GO PLAY - Trista's PL8STORY Podcast Plate 37 with guest Amber, a JeepHER from Southern MO

GO PLAY

[00:00:00] TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:00:00] Welcome to this week's episode of Trista's PL8STORY   (Plate Story)   Podcast. I'm Trista Polo from iwokeupawesome.com and I am your host. Each week, we learn the story behind that vanity plate. You know, the one you saw driving down the road... what did it say? What did it mean? Why did they choose it?  

This week we meet Amber from Southern, Missouri. Amber's license plate GO PLAY reflects her belief that we all need to take time to play in our busy lives. Amber is part of the Jeep community, which inspired her business Life Without Doors.  

Amber shares the profound impact that being part of the Jeep community has had on her life and other fun facts about herself. In the video version of this episode, we share some of her wonderful live concert photography of bands like Green Day and Linkin park. All right, let's go off road with Amber.  

[00:01:00] Welcome to this week's episode of Trista's PL8STORY podcast. Today I have Amber from Southern Missouri. Her license plate is GO PLAY and   I'm excited to speak to you today, Amber. Welcome.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:01:13] Thank you. Appreciate it.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:01:14] Okay. Yeah, it's great to have you. So GO PLAY - now that's on your Jeep, right?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:01:18] It is.

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:01:19] You're a Jeep girl.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:01:20] I am a Jeep girl.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:01:22] That's awesome. So tell me the story about the plate. Okay.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:01:25] So, late 2017, I traded in my, Dodge Charger for a Jeep. It was a life change I wasn't expecting, and it's been one of the most wonderful things I've done. At the time, I was kind of really focused on my career and didn't take enough time out of life to go play.

And so, when I bought the Jeep, I met a lot of people that really changed my life. They helped me build it and empowered me and they got me off road and kind of taught me how to live again [00:02:00] and believe in people again

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:02:02] .Wow. I love that. And all from a choice of choosing a different kind of vehicle, because the Jeep has a personality, it of its own, right? And I noticed that people tend to do a lot of modifications, a lot of personalization. And so have you done any of that with your Jeep?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:02:22] I have, and it was, one when I spoke about empowering, that's kind of where I was at because, when I bought, I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I just thought I was going to leave it stock.

And then I met people and it went down a rabbit hole and it all started with replacing my front bumper by myself. And I had, you know, a lot of people that helped me, they coached me, they taught me, they didn't do it for me.  

So as a woman who had never even thought about working at a vehicle, [00:03:00] it was really a life changing experience. And, again, it, it taught me that there's still good people out there. And they're willing to help you learn and not try to keep you down.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:03:11] So it sounds like you had kind of a transformation in your belief in others and maybe even your circumstances. Can you talk a little bit more about what led you to that point?

AMBER MILLER: [00:03:24] Yeah, I mean, I had a lot going on. I wasn't in the best frame of mind, I suppose, kind of maybe a dark place. Yeah, really focused on my career. My boyfriend and my youngest son lived three hours away from me at the time, and now I'm back with them. But, it just, I wasn't in a good place, mentally, I suppose.

And I mean to put it out there, I suppose, at some point I really believed that I was never even going to make the first payment on it. So I was in a [00:04:00] dark place.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:04:01] I got it. And so just by making a leap of faith and then allowing things to unfold and allowing the community to make a difference for you, it really changed things for you and turned things around for you, it sounds like.

AMBER MILLER: [00:04:15] It did. It really did.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:04:19] That's awesome. I love that. So, does your Jeep have a name?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:04:24] It does, its name is plum crazy.

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:04:27] Plum. Crazy. I love it.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:04:30] Yeah,  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:04:31] that's great.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:04:32] Most people, they're not sure whether it's the Jeep or the driver.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:04:37] Right? Well, typically, Jeep drivers do name your Jeeps, right? I mean, that's a typical thing.

And then you made a lot of modifications, it sounds like as well. Is your, is your Jeep purple? It is right. Yeah. Yeah, that's a great name. And I love the meaning behind the license plate. It's so true. You know, we really just work to live a lot of times [00:05:00] and we sort of forget that it's not just about the paycheck.

It's not just about making a living. It's actually about making a life. Yeah. And so what is it that you do professionally?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:05:11] well, I used to be in senior management and accounting. I have, when I moved down South, I kind of put my career away and took a position that I didn't particularly care for.

And then kind of last summer, I started developing products for Jeeps and, I have started my own business called Life Without Doors.

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:05:38] I love it. So let's talk about that. So what exactly is it that you offer, for Jeep customization?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:05:45] Jeep people, we love to not have doors on right? Doors and tops. We don't want them, we want to be naked.

I generally run commando, which means I have my top on, but not my doors.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:05:58] Okay.  

[00:06:00] AMBER MILLER: [00:05:59] So, I have a pulled muscle in my right arm that has never healed. And so the doors are very difficult for me to handle. And so last summer I was like, there has to be a product out there to just cover the door openings and there's not. There wasn't, I couldn't find it. I scoured the internet and it just didn't exist. So I set out to create it. I have done that.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:06:30] When you say something to replace the door, you've taken the door off, but you want to cover it back up, but without the door?

AMBER MILLER: [00:06:36] Yes.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:06:37] Okay. And is it canvas or plastic? What's it made of,  

AMBER MILLER: [00:06:41] it's a polyester ripstop that, has a coating on both sides, making it waterproof.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:06:48] Wow. That's so cool. And it sounds lightweight as well.

AMBER MILLER: [00:06:51] It's very lightweight and easy to put on in an emergency. I mean, I have sat at my office and watched it downpour [00:07:00] and there was no chance of rain that day.

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:07:05] So you have to have something quick, light and portable to be able to handle that kind of situation. It sounds like. Yeah.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:07:12] Yeah. That's what I did.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:07:14] Wow. I love that. Well, what do they say that necessity is the mother of invention.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:07:19] Yes, exactly.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:07:21] And is that the only product you offer at life without doors?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:07:24] No. I also offer dash covers, one that covers the steering wheel to protect the clock spring. And one that covers the center of the dash for the stereo, because many of the older models, they are not, they don't have more Marine grade stereos in them. So they, when they get wet, they fry.

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:07:44] Oh, right. Cause you want to be able to have an all weather vehicle probably inside and out. Yeah. Yeah. So you said commando, which I think of that, meaning something else.

So that's a Jeep term for having the top line and the doors off. [00:08:00] What are some other common terms to refer to ways that you might use your Jeep?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:08:05] well, like I mentioned going naked,  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:08:09] that also means something different to me.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:08:12] Yeah. And so that's without the tops and doors, there's, there's all kinds of things that, jeepers say, like even some people take it way too seriously, but you know, if you've got your Jeep built a certain way, they'll call you a mall crawler.

instead of, you know, an off-roader or a rock crawler, the XJ owners, which are the Cherokees, they're now lovingly called boxes and dumpster buyers. So, yeah, there's a lot out there.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:08:51] That's great. And it is really very tight knit community, even beyond your local area, right? Like this is a [00:09:00] community of empowerment of female power and being able to own both the road and the off-road it seems like, yes. Yeah.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:09:11] Couple of national women's groups that do a very good job of doing that and supporting women, whether, whether they're they want to operate or not, but just being able to give them information too and support to do modifications that they want to, one of the biggest ones on Facebook is the JeepHERs page. And   the moderators there do a really good job of keeping out any drama and cattiness and stuff like that. And it's a great resource for information, if you're not involved with a local club.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:09:49] That's awesome. So you, yeah. Yeah. So you really have the opportunity to plug into something that's well established   and very loving, I think is the word I would use.

What, what are some [00:10:00] of your favorite adventures since you've purchased it?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:10:05] Well, I'll tell you my first adventure. I had less than 200 miles on it and had it less than 36 hours and took it to an offroad park. And first obstacle of the day I popped a tire.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:10:20] Oh, no.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:10:23] So this, this really is where I fell in love with the Jeep community, because not only did they help me change that tire on the trail and teach me how to do that on the trails. But we went in for lunch and I have four people offer me replacement tires.

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:10:43] Wow.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:10:44] So it really is a family and, they take care of each other, but, yeah, I have done things in that Jeep that I never thought possible.  

And it's putting a lot of trust into a vehicle and [00:11:00] also yourself, especially operating. And then you also have to trust the people who are on the trails with you to guide you through obstacles that are challenging.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:11:13] Well, it sounds like you're allowing yourself an opportunity to expand your own self reliance as well as your trust in others. Yes. Yeah. And I think those are both really important to have. so I think that's wonderful that it's all afforded you that and so much so that you've actually taken it on as a profession.

Yes. Well, yay.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:11:37] Yeah. I work with a couple people and ended up a couple of different women's programs to also promote women out on the trails with a club up in Kansas city, the Midwest Crawlers, we run an event every year that is called the Sunflower Trail Ride, which is a celebration of women on the trails.

I, I still want to continue to [00:12:00] pass on what has been given to me.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:12:03] Yeah. Yeah. I love that . So other than clearly being a very active member of the Jeep community and the Jeep women's community, what else do you enjoy doing for fun?

AMBER MILLER: [00:12:14] Well, given our current situations, we don't have a lot of options. but, my boyfriend and I go out every night and shoot a couple of rounds of horseshoes and that, you know, at least gets you outside and spend some quality time.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:12:30] Oh, that's fun. Yeah. Do you, you said you have children, do they participate as well in the horseshoe games?

AMBER MILLER: [00:12:37] No. No,  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:12:39] How about the Jeepin'. Do they participate in that at all?

AMBER MILLER: [00:12:41] No, my oldest boy, he's gone with me once and he enjoyed it. My youngest boy has gone once and he did not.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:12:48] Oh, well, what do you think it is about the experience that has you either love it or hate it? What do you expect when you go out on an excursion?

AMBER MILLER: [00:12:57] I think that you really [00:13:00] have to enjoy being outdoors and around people. You have to be open minded to all of it.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:13:08] No matter what the weather, it sounds like. Yes. Yes. Now you had a previous, profession of concert photographer, right?

AMBER MILLER: [00:13:19] Yes.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:13:19] So tell me some of your favorite concerts that you were a photographer at.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:13:25] Oh, my, all of them. yeah, I, I supported both local and national, acts. I think one of the coolest bands, probably the biggest band I ever shot was Green Day. But I mean, I've got so much memorabilia sitting here and just this office that, is, is amazing here. Actually, I'm going to pull something.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:13:49] Yeah, yeah. Show me.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:13:53] I don't know if you can see this, but this is a photo. I took of Dave Grohl.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:13:57] Wow. You took that photo. That's [00:14:00] amazing. It's a good shot. Pull it back a little so I can see the whole thing.

Yeah, that's awesome. I love it. With all the, was that a staged photo or was that at a concert?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:14:12] It was at a concert. And it was when he broke his leg, so they had him in a thrown.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:14:20] Yes. A throne of guitars.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:14:24] And the thing behind me is also concert photos. And, you know, I have, I have images of people who are no longer with us, like Chris Cornell from Soundgarden and Chester Bennington from Lincoln park. And. So some of that stuff, if you look at it and you go, I can't believe I got that experience and for sure be able to treasure it because life's too short.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:14:54] Now, as a concert photographer, did you have backstage access?

AMBER MILLER: [00:14:58] So with concert photography, [00:15:00] you generally get to shoot three songs and then you have to get out of the photo pit. And the photo pit is the barricade that keeps the crowd back and to the stage. So we were generally in with security for the first three songs.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:15:17] Wow. That's so cool. So what, what did you like best about that experience?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:15:22] It was exhilarating, In a time where there wasn't much that made me feel alive being in the pit and getting those shots and being with the few friends that I had was one of the things that just kind of kept me going and to be that close to the artist, especially when they interact with you is one of the coolest things ever for sure.

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:15:47] Wow. What made you stop doing it?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:15:50] well, I moved three hours away from the nearest venue that made good sized concerts and it was actually quite good timing. [00:16:00] Cause now there's no concerts at all.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:16:02] Oh, that's true. Well, the nice thing about being a concert photographer, it sounds like is you can pick it back up if you ever want to.

  So that's great. Awesome. Well, is there anything else that you'd like to share about the jeeping community or, anything else about you that you'd like us to know?

AMBER MILLER: [00:16:20] no. I mean, I'm just a humble little person right now, just trying to get a business launched and, take care of my family and still go out and go play every once in a while.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:16:33] Yes. That is good advice for everyone. I think. Make sure you spend time or make sure you take time to go play. Yes, that's good.

Awesome. Yeah. So I always like to turn the tables and see if you have a question you'd like to ask me before we wrap up.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:16:52] What do you do for fun?  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:16:54] What do I do for fun? Well, I will tell you this past [00:17:00] weekend, my family did a murder mystery over zoom.

We each took a part and, you know, we went through the whole murder mystery game and discovered who was killed and who the murderer was. So that was a lot of fun. I really do love spending time with family and friends. It's been hard not to be able to in person. but I definitely have embraced my stay at home and I will say I'm in New York.

So for awhile we were like, you know, ground zero for the whole quarantining thing. I've created a new word, which is herma-phobe. It's a hermit who is also a germaphobe and it was created from the quarantine. So I'm really trying to cure myself of that because it keeps me from doing the thing I do enjoy when I play.

Yeah.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:17:54] Have you ever been off road?  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:17:57] No, my husband is a sailor, [00:18:00] so we sail. That's about as adventurous as I get. We take my dog. Who's a working dog breed. We take her hiking in the woods on trails and stuff in, in woods and things, but I've never done off-road with a vehicle. I've just always had like normal cars that you don't take off road.

AMBER MILLER: [00:18:22] Yeah. Well, I went from fast cards to, what I'm doing now. So  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:18:27] fast cars to off-road cars, Jeeps not considered a car. Is it considered an SUV?  

AMBER MILLER: [00:18:33] It's a Jeep.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:18:34] It's an Oh, okay. So it's its own category. Oh my goodness. I feel like I just crossed a line right there. Yeah.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:18:42] Yeah. It's it. We joke about it a lot. I mean, if somebody calls a Jeep, a car they're immediately corrected it's a Jeep.

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:18:51] got it.

Okay, good. Well, thank goodness. I learned that lesson. I won't make that mistake again. Oh my goodness. [00:19:00] You know, I do really love how that community, the Jeep community is so connected. I had my first JeepHER on the show, LOVE PIGS was her plate.

And so I've just been curious and interested in the Jeep community since then, because she shared a little bit.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:19:18] Yeah. And I don't think a lot of people realize, how much community service the community also does. You know, through the quarantine, you know, doing parades for graduates or nursing homes or the hospitals and getting out there and doing highway cleanups and you know, anything they can, both on and off road here, they do trail cleanups at the parks. The community is just so awesome and it's truly amazing to see them work together, on a lot of things and build more community.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:19:57] I didn't realize that there was so much [00:20:00] service and contribution inside of the community.

It doesn't surprise me, but, but that sounds great. That's another facet of the community wasn't aware of.  

AMBER MILLER: [00:20:08] I know one of the groups that I'm in, in Kansas city, the Midwest Crawlers, they recently participated in a, a huge, Memorial run for officer Mosher, who was killed in the line of duty. And so there's a lot of Back the Blue in there and, it's just really neat.

And when you get involved with those types of things, it can become very overwhelming emotionally, but in a good way.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:20:38] Wonderful. Well, thank you so much. It's been wonderful having you and, I really appreciate you sharing the Jeep community through your eyes and how it really made such a difference for you. And I'm so glad that it did.

AMBER MILLER: [00:20:51] I appreciate the opportunity and your time that you took with me to hear my story. And so thank you very much.  

TRISTA POLO, HOST: [00:20:59] Thank you so much for [00:21:00] sharing it. I really appreciate you sharing a little of yourself with us.

You're welcome. Have a great day. All right. You as well.  

Trista, Host: [00:21:07] Thank you for joining us for this week's episode of Trista's PL8STORY podcast. Please subscribe to Trista's PL8STORY podcast to get the story behind all those vanity plates, driving with you on the road. And if you would like to nominate the owner of a license plate, including you... Or visit any of our partners and sponsors come and see us www.pl8story.com. That's P L number eight story.com and give us the details.  

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a review and give us a share. I'm Trista Polo wishing you well on the road to your next adventure.