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Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to episode 599 of the Juicebox Podcast.

On this episode of The Juicebox Podcast, I'll be speaking with Sophia. She is a college student who has type one diabetes, and she is here today for your listening pleasure. While you listen to Sophia and I kick it around, please remember that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan, or becoming bold with insulin. There is so much music left to Wendy exchange.org forward slash juicebox diabetes pro tip episodes are diabetes pro tip.com. And at juicebox podcast.com. They begin episode 210 in the podcast player that you're listening in right now please don't forget to subscribe in a podcast player. Please don't forget to tell a friend about the Juicebox Podcast don't forget about the private Facebook group Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes. There, I used up most of that music now we can get to the show.

Hey, good news. There's no ads today. Don't worry, they're still advertisers just I don't want you to worry. For me, I'm just I've kind of completed my obligations as the Year is coming to an end. And so I'll be giving you less ads, fewer ads, my wife would say I should say fewer. I believe that is grammatically correct. I'll be giving you fewer ads through the rest of the 2021 year. I am however going to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has bought me a coffee at buy me a coffee.com Ford slash Juicebox Podcast. I guess I should also take this time to explain that when you go there, you're not actually buying me a coffee. You just you know it's it's a place to give money to people to support content providers. It's a cute little name buy me a coffee. But I don't actually drink coffee. Not only do I not drink coffee. I've never had coffee in my entire life. Not once ever. I actually tried to avoid caffeine. not the point. The point is, thank you 329 People bought me a coffee this year. And this is something that I I didn't even want to do this. Like somebody who listens to the show was like you have to have a place where I can give you money. And I was like I really don't I don't want to do that. And they were like No, no, please. Anyway, somebody explained it to me. And I'm going to talk about in episode 600, which I think is the next episode. But for now, thank you to all of you who have done that. And to all of you who will do it in the future. It means a lot to me, I try really hard actually to use that money to support the podcast to share. I've bought computers and microphones and hard drives and backup systems and all kinds of boring technical stuff that helps the podcast run smoothly. It's stuff you don't see, but it is it's expensive, and it's necessary. So thank you very much. And with that, let's listen to what Sophia has to say.

Sophia Livolsi 3:27
My name is so feelable see, I have been a type one diabetic for a little over seven years. I'm a college student. I'm a blogger as well as of recently in the past couple years. But yeah, thank you for having me on the show. I'm excited.

Scott Benner 3:41
I am to college student what were in college, what parts so

Sophia Livolsi 3:47
it's kind of small. So I don't know if you've heard of it. It's in Texas. It's called the University of North Texas.

Scott Benner 3:52
Okay. And what what year are you?

Sophia Livolsi 3:55
I'm a junior cool.

Scott Benner 3:56
Um, you're just turned 21 are about to?

Sophia Livolsi 4:00
Yes, I just turned 21 like a month ago.

Scott Benner 4:02
My son's halfway through his junior year right now. So

Sophia Livolsi 4:04
is he 21 yet?

Scott Benner 4:07
A couple more weeks? Oh, I

Sophia Livolsi 4:09
bet he's excited. And you're feeling some type of way?

Scott Benner 4:12
I don't know. Like, I don't think anybody's a drinker in the house. So I don't feel like it's gonna just open a cavalcade of craziness. And I wish I wouldn't have said cavalcade of craziness so early on because that would have been such a good title for the episode. Title. But I mean, you know, it's, it's an it's a great time. I would think though with COVID going on. It's really strange because I think he's about to petition his school to skip a semester. He was going to school, virtually from his bedroom last year, the first half of his junior year. It did not go well. In his expert, you know, it wasn't like a grading thing. That was the problem. It was he just really didn't like it. He takes kind of a difficult mathematic. To track and he said it just didn't lend itself well to it. So I think he's gonna skip this one and hope that they end up back at school in the fall in a more normal way. So Wow. Yeah. kind of sucked. You're in Texas. So you're probably don't have any of that going on, right?

Sophia Livolsi 5:18
Oh, no, we haven't going on all of my classes are online. They are slowly

Scott Benner 5:22
Yeah. Yeah. Hitting from home?

Sophia Livolsi 5:26
Um, no, because my parents live in Arizona.

Scott Benner 5:29
Oh, so you're, you're online from your dorm? Well, from my apartment, apartment, yeah. But still from your residence like that? How is that?

Sophia Livolsi 5:38
Um, I would have to agree with your son. It's not the best just because I'm such a big people person. And learning in person is a lot easier for me. I have a lot of friends as well, who are opting to, like skip a semester and see what happens. The following one, but yeah, I mean, it's going decently. Let's say that.

Scott Benner 5:57
Yeah, I'm glad for you. I really am. I was hopeful for him. But he's just, you know, I think one class was a problem than the next class was a problem. And he's just like, he got through it. And he was able to hold on to his grades. But, you know, at some point, he's like, this was incredibly stressful, and really harder than it needed to be. And none of the other benefits of college like I'm not with my friends are like, so there felt like there was no, I think his life started feeling like a cycle, like, get off, do this thing. waste time go to sleep. Like I think his life turned into that. And he just didn't like it. So what's the degree you're looking for?

Sophia Livolsi 6:33
So my degree is kind of interesting. It's called Business Integrated Studies. And it's where you can specialize in two fields without having to double major. So I'm doing marketing in organizational behavior and human resources.

Scott Benner 6:47
Oh, that's really cool. Have they been offering that long?

Sophia Livolsi 6:50
Um, no, it's actually a really new program. And that's the main reason why I ended up coming here was for that program. That's what it's intense. But it's good. I'm learning a lot.

Scott Benner 7:00
I'm glad for it. Yeah, thank you. Of course. How old were you when you were diagnosed?

Sophia Livolsi 7:05
I was 13. Right, right in the middle of puberty. Let me tell you,

Scott Benner 7:09
right. On puberty. You got your you got your you got your period and your diagnosis in the same couple of months.

Sophia Livolsi 7:18
Yeah, pretty much a fun time to be alive.

Scott Benner 7:22
It's a great story that you'll just never forget. You know what? No, that's anybody else in the family have it? No, nothing? Yeah. Anybody? Yeah. Celiac or thyroid or anything like that?

Sophia Livolsi 7:38
No, it was super weird. We don't have any autoimmune things going on. Okay. So it was pretty unexpected. I remember when I was diagnosed, um, I ended up going to the hospital and my dad came up because my mom was on the took me my dad was like, No, no way. Like, he was like, Are you sure? We were like, yes. We promise they're not lying.

Scott Benner 7:58
They wrote the paper already. It's done. We have it. I don't think we can give it back now. What do you remember much of that time?

Sophia Livolsi 8:08
I do. I do remember it pretty vividly. I was in middle school. And it was actually the week of cheer tryouts. And like, looking back, that was such like a insignificant time. But you know, when you're in middle school, and you're like playing that sport, and you're like, oh, my gosh, I have to get in. Or I have to you know what I mean? Like, it means the world to you. Yeah. Yeah. So it was that week, and my mom had called my doctor because obviously, I was like, peeing, all the time, drinking a ton of water, all the classic symptoms, and my mom was like, what's up with this girl? And the doctor was like, Oh, she sounds like she has type one diabetes, bring her in the next day. And so my mom kind of had a hunch, but she like didn't obviously want to tell me until we went. And so we went shopping for like, my cheer trial outfit. And I was like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna look so bomb. I'm gonna kill this. And she was like, oh, yeah, we have to go to the doctor after. And I was like, Oh, okay. And then we went and that it all kind of went down then. Belong story short, I still ended up going on the cheer team in middle school. So that was exciting. But yeah, it was just a weird week, that week for sure. There's just a lot going on.

Scott Benner 9:14
I'm always it becomes more and more interesting. As the more people I talk to that a lot of kids who are diagnosed in that age range have a story that sounds like my mom said, we were going to do this and then just swing by the doctor's office.

Sophia Livolsi 9:28
I was like, they're trying to make it Nazi was bad. They're like, Oh, we're just gonna I swear to you real quick.

Scott Benner 9:34
I swear to you, I've heard that a half a dozen times and somebody's like, their mom's like, you know, we're just gonna run out Piggly Wiggly, grab a gallon of milk we might drop by the doctors, you know, see what they say about stuff and then you know, go home after that. It's really is it must be some sort of a, a tool that parents try to use to just, you know, buy a little more time or deflect a little bit from the seriousness of it or something like that. But what happens when you get in there like we you have Having a bunch of symptoms.

Sophia Livolsi 10:02
Yes, I was all the classic symptoms. And then another weird one that I had was water tasted weird. And like, we think it had something to do with just like the ketones and like the weird flavor it gives you in your mouth, you know what I mean? It

Scott Benner 10:15
tastes metallic, or fruity or

Sophia Livolsi 10:16
kind of I literally just wouldn't drink water. And my mom was like, twice. But so yeah, we went in all the classic symptoms, tested my blood sugar, and it was like 500 something. And then we went in and did the three days in the hospital like most people do. Learning all the things there is to know

Scott Benner 10:34
yeah, now I have no medical background whatsoever. But I find myself wondering, like, I know, some people describe a metallic taste or a fruity taste or smell to their breath. I wonder if it's actually something in your mouth. And then you blend it with water, which has no other flavor. And if it doesn't end up feeling like though, that that liquid tastes like something, I realized you and I are not going to get to the end of that idea. But

Sophia Livolsi 10:57
it's an interesting thought, though. Like it makes sense. Yeah,

Scott Benner 11:00
because it's just so strange that that water tasted differently.

Sophia Livolsi 11:03
But I know that was a weird one. Okay,

Scott Benner 11:06
so seven years ago, what kind of gear did you leave the hospital with.

Sophia Livolsi 11:12
So I left the hospital with my little blood sugar, meter and pricker. And then just the like, vials of insulin. I don't know, if everyone's had the same experience, most people I've talked to have, but my doctor basically said you need to, like just do standard shots for a little bit. And then you can think about getting on a pump or pens. And so I left the hospital with just the standard stuff. Gotcha.

Scott Benner 11:40
And did you basically follow the prescribed course? Or did it go differently?

Sophia Livolsi 11:46
I did follow the prescribed course. Yeah.

Scott Benner 11:49
How long were you injecting for? Um, are you still,

Sophia Livolsi 11:53
I'm actually back to injecting but I'm on pens. But for the first little bit when I did the vials, I think it was for around six months, I believe.

Scott Benner 12:02
Gotcha. And then you try to pump did it for a while.

Sophia Livolsi 12:06
Yes, I was on the Omni pod. And I love it. I did really like the Omni pod. But I'm just I'm one of those people that likes to switch things up. So I ended up taking a break. And then I went back on it. And now I've been on a break for a while again doing patents.

Scott Benner 12:21
You know, it's interesting you say that, because it took me a while to figure out that there there was a personality that that happened with like, there's a there's a certain personality that's like, Oh, I did this for a while then I did that for a while I did this for a while. And I used to think like, oh, they didn't like their pens, or they didn't like their pump or something like that. But now I come to believe that there's just a certain segment of the population who just likes to change it up sometimes. Is that how you would describe it?

Sophia Livolsi 12:45
That is how I would describe it. I know it's kind of weird, because pumps are just so helpful. And they do make lot like life easier. For sure. But yeah, I don't know. I just I like a little change once in a while. What can I say?

Scott Benner 12:55
No, I just I'm just saying like, at first. I didn't see it that way until like, yeah, yeah. No, I gotcha. Yeah. Then I was like, Oh, this is just a this is a lifestyle thing that happens to revolve around their diabetes. Like you're a little bit like, do you change other things in your life? Like, like, Are you a person who like moves the sofa from one side of the room to the other and stuff like that once in a while?

Sophia Livolsi 13:17
Actually, yes, I am. I did not correlate that until just now. But yes.

Scott Benner 13:22
Yeah, I live with a person like that. Who? Like I thought this cabinet was for these like, no, it's this now where the thing that was in there, that's over here now. Why? I don't know. Okay, I just, I just go okay. It's finally funny. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other. That's pretty cool. So, management wise, are things going the way you expect? And how did it go through? Like, what's the run up been? Like, where are you now? And how did you get to it?

Sophia Livolsi 13:54
Like in terms of gear,

Scott Benner 13:55
what I know, I guess I meant more like, you know, outcome. The outcome? Yeah. Like are is your A one see where you wanted is your standard deviation where you wanted? How did you get to that?

Sophia Livolsi 14:06
Yes, yeah. So right now, my numbers are pretty good. They're where I want them. They are a little higher than normal. I actually had an endo appointment a couple weeks ago. Um, but basically where I'm at now is I'm on the freestyle Lee Ray. And I'm doing my pens as I mentioned, it works pretty well for me, and another big one for me is working out. Like, for example, last week, I was able to get to the gym. Like for the amount of times that I had planned in my life it's crazy my blood sugar's react so well, to what I get active. And I know a lot of people are like that. And then like yesterday, I wasn't able to get to the gym and I was running higher. So yeah, exercises become a big part of my management

Scott Benner 14:57
success. That's probably not something you thought of when you were younger I would imagine.

Sophia Livolsi 15:01
No, it really wasn't Definitely not. I mean, I was more naturally active when I was younger. But as I've gotten older, like life gets busy, I get lazy, I don't want to go workout.

Scott Benner 15:10
Well, you know, it's funny, as you're talking about it, it seems to me that, you know, when you hear younger kids or people who are doing sports, and there's like, oh, you know, I can never keep my blood sugar up on I'm active. I wonder if it isn't that there's a sedentary nature to their lifestyle, not sedentary, but a slower nature to their lifestyle, that requires more insulin, and then all of a sudden, they get up and go do a thing. And then during that window, they just don't need all that insulin. I know that, you know, generally speaking, if your settings are pretty stable, you just don't want to have active insulin while you're being, you know, athletic or active. But I wonder it made me wonder there's something about the way you just said that that made me wonder if that isn't part of what happens during activity. And now that you're an adult, if you keep your activity stable over weeks, then your adjustments here and so on probably are lower, you probably need less insulin, and at the same time, you don't have as many lows while you're being active because you have that balance between the activity and the insulin levels. Does that make sense?

Sophia Livolsi 16:09
Yes, it does. And I know like this isn't speaking for everyone, but that's definitely true for me. Okay. And that is an interesting thought there. diabetes is just so fluid, isn't it? Like? Yeah, there's so many things to think about.

Scott Benner 16:20
There's so many times where the podcast is so helpful to me because somebody's like, I don't even in this moment. I know that 90 seconds ago, you said something that made me put those thoughts together. But I don't even remember what you said. It's just the way you said it that like, maybe think like, Oh, I wonder if that's this. And that that's that? Well, it's excellent. I'm glad that you're on a good exercise schedule. I would probably need to get on one as well.

Sophia Livolsi 16:43
I know it's been hard man with quarantine Molly snacking, snacking moments.

Scott Benner 16:47
The other night, we just made potato chips. Like made them like started with potatoes and ended up with chips. It took hours because it's not an easy process. And so we were just like, alright, well, I don't even know if we want to eat them. We just needed something to eat the hours up here. And they

Sophia Livolsi 17:04
were they good at least. My wife

Scott Benner 17:07
really like them. So anytime she says something positive. I know. It's like amazing because she begrudgingly says nice stuff to me. So when she she's actually being nice. I'm like, this must be amazing. But I like them. I thought they were I don't eat a lot of chips. But I had a few and I thought they were really good. That's the other thing. You're making five pounds of potatoes and the potato chips then you take like a handful and you're like, Alright, thanks. Oh my gosh, it's the weirdest part about being the cook. Sometimes you put in all the effort and you just, you know, then you look at it. Like I should probably eat all these but it's not really the way it goes. Okay, so what about the transition from home to college? How did you find that to be? I'm just jumping in here very quickly to say I hope you're listening to the podcast in a podcast player. And if you are, please hit subscribe so that you get the new episodes every time they come up. Plus, it helps me you understand I'm saying like I rank higher with more subscribers. Downloads are attractive to advertisers. Subscribe. I think on using YouTube, they're very slick about they're like don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell and I don't really know how to do all that. Just I just really kind of know how to be honest about it. I need you to subscribe. Okay, so if you're listening in a podcast player, hit subscribe, please, or follow some of them say follows them say Oh, everybody's different. But follow subscribe, tell a friend, etc, etc. Back to Sofia. Thank you. That was awkward goodbye. How involved were your parents and your management leading up to you leaving?

Sophia Livolsi 18:41
Yeah, so that this has definitely been a big transition for me because I was living with my parents until around a year ago. So it was really interesting in the fact that I moved out in January of 2020. And then like COVID happened and everything. So it was just, it was just a very interesting year. And I feel bad for my poor parents because they're finally like, okay, like, we'll get you ready to move out. And then like, the world just goes nuts. But, um, since I was diagnosed at 13 My parents kind of approached it in the way of they asked me like, do you want to handle this, like mostly on your own and get used to doing things now? And we'll support you or do you want us to kind of take the lead, and I decided that I kind of wanted to take the lead in my own management. So since diagnosis, I've been doing a lot of it on my own with, of course, the support from my parents, but like they're involved, like they will check up on me and help me in any way that I need. But I've pretty much always been independent, if you will. Um, so that wasn't too hard of a transition, but it was hard for my mom, especially just because like you know how parents worry She just had a hard time with me going off to a different state. Okay, and her not being there if anything were to go wrong but she does have access to my blood sugar's which is good. But yeah, it was an interesting transition just going from like picking up your own prescriptions and like going to your own doctor's appointments because that's something my parents did a lot of with me. But yeah, they've always been really supportive. But I was mostly independent. So it wasn't crazy. But I feel like it was definitely hard on my parents to like, let me go and like for them to be so far away.

Scott Benner 20:34
So they weren't necessarily people who were involved at, you know, a meal a day or you didn't go to them and say, Hey, I'm having a problem here. I don't understand it. You were taking care of it on your own. But there were they ever involved like, did you ever at 17 years old, go to them and say, I don't understand why my blood sugar's like this, or that just wasn't the vibe.

Sophia Livolsi 20:54
No, yes, that was the vibe. But they were very, they were respectful. And I think they were trying to like prep me for when I did go. They basically helped me when I needed help. But they also wanted me to like, learn on my own, because that's also kind of what I wanted. So it was it was like a half and half like I did a lot of things on my own. But then if I was struggling, I would ask them and they would be like, this isn't

Scott Benner 21:18
this that makes perfect sense to me. Really the

Sophia Livolsi 21:20
Yeah, it's an interesting dynamic, because a lot of my other friends were diagnosed younger. And so they they found a weird, they're like, What, like one of my best friends. She's a type one diabetic. And when I go over to her house, she's still asked her mom, like, hey, how many carbs are in this? How many?

Scott Benner 21:37
But that doesn't occur to you to do it. All right, you're not like, you never have that thought for yourself personally. So you think it's that she maybe was younger, and had more time? Where that was the involvement from her mom, whereas for you, it wasn't as much?

Sophia Livolsi 21:51
Yes, yeah, yes, exactly.

Scott Benner 21:53
It's interesting. It really is just the difference of a few years in one direction or the other and, and kind of what gets ingrained do I love the idea of being involved, but not completely involved, especially as you're getting ready to leave. But I also find it just rings very true. The idea that your parents are probably like, even if they were trying to stay out of it a little bit and make sure you could do it on your own that the minute that you actually leave is overwhelming to them, I imagine.

Sophia Livolsi 22:21
Yeah, it was my sweet parents. I love them for sure. We have a great relationship. And like, like I said, like with COVID happening. Dude, I was getting calls from my parents like 10 times a day, they were like, are you okay? Do you want to come home? Do you need anything?

Scott Benner 22:36
You know what they meant? They may come home right now.

Sophia Livolsi 22:39
I know.

Scott Benner 22:41
Well, that's listen, I would rather have that then. Then the opposite, right?

Sophia Livolsi 22:46
No, me too. Me too. Okay,

Scott Benner 22:49
so you're off on your own in Texas. What made you what made you reach out and like create an Instagram account and a blog and stuff like that?

Sophia Livolsi 23:00
Yeah. So when I was younger, I think even just a couple months after I was diagnosed, my mom was like, let's go get involved and stuff. And so for the first couple years, we were just like doing a lot of volunteering, going to different events. And during that time, I kind of developed a passion for just connecting with other type one diabetics and learning things from them. And then also maybe teaching them some things as well. And so when I was 18, I graduated high school, I was like, you know, it's kind of just like, on my heart to start a blog, like, that's just something that I really want to do. And so I kind of sat on it for a little while. And then eventually, I made it. And it's it's definitely been a journey. It's been, like, bigger than I ever thought it was going to be and more involved than I ever thought it was going to be. But yeah, the main goal of it was really just to like, connect with people and like inspire people, and then obviously, learn a lot myself as well. And one thing I love to tell people, like, the people I meet on there means so much to me, my a one C like before I started the blog, was like, it was like hi sevens. And then like the next time after I went and got my agency checked after, like, interacting with people and learning so much from the Instagram, it like drops to like, a seven or something like that. It was just nuts. Like, I think the type of diabetes community is incredible. Like and it's an amazing thing to be a part of, yeah, the

Scott Benner 24:30
way that people so freely share ideas and and in a way that's not as much instructional as like, it's more like, look, I'm doing this thing. This is how this works. It's it's the only mean like the difference between sitting back and like acting like a thought leader and just saying like, these are the things that I know to be true and it's boring and nobody cares. You see it you see it on Instagram, you're like, oh, look, there's a person doing this like what is that? Doesn't take a ton of explanation and you can kind of like watch them from afar and figure out this works. I'll try this And did you ever feel like it gave you something to be accountable to? Or is that not part of it? I'm not sure.

Sophia Livolsi 25:10
I would I would say that's a little bit of it a little part of it.

Scott Benner 25:15
Yeah, but not necessarily in

Sophia Livolsi 25:17
terms of posting. But I do have quite a few friends that I like chat to from there on a daily basis. And so I guess just like talking to people on a one on one level, like, how are you doing? How's your sugars? Like what's going on? But yeah, it's it is nice, because I guess there's a little bit of accountability there.

Scott Benner 25:34
So you said, you said that it ended up being bigger and more, I felt like you said, more work. So how did it end up being more work than you thought?

Sophia Livolsi 25:42
Oh, yeah, I said, more involved. And what I mean by that is, I kind of started it is just like, a fun little account. But then it just, it just kind of got bigger. Because I mean, I I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. And I started like, just being more active on there. But yeah, and it's just great to connect with so many people, I didn't think I would connect with as many people as I have. I guess it

Scott Benner 26:09
was just like a happy surprise that it was that it reached people and that took more more involvement to, to connect with them talk back and forth and put up a put up, I guess, content and everything that goes along with it.

Sophia Livolsi 26:23
Yes, yeah. Yeah. But I'm glad I'm so glad of how it all turned out. It just blows my mind. Sometimes. I'm like, Man, I thought I was like making a little Instagram account. Now, it's just something totally different. Like, I'm sure maybe like, you know, when you first started your podcasts, obviously, it's huge now. You know, like, you never expect it to be what it is. I guess like, I

Scott Benner 26:43
don't know, yes, it's a fee, I have to, I have to absolutely say that. Whether I come off that way or not on the podcast, like if you knew me, personally, I'm pretty. I'm pretty. This is gonna sound odd, but I'm kind of quiet privately. And I'll start talking if you want to talk, but I'm a I'm a fairly kind of quiet person. And I am genuinely stunned every day. Like anytime someone like using Instagram as an example, anytime the podcast gets tagged in something on Instagram, like my first genuine reaction is always like, oh, like, that's amazing that somebody is tagging me. Like, I just I always feel like that. And I do wonder if it's not. You know, like, you could get psychological about it. But I just think that I'm trying to do this thing. And it's stunning that it does it. Like it's not your, I can speak for myself. But I've heard enough other people say this as well. You don't start something like this with the expectation that it's going to ramp up in scope. You just think I'll do it. Like, I'm going to do this and you don't start it for any particular reason. I guess if you're like a, like a business person, you might think I could start a blog and I can build it up and everything. I just never had that thought. So. Yeah, it's it's, it's a, it's nice is the best word for it. Like, it's really nice when you realize that it's reaching somebody and that they're finding value in it.

Sophia Livolsi 28:06
I know, I know, it's just it is a beautiful thing, because you started just kind of to like, dip your toes in and maybe help other people maybe learn things yourself. And it's just it's just, you know, just makes you feel grateful. It's just awesome. Like, the community is amazing. I love the space. Yeah,

Scott Benner 28:21
I agree. I think that no matter, the impact, scope for people, whether someone's talking to 10 people or you know, 20 people or 1000 people or whatever they're doing, I think that it's all of those people that make the idea of a community a reality. Oh, yeah, you know, 100% Yeah, I tried to make the point recently to somebody and I don't know how articulate I was about it that, that, um, there were some people in the past who thought of like the diabetes online community, a certain people, and then everybody looked to them, but I never saw it that way. I always thought it was like, either were certain blogs, for instance, back in the day that were much more popular than others in cliques. But I always thought it was the collection of everybody that made the feeling so

Sophia Livolsi 29:11
yeah, that's a good way to look at it. Because it's true. Yeah.

Scott Benner 29:14
Like somebody is always gonna have more readers, you know, than somebody else. But but it, but if it's just them, and no one else, it's not a community. It's it's a it's a content hub, which is fine. Yeah. Nothing wrong with it. But I'm just saying, like, when you have somebody out there, who's earnestly putting in the effort to Facebook page or an Instagram account that has five people looking at it, they're still putting in that earnest effort, and there's an energy about that, that I love. So I don't know if that makes sense. Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah. Well, so you're doing that. And that's sounds like it's working out. Like very nicely. It's given back to you and you're giving back to other people. It's terrific. Is there something specific you wanted to come on the show about or what what was the reason for reaching out,

Sophia Livolsi 30:01
I don't know, I guess, um, back in the day when I was kind of involved in a lot of organizations, like I was mentioning before, there was one summer when I was intern interning at JDRF. And that was kind of when the idea really came to me, like, Okay, I really want to, like, do something. And I remember kind of looking at podcasts, because the drive from my house to where the Dallas office was, was like, almost an hour in rush hour. So I was like, Okay, I want to start listening to something. And so during that time, on my way home, I would listen to your episodes. And so I don't know, like, just when I read, I know when I reached out to you, like, a couple months ago now, but I was kind of reflecting on it. Like, man, during that time when I was listening to was the juice box when I was really like buckling down on. Okay, what do I want to do? So I don't know, I just kind of wanted to come on here. And just, I don't know, be? Yeah, like, I don't know, if there was anything I could share with anyone that would like help, or whatever. I don't know.

Scott Benner 31:01
Well, that's a common feeling for people who reach out that they just are hoping to say something that helps somebody else. And I like that there's no like plan behind it that you're not like, Yes, I do have a list here, Scott of things that I wanted to go over. I like the free flowing nature of a conversation like this. So what I mean, in your opinion, what do people who have diabetes? Who are, you know, we're where you were even a few months ago, or maybe struggling, you know, significantly? Like, what's the what's the building blocks of what they need? In your opinion?

Sophia Livolsi 31:33
Could you repeat that? I think it cut out a little bit.

Scott Benner 31:36
No, don't worry. I'm just wondering what you think the building blocks are for people who are struggling or trying to do better? Like, what is it they need to know in your opinion?

Sophia Livolsi 31:45
Hmm, that is a great question. Because I feel like, it's interesting, because a lot of people I connect with men in my life, as well. Everyone's so different, like, just diabetes as a disease is so different for everyone. And people definitely need different things to be successful. But one thing I would say is having a community of some sort, whether it's your friends, your medical team, like the Instagram community, your family, whatever, I do think that's a really important piece of the puzzle, that a lot of times people will not focus on as much because it can be really easy to get caught up in, oh, I need to have this number, oh, I need to do this to manage my diabetes perfectly. But like you said, like, it's just it is nice to have that accountability and like ideas from other people. Like my management changed completely when I like, started having a community, you know,

Scott Benner 32:41
yeah, no, I I see that happen so frequently, that it can't be, I just I couldn't possibly deny what you said as being true, is at some point. At some point, you meet a person who has, I mean, I I'm imagining there's, at some point, I could, you can find the end to the, to the needs that people have, right, like we can make some massive bill master list, which we're not going to do. But I think that um, you can, I've tried to like narrow it down to the most common things that I see people ask about or struggle with, and hoping that you can give them a lead in, you know, there's some people who are afraid of insulin. Some people don't even think of it as the insulin they're afraid of. They think they're afraid of the lows. It's, those are two, basically the same thing. But they're thought of two different ways. You know, there's some people who just don't understand, you know, how insulin works. And you know, you can tell people, like I think Pre-Bolus things important, it might not be for everyone, like some people might need a five minute Pre-Bolus Or some people might need a 10 minute, and some people might need more and more. I think that the the blockade to reaching those people in the past has been that everyone wants to say something that covers everybody. And you just can't do that. So you can't you can't say something actionable that will answer every person's need. So what I've tried to do is just say, Look at its very core, I think if you get your Basal insulin right, if you understand how your meal insulin works, if you understand how different foods impact your blood sugar's if you try to stay flexible, like you know, these sort of more simple ideas. I think that that has the best chance of reading the watt reaching the widest group of people. Because when you try to start drilling down, it's just nearly impossible. And not that somebody couldn't do it. Like you could you could say to yourself, like I'm Sophia and I'm going to make a blog about people who only need to Pre-Bolus Five minutes before they eat. But then how do you find those people? Like let's say your information was rock solid on our topic? How do you then find those specific people so that they can find the specific information and so they're part of me feeling Like it's a funnel, like you need a big wide mouth to bring people in, and then hopefully there's enough information once they get in there, they can find the thing that works for them before they, you know, screwed up the other side of the funnel. So

Sophia Livolsi 35:12
I don't know. Yeah, yeah, that's very true. And one thing I like about your, what you like, share, and a lot of a lot of people are pointing this out, like as of recently, but like management and like diabetes care has been so set for so long. And it's just nice to see like, oh, I can Pre-Bolus like 15 minutes before, even if someone has to do it five minutes before and even if my doctor has never told me about that before. Yeah, like, there's a lot of great information coming out in this day and age as well. Like, it's just cool. I can't imagine being a diabetic like, even 20 years ago, like, when I think about it, it blows my mind

Scott Benner 35:51
alone is the first word that comes to my mind. Like they people must have felt so like this disconnected from everything. I just had someone on to start the season, excuse me at the beginning of January. And you know, she's an adult who was diagnosed as an adult, and didn't get good information, didn't even know she had type one for a while, which happens, like crazy amount more than you would think it does. Like, they send you out the door and like you're a type two, and you're and nothing gets better. And you're swallowing Metformin, and nothing is happening. And it happens a lot, you know, just a lot. And so even in 2020, I think it was only a year ago. It was chill. It was the I forget what the name of the episode was the first one in that came out in 2021. She still got isolated, because the doctors weren't helping her. She didn't know what to do. She was lost. She just ended up best. And she was able to dig her way out through. I think she said she found a couple of YouTube videos, she found the podcast, she did a couple of things. And she finally found a better doctor. But to your point 20 years ago, there's not a there's no podcasts, there's no content. There's no you know, again, we mean, maybe you would have been 20 years ago, you're not even finding a blog, honestly. Probably, you know, so. Yeah. What did those people do? Except, you know, struggle.

Sophia Livolsi 37:14
It's a terrible, terrible thought. But hey, they made it through. They're awesome. I love hearing stories of people who are like, yes, I've been a type one diabetic for 50 years. And I'm still going strong like, Man, that is some inspiring stuff.

Scott Benner 37:27
No kidding. It really is, especially like I talk to people in their 60s, you know, who are diagnosis children and, and it's funny, you ask them questions, and I don't even think they know how they got here. They're just like, I just the doctor told me to do it. And I did it. You know what I mean? Like, it's, it's, it is really interesting, it really is that they that that can be the truth. And we have the ability now to go talk to them and hear their stories so that other people can hear them too, because I think that becomes important perspective. Because you know, if you're diagnosed today, you know, right now today, you're going to take no comfort or solace in the fact that this is the best time in the history of the world to have type one diabetes. Oh, definitely not right, that is not going to be comforting to you whatsoever. And the only way for you to take some comfort out of that is to hear a story from someone who's like, oh, I used to have to mix regular and mph or I had to boil needles, you know, or, you know, I we used to have to pee on a thing to get my blood sugar. Like, those kinds of stories will make you be like, so it just takes two hours for the Dexcom don't warm up. Okay. Fine with me. Yeah. It gives you that perspective that you need. Because, you know, you see it like you're young, right? Probably you you don't feel young, but you're young, in my opinion. And, and so like when you see something happen in the world may there it's social or political or something like that. It feels like the very first time it's ever happened, because it's the first time you're seeing it. And that happens for everybody for everything, you know?

Sophia Livolsi 39:05
Yeah, that's a very good point. That is, yeah,

Scott Benner 39:09
it just, it's new to you. And so you know, the amount of like, notes that I get from people that are always like, I'm going to start a blog. And I'm like, okay, because people need to know about this. I'm like, That's great. Like you do that if you feel like you want to do that. That's fantastic. But there's always the part of me that's reading it. It's like, you're just learning today that, you know, there's not great, sometimes there's not great testing for people when they're being diagnosed or whatever. The thing is that they're, you know, like feeling very passionate about in that moment. Yeah, it's amazing to see all their energy and you think, right, get out in the world and do it because you'll reach some people that somebody else won't reach. And that'll that'll be terrific. But it's it's really interesting to me that that feeling of I've just seen it for the first time. So therefore this must not have existed before today. It's just such a human reaction.

Sophia Livolsi 40:00
It is a human reaction, isn't it?

Scott Benner 40:03
So where do you hope to take all this from here?

Sophia Livolsi 40:07
That is a great question. Um, I don't know. I mean, one big part of like, my platform, I guess is it's funny this summer after I was diagnosed, I started doing pageants for the first time. Okay. And so that has been a really fun place to take, like advocacy. And I'm going to be competing in another one this upcoming summer if like, COVID permits, and I'm excited for that. And then, like, now, after starting the blog, like, although it wasn't originally a hobby, I think it would be fun to work in the diabetes field, not necessarily solely as like, an influencer, quote, quote, but just just somewhere in the diabetes space, just because I don't know it. I'm very passionate about it. And I think it's so interesting. And I would never have a boring day at work. Because I'm very interested in it.

Scott Benner 41:05
That's cool. I hope you find a way to do it. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, no, for certain. It's, it is. I am not a fan of the word influencer as well. Yeah, that's why I was like, Yeah, and I could kind of hear it in your voice. When you said the same thing. I had. You know, there's sometimes I do things with people or and I was on this call on time. And they're, like, you know, said something, like, evolve our influencers, you and I just stopped him. I was like, Listen, please don't call me an influencer. Like that, to me. To me, an influencer feels like a person who can get eyes on them. And then can take those eyes and point them at a thing, a link or something like that. And it might be, I don't know if it's high minded, or if I'm wrong, or whatever. But I like to think that if I like to think that the information that I put in the world is so is valuable enough that people who are familiar with it, trust me, because they trust what they've heard. And if then that makes it possible for me to say, hey, you should check out the T one D exchange, for example. I don't know if I'm splitting hairs. But I don't think of that as being an influencer.

Sophia Livolsi 42:17
No, because it's a different thing. When it's something you believe in like, you're like, I want to share this with you. Because I think it's important. You know what I mean? Like, you have that passion. It's not just go look at this link, so I can get some moolah.

Scott Benner 42:29
I never hold up a can and I go, Hey, have you ever drank this after a hard workout? Because I do, and it's really great. It just No, I, I one time, dipped my toe in paying attention to like one of the food companies that was like heavily using influencers. And they contacted me and they were like, you know, we'd like to, and I said, Look, I can tell you some ads. I was like, but I I'm not going to say first of all, I I'm like 100 years old, like, I don't think you want me going on Instagram being like, this is hip, because I think people would be like, uh, he's not hip unless he's talking about breaking his hip. So you know, like, I don't think I'm the right. I don't think I'm the right person for that to begin with. But I just told them, I was like, Look, I'm not gonna do that. You know, I appreciate that. You think it would work. But I said, I'm happy to sell you an ad or more than one ad and tell people but I want it to be clear to people that it's an advertisement, not me saying I eat your food. Like I tried all their food. And I liked some of it. And some of it I didn't like. So when I did the ads. I was like, Look, I tried this. And this was good. If you want to try it, here's a way you can try it. But I don't like that. And again, I appreciate you saying what you said because I don't think I am splitting hairs on the on the subject. But I don't. I don't like the idea of everyone's looking over here. So I'll hold some stuff up and then charge somebody for it. Like, I don't know if that's the I don't know. Like, I can't even tell us. I'm saying I know how I feel about it. I know that I'm both passionate and resolute about the idea. But I don't know that I can explain it. Exactly. It's just the vibe. I don't like that vibe.

Sophia Livolsi 44:09
For some reason. Yeah. No, you what, what you mean is coming across. That's my thank you. Cuz I don't have the word. And also, can I just say though, please, I was thinking about this when you like started on the topic of like, doing ads. If you did do an ad. Like I just feel like it would be hilarious. Like, if you had like an Instagram video of or something like, and you're honest. You'd be like, Yeah, I tried this food. It was all right.

Scott Benner 44:32
You might like it. I definitely didn't.

Sophia Livolsi 44:35
Just like I'm just imagining it right now. I feel like it would just be hysterical.

Scott Benner 44:39
I have to tell you that in my heart of hearts. I think that's the the most direct way to people is through honesty. And I don't I just think that a company like that wouldn't be up for you saying hey, their pizza is great, but this enchiladas like, you know, like I I don't think they'd be up for it. But I think I think the honesty would drive more people than you think. You know? So, and I do, I do feel lucky to that, that the show is sponsored by, by brands and companies that I can 100% Like stand behind. Like, I would be mortified if I had, like, if I was in a position where I'm like, I have to take an ad from a meter, for instance, but I've never used this meter before, but I'm going to hold it up and say it works. You know, like, I, I don't know that I can bring myself to do that. I'm happy to have not have to find out if I could, but I, I don't think that I could. So

Sophia Livolsi 45:30
yeah, that's the thing. There's just no, there's not a lot of people in the space like this. Like, I can't even really think of anyone, but it's just being genuine. Like, you're Jenny, you actually use what you share, I actually use what I share, like, is just being real about it.

Scott Benner 45:43
Yeah, no, I hear it. I really do. And, you know, I've heard people make the argument that, you know, you can't do that you shouldn't do that on Instagram, because you're using your, you know, your platform to move people for companies and all that stuff. And, and I don't, I can't speak to that. I don't know what it's like to run a very popular Instagram account. But I can tell you that for the Podcast, the podcast is a full time job. And if I didn't take ads, there wouldn't be a podcast. That's not just lip service to make you feel better about there being ads in the podcast, I have a life and I have bills. And this takes up a lot of time. And yeah, no,

Sophia Livolsi 46:21
that's a fair point to Yeah, yeah, it's

Scott Benner 46:23
I think people now I can't believe I'm gonna say nowadays, because I don't like the phrase at all. But I think in the, in the space we're in right now, people online, understand that. And like, I've seen my, like, my kids get that, they get that they're get that they're watching something, somebody made it, and you know, what an ad is gonna pop up in the middle of it. And that's the price I pay if I want to watch this. Whereas I think as recently as 10 years ago, and definitely a little farther back, taking an ad on diabetes blog, would have been death, like people would have shunned you for that. And, and it just it and I think it was just as the infancy of the internet grows, people's understanding of what it takes to create the internet grows to and and I think those things kind of go hand in hand. But how would you make a business out of it? Like, like, would you? I mean, what's your goal? Like? I think the podcast works, because my main goal is to help people. Yeah, definitely. I don't know another way to start. But is there a good way? You started a good way? No, but there must be other ways to still do good things for people. I just, they didn't occur to me. That were workshopping your idea?

Sophia Livolsi 47:39
Oh, my gosh. I mean, I don't know cuz definitely helping people is a big goal for me. And then, like, Another side note, personal goal is I want to enjoy what I do. You know, and I definitely enjoy being involved in the diabetes realm. But I don't know. I mean, I've thought about maybe going to work for like, maybe an organization or a company that makes certain things there's definitely some organizations and companies that I would not work for, like, there's a select few, or I don't know, I'm still trying to figure it out. I have like a year and a half. So hopefully, I can figure it out for them. Well, that's

Scott Benner 48:18
cool. Yes, you can take this this, like blended degree that you're getting, and work in marketing for, like a small org, all the way up to a company that's, you know, selling glucagon to people and that you might be able to find value in that. I know, my wife's worked for a number of different companies along the way. And when she worked for one who made diabetes stuff, she said it was it felt more fulfilling to her. Then when like, and it was just random, that she ended up somewhere where people made diabetes stuff. But you know, she's like, you know, it feels a little more important when you go to work and you know, it's helping Arden and people like her. And you know, so I think there's a lot to that and I can't agree with you more like about wanting to go to work and feeling passionate about it. That is that's definitely a should be everybody's goal if they can if they can make it happen. Yes. Agreed. So you're gonna stay in the Texas area or do you think you'll move around the country?

Sophia Livolsi 49:15
Um, that's a great question. I feel like I would probably only live in Arizona or Texas unless like something crazy happened like if I did get like an amazing job offer knows exactly what I want to do but I don't know he's it's crazy man. Like thinking about all these things. Now that I'm kind of getting towards the end of college. I'm like, Man, I got to start thinking about these things. But it's exciting, but I'm a pretty fluid person. I mean, I change insulin methods. I moved my couch around so who knows what'll happen.

Scott Benner 49:50
When when you started college, obviously Coronavirus. COVID didn't exist in your mind or anyone's mind it existed. We just didn't think About a different COVID. But now that it's here, does it? How much of that decision making? Do you feel flavored with this new reality? Is it part of all your decisions?

Sophia Livolsi 50:18
Or not? I mean, it's, it's somewhat part of them. But I'm a very look on the bright side person. And I'm like, maybe by the time I graduate, COVID will be gone. But I know, I know, the world will never be the same. But it's like a small portion of my decision making. But

Scott Benner 50:32
no, that's fair. I just was very interested because of your age, like, specifically, because you're not, you know, you're not your parents who are worried about you, you're, you're, you're literally thinking about yourself, which is, is valuable. And, you know, obviously, is the way it should be. I'm not saying you're just like, focused on you, I'm saying that you're the part of your life where you're thinking about, you know, what am I going to do for a living? And will it be something that I enjoy, and, and all that stuff? And I was just wondering how much of it was like, Well, I would move but I don't want to move during this, or but it's, I like that. It's, it's gonna sound strange, but I like that it's not a big part of your thought process. Because I think you have to live like it is going to be taken care of by a vaccine, hopefully. And, and if not, then you can adjust down the road, but it would feel Doom and gloomy to plan like, I have to stay here because I'm scared the hearing you mean by that? If that makes sense?

Sophia Livolsi 51:28
Yes, I do. I do. Yeah, I'd Yeah, I would not want to have that mindset, like i Yes, obviously, we need to consider it but I agree with, I want to make plans and like, live my life, hopefully, plan to live my life as if everything's gonna be okay. But we shall see. Yeah,

Scott Benner 51:47
I'm super interested, like, I'm enjoying talking to you. Because you're at a, you're at a crossroads like position of your life. But I'm sure you think of one way and I see a different way. But like, talking to you, I could make the point that by the way, you structure your thoughts and the way you communicate, I could say you sound like you're 30 years old. Well, we but when I hear the the actual thoughts you come across as your exact age. And so it's so it's interesting to have people on your age, because, you know, because sometimes people can not know what they think. And it's it becomes, it becomes obvious when you ask them a question. Now the difference between not knowing the answer, because you haven't considered it yet. And not being able to kind of like, fantasize about it and think it through are two different things. You're you're like, I'm not sure but and then you explain your thought process, which has been really interesting for me. So I appreciate it. I have interviewed a couple of younger people over the times where you're like, yes, no question like, I don't know. And then nothing else happens. You're like, what did you not understand? You're part of this when you decided to do this? Oh, my God, I need to have an answer. You know, but but I'm really liking it. It's it's interesting to talk to somebody who's in your position in life, but not have but hasn't been an adult for 10 years yet. I don't know if that's making sense or not.

Sophia Livolsi 53:12
But no, that doesn't make sense. Yeah, it doesn't.

Scott Benner 53:15
It's very, very interesting. What about your health moving forward? You think ever about the fact that you'll age out of your parent's insurance one day? Is that something you have to consider? Because I feel like it's really in the future still.

Sophia Livolsi 53:31
I mean, I mean, it's like four years from now. But that is something that I definitely definitely think about. And one thing that also happened last year with like, moving out and COVID, and then just having a lot of life changes. I did have like, probably a couple weeks to a month of where I was just feeling anxious, like anxious beyond belief. And I was thinking about everything that could go wrong in my life, and like worrying for like a little period there. And thank goodness, I'm over it now. But just dealing with all those changes in my life was stressful. And so one big thing that I was worried about was oh my gosh, what am I gonna do? What if I graduate college and COVID still happening? And I can't get a job, and then I can't have insurance. And then I die. Like, obviously that's not rational things that goes through a 21 year olds mind. Yeah,

Scott Benner 54:25
I like how you kill yourself. In your theory. You're like,

Sophia Livolsi 54:28
no, like, no spray their darkness. I know. But no, like, I'm very blessed. My parents have great insurance. Um, but yeah, one thing that I do, I have been realizing lately is and like, I've also like, had a couple conversations with other people about this. And that's kind of why I've been thinking about it lately. As a diabetic, you do really have to kind of worry about other things in a career path than other people. If you will, like one big thing for me Wherever I get a job, it needs to have good insurance, it needs to have the things that I need. So I can like have good management. And so that's just another interesting piece of thinking about a future as am I going to be okay? In that regard, right?

Scott Benner 55:12
It does not lend itself to the idea of like, I'm going to take a year off and work on a ski slope and make a couple of bucks in ski all day. And you really do have to think like, once I'm off someone else's, like, obviously, if you're lucky enough to be on someone's insurance, first of all, that you're gonna be off of it at one point. And that, and then that's it. Like, it's, you know, there's, there's no grace period between when you need insulin next, you know, it's just doesn't exist like that. Now, people, how do you how do you find online? What's my question? Do you use? Do you only interact with people who are mostly your age? Are there is there a wide like, grouping? Because that's the one thing I find interesting about the podcast is that it's not like, it's probably more 23. Like, I find that like, the very responsible 23 year olds listen through, like the late 30s people is that is the sweet spot for where most people are listeners, but there are still people listening who are teenagers, not as many, but over 40 and 50, and even 60. Like, I, it's, it's weird to think that you're trying to talk in a way that, you know, generations of people can, can hear and be interested by. But do you feel like you're just talking to people your age, on Instagram and through the blog?

Sophia Livolsi 56:37
So I would have to say no, okay. Um, I mean, I feel like, maybe majority is probably like in their 20s. But at the same time, like, for example, yesterday, I was talking to someone who was like a parent, and they're a type one diabetic. And then I was also talking to a little boy that I'm connected with who's like, 14.

Scott Benner 57:00
Yeah, that's interesting. i That's my finding, too. And I was just wondering if Instagram limited you, because of like, algorithms, actually, like, I was wondering if it was pushing you towards, like certain age people?

Sophia Livolsi 57:12
No, that is a good point. I mean, I'm sure it does that somewhat. But a big goal for me is definitely to actually connect with people that I meet on there. Yeah. And so I do try and make a big point of that as well.

Scott Benner 57:25
Yeah, it gets overwhelming at some point. It's, um, I still answer every one of my emails, but I'm down to having to create like, I do an email day, every month. Wow, I sit down, and I answer emails for like, five hours sometimes. Oh, my gosh, just like, it's, I really do think it's important. And I really, genuinely actually want to answer the emails. But I just I don't know, I felt I feel like at one point, I noticed, when I was, you know, first doing this, there were people who had some popularity, and you'd get these, like, bounce back emails that were like, Hey, I'm sorry, we answer as many emails as we can, but blah, blah. And I was like, oh, like, I don't ever want anybody to get that. Yeah, you don't even like the I value your opinion. But I'm much too busy to answer you. Like, I just don't want that. Like, I don't ever want that vibe to be associated with me. I'm trying, I really am trying my best I, I struggle more. Like I have to admit, I don't quite understand why people like Instagram. Like, I know they do. And I'm not saying they shouldn't. I'm just saying like when people are having conversations and Instagram comments that I've aged through that, like, I'm like, This is not where people should be typing to each other. I know, that's not right. But, you know, I'm older than you are. And there's part of me that thinks that, you know, even like Facebook, it just doesn't allow enough enough conversation where people can really understand each other, you know, and I know from my own personal interactions. So via that, that, as much as I might look like my I'm out there in the world, that's still just a small slice of who I am. Like, I think if you met the entire me, I'm not the guy on the podcast. I am. But I'm not just the guy on the podcast, I guess. And then you get kind of like, it's scary to think that people could just see you as one thing. But you sort of have to just give it away. You sort of have to be like, Okay, I guess this is how I come off to people and I guess that's who I am to them. Do you ever think about that idea of like, what what its gonna be like, what it's like when you're on Instagram that you're you really are opening yourself up to people's interpretations. Hmm. So you're in a different generation, you probably don't give a shit about that.

Sophia Livolsi 59:44
I mean, I have always been the type of person to not really care if you will. Like I remember being younger and I got my first phone and I like my mom. Finally let me go to Facebook and I just was taking like the ugliest pictures of myself on purpose because I thought it was funny actually. Seeing them and my mom was like, why? Literally why? And I was like, I don't know. So I've always had that personality, that's kind of just, I let things roll off my back. And I don't mind being myself. I mean, it can be kind of scary, though, when it gets to the level of okay, there are there are a lot of people looking at your stuff. But I don't know. I mean, yeah, like, obviously, I share a lot on there. But I agree, like, unless someone meets you, they're not going to really fully know who you are. But in that, I mean, I just understand that I hope other people understand that. And then I just continue to be myself on there and share the things that I think are beneficial to that page and hope for the best. Yeah,

Scott Benner 1:00:39
I do my best to, to really, if I get feedback, that's not positive, I really do my best to look at it and think, Is there something in here that i i Maybe I should like, maybe I'm even if I don't feel that way of life, am I coming across a certain way? Or? Or do I am I really like that I don't recognize it. It's, um, I think it's easy for people to critique from the outside, but they're not. They, they think differently, if they had recorded 500 hours of content and put it out there for people to listen to, you'd recognize all of a sudden that you're not always at your best that you're not, you know, it's a, I'm saying that I'm not trying to say, you know, pity me, or you, or people who put content up, but there's more to it than would meet the I, I guess, more impact on your side of it. So if I think it's genuinely generous of people who are willing to take that risk to share with somebody, Hey, I really think you should Pre-Bolus You know, and who doesn't, at the end of it, say, and for just $75 a month, you can join my group that will teach you how to Pre-Bolus on your own, like, you know, like, you know, that kind of thing, like, if you're doing it as a business. It's, it's, it's a business, you know, and I couldn't also I couldn't argue that the podcast is a business because it makes it makes ad revenue. But I just I really wish people knew me like as as personally as they could to know that. I just don't, I don't do things for those reasons. So if if this stopped being valuable to people, even if it was still making ads, I would just, I would start I wouldn't have the heart to keep doing it. So I don't know. I don't know what I would do next. But I definitely couldn't just turn this out to get paid. And I don't know You seem like a really decent person. That's why I was like, I wanted to have you on I liked what you got what you do, and, and it just seemed like it would be nice to shine a light on you a little bit. So please don't like please don't put a plan on your, your, your blog next week after this. This comes out and you're like, hey, for just $50 a month.

Sophia Livolsi 1:02:49
One, Bobby, that would be hilarious.

Scott Benner 1:02:51
Maybe I would laugh. Maybe I'd be like, she played me pretty good. But I'm starting group. Yeah, right after you put my episode up. I'll tell you that part of my part of my job has become to weed out the people who just want to sell something. It's I'd love to be in your pockets. And I actually have to like dig through and do my best to infer from a distance, what their intention is. And so it's it's not always easy to do. And it's time consuming sometimes, too. And it's definitely not something I want to be involved in. But it just occurred to me a couple of years ago that once the podcast hit a certain point that people were like, I want to come on because I really care about people diabetes, and then they come on and the first thing they were like, well, I have this thing and I'm like, Oh God, like, I didn't recognize that that would happen either. I was not prepared for that. Honestly. Wow. I

Sophia Livolsi 1:03:44
never really thought about that. But yeah, you you would have to be on the lookout for stuff like that. I didn't really think about that.

Scott Benner 1:03:50
Yeah, I have a lot of weird jobs. I have the Be on the lookout for people trying to use the podcast to reach people so they can sell something job. I have the figure out who a Facebook scammer is to try to keep the Facebook group clean. Like, I never thought that would be a skill. Like I can almost look at a Facebook thing now and I go that's not a real person.

Sophia Livolsi 1:04:09
Skill right there.

Scott Benner 1:04:10
I before did not have that skill. But if you look at enough of those, like, of the fake accounts, they follow, like and then every once in a while I'll just I've made a mistake. Like last week, I just said no to somebody and I got an immediate email and the guy's like, hey, my kid was just diagnosed with type one diabetes. And I got rejected from the Facebook page. And I said, I just I emailed him back, I said your Facebook page looks like a bot account like you have them. Like, you didn't look like a person. And I like I'm really sorry, I'll let you and like just by the fact that they emailed me I was like, alright, well obviously this is a real person, but you know, you can't you it's weird and the algorithm kicks them back at me from Facebook. It's like it basically says look at this one. Look at this one. Look at this one. Because the algorithm thinks it's not a real person. Anyway, that's not something I thought I'd ever be involved in Sofia It's one that I take no joy from, at all. Tell me, tell me if we didn't talk about anything that you wish we would have?

Sophia Livolsi 1:05:11
Um, I don't I mean, I don't think so. I think I mean, I don't know, trying to think about anything else, like, I work part time, which I feel like isn't that interesting? We touched on pageants we, yeah, we touched on the blog and everything. So

Scott Benner 1:05:28
So you really are like, by virtue of you being here and recording, you must assume that I looked at you. And I thought, this is a real person who wants to say real things. And you really came through like, in that I really got the vibe as we were talking that you weren't just like, Please tell people about my blog, please. And and so you come across well online to me. So I hope that's meaningful to you. I also hope that you're not sitting there quietly gone. Wow, this guy, I just want people to listen to my blog, and I can't believe I can't believe you. Oh, no, I

Sophia Livolsi 1:06:02
know you're not coming from you

Scott Benner 1:06:04
know, seriously, like you. I got the sounds odd. But like I said, yes to you in a week where I probably said no to five other people. Like you were the only one that rang true to me of that grouping that came in at that time. And I could be wrong, like I could, you know, I'm saying but I really felt like I wasn't like, I felt like here's a person who's genuinely trying to share some of her life with type one diabetes with people. And, and I thought it would be nice to, you know, let you come on and talk about it. And then you came on and you really did not have an agenda, which then leads to conversation. I don't know what the hell we talked about, but I still really liked it. So

Sophia Livolsi 1:06:45
well, thank you. That means a lot. I appreciate you having me on here.

Scott Benner 1:06:48
No, no, it's my pleasure. It really is. Huge thanks to Sofia for coming on the show and sharing her story. Don't forget to check her out on Instagram. Her instagram name is what the crick it's what does that prick? You know I prep right? Everybody knows a prick. What the prick on Instagram. I also want to thank everybody who's bought me a cup of coffee this year at buy me a coffee.com forward slash Juicebox Podcast and a special shout out to the members who buy a coffee automatically every month you guys rock. Thank you so much. Check out the private Facebook page Juicebox Podcast type one diabetes. Don't forget to fill out that survey at the T one D exchange T one D exchange.org forward slash juicebox. I got a lot stuck in here. I'm feeling pretty good about myself. Talk to you soon. I'll be back really soon actually with another episode of The Juicebox Podcast.