5 Playhouses in 6 Days! | Our tanks are FULL!

5 Playhouses in 6 Days, a full day strategy meeting and the biggest donor pitch of our life… it’s just another week at GiGi’s Playhouse Inc!

Waldo’s got nothin’ on GiGi and me!!! We’ve been globetrotters for the past week traveling far and wide to spread the #GenerationG movement of inclusion for all! We’ve conquered fears and welcomed many new families into GiGi’s along the way, and even befriended our share of good-humored TSA Agents! Visiting 5 Playhouses in 6 days sounds exhausting, but “exhilarating” and “uber-inspiring” are words that come to mind when I reflect on the past week. Then, when I figure in the full day strategic planning session and the National Sponsor pitch, it only adds to the excitement and exhaustion!

We kicked off our journey right where GiGi’s Playhouse was born, in Hoffman Estates, Illinois celebrating with a group of amazing women who have given so much of themselves to GiGi’s Playhouse since Day One. I remember the day each one of these amazing Mommas walked into the Playhouse with their tiny babies. Now we are all lifetime friends and the kids are growing up GiGi’s, going to school and rockin’ their extra chromosome!

Adding to the excitement in our Hoffman Estates Playhouse last week was a visit from a mother and son from Bulgaria. The signs are everywhere; GiGi’s Playhouse must have a broader international presence and we will continue to ceaselessly work to achieve that goal with Playhouses in Nigeria, Chile, Bulgaria and beyond! With 39 requests to open in other countries, we need to get the international model down!

250 miles later, after a long white-knuckle drive with deflating tires, GiGi and I made it to the second stop on our road trip – the Fort Wayne Playhouse – for an adventure like no other. As Chief Belief Officer, I’m often called upon, and very happy to do whatever it takes, to further our mission. Had I known that mission would include rappelling down a 14 story building, I might have turned the car around, flat tires and all! Once again, I needed only to look to GiGi to get me through this! I’m happy to report that with GiGi’s support, I conquered my fear of heights and the wall, but not without a few choice words in the process! For those of you who may have missed it, you can see the terrifying fun!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKqT24rT8-I&w=560&h=315]

After a very brief stop home, our bags were re-packed and GiGi and I were back in our second home, the airport. Facial? Check. Luggage? Check. Security? Check. And this time while we were in the security line, GiGi informed me she had packed her perfume and lotion in her backpack! 😳😳. You should have seen the TSA agents’ faces when GiGi’s backpack came through the scanner and she excitedly grabbed it and said, “Yes!! They didn’t catch me!!” Priceless.

Fortunately, not even the TSA could stop GiGi and me from our next mission… to meet up with other GiGi’s Inc leaders, Chief Growth Officer, Kim Hanna and Chief Informational Officer, Clare Mitchell, for a very important meeting in Atlanta. These amazing women are my two right hands and we would not be where we are today without them. There will be more to follow on that meeting so stay tuned for exciting news! After our meeting, we couldn’t wait to head over to the Playhouses #3 and #4, in Atlanta and Roswell, GA, where we were showered with hugs and experienced true southern hospitality!

Our final destination brought us close to home to visit the amazing team and families at GiGi’s Playhouse Fox Valley.

It’s been a week of hugs, happy tears, miracles and the sky’s the limit possibilities! In other words, another typical week at GiGi’s Playhouse. And again, I’m reminded that I’m so blessed to be on this crazy journey with you all and how lucky I am to have GiGi by my side, inspiring me every step of the way! In Chapter 3 of my book, I talk about how self-fulfilling prophecy begins in your head and plays out in your life. In other words, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it – and I wouldn’t have it any other way! #GenerationG is a dream that’s coming true, supported by accepting, generous and kind communities that believe in our mission and are committed to blast through barriers and scale down 14-story buildings to achieve it!