When Kids Become Coworkers | S1 EP5

Mary Alessi  0:09  
Welcome to another one of our Family Business podcasts. Our tagline for this podcast, which is really appropriate, is because family is everybody's business. And we know that's true, right? Stephanie? 

Stephanie Alessi  0:24  
Yes, it's too true.

Mary Alessi  0:26  
 And we're doing this podcast, so that we can talk about things with you that we can't talk about on Sundays, because our family is a big ministry family, we all work together. And there's a lot of things that we love to talk about when we get off the platform.

Stephanie Alessi  0:40  
 Yep. 

Mary Alessi  0:40  
And we are talking about how the day went and even some things that pastor may have preached on Sunday that we can't talk about publicly, or we can't talk about in a group setting. We just really want to dive into some real talk here through this podcast. And today, I'm excited because joining me for this podcast is my beautiful oldest daughter, Stephanie. 

Hello. Hello, everyone. I'm Stephanie. 

 you are Stephanie Alessi right now. Now you may change in the future, 

three months, 99 days 

In three months. That's going to change and you're going to be Stephanie 

Stephanie Alessi  1:12  
Muina. 

Mary Alessi  1:13  
Muina. We are practicing that name over and over and over again.

Stephanie Alessi  1:19  
Yeah, it's like Moo and Nina. 

Mary Alessi  1:22  
Muina

Stephanie Alessi  1:23  
Muina. that's it. That's perfect.

Mary Alessi  1:25  
This is what you get when you grow up in Miami, around Hispanics. And we knew we were going to.... somebody was going to come up with a Perez or Muina or some Rodriguez or something, 

Stephanie Alessi  1:36  
whatever it was. 

Mary Alessi  1:37  
So there you go. Well, today, we want to talk about something that you and I've discussed a lot. And I know we've been asked a lot because we we've been writing music, we've been releasing songs, releasing new projects for our church. And it's been a lot of fun. And we've we've mastered mom and daughter, we know how to do that. But let's talk a little bit today about our working together in writing songs and what our process is, and kind of how we worked out the relationship. Maybe you don't work with your son or your daughter, but you'd like to find a new kind of relationship with them, where it's not always mother and son or father and son, mother daughter, you want to get to a new place in your relationship with them. Where it's kind of a mutual relationship. You know, that's, I gotta tell you that that's hard as a parent, to shift those gears and see your kid as a partner and not a kid.

Stephanie Alessi  2:26  
Can't imagine that. 

Mary Alessi  2:27  
It's not easy. 

One day, you'll see 

Stephanie Alessi  2:29  
one day I will. I'm preparing myself, I'm remaining humble in preparation for that.

Mary Alessi  2:34  
Yeah, it's not easy. Those transitions are not always easy to make. But something that we've learned working together on Sundays is that in order to really lead by example, but also have, you know, not as much conflict when we get off the stage when we're doing what we don't want to wear masks on Sunday and pretend to be something we're not. 

Stephanie Alessi  2:53  
Yeah, 

Mary Alessi  2:54  
so we can't have this peaceful environment on Sundays that everyone sees and they think, Oh, my God, their family's go perfect. They all just honor each other. They love each other. Well, there's stuff that... Yeah, there's stuff that happens behind closed doors that we work very hard at. Yeah, to establish and really reach mutual respect. So let me just pitch this question to you. What is it like working and writing with me Your mom and be honest 

It's like writing with Celine Dion.

 Oh Lord.

Stephanie Alessi  3:24  
like Michael Jackson, and Celina Dion and Shania Twain all in one. 

Mary Alessi  3:30  
Really?

Stephanie Alessi  3:31  
 No, no, no,

Mary Alessi  3:32  
no, not even.

Stephanie Alessi  3:33  
Um, well, it is super, super fun. Let's just get that out of the way. 

Mary Alessi  3:38  
Okay. Let's establish that right now. It is fun. 

Stephanie Alessi  3:40  
It is fun. Yeah, it is totally fun, because you're hilarious. So it's easy to work with you. I think everybody could say, you're probably one of the easiest persons to work with. Because you are hilarious. You're fun, you know when to get serious. And then you know when to just laugh and go get a cup of coffee or something. So that's the best. But I will say that took a couple years for me to reach because I was not the 'oh let's just sit back and relax and take our time to finish the song and let's go get coffee. Let's just let's just stop our work and get coffee.' That's just was not my nature whatsoever years ago, not at all. 

And so let me say we took the enneagram test this past year and and you're an 8 and I'm a seven. Yeah, and dad is an eight. Yes. And I'm a seven 

Who would have thought that after your decades of of being married to an eight now you would have to work with a whole new eight? 

Mary Alessi  4:37  
 it certainly prepared me to see you in a different light and understand so go on. I'm funny. Sometimes 

Stephanie Alessi  4:48  
 , you're funny, you're funny.  You're great. You're ...you're 

Mary Alessi  4:51  
you're buttering me up what's coming up?

Stephanie Alessi  4:53  
No, no, I

Mary Alessi  4:54  
was getting sweaty. Oh my. 

Stephanie Alessi  4:56  
I think that for sure. It was you know, I wasn't Dating anybody, I was single at that time. 

Mary Alessi  5:02  
Yeah.

Stephanie Alessi  5:02  
 So for me, it was such a great chance to, to prune myself and to learn few things. And I'm sure lay myself down and delay I'm being for real, I lay myself down, and also know when to use my strengths. And know when just to let go.

Mary Alessi  5:20  
 Yeah

Stephanie Alessi  5:20  
. So there, there it was. So working with you is the best. But it is definitely a field where I have to practice and trust the strengths and the weaknesses on both sides, 

Mary Alessi  5:34  
right. 

Stephanie Alessi  5:34  
And once I finally came to that realization that I need your strengths, and you need my strengths, and with them together, it could be, we can get a lot of work, a lot of work done with a lot of fun. 

Mary Alessi  5:46  
That's right.

Stephanie Alessi  5:47  
 and new friends and memories. And it's organized. And there's a plan. So I think that it's working with you is is the bomb, and it's grown me up in ways I never thought I would grow up. And it has prepared me for the future, ,in ways I never thought it would prepare me. And because now I'm engaged to a five who is much like a seven.

Mary Alessi  6:11  
 Yeah, it's true. 

Stephanie Alessi  6:11  
Very, very much like, Yes, they're a little in the middle. So it's been working with you is great. And I've learned a lot, definitely learned a lot.

Mary Alessi  6:21  
 I can honestly say that mutual respect is, I think the most important word is the main thing 

Stephanie Alessi  6:27  
totally. 

Mary Alessi  6:28  
And this might not be in our conversation of you may you and me working together writing songs. That's not the average mother daughter relationship. The average mother daughter relationship is, you know, Mom, is mom. And then she's just not anymore. 

Stephanie Alessi  6:41  
Yeah.

Mary Alessi  6:42  
 And how does she shift gears to know how to be a different role in her daughter's life or even her son's life? And it's not easy. And in Miami, the culture, the family culture here because of the Latin culture, and it's in the Italians, too, which is where, you know, we come from... 

Stephanie Alessi  6:58  
yeah, 

Mary Alessi  6:58  
but it's, it's really hard to find that place of mutual respect. 

Stephanie Alessi  7:03  
Yeah. 

Mary Alessi  7:03  
For your kids and your kids with you. So you, it's not easy what we're doing. And culturally, traditionally, there's not a lot of role models for us to follow after. Oh, it makes it hard. You know, it really makes it hard. And there's tremendous respect. 

Stephanie Alessi  7:20  
Yeah

Mary Alessi  7:20  
 But sometimes there's this resentment that moms and dads Don't let their kids fully grow up and release them. And, you know, in the American culture that I grew up in, you turn 18, you're out, get a job, get an apartment, you're out. Well, that's not the culture here in Miami. 

Stephanie Alessi  7:35  
No...

Mary Alessi  7:36  
 families stay together, families are very close. So I love that I think that's super healthy. And I think you'd need to help your kids go from that 18 19, 20 into their 20s helping them learn and develop either a craft or just be healthier in their relationships. Stay in their life, but from a distance where you're coaching and you're helping, and you're setting them up to be successful, versus constantly correcting and criticizing. 

Stephanie Alessi  8:02  
Yeah...

Mary Alessi  8:02  
and I have to tell you, I never thought I would be that critical. Mom, I just thought I was gonna be the coolest mom ever. I would never. But I've had to pull down thoughts that I want to just really rush in and go, you can't do that. Go to your room. 

Stephanie Alessi  8:16  
Yeah. 

Mary Alessi  8:16  
And you can't talk that way to a person in their 20s. No, no, there's got to be mutual respect. Yeah.

Stephanie Alessi  8:22  
And what a 20 year old wants to do is "Oh, that's just my mom." She's just being silly unless my mom and dismiss it and dismiss it or you don't take your mother seriously. 

Mary Alessi  8:31  
Right.

Stephanie Alessi  8:31  
 And now that's my coworker. We have to get a project done. And I have to trust you. I have to take you seriously. And I mean, our cousins and I we make fun of our moms so much because you are a twin. And when you are together, it's even more hilarious. And 

Mary Alessi  8:47  
Martha Munizzi and me are your twins just for those out there who don't know. 

Stephanie Alessi  8:51  
And you... it's airheaded... 

Mary Alessi  8:54  
Yeah

Stephanie Alessi  8:54  
 just constant joking, take nothing seriously, goodness, it's just the best. And, you know, we make fun of you guys, and you make fun of us and we're all making fun of each other. And then you throw us into a room where we have to do a project and we have to finish a song. And we have to partner with people. And I'm tempted to not take you seriously. I'm tempted to say oh my mom. Yeah, she's gonna probably guarantee this but it's not gonna. It's not gonna happen or she's just joking. Just Just ignore it. And I can't do that. I have to trust your abilities. I have to take you seriously. I have to respect you even more so, 'cause you're my mom, it's not a 'she's just my co worker. So you know, I have to like her.'  No, I have to we have to like have a deep mutual respect for each other. 

Mary Alessi  8:54  
Yes

Stephanie Alessi  8:55  
. And it's perfect because we know how to, we can put on the co worker hat plus the friend hat plus the mother daughter hat. And I think what's so beautiful about that is don't really divide those subjects so much right? 

Mary Alessi  9:55  
That's true 

Stephanie Alessi  9:56  
don't. because I've been in a studio where I've had to be in work mode. But you've said to me said something to me in mother daughter mode, right? And it's helped me and guided me and given me clarity in a stressful situation more than as if you were talking to me as a co worker, right? You know what I mean? Totally, like, Don't be so strict about "No, mom, we can't be mother daughter here. We're co workers here." 

Mary Alessi  10:24  
That's really good.

Stephanie Alessi  10:25  
 Or we're not coworkers, Here. We are mother daughter here. Yeah, it's like, allow that to merge a little bit. Because you can create something totally different, that is full of wisdom. It's full of nurturing. It's full of responsibility and, and motivation. And and, yeah, I think that, it's, it's really cool that we've just allowed those lines to merge a little bit, because we've created a relationship that's so rare and so unique

Mary Alessi  10:50  
That's very true.

Stephanie Alessi  10:51  
 But it's a give and take. And it's produced anointed music, and very, very strong relationships with producers and writers. So it's working for us.

Mary Alessi  11:01  
It's working. And I think it's definitely effort on both of our parts and being aware of moments and really being Spirit led. But I want to talk also about the songs that we've been writing some of the the songs that are coming out of this house of Metro Life Church, and then you and me together, because we're just getting started, Stephanie. So we're really just barely, our best songs are ahead of us. Yeah, I really know that. And you're writing crazy. You write constantly, you writing songs, working with the label, and they're setting you up with all kinds of writers. And I'm just watching you flourish, because your personality is not to wait till you feel it. You're more, You are a disciplined writer, where I'm more a feelings writer. If it's not fun, if it doesn't get me excited if that I've learned from you. Really, honestly, I've told you this before, that I'm learning as much from you as hopefully you are from me. 

Stephanie Alessi  11:54  
Yes. 

Mary Alessi  11:54  
So your ability to say, okay, we're in the work writing session moment. We've got to get this done. 

Yeah.

 Whereas when Martha and I would try to write together as two sevens, we would get halfway through and we'd hit a wall. And we'd be like, Can we just go to Nordstrom? we just need a break. We can't. And you are such a great person to have in that writing session to say we will finish this 

Stephanie Alessi  12:17  
Yeah

Mary Alessi  12:17  
 push through and finish. And it's really amazing that me at 53. Today, I'm 53. And learning from, from my daughter, who's 24. I've been writing longer.

Stephanie Alessi  12:28  
 Yeah

Mary Alessi  12:29  
 and you're younger, obviously younger than me and my daughter, but I'm leaning in to learn from your style to be more disciplined. And the truth is, you'll have more fruit on the on the life of your tree, then, then I have had just because my ceiling is your floor. But I'm looking at you going, Wow, this girl finished what she starts. her personality is so driven, that it's not just about feelings. It's not just about emotions. It's about we're getting in that room, and we've got an idea. Great. We're not going to wait until we find the best idea. We're going to start with what's in our hand. 

Stephanie Alessi  13:03  
Yeah. 

Mary Alessi  13:03  
And we're going to finish this. And I will tell you, that has been really such an inspiration for me watching you because I know I didn't do that, huh? God did that that's in who he made you to be. That's, that's your heart. That's your character, and your style. And so I can really surrender to that and say, I can submit to Stephanie to just like she submits to me as her mom. And then we work together very well. 

Stephanie Alessi  13:30  
Yeah. 

Mary Alessi  13:30  
And one example, I think is the song that we wrote together with Abel and Will from Lakewood. 

This is how we overcome. And actually, where you you've talked about that, where you wanted to finish it, and I wasn't ready to finish it.

Stephanie Alessi  13:45  
No. And you kept digging, digging, digging. And I think what's funny is i did i do have that disciplined trait. But I do need to turn that off sometimes and follow the Holy Spirit, which you are, so, you've perfected that. And I have to know when to switch that discipline off. And when to switch that drive off sometimes because it's like, wait, your mom has... she does not feel satisfied. And she's staying up late at night trying to find a perfect verse. Listen to that.

 Yeah.

Let it go like that. I'm telling you right now, I'm not thinking of any better bridges or verses. So who am I to decide what the verse should be if she still has a creative drive in her? Let it happen. 

Mary Alessi  14:29  
That's right.

Stephanie Alessi  14:29  
 So when we were writing that song, I remember like 20 minutes passed, and we were trying to find a second verse or whatever it was. And I was like, 

Mary Alessi  14:39  
Oh, so frustrating. 

Stephanie Alessi  14:40  
Yeah, yeah, I was really frustrated because I was like, come on, just like we've been working here for an hour, two hours and we have a track we're building the track. Like, let's finish this. We have an idea. This is good enough. And then I saw you, you weren't satisfied. And it was this moment of trust your partner. Trust this, let it happen. She's a great, right. She's a better writer than you. She is more Holy Spirit led because you've had more practice. And you know what's this was your baby this, that song was your baby. So let the baby be birthed, let it happen and let her do it. And you went home and you thought of the next verse after like midnight, I think the next day you perfected it even more. 

Mary Alessi  15:22  
Yeah. 

Stephanie Alessi  15:23  
And I just had to wait one day, and then it came together. And the song is so much fun. 

Mary Alessi  15:28  
such a fun song,

Stephanie Alessi  15:29  
one of my favorite songs we have on the album.

Mary Alessi  15:31  
 Yeah, for sure.

Stephanie Alessi  15:32  
 And it was just such a great lesson of like, okay,

let's trust your mom, like she knows what she's doing. She's obviously not settled on what we have right now. And if I'm not thinking of any better verses, or bridges, then let her think of them, she's gonna do it. 

Mary Alessi  15:47  
And it's, you know, for husbands and wives working together, if you're working with your son, and he's going to take over the business or your daughter that you want to go into business with you. And that's a dream you have. But you can't get past the relational conflict, you know, we get it, it's not easy. As a matter of fact, Steve, and I work with all of our kids, all four of them. But when you get one down, and you stay to the principles of mutual respect, and honor and stay out of the zone of always being, you know, correcting mom or critical dad, you've really got to lay things down. As much as you're expecting them to mature and grow. We've got to mature and grow. Maturity happens at every age. That's not just juvenile behavior. Maturity has to happen at every age. And it's not easy, believe you, me ...because you've had all these years to just be bossy with your kids. And now you can't be bossy. You have got... you've got to lay that down. But what you get from it when you do that, Stephanie, what you and I walk in and get to experience all the time... And now there's this way made for us is such a blessing. It goes beyond the word blessing. It's a dream. 

Stephanie Alessi  16:54  
It is.

Mary Alessi  16:55  
It is a dream. And it really is God's desire for us.

 Yeah.

 Now, not every parent should work with their kids. That's not what I'm saying. 

Stephanie Alessi  17:02  
Yeah,yeah yeah. 

Mary Alessi  17:02  
 obviously. But when if that is a dream for you that you've got a business and you'd love to turn that over to your children, and you want to work together, we we know that anything that you try to create legacy with, and from, there will always be the opposition. 

Stephanie Alessi  17:19  
And you know, Mom, don't forget, yes, you still learn from us. But for me working with my parents, you always have to walk into the room, knowing who the boss is and who the expert is,

Mary Alessi  17:33  
That's good. 

Stephanie Alessi  17:34  
I didn't do nothing to build this, I was gifted with the resources and the time to make this music. But I'm just gonna be honest, it's not like I was starting this... this church 20 something years ago.

Mary Alessi  17:47  
Right.

Stephanie Alessi  17:47  
 I wasn't having to fill out the contracts and look for the buildings and buy the chairs and have that, share that burden. I didn't have to do that. But the most I can do is recognize that you put the most work into this. And you have the final word. If you don't like the song, then you don't like the song. And you've given me all this freedom, though, to share my opinion, to share my ideas to share my creativity. You've... you guys have given all of us so much freedom to operate in the talents and the gifts that we love, and we're good at. But at the end of the day, we all have this, this fine line of like, or we all have this common denominator of knowing they're the boss at the end of the day.

Mary Alessi  18:26  
Right. 

Stephanie Alessi  18:27  
And if they want to correct us on something, if they want to completely cancel something, they can do it. And do you remember four, five, it had to have been like,  seven years ago, I was a teenager, and we were leading a church on a Sunday morning. And me and Chris were leading my brother, we were leading together side by side. And we were...I don't know I think you came up to do the prayer or tithes. And you...I think we were going through like the typical mother daughter fights.

Mary Alessi  18:57  
I'm sure we were. 

Stephanie Alessi  18:58  
And we, I was i was like only 16, 17. And I was just dumb. And you stepped up to the stage. And you went right in front of the stage to start talking to the crowd or start singing. And Chris took a step back and let you go. But I didn't. I stayed right aligned with you remember, and you went home. And you just... it wasn't like you were trying to correct me. You weren't mad at me. You were just... No, you called out what your spirit and your gut told you. And you went you know, Steve, I noticed something in service today. And I don't know if you noticed this too, Steph. But when I stepped up, you didn't take a step back. And that just sort of upset my spirit a little bit. And I don't know, if you maybe have something to work on. I don't know even how we reached that conclusion.

Mary Alessi  19:42  
I remember vividly. I remember what I said. I remember I said Stephanie, I noticed that when I walked up Chris stepped back, but you didn't. I guess I haven't taught... I've taught you how to step forward and take authority.

Stephanie Alessi  19:56  
 Yeah.

Mary Alessi  19:56  
but I haven't yet taught you how to back up.

Stephanie Alessi  19:59  
 Yeah. 

Mary Alessi  20:00  
And take a step back when authority walks in. And it didn't make you feel like though and the Holy Spirit really gave me that because I wanted to not be Mom, I was not going to 

Stephanie Alessi  20:11  
No you didn't act like that. 

Mary Alessi  20:13  
I didn't want to do that, because I knew what the enemy would do. That precious worship moment that was so pure and so beautiful. And I yanked it into the flesh. And I pulled it down into this mother daughter... You're struggling and fighting me that you just didn't know you hadn't learned.

Stephanie Alessi  20:29  
 Yeah

Mary Alessi  20:30  
 so maybe you were being 16. Yes, I wish mom wouldn't come up here and take this moment, I finally got this. But I had to teach you with love and instruction. I hadn't given you that lesson yet.

Stephanie Alessi  20:42  
 No.

Mary Alessi  20:42  
 So I had to look at myself and say, if you didn't teach her that Mary, she doesn't know. Kids don't learn by osmosis. Instruct, lovingly instruct. And that never happened again. And I don't even

Stephanie Alessi  20:54  
 I was trying. I was like, I am the Absalom to the David. That's like, what have I done?

Mary Alessi  21:03  
Yeah, but it didn't take... And I'm not I'm certainly not perfect. You know, me and Christopher man. He and I would... 

Stephanie Alessi  21:10  
Yeah, y'all went at it.

Mary Alessi  21:11  
. Yeah, I worked a lot of that out with him. Thank God, yes. Christopher hurt my feelings. Terrible. But, Mom, I was in the middle of that note! You weren't like, okay, and 

Stephanie Alessi  21:19  
We're  17. We're sixteen! 

Mary Alessi  21:24  
Shut up!  

I know. Yeah, I learned we learned through that. But you know why I think this is such an important conversation. And it's so good. This goes beyond working with your kids on the platform and just worship leaders who work with their children. This is pastors and worship leaders all over the world. 

Stephanie Alessi  21:39  
Yeah. 

Mary Alessi  21:40  
Because I know what that's like to have a moment and you feel like man, I am just rocking this moment. The Holy Spirit's strong and I'm singing, and the pastor...I feel his presence. He wants me to stop. 

Yeah. 

And man, the enemy. That is really the truth is that his most comfortable home. He is the most comfortable in that moment, right there.

Stephanie Alessi  22:01  
 Yeah, 

Mary Alessi  22:01  
with authority and pastors and worship leaders and the worship because he wants to steal it and rob it so desperately. And that's why we need to do Volume Two on this conversation. Yes, we need to talk about that. 

Stephanie Alessi  22:12  
 Yes. 

Mary Alessi  22:12  
Because I think with us being of the same blood. And working together in the family, we've mastered this to some degree. But that doesn't mean that we don't still have a mountain to climb.

Stephanie Alessi  22:19  
 Totally. 

Mary Alessi  22:20  
 we still have to find it. The the principles that we have to use, every single time we both take that stage. 

Stephanie Alessi  22:32  
Yep. 

Mary Alessi  22:33  
....even working out what God's calling us to do. We're still working out the future of this project, of what that looks like. You know, we've sat and just laid it, literally said, Isn't Mary Alessi? Is it Metro Life Church? Is it Stephanie? Is it Mary and Stephanie, Lord, help us shape... we're not going to get a hurry. 

Stephanie Alessi  22:48  
Yeah, 

Mary Alessi  22:48  
to get in the flesh and call it something. Lord, you shape it. You know what your purposes are not ours. And when we keep surrendering that and laying that down, God's faithful, and Stephanie I have to tell you. I love working with you for reasons that as a mom, you really can't understand until you become one. And I know that that is such a sweet future that we have of you realizing more and more. Wow, this is priceless.

Stephanie Alessi  23:18  
 Yeah. 

Mary Alessi  23:18  
And it's rare.

Stephanie Alessi  23:19  
 Yeah, 

Mary Alessi  23:19  
that we get to do this together. And it's a God thing.

Stephanie Alessi  23:22  
. It is a God thing. And I've only grown I've only matured. And I feel like I sowed my seeds in the right place. I sowed it in rich soil, because I'm not only reaping a harvest of music and songwriting, I'm reaping family harvests. Yeah, it's it's a beautiful, beautiful thing. And that's why you don't want those lines to be so clear.

Mary Alessi  23:45  
 Yeah, it's true.

Stephanie Alessi  23:46  
You want to scatter your seed all over that.

Mary Alessi  23:48  
Yeah, that's true.

Stephanie Alessi  23:48  
 Because you will sow those seeds, you will reap a harvest of gifts and talents in ministry, and then a family.

Mary Alessi  23:56  
 Yeah, 

Stephanie Alessi  23:56  
and now I'm seeing the value of it as I'm stepping into my own season of marriage. 

Mary Alessi  24:00  
Absolutely which is so cool. That's a whole nother podcast 

Stephanie Alessi  24:03  
a whole other.

Mary Alessi  24:04  
 so the next time we are together, and we talk about worship music, let's tell your story. 

Stephanie Alessi  24:08  
Yes.

Mary Alessi  24:08  
 Because that's going to be a tremendous blessing to a lot of young people who are waiting on the right person. So anyway, okay, to wrap this up. I think we're good here. We're going to just ask you a question Steph.  You're ready to ask?

Stephanie Alessi  24:19  
 Yeah. 

Mary Alessi  24:19  
Okay. So, Dad likes to end each podcast with just a random question that you were not prepared for. 

Stephanie Alessi  24:25  
That's funny. 

Mary Alessi  24:26  
And... she's gonna give the answer to the question? I don't know. She's gonna ...you're gonna give the answer to this question. So what is your favorite fruit? 

Stephanie Alessi  24:41  
Grapes.

Mary Alessi  24:42  
no. 

Stephanie Alessi  24:43  
Bananas?

Mary Alessi  24:44  
Liar 

Stephanie Alessi  24:44  
Strawberries.

Ever since I was a little girl, I ate them all and I got a rash. 

Mary Alessi  24:50  
You broke out and you became a strawberry? Yes, you did. 

Stephanie Alessi  24:53  
And I still love them. To this day. Take me to Knott's Berry farms and I'll fill up two huge baskets and I'll start stuffing them in my shirt.

Mary Alessi  24:59  
And you people don't know this about you, but you are fierce about strawberries, that if they're in the house in the refrigerator, they belong to you

Stephanie Alessi  25:06  
Nobody else. 

Mary Alessi  25:07  
 So once you've moved out, you need to tell your future husband that this is a situation. 

Stephanie Alessi  25:11  
Oh, he knows.

Mary Alessi  25:12  
 He already knows 

Stephanie Alessi  25:13  
He's seen the attack. 

Oh my god. Y'all have no idea.  Well, this has been amazing. Thank you, Steph. I love you. 

Oh, I love you too mom. This is fun. This is fun.

Chris Alessi  25:22  
Thanks for listening to the Family Business Podcast with the Alessis. We appreciate you listening and learning with us as we just shared more about the family business. You know, I bet there's someone you know who can use this kind of advice and encouragement. So make sure to share this episode with them and their family. Because let's face it, family is everyone's business. If you want to be a part of our family, subscribe to the show right now on your favorite app and make sure to download the episodes so you can hear them at any time. Oh, and one more thing. One of the best ways to help us spread the word about the family business with the Alessis by reviewing the show on Apple podcasts or your favorite app. So help us out. Write a review and join us next time at the Family Business Podcast with the Alessis!