You Only Go Once (Y.O.G.O.)
Cheryl and Eileen explore different topics around the limited time we have on this earth to create a fully layered life. Because...You Only Go Once!
You Only Go Once (Y.O.G.O.)
Changing the Influencer Marketing Game: Sherri Langburt's Trail of Innovation and Life Reflections
Embark on an adventure with Sherri Langburt, the trailblazing CEO of Babbleboxx, as she takes us behind the scenes of her journey from Weight Watchers to becoming a pioneer in influencer marketing. Her story begins with a simple conviction: the untapped potential of non-mommy bloggers could shake up the industry. And shake it she did, with themed co-sampling boxes that changed the game. We also delve into her personal life changes during the pandemic, including a newfound interest in non-alcoholic beverages that mirrors a broader societal trend. This episode promises to both inspire with Sherri's innovative spirit and resonate with anyone who's navigated life's unexpected turns.
We're getting up close and personal with the nuts and bolts of influencer marketing, unpacking the genius of custom kits and their role in amplifying brand stories. Sherri shares the meticulous process behind creating beauty boxes, which went to influencers with the clout to start beauty revolutions. From Taylor Swift to Winky Lux, she's worked with the best, and it's not just about who's got the most followers. Sherri lets us in on the secret sauce of influencer selection, and we uncover a hidden gem in the marketing world: podcasters. Their superpower? An uncanny ability to turn listeners into buyers.
This conversation isn't just about business strategies; it's about life lessons, connections, and those little moments that make us human. Join us as we reminisce about the value of family, the strength drawn from parental wisdom, and the laughter that ensues when trying to explain modern-day jobs to the older generation. We discuss the solace of building a community, especially when the world goes remote, and the joy of bringing happiness to others—whether through physical mail or the perfect influencer partnership. Through Sherri Langburt's eyes, we see the colorful tapestry of life, woven with stories of resilience, human touch, and the occasional stuffed pigeon that arrives just when you need a smile.
Hi, I'm Sherri Langbert. I hope when you look back on your life, you trust your instincts, because your true instincts are going to lead you down the right path and make you happy, because you only go once.
Speaker 2:Hello, hello, hello, welcome everybody to you Only Go Once. I am joined by my spectacular co-host, eileen Grimes, and we have a very special guest. Eileen, kick us off.
Speaker 3:Thanks, sherri. So today we have Sherri Langbert on with us. Sherri is the CEO of Babelbox and has been a pioneer in influencer marketing space since 2007. A passion for storytelling and brand marketing and a desire to create an innovative social media solution led Sherri to create Babelbox, the influencer marketing agency best known for its co-sampling and signature box solutions. Babelbox currently provides a range of integrated marketing services to brands across industries. So, sherri, welcome, welcome, welcome. I also want to just say Sherri is with us and I see she's got this really cool background with her that also has cocktails and conversations, so we might have to talk a little bit about that too. But, sherri, welcome.
Speaker 1:Thank you, I forgot to change my backdrop and I don't drink, which is the funny thing that this is my backdrop. Well, there you go, you're the only person in America who quit drinking during COVID.
Speaker 3:but yes, you know, I don't think you are.
Speaker 1:That could be a whole episode.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, definitely yeah. No, that's great, I mean, what's really been cool is I've just seen a lot of different options, now too, for not drinking, so I'm actually very curious about some of the newer things even just very recently that we've seen. But anyway, let's talk about you, sherri and Babelbox. I mean gosh, you've been in this influencer space for so long. What brought you there?
Speaker 1:So I worked in corporate America at Weight Watchers and just you know it's a membership model, right, it's people to subscribe but I felt like there needed to be like a division of like ad sales. Like you know, we were leaving money on the table and so as we got into that, then it became a little bit more of. I was on the Canadian side, from New York, but the US side also started ad sales and then they started working with influencers back then bloggers, and so I was like all these brands are only talking to mommy bloggers. I am going to create a blog that's for single limit, cooking for one, travel for one insurance, hotel, quiet, everything. And I did that and it got me tons of publicity, but I couldn't get anyone to sponsor it.
Speaker 1:So some smart women who I am, I still am in touch with today I said if there's one like you, that it must be hundreds. And so he said, go find them. And I did fitness influencer. Like there was no, like no one was talking to these people. So they were writing on blogs about fitness and recipes, but most people just were talking to the moms at that point. So that's kind of how I started working with bloggers back in the day.
Speaker 3:Interesting. I mean it's such a, it's such a wide space and it can feel so lonely at times being out just in the internet, right, and so that's. I mean it's fascinating when people start thinking big picture like that and how to kind of bring some of those things together. So really interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know if I thought so big picture. I think I stumbled into it because my big picture was so yeah, but no yeah, that's okay.
Speaker 3:But you know what? Even stumbling sometimes is the best? I don't know. I don't know that I've ever had a true plan for my pathway in life, so I feel like stumbling is kind of great sometimes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, me too. That's my son.
Speaker 3:So so that's how you started there. So what, how, how did BabbleBox then come about? Where? What's the what's the story then that got you from there to to hear, and what are you doing now?
Speaker 1:So yeah, so I did this for many years and you know, it became a point where it was still even in 2016,. Branches were like we don't know, we don't know budget or it's too expensive. And at the same time, the whole unboxing but also subscription boxes, right, like the Birch boxes, the what's the pet one called Bark box, and so everyone was like fascinating. With fascinating, I'm like that's really visual, it's going to look really good, and if you take five brands and put them in a box, you're saving the money because they're chipping in, so the media buy, even though they're sharing it. It's not as expensive.
Speaker 1:So it was kind of a play on a bunch of different things and I kind of just said let's go print a box, get five brands and see what happens. And we did it and the brands loved it, the influencers loved it, the engagement and the traffic was through the roof from that first one. So I was like okay, there needs to be themed boxes, not just beauty, like we did. Like Super Bowl was the next one and resolutions was one that we did right away. So, yeah, that's how it kind of started.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can't believe how popular, especially on YouTube, the unboxing videos are. It's mind blowing to me because I'm like they're literally opening a box, but they make it sound like you've just opened Pandora's box. Like this is going to be the greatest thing ever and it's like a music CD and they're like, oh, look at the artwork and stuff like that and I'm like, okay, okay. And then the reaction videos. So my husband listens to or watch, will watch reaction videos to music.
Speaker 2:So, that, to me, is fascinating, because you get to see people from different demographics reacting like, oh my goodness, look at this person Like. I remember I watched a young woman who had never heard of Queen before react to Queen and I was like, oh my, you know, and you also. You know, I'm of an age now where I'm like you've got to be kidding me. How did you never hear this? And yet, you know, I haven't heard of half the people that are out there. So do you do reaction videos as well to these battle boxes that are open? Do you use that as park your marketing, or is that part of the charm that is Babel box? Could you talk to us a little bit about that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, we don't. What we see is that the influencers, when they do their content while the boxes are so. So now we also do those co promotions where it's five different brands and a theme like the mom and baby.
Speaker 1:Yes, then we also do so. The influencers are doing all the content. We also do custom kits. So, like, bigger brands will say, well, we need a custom kit, and with that, I think what's the benefit is that the consumer, like the audiences, get so excited. But it's also like, like, it provides like props for the influencers to use, and so, it's sure, the content and I think that the brands like it because they could also use it for so many reasons. Right, they could use it for giveaways and sweepstakes. Some companies are using it to send to, like buyers at supermarkets or retailers, press kit, sales kits. So there's a lot of use cases. So I think that we just, you know it's starting an influencer and now it's kind of like, every time we do a custom kit, it's like the brands want them for all different reasons. So it's really interesting, sure.
Speaker 2:I've noticed lately that people who are promoting their books will also use them to different boxes, like they'll send the book along with, like a candle, or it's a kit. It is, it's a kit.
Speaker 1:It's amazing Because it creates this experience and yes, and especially, I think, people want the beautiful packaging and the kit Like it could be the simplest pair of pajamas, but if it comes with a candle and an eye mask, all of a sudden it's special. It's special.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what was your first one? I'm sorry, no, please.
Speaker 1:So our first one was Beauty, and it was five brands. I'm going to say it was a perfume brand by, I think, taylor Swift, oh, wow, okay, I think she was in there. She was in what? Maybe it was Katy Perry, I don't remember about the time Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the first one was Perky, and then Makeup Forever and then there was a company called Winky Lux, which I don't even know if it's around, but so there was five beauty brands and it went to 20 beauty influencers and they all just kind of. But if that was our battle box, so that's the one where there's multiple brands and a theme, and it was like Beauty for Ha, like Party Me Pretty. It was a holiday box and the next one right after that was Resolution and then after that was Super Bowl.
Speaker 3:Okay, Got it. So how does that work then? So you have a beauty box, right? Do different influencers get specific? So they'd have to be a beauty influencer to get this beauty box. Is that how it works?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's not like when you think of the subscription boxes where people are shipping $20,000. It's not a tiny sampling box. We send real-size, big products. It's a media buy. We're sending it to 20 influencers that we vet, that we make sure they're going to sign a contract, follow the guidelines and they have to create. You know they get paid, but it's only 20 for each box, so it's very controlled. So when you talk I think one of the things you were thinking about was like sizing or makeup. You know. So if it's only 20, it's very easy for us to say this beauty brand is on board, what is your tone of lipstick that you want? So then, because it's only 20, we're able to make each box specific to the influencer Shoes sizes, clothing sizes, you know things like that.
Speaker 3:Interesting For the influencer side. I think influencing is just such a fascinating world and space and you know there are sides of every approval, disapproval, whatever you want to call it within that space. I'm curious, you know, how do you kind of keep up to date on that? Are people applying to become a part of this? Is it something that once you're in, you're in Just because you know, as you know, the world of social media changes and different people are become more influential in those spaces? And how do you guys kind of keep up to date with that side of it? You know, while obviously having to do all that vetting? It seems like a lot.
Speaker 1:So the funny thing is, I think there's a massive opportunity for podcasters. But I think you both are influencers. But you know, shout out and I have done research the biggest conversion in any kind of purchases on podcast, so you should know that Interesting. But so look for our world. There's different types of solutions. Right, there are platforms where they go and scrape TikTok or Instagram and they just import all these people into a database.
Speaker 1:And the criteria. This platform is only going to have influencers who have over a million, and this one is only going to have people who, you know, this is going to be TikTok, this is going to be YouTube, this is going to be everything. Then there's the other approach. We have people, like what you said. They come to us, they apply, because then we're not just scraping the whole universe of anyone who's an influencer and we build relationships that way. So we're not a talent agent. We don't just have like 20 influencers and these are the people. We have thousands, but it's not millions Because they come to us, they fill out a profile, they give us access to all different kind of parts of their social platforms and then when we have a campaign, we say, ok, we need, you know, some things can be really specific. Like, we need moms who live in North Dakota who have two daughters you know, two and four. We have to go and do that research.
Speaker 3:So if you were to give advice for someone who's looking to be an influencer, what would you tell them?
Speaker 1:I would say start local, because I think people don't know where to start. I'd say also join some of the networks, because some of the net, and start with like maybe kind of barter or affiliate Like, because when you're just starting out, brands are not going to say, oh, here's $1,000. Or here's $5,000. So you have to start with like either I'm going to do reviews of product and kind, or I'm going to do affiliate, where you get the commission only and then go from there. Local is a great way to go and I would do very niche, because the more niche you are like, it might seem like there's fewer opportunities. But when you nail that niche like, then you become the person that everyone goes to.
Speaker 3:And that makes sense Because then you also have a very dedicated audience that is, they're going to come to you and they know that you know your stuff, they know and anything you're going to be sharing is going to be stuff that you care about or get behind. So yeah, that makes sense. Local interesting I never really thought about that Because I think so many people think, well, it's big picture, like it's social media, I see everybody and can go everywhere, when sometimes just starting in your community makes so much sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when I say local, I don't mean like, oh, you can the independent gym that's only in your town, fine. But the other thing is like there's a lot of local businesses that sell national, so they're going to be excited that you live near them and you can come. Like there's a woman in my town and she's a makeup company. She sells national, but she's always looking for people nearby to help her with whatever. So if you all of a sudden develop that relationship, her products sell national, but she does need people nearby to help her. So it's a good way.
Speaker 3:So, sherry, if you were to go back to 10-year-old Sherry, what would she think about just where you are now, what you're doing, and if you could give her any advice, what would that be? You're going to start to cry.
Speaker 1:Oh, sorry, sorry, 10-year-old Sherry. I don't think 10-year-old Sherry would believe where she would be, that I'm here. I think that I probably thought I was going to be a very. I don't think I thought I'd be a career person. There's no way, sure. And I don't think 10-year-old Sherry thought she would live in the United States. I'm from Canada, and what advice would I give her? I would just tell her to trust her gut, because so many people along the way just, oh, you must be crazy, oh, you're dreaming, oh, that never, you know. You just get so many nos along the way that I would just tell her to trust her instincts.
Speaker 3:I love that and I honestly it's one. For me that's a big one. So I hear you and sometimes it especially when you hear so much noise around you whether it's nose or you're crazy or whatever and to even get the quiet to just listen to your gut. Sometimes it's hard and it has to be almost really intentional to make sure that you're able to do that. So I think that's fantastic advice and I think 10-year-old Sherry would love a hug for that too. Me.
Speaker 2:I was just thinking about what you said, starting local, because so I run a little free library, but sometimes I have surplus of books and I didn't know what to do with them, and one day I stumbled on something that's literally around the corner for me local. And so this place. What they do is they do subscriptions of used, gently used books. Yeah, which is great, that's great. Yes, what I found out from them was they just did videos Like just fun video. They are funny. So they do these videos with their boxing stuff like that, and it somehow managed to go on TikTok and then the whole thing exploded to the point where their website crashed because they're like oh we think this is great, this is gonna be a good thing.
Speaker 2:So I love what you're doing, because you never know what opportunities arise from something like this. Right, I do. I just love that In this world. What would be your perfect day? Like. What would be like yes, this is it. Like this is the most perfect day in my history in Babelbox. Like. What would that look like?
Speaker 1:for you? Does that work? Or are you saying like my perfect day personally?
Speaker 2:I'll take any answer to either. So what's your perfect day look like for you personally, since you're most likely working around the clock on Babelbox? So what does your perfect day look like if you had a chance to have it all to?
Speaker 1:yourself. It's not triggering, okay, so it has to be. I'm not a big coffee drinker, but I always have to have a little bit of coffee with my coffee creamer because that just makes the start of my morning. And then it would involve water and some type of me being on a kayak, probably. Oh, okay, yeah. And if I could drag my 11 year old but he's not such a fan, he likes the paddle board, but I don't know if he likes the paddle board it would either be that or skiing with my son Nice, my son is saying hi from the background. I don't know.
Speaker 2:Hi, I love you.
Speaker 3:I love it. So I love kayaking. I did when I lived in Berkeley. There was a I think they called it the moon rise kayak, so we went out into we went out before sunset, so we went out, paddled out and then got to watch the sunset. And then we got to watch this and then we went to another spot and then watch the moon rise and it was just incredible. And recently my kids so I have a six year old and a nine year old and they're both like we wanna go kayaking. So, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:I did this summer. So what happened was I turned 50 during COVID, thank you, and my friends chipped in cause. None of them were gonna go with me, so they bought me kayaking REI trip like a camping trip. Oh fun, You're going by yourself, cause none of us will do this. I didn't go the year before, so this past summer I actually went on this trip with a bunch of strangers in Grand Tetans and it was unbelievable.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh, that sounds like my kind of trip. So I was gonna say they sound like great friends.
Speaker 2:That's awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it was amazing. Well, they didn't go with me, but that's the other one. Camping is not for everyone, right?
Speaker 2:No, it's not, but you know what? There's something to be said about solo trips that can be very soothing for the soul too, so that's fantastic.
Speaker 3:That's cool. I have to do that Cause I have to figure out. I have to figure out cause they're both still young enough where I'm like, can you just get a regular kayak for the kids? There's like, there's the doubles, I know that right, but do you just get the regular adult kayak? I'll ask REI, I don't know.
Speaker 1:No, for the trips. Oh, they go in a double for sure, but my son never. He was always like I'm gonna paddle board.
Speaker 3:So he's paddle boarding yeah. I have not yet tried that and I feel like I would just get very tired standing. I'm like I just want to sit down for a little bit, I would fall in.
Speaker 1:I don't think.
Speaker 3:That too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not a good thing?
Speaker 3:No, and we have. So around here in Spokane there's a lot of people that do all the outdoor activities also, and so, like this summer, we went out to the river and some guy was you know. He came down on the paddle board and he's got his dog hanging out on the board, on the board. We have two dogs and they would not stay on the paddle board like that, so but they know.
Speaker 1:it's funny is that they seem small but when you actually get close to them they're kind of big, like they're not yeah, so Are they, cause they do look small from a distance, but my dog is eight pounds and there's no way she'd get on that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh, that's fun. So does your son have interests in Babelbox, like playing a role or anything?
Speaker 1:So we made him the official toy ambassador. We got a few years Fantastic. Boyfare and when he was like eight, and now he's shifted roles in the organization and he helps me do charity, like we create candy boxes for an organization called One Simple Wish, and so it's for foster kids and so we send them candy. So his responsibility is to pack all the candy for the kids.
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, I love that. Yeah, that's incredible. How often do those go out?
Speaker 1:So it's when they need it, but it's usually every season. So we'll do, you know, a Christmas box or holiday box, and then a spring box, and then their big push, I think, is the summer and then a back. So it's like usually four times a year and sometimes they have other like special projects that go on. But he's packing candy, he's packing packs one.
Speaker 3:Well, yeah, I mean, I get that. I mean that's fair.
Speaker 2:That's fair compensation. I think that works. Yeah, I love that you have your son involved and I love that you are doing something that takes care of kids who don't have, so that's wonderful. I know that. You know, eileen, and I know just from personal experience that setting up a podcast does not happen. You know in and of itself, and we have a lot of people to thank along the way and continue to do so. Are there people in your life, if you had a chance, that you would say thank you to?
Speaker 1:My parents. They're like my rock solid and I thank them every day. So, and the person that probably shaped me the most in my life, who's no longer with us, as my grandmother so she was just, she was like another mother to me and I kind of thank her every day too, pretty much you know. I think that you know it's funny when you're like going through the growing and you're like yelling at your parents, even when you're 20s or 30s, and now it's like every day is like they just they're still my business advisors. I'll call them every day Like what do I do with this? What do I? You know my dad's like 88 that I'm calling him Like. You know, he taught me everything I know. So, yeah, I'm thankful to them.
Speaker 3:It's incredible how much of a gift they are or can be. I know that there are definitely spaces and relationships that struggle a little bit more with parent and child relationships, so I'm not saying that everyone has that and I understand that and I don't know. The older I am, the more grateful I get to have them and the things that I learned from them and try to be I don't just to appreciate as much as I can with them here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like you don't realize that when you're younger.
Speaker 2:No, no, you're definitely parents stupid when you're younger. Yeah, I've learned mostly. I lost my mom last year and I know that there's so many things that I wish I could have said to her. There are so many things that I wish I would have done with her. So I know how important it is when we say every day is a gift. So every day is a gift that you have your parents and God love you. Your dad's 88 and that's fantastic and I'm sure if he's anything like my dad, my dad is pretty sprightly and wants to get involved and do stuff like that, so keep him involved.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I had a funny bit I was gonna put on it. It didn't, the sound didn't work, but I got to my FaceTime and I don't know why the volume when you try to record a FaceTime doesn't work. But I was like, can you tell me what an influencer is? And my mother got it spot on, and then my father I mean, you gotta understand this is, these people are from Siberia, like they were born in like in a slave camp in Siberia and they both got it. I'm like, oh my God, like you get what I do. But I thought that they'd be like we don't know what you do, but we're proud of you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh, that's so. That's amazing. Like you're seen, they see you. Yeah, that's incredible. Yeah, absolutely Well, especially, I don't know, after I've had kids. Now too, I do understand that they yes, they are pushing away, and I'm not hurt either by that as their parent, Like that's a totally normal thing for you now to be like I need to be my own human being and I want them to be their own human being and learn what that means and looks like, and eventually they'll come back around and that's okay too. So it's interesting now to see it from sort of both of those perspectives having been the one trying to push away and now being the one that's starting to be pushed.
Speaker 2:But there's just so much love.
Speaker 3:And you're young. Yeah, well, not my young. My daughter's still like she's all the wants to be right with me. My son's nine and he goes to a Montessori school and so they have four, five and six mixed together. So he's got a little bit of influence from some of the sixth graders and stuff, and you know that is it plays a part. Yeah, very cool age.
Speaker 1:That's so cool, so cool.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm so uncool, but I'm okay with that. I'm a math major and so, like I'm, look, I accept my uncoolness and I'm just okay with that.
Speaker 1:It's fine, maybe you could tutor me after this session.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I know that it's played a great role in my life, certainly. But yeah, so I have accepted the uncoolness and I'm very okay with them just being super embarrassed of me for singing to them at random times and doing things, but they will certainly remember it when they're older, so I'm gonna keep doing it. So you know, as Cheryl was talking about, I haven't created this podcast and even you know, really understanding the entrepreneur's journey within this space, was there ever a point where you know and I know you were saying your people are selling, you you're crazy and all of that stuff was there ever a point where you almost gave up? And why didn't you?
Speaker 1:So, yes, I, you know, when I first started, it was like now I was responding and like again, you think, like in the movies, like, oh, she was at the New York Times, like she's gonna get a book deal, but no one cared, like it was just my you know friends calling oh my God, this is so exciting. But at the same time, a job came up and I was like you know, I always go for a job. I learned that I would really love. And this was like, oh my God, like Weight Watchers.
Speaker 1:When I worked there, I was like this is my dream job. I wanted to do that and this was one of those. And so it had been like three years and this job came up and I was in the final two and I'm like, okay, if I get this, I'm gonna do it. And then the hiring woman is actually someone pretty famous and she didn't give me the job and she called me to a lunch and she said you need to do what you were doing. And again back then it was like this website for singles. But she's like, wow, you can't work in corporate America, you need to be an entrepreneur. And she just said, no, you can't get the job, even though, like you're my number one candidate, I'm gonna go with candidate number two.
Speaker 3:Wow, yeah, that's incredible.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I mean talk about, I mean obviously whoever this was, but also the universe being like no, this is that's the way. Go that way, keep going.
Speaker 1:And it was also I have one of my dear friends from Warraki what I was saying. No, no, you've got to keep going. I mean, there are a lot of times when you're starting out and like you know, again, no one, no one even knew what an influencer or a blog or like people thought I was. You know, like you gave up this great job and like you're writing about singles, and then they thought I was like writing about dating and I'm like, I'm not really writing about dating and my best friend just keeps on, keep going.
Speaker 1:It's gonna turn into something and I didn't know that it would turn into this. Right, it just it's and people don't even pivot it. But I'm like I don't think it's a pivot, I think I just it's like a pinball machine, like I just went with the flow, you know.
Speaker 3:Well, it sounds like you have a lot of amazing people also around you to support you in that and to keep encouraging you, cause I mean that can be piece of it, right. If you don't have the support to say, keep going, the nose can get very hard. If you're completely alone, and even if they're not in the business piece of it with you, just to have friends, family, whatever that looks like for you, that that love you and want to see you succeed, and if that's the thing that's you, they know that and they're not gonna let it fall down. So I'm I'm so glad that you have those people in your life and I hope they're still around. Obviously, your parents are a piece of that also.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're all still around. Yeah, cause I'm very lucky and I think now what I keep looking at, it's like amazing to read some of the statistics of, like what they're saying is the next epidemic or the biggest epidemic is loneliness.
Speaker 1:And when I like it's gonna, you know, surpass in, and when I think of, like the influencers, it is a very lonely, because you're basically alone, working from home, and a lot of these people are in parts of the country that there isn't that much, you know, that much community around them, and then they don't go into an office, or so I think that that's like something that we need to look at, like how these people are working alone and how do we build community around them, cause there's millions of them?
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely, and I mean even for myself. I started working remotely well, gosh, but it was before the pandemic, so it was in 2017. Having moved from the East Coast and to move over here and you just don't build up the network of people when you are working remotely, and it was fine, and I'm a full-time mom and doing all of that stuff too, so that the world of things is just so busy, right. But now they're getting a little bit older and I've intentionally inserted myself into the community to meet other people and do that kind of stuff, because, if not, I can be on my computer all day doing what I need to do and then I'm done and then that's it. And I've found that for myself.
Speaker 3:But it can be very difficult to do that, especially if you don't have the immediate connection into something. Right, it's like how do I go out and start doing that and making those connections? And if you're, I mean I'm luckily not in a super, super remote area, so there's a downtown and things like that I can go to. But yeah, there's a lot of places that that's not necessarily the case and that's not necessarily true.
Speaker 1:And I think I mean. So. I've been remote since the beginning, right Since 2007. And I tell you that when COVID was happening, oh, we knew we were doing these Zoom calls, like in 2000. We were doing live Zoom events in 2009.
Speaker 1:So or whatever, but I know, for me, when you don't leave the house, it becomes harder to say okay, not like in a bad way, but you just like what you're saying, like I like being at my desk and I'd rather be here and do my thing than have to go. You know, make small talk, I don't know. So yeah, I could see that that is a challenge.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I heard it's. You know, with the pandemic too, I'd heard it's changed the dating world as well. I have a couple of people that I talked to who are single and they do talk about. You know how it's changed the game of dating, because with the pandemic it was.
Speaker 2:You know, everybody's online. Of course, everybody has a different facade when they're online until you meet them, and then it's something different. And even then you've got to say you know, like you know, are you sick, are you? You know, it's all this weird. You know, it's all this weird stuff that you didn't even think of to. You know, go, you know we were used to. You know, for me, like I met my husband inadvertently at college, I mean, I introduced him to his first girlfriend and then we got together. Oh, I want to say 15 years later or something ridiculous. So it's just, yeah, long story, whole different story. But you know, otherwise I would have met, you know, other people at bars or I would have met, you know, that would have been my dating trajectory. And you take that social aspect away from it and doing this is fine, because you can still read facial expressions and stuff like that. But you, there's something to be said about being, you know, being able to see the whole person and see them interact in social experiences and things like that.
Speaker 2:Right, so you're, because lots of people are perfectly comfortable at home and then you get them outside and it's like they don't know what to do with themselves. So, it's just a fascinating thing. I'm those people. By the way, you put me out in public now I'm like hi, yeah, it's just hi, yeah, so it's a good time, but yeah.
Speaker 3:If your pants still fit, not you specifically.
Speaker 2:You could say that the pandemic pudge was real and not cool.
Speaker 1:It is the pandemic pudge.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm gonna put that on a T-shirt, one that you can fix eventually.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, my goodness, you know I applaud you, sherry, because it sounds like not only are you tenacious, but you have what I'm seeing as generational tenacity so clearly. I mean, you know you casually slipped in that your parents were at a Siberian camp, like that's kind of where they were, and I'm like, mm-hmm, yeah, that's not the suburbs, that's. That had to be difficult and I'm sure that's a whole other podcast episode hint. But yeah, yeah, so and then you know you're there, your son is tenacious, you know he wants to be involved in your business and he does it with kindness. So again, I applaud you for your tenacity and sticking through all of this.
Speaker 2:And you know what there is something to be said about. You know I know we call it snail mail. You know like it's like, but those boxes bring joy to people who receive them. You know whether or not they're influences or not, like there is something to be said. Like you get something in the mail and it's like, oh, I got something in the mail, versus an email where it's like, oh, an email, great, another one, let me just add it to the pile. But there is something so glorious about receiving a box or a package or a letter in the mail.
Speaker 1:And again, anyone listening. I want to get the letter in the mail. I'm not curious.
Speaker 2:All right, well, we'll put it out there for you Let us know. Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 3:It's true, though, I actually got a surprise box the other day from I love this story. Thanks, it was fantastic because I walked outside and speaking of influencers, my son loves Mr Beast.
Speaker 1:Oh Beast too.
Speaker 3:Yep. So we got a Beast sweatshirt so you can have that. I was expecting that to come. So I saw that package outside, picked it up, but then there was a box and I was like I don't know, not sure what this is. Just the inner child, like playful nature of me is like I can't wait to see what this is going to be. It's not a bill, it's not something that I have to be a grown up about. I get to like, just enjoy the pure surprise of what is going to exist within this box. It could be nothing really that exciting, but I don't know what it is, so let's go. So I open it and it's a stuffed pigeon.
Speaker 1:My son would love that. It's his favorite animal, I think.
Speaker 3:Well, I'm going to have to tell you which one it is. It's super soft too, so I'm loving that. So I work full time in consulting and well, that's again a whole other story. But teaching executives and companies how to basically lead human first, so like with empathy and belonging, and you know, human, human first. Anyway, my, my boss and I were talking one day about mission, purpose and vision. I was very tired that day and accidentally smushed all of them together and said, my pigeon.
Speaker 2:So now now anytime we have.
Speaker 3:We have my pigeon meetings, that are when we talk about the big strategy level type of things, and she sent me a stuffed pigeon. That's hilarious, so good, but it was so. It was, I mean, just pure joy to be like I'm not sure what's going to happen in this box, but let's do it. And as soon as I saw it I knew, didn't say who was from, like I know that.
Speaker 1:That was like with the candy boxes, like if I, we get so much stuff here, right, because every brand is sending us like toys, I would just send out free boxes to people, but I don't know who to send to. But yeah, I mean I could put it on social, but then I think we'd get inundated with. You sure would. But yeah, so much, because they always said extra stuff. And I'm always trying to like how do we turn this into a program where we could be? So we've done some things, but it's very tricky with donations and stuff because this organization can only take this and this and like we have all different kinds of stuff, so it's tricky, but yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's incredible. But yeah, just the joy of all of those things. I think it's just wonderful and people get to experience that. I mean, I know it's like the influencer thing and there's pay and all that stuff, but like you get to bring people joy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we do. That's cool. Actually, because of everything that we've kind of touched on here, I said we should do more stuff with the influencers. We're working with the brands a lot and we do over the influencers.
Speaker 1:But I feel like we need to rally behind and build some sort of community, because, yes, there's like these events for influencers, but is there really Community for them? And it's hard because I think they're all different stages right that there's the newer ones and the bigger ones and the different categories, right. But I think that at the end of the day, they all kind of need some sort of community.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean we all do. That's where humans are social creatures and we need that from each other. And I'm sure they're seen, but they're not seen seen in the way that makes them feel More human. So I think that would be an incredible way to support and serve them to. Yeah, so one of our last questions in this, I mean, I feel like maybe we're even heading towards it Interestingly enough, but for the future of Well, for you personally, or battle box, you know, what is the direction you see sort of Happening next, or do you? Is your hope to keep growing? Is it to like, do you want to? Eventually someone else can take this and I'm going to sell that and I'm going to go live in the Bahamas or something right? But what is sort of your, what are your hopes and dreams and what is sort of that next step for you of where you want to take your life and or battle box and what would you want to be happening next? So I think, what?
Speaker 1:I've learned in the past few years is that you know they say, oh, the leopard can't change the stripes, or a dog an old dog, and I really don't think that that's true. Like I have every day, I'm trying to learn new things or change certain behaviors, or, and so that's how I want to live. You know, you get to a point in life where the stupid stuff is just stupid and you just want to do the stuff that is good for you, not help, like just makes you happy. And you know I say to my team every day like this is a fun place, like, if you don't, like, I want people that we live, we're all happy, and I want to make my clients happy, I want to make my team happy. And, yeah, I want to keep growing, but growing because I love what I do. It's creative, I love being creative.
Speaker 3:And that I completely understand here that I, if I was ever not creative and Cheryl knows this about me at least like if I have to just sit and do the same thing over and over, I'm out, yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm lucky, though. You have the math and the creative is more like right.
Speaker 3:So my mom was a musician, or is a musician, and my dad's a mathematician, so it's sort of just like my mother always says that if you're in music then you have to be good at math.
Speaker 3:Well, it does help, it certainly helps because then if you're reading music, you have to understand, like triplets, and you have, like you have to be able to cut all of those into pieces. But there's also the art of it, too, right. There's the creation of something that never existed before and that has to come through you, and I think I don't. There's just something really special.
Speaker 1:It's so rare to see people who have both mindsets right, so I can't add two plus two, but creatively I'm okay, you know. I think that most people I know is either one or the other, but you're very lucky.
Speaker 2:Thank you, yes, she is Sherry. We're coming to the end of our episode. How can people connect with you?
Speaker 1:So on Babelbox, on any of the channels, it's either Babelbox with two X's so Instagram, or it's Babelbox official. That's probably because we couldn't get the Babelbox where someone took it, but Babelbox official. And then me personally, I think I go by Sherry Lang because people never can figure out my last name. It's really Lang Burt, but I think on Instagram I'm Sherry Lang. I think on Facebook too, I'm Sherry Lang.
Speaker 2:That's great. Thank you so much, of course, on behalf of Eileen and myself, I just want to thank you again, sherry, for joining us and for our dear listeners. Thanks again, once again, for spending time with us, and this closes out another episode of you Only Go Once. Thank you Bye.
