281 – Special Youth Edition: Tom interviews Lei’lani Thomas

Episode 281 – LeiLani Thomas Special Episode
[00:00:09] Welcome to Screw the Commute. The entrepreneurial podcast dedicated to getting you out of the car and into the money, with your host, lifelong entrepreneur and multimillionaire, Tom Antion.

[00:00:24] Hey, everybody. It's Tom here with episode two hundred and eighty one of Screw the Commute podcast. You know, we're dedicated to showcasing really fantastic young people in our special editions, and this is a perfect example of it. Lei'lani Thomas is here and she's been making these covid masks. And I want to talk to her about that because it's a wonderful, wonderful thing that she's doing. So we'll have her on in a minute. Now, I hope you didn't miss Episode 280. That's how to get free publicity. I've pretty much started my career even before the Internet was around with being on radio and TV all over the world. So. So give you some of the tips and tricks of how to do that. Now, how would you like to hear your own voice here on Screw the Commute podcast? Well, if the show has helped you out at all in your business or giving you ideas to help you start a business, we want to hear about it. So go to screwthecommute.com and look for a little blue sidebar that says Send a voicemail. Click on it. Talk into your phone, your computer, and tell me how the show has helped you and put your Web site in there, too. And we'll give you a nice big shout out and play your voice on a future Screw the Commute podcast. Now, hope you didn't forget if you've listened to the podcast before to get your copy of our automation e-book. It saved me millions of keystrokes and helped me take care of, you know, literally tens of thousands of customers lightning fast. So grab that at screwthecommute.com/automatefree. And while you're over there, grab a copy of our podcast app. It's screwthecommute.com/app. Does all kinds of cool things with your cell phone and tablet now are sponsors. Internet Marketing Training Center, Virginia. It's a distance learning school and soon to be. We hope, an in-house class because we're we're trying to get approved to take the G.I. Bill. We're already approved to take that for military scholarships for military spouses. But we're now we're going for the G.I. Bill and then we'll have classes in-house. But right now, if you can hear this and you can speak English, you can take classes from our school on all the Internet, things that I've done for many, many years since the Internet started. We teach this skill and it's in high demand. So you're not taken four, five years and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a traditional college and then competing for jobs at Starbucks. You have a high demand skill. Every business on Earth needs this kind of work. So we prepare people for that. So that's at IMTCVA.org, and you can always just call me and we can discuss your future on the Internet. Plus, it's one of the best legacy gifts you could ever give to any young people in your life, your children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, or even tell your neighbors about it because they see all this student debt out there and the kids aren't getting real good skills. So this is designed to take care of that.

[00:03:39] All right. Let's bring on the main event. Lei'lani Thomas is here and she just turned 12 years old. Wow, what a beautiful age. And she loves do it yourself projects and anything she can create. And she's not a big talker. But we're going to get her out out of her shell here because this is a podcast. So she's going to be telling us all about making people happy. She loves to do that. And she's got older brothers and a sister and she loves them, loves them all. And her mom and dad are in here close by listening too. So and they are great parents that are home schooling her. So it doesn't surprise me that they've created such a wonderful young lady. So, Lei'lani, welcome to the show.

[00:04:26] Thank you.

[00:04:27] Yeah, it's my pleasure to have you on here. So you're making these are covid 19 masks, right?

[00:04:33] Yes.

[00:04:34] Now, how did you get the idea to do this?

[00:04:37] I got the idea because of the virus.

[00:04:40] Well, are you good at sewing or how did you get the idea that you could make these mass?

[00:04:45] We made it for my dad's job. I started making it from my dad's job.

[00:04:49] Oh, what's he do?

[00:04:52] He's a trucker.

[00:04:53] Oh, boy, in the end, even at the White House, they were thanking the truckers for keeping everything moving so that we can eat in and get medical supplies and stuff. So we want to thank your dad, too. So are you good at sewing?

[00:05:09] Yes. I went to sewing class.

[00:05:11] Yeah. How long did it take you to get good at sewing?

[00:05:14] Not long before you started making mass.

[00:05:17] Did you make your own clothes or what kind of things did you. So.

[00:05:20] I made a skirt and I also made a apron and a pillow.

[00:05:26] Okay. And where where did you get the fabric of further mask in? I mean, how is it how does it work? Is it a fabric? And then there's elastic around the back, the hold it on or around the ears. How do you make it clear.

[00:05:38] So and then for the air part, for it to go around the. We put scrunchies.

[00:05:45] Oh you mean like the hair things for girls. Yes. Oh OK. So you so those to the fabric and then does that go round their ear. Ears in.

[00:05:55] Yes. Well that's pretty cool. And then ah you make it better.

[00:05:59] It holds, it holds better on their head. And are you making them real fancy fabrics. So you know, I've seen some I was in the grocery store and I saw some really fancy looking ones.

[00:06:10] What what do yours look like?

[00:06:12] We have custom fabrics. We have patterns, different patterns.

[00:06:18] So now can people tell you, you know, what they want theirs to look like and you can get a fabric for that.

[00:06:26] Yes. Which we we made a Mother's Day one.

[00:06:30] Oh, that's nice. So what did it look like?

[00:06:33] There's a mom on one side and a flower on the other side.

[00:06:36] That's really pretty.

[00:06:37] Now, Hillary made a graduation wine.

[00:06:40] Oh, that's a good idea to know. How are people how are people graduating when the schools.

[00:06:45] Schools are closed? They're not. I'll take your word at home, I guess. How many have you made so far? Over 100.

[00:06:55] Wow, you you personally made a hundred of these and. And are these just for family and friends?

[00:07:01] Are these to donate to hospitals and health care workers? People order them. Oh, so you're selling these as part of a business? Yes. How do they know? Do you have a Web forum or what?

[00:07:14] Yes. On Etsy.

[00:07:16] So what's the name of your store? Pieces by Lei.

[00:07:23] And Lei is spelled LEI. Is that right?

[00:07:27] Yes.

[00:07:28] And then you you're shipping them through the post office or what.

[00:07:32] Yes, some of them get shipped and some of them pick them up.

[00:07:35] Ok. And how many are people order and more than one at a time usually.

[00:07:41] Yes. Like, what's the biggest story you had so far? Ten. Wow, wow, wow, wow. And they can wash these things and everything. Yes. So tell me more about you. When you were. You started home schooling, what, five years ago?

[00:07:59] Yes. And I understand your favorite subject is math, right? Yes. So you probably good at counting up all the money from selling these, Maska? Yes.

[00:08:12] Yeah, that's that's good. And no, but you know what else.

[00:08:18] So what other kind of do you have any other kind of hobbies and and so forth.

[00:08:22] No, not really.

[00:08:24] So you just like math? Yes. Well, what do you do if you're not doing math problems and making maths? I mean, you got brothers and sisters, right? Yes. So you guys whose tell me the. You're twelve and your brothers, how old?

[00:08:41] Fifteen.

[00:08:42] He's fifteen. And then you've got a sister, right?

[00:08:46] Yes. How old is she? Nine. Nine. So you're in the middle, right? Yes. OK. And so you all get along. Never fight. Right.

[00:08:58] Sometimes a home, though. I have the baby of five boys.

[00:09:04] So are six boys all here. That was the baby. So. So. And you're like, do you watch TV or what else do you do?

[00:09:12] Oh, my sister. She likes to play. And she's goofy.

[00:09:17] How do you mean goofy. I saw that in her and the which you wrote up about. What does she do this goofy.

[00:09:25] She mimics people and characters from shows.

[00:09:29] That's pretty cool. That's pretty cool. So. So your mom and dad are right there, right?

[00:09:35] Yes. OK. I want to ask them some questions. Pay.

[00:09:40] So, Mom.

[00:09:40] Hey Tom.

[00:09:42] Hey, hey, Shirley, how how are you?

[00:09:44] I'm doing well. And yourself.

[00:09:46] I'm good. You sure got a nice, nice girl there that's making masks to help people stay safe, that's for sure. A lot of people are doing that on Etsy. Did she come up with this idea on her own?

[00:10:00] Actually did. We actually went to the store, Joann's the fabric store, what we can get to make for our father.

[00:10:08] And there was a there was tons of people there. All but. Right, because. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, I usually go in there, there's like one or two people, but it's been crazy lately.

[00:10:19] Tons of people, limited fabric lines.

[00:10:22] You know, sometimes you have to wait outside because the lines are so long and, you know, with social.

[00:10:25] That's right. Only a certain amount are allowed inside at the time. So, yeah, we went in there and then we saw, you know, we went to get his and we said, hey, let's just get a few more in. And she made she made it for her dad's job. And we never knew that all was happening now. What happened by doing that? And then.

[00:10:44] She pretty much just has to teach me how to sew because I'm the Novosel, you know, we put them in science classes and part of the whole homeschool curriculum that we're doing.

[00:10:53] Oh, so you didn't teach her how to sew, so you sent her to some other class?

[00:10:58] I did. I sent her in. Hello. This is the class to learn how to sew. And then because of the quantity of the orders. Now, you know Schieffelin. Well, she taught at the school. She's still a child. I needed to jump in and help a little bit. And so she showed me how to how to do that. I've been up and helping out.

[00:11:16] So she's teaching you how to make mask and so on. That's a view that's beautiful. That's that's what I tell people all the time. The young kids, though, were about the stuff that we do.

[00:11:28] They do so I have to tell you, I never met a home school kid that I just didn't love because, you know, the parents, I mean, for the most part, pair their parents really care about the kids. And the kids are like sponges to learn stuff.

[00:11:45] If you're not forcing stuff down their throat, they're worthless. So. Right. Bravo. Bravo to you for doing that. So what was she like when she was little?

[00:11:54] What was she like? My mom has pretty much been the same often around. She's very, very quiet, but very. Very helpful, very kind, but very quiet, very quiet. Which is something she takes from her dark side because I'm very talkative.

[00:12:09] If you haven't noticed, I can talk all day.

[00:12:14] But yes, she does the sweetest kid. You do whatever it takes to help. She has the kindest heart and she always likes creating anything that's around the house.

[00:12:21] Mommy, don't throw that away. I can use that. The other day we made, you know, the croissant packet that you have down roll and then you hit it on the side so they can pop open the other cookies because they go, yeah, yeah.

[00:12:34] She said, Mom, don't go away. So she uses the bottom of it. The little silver part that nobody ever notices. And she takes it upstairs to her doll house and they use that as a little piece of paint.

[00:12:48] That is correct. She's going to she's going to be something I'm value with secrets.

[00:12:53] Right. And she's built her own doll house, her own dollhouse with a restaurant on the side. I mean, she's she's been creating these ingredients for a while now.

[00:13:03] That's really something. So. So you say her dad's similar to her being quiet. So if I ask him something, you're going to answer for him or what?

[00:13:14] I will. I have to suppress myself inside. I have the urgent care now. But I can't because you need to speak for himself.

[00:13:21] He's so. So Quenton. Yes, sir. How are you doing, man? Good yourself. I'm good. So you're keeping the checks rolling, huh? Yeah. I got to keep you rolling. Well, it well it kind of stuff you drive.

[00:13:33] Well, I, I'm a local driver, so I don't. The farthest I've gone was out of like South Carolina from Georgia, Alabama and things like that.

[00:13:42] So what kind of stuff you hauling?

[00:13:45] Construction equipment, excavators. Trench rollers, backhoes, boom lifts.

[00:13:54] Yes, he had the heavy stuff isn't like a low, low bed yet. And those things, yes. So that's why we got to have those things that keep flying, keep the, you know, keep the construction going for sure. So so do you see when they thank the chuckers from the White House the other day? No, I didn't see that. Yeah. You said they made a big deal about thanking all the truckers that are out there fighting the. And, you know, they're saying they can't hardly find a place to get something to eat. You know, the long haul ones anyway, because everything's closed. And so. So I'm glad. Yeah. So I guess you're happy to be still working, though, right?

[00:14:33] Absolutely. Absolutely.

[00:14:35] Yeah. Because a lot of people were always wondering where the next paycheck is coming from. So, so exact. So what do you what do you say about Lay Lady when she was little?

[00:14:45] Well, I let my wife say she was very quiet, but she's very well like me. I'm quiet as well. But we're very observant. We like to. Sit back and watch everything go around us when we need something needs to get done, we do it. So we're we're like they like. She's very creative. She thinks she thinks she sees things around the house and like once we want to throw it away. But she's like, no, we'll keep it. It was been. It was a time that our garage was just full of boxes. I mean, it was just like, OK, Lei'lani, we need to get rid of some boxes.

[00:15:25] No, we need to keep them. We need to keep them as people for a month or two. But after that month two is over. We need to throw out some boxes because we get boxes all the time.

[00:15:34] Well I mean is you might get a part on that show Hoarders.

[00:15:38] That's a wish for herself.

[00:15:45] Well, I'll tell you what, though. No kid comes out, you know, as good as she is without great parents. So I salute both of you for for what you've done to get her to this point. So. So put her back on and we'll wrap this up.

[00:16:01] All right. So, Lei.

[00:16:03] Hi, Tom.

[00:16:04] Hi. Okay. So so now I heard what your mom and dad think about you. So what do you think about them?

[00:16:14] Don't worry, I will tell them they're helpful.

[00:16:20] Yeah.

[00:16:21] What's the best thing about your mom and what's the best thing about your dad?

[00:16:24] That my dad is.

[00:16:27] It's easy for us to bribe him to get something that's I guess that's a good, good trait. And how about your mom?

[00:16:40] She helps us when we need help.

[00:16:43] Yeah, I think you helped her to learn how to sew a little better.

[00:16:47] Yes. So. So what do you think? How many masks you think you're going to sell altogether?

[00:16:54] Over a thousand.

[00:16:55] A thousand. Okay. That's good. That'll keep a thousand people safe. So you're doing. You're doing a really great thing. And so what? So let's jump way ahead before this mass thing came along. What did you think you'd be when you when you got older?

[00:17:12] I don't really I don't really know anything in particular. You like. I like engineering. Wow.

[00:17:22] Like electrical or mechanical or civil, what's what? When you say engineering, what do you mean building?

[00:17:30] Building stuff?

[00:17:32] Yes, well, you can take all that stuff out of the garage you've been hoarding and build something with that.

[00:17:39] Oh, yes.

[00:17:41] Well, I loved that pizza pan idea. I mean, that is really brilliant. Instead of just throwing something in the garbage, you've made something great out of it. So. So what's it again? Tell us the name of your Etsy store again.

[00:17:54] Pieces by Lei. Well, thanks.

[00:18:01] Thanks so much for coming on. It's. You're going to inspire a lot of other young people to to do some good things out there and make some money for your family and. And be creative. So. So thanks for coming on.

[00:18:15] You're welcome. Okay. So, everybody, this is you having me.

[00:18:19] Oh, it's my my pleasure. I love to hear great things coming out of young people. And I can't wait to hear what you come up with in the future. So, everybody, this has been episode 281 with Lei'lani Thomas with pieces.

[00:18:34] What is it? Pieces by Lei. Is that what you get?

[00:18:37] Pieces by Lei is her Etsy store. If you want to get some really nice mask and put scratches on your ears.

[00:18:45] She's a she's the one to deal with it. So thanks a lot. We'll catch everybody on the next episode. See you later.

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