of my life, I've just had, like, boundless, endless amounts of energy. And so exercise has been one of the ways that I've helped myself to, like, expend some of that energy without having a ton of anxiety. So I've always been like a more exercise is better kind of a gal. Like, I Have like done two days and been a part of sports and wanted to go to a yoga class six days a week. And I was a distance runner for a while and that really, really worked for me for a period of time in my life. But after having two babies, the way that I experience life in my body is like so much of my energy is accounted for and I just don't have a lot to give to exercise. And so for a long time I was kind of like trying to figure out how was I, how was I going to come back to exercise, how was I going to make this a part of my life. And suddenly it just hit me. I was like, I don't have to make exercise be the way that it was for me before where it was like always like more is better. Exercise can just be going on a walk with my baby strapped to me or it can be, you know, just like having a dance party with my 2 year old in the living room. You know, like exercise is anything that I do where I move my body and get my heart rate up that feels good in my body. And so it was like this epiphany for me that's like so simple but has been really profound for me in the way I experience it that I don't have to do an exercise in order to get an outcome. I don't have to like train for a 10K or train for a half marathon or train for a marathon, which is the way that I've, that's been my relationship to exercise for my whole life. Or I don't have to be like, do you know, it'd be really cool is if I did yoga every day and I was like cut. You know, like I have like, like a six pack or whatever or like a flat stomach. It doesn't have to be, that doesn't have to be my motivation behind the exercise. I can actually just exercise in a way where it feels good in my body to do the thing that I'm doing. And so it's so simple, it's like almost stupid. It's so simple. But I've been doing this and it's really changing my relationship to what I think is exercise. And it's actually helping me to come back into touch with my own body. And rather than being in this like almost combative relationship with exercise where I'm like, I'm going to go like get a really good workout in, it's like I'm going to go do something that sounds like really fun and life giving and like feels actually good. In my body, and that's exercise.

Amy Brown (11:35)

And each day it might look different.

Allie Fallon (11:37)

And every day it's different. And some days I want to like go a little harder genuinely because. Not because I want to like break my record from the day before or something, but genuinely because my body's asking for that on that day. And then on days when my body feels a little more tired, it's like exercise might just look like taking a quick walk around the block after dinner. So it's stupid, but it's really profound.

Amy Brown (11:58)

At the same time. I love stupid, but profound things. Those are my favorites. No, I don't think it's stupid at all. I think it's something that people need to hear, especially in a culture. You may not be a mom, but you might feel this pressure to have to do this certain type of workout just because it's what you've always done, or it's what you think your body needs and you're willing to sacrifice other things to do that. Or maybe you are a mom and you feel the pressure from this bounce back situation that so many women have to go through. I have never been pregnant, so I don't know what that feels like. But I see people post about how, oh, it's so nice to not play into society's game of having to bounce back.

Allie Fallon (12:44)

That's a real pressure that society puts on us. I mean, I think to quickly lose the baby weight after you have a baby. And it's been very healing for me and liberating to just try to enjoy and you know, for someone who has been, I have a lot of thin privilege and have been thin my whole life and it's always come fairly easy, easily to me. And like I said, I've always been super active. But after having two babies, it's like you watch your body do this thing, you watch it expand and give life to someone else. And then to try to stay in that and celebrate what your body has done instead of quickly being like, how quickly can I get back into my old genes? It's actually, it's a discipline of its own. A different kind of discipline than it was when it was like, I gotta, you know, get my workout, my hour long workout in today and really like crush it out there in, you know, when I go for my run or whatever. That's one kind of discipline. And this kind of discipline is like, what if I can just allow it to be okay that I'm a different pant size than I was then and maybe someday I'll be the same pant size again and maybe I won't be. And. And it's really like almost taking that off the pedestal and letting my body just do what it needs to do.

Amy Brown (13:52)

And that frees up so much time to show up for yourself and the other people in your life.

Allie Fallon (13:59)

Yeah.

Amy Brown (14:00)

Mainly your children. Your children that you just brought into the world that need you.

Allie Fallon (14:04)

Yeah.

Amy Brown (14:05)

Because I. I fear that if I had gotten pregnant when I wanted to, I was so not in a healthy space mentally that I know I would have put that pressure on myself for sure. Because that's what you just saw as the normal thing to try to do. And I love your self awareness as always. And so this is coming too from someone within privilege. And I have to recognize that a lot on out way because we're speaking to such a variety of different people and there's no way I can know what everyone has been through or what they're feeling. And by society standards, there's this. Some people are like, there's no way, no matter what. That's not even possible for me. So luckily, we're starting to break down this image that society has put up in front of us for decades, which it's evolved every decade. It kind of changes a little bit, but there's still. It's still a mostly thin type figure. But we're slowly starting to rip up those magazine pages just metaphorically rip by rip. We're getting there. Did you see Victoria's Secret? Angels and Demons?

Allie Fallon (15:13)

No.

Amy Brown (15:14)

On Hulu?

Allie Fallon (15:14)

No.

Amy Brown (15:15)

I just recommend you go see it.

Allie Fallon (15:16)

Okay.

Amy Brown (15:16)

It really has nothing to do with what you're saying here right now, but I grew up seeing the Victoria's Secret ads and you know, in the 90s, so much of what we saw. I just bring this up as an example of what we see in magazines and what we see on covers of what women are, quote, unquote, supposed to look like in their underwear. We don't look that way. No.

Allie Fallon (15:39)

And I think that's the crazy thing is even. Even with the thin privilege that we have to acknowledge that what happens in your brain because of the images that are fed to us is so messed up that like, no amount of effort or energy or whatever I try to do could ever make me feel like I live up to that standard. So. So when we celebrate a variety of bodies that don't look this one way, it's like we all win. Even those of us who would have otherwise fit into that paradigm. It's. It's like it frees, it liberates all of us to be to celebrate every part of our body, even the cellulite and even the, you know, like, the stretch marks all over my belly now that I've had two children. And every part of my body, even the parts that I would have otherwise been like, you know, oh, I gotta hide this or cover this up or fix this or whatever.

Amy Brown (16:27)

And a lot of companies are starting to do that and have been for several years now. But you learn in the documentary that Victoria's Secret was one of the last to jump on board. They didn't want to there. It was run by men. And they're like, no, no, this is our fashion show. These are the women we have walking out there. Oh, and by the way, we want to attract teenagers now and get them in as customers. And this is what they should aspire to look like as young teens.

Allie Fallon (16:52)

Yeah.

Amy Brown (16:53)

And they didn't. They were like, okay, if other companies want to have all different types of bodies and shapes and sizes and people and things and whatnot, go for it. But that's not Victoria's Secret. And now they've had a complete rebrand, and they are inclusive to all types. So it was just interesting to see that that's a lot of it is just because men were running big companies in marketing, and that's what men thought they wanted to see.

Allie Fallon (17:16)

So, I mean, I try to remind myself, too, that whenever I have a moment of, like, insecurity about my body, that that has been fed to me so that someone can make money off of it. It's like, whatever urge that I have to buy this thing, to fix this or. Or tuck that, or whatever. Like, you know, it makes sense that men are running Victoria's Secret. I didn't even know that, but that makes perfect sense to me because, well.

Amy Brown (17:40)

They like to say they had women CEOs over certain departments, but there was a big umbrella, and at the top of the umbrella is the men were.

Allie Fallon (17:49)

Making the money off of your security.

Amy Brown (17:51)

Love to be like, oh, no, we have this woman CEO over here and this woman over here and this woman over here. But even those women were answering to men.

Allie Fallon (17:58)

Yeah.

Amy Brown (17:59)

So I don't know. Just show recommendation. And Ally is an Instagram follow recommendation. You can follow her at Aliefallon. A L, L, Y, F, A L, L, O, N. Did I get it right?

Allie Fallon (18:12)

Yeah, that's good.

Amy Brown (18:13)

Sometimes my spelling, I'm like, did I forget an L? Did I do an O?

Chris Vadu (18:17)

So.

Amy Brown (18:17)

But Allie has a lot of encouraging messages and videos that she puts up. She loves for people to be able to Just tap into themselves. And if they have a story inside of them, she wants to get it out of you. So she's very encouraging in that way. But also, you just. Sometimes when you have a thought about what you're working through in your own life, you throw it up there. And you were on a walk with, you know, your baby in your little. What is that called?

Allie Fallon (18:44)

The Baby Bjorn carrier.

Amy Brown (18:45)

Okay, The Baby Bjorn carrier. And you were just walking and saying, hey, this is what I'm doing to honor my body today. And it is perfect. This is what's been working for me. Because I also knew you before you had kids. And we were yoga, Jeff. Yes. We were at yoga every day.

Allie Fallon (19:02)

Every single day, sometimes twice a day.

Amy Brown (19:03)

Six in the morning, 6:00pm you know what?

Allie Fallon (19:06)

The other thing, the other thought I had about this is, like, let that be okay. If that's what served us for that time in our lives, that's wonderful. But if it's not working for you anymore, and that was the point I was trying to make with the Instagram post. It's not like, stop working out so hard, you know? But the point is, like, if pushing through is no longer working for you, if it's not serving you anymore, here's another way to try that has been serving me lately, and maybe it would serve you, too.

Amy Brown (19:33)

You're evolving.

Allie Fallon (19:34)

I'm evolving.

Amy Brown (19:35)

I love it.

Allie Fallon (19:35)

I'm allowed to evolve.

Amy Brown (19:36)

Because, you know, if you're not evolving, you're dead. Yeah, well, some people might not be dead. They just might choose not to evolve, which you might as well be dead, because then you're just stuck. Unless you think your life's awesome that way. I don't know. But I am so thankful for growth and, yes, challenges and hardships and different things that have stretched me and pulled me in lots of different directions, because ultimately I've been through enough to where I can look back and see, okay, wow. This is what I learned from that. This was made possible because of that.

Allie Fallon (20:05)

Yeah.

Amy Brown (20:06)

All right. Thank you, Ali.

Allie Fallon (20:07)

Thanks for having me.

Jason Alexander (20:08)

Here we go.

Amy Brown (20:13)

All right. The struggle is real. Getting out the door on time, even for myself. But also if you're a parent with kids. But I have a list of things that you can do that'll help you get out of the door on time if that's something that you're struggling with, especially now that school is back in and there's just a lot more activities. There's a lot going on in life, and it's just harder to get it all together. So whether you have kids or not, these tips are going to apply to you. I'll just start with the adult side of things, like how to help get us out the door on time. Preparing the night before is so key. And I say this from experience. I used to just kind of wing things, be like, oh, I'll handle that in the morning. But there is so much now that I prepare for the night before, like, including laying out my clothes, what I'm going to wear, and then put your things where you can find them, like your car keys. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to get in my car and I'm already late and I'm trying to leave and I don't know where my car keys are. So that's something you can all prepare. Like the night before, do you want to go ahead and get your coffee set so that that is brewed and ready for you again? Having your stuff laid out, having your bag ready to go, figuring out if you're taking your lunch, what are you gonna pack? Get up early if you can, and to that point, go to bed early if you can. And I know sometimes if you're trying to put kids to bed, it can be a struggle. I know with my son, I have to personally stay in his room until he falls asleep, until I can sneak out. And sometimes that can take a really long time. And then I've already kind of fallen asleep in his bed, so then I'm super groggy and then I have to go back downstairs and try to take care of some of the stuff that I need to take care of. But just try to plan and get ahead on that as you can so that you can go to bed early, so that way you can wake up early and get a better start of the day. Allocate for some extra time. Pad it. Like, if you need to be somewhere at a certain time, go ahead and tell yourself you need to be there 10 minutes early and that is your strict time. And then hopefully, magically you'll be exactly on time. Plan for little things to go wrong. That's never a bad idea. And then get yourself ready first, if you can. If you're trying to get kids ready, maybe you get up and get that extra time to get yourself ready, then you're good to go. And then you focus on them. And then lastly, lose the news, Internet, tv, social media, phone, et cetera. Don't get lost in that. We all know don't pick up your phone first thing in the morning. It's a time suck. And it's not just a good space for your head. And something I really enjoy doing in the morning is my three minutes of journaling. You can jot down things that you are thankful for or you can set a timer and do three minutes of free flow writing. I love that so much. And I use my four things to gratitude journal for that. I just taking up a full page of my four things journal actually times out to exactly three minutes. I don't even really have to set a timer anymore because I know if I just free flow the length of that page, boom, I've got my three minutes. And that's something that helps start my morning off. And then on the kids side of things, if you have kids, something that helps in our household is using the two choice method. Like if I'm trying to figure out what my son wants for breakfast, but we've got to get out the door, I don't just say what do you want for breakfast? And rattle off all these options. Or I don't leave it open ended. I say you can have oatme or you can have eggs. And then normally he's like, oh okay, fine, I'll have oatmeal. And then that keeps it pretty simple. Or if there's a clothing situation, you can wear this or you can wear this, or even better, let them pick out their own clothes if that's an option. And just don't make that a thing. You know, pick your battles, keep things playful. Like the more you can make it fun, the easier it is to motivate your kids to do it. Like this article from Purewow says, pretend the stroller is a spaceship or do a race to see who can get their shoes on the fastest. I do that with my son in a shower. If I really need him to get in the shower and he is refusing, I'll be like, I'm set a timer, I've got to go take a shower too. And let's race and see who can get done. And normally that works for him. It's like a little sneaky tactic that we use. Make a schedule that works for them and make sure they know it the night before. I printed out stuff that we keep on our counter for our kids so they know what they have going on the next day and there are no surprises at all. And then by the door you can create a little storage space for each kid to designate their backpack, their shoes, their socks. My friend Maddie Nelson posted on Instagram the other day that she actually moved all of her daughter's hair stuff down to the kitchen. Instead of trying to do her daughter's hair upstairs and then trying to get out the door, she just does it right there in the kitchen. And then, boom, they're ready to walk out. And then she also moved their socks and shoes into a bin in their mudroom entryway area. And that way they're not running back upstairs to get a pair of socks. Boom. They're just right there. So hopefully these are some tips that are going to help you get out the door on time. They're very simple. I'm sure you've thought of a lot of them already. But sometimes we just need that friendly reminder to take initiative and do what we need to do to try to be on time, because then we will feel more relaxed and less stressed.

Jason Alexander (25:33)

I'm Jason Alexander.

Peter Tilden (25:34)

And I'm Peter Tilden. And together on the really no really.

Jason Alexander (25:37)

Podcast, our mission is to get the true answers to life's baffling questions, like.

Peter Tilden (25:42)

Why they refuse to make the bathroom door go all the way to the floor.

Jason Alexander (25:46)

We got the answer.

Peter Tilden (25:47)

Will space junk block your cell signal? The astronaut who almost drowned during a spacewalk gives us the answer. We talk with the scientist who figured out if your dog truly loves you and the one bringing back the woolly mammoth. Plus, does Tom Cruise really do his own stunts? His stuntman reveals the answer. And you never know who's going to drop by.

Jason Alexander (26:05)

Mr. Bryan Cranston is with us.

Peter Tilden (26:06)

How are you?

Jason Alexander (26:07)

Hello.

Peter Tilden (26:07)

My friend Wayne Knight. About Jurassic Park.

Jason Alexander (26:10)

Wayne Knight, welcome to really not really, sir.

Peter Tilden (26:12)

Bless you all.

Peter Tilden (26:13)

Hello, Newman. And you never know when Howie Mandel might just stop by to talk about judging.

Amy Brown (26:18)

Really?

Peter Tilden (26:19)

That's the opening?

Jason Alexander (26:20)

Really?

Amy Brown (26:20)

Not really.

Jason Alexander (26:20)

Yeah, really?

Amy Brown (26:21)

No, really.

Peter Tilden (26:22)

Go to reallynoreally.com and register to win 500. A guest spot on our podcast or a limited edition sign. Jason Bobblehead.

Jason Alexander (26:29)

It's called really? No really. And you can find it on the iHeartRadio app on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Four Things with Amy Brown.

Amy Brown (26:46)

All right, for this thing, we're going to talk about dreaming and having a vision for something and then watching it come to fruition. And I've got Chris and Lorianne Vadu on right now, and they're going to share their story, their journey. Y'all are both former military and now you've embarked on a completely different career path in the civilian world. And I love that when I go to your website, the first words that I see are, we are on a mission to change the world. And so I thought y'all would be the perfect guests to come on to talk about having a vision, having a dream, and watching it actually come out into the world. And I actually have some of your products. I use them. I have them in my laundry room. Y'all are the founders of Sheets Laundry Club, and I just think your story is awesome, and I love what y'all are doing, and I think that y'all will be encouragement and hope to a lot of people listening.

Chris Vadu (27:42)

Thank you.

Peter Tilden (27:43)

Thanks for having us, Amy.

Amy Brown (27:44)

And so why is it important for you to change the world with what you're doing?

Peter Tilden (27:48)

You know, we served in the military, you know, for 27 years combined. And for us, I think it was serving our country, and we were passionate about that. We love our country, love what we did for our country. When we retired, we really struggled with what we were going to do that made an impact in society. I mean, I wasn't content with just getting a job that paid the bills. So we explored business opportunities. We started a brick and mortar business business for about four years. We did a lot of charity work with it. And through that process, we just happened to meet one of the investors that helped us get Sheets Laundry Club started, and he understood that I had a disability from flying. I have permanent lung damage from all the plastics and dioxins and trash that was being burned overseas in Iraq. So flying for me, I'm a Blackhawk pilot. That's what I was doing in the army, and it wasn't really an option for me once I retired. And I had to figure out real fast what that next chapter in life was. We have kids, and we have bills we still had to pay. And I'm a big believer that dreams can become a reality, but you have to work harder than everyone around you to make that dream a reality. Nobody's going to hand it to you. So that's kind of the basis of it. It was a dream for me, and Lauren would probably attest to you. I probably talked to a thousand people, and maybe three out of those thousand people thought it was a good idea. I'm coming from helicopters, and now I'm going to a business in laundry detergent in an area that I have no experience or background in. And here we are today, you know, three years later, and I know more about laundry detergent than I ever thought I would. I love everything about what we're doing, and I think year to date, we've eliminated over a million plastic containers from entering the landfills and the ocean. So so far, it's Been a big win.

Amy Brown (29:32)

Share with others. What are y'all are doing to change? What are you all doing that's different? I'll let you take it away because y'all know better than me. I know because I, again, I have your products, but I want y'all to share with people how you're able to save all that plastic.

Chris Vadu (29:44)

A lot of it, Amy, is just bringing awareness to everybody. You know, I'm sure when you first saw our sheets, you were like, what is this? What do I do with this thing? Does it go in the dryer? Does it go in the washer? I don't know what to do with it. And so, you know, education is definitely the biggest. One of the biggest challenges in here is because people don't see it as laundry detergent. They're used to that liquid. They're used to that bottle. And so getting people to understand that you can get your clothes just as quick clean, if not better, with natural ingredients without the plastic. I mean, just. Just getting them to try one box, one travel pack is huge because that's still one less bottle that is going into the landfills being burned. But, I mean, there's other changes that we've all had to make here at Sheets Laundry Club. I mean, we drink canned water. We don't drink bottled water. I have outlawed bottles in my house. Like, you cannot break. You cannot bring a bottle, a plastic bottle into the house. You know, my son is hu. Your kids are too. You know, the sweet drinks. So it's like, if they want to Gatorade, well, then you're going to have to use the powder Gatorade, because you're not bringing a plastic bottle into the house. We use reusable paper towels. We. We do everything we possibly can to eliminate plastic from our lives as well as in the office here. But just getting it out there, plastic is a huge problem, not just for us humans, but definitely for the animals in the oceans, anywhere. I mean, everywhere there's turtles eating plastic. You can see pictures of monkeys playing with plastic bottles that are the rainforest areas. I mean, it's just.

Peter Tilden (31:14)

It's.

Chris Vadu (31:14)

It's everywhere.

Amy Brown (31:15)

Well, Chris, obviously, after what happened with you in Iraq with plastics, this is something that is a huge passion of yours. And so how did you bring it from passion, vision, dream stage to an actual business?

Peter Tilden (31:29)

Yeah, going back to the starting process, it was. It was really for me to follow my dream and figure out what roadblocks were going to be in the way. For us, it was obviously a lot of finances, so we had to find that investor. So we use limited capital resources in the beginning to really develop a product which the sheet is a dehydrated liquid detergent. We dehydrated on a roller at 140 degrees and turn it into a dissolvable sheet. It was finding an investor that actually believed in that concept that we could do that. So we spent a better part of a year on a very limited budget just developing products. Three products just to start that were in the plastic free space. Then we sent them off for testing to a laboratory in Ohio. And as soon as the investors saw that these were cleaning as well as the synthetic liquid detergents on the market and that we could be price competitive, that three out of a thousand turned out to about 997 out of a thousand. And then it was a laundry list of people that were interested in being affiliated with what we were doing, which presented its own new challenges then. Because before you couldn't get anybody to believe in you and now everybody's wanting to be a part of it. And you can't sell your whole company to a thousand people.

Amy Brown (32:43)

Yeah, I like what you did there too. A laundry list of people. It's probably not.

Chris Vadu (32:50)

He didn't mean to do it.

Amy Brown (32:52)

Of course. I love that the sheets and to just give, like y'all have explained, so that people understand. It does look like a dryer sheet. So it could be confusing, especially if you're not used to it. But then when you realize like, oh, I throw that in the wash and it dissolves and becomes the soap and it does everything that something out of a jug would do is if I was pouring it in there. But you'll also have these in wash scent boosters that I'm obsessed with, particularly Sandbar. That's my favorite scent. That's the yellow one. And my son recently started playing football and his stuff just stinks. You know, 12 year old boy playing football multiple times a week and I can't keep that thing clean enough. Like I'm trying all the time just make sure he's clean and smelling good. And I really think because of the scent boosters, he's good to go.

Peter Tilden (33:42)

Awesome. I'm happy to hear that. I mean it's, it's one thing to sell a product, it's one thing to sell a product two or three times. And that's always been the goal is to have a product that has efficacy behind it and works. So we're obviously thrilled to hear that, that you're happy with it. And obviously so are hundreds Hundreds of thousands of other people so far. So we're definitely making an impact in the world in it. And it's people like you that are helping us get the word out. Not only about sheets laundry club, but about the plastic crisis and the dump truck full of plastic that enters the ocean every 30 seconds.

Amy Brown (34:15)

Oh, yeah, that's crazy to think about. And I personally just love supporting military, former military in any way possible. And I also love Yalls mission and what y'all are doing and that you're determined to make a differ and you're not just doing it as like, oh, look at this cool business idea that could probably really take off. You practice what you preach. I mean, that is hardcore. You're not even allowing the Gatorade bottles. Because I was thinking, my kids love Gatorade too, but what would I do? And then, you know, you have a solution. Oh, yeah, there's powdered Gatorade. And we'll make it that way, and then we'll put it in our own reusable jug.

Peter Tilden (34:48)

Yeah.

Amy Brown (34:48)

So when you're first implementing that type of lifestyle, though, because I can imagine for some people, if you've never been big into recycling or eliminating certain things that are just obviously very convenient for us and have been so acceptable for so long, you know, would you recommend just baby steps and don't just one bite at a time at this, because to me, it could be overwhelming. Of course I would love to live exactly how y'all are living, but I know I've got to take probably small steps to get there.

Chris Vadu (35:14)

Yeah, I mean, it's not going to happen overnight, really. Honestly. We started with the canned water because I was like, you know, plastic bottles, not just laundry jugs, but the plastic bottles we drink every day. I mean, you see it all the time. You know, in one day, there are as many plastic. Plastic bottles that can go around the earth like seven times, used or thrown away. So that was my first step, was I found the canned water. And then the second step, I was like, you know, we need our reusable bottles or, you know, our metal drinking canteens or whatever you want to call them. And so that way we're not using a bottle. We fill it up out of the sink or the refrigerator or, you know, the filter filtered water, and we just keep using that. And then next I kind of went and looked into my pantry and looked at some things that I could do better, like our trash, our trash bags. I mean, trash bags are. They don't biodegrade, you know, So I was like, well, what are we going to do with this? Because I can recycle all my boxes or my bottles, but they're just going to go into a plastic bag and that's just going to sit there. So what's the point? So now we use biodegradable plant based trash bags as well. And then I went to, you know, the reusable paper towels. You know, when I'm not cutting down trees, I'm using, you know, I get them on Etsy and I just put them on the regular paper towel roll, just roll them up and just when I needed one, I just take it off. And then we've got a little, a bin in our laundry. We put them in and we wash them all together. And you know, like, like you said, it was baby steps. My, my, I have other projects that I'm trying to figure out how to get away from plastic. We can't always do it, unfortunately, Chris and I do know that, you know, plastic is cheap and it's baby step. So hopefully one day what we're doing will push others into the same direction.

Amy Brown (36:54)

Oh, absolutely. And I think one way for people to start too is even looking at their laundry detergent, maybe trying out out sheets as an option. Sheets Laundry Club, because that's a way where, you know, you're, you're making an impact in that cabinet. And then now I, I had not thought about the trash bags at all until you just said that. So I'm thankful you gave a little rundown there of different things you started to swap out because my next round of trash bags that run out, I'm going to try to find a different kind. I think I just, it's creature of habit. Like I buy the, what, you know, the same trash bags I've been buying for years and I, I never even thought to think about using a different kind that wasn't a plastic trash bag.

Chris Vadu (37:35)

Because they're not out there, they're not on the grocery shelves where people go and buy their laundry detergent and you know, their milk, bread, cheese, you know, it's, it's not there. It's not something that's advertised as hey, let's do this to make a difference. So, you know, we're hoping that being in some major retail stores will help along with, you know, our voices to, to help those bottles stop being sent out.

Amy Brown (37:57)

Well, that was my next question, Chris. Where can people find Sheets Laundry Club? Obviously going to sheets laundryclub.com but where else?

Peter Tilden (38:06)

Yeah, so we're, we're on sheets laundryclub.com Amazon. We don't have a full selection on Amazon, but we do have the basic laundry sheets there. We're also in all the Harris Cedar locations on the east coast and in all the Meijer locations, continuing to expand out west throughout the year. But those are the two confirmed retailers that we're in. And, you know, if we kind of back up on that. My goal, when we started this, I. Three years ago in Harris Teeter, I said, lorian, one day our son is going to walk down this aisle with our grandkids and he's going to say, grandpa, change that. You know, they're all. They're all cardboard now. And he revolutionized the way laundry detergent was done. My goal was, in 20 years, to be on a retail shelf being Harris Teeter. And 24 months after I said that, our products are sitting right next to Tide in the seventh generation. So it's huge for us. And the goal is, with no pun intended, is to turn the tide on plastic pollution. That's really what we're trying to do. And I'm hoping that we can force change in a massive. One of the biggest industries in the world, which is the laundry market. We can turn a tide on that and change, revolutionize, and show companies like Procter and Gamble that there is a demand out here for sustainable alternatives.

Amy Brown (39:21)

Well, I definitely got goosebumps when you shared that dream and that 24 months later, you know, it's. It's happening. And so hopefully that'll just be encouragement to anyone listening right now that has a vision, that has a dream, and maybe they're telling a bunch of people and people are shooting them down and not believing in them. And, you know, one day you might get people that believe in you. And sometimes it takes just believing in yourself first. And so, you know, y'all had each other in this. And I just think it's cool that y'all are practicing what you preach. You truly believe in this. You're truly all about making a difference. And I would love to hear four things, gratitude from y'all, if y'all would like to do that real quick. But since there's two of you to hit the four, we'll just divide by two. So, Chris, you take two things, and then, Laurian, you can take two things.

Chris Vadu (40:08)

Okay, I'm not taking Instagram, Chris, because you're. I'm not on Instagram. You do more Instagram than I do.

Peter Tilden (40:13)

Deal. I'll start with my Instagram, then, while you're thinking about it. So I'm a big Fan of Jason Momoa. Full disclosure, I'm on Instagram. I think I have nine followers, so I'm not necessarily popular. I do follow Amy and Bobby, but I think I have nine followers. The business site obviously has a lot more than that, but Jason Momoa, to me, he's a good face for the plastic revolution. He just started a plastic free water company, which you can find those on Amazon. Not a sales pitch for Jason, but not only did he do movies, you know, that are within the ocean with Aquaman, but he is. He's a true believer and a true spokesman for the plastic crisis. So I love following him and his feed and kind of just watching what he's all about.

Amy Brown (41:00)

Your sheets. Instagram is also just sheets laundry club. So that's easy to remember if people want to go check out. That's an easy way to see all the awesome things, things that y'all are doing as well, which I didn't even set y'all up for, I guess maybe Instagram, a book, a TV show, and a drink. Is that what y'all are gonna do? Kind of what I. The game I do sometimes. So you just did the Instagram. All right, so Laurie and you go next with whichever one you want to take.

Chris Vadu (41:23)

Chris isn't a huge reader, so I think I'm going to take books away from him. You know, as. As a wife and. And a mother and, you know, running this company alongside my husband. It is hard to read books. I don't have much time, but, you know, the books that I can come back, and I say, I know this is going to sound a little cheesy, but. And honest, I'm blanking on the author, but it was the love languages book for both, you know, married couples and for kids. It kind of helped me and Chris, you know, read them as well, I think, but it really kind of helped us, you know, come together closer as a family because we knew how to get to each other. So it wasn't just giving flowers. It wasn't just, you know, taking the family on a vacation. It was, you know, taking out the trash when you're not asked to or, you know, for my son, it was to sit down for five minutes and play a video game with him. So I think if it weren't for those two books, I would definitely not be doing so many things, little things that really a lot of people take for granted. But, you know, your significant other and your. Your child especially, really, it really gets them right here and it brings you together.

Amy Brown (42:28)

Yeah. The author behind that book Is Gary Chapman.

Peter Tilden (42:31)

Yes.

Chris Vadu (42:31)

Yes.

Amy Brown (42:31)

Yeah.

Chris Vadu (42:32)

On Focus for the Family. Yes.

Amy Brown (42:34)

Yeah. It is definitely cool to figure out your love language, those around you, just so you can better understand people. So what do we. Who's going to take the TV show?

Peter Tilden (42:44)

I'll do the TV shows. I do watch TV more than I do read books. So TV shows. For me, I'm a big history buff, and I love the History Channel. So in my. And my son does, too. So for me, it's. It's the making of America, the food that built America, all of the history channels that kind of go back to the start of America, Whether it's, you know, the Vanderbilt, whether it's McDonald's versus Burger King, Domino's versus Pizza Hut. I love to watch the story of how it's really where we're at today, 50 years ago, 100 years ago, of how these two companies and a few founders had a quirky idea that everybody thought was crazy, which was a Domino's. I think that was actually Pizza Hut. These guys made this pizza, and nobody's going to buy this. And then eventually it started selling. And these Domino's guys said, hey, I've tried this. Let's build this. And one thing led to another, and Pepsi and Coke. It's stories on all of these companies and the rivalry that they've had over the last anywhere from 100 to 50 years and how this all started. You know, so for me, I really enjoy watching those. And I kind of think where we're at kind of relates. And I'm hoping one day that I don't want to be on the History Channel, but I'm hoping that we change an industry to where, you know, we're a small part of a revolution in the plastic space for laundry detergent.

Amy Brown (44:04)

Love that. You're making me want to check out the History Channel. Have y'all seen that documentary on McDonald's? I can't even remember what it's called now, but how. The brothers that started it. Or was it.

Peter Tilden (44:14)

Yeah, yeah, the two brothers. He got pushed out.

Amy Brown (44:17)

Yeah. It's very interesting. So, yeah, documentaries are always good. Okay, so what do we have left?

Chris Vadu (44:23)

Food and drink. I think I'm gonna go with tacos and margaritas. I mean, come on. I mean.

Amy Brown (44:28)

Yes, yes.

Chris Vadu (44:29)

I mean, you can't go wrong with either of those.

Amy Brown (44:33)

Okay, well, I can back that. And then I know y'all are coming to Nashville soon. And I have a margarita and taco recommendation. You need to go to 12 south, and you have to go to Bar Taco and Every once in a while. I don't know what determines. I mean, maybe because it's summertime, what determines when they have this secret lobster taco on the menu? But most of their tacos are about $2, $3, but the lobster one is six. But it is the best taco you're ever gonna eat. I kid you not. It's worth it. So I recommend you go to Bar Taco. Hopefully, they have the lobster at the very. It'll be at the bottom of the menu, and it'll say something like, super secret lobster taco, even though it's right there. And then order just their classic margarita. Or if you like it spicy, they can do a little jalapeno in there. And it's just. It's a cool place to hang out. And especially if you can get a table outside, you can. Also, people watch all the people walking up and down 12 south shopping and doing cheats.

Chris Vadu (45:38)

Chris, we'll just hand out travel packs.

Amy Brown (45:40)

Yeah. Hey.

Peter Tilden (45:43)

No, I'm totally excited. We'll check it out for sure. I'll. I'll shoot you a DM when we're done and tell you how much we liked it.

Amy Brown (45:50)

Awesome. Okay. Well, thank you all so much for coming on to share your story and. And remind us that dreams do come true, and it takes a lot of hard work. I know that y'all have worked incredibly hard, but the fact that it truly was something that came from within, and it's a passion, and y'all are putting it out there into the world, and you are making a difference, and it just shows that, yeah, you can. You can have a dream one day for your kids or your grandkids to see your stuff on a grocery store aisle, and it really will come true.

Peter Tilden (46:19)

Yeah, that's absolutely. The only person to tell you no is yourself. Yourself. So just. Just keep driving on and find a way around the roadblocks that come ahead.

Amy Brown (46:27)

Love that. Well, y'all are awesome. Thanks for coming on. And, yeah, I just encourage people to check out sheets. Laundryclub.com all right. Hope you have a good day.

Chris Vadu (46:36)

Thanks, Amy.

Peter Tilden (46:37)

Thanks, Amy. Have a great day.

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