Sara Emmerson: Well, hello everyone and welcome back to That Sounds Risky. I am your host, Sara Emmerson, and I am so excited today to be here with Annie Aiello. And today's guest, Annie, is the founder of Always Olivia. And this conversation is about what happens when something deeply personal becomes something you feel called to do something with, because sometimes the basic— biggest risks we take aren't just ones that are about starting a business or starting a career or making a bold move. Sometimes the risks are about sharing our story and about creating something that has such deep meaning to us. And that's what Annie is gonna be talking to us about today. And Annie, I'm so grateful to have you with us. Welcome.

Annie Aiello: Great to be here, Sarah. Yes.

Sara Emmerson: Well, Annie and I go way back. We've known each other for many years, and so that's why this conversation is really special to me in many ways. Um, but today we're gonna be talking, um, about her story and not just about what she's creating currently in her life, but about the risks that she's taken both personally and professionally. So Annie, introduce yourself to everyone, um, and let them know what Always Olivia is.

Annie Aiello: Yeah, so I'm Annie Aiello. Uh, I am born and raised in the Chicagoland area, suburbs of Chicago. grew up in a very large Italian-Irish family. And, you know, we all have our own sort of unique gifts. And one of the things I was gifted with very early on was this ability to sing. And, you know, if I really think about it, Sarah, I mean, I go back way, way, way young, you know, way young. And so it was interesting. You know, they say, I think someone says out there that when you're like, 7 years old, if you look at the things that you do when you're little, oftentimes those are the things you come back to. And if I think about that, I think about literally with my cousins, I think one of whom you know. Yeah. We were, we were performing, we were doing shows, we were doing, you know, singing to the vinyl records and we were busting through my French doors at my home and performing for my grandma and her 2 sisters, my 2 like great aunts. And—

Sara Emmerson: Your first audience. I love it.

Annie Aiello: It was really, I mean, it was, they were asking us to sing and dance. and the whole 9 yards. And, and, uh, you know, so I guess, I guess it goes all the way back to that, to those days when I was little.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: So, Olivia, yeah. So, so to fast forward, so my father brought home— he was very much into music, uh, you know, he was not a musician or anything like that. We didn't even have a, any kind of instrument in our home. I was pleading with my parents, but again, youngest of 6, we— budgets were thin. But, uh, I— we did listen to a lot of music, and, uh, my father brought home, uh, Have You Never Been Mellow? Depending on who— how old you are as a listener, you may or may not know that album, but it was a 1970s, uh, album by Olivia Newton-John. And I was listening to people like, uh, you know, Lionel Richie, Gladys Knight, uh, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, the Eagles, Beatles, all of these, you know, classics, right?

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: And so my father brought this album home, and I picked up my Donny and Marie album, I put it to the side, and I ended up listening to Olivia. And I never looked back. She was just someone that, from a young, young age, influenced my voice. And I didn't know how great of an influence she had on me at that age. But as I got older and I ended up singing in high school, I ended up singing a bit in college, and then even post-college, I sang at my church. Got really involved there. And, you know, it just was always a thread in my life. And so that's sort of the foundation of starting this tribute show to Olivia Newton-John. Tribute bands are a big thing now. And Olivia Newton-John passed 4 years ago, August 8th. And, um, so literally as she was, uh, sick, I had had this inclination, just a sort of a nudging to try and start a tribute show. And my thought was, well, the, the, the person I know best, the person I know all the music inside and out wouldn't need any help

or support to remember these lyrics was Olivia. And, uh, and that's how it got started. Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: That's amazing. Well, one of the things I love about Um, having these conversations is hearing the risks that people have taken. And, um, we're gonna get to hear more about, um, your risk of, uh, just starting this and the dream of this, um, with Always Olivia. And I'm so proud of you. Like, as, um, I've seen your work and as I've, um, heard just so many wonderful things about the show, um, and have heard you sing, obviously have an incredible talent. I've heard you over the years. Um, it's so encouraging to, to see what you've done with that now. But outside Outside of Always Olivia, you've been somebody that's taken risk, risks in multiple areas. You just talked about that growing up too. So tell us a little bit about your, um, who you are outside of Always Olivia so that we know the person that's showing up taking these risks when it comes to the show.

Annie Aiello: So, you know what's really interesting, and as I was sort of prepping for this show, I, I was thinking about how actually I grew up in a pretty risk-averse family.

Sara Emmerson: Mm-hmm.

Annie Aiello: So academics and athletics was something that was strongly influenced in my home. You know, my family, we are first-generation Italian Americans. My father was first-generation, so I'm second-generation. And, you know, academics, my Uncle Ross came from Italy. He was the first educated, this is my father's, my dad's uncle, so my great uncle, Came from Italy, had no education, was the first one to be educated in the United States. And he, uh, was a runner and he, um, you know, was a, a, a track and fielder, got a scholarship to Grinnell College in Iowa and set the stage for the rest of the family. My aunt, uh, ended up becoming a doctor and a nun at 40.

Sara Emmerson: Wow.

Annie Aiello: And, uh, talk about taking some risks. Oh, going on. Exactly. I mean, ended up going on. So, so education, my, my grandfather, uh, was, a pharmacist. So very bright, very intelligent people in my family. And so this was passed down through, through my father and my mother. My mom was absolutely probably smarter than my dad. So, but, you know, she ended up being a homemaker and, and wasn't really there to able, you know, able to exercise those things. But it was always very heavily influenced. So I was the youngest of doctors, attorneys, Northwestern business entrepreneur grads. And I found myself in this system that is something to be celebrated and also a little bit out of place because I was this artist and I didn't quite know how I was going to— how do you achieve excellence in art other than literally like practicing art or becoming an artist or, you know, and— Mm-hmm. So education was something that was always emphasized. And I ended up, you know, going to college and I got a business degree and I always chose the creative side

of those things. But I stayed really fairly in the box. I was pretty conservative. But all the while, literally on my college campus, I was passing by the art department and I was an art minor because that was safe. And I chose the safe route in so many ways. And, you know, in hindsight, I think there was a lot of benefit to that in some degree, to some degree, but I had to get stronger in terms of learning how to take risks. So, you know, but I'd walk across the, the campus and I'd be going into my economics and stats classes and I just absolutely wanted to stick a fork in my eye. And, and, and I, I was with these amazing, you know, creatives in my minor program and literally doing fine art and studying all, you know, film history and lots of outside-the-box things. And it was just so foreign to me. I didn't know what to do with it.

Sara Emmerson: Mm-hmm.

Annie Aiello: And so I graduated and ended up working in an ad agency. And it was, you know, certainly creative enough and fun. And it was feeding a part of my heart and my creative senses. But I wanted something more. And I think where the risk taking started was starting to pay attention to that inner voice inside of me.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: Whether it be spirit or, you know, however someone might interpret that, but to really listen to that, that still small voice that was guiding me to, to a path that I think really truly was suited for me rather than what my parents thought I should do. Um, my dad wanted me to be an attorney, and I knew that wasn't my path. I just knew it. So what I paid attention to was, okay, I'm in the creative realm, but there's something more. I need something that has meaning, something that is not just promoting, you know, a widget or promoting a service. I need something more.

Sara Emmerson: Mm-hmm.

Annie Aiello: And so I went back and I got my MBA and I got it in marketing and, you know, did really well in my, in my program.

Sara Emmerson: And I ended up working for And that in and of itself though, Annie, too, is a risk, right?

Annie Aiello: Totally.

Sara Emmerson: Identifying, I want more. I know there's a lot of people that I, that message me or that are listening here even today that know, hey, where I am now, I'm not at my full potential. I'm not using all that I could, or I don't feel fully fulfilled. And I just, even having that thought and taking action towards it, you didn't know what the final, uh, Um, but I think that's— and I don't ever think we're final. There's no final, but you didn't know what the 10th iteration of that would be. But it took bravery and willingness to identify there's more for you to even go back for the MBA.

Annie Aiello: Well, it did because, you know, I, I, you know, they say you shouldn't really compare, but you know, when you're in a family of 6 children, um, you know, my eldest brother, he just like, he knew what he wanted to do when he was 10, you know? Mm-hmm. And, and I think I, I vacillated a bit on that because of the art creative side of me. It was just a little bit less clear. It was a little bit more nebulous.

Sara Emmerson: Right.

Annie Aiello: And so, you know, I remember my brother coming to my ad agency to kind of check out where I was working one day, and I was just a little uncertain. There was a tentativeness about it. And I think, you know, I, I always was— I almost underplayed it like, yeah, I'm creative. But at some point that turned, and I'll try to put words to that. So you know, knew that there was something that inside of me that needed to have a, uh, something beyond myself, something that was a bit more, um, uh, I guess existential, you know?

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: And so I went back, got this MBA, to your point, because I didn't know if pursuing business was really the path to that or not. But it was really, again, all I knew. It was the system I was in and, and it was encouraged and So, you know, that was an accomplishment in and of itself where I, I graduated with honors from my, my MBA and, uh, went to work for the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Now it's called Ann Lurie's, but, um, Yeah. It was absolutely the right place for me for quite some time. Uh, I was able to really exercise the creative side of me. I was able to interview people and understand how medicine, you know, there was this intellectual side of things. But I also was able to, you know, produce a telethon at, you know, 25 years old. I was able to, you know, write things and write articles that were really, really interesting and fun and creative and produce videos and things. So all that to say is then I got, you know, pulled into a ministry setting, and that was really right at home. It was really aligning my music passion my passion for music and my passion for something meaningful, in this case ministry, and it

really aligned with me. And it's pretty much where I've stayed in terms of my career paths until I had to come to kind of a crossroads with some personal things. I had gotten married, met my husband at my church, and we were married for 23 years. We have 2 beautiful children. And, uh, there was a lot of up and down in our marriage, a lot of difficulty. And, uh, you know, I grew up in a home that ended up, you know, my parents divorced as well. And so it was one of those things where I absolutely had promised myself I was never gonna, never gonna be divorced. And, uh, and so here I was, you know, 23 years later, fully entrenched in, in ministry and in music and felt a ton of shame, realizing that, wow, my marriage might be coming to an end as a result of just a lot of dysfunction, dishonesty, and, yeah, just a lot of hiding. And so I had to make a really, really difficult decision, one that I was

principally somewhat just completely averse to. I didn't know how— I didn't have a category for that.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: And talk about risk. I don't advocate for divorce. In this instance, it was one of the things that I had to really come to terms with, even though I was principally against it. I sought counsel from spiritual counsel, advisement, all of that. And It was just one of those situations where, you know, when there's lack of trust and there's deceit and betrayal, um, it, it just was irreversible at that point. And so I had to make the very difficult decision to move out, um, of a very toxic situation and, um, begin to potentially face a life living my own as a single mom. trying to get my kids who were teenagers at this point prepped and ready for college. And I didn't know how I was going to do it on a ministry salary. I thought, oh no, you know, how am I going to do this? And I have a degree, I have a, you know, a degree I can fall back on. I have an MBA. I'm a bright woman. But wow, this is tough. This is a really huge risk for me. And but at some— Yeah. Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: I was just gonna say, when you go back to that moment, on paper it feels like insurmountable risks all at once, right? If you, if you're looking at the situation and you're going, I, I'm sure people listening to this even now are, um, could be going through something similar where it feels like, hey, on paper this doesn't, it, this shouldn't work out the way that I'm hoping because it feels so big. Um, what were the things? In that moment that gave you the belief or the support to be able to take that risk and to keep moving through it?

Annie Aiello: It's a great question. Honestly, you know, I, I was, first of all, I, I faced fear. So again, I was risk averse. I grew up in that system. Mm-hmm. And, um, this was, this came to a crossroads. I think this is where, when you go through something as difficult as this and you have to take necessary steps forward. You have fear, and yet you need to proceed anyway. So it did take courage, because I think there's a lot of people that are in broken marriages that are still married. And, you know, either they have to take the road to try to heal and repair, or they recognize that it's, it's just Uh, not recessible. And, and so therefore, you know, there has to be some, some harder discussions. But in this instance, I mean, I think what allowed me to take that step forward was, one, my faith, uh, you know, just really seeking wise counsel and understanding that, that, uh, there was grace and mercy. Um, To my family, a

huge supportive system of, you know, my brothers and my sister and my mother and father who really were there to help support me. My dear friends, you know, really close friendships that reminded me who I am and said, you know, this is what we know true of you. People that have been friends of mine for years and years, decades, that reminded me that this is who you are. And if I didn't have that, I don't think I would have had the courage to take a step forward. And also my children, my kids saw that this was not working. And so, as hard as it was, and I, again, I'm not an advocate for divorce, but I think at some point you have to move forward in order to bring healing. It's like, it's like when you have, you know, a, an infection, you have to clean it out and it hurts, but It, it will make way for healing, you know? Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: Well, and I think, um, you, you made such a good point because some reconciliation doesn't always look like the bow that we make it. You had to reconcile with want— you just said it, wanting healing and hope for a, a healthy way forward for you and for your kids. And so it sounds like you, you did that. But one of the important things that I think, um, I, I mean, it, I don't know what everyone on this podcast believes, but for me, um, if, and I know for you too, faith is a big part of it, but I truly believe the devil wants to steal, rob, and destroy our thoughts often.

Annie Aiello: Right?

Sara Emmerson: And so he uses isolation when we're in moments of re— needing to take a risk or needing to step out of traumatic situations. And, um, you had to take the risk to not isolate.

Annie Aiello: Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: To invite people in. You've just named that, uh, multiple times that it was your family, your friends, your community that you had to reach out to. That's risky to admit, hey, I'm, I'm hurting and I need help. Talk to me about how the risk of inclusion and helping, uh, or how that risk of inclusion helped you gain the belief you needed to step forward in that moment.

Annie Aiello: Yeah, I mean, I think honestly, I was the person on the block that had the, you know, small group of women at my house and talked about, you know, faith and things like that. So there was a lot of shame that I had to recognize. Wow, you know, the minute I go public with this, I'm that family. I'm the family that goes to church that just broke up. And I'm that family that's walking into church that, you know, our faith says, you know, uh, not necessarily the best decision to make. Uh, however, it was such a difficult situation that we were in with betrayal and deceit that I, I had— I— it was necessary to heal.

Sara Emmerson: Mm-hmm.

Annie Aiello: And, um, and so I had the strength to do it only by, again, I think just the strength of people that were around me. I think when you surround yourself with strong people, they tend to lift you up and carry you when you need them to.

Sara Emmerson: Right.

Annie Aiello: And, you know, even just telling some of my closest dear friends, you know, all— it was— there was shame to it. But, you know, they quickly allowed me to recognize that that did Mm-hmm. That I had, I had my reasons. You know, was I perfect? No. Did I learn from things and have I— am I learning from things? Absolutely. What things I would do differently. But when you have a community of strength around you and they can walk forward with you holding your hands, holding your arms, you know, reminding you, mirroring back to who you are, That's what gave me the strength. And there was also, and this is kind of the next risk, which is I knew that I, I, my children were my focus. My children were my priority. There was not anything else that was distracting me. I was laser focused.

Sara Emmerson: Right.

Annie Aiello: It was, it was provide for my children, provide for myself, help my mom, and, you know, keep moving. And So I left ministry for a time and I went back into the marketplace and I doubled my salary and I was making more money than I ever have in my whole life. And I was more miserable than anything. I, now granted, it was a hard time, but it was not anything enjoyable to my heart, right?

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: So the places that I knew that I was being fulfilled, it was that, you know, more thing that I was seeking early on in my career. I had to give that up for a time to just get myself back on track financially just after this divorce. So my children were my focus, and that's when I stepped into— well, just taking that risk of going back to Marketplace was a lot. But then COVID hit.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: And I'm working remotely full-time and, you know, all of these things. And I needed a positive outlet. I needed something to bring joy in my life. And that was honestly the spark that got me thinking. And so I went to an Olivia Newton-John concert. She was touring back in 2017. She had cancer and had announced that she had cancer for the 3rd time. My best friend from grade school and I were dear. We loved Olivia Newton-John growing up, you know, 3rd graders and listening to all of her fun music. And then, of course, Yeah. then all of that. But so we went as adults, you know, to go see her back in 2017. And, and so that was in the back of my mind as I walked out of that concert, I heard her sing a song called Somewhere Over the Rainbow that Judy Garland covered. Olivia covered it. It was just the piano and Olivia's voice, and it was absolutely stunning. And I knew that she was sick, and I thought, you know, um, I probably have just seen her perform for the last time live. And in my mind and in my heart— and again, I, I come back to, you know, listen to your gut, listen to your heart.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: You know, the things that, that push you or nudge you. I had planted a seed in my own brain. I need to do something about that, but I don't know what. As a singer, as a vocalist, as somebody who's admired Olivia all my life, that, you know, maybe there's something there. And so, you know, went on with my life working at this big corporate job, not so happy about it. It was not really in the center of who I was. And COVID hits and all of my musician friends are now unemployed. And so I called up one of them who was an amazing musician and songwriter and all of these things. I said, Tommy, you've gotta help me put this together. So over COVID, it became a way I could pay him. I could feed, you know, I could help him make a little extra money and feed the dream that I had to try and start something around here. So, Thus was the Olivia Newton-John—

Sara Emmerson: Amazing.

Annie Aiello: Show that was birthed through COVID, through this difficult, difficult time in my life that I just needed some ounce of joy and helping some other people, you know, during a time where they were unemployed and not, not able to entertain. So we put the show together over COVID and literally we're just building tracks and coming up with ideas and all of my previous experience of producing at the Children's Memorial and even at the church I worked at, Came into play here. And so I looked back at how, you know, just the culmination of some of the experiences I had had, it was feeding that artistic side of me at this time. And, and, uh, so starting—

Sara Emmerson: Even your MBA and all of the marketing and the things that you looked at as not creative or not helpful have all come into play to help you.

Annie Aiello: 100%.

Sara Emmerson: Incredible marketer and business owner. As, as well as a performer.

Annie Aiello: Yes. Which was something I always, you know, never really identified with because there I was, you know, in these economics and stats classes really, you know, going, this is miserable. And thinking, really? So I have to put this to practice now? Like, how am I gonna do this? And so I totally was, you know, I was way more leaning towards the artistic person. Yeah. But yes, that, that MBA has definitely helped me, and particularly the marketing side, because that's where my emphasis was. And so knowing exactly how I was going to get the designs for my logos done and exactly how I was going to produce this video and exactly how— and so it literally felt like all parts of me were somehow now ignited and I had to move full force forward. And it was another— and the motivation fully behind it was not, hey, I want to be famous. Hey, you know, I'm a miserable person and this is just a little— It was really my children. It was like, you're going to have another source of income that can help put these kids through school. Mm-hmm. Like that was my sole motivation.

Sara Emmerson: So identifying, hey, I have a skill and I have the ability to do something that will creatively fuel me, but come hell or high water, I've gotta figure out how to provide. I think there's so many people that have creative skills, And don't have that, um, grit to figure out the marketing side or figure out the business side of it. Um, and I always like to say this to clients that I'm working with, we only do things for 2 reasons. We do things if we want it enough or we need it enough. And the best intersection is when both of those are present. And in this moment, Annie, for you, your want of needing some new joy, needing some outlet, and your need were really high. And so because of that, I see that, um, propelled you in such an amazing way. How would you, um, describe that for the people that sit in that moment and think, oh, I have this skill or I have this desire, but I don't know, I'm not sure if it can make me any money. What would you say to them?

Annie Aiello: Well, okay, so a couple things. Uh, one, I would say desperation breeds creativity for sure. And so I was financially the greater provider through most of my marriage. And so I'm the one who ended up getting hurt more deeply in terms of the financial. And so here I was just trying to go, okay, you know, it allowed me the window of opportunity to go, okay, how am I going to make this work and really, really pursue it with everything I had? Because to your point, my motivation was my children, and it wasn't necessarily fame or fortune or any of that. However, one other thing I was gonna say was, when I would lay my head at night, I— in most of my life, I think I've always been, you know, a person of integrity. I've been a person who's tried to live her life as honestly and just, you know, openly as I can. And I think when you lay your head at night and you can say, I have done the best I can do by myself. And in my case, you know, by God and my family, I could literally sleep at night despite how the crazy was going

on around me. I could sleep at night. And so even I think those still small voices that nudge you and that gnaw at you, like, I didn't want to live with regret. I didn't want to look back and go, I didn't try my best for my kids. I didn't want to live with regret when I was that kid on college campus that was walking past the art department and just—

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: knew I identified with some of these people, but didn't quite know how to get there. Never really giving up on yourself, right? Like, like continuing to stay true to those parts of you that gnaw at you at night and, and say, hey, you know, if, if I look back on my life and I don't do this, I will live with, I will, I will not be able to rest.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: I will not be able to lay my head down at night and, and feel at peace. And so, you know, am I, you know, on Broadway? No. You know, do I aspire to that? Well, maybe.

Sara Emmerson: Yes.

Annie Aiello: I mean, maybe, right? Yet. But, but, but there is that part of me that, that wanted to do something musically. You know, I think back about that child that was 7 years old performing for my grandma. And there was that part of me that had that in me. And, you know, it was fulfilled in so many ways. I mean, I've sung at church and I've sung in front of thousands of people for, this or that. But in some ways, this, this was feeding a little bit of that voice that got a little bit shushed when I was a kid in the family system I grew up in. So I had to learn to take these risks and learn to really begin to identify, who am I outside of my family system? Who am I? Who, who have I been created to be? And how do I begin to really start making those, those wheels turn in a way that I can make progress towards these things? And You know, it might, it might not be as, as grandiose as some of the things I've had to pursue because of some of the situations I was in. It might be that there's a hobby that you've wanted to start and you've just ignored it because, oh, I don't have time. Or, you know, I, I'm just simply saying pay attention to those things.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: And, and when you lay your head at night and if it bugs you, like, you— that's a signal that you need to do something about it. You know?

Sara Emmerson: Absolutely. And I love that line of like, desperation breeds creativity. If, if any of you are feeling desperate out there, I think that's one of the things that we can tell ourself, um, that I'm desperate, it, it won't work for me. In, in instead of saying, no, I'm desperate, I've gotta figure out a way to make this work. And so allowing that desperation to become fuel instead of allowing it to become failure. And so I really love you've done that. You've allowed that desperation to become your fuel and then. You, like you said, you can lay your head at night, uh, down at night knowing I did everything I could. I did everything I could as a creative. I did everything I could as a mom. I did everything I could as—

Annie Aiello: Save my marriage. I did everything I could. Yes.

Sara Emmerson: To save your marriage. Yes. I did everything I could. And at the end of the day, I'm able to rest knowing that. So there's many of you out there that haven't taken the step to do everything you can. And that is the, the space where we get to choose, where we have that fork in the road to go, hey, am I willing to take the step of risk? Am I willing to ask for the support? Am I willing to call a coach or call a friend or in— include other people to help me solve this problem? And for you, you were able to do that. You were able to call so many different people to come in and help you start this incredible idea. And I know we've talked about some fun risks that you were like, oh gosh, this feels This might be too risky for me. So I'm excited to get behind the scenes and hear. So you're in this, it's the spot where you're like, okay, I've got the desperation. I'm gonna start this tribute to Olivia Newton-John.

Annie Aiello: Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: What are the in— internal voices saying to you and what are some of those risks that you took to, to make this come to life?

Annie Aiello: Yeah. So this is where it gets a little juicy and fun. Okay. So I was literally heading to a mission trip in Tijuana, Mexico. in July, 4 years ago. And the night before that trip, I went to go see— so one of the things I've learned to do in my life is when I don't know how to do something, I have to learn from the people that do. I learned from the people that do.

Sara Emmerson: Yes.

Annie Aiello: And I have a high bar of excellence. And, you know, I guess, again, that's maybe part of my family system. But I went and saw a woman that I knew of, and we were acquaintances, but I did not know her well. And she was a Cher tribute artist from Vegas. I love it. But she was from Chicago. She was from Chicago. Her name's Lisa McClowry, and she's absolutely phenomenal. And my good friend, Tom, who was helping me put this tribute together, said, Annie, you need to go see her. She's gonna be in Chicago area. And so that the night before I was leaving for this mission trip, I literally go and watch Lisa do her thing and was absolutely in awe, 100% in awe from the production, from her costumes. She literally was Cher. She looks, sounds, is Cher on stage. I mean, 100%, the whole 9 yards. And here I was going, what am I doing here? Well, how am I going to do this? Because I've pretty much just, you know, stood on stage as myself singing all of my life. And, you know, this is a whole nother level. And, you know, the only acting

I've ever had was in high school, pretty much. I was, you know, Ado Annie in Oklahoma. And—

Sara Emmerson: What other training did you need?

Annie Aiello: So, And so, you know, I mean, that was about it. So, no offense to my high school. I mean, it just was one of those things where you just— not the best acting classes. So, all that to say is I did not picture myself as a performer. I thought of myself as a vocalist, as a singer.

Sara Emmerson: Mm-hmm.

Annie Aiello: And I think this gets a little interesting because I think when you take a risk, there's a bit of visualization that comes with it.

Sara Emmerson: Absolutely.

Annie Aiello: Think beyond what—

Sara Emmerson: In order for it to actually become a reality, the visualization has to happen.

Annie Aiello: Yes. So, so I had a hard time visualizing myself doing what she was doing in a way that would suit my level of comfort zone, my comfort zone. So I went away on this trip and I'm, you know, nailing boards and I'm thinking all about what I had just experienced. And I came back—

Sara Emmerson: You're singing Cher in your head and thinking—

Annie Aiello: So, I come back, and while I was away, I was thinking, okay, these are the things I would need to do to put this thing together. I have to have video. I have to have costumes. I have to have— And so, I consulted Lisa, and she had me fly out to Vegas. And what was the coolest thing is she introduces me to Bob Mackie's understudy, who— She goes, Annie, you can't just walk down Michigan Avenue and pick out a Let's Get Physical costume, okay? She's like, you cannot do that.

Sara Emmerson: No.

Annie Aiello: And I'm like, yeah, you're right. I can't just walk into Nordstrom's and go find hot pink headbands. Maybe I could today, but like, you know, leg warmers and the Sandy number 2 outfit from Grease. You know, you can't do this. Right.

Sara Emmerson: It's not just at the rack.

Annie Aiello: So, I fly to Vegas, and she introduces me to her costume designer. And then she introduces me to this person who actually costumed Olivia when Olivia had Oh, a show on the Vegas Strip at the Flamingo.

Sara Emmerson: Incredible.

Annie Aiello: And so here now, all of a sudden, just because I thought, how do I surround myself with people that know how to do it? Now a door is open to, okay, here's practically how you might be able to afford this. Mm-hmm. Or to, to do this well. Then it came to, how am I gonna afford it? And so there was the business side of me and I thought, okay, well, I have so much money from the sale of my home, and that was a risk because I either was gonna invest it to my retirement and my, you know, or try to put it into this, into this show. And I thought, no, you know what? I'm gonna try to put some of it into the show. And then I sought an investor, somebody who had known me, and I went and found a small investment and I got a little bit of seed money to help me.

Sara Emmerson: Mm-hmm.

Annie Aiello: And I said, okay, here's how I'm gonna pay you back. I'm gonna pay you back on, you know, the portion of the proceeds of every show we do, or a portion of the money. I'll, I'll pay you back a portion, a percentage. So, um, and I'm still paying him back for that, by the way. Um, but anyway, so I had some seed money. I, I started to begin the idea of formulating the, the actual tangibles of building the show. And, uh, you know, the next thing came to, okay, wigs. And that's where I said, yeah, that's not gonna happen. No, I'm not doing that.

Sara Emmerson: That was your breaking point? You were like, I can do the costumes, I can do that, but I don't know about wigs.

Annie Aiello: I had to—

Sara Emmerson: That's so funny that that was your breaking point. You're like, I can do the business pen, I can do the dancing, but that was the thing, like, I don't know if I'm in for that.

Annie Aiello: It was completely my breaking point. And, and, um, to the point where when I was in Vegas, uh, Lisa had me audition for Legends in Concert. I had to audition for this, and I said, I am not auditioning with a wig. And so, you know, I curled my hair like Sandy, but it didn't pull it off quite as well. And so, I came back around, and I said, all right, Lisa, you gotta teach me how to do this, 'cause I know absolutely nothing about this.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: I'm not a performer. I don't even know how to put on makeup well. Like, I can do eyelashes, maybe, but that's about it. Like, I don't know how to do this. And so, therein lies— I had to find somebody, including her, who taught me how to put on stage makeup and how to actually wear a wig to the point where literally, like, this is how you wear a wig cap. This is— it was like, this is a football, you know? And it was just so— I was so— that was out of— way out of my comfort zone. Okay? Way.

Sara Emmerson: Yes. What was the sticking point for you? Why do you think that was something that you were like, I don't know about this one?

Annie Aiello: Because, okay, so talk about visualization. I didn't know how to transition from, you know, I, I, I'm, I'm a pretty authentic person. People who know me, you know, it's like, that's, you know, what you see is what you get kind of person. I'm, I'm just very forthright and, and what you see is what you get. So, so to be somebody else when I'm singing, which is how I've largely identified, you know, my skill set, not an actor, not an actress. It was— so I can point to a specific moment. And there I was, I had this wig on. It was my first show backstage. Lisa was my stage manager behind me, working behind the scenes with me that night. And I had to go out there and actually, like, I thought to myself, is somebody— am I going to be taken seriously? Because all this time I had been somebody who cared very much about, you know, my singing at church or my singing. I wrote my own album and came out with my own Christian, you know, CD with another co-writer, Paul Langford. And I thought, oh my gosh, what have I done? I am going to be so interpreted as

a joke. Like, Olivia's passed now. Olivia died.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: And now people are going to think I'm just a crazy, crazy middle-aged woman trying to live out my life.

Sara Emmerson: So a lot of it, yeah, was the fear of opinion.

Annie Aiello: Oh, heck yes. And, and, and, you know, having just gone through that, being a Christian divorced woman, the, the, the shame of that, I just didn't know I had it in me. I didn't, I wasn't sure I had it in me to, to be perceived as, as, as a joke. Somebody who, who's, who's a, you know, an artist, a singer who has been serious about it. serious about my craft, I just thought, I'm gonna be laughed off the stage. I'm— people are gonna throw tomatoes at me. And so there I was, back at the Belfry Theater in Delavan, Wisconsin, ready to go do this, this concert. It was a December show, so we were doing Olivia and Christmas songs. I had my whole family in the audience. My— literally, my kneecaps were going up and down because I had this big, long 1970s wig on. And, and I walked out there and the first 2 songs I was a nervous wreck, but I got into the groove. And once I was able to do that, I was good. So I had to work through this fear, this absolute fear. I mean, it was frightening. It was terrifying.

Sara Emmerson: Absolutely.

Annie Aiello: Absolutely terrifying. And, and yet it was such a cool thing because so many people came up to me after that and they're like, We are so glad you've done this show. We are such big fans of Olivia's. You know, now that she's passed, you know, we, we just didn't know how we were going to see— hear her music live. Thank you so much. And, you know, therein lies sort of the, oh, okay, I wasn't perceived as a crazy, as a crazy fool. And, uh, I— One thing I had told Lisa when I was building this show is I said, Lisa, I need to do this as classy and as excellent as I possibly can because I don't— I want to be perceived as legit and thoughtful and, you know, having just thought through all the, all the steps and just done it as excellently as I can. And pretty much that's where it came out. You know, I mean, I'm just— and I'm proud of my team and I'm proud of them. So this was not just me alone. I mean, this, this took a ton of mentoring. by Lisa. This took a ton of, of, you know, building up by, by friends and family. Even my kids are like, yep, that's my mom. She's in, you know, the sandy leathers. And they—

Sara Emmerson: I love it.

Annie Aiello: And so, you know, they, they had to get comfortable with it. It was something that I had to grow into, but it was the visualization of it, the looking ahead, knowing what my goal was, and that it was really about my kids. It wasn't about me being famous. It wasn't about me being, you know, looking just like Olivia, because I'm not. I say I'm 5'6 with 3-inch heels because she was 5'6 and I'm 5'3. And so, you know, I can't possibly look like her. You know, I have, sure, some resemblances, but— and then leaning into, leaning into my strengths, which was I knew Olivia, I knew her voice since the age of 7. I know how to sing her music, bringing a great experience for people. And even adding in some benevolence to it, which was a big part of me, right? That, that fundraising component that I was part of at Children's.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: Where I, I give back, you know, we give a portion of the proceeds of our show to the O&J Cancer Wellness and Research Center.

Sara Emmerson: Mm-hmm.

Annie Aiello: And both my parents now are gone and they both passed from cancer and cancer hit my family really hard. And so I can stay, stand there on stage legitimately as myself, you know, advocating for things that are really important to me and representing this woman that was such an influence in my life. And, um, I think all of these experiences, everything, my divorce, you know, my, um, struggle early on, you know, of how do I, how do I live this creative life, the business side of things, you know, it all had to kind of come together. To, to really, I think, uh, propel me forward. And it was a moment in my life where I kind of had to just figure it out. So.

Sara Emmerson: Well, what's amazing and what I hear through all this, Annie, is when you started taking yourself seriously and believing that this was a serious creative endeavor.

Annie Aiello: Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: You realized everyone else was too. They were taking you seriously too. It was only you doubting yourself. that was the loudest voice. Yeah.

Annie Aiello: 100%. I mean, yeah, because it's not every day that you, you know, go on stage and pretend to be somebody. I mean, you know, I remember literally my parents going, yeah, there was, you know, this Elvis impersonator. And I thought, oh no, you know, is that, is that what I'm gonna be?

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: That's why I said, no, no, no, no, this has to be done with excellence. And, and to your point, like, yeah, I mean, I just thought, okay, This thing continues to evolve, by the way. Like, we're working on an acoustic version that's just more stripped down, and it's—

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: Gonna be just me and no wigs. And, you know, and, and, and that's okay. Like, it continues to evolve. And, you know, my children have seen sort of the, the determination. And what's really neat is now that they're getting older— I mean, this has been going now for, for 4 years— as they look back, and, and now my kids are in college, And they're going through their own self-identifying, you know, like, who am I? Right? And they grew up in a system, and now they're trying to figure out themselves. And they're seeing, you know, I think a family member that has gone through some adversity, and I'm hoping that this inspires them, you know? Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: I'm curious, how has this show shifted over the last 4 years? You talked about the different iterations. How do you see it now versus that first show in December when your knees were knocking and you were getting ready to do Olivia and Jingle Bells?

Annie Aiello: Yeah. Well, I mean, it went from being local to national. So I went from doing shows right here in Illinois and Wisconsin to now going to Boston and Florida and Washington State. And so We're talking about possibly bringing it to Canada and gonna be maybe going to Australia in October to, to do some, some things there. So, uh, I, to your point, you know, I think when you can take something seriously and it, it, it takes commitment every day. Like I work a full day, full-time job, you know, during my day. And then I go home and I work on this and it's, it's a commitment and I have to stay committed to it. Otherwise it will— it will— it won't move forward, you know? And I've had to trust other people with aspects of it. You know, I have surrounded myself with people that are phenomenal at their craft. And, you know, so the band members are all amazing, and we are like a family on the road. I have, you know, had to place trust in folks to help me, you know, sell the show, you know, like agents. And

in some cases, there's been ups and downs on that. You know, we've had seasons where we've had, you know, years where we've had more shows than others. And, you know, so having to get involved when it's not quite moving at the pace I want it to. And, you know, I think just figuring out, okay, now I have to set new goals. And new aspirations now that this is off and running. It doesn't just run by itself. I have to continue to keep it moving forward. And that's an interesting— it's a different mindset a little because all the initial hard work, the things that I knew how to build.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: There's some things that I'm— this is a little bit more unknown territory for me, and now I'm having to inquire and ask new people who know new things? And how do you sustain growth? How do you, you know, sustain these things? And so those are some, some aspects that I don't even quite have figured out yet, you know? Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: But, well, and your willingness to continue to reach out and to learn, um, one of the, the things that, um, is most important is, is I've been interviewing all so many different people on risk. The things, uh, that I hear that so many of 'em had in common was the willingness to go back and be a beginner. beginner at things.

Annie Aiello: Mm-hmm.

Sara Emmerson: No matter what stage of life they were in, they're like, hey, I'm willing to go back and be a beginner. And you've done that over and over personally and professionally. And, um, your willingness to do that is both inspiring, um, but also invigorating for yourself too. Like you're showing yourself each and every time your grit is growing because you're willing to do that and then you're finding success in it.

Annie Aiello: Well, there's vulnerability in that, right?

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: There's vulnerability in that. And, you know, speaking about going back and being a beginner, Again, back to the personal side, you know, I, I've been divorced now for, um, for 4 years, and I'm just starting to date again. And talk about beginning. I mean, how do you even begin to imagine, you know, what it's like to date in your, you know, in your middle-aged life? And that's an incredibly vulnerable place to be.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah, that's a whole nother podcast, Annie.

Annie Aiello: We got a whole nother podcast. That's a whole nother one.

Sara Emmerson: But I'm so proud of you and excited for you.

Annie Aiello: It's, it's, it's the, it's the beginning again. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Um, and, and not forgetting who you are and not doubting those things and to listen to those still small voices of, yeah, I need to pay attention to this. Mm-hmm.

Sara Emmerson: What are you learning in that re— uh, the, the redefining of this season? What are you learning about yourself?

Annie Aiello: In the most humblest of ways, you know, I think there was a part of me as a 20-something on my college campus, I was not proud of myself because I knew in my gut that there was this artist side of me that was being ignored.

Sara Emmerson: Mm-hmm.

Annie Aiello: And I didn't know how to get in touch with that. And so there's a part of me that I have come to a place of, you know, I'm proud of myself. You know, I'm learning to love myself, right? Learning to love me for who I am and not for who my dad wanted me to be, you know, as the attorney. I'm growing into myself.

Sara Emmerson: Mm-hmm.

Annie Aiello: And so there's a sense of fulfillment in that. And pride, again, not boastful, but just, wow, like, I'm doing this hard work to really begin to, you know, probe into these areas that, you know, I knew all along were there, and to actually have the courage. So I would also say I've grown in my courage. I've grown to be more courageous than I was even 4 years ago, you know, to go through hard things and to know— and my friends have certainly helped me do that. I did not do that alone by any means. It took a village to help me get through what I've gone through. Um, and, you know, to have, to now have my daughter see, oh, my mom has shown courage and I can have it too, you know?

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: And, and that again, you know, my kids are, are my primary focus. And for my son to see, wow, you know, my mom can, can do things on her own and has strength. And that's admirable. That's an admirable quality in a woman, you know? And so. I guess that's what I'm learning is that I, I need to have courage and belief in myself to know that if I don't know the answer, I can figure it out. I can find a way. I can ask a person. I can seek out counsel. I can find an expert in this or that. And, uh, to not give up.

Sara Emmerson: Mm-hmm.

Annie Aiello: To not give up. You know, I mean, I, I, it's funny watching Lisa's show so many times. There's a quote that Cher says that, you know, I mean, she literally was had no work and had 2 children on her own and was a single parent and found a way to reinvent herself.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: To where now she was releasing a number one hit every decade of her life, and she's 80. And so, yeah, and you just go, what is— how do you have the grit to do that? And it's like, her chips were down, and yet she still found a way to do that, you know? Um, Olivia had cancer and still found a way to—

Sara Emmerson: 3 times.

Annie Aiello: 3 times.

Sara Emmerson: And she was still on tour.

Annie Aiello: Still on tour and found a way. Wow. In pain, in significant pain to walk out on that stage and do it. And so these are people who've gone before us. Mm-hmm. And, you know, and, and I, I think, okay, you know, this is something to learn from. And, um, I guess that's, you know, that's, that's where I'm at on, on those things. Just having courage.

Sara Emmerson: Well, and being able to see too that it's not about perfection. Like so much of us, even in the creative world or when we wanna start something or we want it to look a certain way or we want to, Um, be perceived in that way. The, the perfection is a myth. It, there is 0.0% of humans here on earth right now that are perfect. Um, but it's all about the perseverance and the presence. If you can just show up as truly who you are with all of the imperfections and the striving and the grit and the creativity and you can keep going, that's when the beauty, the beauty happens.

Annie Aiello: Well, it's interesting because it's funny that you say that because my— the band that supports me, I mean, they're so excellent. They're so, so good. They're pros to the hilt. I would say that I've had to throw out the perfection. I am a person that, you know, I guess some of the you know, skills I learned through the years of just, you know, okay, you got to have a schedule, you got to stay on point, you got to do these things. And but yet some of these guys, you know, they've been out there and they don't have clicks and cues in their ears and they don't have all the, all the things that make everything work just so. And yet they sound amazing.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: And so in some ways I've had to throw away the perfectionistic tendencies that I have. I bring these to the table and in some ways it's served me well, but in other ways it's like, yeah, Annie, you've got to throw that out and show up and say, okay, you got to lean. It's a trust thing. It's some somewhat of a trust fall and say, yeah, you need to trust these guys that are going to go out on that stage with you to support you. Not every show is different. Literally every show is different. You know, you walk out on that stage and some literally, you know, one, one show, the, the battery pack to our drummer wasn't working. And so we, you know, so there's things that happen in live performance that it just doesn't always work the way you want it to. And to just say, okay, you know what, this is a new, new paradigm. You have to learn how to, how to be nimble and shift and flow. And it's when I adjust, you know, as the leader of this team, when I can adjust to those variables in a way that is comforting and supportive rather than angsty. And, you know, it's better. It just comes out better. Everybody can breathe better. And so I am learning in that.

Sara Emmerson: Well, you're setting the culture for more creativity, more collaboration, rather than setting an expectation of perfection, which wasn't realistic in the first place.

Annie Aiello: Correct. So yeah, I mean, I think I'm learning to sit back now. You know, I think initially I had, I wanted it to be just so, and I think as I'm allowing myself to breathe through this process and realize, oh yeah, this is organic, this is a little bit organic. Right? Like, every show is different. And I— Lisa used to say that to me. I used to say, don't you just freak out and get nervous every time you go out on that stage? She goes, no. I said, well, what's your frame of mind? You know, like, asking good questions, I think, of course, is really important. But I'm like, what's your frame of mind when you go out there? How do you not freak out? You know? And she's like, I'm bringing— I'm giving them a— she's like, we are bringing them a gift.

Sara Emmerson: Yes.

Annie Aiello: Giving them something to receive. And, and it's an exchange, Annie. It's an exchange. And that's, that's a great way to look at it. This is an exchange. I'm going, I'm, it's a conversation.

Sara Emmerson: You're feeding off their energy too. Yeah. They're a part of the experience.

Annie Aiello: Yeah. It's organic. Every crowd is different. Every, every venue is different. And so I'm learning to breathe through this and say, okay, it's okay that it's not exactly, you know, everything I need it to be every, every time we go out and perform. And so I love that. Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: Well, we're going to go into a lightning round of a few quick questions and then a final question. But I do want to know before I go into those, what's your favorite song?

Annie Aiello: Of Olivia's?

Sara Emmerson: Yeah, of Olivia's.

Annie Aiello: I would say it's tied for first, which is probably Cap Out. I love the song I Honestly Love You. It was a number one hit in the '70s. Absolutely beautiful song. And, you know, studying as somebody who's studied Olivia's life now, I've listened to her biography that came out a couple years ago. It was really interesting because my mom passed. When my mom passed away just in November, I sang that song over her. And then I listened to Olivia's biography, and it was so interesting because I learned that she did the same thing with her mother. And it was just so bizarre. I was like, wow, crazy.

Sara Emmerson: That is crazy.

Annie Aiello: Same, same, you know. But that song, it's just absolutely stunning. And it's the song— one of the songs that we do towards the latter part of the show. And then the song Sam. The song Sam is a song that John Farrah, Olivia's producer and longtime singer-songwriter, wrote for her. And, uh, I named my daughter after it. I named my daughter Samantha after that song. And, uh, you know, of course I was, when I was a, a mom, uh, learning that I was gonna have a daughter, I was like, oh, I'm gonna name her Olivia. Why not? And, uh, that year there were so many people named Olivia that I couldn't do it. I was like, I can't do this. I gotta do something else. So I called her Sam. We call her Sam.

Sara Emmerson: Oh, I love that.

Annie Aiello: So those 2 songs are my, I'm a more of a balladeer than anything. Um, And, uh, yeah, I mean, there's some really good ones out there though, but it's—

Sara Emmerson: Yeah, there's so many. Uh, what's something about Olivia's life that we might not know but has changed you?

Annie Aiello: That's excellent. Uh, I would say, so Olivia was, um, well, it's interesting because, you know, I think I told you I started my career out in nonprofit hospital work. So I had this philanthropic, benevolent sort of heart to, uh, to want to bring change. And, um, so when she was diagnosed with cancer and, uh, you know, she became an advocate very early on for breast cancer. And, uh, she went and put her name down, uh, reluctantly, but encouraged by her mother to go put her name on this center called the Olivia Newton-John John Cancer Wellness and Research Center down in Melbourne, Australia, which is where she's from. And she was just such a humanitarian. I mean, she was someone who really deeply cared about people living this journey with cancer. And it's such a plight that we— so many of us can, can relate to. Um, and just how hard she worked to bring about the wellness side of things. So making sure that people don't just go through these therapies

and, you know, they're losing their hair, but that she cared about art therapy and massage therapy and realized that music was such a part of therapy. And so it was just really, she was very much a healer, you know? So she looked at music as a way to heal and then brought a lot of these other aspects of who she was into her music, but also into her philanthropic side.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: And so I just found it interesting, you know, in some ways my life, not intentionally, but has been very parallel in terms of just sort of the things we've found interest in. I did get to meet her, which was fascinating. I got to meet her twice. And, you know, I just wished I could have sat and talked to her about these things because that would have been really cool to just hear her heart for this cancer center.

Sara Emmerson: And you've been in contact even with her family since the tribute has been going on. Isn't that true?

Annie Aiello: Yeah. So I'm, I'm going to be going to Australia in October, which is the, uh, when the wellness walk is happening. And so her niece and her daughter are carrying on the torch for Olivia for this center. And so I'll get a chance to talk with them and meet them. Um, and, you know, Michael Caprio, which was her, her longtime publicist, is in Vegas. And we had a chance to talk about my show a little bit. And so, and then I had a chance to work alongside of Dane Bryant, who was Olivia's final, last music director. He was her piano player when he was playing Somewhere Over the Rainbow at that concert I was at. And we've had a chance to chat and work a little bit together on a few things that might be coming down the road. We worked on a song together. So hopefully that'll come down the road. But I— We, we hope to release it later. So that's incredible. Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: Well, Annie, I'm so proud of you. Um, one, just as a friend and seeing, um, the growth in you as an artist, obviously, but as a human.

Annie Aiello: Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: You inspire so many people and, um, including myself. And so thank you for all of the inspiration. Thank you for taking the risk to start something even when you thought it was crazy too. And, um, seeing the joy that it's bringing people, seeing the healing that it's bringing people, and seeing the hope and healing that it's brought you too is, is really amazing. How can people find you? And before we get to the last few questions here, how can people find you and what's, um, some of their upcoming dates and things that they can come and watch?

Annie Aiello: Well, and firstly, I, I just thank you so much for having me on your show and your new endeavor. So this is really, really fantastic. Um, yeah, you can go to alwaysoliviatribute.com. That's our website. And, uh, We are, we have a show right in Illinois, in Crystal Lake, Illinois, August 15th, which is just this coming weekend.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah.

Annie Aiello: We will be at the Melrose, the Taste of Melrose Park in September. And then we head off to, uh, Florida, um, in, in, uh, November and North Carolina. So, yeah.

Sara Emmerson: So exciting. So exciting. Um, well, a couple extra questions here, but definitely everyone check out the information, go see Annie. Um, check her out online too. And if you're someone that's scheduling shows, call her. She has an incredible show and she would love to come and bless the people, um, where you are in whatever city or country that you're in. Um, and so Annie, here's a couple extra questions here for you. Rapid fire. Mountains or beach?

Annie Aiello: Beach.

Sara Emmerson: Pizza or burger?

Annie Aiello: Pizza. I'm Italian.

Sara Emmerson: Jeans or leather?

Annie Aiello: Jeans.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah, I was gonna say, uh, yeah, I was gonna say upbeat or ballad, but you kind of told us about that already.

Annie Aiello: Uh, yeah, probably ballad. I'm a sucker for a good yacht rock song for sure.

Sara Emmerson: Yeah. Uh, train or airplane?

Annie Aiello: Airplane.

Sara Emmerson: All right. And the last question that we have here, and I love asking this question, for each of the people that come on the show is what's one risk that you think everyone should take sometime in their life?

Annie Aiello: Oh my goodness. Oh gosh. I think having a conversation with someone that is on the opposite side of maybe what you believe to be true is a pretty big risk, but I think it Yeah. We could stand to learn a lot if we just allow ourselves to listen and to hear and to try and gain understanding. I think if we can approach each other more lovingly in this world, even though we might vehemently disagree or that we might have a completely opposing side, to actually just allow ourselves to sit and listen is a huge risk, But it could have all kinds of amazing, um, uh, benefit to it and, and at least a, a, a broader understanding of where someone's coming from.

Sara Emmerson: Absolutely.

Annie Aiello: Yeah.

Sara Emmerson: Well, thank you so much, Annie, for being with us today, and thank you for your inspiration. Thank you for your creativity. Thank you for, um, just what you've shown us personally and professionally about taking risks. Um, we're so glad that you, um, were here today.

Annie Aiello: Well, I'm so glad to be here. Love you, Sarah. Thank you for having me. I'm so proud of you.

Sara Emmerson: So, thank you. I really appreciate that. And if you're listening today and you are at the crossroads of needing to take a risk, you know that you are not living out the dream that you are going to sleep at night still thinking about, or you know that change needs to happen, but you're hesitant because you don't know the strategy on how to get there. I wanna let you know that is the crossroads. That is the messy middle that I love sitting in with people. So go to sarahemerson.com and sign up for a coaching consult. I'd love to talk to you about what your next step could be. And until next time, I hope that you start taking risks that make you say, oh, That Sounds Risky.

Annie Aiello: Bye.