Adela: 0:00

Hello, my love. Welcome to the podcast. I am so glad that we're finally able to do this and so honored to have you here and welcome.

Laylonna: 0:10

Take a minute to introduce yourself thousand times over again, because you are the partner that anyone is dreaming about. And when I say partner, she came on as assistant but quickly became my creative director, quickly became my partner in crime. Um, together we have created an experience for over 200 women in five books, five books. I just sent in the fifth book to get published. We're working on the sixth and seventh book, but today we're going to talk about the book that started it all. The Parachute Goddess Project Embraced the Invention.

Adela: 0:58

Yeah, I'm so excited because Embracing the Experience, our first book was something that we didn't even think we were going to be doing. I mean, that wasn't even a preview when we first. I mean, at least it wasn't in mine. I'm sure it was in yours and where your mind is, because it's like mine and like we're going to think, dream and think big, but it wasn't in mine when we first met. So let's talk about our first meeting before we get into how we came into this idea.

Adela: 1:26

Because I started out here locally in Jacksonville as a hair and makeup artist and it's been my passion to do that and I really got into special effects, makeup, and then got into photography and fashion, design and just really into the arts itself. And I found Embrace Beauty magazine and I had followed it and followed a couple of things that you had been doing and just your name and kind of was like, well, if I can get to that magazine, I get to that human, I can get to this level like I'm reaching things and I'm reaching places. And I'm doing it because, again, when you start where you start at and you come into a new place, new industry, new space, you can only go up from there at least least that's my thought and no matter where you go, it's a stepping stone and no matter how small or how big somebody is or something is, reaching those steps are great sense of accomplishments and great sense of pride and confidence in that. So I remember that I was asked to be a model coach and a fashion designer for a model that is local here and she had asked me to come on down for a beauty pageant that was happening and this is the year they had plus size girls, and so I was like, of course, I'll get to create for a plus size girl, I love it, and to me, I don't do plus size sizes, I get to create for a human. It's just what the labeling is and what it was for the time. So I was like, no, I want to create this beautiful gown for a human being. She's a fantastic human being and Danielle was her name, is her name, not was her name, but is her name. But she and she you know. So we created this beautiful, gorgeous sequins gown. I went down there, I coached her gown. I went down there, I coached her To me. She still won. We lost by half a point and that was a preference point at my eyes. So at that point you won and we did a really great job.

Adela: 3:13

We went through the whole thing and I remember walking in I don't know if it was judging time or right before, whatever it was, but I walked into the room the big old room that they held it in at the hotel and I'm walking in and I had my red coat on, I had these headset on because it's my safety, and so, or another pair, and uh, I'm walking in, I'm just in my thing and I just hear and I was like somebody's calling my name, somebody's calling my name, who is it? And I just see this little thing because I had heels on, so to me everybody was short. When I wear eight inch heels, everybody's short. So I see this little short thing running. In reality, you guys, I'm really short and everybody's taller than me. That's why I compensate.

Adela: 3:55

So when she, when she and she's running to me and she's this level height and I'm like, oh my god, hi, hi, hi, this little tiny thing, I'm like, oh goodness, it took me a minute to figure out who it was, but she knew me instantly and I was like hold on, who is this? Who is this? Who is this person coming to me? Who is this? And then it was like oh, embrace Beauty magazine. I was like, oh my God, leilana knows my name. So from my perspective, you know my height and my heels and this little thing come of people. This human knows my name, she knows me, she followed me, she knew, she recognized me. Oh my god. And yet I'm like hi. But that was everything that went through my head as I was like oh my god, she knows me it's Leilana Hurley.

Laylonna: 4:39

She knows me. Ah, what was your like this?

Adela: 4:44

she knows me, yeah, I was gonna ask what was your um, what was your, what was your experience like in our first meeting? And then and then, how did that snowball us to? To go into Cali oh my gosh.

Laylonna: 5:02

Well, first I was looking for a makeup artist and I was wanting a special effect makeup artist. We were like doing something I was working on a big crew. Um, they went ahead and went to someone else, but that someone else said, hey, if you ever get a chance to work with this person, work with her because she's just amazing on all platforms. And they show me your picture. You have like this cotton I call it cotton candy pink hair, but you're in like this high fashion and you're posing on these escalators but you're not on the stairs, you're on the part that the Vader goes up. I don't know how you were sitting there, but you were sitting in that picture just like burnt in my soul because I'm like I want to recreate that and I love this model and she's like that's the makeup artist. So I started like following you from your makeup, looking at for makeup artists, to kind of keep under my belt, to pull in my secret weapon, you know. And when I saw you at Miss Fashion Global, which I was a judge at I know Terrence who puts that on, global, which I was a judge at, I know Terrence who puts that on and it was my ideal to open it up to all sizes of beauty, because beauty is not a little box that you can put in with a little bow. Beauty comes in all different shapes, sizes and ages and through this experience we have learned that when I saw you there I don't in my head, my head I was screaming. I did not realize that I was actually screaming, so I didn't know that I was really doing that. My daughter was like oh my god, mom, you're a bear to me. But you said my name back and I'm like, and I'm kidding my daughter, she's not with me, she knows. And then, together, after my daughter and I were like, talking, she goes, mom, you should invite Adela for your makeup artist. And I'm like, oh, so I went right back to you and I said, hey, I'm doing this thing, I want to go and, da-da-da-da-da, I would like for you to come and be my makeup artist. I have.

Laylonna: 7:01

You know, we had some major clients set up, some actors in Hollywood. One of them is really huge, her and her sister, ava, and Lexi Calker, calker, calker. Yeah, I almost forgot their last name, but they were major and they were the cutest little girls. So when I said it, you're like yeah, sure, sure, sure. And I was like, okay, let's have lunch and we set it up for next week. And you know, it was raining, there was a hurricane coming and I'm like, oh, my God, we're going to have to reschedule this. But you're like, okay, I'm coming. So I'm like, okay, she's driving all the way from Jacksonville, but I, unbeknownst to me, you were coming to tell me no yeah.

Adela: 7:47

So I was coming to tell her no, you guys, because to me, one of my most I'm always very, one of my most important things is honesty and transparency, and not that I've always been the greatest at it in my life, or you know, I've just. It's just it's part of being where I'm at today and my wanting to be good where I'm at, with God and with my life and all of that. And so I try very, very hard. And, again, I was very new to that portion of it, but I remember being like I could call her and tell her no, or I can keep my word and go down and meet her and like have a lunch and conversation and tell her no to her face because that's the right thing to do At have a lunch and conversation and tell her no to her face because that's the right thing to do. At least in my heart, that was the right thing to do. So that's what I did.

Adela: 8:30

It came down. I was like, hey, unfortunately, as much as I would love this opportunity, I have the time. Financially I can't afford to do it. And this is just being honest, because a lot of times we don't talk about this side of the industry, or this side of the part of how we start up, how we get to where we're at, and we're afraid and ashamed and I was. I was ashamed that I couldn't afford my plane ticket or I couldn't get to a place, because I really wanted to follow my dream. But I had a family, I had a brand new kid and I had just still trying to get out of a house, trying to do stuff like there's just so much that was happening and you have to make decisions, and so my goal was to go down and make a decision and tell her no, and that's what it did and I was like, hey, so I can't come, I can't do that and this is why, and you know, and your response was what's stopping you?

Adela: 9:11

yeah, and I was like money and you spent money and so I elbowed my daughter and my daughter started asking me questions and me I'm naive, okay, you guys like I could be in a cult, like I'm one of the most gullible people ever, like you could tell me anything and I'll believe it. And then, once I find out that you lied to me in that and you tricked me, then we have no conversations. That's just me. Because, like that, I can't believe anything you say, because I know how believable, like how you could trick me. And so she's asking me what's this? How do you spell your name? How do you do this? And I'm just like the same person, any same person, to a stranger, because, no offense if you're still strangers. I'm just giving away my personal information. Here's my address, here's this, here's my id. Like here's my, the blood of my firstborn. And then the next thing I know she's like okay, well, your ticket is booked. And I was like huh, and I remember going. What do you mean? Like?

Laylonna: 10:06

what do you mean? We booked right there and it's like, okay, uh, your plane ticket is paid for, your room board is paid for. You don't even have to buy your food. I'll buy that for you. Whatever you want to spend on little extras, the shop and whatever that's on you, but everything else is covered yeah, and to to know, well, like well, say no, now I mean I couldn't, what was I gonna do?

Adela: 10:28

say no when I already said I had the time, I just didn't have the money. She's like, well, the money problem is taken care of, so what's then holding you back? Well, nothing but me saying no and being stupid. And I'm not neither one. So, um, sometimes I am on the second part, but uh, but no, and I was like, absolutely and absolutely, and that was November, december, that we sat down and talked about that.

Adela: 10:48

And then in January January 2019, we were on the road and we were in California and we were planning this epic journey. And now we had just gone with this idea of getting models together and doing a crew and doing this cross-country tour, of talking about beautiful women and photographing them in beautiful designs and telling their stories. And because I was a designer and we had different designers that were sending in their stuff and we were taking different designers pieces to dress and style our, our clients and our women who are coming through, and we had one particular one, barb, who is just the you know, the spark of some stuff that kind of gets into going, and when she gets her mindset on stuff it happens to alpha women. We have it really does, and she, she, we got there and again I'm this is at this point. My perspective is that I have I know nothing about the Parachute Goddess Project or the idea really, or any of that. Like I've heard about the parachute, we've seen the images from Christina Weeks and from other inspirations and from things like that and we were in awe. We were like, oh my God, like that's fantastic. And then we get to California, we get with Barb. We get to California, we get with Barb, we get into this and we have this plan and Barb's like, hey, guess what? And right there, she's right behind you. What perfect timing. Right there, right there, guess what? She pulls out a parachute and we get to.

Adela: 12:20

On that same day we run to Hollywood Hills. We, we do this in the back of the car and you'll have to tell you the story from your part because you were driving and I was back there doing the makeup and not only my makeup, everybody's makeup our seat. We didn't have this is again against the law, part of it but we didn't have our seatbelts at all. We were not doing the proper thing that we needed to. We just got this a gorilla style getting done, because that's what we do and we would determine for the art. Okay, however, we were safe. We followed most of the rules and the road rules and all that stuff, and when we saw popo, we stopped and we just pretended like we did what we're supposed to do. So again, no harm, no foul, ask for apologies.

Adela: 12:54

Later, however, we got to get to the hollywood sign, at least close enough. We got to photograph and then we got to go to malibu, right there. Oh my god, that's why it's called the Malibu and tell us, give me your, your version of that moment and when she gave you that parachute. And because, again, I know the story of who inspired you and we know, and you've shared that with a lot of people, but that moment, I think, is really important for people because I think, from my perspective, it was like you when you and you and Priscilla book that.

Adela: 13:28

For me, it was you giving me something that was towards my dream, my goal of becoming a good makeup artist and being the best that I could be at what I was doing at that time. That's what I was thinking, and so I'm imagining for you it might have been in that sense of you had this idea, you might have this. And then here's a parachute that somebody was like I believe in you, in this idea. Here's your first one. What can you do with it? Like, is that am I kind of like? How, tell me about that, because that's how I perceive it would be in that kind of, and just so that people see how each moment can spark something beautiful.

Laylonna: 14:12

You can find this all at the beginning of the Parachute Goddess Project on our YouTube channel and that's Embrace Beauty Magazine. Go over there, make sure you hit that subscribe button. But you can find the beginning of the parachute project is what we were calling it. And people are asking me why do you want to go to California at this time? They just have the horrific fires that took out most of the iconic locations and it was like a touch and go. So it was like someone just doing this and this and this and touching places, and those places are gone in fire.

Laylonna: 14:44

And when they were panning through it, I found beauty in the ashes and so I wanted to go and shoot at locations that have like, where they're like barrier off. On this side you have beauty, on this side you have destruction, and I wanted my models to be in these big, long Victorian dresses. Well, I couldn't find any. I went to Goodwill, I went to everywhere that you would go, where you'd go and find these used big dresses. And then Christina Weeks reached out to me and she sent me a thing she goes, what you need is a parachute. So I was like, okay, I'm looking for the parachute project.

Laylonna: 15:20

And when Barb showed up, first she was like a last resort, like she didn't know if she could do it or whatever. But her mom wanted to go to California. She wanted to take her mom and so when she messaged me and said, hey, I'm coming, I was like, oh cool, cause I knew I was going to get some good shots, cause I've worked with Barb for, at that time, almost eight years, so she's been my meat any pig. I mean, I've, like, glued flower petals to her, her eyes, and so not glued them you know, like lashes eyelashes.

Laylonna: 15:54

Yeah, she was always willing to do whatever it took to be get the art. You know she knew that I'm an artist and I I like that concept beauty and fashion. It has to have a concept for me, or I just I'm just a shooter, you know. So when she showed up and we were going to the Hollywood sign first, this was our first, my first trip to California uh, to go there as a photographer and I actually had some client clients we shot, shot Chelsea Briggs, we shot her. You guys noticed her. She's on the red carpet a lot interviewing everybody. The billboard, yeah, yeah, and you were right there. Okay, I'm a model coach Boom, you got her and you were coaching her. I got some great pictures of that.

Adela: 16:39

I was just going through that, which I'm putting together the video. I was actually just going through that. I'm putting together the video. I was actually just going through that. I'm like oh my God, because you guys, we have so much work we haven't shared just yet with you in the beginning, Like so much, it's insane which again is just power and a testament to how far we've come and what we've done and how much work we've done. So, yeah, Chelsea Briggs was a great moment. I was just going through that and I was like oh my god, and I just looked up to what she was doing and saw that she had just moved and got into a beautiful relationship and is like really coming into this time of you know where we're at with our families and stuff for them in this new journey. So it's just so beautiful to see her flourish that way.

Laylonna: 17:18

so, yeah, that's so fantastic that you brought her up with that all, all the celebrities that we got to work with that weekend, you know, to see where they are and that I'm still friends with them and I get to like have this conversation with them, and they always say, whenever you're back in California, so we will have to like take another trip back there.

Adela: 17:37

We absolutely have to, because I've, yeah, a couple of our MCs and our OGs have been asking and reaching out and saying if you guys are ever up here, come, come. And that's a testament to our energy and this isn't me boosting us at all or anything like that, but it's a testament to our energy and to what we create when we're together and what the human side of art and what really art does and the bonds that it creates.

Laylonna: 18:07

Art does and and the bonds that it creates, um, you know, whether that's photography, fashion, makeup, but all of them together is like and when we got there and I picked up barb and her mom, she's like oh, I can't wait to give you a surprise. I got you a surprise. I'm like what is it? She goes, you'll see soon. And we're like trying to find where to go to shoot. We wanted the Hollywood sign. That's where I wanted the first shot to be a Hollywood sign. So I had Adela.

Laylonna: 18:30

We had a traveling model with us, hamnet, and then Barb came out and you know, these were just like your regular models that are just doing their thing. They're not celebrities or anything. Well, hamnet is starting to. You see her little shine shining there. So good for her. Um, she wanted to be a traveling model. Barb wanted to be a traveling model. You wanted to be a traveling makeup artist. I wanted to be a traveling photographer. And so that trip I put everything in there. Yeah, I just like dumped all my dreams and my hopes in that one trip and it went beyond what I could dream of, especially when we're at the hollywood sign, right, right there, yeah, she pulls out this big, big thing and I'm like what do you bring? Is that a blanket? And she's like no, it's a parachute. The birth of the parachute goddess project happened in the car right back when adela and I were on cloud nine, and we're just like and and and, to give the score some credit, because the score was playing on our, on our backhand, we could do anything.

Adela: 19:38

And higher right, because we were jamming to that. And the inspiration from the lyrics, the music, the high off of what we just did, and we're like this is it, like this is what we have to do. And then you were like went crazy and Tunnel Vision are like I've got, how many do we have right now? Like 25?.

Laylonna: 20:01

We have one more coming.

Adela: 20:03

We have 27 parachutes 27 parachutes, you guys, we went with from one in 2019 to 27 by 2024, and how amazing is that? They and we photographed over 200 plus women. We have five books that we have finished, we have seven books in the works, we have a retreat in the works, and this is just the beginning, again, of what we're doing, and so it to me. It's so, as again, I mentioned to you this, I just we, just before we did this recording, we started this. I was telling you that one of my team members said, adela, like, get me Adela back, because I've been lost a little bit. Right, I've been lost a little bit in my space, and this is what Adela craves. This right, here is the human reaching and achieving their dream. It like fills me with so much freaking joy and I can't wait for next month. And then I can't wait for New York Fashion Week, which we are just so excited about, and all of that's happening. So we're keep announcing and keep saying it, because we're going to be bringing you behind the scenes, bringing you in live, bringing you the um. Leila and I are going to be talking a bunch of times between now and then. We have a series of these conversations have, because we've got a bunch of books and a bunch of humans to go through and stories to go through. So just keep in mind that this is you will hear a lot of us and we're excited.

Adela: 21:33

So follow the parachute goddess project. I'm doing a little shout out right now. It's on the screen on the bottom right there on that side. Yep, that way. Uh, it's right there on the facebook. We have it, it in there, and then you can go to the Barnes and Nobles online stores, search the Parachute Goddess Project, find our books there and, again, all of the proceeds and all the investments are come to the Parachute Goddess Project and are also donated to the book associated theme that we have going on. So we have one for breast cancer, we have one for suicide awareness. We have uh for for a couple of different things. So, please, suicide awareness. We have uh for for a couple of different things. So please keep that in mind as you do support the arts and support us and support what we're doing. Um, and that also goes for project human. Uh, the documentary uh, not the documentary, we have that in the works, but the podcast itself. And again, so many things, but the podcast itself. Uh, follow us on uh thinkingorg. Slash taw for the artists within and support us there, subscribe and like here, subscribe on the youtube channels and all of that and let's get back to our regular programming. Yes, I'm throwing in my sponsorships on my own self man and my own. I am shamelessly, shamelessly now being again. They said they need adela back and I am very proud to that goes to that. So so let me get back into the asking you that. So we get the parachute, we do the car ride, we have this and we we finish California.

Adela: 22:51

And what was the biggest lesson you took away from that trip? That led you and kind of got you started into our next one, which was going into New Mexico. Um, at least with the two of us, because you went to Colorado prior to that and I couldn't make that trip, but but that led us into New Mexico because I think that was a really big trip. It included so many different varieties of humans and faces and spaces and stories and also Miss New Mexico, and that was fantastic to kind of again to just have the opportunity. But what was the biggest lesson from California? And then you can add your experience for Colorado at the Gardens of or the Eden of Gods, gardens of Gods, and then that led us into New Mexico, because New Mexico was an exhilarating experience and again I get to share that with you from that. So, yeah, tell me about that.

Laylonna: 23:51

The biggest thing I took away from this experience, from going to California and getting my group together is what I tell my daughter all the time that if you can think it and you really want to do it, you can do it. You just have to have that willpower of never giving up saying hey, you can do this. And you've got to be your own cheerleader. You said you're going to shamelessly plug yourself. There's no shame in self-marketing yourself. I am a living testament of that right now, because when I went into this in 2019, I doubted that I was going to get this right, because I've never been in that kind of environment where I have to like shoot fast and talk later. You know I'm always been one of these people that I have one client and I'm working with her and I'm wanting her to see her beauty. My photography was Beauty Within. My magazine is Embrace Beauty. When I began the Parachute Goddess Project, I wanted women to see the goddess within, because we forget about how strong we are, because all we see is the obstacles that keep coming to us. That's like hitting us in the face, but what we miss out is that we overcame those obstacles. We did it. We are surviving, we are on to the next day, and if you can only do one day at a time, do one day at a time. Just survive today. And I want to go switch back to. We did the parachute project in California with Bart Fly and that parachute right here is called the Malibu Fly. She gave me that parachute and that parachute started everything. When I went to Colorado I was going as a judge to judge the pageant they were having for come on in with Darla. Darla saw what I was doing with the parachute in California. She wanted to shoot. I didn't bring the parachute. So we went to Walmart and we got a whole bunch of fabric and I said, okay, we're not doing a pair of shoes project, we're doing the goddess project. And so I dressed them. I made this fabric. You can see this all over my YouTube. I made this fabric into like a Greek goddess outfits. And so when I'm shooting with Darla and autumn and one of the girls from the pageant that won and I got to shoot, victoria henley, which was america's next top model yeah, so she, she did a lot of advertising for me because she like had that picture of me pinning her into a dress all over her Instagram.

Laylonna: 26:27

And then I met Miss New Mexico, miss Gracie, and she's like, oh, I want you to come to the White Sands. Well, I've never even heard of the White Sands, I've never been to the next, I've never been like anywhere. I stayed in my own little bubble, right, and I'm like, ok. And she's like, oh, I got 12 girls. And I'm like I have one parachute and I'm talking to my husband about this and he has me on speaker and my daughter's hearing him.

Laylonna: 26:54

So she goes and takes her baby study money and she goes and buys me five more parachutes. They're all the ones that you play with and you see them in the gym and they're all colorful and what have you like these? She buys me five of those. So now we have six parachutes. Okay, I could do six parachutes with 12 girls, no problem, we got it Right. So when we go there, I already had the parachute project and then I already had the goddess project in Colorado and I just smushed them together and that's how we became the parachuteachute Goddess Project. And now we're back to the Parachute Project because I want to bring in men to art. Yes, we're dressing guys now too, and that happened, like a couple of years ago on the Brooklyn Bridge when I had a really good friend of ours, grayson Frank, ask if he could be in the parachute. I'm just like how am I going to make this happen?

Adela: 27:54

Which, for those of you who don't know, he's a phenomenal artist and a musician, so follow him too. We'll put the links in there into that. But he's working on his career too, on that, and I've been just a shout out on there because he said I may not be on, we may not see you, but remember and we follow.

Laylonna: 28:14

So he's family for life out on there because it says I may not be all, we may not see you, but remember and we follow. So he's family for life, him and, uh, christian, yes, candace, christian, they're family for life. I just love them. They're some of my biggest supporters. I mean, they share and love and support my project always and so I'm going to plug them in all the time. Same thing with Christina Weeks um, so we went to the White Sands in um 2019. That was. That was our first big project that we went and I'm like, okay, adela, you can't do all the makeup for yourself, so let's get another teammate. And we got Casey right it's Casey.

Adela: 28:50

Casey, yes, cassie. No, it's Casey.

Laylonna: 28:53

It's Casey, yeah, it's Casey so when you brought her on, she did the makeup for all the girls because she is new, so I had to get my teammates in here, and this is the first time that you got into the parachute and you should be coming up for pretty soon yeah, I did so for me.

Adela: 29:10

I I got into that because we had what 10 minutes in between makeup stuff. And I was like, and you and I had already shot in California, so you knew what I could do in 10 minutes, and I know what you could do in 10 minutes. So I was like, let me get into this. And I remember picking up the ladder and I was like I have an idea for a Vogue shot. And that was when I, before we get to me, I want behind you Miss Gracie, that's who we're talking about. I want to get back to that for her really quick before me.

Adela: 29:36

Because that right there, miss Gracie has never and we call her Miss Gracie because that's just our thing for her but that right there, that photo, that right there, she had never seen herself like that. She had never seen herself in the way that we had seen her and just her raw, natural beauty of who she was. And you know, I did not, I was not trying to do makeup for her. That's why we Leilana and I played, played on putting her first thing in the morning, where we were not, we didn't have time for makeup. Like this is the, we'll put makeup on for you later, like that was our. We knew what we were doing. Sorry, miss Gracie, we, we, we planned this out, um, but we knew what we were doing and our whole idea was that if we can capture her natural raw beauty and show her what she sees, like ages, it will floor her, because it floored us right, and not just from within who she was, because she was the hostess with the mostest of the best, but genuinely just a good human being in the best heart.

Adela: 30:38

And when we took that picture and when we put her in that and that sun came up and those rays and and we have that video too, which you can watch on our on the on the embrace beauty uh channel on youtube and she cried y'all she, they were just there. It is like, oh, that's me, yeah, that's me, that's my vogue pose, um, but she cried and again, I love myself, that's great, but but the reason why we do what we're doing isn't, you know, again, it isn't for me. Those are great of me achieving my dreams and my stuff, but it was for that moment of her in that same place that we were and I got that opportunity, great shots, but her experience, that was the first time I really truly saw the power of the parachute right, the power of what we could do with combining this material, this piece of product and I'm using as a product because it was a product for many things, because we have many parachutes that have a huge story behind them and retired parachutes that were used in um just amazing moments of history. And to see her embrace it and hold it, and then to see our young ladies like that because we had children on that set too young girls and moms and to see them come in embrace, hold their power, hold their own, stand on their own again.

Adela: 32:02

No makeup, no high heels, no fancy things. It was just this massive piece of fabric like that right there and them embracing who they are, for what they were, where they were, in all their glory. That was what I got. Like that right there was what I got out of it and and that was I was a human embrace of, of just an exchange of energies and emotions and creation and building of sisterhood and bondhood. That is again from the outside perspective, when we're at the work level and adela's just going, adela, adela, adela gets done, moving. You don't see all the things until you go in and you reflect on it and you see what it did and you hear the stories and you reread some of the stuff and for them to say I've never seen myself this beautiful and they've won awards and pageants and been the most beautiful you know, awarded most beautiful women in the world or in places that what they're doing and yet to say to us I've never seen myself more beautiful, felt more beautiful and felt more powerful. That moment, yeah, ah.

Laylonna: 33:29

I love when they say they felt free and that's, that's what I wanted to be. I wanted to be all of these things for the human I want to celebrate. When you and I were talking about this in California, you were just starting your project human, it was just coming off of the ground and we were talking about your project. We're talking about what I wanted to do and we just kind of like collided those together and together you and I have created an experience that is life-changing.

Adela: 33:56

This is not just you're not just paying to look pretty in a dress and to put this shot and again and go back to that, like that's a beautiful shot that you get to put on in your home, not just for the visual aspects of memory of that, because that's stunning, that kind of stuff is stunning. But we talk about that memory of that emotion that we felt that day, that experience that we all, we only get to have. Yeah, when you see that image like, or when you think of that name, or when you think of that place, and that's not just for you and me, that's for all of our sisters, like that's all, all of them right there, that's the shot I Wanted to change their lives and together we have.

Laylonna: 34:43

And I mean, she's Down there, there's this crazy after she saw herself in the camera. Look at that face. You can't, I can't plan this face. And this is the whole thing. This is not just to sit still look pretty. This is make it flow. Once you tame the parachute, you tame all of these insecurities, all of your doubts, you calm, come out a better woman. And that's what we try to do. We try to let you not only just embrace the surroundings and what you're doing, but embrace the experience and in the why you're embracing the experience, you're embracing yourself.

Adela: 35:27

You're embracing the strength.

Laylonna: 35:28

You have the pure beauty of you in this huge, heavy parachute, and it's heavy oh it's not.

Adela: 35:39

It's not easy and that's the part of it. It's not easy to maneuver and I love that. Like we got to create experiences, and this first book was all of that. Like that's when we realized the power we have to be able to touch generations, which leads us into the following book, right, and leads us into we got to touch generations of women and and humans, youth, children, whatever you want to label on it but we got to touch generations of humans who not only did we get to put and I think back and I forgot, this is terrible, but the names are slipping for me but the family of three where they had the daughter, the mother and the husband and the husband and just got to see them for you get to see his wife for the first, remember that.

Adela: 36:24

And then the daughter said I've never seen my mom this way. Um, oh gosh, her name is slipping. My, I see her face and everything, but yeah, and she said I have to get up and get it because I forgot to grab it over here. That's terrible, I know, I know, me too. I was like, oh, but look at that, right, but the idea for them to say that I've never seen my mom look like that, or I've never seen my grandma in that light.

Adela: 36:54

That's who said that. That's, um, that's who said those words. She's like I've never seen my mom, maggie I believe it was Maggie um, yep, I'm getting there, see, uh, but, but, but I've never. That's what she said. And to me I was like when she said that, as a mom, to be seen, as a mom to be seen, is enough of like, oh my god, but then to be seen as a beautiful mom, as a beautiful human, as somebody that like that, that's our first book, you guys, that's. Those are these things I'm saying are the things that happened in our first book, our first trip, our first two moments of experience.

Laylonna: 37:36

Our first trip in africa, new mexico. Darla. All good brings us back to colorado yes and then we got to, uh, photograph.

Laylonna: 37:47

Oh my god, we got to like witness, miss darla. She had like this heavy burden on her because her parents passed away and she never got to say goodbye. So we have them in there. She got to wear, you know, her dad's jacket and she had her mom's like a necklace on, and so she had them with her and she got to live and be with her parents that day and she got to take that burden off of her shoulders and she became free. And we had Jill Baker who is the cover of this. Yes, there's Jill. So she became the cover.

Adela: 38:25

I had to get up and get it because we couldn't keep talking and me not have it. It's just silly of me, right.

Laylonna: 38:31

So when we went back and we shot this, you don't see this. Underneath here is uh, adela, and she's like holding on to jill.

Adela: 38:42

So she doesn't, because we're shooting on a clip and if the wind took her, miss jill would be gone and that's and that right and that's part of that is like when, when you come with us, um, you not only get me as like a makeup coach or a model coach and all the other good stuff, like I'm your security. So if I tell you not to twerk on a mountain, don't twerk on a mountain, okay, and I say that with someone twerking on a mountain in a parachute and all good fun. Again, this is all said and done, but it's part of that. Our safeties are number one concern and everything we do, because, at the end of the day, we know the experience we're asking for and creating for and the art we're asking you to do too. And when you want to push the boundaries, we're willing to go with you, but safely and making sure that you know you, you get there because we're putting you in a mental and emotional state. Like you just said with miss darla, she has to.

Adela: 39:30

She's going through an and I remember that she had her crown there, she had her jacket there, she had her father's jacket, she had her crown. She had that moment and she just she had a moment with God, with her family, with everything, and it was just such a beautiful moment to experience from the outside Like I can't speak on her experience from the inside at all, um, but from what was on the outside. It was such a healing moment. She cried, she laughed, she said hello, she said goodbye like all of those things happen and all we did and I promise you right, all we did was show up, put a parachute on, take our cameras out and make sure you looked good. The rest was all on on her and on our and our beautiful humans who are, who are in this. So our job is very easy if I, when I look at it and and and like for them to just express an experience that is just beyond well again, what we could even ask for, and I'm going to try to see if I can.

Laylonna: 40:36

Yeah, here's her. So if they want to sit there and look pretty well, we're going to sit there and look pretty and, trust me, you're going to get a shot like you've never had before. But I want them to actually take this time, this experience, to let go of every negative burden that's been weighing them down, and the parish becomes a metaphor, like that. It becomes everything that society and those titles that we carry mother, woman, sister, husband. We carry these burdens. They're not burdens, but we carry. They're like weights that are just stacked onto us and we carry them. And sometimes what we forget is we're hunched over and we're not standing up tall, we're not proud of ourselves and we're not like looking, going. Oh, my god, I did that, I did this, I am a beast, I am, I'm a goddess, I'm beautiful, and I wanted them to really feel their power within and us combining both of our projects together. I believe that we've got it, because of the 200 women, even, I mean I, I look and again, this is I'm.

Adela: 41:43

I've grown so much from 2019. I've grown so much from last year and and today, where I'm at and what I can, what I can come through and what I can reflect on, and I look back on these photos. I look back on these pictures of me and I see the child in me and I see the uncertainty. I absolutely like everything, all the insecurities, like I look at these photos and I see them. But then I look at these photos of women who have come from so many shapes, sizes and places in this world. And again I look at back at Michelle right now, and I don't know why I can't Brenna, michelle and Brenna and I bring this picture up right here for you guys to see, because I think it's extremely important. They lost not only a mother and a daughter. You know, we lost a human to something, to a project, and I want to bring this up because it's a project that we're working on towards this next in September, for what I'm part of, what Project Human is part of, what PGP is part of, and then what IU Design is part of Like a lot of different things are coming through and it's called SAP and it's the Suicide Awareness Project project and we are coming together to create an experience and exhibition that that will share in a story of loss, of grievance, of acceptance, of forgiveness and of hope. Our ultimate goal is for the hope and as I talk to our sponsors and the partners who have decided to come on and help us with this and we'll be announcing them on the next um episode when we talk we want to make sure we have all the right lists and stuff and I don't want to butcher that, but so we'll announce all that on the next one.

Adela: 43:19

But when I talked to them and when I heard their stories of loss, it reminded me of of um, of brenna and brenna here, because and she's somebody who's going to be a part of this and what we're working on too but it reminded me of them too, and it reminded me of our own people that we know and the amount of humans that we've lost to suicide, that how much art and how much what we do and the stories we get to share and the opportunities to create safe spaces for humans and to give them the opportunity to be seen and heard in where they are for what they are, not for what we see them for and think they should be and where they should be in our expectations and our dreams and goals for them. And this is again speaking from someone who has the greatest dreams and goals for humanity. But it's not my responsibility to push upon that projection when I don't even see you for where you are and who you are. And through this project, through the parachute goddess project, and through what we're doing in these next couple of months, that's what this taught me is that we have the opportunity to share a moment, for humans to be seen for where they are, for who they are. And I tell, and I and I mentioned for uh, and I want to bring her because she just popped up on our, on the back of our let me make sure I said her name right, because I don't want to uh, mess it up um kayava, um, yes, so just want to make sure I don't butcher her name.

Adela: 44:51

She inspired, inspired me, because she is a beautiful.

Adela: 44:54

Not only is she a beautiful human being, but she is a single mom at the time.

Adela: 44:59

I'm not sure what her situation is, but she was a single mom at the time of this when we did this and I remember her coming out and we had a conversation and I remember me and her in this particular moment and she rapped and we did this Her story of where, literally, she's like this is the first time I'm being seen and again I can pinpoint to these moments and I I had the privilege I have now to reflect on and when I took it for granted, then I won't take it for granted anymore but to see what we have done and that we have not given up on our goal, our mission, on ourselves, on our who we are, what we believe to be able to create this and to create this, and then to create five more of those now, to create another one. Who knows, we may do 200 of them. We don't know where we're at right now. Right now we just have seven on the roll, but I think it's their stories touch us.

Laylonna: 45:57

Yeah, their stories touch us and they move us and what they end up doing is I don't know that, they knew it at the time and I didn't know it at the time but when I'm talking to these women and I'm photographing them, I'm seeing into their souls and, as we're like shooting, I can see them blooming into the woman they forgot they were and doing this has made me appreciate myself, my battles, my obstacles, my flaws, my insecurities, my imperfections, and I now see myself in a whole new light, to the point that I'm doing self-portraits of myself in these parachutes, because if I can do it, you can do it.

Laylonna: 46:43

And how this all started, why I kept going. If you go into the first page of the book, I dedicate these books, this project, to my beautiful best friend, joanna Reisner. And this first book was very, very important to me because when I told her I was doing this book, she's like do it, leigh, you can do it. You got this, keep going. Well, when I called her when the book was done, she died of an overdose. So this book in the second book was for drug addiction. She lost her battle with heroin. It was laced with fentanyl and I'm on a mission to bring awareness to that.

Laylonna: 47:23

Always in the back of my head. It's always for Joetta, because of all my friends that I had, she was the one that I talked to every single day. That always pushed me. Even when I'm like, oh, I got a headache, I don't want to do it. She's like just do it, leigh. You'll thank me later. And I keep doing this for her, because I know she's up there and I know she's smiling down at me and saying, yep, that's my bestie, she's doing it. So, whoever it is that we're doing this for, keep doing it for them. But is that we're doing this for, keep doing it for them? But don't forget that you have to do it for yourself too. I had one person ask me just yesterday why a model has to pay for work. Well, this project isn't for models. No, it's for humans. You're paying this because I do have to eat. This is how I make my livelihood. I try to charge my worth. You know it's $300. I don't think it's like a huge amount and I don't think it's less amount, but you know, I do have a team that I have to pay for.

Laylonna: 48:24

And the parachutes these are handmade by me. By the way, I cut them, I sew them by hand. I'm doing that today, right now. This was, um, a mad max, as you see, now it's now I've turned one parachute into three parachutes. So this is breast that we got going on, and it's got chains, it's got leathers. It is mad max. Mad max was a 1969 vietnam, a cargo parachute. That flew is supplies to our troops. So when my girls are wearing this. It's got a hat that goes with it. It's got like a little sleeve vest kind of thing goes with it. It's got and I'm making all this from scraps, cuttings, that I cut off a parachute and it's just going through my head. What else can I make out of this? So I'm making a whole other two, one parachute.

Adela: 49:13

I'm getting three I'd like to say into this, and this is something that when we talk about and you just mentioned that and I do again, just know you guys, I'm not I don't shy away from talking about the nitty gritty of anything, and if you dislike anything that's being said, that's fine. You absolutely have the right to disagree. You can disagree in the comments. Just don't be nasty, don't be mean comments. Just don't be nasty, don't be mean, don't be rude like. You absolutely have the right to disagree and to think you're an opinion. So if you don't believe that the experience of what we're doing is worth the price that we charge for this, that's absolutely fine. You have every right to do that. The thing that we are going to and I'm going to reiterate on this is the experience of it. I don't need to sell or tell you the amount of hard work that it goes into it, the amount of planning and the amount of hours of no sleep, the amount of travel, the amount of luggage, the amount of shit that we have to do and put up with, and just to get to the level of that, because none of that matters to me and none of that like whether I get paid for that or not doesn't matter to me. Right, part of what we do, why we do and we experience to create this experience is to make this experience, this experience is worth you investing in yourself. Like it isn't about it isn't, listen, it isn't about a photograph of being great. It's about getting the cactus hands. Like the hand gets stuck in the cactus and having to pull it out. And not you me, me, me, me, me, me. This is all me. Nobody got hurt on my watch but me. That's why I'm there, but it's for that moment. You know why and I think back on that because that moment I slapped my hand on that. We were capturing on your end. It was capturing. They were just in this moment. I was behind them, throwing this parachute the best way I could. In this moment, I was behind them, throwing this parachute the best way I could, and I slammed it back so we can get the best shot for you, so that you have all the power and passion in that one shot. And then I slammed my hand into a cactus and to this day I remember that it's one of my favorite memories, one of my favorite trips and times. It hurt like hell. Let me tell you, however, I found out I'm not allergic to cacti and'm a cactus plant myself.

Adela: 51:16

Within and again, you just learn so much about yourself and about through these experiences. So when somebody says $300 is so much for the experience, okay, that's fine, go spend the $300 on your shoes and go spend the $300 on your hair and makeup and go spend it on something else, and to me I'll say that's not worth my experience and my time, and you can't get mad at me for saying that. That's just a. If you say it's a stupid way of spending your money that way, well, that's fine. That's a stupid way of spending your money that way. That's fine. Like we're allowed to have these opinions. What I would like to suggest to you is not to have the opinion until you've actually experienced it. Judging a book by cover, judging the experiences, judging everything by everything, only makes you an ass and makes us you know that. That's the assumption, that's that saying.

Adela: 52:02

And I say this because I come from that experience, from that world of doing that all the time. And I, even when we started this project, I had doubts of my own. Just we have doubts of I, had doubts of my own, just we have doubts of everything. I have doubts of my own. I have doubts with Project Human half the time, I have doubts with my own, but, like, doubts are always there. But you can only doubt it until you experience it.

Adela: 52:25

And to me, giving yourself the experience of joy, creativity, of bonding, of a new breath, a rebirth, a place and a space that you've never experienced, just out of your comfort zone and I speak on this because even my team members tell me Adela, you're pushing me out of my comfort, I'm not comfortable. I'm not comfortable. Okay, cool, be uncomfortable, be uncomfortable, be uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable to come down and say no, but guess what? I got? To go and do a whole bunch of uncomfortable stuff. I was uncomfortable to show up and tell her. Let me tell you something, I'll tell you on this too. I was uncomfortable to tell Leilana, to her face, that I charged $250 an hour to be a model. But guess what I said? I charged $250 an hour to be a model. Why? Because I know what I'm going to deliver. I know my worth and my time. You don't have to pay it.

Laylonna: 53:22

And I told her I wouldn't pay that. And then and this was right before we went and shot because Ms Barb didn't want to get dirty and Ms Hamnet didn't want to get get dirty but there was all the soot on the ground and we were in the middle of just destruction. But there was beauty all around us, but it's just a destruction. And she goes, I'll do it. And then she's talking to hamlet about her fees or whatever, and hammock goes how much do you fit? How much do you charge? Adela? No fear, 250. She didn't think I was here and and they both looked at me and I was like I've never paid a model that much and I I don't think I would, you know, period. And then I shot with her the first shot. I I just looked at her, I put my camera down, I'm like, okay, you're worth it, I'd pay that. And she goes what? And we got it on film of me going yes, I'd pay that, I paid that. And then some, because I got stellar shots. I got 1500 shots and it was.

Adela: 54:17

I'm one of those people and I'm a movement and I'm movement.

Laylonna: 54:22

I forget the cameras here because I'm just expression yes, and it was most beautiful thing I've ever shot in my whole freaking life, besides my parachutes, and I'm just going to say that I've been a photographer, a professional photographer. When you say professional photographer, that's a high mark.

Adela: 54:40

Thank you, I've, that's a high mark. That just took me off a little bit yeah, 17.

Laylonna: 54:49

I started my my photography career at 17 old and I got paid to do behind the scenes of a very high fashion photographer from Elle, modeling. That's what I was doing. I was modeling, I was bored. Modeling to me. I love it, it's very creative. But sometimes you get models that are stagnant in one little space. Okay, that's their comfort zone right there. But me, I'm one of those people that want to branch out and I wear many hats. Like Adela, I want to do everything to create art and when I started doing the parachute, I really felt like I elevated my career. I elevated my photography. I elevated my photography, I elevated my life and I just want to continue to do this because, after these girls and women get out of these and Gracie's going to find a that's coming up. She's almost in every single one of my books and she continues to do it. Why? Because she gets something from it.

Laylonna: 55:51

This is not just say here, look pretty kind of thing. Uh, you don't want to pay $300, that's okay. That's okay, you're not going to experience it and that's fine because maybe you fine and where you're at. I don't dislike anyone who's not going to pay my fee, but this is what I charge and this is why I charge it and this is what you get. My job doesn't stop after I take this picture. No, I'm promoting you the whole year. I'm dropping these pictures and you get 25 pictures that you get to choose. A lot of photographers will choose the images for the model or the client and the client doesn't get that Well, maybe the photo that's speaking to me speaks differently to you and you'd rather have your a different picture. So I allow my client to have that control. What she wants is what she gets. But I guarantee you you're never going to something like this with anybody else.

Adela: 56:47

You're not going to get the end result with anybody else, because it is not just the parachute, it is the person inside you the human being and and you're never going to get the same experience with what we do, because we're going to push the bounds at every location, every space, everything, because our creative energy pushes our bounds. Like that's the thing with that too, is that no matter how much we plan and process for all of this as well, just just in just strategic and logistic ways and all the other good stuff, when we get on that set and we feel your energy and we feel you and what your story is, and you tell us your story, all of our planning and strategic stuff goes out the window and we're like it's about you and creative stuff and like, as long as we're safe and good, like Leilana, what do we got it? Oh, gonna put this, we're gonna take. Hey, leilana, I had an idea. Hey, adela, I have an idea. Hey, okay, hey, leilana, adela, um, I'm, I have an idea. What's your idea? Because the more we can get out, that's our neurodivergent brains go in and that's our adhd brains and that's our like going, oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Give me, give me, give me, give me, give me, give me, like, give me expression, life.

Adela: 57:57

And that's what we figured out with these with when we started and again when we started with the project of just traveling and photographing with traveling models, because I'm being a traveling photographer, traveling makeup artist, traveling whatever it wasn't as it was work, it was fun, it was great, but it wasn't fulfilling to the depths of where we're at now, to where we're able to. Again going into book six, book seven, of humans, like humans who have experienced loss, humans who have brought the sunrise to themselves and to like these moments of just humans and and from again. This is just one book. I can't wait to share more, but this is just one book, one experience, one sass talk about miss sass behind, yeah, sass, the, oh, the power of that you become a better.

Laylonna: 58:56

She saw you up on the ladder girl.

Adela: 59:01

And again to me, I didn't and I didn't realize the impact I had in this project, like I just thought I was. I come out and I do my job, because that's again. Adela is very I have a very skewed perception of myself and what I do and how I do it, based on what everybody else says to me. So let's just be real working on that. To me, I do nothing, I just show up and I I do nothing, I fluff and puff and I walk away like that's what I do. I didn't realize the impact I have on humans and and because of what I just do and who I am, that they want to get on a ladder and try it with me, that they want to do my pose, that they want to miss bb wants to be miss like to that, like that older women who I look up to and would be guiding look up to me, like so it's a whole. Again, it's not the experience, isn't? It's the impact you make on human beings and you don't even realize it till years later, times later, moments later, what you have done, not just for yourself from one experience. So why not bet on it? Why not bet on it? Why not bet on yourself. Why not put all of it in that? Why not create a piece of who you are and see the goddess within you, and see who you are and see this power within you? So, with that said, if you're interested, please go to our Facebook. Right there at facebookcom, slash the parachute goddess project and message Leila now, or message me personally or message anything You're like hey, I'm interested in the Parachute Goddess Project, we'll send you the information. Here's why we are filming and shooting in New York. In September. We are going to be doing a casting call for a few people, for a few ladies, for a few things. We are going to be selected, a few locations that we want to do, just for what we're going to do, and we want to provide you with this experience and we want you to experience. So if you're in new york or surrounding states, cities or whatever the geography is again, that's not my forte, you know what I mean and you can uber, you can get there, you can fly out there. You want to experience new york with us and you want to meet us and you want to get to the story and I promise you it's not what you think it is, it's not what you're at all like I, I am betting you, you've never experienced me in a way that you might think, and then me and Leilana together, but through that you just haven't experienced me. I'll tell you that. But I want you to and I and I want to experience you too in the best way. Um, so, if you're interested, you want to be a part of that, shoot us a message, let us know. We'll absolutely reach out to you and give you the information and then, if you want to participate and be a part of the podcast or anything else that we're doing, please again, reach out to the parachute goddess parachute. Reach out to me, not the parish for the podcast, thinkingorg, slash, taw, uh or pinkingorg or through any of our subscribe like and all of that other good stuff. Um, I wanted to say that because I have one last question for you. Uh, that's going to uh starting.

Adela: 1:02:07

How has this, how has the parachute goddess project in the last four years? Now, we have to remember, we went through covid, covid, we went through loss through change, through so much. So to me, we've only been really doing this for two years and really honestly, like, because we got two years taken away from us right so, but in that time, though, too, there's a lot of struggle that happens mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, in every shape or form. How has this project, this experience, impacted? You said all of this has just made your life better for the better in all the ways, but how like, how fully has it impacted you as a whole being mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and in what ways has it been for the better?

Laylonna: 1:02:53

Well, first it was. I just wanted a way to impact more people Walking away from my Beauty Within Photography and Embrace Beauty magazine. I wanted something where it feels like a cocoon and where you can blossom out and become a butterfly. And when I got the parachute, I saw my whole life, my whole narrative change, because it's not just about taking a photo, it's about creating art and that's where I shine the most when I have a concept and I can create this. And we got to Barnes Noble because I was determined to get these ladies stories heard.

Laylonna: 1:03:38

Every day for six months and I'm not kidding you sometimes two to three times I would email barnes and nobles um, their director and stuff like that. You can. You do some research on google and you can find anything. So I I found the email and I'm and I'm emailing 12 different people to make sure that I got this in uh, in their eyes, and I send like this whole packet. It's called a pitch deck. Now, I did not know what that was called, but apparently I was sending it out before I even knew what it was. Six months to the date I got a response back and they said what do you want? And I said I want these women to be heard and I put everybody forward.

Laylonna: 1:04:28

But when I'm doing the Parachute Goddess Project and I'm putting these books together and I'm reliving the experience I had with these humans together, and I'm reliving the experience I had with these humans, what it does to my soul, it takes all those bars and the barriers that I had for myself. It strips them all away, all the negative thoughts that I've had for myself. And let me just tell you it's been a struggle. You know I'm 50 years old and when you get older you tear yourself apart and you know I'm not that 20 something year old. But if you talk to any of my clients after doing the parachute goddess project, they will tell you that my, my character has changed. The character that I am is not the person that's being negative for tearing myself down. Oh my god, leilani, you're so stupid, you're so ugly, you're gonna. No, leilani, you're so smart. Leilani, you're so stupid, you're so ugly. No, lana, you're so smart. Lana, you're so pretty. Look at your skin. Oh my God, this is your natural hair. Look at this, it's so pretty.

Laylonna: 1:05:20

I find things and it may be like boasting and people may get tired of it, but through this whole process. Not only am I building other people up, I've built myself up, and you know what I've done. I've built myself up and you know what I've done. I've embraced my beauty, every single ounce of it, and so I've combined all these. I've wanted to do my whole life. I've combined them all together and I actually believe it. I'm living proof that, no matter what obstacles come your way, you can overcome them if you are determined to do it. I'm determined to get these books into Barnes and Nobles Check. I'm determined to sell a thousand copies to get into the bricks and sticks. We are just 700 books away, but we're going to do it. Check. I'm determined to get this on a streaming platform like hulu, netflix, youtube, prime. There's so many other places I I'm not emailing them don't think that we have a plan already I.

Laylonna: 1:06:31

It's just like I see where I'm in 10 years from now. This is not just what I'm going to do tomorrow, this is what I'm going to do 10 years ago. 10 years from now, I'm building a legacy that I want to leave behind. That, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years from now, a little girl picks up one of these books and she's flipping through it. She's reading your story, your story, I know, and she's like wow, I carry my own weight because adela said I can't.

Adela: 1:07:04

That's powerful I did say that a little girl. I did say that I put it in the book. I did say that I did say that because I carried my ladder.

Laylonna: 1:07:17

Yeah, he's in this big parachute that's heavy. She's like I carry my own weight, and that's what I want women to take away from this is that if I can do it, you can do it. If I can love myself, you can love yourself. And let me just show you the way how I began loving myself. By simply putting others in a parachute and putting myself in a parachute, I have changed the narrative of my story.

Adela: 1:07:43

I love it and I want to say this to close it all off into this You've just described what Project Human's whole idea is of building humans and building this narrative. You said change the narrative. It's something I've been preaching. Our whole documentary is called define the narrative and it's for that purpose and you've what you've done these last four years redefine your narrative of who you are as a human being and redefine what you thought you were from what you again, you said your narrative was ugly to yourself and mine is, is still ugly. I catch myself all the time being subconsciously ugly, without even realizing, and I'm like, and I know myself, I'm the first person to be like hell, no, like the first person right, the first person to advocate for myself. But again, that struggle of being there is within us, for us, with us forever, as it seems it will be for us with us forever. So to create these moments of, like you said, belief, belief in yourself, consistency, commitment, no matter how long it takes, having a goal that's a long-term goal. Knowing that 10 years is not that long of a time, because look at what four years has done for us. Knowing that 60-year goal is not that long of a time, because look at what four years has done for us. Knowing that 60-year goal is not that long of a time, knowing that, that consistency, that determination, that every day getting up whether you complete everything every day or not is not the point, but getting up and showing up for yourself every day, like you said, you emailed three, four times for yourself on what you want to do and you got it done. That is when everybody told you you were crazy. That is when everybody said Leilani, what is she talking about getting into Barnes and Nobles? And I remember those days, like I was there so to know. And that was you telling yourself they'll never pick this up Like this is, I'm just going to try anyway, it's not going to happen, but I'm going to try anyway. Like this is, I'm just going to try anyway. It's not going to happen, but I'm going to try anyway.

Adela: 1:09:39

Whether or not you had the belief, you had the innate knowledge, and I think that's a part of something that we don't embrace enough, which is where I see you at, and it's something that I've been fortunate enough to embrace that at a very young age, at a very young time, not necessarily know how to develop it or know how to express it or be there. I know I've always, I have always embraced my innate knowledge of what I know is right for me and and who I am, regardless of how I get there. I know and you to me have been such an inspiring human for me to know that I know, you know, and we've had these conversations, like you and I have had our 101 on the pools, and just so you guys know, just because we like each other so much and are really open and honest doesn't mean that we don't have our back and forths of like boom, boom, boom, we gotta say what we gotta say, okay, but that's the and your husband coming. Oh, I'm like, no, I'm not giving up on her on that way, and she's not gonna talk like that, like that's not happening, like we're not, no, but, but, but again, and I say that and bring that up to that point of I've always known I don't give up on humans, their dreams, on that. I will never allow someone around me to give up on that. Whether I know how to get there or not, or my words are, my narrative is right or not, or whatever, it doesn't matter eventually does, but to that point it doesn't matter to not give like. You can do what you need to do if you know who you are and you have found that innate knowledge.

Adela: 1:10:58

Now that you've acknowledged, you've claimed this power within you and this beauty within you, and there's something that we know, that we have been blessed by God's grace just for being alive, that here we are, and yet everything in society like you mentioned earlier in the beginning, everything in society has given us this optical version of something of other that we don't recognize, we don't see, and it shouldn't take us into our 80s to finally see and feel this within us. It shouldn't be a huge process. We have to fight through our childhoods like none of these things should be, would be, but they are. So how do we work on them? Well, one of the steps, ways is to express, is to experience, is to create, and that's how we've done it and that's what we've done.

Adela: 1:11:41

And I'm just so honored and proud of us and I'm proud of you Because, like I said, most of us, you know me in certain ways and I know you in certain ways and I know you from the start of this project and the growth I've seen in you, the confidence. I've seen in you the mastery, the ownership, the acceptance of yourself, like is just. And again, you know what I'm saying because we've been there and we've talked about it, but like to see it and you are here, everything it's just the most inspiring and fulfilling thing for me as a human and as a partner, as a friend, as everything in your life that I know you to. Just so you know, um, don't ever, ever, ever, ever stop embracing everything that you've just found now, because it is extraordinary in what your project has done, not only for me, but what it has done for so many humans. And then what we are doing together and where we're going together.

Adela: 1:12:39

And again, the partnership we have built is beyond anything material, and that's what art does, that's what creation does, it transcends any time and space and word, and and it creates a bond that's just even I'm able to describe. So that was my spiel on the ending of that. I appreciate that. Uh, what would you like to leave our audience with, um as a message of inspiration? And then, where can they find you and your project?

Laylonna: 1:13:17

I think I just want to leave one word with you. The universe is speaking to you. If you stop and listen, the universe guides us to where we need to go and we just need to trust the process. A lot of us don't trust the process and I'm one of those persons.

Laylonna: 1:13:34

When I started doing this, I'm like, oh my God, we got Gracie and we got the 12. I'm just like, oh snap, what did I step into? Oh my God, am I going to do this? Believe in yourself, because you can do it. You can do anything and everything that you put your head to. Just go out there and do it and ask yourself one question why not? Why not do it? And if you can't give yourself a legitimate answer to why you shouldn't do something, then do it. Take off your hat, take off the makeup, strip it all down and become the true warrior that you've always been and recognize and love yourself, and that's what I continue to do. And if you're interested in becoming part of our sisterhood, our goddess tribe, you can find us next month, may 19th through the 21st, in Salt Flats, utah.

Laylonna: 1:14:32

We are having a goddess retreat and I will send Adela the link so she can do this all up. We are working with Michelle she just showed you a picture of Michelle and Brent. We are working with Michelle to come and she's bringing us out for the goddess retreat and that's in May. And then I will be in Indiana and I will be casting and auditioning 15 models to take for my private New York show. I have 45 models all together. I'm allowed to bring 15 of my own 15 from the show. So if you're going to walk for Beauty Is Everywhere make sure you reach out to Renee and tell them that you would want to walk with me. It is a one-hour private show. You you will not be able to walk for another designer on that day because you're getting fitted, you're getting uh, audition you it's going to be an hour.

Adela: 1:15:26

We are yeah for this, for our projects and, just just again, for our models who are watching this and who have been part of new york fashion week before. I have been before, so I know the drill, I know how fast, I know how many shows you have to be on, like I get it. If you're there to get and book as many shows as you want to book and do what you need to do, then that should be your objective. This is me just speaking clearly. If you're there to come and participate in this project, it is a project. It is an all-day event with us, and I don't mean like 6 am to9 pm, but when you're with us, you're with us because you are going to have a training class. You are going to have a not just a training class on modeling, posing and what we're doing, what we need with this, on that, but it is a full life functionality course that Project Human is also providing. So throughout the day you'll be getting taught that information on that so that we can help you with whatever you maybe need to and prepare you for your best right. So that way, if you begin your hair and makeup done, you will be getting actually custom fitted into your shoots for that day. So that's one of the major reasons why we need you to be there with us for the day, because you will be custom fit into it and Leilana and I between the two of us and what we need to do and you'll be doing interviews.

Adela: 1:16:42

This is not again. This is not just a small little thing. We have a whole production that we are doing because, as she mentioned, we have plans and goals for bigger and better things in our own lives and in our dreams, and one of them is to get it on a streaming platform, and we believe in this project. We believe in your voices, we believe in your stories and we believe in your visions as well as ours, that we know that putting the time into this for this one day is really important and doing the quality work for this is that. So I would just like to make that statement out there. So if you're there to come and book with us for for that um, for the project itself, please do again reach out to this. But if you want to book as many things for your fashion, for your portfolio, maybe this project is not the best for you, even though you may feel, have intentions for it and connections to it, it just might not be the best, because what we, what she requires, what I require and this is me speak she knows what I say on that is when you show up to what we need, for this is going to be.

Adela: 1:17:42

I need your full, undivided attention because we are talking, as I said, we are talking about a show that is dedicated to experience and an exhibition of suicide prevention and awareness, and we are working with humans who have lost not one but two, but three or more humans in their life to this disease and to this affliction, and our goal is not to make it a rush fast statement that we don't see these stories and hear these stories. So if you're going to participate, you need to understand you're participating because it matters and your story matters, and what you want to say and what you want to project in this matters to you to do justice to those who are not only, who have lost their loved ones, but are actually putting their money, their time, their funding and everything on the line for us to be able to do this too. So, as you just know, I take this very seriously, so I have to say it out there, put that disclaimer out there because, um, especially because I've been asked not only again to help in bringing the models in together and putting the shoe together with her, but because this is a both of us are suicide survivors. Both of us are suicide survivors. Both of us have friends and family. We've lost Both the people.

Adela: 1:18:58

This is an extremely personal project and we want to do it justice and we want to ensure that it's done right, and I will not she knows, and I say this for me, not for her or anyone else but I will not have a bad seed in my apples of what we're doing or have that negative energy or have anything that goes against what our mission for this. It is not about us. It is about doing it justice and making sure that we make the awareness that it is not your way out. This is not. It's not the answer.

Adela: 1:19:27

There are options. We understand that. That's where you're at, but we have answers. We have options. One of them is art, one of them is expression and creation, and we want to be able to do that and give you hope for that. So please know that that's what our goal and mission is, and I believe that this message is approved by our sponsors for that, as as boss lady sitting there, uh, just so that I I can get that out there because I'm a strict as my people said, strict structure rule follower. So, in what we want to do and need to do, but please, please, reach out to us again for that New Year. Hmm, what did you say?

Laylonna: 1:20:05

It's okay, because I love the boat. I'm just going to get in the boat with you. Yeah, that's what they said. They said we don't need you in our boat Adela.

Laylonna: 1:20:14

Yeah, I like that structured part of you and that's where we, that's where we work so well together, is because you bring that structure and you allow me to just evolve in what I'm doing. And I know that you're right there and you're like, okay, okay, okay, she's this, this that you know I don't have to say Adela, I need this Adela, you just know it. That you know I don't have to say Adela, I need this Adela, you just know it. And to everyone that has worked with us as a team um, for a few years, I've been doing this by myself and I bring Adela in on big projects, like you went to NOLA on the fourth book I've done uh.

Laylonna: 1:20:52

New.

Adela: 1:20:52

Mexico. I know I did Cali, I did New Mexico, I did Colorado. Um, I've done most of the major. Know I did Cali, I did New Mexico, I did Colorado. I've done most of the major ones. Again, that involve a lot of the big things that we need to and we can, and it comes to when we can afford to bring me out too. So it's a lot of that. Again, everything that we're doing is all of all of this is on our own investment in time and when we're fortunate enough for me to be able to go out and we can do that which we have been for so many times.

Laylonna: 1:21:16

Um, like she said, we want to give you the best experience and and unfortunately, this experience there is a fee.

Laylonna: 1:21:26

Um do I wish that I could just photograph everybody for free and just tell your story? Yes, I do. Maybe one day I will have enough um finances to be able to do that for people, because I know I'm missing people that can't afford this. Like our fifth book cover um little danny, danny lynn, faith early, and her mother, amelia, um, they couldn't afford this. They wanted to do this. Now amelia has our uh uh Danny has been on the heart transplant list since she's three. She just celebrated her eighth birthday, um which they did not know that she was going to do that.

Adela: 1:22:04

I mean, when she came to us we didn't know she was going to live through the year like we didn't know.

Laylonna: 1:22:10

I mean, we didn't know that she was having a heart attack. She didn't tell us why we were shooting her. She did not tell us that she couldn't breathe, that she was having a heart attack. She didn't tell us why we were shooting her. She did not tell us that she couldn't breathe, that she was having a heart attack, because she did not want to disappoint us.

Laylonna: 1:22:23

And I just want to reiterate to the first rule if you do not feel safe, sit down. That's our thing. And I tell everybody, you know, if any given, because's scary. It's scary being in this parachute. So, you know, sit down, we'll come to you. It's okay, we got you.

Laylonna: 1:22:43

And I want everybody to bring you know, take that with them. It's like when you're working with us, we've got you and it's more than just sitting there and looking pretty, it's more than just a photo shoot, because you are speaking to hundreds of other people after you. What you speak to us and the story that you tell us is the legacy that you leave behind with us. And who knows, maybe she's going to get your story and it's going to change her whole life, or this little girl. You know, think about leaving something behind that you wish that you could have told yourself when you were that age.

Laylonna: 1:23:19

Okay, I know that we are our biggest critics and we beat up on ourselves, but I want you to look at yourself as you are your own hero. You are going to make it. You are going to live to see tomorrow, and there are people here are going to live to see tomorrow and there are people here now. You've got a whole goddess tribe of sisters 200 plus women that are there to hug you, embrace you, love, you, understand and lift you up, and that's why I'm leaving behind. I want the women to stay connected. I put everybody in their own little private group it's called the goddess tribe on Facebook and their own little private group it's called the Goddess Tribe on Facebook. And if you would like to be part of this experience, you can find us on all of our social media platforms. Reach out to me, reach out to Adela through her platforms or whatever, because she is part of the Parachute Goddess Project. She is my partner and we just cannot wait to change your life.

Adela: 1:24:20

And at the end of that, I appreciate you guys. We appreciate you so much. Please don't forget to like, follow, subscribe, follow us on all of our social media channels, share our podcast, share your comments, share your thoughts and share your stories with us. Share your stories with us. Share your stories with me. If you would like to share your story on the Artist Within Podcast, as an artist or as a human being who has created a new way of thinking and a new way of life and a new perception and a new way of functioning, new way of anything, and are able to share that and want to share that and want to reach others with it, please reach out to me right there in the comments, right there through here on the message or any of our private messages on our website, and I will respond back and we will get you and we'll hear your story and we will make sure that we change one human at a time. We change voices, we change lives. One person, one human, and it starts with us, with us within us, and then it starts with you at home.

Adela: 1:25:19

So look yourself in the mirror, tell yourself you're amazing and that you've done a good job and that you've made it through today just because you have woken up with breath. That is that is life, you guys. That is life, that is the purpose of everything and that is the greatest purpose and the greatest thing we have. And while others might not have it, we have it. So don't waste your breath, don't waste your time, don't waste your dreams, don't waste your goals. Be something for you today, and that is it. Talk to you soon.