4 Dōes and Anita
4 Dōes Productions started April 2022, as a professional speaking, media and personal development business after the 2021 death of my husband, Rev. William Helm. Months after his death, my thoughts turned to my new chapter in life and my desire to launch 4 Dōes Productions.
For 25 years, Rev. William Helm my husband, Pastor, best friend, and confidant always urged me to pray that the LORD allow me to do extraordinary service and I have operated on many levels for Christian service and my professional work. For more than a decade I served as a long-term caregiver, while maintaining a full-time work schedule, full-time mother, mentor, host and teacher of a weekly Milkshake Monday podcast.
The thought of launching a new business was daunting. I didn't have assurance that I had the bandwidth to serve another full time anything. I am my best advocate and my chief doubter. I freely admit, that starting 4 Dōes required me pushing down the undercurrent of being overwhelmed and fearful. I could find a million excuses for why not to birth 4 Dōes. The reality is the one thing I needed was TRUST. I need faith and to trust GOD. Knowing with GOD all things are possible.
The spark for me to launch 4 Dōes was how energized I felt each time I finished a Milkshake Monday episode. I was absolutely BUZZING! I knew that whatever GOD had in store for me that helping people reach their full potential was part of GOD's plan.
Not so many months after starting the 2018 Milkshake Monday teachings, I talked to William about the crumbling state of marriages. Long term and short-term marriages were burning in flames. I believed that a down to earth style of talking about marriage (the ups and downs) needed to be available to everybody.
I discussed the idea of co-teaching virtual pre-and post-marriage sessions using social media like Facebook and YouTube. The agreement took a little persuasion, but we agreed. Working on the countless sessions took time and patience. The approach was to have online videos available that would allow couples to listen and participate in their own time and in the privacy of their homes. Couples jointly or separately could pick the time that suited them.
That was how the Marriage in the Checkout Line (MICL) series began. Rev. Helm and I co-taught for more than two months a weekly session. We had never taught together before so there were learning curves along the way. We did see how the dynamics of both genders played out. I can say that the production of the Marriage in the Checkout Line episodes was the most fulfilling and labor-intensive venture of my teaching life. MICL was an entire production from content, presenter collaborations, scripts, run throughs, real time audience Q&A, staging, wardrobe, lighting, and postproduction. I realized I loved it start to finish! I knew just like Milkshake Monday, that helping couples thrive in their relationships was also part of the plan. These puzzle pieces were falling into place.
STAND as a teaching series was entirely different in its birth. I have as a bucket list item that I want to speak at a commencement address. I have been to many throughout my life, and I can't remember a dog-gone thing from any of them. I said If I ever spoke at a commencement address, I want the people to at least remember one word I said long term.
That's how the acrostic STAND came out. I built a teaching series on ONE WORD all of us hear STAND. (STAND UP, STAND STILL, STAND DOWN). I developed life lessons from a word that I built meaning around (Situations, Timing, Attitude, Navigation and Destiny). I selected 5 Topics I have learned the most about in my life, 3 (F's) Faith, Finances and Failure, 1 (C) Career, 1 (R) Relationships. For more details on STAND Checkout the Speaking Link for the STAND Overview and specifics on each Topic area.
GOD has always been that small still voice of hope in me. I hope HE will use me and 4 Dōes Productions to ring in the ears of those needing to hear Him. He has a lot of HIS love and message of hope to go around the GLOBE. This is daunting; but 4 Dōes is my STUPENDOUS1 LEAP OF FAITH. There you have it - 4 Dōes and Anita.
Whoever has an ear to hear - let them hear!
1 Thanks to my dear brother who inspired this big word.