Nadege Souvenir:

Welcome. So, today we're here with an exciting announcement about I So Appreciate You!. Season 2 is right around the corner, and, drum roll, dadadadada. That's a terrible drum roll. We have a new co-host! So, I want everybody to welcome Melanie Hoffert. Melanie, hi.

Melanie Hoffert:

Hello Nadege. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, I'm so happy to be here. I have some really big shoes to fill.

Nadege Souvenir:

Actually. You have really small shoes to fill.

Melanie Hoffert:

That, I was going to say it, but I wanted you to say, yes, yes, yes.

Nadege Souvenir:

Pahoua is wonderful, but her shoes are small.

Melanie Hoffert:

Yes. But big personality, big personality shoes. So I'm super, super excited.

Nadege Souvenir:

All right. So before we dive right in with the sort of getting to know you, we get to do three quick questions with ourselves, I guess?

Melanie Hoffert:

Okay. Okay.

Nadege Souvenir:

And so, normally these questions are a surprise to our guests, but these are actually a surprise to us. We have not seen these questions. So we're about to see them for the first time.

Melanie Hoffert:

I hope I make it through. I hope I pass this test.

Nadege Souvenir:

Me, too.

Melanie Hoffert:

The first host test.

Nadege Souvenir:

All right. I'll do the first one. Are you ready?

Melanie Hoffert:

Okay. Yep. I am.

Nadege Souvenir:

So it is, art exhibit or live music? See, for me, this is easy. Art exhibit.

Melanie Hoffert:

This is a tough one for me. Live music.

Nadege Souvenir:

All right. I mean, I'm like an old lady when it comes to sound and I've been like that since I was a kid. So live music is legit hard for me.

Melanie Hoffert:

I'm talking like a Dakota Jazz Club. That's what I'm saying. Live music, go sit down and have food delivered to me and listen to pleasant music.

Nadege Souvenir:

I'm not going to lie. Even that is ...

Melanie Hoffert:

Oh. I'm learning something. Good.

Nadege Souvenir:

All right. You got the second one.

Melanie Hoffert:

Oh yes. Thank you. Should black, oh, I love this, black licorice be allowed? Oh, yes!

Nadege Souvenir:

No.

Melanie Hoffert:

What?

Nadege Souvenir:

I mean, okay, fine. The flavor is useful in lots of contexts, but I'm not interested in black licorice.

Melanie Hoffert:

Oh, no. I had a whole bag that I ate myself just like a couple weeks ago because nobody likes it. Especially the black licorice with the crunchy candy ... oh, Nadege, for everybody listening, she's making faces that I can't even describe. But, all right, we are now two for two on opposite sides. This is good.

Nadege Souvenir:

We are. All right. Let's see what happens now. New restaurant or old favorite. This is legitimately hard for me.

Melanie Hoffert:

Yeah. I bet this is hard for you. I'm going to weigh in on this. I think old favorite. I wish I was new restaurant. I'm old favorite.

Nadege Souvenir:

Legitimately, I don't know. We love going to new restaurants. Love, love, love, but also love being regulars at the bars where I can name you the five or six places, and when you walk in and they say, "Hey!" because they actually know you, that feeling is so awesome.

Melanie Hoffert:

I just have to say that you are an expert in this area. I have asked you for recommendations on where to go and I've always been happy.

Nadege Souvenir:

I think I'm going to lean towards old favorite because you know you won't be disappointed, but this was by a hair, by a hair that I didn't pick new restaurant.

Melanie Hoffert:

Awesome. Well, did I do okay? For a first ...?

Nadege Souvenir:

I don't know. Did I? I've never done the three quick ...

Melanie Hoffert:

You do everything okay. Yes.

Nadege Souvenir:

So, we should talk a little bit about our relationship so that folks know. So, we've worked together now for about four years.

Melanie Hoffert:

Yes.

Nadege Souvenir:

That seems right. It seems longer because the COVID years count for 20, right? So we've together a really long time.

Melanie Hoffert:

Entire lifetime basically.

Nadege Souvenir:

And you lead our marketing team.

Melanie Hoffert:

Yes. Shout out to the MarComm team.

Nadege Souvenir:

Yes. Yes.

Melanie Hoffert:

Who makes this happen behind the scenes.

Nadege Souvenir:

Well, and speaking of behind the scenes for everyone who didn't know, Melanie was more or less an unofficial third cohost to I So Appreciate You! last season. I mean, she was right in the room where it happens.

Melanie Hoffert:

Yes. Yes. I was, along with my colleague, Kathleen Smith, who is now with us, but yes, we were basically producers and it was a first time for all of us to go through a podcast. And it was really wonderful to listen, but here I am in front of the mic.

Nadege Souvenir:

Which is the fun part.

Melanie Hoffert:

Yes.

Nadege Souvenir:

Okay. So we can talk about work because that's great. But I have a very important question to ask you.

Melanie Hoffert:

What is it?

Nadege Souvenir:

Okay. I know that you are a new cat mom. And I know this because I got to be there at that moment of connection.

Melanie Hoffert:

Yes.

Nadege Souvenir:

But I just want you to tell folks, how did you meet this new love of your life?

Melanie Hoffert:

Nadege, you and I will forever be bonded. Please. People who don't like cats don't tune out just yet. Listen to this story.

Nadege Souvenir:

Melanie also really loves dogs.

Melanie Hoffert:

I do.

Nadege Souvenir:

Equal opportunity pet love.

Melanie Hoffert:

But you have to understand that something magical happened. Nadege joined me and some friends at my cabin, which is in rural Minnesota. And there's a barn. There's a barn that has a lot of baby kittens. And I've had my eyes on these kittens. So Nadege and I went up, looked at the kittens and there was one that came out and plopped on her back, put her little tummy in the air and so that was the first encounter. And Nadege was like, "Well, that's your kitten." I'm like, "No, I don't know. I don't know for sure." So we came back the next day and sure enough, none of the kittens came to me, but this one came two inches, two inch high, little fur puff came galloping towards me again, just got on her back, wanted her tummy scratched. And so that was essentially how we picked this kitten.

Nadege Souvenir:

But to be clear, Melanie still didn't take the kitten after that second time.

Melanie Hoffert:

That's right.

Nadege Souvenir:

I was like, "This is your cat. Why are we pretending that this is not your cat?"

Melanie Hoffert:

Yes, we did come back a third time because this is a big decision. I just got done being a cat mom for almost 20 years with two cats who passed away in the last two years. And so this is an emotional thing and I'm thinking, okay, do I have 20 more years in my life for a cat? Turns out I do. Because we went back the third time and this little nugget ...

Nadege Souvenir:

It was the only cat that came out. Let me be clear. Only cat.

Melanie Hoffert:

Of 20 cats. And so, yes, if anyone needs a cat, by the way, I have cats to find homes for, but the barn owners are taking care of that. But yes. So then we took her back to the cabin and she is adorable and mini. I'm talking a teacup mini little kitty.

Nadege Souvenir:

Yep. She's pocket sized right now. Okay. But does she have a name?

Melanie Hoffert:

She does.

Nadege Souvenir:

Are we revealing it here?

Melanie Hoffert:

Can you do another drum roll? Because I'm going to, let me explain where this name originated from. Nadege and I were going back and forth because her personality, she's determined. She's like, I'm getting out of this barn. I'm living in the city. She's very, just spunky, clear eyed. So we were thinking of literary characters, like young, powerful girls. So that's one piece of information. The other is that Emily, my wife, insisted that it start with an L, because we have a dog named Lyle. His name is Lyle Levy. He was born near levy in New Orleans. So we're thinking about it. And it just turns out that I have a young girl in my life. She's my cousin's daughter who matches that criteria. She and I get together and we're writing books and she wants to do talk shows like this. We've made videos and she's just determined. And I'm like, okay, you're going to have a namesake. So the kitty's name is Lucy Lake.

Nadege Souvenir:

That's amazing. That's so amazing. That's so good.

Melanie Hoffert:

Good. Yes. Her middle name is Lake.

Nadege Souvenir:

For the water.

Melanie Hoffert:

For the water, that she was born near.

Nadege Souvenir:

Right. Well, and water, that's super important to you, as this is, I'm in a brilliant transition right here, so watch it, watch it.

Melanie Hoffert:

No I'm learning from you right now. How to do this.

Nadege Souvenir:

But water that is important to you in your writing. Because you are a writer and not just because you head our marketing team, you're a full-fledged, I've got a memoir, I've been published, I've won awards kind of writer.

Melanie Hoffert:

Thank you for saying that Nadege. Yes, I am. And my second book is about water. So yes. I've been studying water. Yet that was a brilliant transition.

Nadege Souvenir:

See? Sometimes.

Melanie Hoffert:

Yes. So it's my second book. And I did publish a memoir now quite a few years ago, but it's called Prairie Silence. And it's my journey growing up gay in rural North Dakota and going back, trying to reconcile my silence, as well as farming for a month.

Nadege Souvenir:

It's a really good book. If you haven't read it, you should read it. It's great.

Melanie Hoffert:

Thank you Nadege. Yes. So writing is a big part of my life.

Nadege Souvenir:

All right. So we've got the writing. We've got the pet mom, the cat, seriously. She's so cute, folks. We've got to put a picture up.

Melanie Hoffert:

Okay. Instagram's going to see Lucy Lake.

Nadege Souvenir:

Got to introduce folks to Lucy Lake. But let's talk a little bit about work because that's where we've connected. And so sometimes I think about your job, I think about your whole team's job. And I think our Foundation does a ton of stuff all over the place.

Melanie Hoffert:

We do.

Nadege Souvenir:

We support community, we inspire philanthropy. We're just doing so many things and you all have to shape that and you have to tell the stories of who we are and what we do. And can you just, what is your job, Melanie? What is your job?

Melanie Hoffert:

I would say, again, shout out to the MarComm team. We're a small and mighty team, but we do everything from working with our President and CEO, Eric Jolly on getting his voice into the world, from working with you, Nadege, to social media, website, et cetera. But you're naming an important part of our job, which is that storytelling. And as a writer, I really believe that one of our last hopes as a society right now, this maybe goes back to art a little bit, too, is really, really having a perspective that is not our own. And how do we do that? It's by embodying or just spending time with someone else who's different from us or who has a different story. And so storytelling is a big piece of that. So yes, we have done a lot of storytelling, both from the perspective of the Foundation and sharing our space with our community partners. And so, yeah, storytelling, it's that throughput for me professionally, it's really looking at and believing in the power of story to make a difference because I think it does.

Nadege Souvenir:

I totally agree. And I'm always happy when I get to partner with your team. I mean honestly, this is you all and your brainstorm and your idea. And so the fact that we're sitting here is part of that storytelling.

Melanie Hoffert:

Thank you for naming that. Yes, because it's just another avenue for us to be able to both share stories of and meet interesting people and see what and how they are making a difference in the community. Again, opening people up to stories is really important.

Melanie Hoffert:

So, I can't have this whole first episode zero be about getting to know Melanie because...

Nadege Souvenir:

Why not?

Melanie Hoffert:

Well because I'm used to being on the other end of this. So, I don't know if Pahoua is clairvoyant or what the deal is. But in the last season she mentioned one of the episodes. She just had this side comment in referring to you in your work and your contribution at the Foundation that, "Oh, you're effectively our COO." And she said it in passing. But I think she was naming what all of us at the Foundation feel, that you have been this person who steps in and solves problems and has a clear vision. And so since the episode or season one, you have been promoted into our COO position. And so I just want to celebrate that. It's a big deal.

Nadege Souvenir:

I'm blushing except I don't blush. So, all right, stop it.

Melanie Hoffert:

No, and so getting to know you, too, Nadege, I've heard going back, because I think a lot of people that were on the first season, we got to hear their professional journeys and how they found their way. For you, you started as a lawyer in a law firm and now here you are at a community foundation as a COO. That is quite the journey. So I wonder if you could just speak a little bit about what about this particular position gives you energy?

Nadege Souvenir:

Oh my goodness. So much of it. I could probably rattle off specific things like Facing Race. I love our Facing Race Awards and then how we get to lift up folks in the community. But what gives me joy I think on a day-to-day level is just watching all the processes work. And I know that seems really lame and super unsexy, but the reality is a community foundation does so many things. There are so many things happening at once, but they have to happen in alignment. They can't happen all over the place in random because we all have to be under the umbrella of our mission and our vision and our values. That's critically important. But also people need to be laser focused on what they're doing. And so in this weird way, I get to sit and watch so many things and help push and pull levers to make sure that everybody is being successful. When any team is successful, I think that's an amazing day.

Melanie Hoffert:

Yes. Yes. That's great. No, and you certainly do that. And I think we see the results of that every day. And so just because this is going to be an important part of this Season Two, you mentioned my kitty, Lucy Lake, who everyone's met. I just also wanted to just name that you have to kitties near life, Toro and Felix, that show up on some of our calls. So we get to see them. Can you just describe who these two beings are? So we know?

Nadege Souvenir:

Well the deep sigh is because my two boys are ridiculous in their own way. Toro is an overgrown kitten. He is almost, oh my goodness, is he almost three? I lost track. He's not a COVID kitten, but we adopted him in February right before COVID happened. But he still runs around like he's a kitten and he's massive. He's like the Shaquille O'Neal of cats, but he operates like a kitten. So you can only imagine the things that are getting knocked off of tables and the chaos and nonsense, but he's so stinking cute. Cute little tuxedo, not little, cute tuxedo cat. And Felix is our grumpy old man. He is just stoic and dapper. And he also likes to ride my husband's shoulder like a parrot. So he'll jump on there and Joshua can walk around the room and he will just hang out on that shoulder. I don't know what that's about. It's really adorable, though.

Melanie Hoffert:

That's sweet. And I mentioned that they sometimes show up on our calls and everyone in the world's been on Zoom a lot. And I think part of this year, too, should be before and after Zoom design session where Nadege comes to my place and does my Zoom background because I'm telling, this woman, her office, I mean, it goes back to your love of art. There's art in the background at your house. It's just perfectly, I don't know if it's staged, it's just how you live. So could we maybe do that? I've just moved into a house and so it's just like, there's nothing. I don't know. But I would appreciate that.

Nadege Souvenir:

I mean, I'm happy to, I don't know that I'm a professional or anything, but I also know that for some reason of all the things to care about in the world, I care what it looks like behind me in a Zoom background. And so I probably know more about finding the right lighting angles and angles in the room and things than I should probably admit publicly.

Melanie Hoffert:

Oh, well it works. I'm just saying it works.

Nadege Souvenir:

Maybe I should make it a side hustle, helping people create room rate or ready Zoom backgrounds.

Melanie Hoffert:

I think and many people including myself would really appreciate that. Yes. Yes.

Nadege Souvenir:

Well, I'm just super excited about the season that we've got ahead of us. I'm so glad we're here in Season Two. I'm glad that I'm sitting across from you and we're just going to get to have this adventure with all these great people in our community.

Melanie Hoffert:

I agree. And I'm so honored that you welcome me to the co-host seat and I hope to do you proud, Nadege.

Nadege Souvenir:

I mean, this was great already. I mean you were great, I was fine. But this was great already.

Melanie Hoffert:

Well, here we go. We're off into Season Two.

Nadege Souvenir:

Thank you for listening to I So Appreciate You!. You can find us on Facebook at I So Appreciate You Podcast and on Twitter and Instagram at So Appreciate You.

Melanie Hoffert:

We'd also appreciate you taking a moment to write us a review and if you like our show, be sure to follow I So Appreciate You on Apple Podcast, Spotify or wherever you're listening to us right now.

Nadege Souvenir:

Have a question or topic suggestion? Email us at podcast@spmcf.org Thank you for listening to I So Appreciate You!