the craft industry is in shambles today

I did not want to record today. I did not want to have to have this conversation. I have been getting so many messages. I've been seeing so many things on the internet today and yesterday that I after many times trying to avoid filming this um we actually lost the video we had for today and I was like okay for some reason I am meant to address this today. Um this is not what I would ever want to make content on. This is not something I would ever want to talk about and this is something I never would imagine hit home to so many people like you and I. Um I again I woke up yesterday on my birthday. Um and checked Facebook and I saw I had a few Facebook messages. Um, and as I did that, it was in a influencer group chat and as I opened that, there was a news article and I am not mentioning anyone's specific's name. I will link these articles I referred to in the description. I am not giving any air time to speculate or name names or anything like that. That is not how I roll here. But I was not ready for what I opened. And for so many of you, you weren't either for what you read yesterday. And for something like this to happen um in our little piece of the internet, I refer to this industry in this small pocket of the internet to be the safest place, to be a place where everyone is uplifting, everyone is kind, everyone is so special. here. I just left a 22 client retreat and I feel like I know each and every one of you on a deeper level. People shared with me that they have followed me for so many years. And on a day like today, I feel like I want to speak up as a human, as a parent to three baby boys who are upstairs just running around just laughing and playing. Um, and a leader to this craft industry. I for some reason am here um and what I read was absolutely devastating and absolutely shocking um and unspeakable. I I can't even really fathom it. Um, I've talked to so many and I I know what you all are going through is so hard as it is, you know, someone that for so many of you, you may have looked up to, you have learned from, you have respected. Um, and for this to come up, I just want to create a space where I just want to tell you that it is okay to feel angry. It is okay to feel sad and to feel betrayed. You might be questioning you know your respect of the past person that you may have known. I did not have have never spoke to this person you know someone in the industry I a lot of times do have relationships this individual I had never spoke to collaborated with or anything in that regard. So I can't say that I had a relationship or a rapport for so many of my colleagues. Um they did and I see that it's even harder on them to process this and to start you know processing everything that has came of this. Um, you know, I know so many are here today grieving what was and what we just are so shocked by this. You know, I for me as a dad this hits so differently. Um, for me it's a reminder, you know, evil can hide behind smiles and platforms. And it is our importance to really reflect and to just know even more that we have to be careful and we have to protect oursel um in every every place. You know, as someone who has influence, as someone who has been on the internet for 15 years, any person who has influence, whether it's over a few people or hundreds of thousands of people, you have a responsibility. You carry a responsibility. You're not just sharing tutorials for other creators here or products or projects. you're shaping trust and that is really important to know that the weight that you carry and you know it's not about audience or growth or anything like that because what I will tell you is whether I had two followers or we just celebrated 700,000 if you have anyone that is influence um but it comes down to integrity it comes down to integrity. And I want you to understand that when it comes to influence and responsibility, you have to have healthy influence. And you have to understand that that looks like transparency, that looks like boundaries, that looks like humility and accountability. Now again, I am not addressing or speaking this individual's name or honestly I can't even grasp the allegations and the charges or anything like that. You have to understand that it is an in an educator or influencers's job to hold themselves to a raw and open place and to be transparent. And I just want you to know that it is our responsibility and that there's nothing that I truly don't believe you all could have done. Um, you know, I think it's just now more than ever we have to use our discernment and know who to look for and, you know, really go with our gut. Um, and when we make the wrong call or we feel like it's our fault, we have to be there for oursel. Um, you know, I really want you to understand that there is an importance to going with your gut and being intentional with who you let influence you. And I think this is a time of reflection. This is a time to reflect. And one of the things that just have came up over and over is that really we can't put anyone on a pedestal. You know, we can't put anyone on a a pedestal. And we can respect and we can admire people's work, but we have to remember that everyone on this earth is just human and sometimes deeply deeply troubled and flawed ones. And I want you to pay attention to how people make you feel, not just what they say. I truly believe that people have energy. And now more than ever, is a time for us to reflect on how people, whether it's watching a video, watching a Tik Tok, following them online, you don't have to be in the same room to pick up on people's energy. And I think now more than ever is a time to reflect and really start trusting our gut at a deeper level. I work very hard for my community and I am not everyone's cup of tea. And if you're watching this video and you're like, I truly don't love your content, Tanner. Don't watch it. You don't have to watch my content. Um, but for every person here, I want you to really go deeper on paying attention to how people make you feel because that is your discernment. And I I truly believe that we all have it. Here on our side of the internet, we are not trying to reach masses. We are trying to help transform people and help them go deeper. And I want to be able at the end of my life say that I helped impact and strengthen people in so many more ways than just the crafts that we do. Here on our side of the internet, we value safety. We value our families. We value kindness. And we carry out integrity. One of the things that people continually came up to me at our first retreat we just had on the panhandle of Florida. was amazing. They kept coming up to me and saying, "Tanner, you were just the person I thought you were." Like, you were just the person that is on the videos. And they're like, "I wanted to be in the room just to see if you were that person." And our corner of the internet as well as the people that I give influence. You know, I reflect as a CEO and say this could happen to anyone. You never know who you trust. And I reflect on I am a person who gives people a microphone, who gives people airtime on my show. And this reminds for me that I have to be a good steward of who we give the ability to have a microphone, who we give the ability to share on our platforms and on our audience. And it is a wakeup call for me to really always always always trust my intuition and trust my discernment when and if we are to allow someone the ability to influence people on our side of the internet. That has been one of my biggest wakeup calls. I want you to know that we're committed to making a safe and inspiring and positive community like never before. I am sorry to every single person. Um I just want to give a shout out to Michelle um who has been I think a very long time administrator on this individual's Facebook community. Um Michelle, I if you're watching, my prayers go out to you. Um I couldn't imagine what you're going through. Um I send you all my love. I honor you for your dedication to the people and the love that you have for these people. I truly do believe you're changing lives, my friend. And I see you have so much impact in this industry and respect. And I hope you go on to do amazing things. Um, and I really want you to know just for everyone that I take this responsibility of myself and just leading our piece of the internet with the people I allow to have a voice here so serious. This is so important. Um, I always strive to lead with integrity, to be the same person offline as I am online. And this has just been a huge wakeup call to all of us. And while this situation is heartbreaking, it doesn't erase all the good that we can still create here on the this community, this is a way that we can come together and strengthen deeper. Um because I do believe that we can come together stronger. I encourage you to reconnect with creativity, reconnect with your favorite people in this craft community. Um, reconnect with your kids, your your faith, your friends, your family, you know, their friends, their family. Um, guys, hug your kids. Give your kids so much love. Do something kind. Remember that light will always shine brighter. The light will always win. We are called here to be salt and light to the earth. And that is our job. That is our cross to carry over this community, over you know everything that we are here to do. And even though we cannot control others, what we can do right now is we can choose how we show up and how we lead. And I believe that each and every one of you here are leaders and have influence of someone or something. So share that kindness in a Facebook group. Share that kindness with your neighbor. Share that kindness with your kids. And I just want to let you all know sometimes the internet blurs trust. And it's our duty, our responsibility to use that discernment. And I just want to encourage you all to really ask yourself in all situations and the people you're in real life with or the people you consume online really you know do a reflection um I have heard from so many colleagues and you know I can't trust everyone I I can't trust everyone that I have met through this industry. I have probably less than a handful of people who I truly can tell you that I trust in this industry. And it's because I haven't just met them online. I haven't just seen them talk the talk. But the people that I truly trust that walk the walk are people I've met in real life. I have real connections. I truly believe, you know, a handful of people um that I truly do believe. So, I just want to remind you that, you know, now is a great time to reflect on your boundaries, who you're letting in your life, who you're giving that trust to. Um, it's a great time to reflect. And, you know, it's a very I have a lot of boundaries on, you know, the work I do here. And being in this industry a long time, I've connected with a lot of people and very few people I would ever, you know, host in my home. So, you know, that's some of my own boundaries. Um, at a time like this, I, you know, am just called to seek the Lord, to shine light, and I encourage you all to do the same. I truly love what I get to do here. And as someone who leads this industry, I never ever ever would thought I would be here making this video. I did not want to make this video. am because of two or three balls dropping of the video that was meant to go out today. Um the editing just wasn't right, so we couldn't post it. And I really do feel like it was the Lord just really saying, "Tanner, this is what you're meant to share today." Um I can't wait to be back crafting. I don't think I've ever made a video where I'm so disgusted. I can't bring my excitement. I could usually tell you the saddest news in the happiest way. Um, but I really do feel like today the industry is shaken up. And I want to encourage you guys, you know, to love on each other in the comments. Put in the comments what values you want to see more in this industry. What you want to see in this industry. Put it in the chat. You know, put it in the comments down below. Let's love and build each other up today. Um, as we all grieve as we process, as we reflect um on this harder day. And we'll be back here very soon making more amazing content. I have so much to share with you as after I just got back from this retreat, even though I'm tired, I'm on fire more than ever to lead this industry and to help transformation happen through creating, through sharing. And we have a lot of work to do. So, until the next video, I love you all. I really do. And I am sending my love. And I am going to go post this video, put my kids down for a nap, and love on them more this weekend than I ever have. And if any of you have children with technology, please know that it is a really good time to just audit everything they have access to because the platform that they mention in these articles down below was a platform that I I actually used in middle school. It never it came up as like Snapchat was growing and Snapchat was you know just coming out that platform also came out and it's untelling that everything that kids with smartphones have access to it is a really really scary um so for each and every one of you that have children please keep them closer get them out of their rooms play like take them outside, whatever you can do. Um, it's our job. You know, our children is our biggest influence and being a dad is the greatest honor of my entire life and it just really hurts my heart today. Um, but I'm going to show up for my kids deeper this weekend. And yeah, I I hope you all have a great day. I'll see you back here real soon. Bye.