Happenings with Green Home Coach in 2022

The end of the year and the holidays put me in a reminiscent mood and I enjoy recollecting the memories and milestones. And of course, no matter how much I think I know what I want the year to look like, there are always surprises! After the roller coaster of the last few years with my husband’s health and family things, there were some things to improve the Green Home Coach experience for our community. So, we started 2022 with a renewed commitment to get these things completed. Even with the surprises, we got a lot done, even though some of it looks pretty different than what we thought when we started. I hope you have a chance to share in some of the fruits of our labor. Please let me know wherever I can help you and your business.

Health and Wellness Kitchen Remodel

Our year started off with a decision to do a Wellness Remodel on our own kitchen. We had some pretty major repairs to undertake and figured we’d go all in and just get it done. It also provided a project to showcase with our Green Home Coach community to show different aspects of health, wellness and sustainability that can be integrated into any home project. In particular, we ended up with 11 key points that set our remodel project apart.

Construct My Future Launched for Middle Schoolers in OKC Area

A group of construction and home related businesses and organizations got together to produce a “construction camp” for middle school aged students. We had so many people donate their time, expertise, energy and money to provide 45 middle school aged campers with a weeklong construction day camp. They learned to use tools, built and painted their own toolbox, and were introduced to activities in several trades over the week. They were introduced to big equipment and got to experience the role equipment plays in construction. To see how it all comes together, they visited a residential and a commercial build site. We wrapped it all up with a celebration luncheon with the campers, their families and our activity sponsors. It was an amazing experience! We are already planning for 2023 in early June.

Rebuild Website for Green Home Coach Community

We also made a big decision early in the year to rebuild the Green Home Coach website to make it more user friendly and informative for our community. It was a labor of love and resulted in the Green Home Coach programs being fully implemented online. All of the podcasts (246 episodes – Wow!) and a reincarnated blog are there as well. We also launched our Trusted Partners and Brands page to showcase other businesses and organizations Green Home Coach works closely with.

Big. Week.

In late June, we had just come back from a trip to see the grandbaby and the kids and we just moved back in our home after being out for 8 weeks with the repairs and remodel. We didn’t even have dishes unpacked, yet it was so good to be home! That same week, the website was launched and I received a breast cancer diagnosis. Big. Week. Fortunately the cancer was caught early and I worked with an incredible team of medical professionals for surgery in late July and radiation therapy in October with a good prognosis. The outpouring of support and love from family, friends and colleagues still chokes me up. Thank you.

Connections to Communities

Working more with real estate professionals, designers and home professionals is always top of mind for me, as these professionals are so key for such an important part of our lives – where we live. Earning the National Association of Realtors Green Designation connected me and Green Home Coach with realtors both in OKC and nationally. Stay tuned for more in 2023 about ways to connect and work together.

Build My Future 2022 Hosted Over 1300 High School Students

Build My Future in OKC is now a “regularly scheduled” October event. The community of people and organizations supporting and producing the event is growing and it is exciting to see the students’ faces light up when they find a building or skilled trade activity that works for them. Build My Futures are growing across the country and these interactive, hands-on career exploration events for high school students provide thousands of students the opportunity to learn about the great careers in the building industry and skilled trades.

Health and Wellness in Homes Matters, Really Matters

Health and wellness has been recognized as a key benefit in the green and sustainable homes space since I entered the industry over 15 years ago, yet this year felt different. Working with various industry colleagues and partners, health and wellness has become a focus area. I will be speaking in 2 sessions at the International Builders Show (IBS) in January focused on health in addition to several opportunities to share the message earlier this year. The highlight has been working with Jillian Pritchard Cooke and her team at Wellness Within Your Walls as their health and wellness certifications become more utilized. Our podcast series, Healthy Home | Take Control! Spotlights different aspects of healthier living in our homes.

Honored to Be Recognized

During the summer, I was very honored to be recognized for my work with the Oklahoma Journal Record 2022 Excellence in Construction and Real Estate – Green / Sustainable Design. Congratulations to Will Blake of Vesta Foundation Solutions for winning the Subcontractor category. At the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association Holiday Party, Christy Howell of CRH Design Build and I were honored for our work with Build My Future OKC with Associate of the Year honors. That’s us in the photo!