“Being able to talk to somebody and spread the word not only about yourself, is not going to help just you. It’s going to help everybody else that is in need of your words and what you’ve been through.” -Heaven Redmon
Well, you’ve met the male model of de de’s books from episode 3– no other than her only son, Bo Cox. Today, you will also get to know more about one of the female models and also de de’s friend, Heaven Redmon. Heaven was Bo’s partner in FURternity Leave. Growing up, Heaven always had the heart to serve others. And this dream came true when she founded Heaven’s Angel Food, a charity dedicated to helping starving children across Kentucky (which is also the theme of de de’s upcoming book). As a youth with so many accomplishments and big dreams, Heaven shares how you too can create big changes from small acts of kindness. If your goal is to impact the world, Heaven shares one thing that will help you do just that. Tune in!
Highlights:
01:35 Pageantry vs Book Cover Modeling
05:49 Challenges in Portraying a Character
06:48 Heaven’s Angel Food
08:38 How You Can Support Heaven’s Angel Food
10:44 Little Pieces of Heaven
14:22 Spread the Word
Resources:
de de’s Books
Two Degree’s Series
Rescued Heart Series
Meet the lovely lady featured on FURternity Leave. Tune in as @dedeCox introduces yet another inspiring youth, Heaven Redmon, and find out how you can support her charity: Heaven’s Angel Food, and the story behind its name. #dedecox… Click To Tweet
Quotes:
14:23 “Being able to talk to somebody and spread the word not only about yourself, is not going to help just you. It’s going to help everybody else that is in need of your words and what you’ve been through.” –Heaven Redmon
Meet Heaven:
Heaven is the young lady featured on FURternity Leave. She has been with de de since she was 7 years old in the pageant industry and now has her own charity – HEAVEN’S ANGEL FOOD, which is the next book that Andre Wilson and de de are working on.
Transcriptions:
de de Cox Hey guys, welcome back. Today I have a beautiful young lady that I have known since– I say she was teeny tiny but she really wasn’t. She came to me when she was like six or seven years old into a pageant competition. I want you guys to please welcome Heaven Redmon.
Heaven Redmon Hi. Hello.
de de Cox She is the first model to kick off my Rescue Me series. She is the female Cover Model with Furternity Leave, which both she and my son, as well as Andre Wilson. Andre did a model search and we decided on Heaven for the chemistry with my son. But we did for Furternity Leave the photoshoot a couple of weeks ago, so I asked her. So when we did the very shoot, we did two different outfit changes. The first one is the office attire. I know this is your first time being in a romance cover model, correct?
Heaven Redmon Yes.
de de Cox Okay. And I want to ask you what it felt like having those clothes realizing you were actually portraying a character? Is this similar to a pageant, portraying a character and competing?
Heaven Redmon It’s definitely not the same in a pageant. In the pageant or pad, you just have to be yourself. So you just have to be able to find who you are. And from what I’ve learned from being on the cover of a book, you’re stepping into someone else’s character, and you kind of have to be able to be that other person. And when I was in the suit, I was like, oh, wow, like I felt professional. I felt like someone different. And then I could just step out of like, my own boundaries and kind of do what I thought the character would do.
de de Cox Absolutely. So I know that he put glasses on you. So do you wear glasses?
Heaven Redmon I do not wear glasses. Personally, I think I look like a teacher in glasses. And I don’t think I look good in glasses but when I look back at the pictures, I thought I look pretty good.
de de Cox So I know that I brought a pet in, China Lacy’s Bulldog from Lincoln bridge, Candy, CC is what he called her. So how did you feel about having like a pet on the scene working with an actual animal to produce the cover? What was that like?
Heaven Redmon I loved it, it actually made me feel more comfortable in doing it just because it felt more out– well I have animals. So I made it feel a lot more like home. It just made me be able to get out of my shell a little bit more. And it was a lot more playful because of the dog was there and I love that.
de de Cox Okay. So we go back to your hair and makeup, I know that pageant hair and pageant makeup is different than doing a romance Cover Model. What do you see the differences between the hair and the makeup from when you do a competition to when you actually are doing the romance cover shoot?
Heaven Redmon In pageants.. i’s more of a not perfect, but try to do it as best as you can all in one form. Kind of just there, everything has to look nice and neat. And in modeling, it kind of like the opposite. It’s definitely the opposite. It’s more free and just like flowing,
de de Cox So Scooter, in other words, you really like Scooter?
Heaven Redmon Yes. I do.
de de Cox I know that on the first one he did a hairstyle and you made a comment to me that you had never had that hairstyle done. Why do you think that you liked this so well, the hairstyle that he did?
Heaven Redmon I think it’s just because I haven’t ever really tried it. There wasn’t anything that I’ve done to where I actually do that hairstyle. So him doing that just made me feel like very beautiful, actually. I felt like a new person. And it made me be able to get into that character a lot better.
de de Cox Okay. I know we had to go outside to do the second wardrobe change. And I know Andre Wilson was working with you. I want you to tell me a little bit about how you know Andre and that comfort that you had realizing that he was going to be the expert on the photoshoot. So tell me a little bit about how you found Andre or he found you.
Heaven Redmon Well, it was actually because of you. We were doing a Chicago fund fashion show. And I ended up meeting him and he was actually one of those people that ended up helping me like with the modeling looks and he was pretty much just my trainer I guess you could say. He’s the one that ended up showing me how I do my walks, how I look at the camera when I’m walking and being able to see him because I haven’t really seen him in years. It made it a lot more comfortable. And especially being around you, it was a lot easier for me to just kind of do whatever just because like, just be me.
de de Cox Was the outside your favorite shoot or was the inside your favorite shoot?
Heaven Redmon Probably the outside because it made me feel more comfortable really, for it being my first time being outside, you know, snow ang just the wind blowing.
de de Cox I know. I know. We hit you head out of the snow and everything. I know. And we were worried about how those looks would be. If you had to tell me what the most difficult thing was, to be a romance model, to be on the cover– Oh, and by the way, this is one of the looks that has been commented on. This is actually from my phone. And tell me when you look at this, what do you see? Do you see you or do you see that character?
Heaven Redmon I’ll say the character. I can see a little bit of me but definitely more of the character only because I don’t usually take pictures like that.
de de Cox I know that Scooter did your hair like that and was that something– have you ever had that type of Marilyn Monroe look?
Heaven Redmon I have a little but not as big and as more like Marilyn Monroe like that. And he also part of my hair different way, because I think that’s actually her part. I could be wrong. But I’m pretty sure he’s trying to get like the actual look.
de de Cox Okay. Well, I absolutely love this. I know that we have been using this as PR marketing promo for the Furternity Leave. I do want to let people know because it is Rescue Me series and I have the fur babies and I believe in rescue. I know you’re very philanthropy oriented as well. That’s one of the things that drew me to you. So I would like you to tell folks about what it is that you do.
Heaven Redmon I actually have my own organization it’s called Heaven’s Angel Food. And I collect and distribute non perishable food items to the children across Kentucky, who we’re actually going hungry. And because of that, because I have been through childhood hunger, and I know how scary it is to wonder where my next meal is gonna come from. And I wake up pretty much every morning and it’s like, what am I going to do today to fix this problem? Because just in Shelby County, at my school, there’s about a little over 50% of the students that are going hungry and going home during the weekend and have no food.
de de Cox Tell me what type of events that you hold to bring awareness to the Heaven’s Angel Food or tell me what also what you collect? You know when people ask you, you know, what can I give you are whatever, tell me those two things, tell me the events and tell you the types of food you have for.
Heaven Redmon The events right now, me and my mom actually organized pageants, we have now started three pageants. And we started this maybe about two years ago. And we asked everyone who comes to the pageant that are wanting to do it to bring at least 10 or more items and that is kind of their gateway into the pageant. And from there, I have like I do a lot of baking. So we do bake sales at the pageants as well. And though, all that money from the bake sale will go into having things of food, and I’ll go and shop for food. And I’ll take it to my [inaudible] in Shelby County. And then I post on Facebook, and I tell everyone like I have a whole garage full of food and if anyone’s in need, please let me know. If you know anybody please let me know. So I ended up just posting a lot about it. I put social media into it because everyone’s on social media. So it’s a good way to get everyone to know about Heaven’s Angel Food.
de de Cox Okay. What type of food do we give to Heaven’s Angel Food? Am I allowed to give canned goods? Am I allowed to give like ramen noodles? Do we do like fruit snacks? Give us a listing of what you do.
Heaven Redmon It’s all non perishable food items or foods that aren’t going to go bad in a long time because you just never know when that food’s gonna get to the people. I usually ask for a lot of canned goods. Usually ramen noodles, we always get a bunch of ramen noodles so we try to not be like, Oh yeah, bring ramen noodles. And we don’t post that on there. But usually like canned foods, and we try to get healthy foods in there. So like canned fruit and stuff.
de de Cox Okay. I know that your goal is to be a pastry chef or a culinary guys, I really mess that up with the wrong word issues like, that’s not word. That’s not what I want to be so I’ve learned. So you want to be a pastry chef, but I want you to tell them what has just happened in the last two weeks?
Heaven Redmon Well, I actually got my acceptance letter from Sullivan University. And I was super excited. And I was bawling my eyes out with my mom and my dad and we were just super excited because that’s my dream school. That’s the school that I’ve always wanted to go to.
de de Cox But tell them what is really unique about this. She’s a senior in high school, but when you get to do?
Heaven Redmon I’m actually in the graduate program. So I’ll be able to go to Sullivan University on campus during the summer, and go ahead and start the forming classes that I’m actually meeting.
de de Cox So she doesn’t have to go to high schools. She’s so excited about that. I think the entire family is.
Heaven Redmon Yeah, yeah.
de de Cox So give me, because I’ve learned pastry, pastry is the word I need to use. What do you want to do with the pastry side of it? Are we doing cakes? Are we doing cookies? Are we doing pies? Because I know you can cook because I’ve seen your post, you guys got to watch her posts, because she’s really great pumpkin, pumpkin chocolate chip or something? What is it?
Heaven Redmon Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
de de Cox Yes.
Heaven Redmon Everyone loves them.
de de Cox Yeah. So tell us a little bit about what you want to focus on.
Heaven Redmon I want to focus on being a pastry chef. I want to open my own restaurant, and the name gonna be Little Pieces of Heaven. And I want to be able to do pretty much everything you can for being a pastry chef. But mainly, I want to try to be someone who makes a lot of pretties like wedding cakes and stuff. That’s going to be my main focus. If you ever seen Cake Boss, that is the show to watch and that’s where I get all my inspiration from.
de de Cox Okay, so now that you’re going to do that, what will you do? Because colleges are very busy. And I know mom and dad are very proud and they want you to succeed. How will you incorporate Heavens Angel Food?
Heaven Redmon Well, I know that’s gonna take a long time, it’s gonna take up pretty much my whole time. But since food is pretty much my whole life, I know that it’ll be very easy to incorporate Heavens Angel Food with this. That’s what I do already anyway. Being able to go to Sullivan University, there’s a whole bunch of new people there. And I can easily just say, like, Hey, I have an organization, if you want to help. I can even talk to the people like the teacher there and ask if I can put a box in the rooms and for people to be able to donate or put food in there.
de de Cox Okay. I know that we have talked as I have talked with Andre and Andre and I are collaborating together to do a book called Heavens Angel Food because we want to give a little bit of your story and base it on a true story. If you could give Andre and I, just a little bit of advice about what the book needs to say or needs to include. What one thing would you include that when I write the book and when Andre will do the photoshoot what one thing would you include in that book?
Heaven Redmon I will probably include just a little bit of why I do what I do. And that’s only because you never know who’s going to read the book. And you never know who needs to hear something that I could say because of what I’ve been through. And it can easily help someone else or push them to talk about something that they need to talk about. And just from that it could take them to a whole new road and help with different paths that they need to go on.
de de Cox Okay. So I know that where do you store all the canned goods right now?
Heaven Redmon My garage. My garage.
de de Cox So the ultimate goal, would it be to have a warehouse because that’s the book, they haven’t seen the food. Andre and I talked about having a competition of a golf competition so that the individual would be able to purchase a warehouse to store this food. So where do you see taking Heavens Angel Food from the garage to?
Heaven Redmon To a warehouse, definitely. We get a whole bunch of food from just the pageant sent me I’m on the path. And usually around 15 to 25,000 food items. And at this point, I can barely walk into my garage. So that’s a good thing. Being able to have a bigger place to put all that food in like knowing that people would know where to go specifically, instead of just my garage would make me feel like I’m going somewhere with this. I know that I am right now, but knowing that is actually going somewhere and it will go somewhere makes me feel like what I’m doing, talking about my story, why I do what I do. It makes me feel good about myself.
de de Cox Absolutely. I’m so proud of you. I mean for that little girl in that coral dress that we saw to where it sits before me. If you had to give a piece of advice to a child that has gone through some of the things you have mentioned, what would you tell them? What would you tell a child that is hungry? What words of maybe not yet on your cosmic pearls of wisdom? But where would you tell them to go? What would you have them to do?
“Being able to talk to somebody and spread the word not only about yourself, is not going to help just you. It’s going to help everybody else that is in need of your words and what you’ve been through.” –Heaven Redmon
Heaven Redmon I would have them talk to somebody and as much as I know how hard it is to do that, being able to talk to somebody and spread the word not only about yourself, it’s going to help everybody. It’s not going to help just you it’s going to help everybody else that is in need of your words what you’ve been through. And I know there are a lot of people that I have helped from telling my story and why I do what I do. There have been multiple people that message me or just come up to me when I’m out of the store sometimes and they’re just like, you have changed my life and hearing that makes me know that I’m doing what I need to do.
de de Cox So you’re making a difference.
Heaven Redmon Yes
de de Cox So, that ladies and gentlemen is the young girl I’ve watched at seven years old grow into the amazing Heaven Redmon who has Heavens Angel Food. You guys need to look her up. You need to know there is a need and she has seen the need, for she is the need. And I want you to follow her and I want you to understand that her philanthropy is based on her. Andre Wilson and I hope that we bring the book to a wonderful conclusion wonderful fruition of who she is and that’s going to be another book, another Rescue Me book. So, thank you guys and again, need to know Heavens Angel Food making a difference. God bless.