Creating Hope
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This week on Live in the Dream, we have got a very special guest who you probably know her from Duck Dynasty. She's a member of one of your favorite families who spend a lot of time in your living rooms and on your small screens. But she's also now the designer and founder of a very important and very special jewelry design group. It's called Laminin Designs. Missy Robertson is joining us to talk about the special mission of this group and just what's going on in

life in general. Thank you, Missy, for joining us. Thank you, Shannon, for having me. This is fun. So listen, we all know and love you from your years on our TV screens, but more recently in the last few months, I heard about this design group, this jewelry group that you have going,

And I loved the pieces just because they were beautiful. But then I found out the message and the mission behind this whole thing. So tell us a little bit about Laminate because my understanding is this isn't something you wanted to do. Right. Well, you kind of took the words out of my mouth because that is what I hope people see.

they look at the jewelry and go, wow, that is really beautiful jewelry. But then the mission behind it makes it even more beautiful. So yes, and I started this while we were also filming Duck Dynasty. So in 2016, and it was a little nutty, to say the least, a little crazy. But I just kept feeling this tug to do it. And I kept brushing it off, brushing it off like

God, I do not have time for this. I mean, seriously, look at my life. I have no time for this. And about the third time, I finally just thought, okay, I'm at least going to investigate and see what it would take to make this happen. And even when we started this whole process,

The ladies that I hire right now and employ now are not the ladies that I envisioned working. I really just thought it would be kind of a little fun side gig and hire moms like me who needed to help support their families but also wanted to be with their children. So a more relaxed environment, drop off your kids at school, come to work, leave work, go get your kids and go home kind of environment because that's what I was able to do when my boys were little.

So I go to Miss Kay. I'm like, okay, we're ready to go. Do you have anybody? Like, who do you know, like in your little group at church that you could send to me? She was like, oh, okay, let me ask. And six months.

post addicts walked into our little room there. And it was at my grandmother's old house that we kind of renovated and made this. And I thought, what? What? I'm not really sure about this. Like, Miss Kay, I trust her. And she said, well, they need a job. Mm-hmm.

Okay, it's not rocket science. It's jewelry. We can figure this out. And from those six women, it just multiplied and multiplied and blessed me in so many ways that I never saw coming. I don't have that background of post addict. I grew up in a home that never...

Never saw one drop of alcohol. I just, you know, it wasn't in my house. I don't know anything about that. So I thought, you know, I told Jace, my husband, and God, I am not equipped to handle this. And both of them said, yes, Missy, you are. Or the equipping comes when you're willing to do it. It seems often that we are called into scary, deeper waters than we think that we're ready for. Right.

But clearly there was a bigger plan, a bigger design in bringing this all together. And I think it's fascinating the name of the company, too. I think people would be really interested in. Laminin comes from a speech that I heard Louis Giglio give. Actually, he gave it years and years ago. I just saw it on YouTube.

And so I got to meet him, actually, which is another whole story, because he got to come and meet the women of laminin, too. But when I heard this speech, it just gave me chills. And what it is is he described that laminin is a protein molecule that is inside of our body, and it holds everything together. It holds our cells, our ligaments, all of the gooey stuff together together.

And there are thousands and thousands and thousands of them. And when you blow them up thousands of times under a microscope, this protein molecule is in the shape of the cross. So we took that as a sign. And also our mantra verse is Colossians 117. He is before all things. And in him, all things hold together. So he's holding this all together, not me.

The women are holding each other together. They can come to a place every day. There's no judgment because the lady sitting beside you has more problems than you. There is no condemnation from me. Where would I ever get the idea to condemn them when when Christ has not condemned me?

So we all have flaws. We all have failures. And we're all trying to get to the same place. Jesus is that place. So that looks different to different people. And right now when they walk in laminin, to them, laminin looks like forgiveness.

an easy, an easier path than what they're used to. And that's what I would like. That's the environment I want to make for them because they want to change. No one as a child, as a little girl says, I want to be a drug addict and a prostitute when I grow up. No one does that.

But they find themselves in really, really hard places. And they don't want that for their daughters either. So we're helping to break those cycles. What kind of transformation do you see, the changes you see in these women who come and work and have this safe environment? They have a skill. They're able to make a living and just be in a place that's very welcoming and just accepting. Yes, it is.

Well, when I hired the first batch of women, I hired them to make the jewelry, and I hired an office manager and a jewelry designer that did not have that background, thinking, you know, I shouldn't have someone with this background in charge of so much.

And oh, how I learned again. These, again, are women who want more for themselves as well. So my jewelry designer that designs every piece that comes out and my office manager, they are both women who have recent backgrounds of drug abuse and opioid addiction. And so they're turning their lives around. My office manager is seven years sober and my designer is two and a half years sober.

So I'm very, very proud of them. But they're all on different scales, all the women. So we have one lady that's 11 years sober all the way down to I've got one that I'm praying right now is there when I get back from this trip. And so they're all in different stages of recovery.

And the thing is, so often, you and I talked about this, that people will say, how can I help? How can I support? And you say, well, it's not a charity. But the great thing about it is, if you love jewelry and if you love shopping, you can just do that and you'll be helping the bottom line and the mission of what you all are doing. And tell us a little bit about the structure, what happens to the profits and all that.

Are there any? I mean, you may just be reinvesting everything into the business and into these women. Yes. I personally don't see any profit. Everything that comes in goes back into the business because my goal is if we make more money, we can hire more women. That is the goal. And, you know, I've thought I need to partner with other charities and maybe this is the way that I can find women who need this kind of a job and who need the second chance.

it's not hard to find they're coming to me and that's really the sad part about it and you know if people are saying how can I help and maybe it's you've already bought the jewelry great how more what's another way you can help encourage your friends around you who own businesses to take that chance on that one lady who is scared to check that box on the application that asks have you ever committed a felony or have you ever been charged

And they don't have to be scared to check that box. So my advice is take a chance. And I know sometimes that's scary, but my entire business is run by these ladies and it's becoming more and more successful every day. It's me. It brings up an interesting point is that so often people will think of conservatives and I'm not.

saying that you are conservative, but people... Oh, I'm conservative. People who are not conservative, you know, sometimes people will say, oh, well, they're pro-life, but they don't actually want to help people once they're born and they have problems. You know, you hear all the criticisms or that they don't want to associate with certain people or that they are, you know, holier than thou or too good for someone. Right.

But this is such a hands and feet to me kind of demonstration of people who say, well, I want to live out my faith. I'm not judging anyone else. And I want to make sure that people do have options to help them through a difficult point in their life and to get to the other side. Well, I'm going to be honest with you. If I could see now what I was doing and the women that I was involved with like three years ago and some of the really terrible moments that we've been through with them, it would scare me.

But looking into something that you don't really know what the outcome is going to be, that's faith. And that's just taking that one step. God, you're pulling me. I know it. I can't deny it. And I'm just going to let go and let you guide me in this. Because for some reason, you see something in me that I don't see in myself.

And the women are doing the exact same thing. They're taking a chance on structure that they've never had before, on having a boss that loves them that they've run from for their life because their mothers, most of them have been toxic to them. And I've been told from more than one of these ladies that,

I'm their mother figure, you know, and I have to be careful with that because I'm not there to solve all of their problems as a parent would want to do. But I'm there to help them. And as long as that role is there and as long as God wants to use me for that, we're going to keep trucking on. Where do you see this going and moving forward?

You know, I learned a few years ago not to limit God. Nobody saw what the circumstances and the success was going to have that he was going to do with Duck Dynasty. So I don't pray for specific things.

real specific things anymore because I don't even know what that is. It's so much bigger. God is so much bigger than what we could ever ask or imagine and he's proven that over and over and over again. So my human brain, I want it to be completely successful. All of the women stay off drugs and alcohol. We help more and more and more and more until my very last breath is what I would love. Now that may be exactly what God wants and that'll be great but if it's a different wheel...

I'm going to let go and let him do it. You have very specific, interesting names for the pieces. Now, I grew up in Tallahassee just down the road from y'all in Louisiana, and I'm going to start talking like you when I go back to my real self, which I was told I had to get rid of this accent for TV. But it feels so good to just let it out. Yes, you can say y'all. Yeah, I can. I can say y'all. And one of the earrings I have is one pair that I have, Tallahatchie.

Okay. The Yazoo River. Yes, that's in Mississippi. Yeah, I mean, I love all of the different names, too. They're so local. Those are difficult because, you know, there's a lot of jewelry. There's a lot of jewelry pieces. We have different collections all year long, different pieces in the different collections. And so that's one thing that is always challenging for the girls to come up with a name. So they'll do rivers. They'll do parishes. They'll do counties and archipelagos.

They'll do all kinds of different things. And now that Jason and I just, we bought an old historic plantation about a year and a half ago and renovated it. So they were like, oh, we're going to find plantation names in Louisiana and name them, you know, the piece after that. So they're always trying to come up with projects.

pretty names for all of the pieces and so it's fun for them. They're like, "What do you think Miss Missy?" I'm like, "Nope, that is not my job." Y'all need to just Google some kind of genre and go for it and they've done great. Like I said, they do all of the work. They do it all. Well, and you have so many different pretty stones. I mean, my main thing is earrings because I get asked a lot on what I wear on the air and I love these pieces but I've had a lot of fun wearing some of the more crazy ones off the air.

In my real life. Because, yeah, I mean, you know, some of them are very large and beautiful and fancy, which I love in my personal life. I have to limit it a little bit on TV. But you really have all kinds of things, whether somebody likes a smaller, more conservative jewelry, or they like flashier, fun pieces, bracelets, necklaces. That's another thing I had to let go because I'm not flashy.

And so I would just wear like studs every day. In fact, I wear the same pair every single day of my life. And so when they would come to me, my designer is real flashy. She loves all that stuff. And so I have to like, okay, here's the criteria. Will it sell? Mm-hmm.

Okay, great. Let's make it. So some of it is not what I would wear, but my good grief, I would be boring. My jewelry company would be boring if it was just looking at me. It was just studs or us. Studs by Laminin. That's it. Do you know the name of the pair you have on? I will go Google it later. They're really pretty. I don't. I don't. Well, listen. By the way, Laminin.com or is it Laminin Designs? It's LamininDesigns.com. Okay, because I...

I was looking at it again today because the earrings I got were a few months ago when I ordered, and we ordered several pairs. But I started looking today just to look at them, and I was like, oh, my goodness, you have all of this new, beautiful, fun stuff. So how often are you changing things? Okay, well, we have four big collections, of course, with the seasons of the year. But then we also do different promotions. So like the necklace I have on right now, I'm going to have to brag on my daughter. I love it. Because she went in with our designer and made this. And so this is the daughter necklace. And Daughters Day is August 11th.

And so it's just a very small white druzy because Mia likes the – because she's 15. Oh, the hibiscus earrings. The hibiscus earrings are just the right amount. What a neat name. See, the girls do so well. Just the right amount of sass and sizzle. It's still neutral. That's what I was saying. They would go with everything. They're very pretty. Go on the website right now and check them out, hibiscus. They're gold and have a little fringe as well. Yes, that's right. But you could wear them with a lot of things.

lot of things. Yes. She's got the daughter necklace on. Yes. And so Mia just loves doing all this. She wants to make all these for her friends. So I was like, why don't we take this opportunity and let you do your own? And so and then we do things for different charities. We will give like so last month was Cleft Awareness Month. And my daughter Mia was born with a cleft.

And so July, we were just all about donating for certain pieces to the Mia Moo Fund. And that fund helps other children, not mine, here in America. So we love to collaborate with charities, make special exclusive pieces for charities, and then promote that we will give a certain amount of money to that charity with each sale. That's wonderful. Another great way to serve through this company. Now, see, now I'm getting super distracted because different pieces are coming out. Yeah.

It's so hard because they're beautiful. Oh, those will look good on you, Lil Will. Very pretty. Okay, these are called the Blue Jade Vine. I wish we could show people. You can't see them on podcasts. But I would say to people, I mean, there are all different colors and styles. There's really something for everybody. If you're interested in helping out, I mean, this is a great way to do it by shopping. Oh, wait, wait. We do have some studs. I told you. These are Missy's favorites. Yes, yes, yes. All right, what are those called? They're very pretty, too.

I don't know how you say that. Uh-oh. Frangipani? I don't even know. Frangipani? Frangipani? I don't know. It's a flower. Yeah. So this must be a flower collection because we're getting some of these beautiful. This is flower time. Yes. Beautiful. So not that you have any time, but what is life like for you now outside of...

Lamina, is that your primary focus? It is. It is right now. So, again, we just transformed an old plantation house and we brought it up today, which I love. So it's a bed and breakfast. It's a wedding venue. It's a party place. Yes, you have to come visit. And it's right on the Ouachita River in our hometown. And so the selling point to that was I told Jace on the map, I was like, look, right across the river is your dad's land. He was like, wait, what?

So it's like I can be hunting in like five minutes. My husband would be like, I don't even have to leave the porch. I could be on the porch looking across the river. I see the deer moving.

Although he's an archery hunter, so he has a little bit of a more limited reach. Oh, yeah. That's true. Yes. But see, that makes men happy. Uh-huh. They have their land roll close to their... It is. Very good selling point on your... Yes. And he's treasure hunting these days and finding all kinds of rare finds because there was the military buttons and all kinds of things. So he's loving that. But he has his own podcast called Unashamed, and it's done really well. Him and his dad, Phil. So...

You know, we're always open. We're at a place in our life where we can be open to new things. And it seems to be coming our way. So we're going to have to, again, start making those decisions that we just want to make sure that we glorify God in everything that we do. And it also benefits our family in a way that keeps us together. So sometimes those are not easy to spot.

And you have to investigate a little further. But I'm proud of my kiddos, what they're doing and how they are. And I mean, you know, it's just a it's a it's a blessed life, really. I have to ask you, because you were kind enough to read my book, Finding the Bright Side. And we were sort of chuckling about how we both had these super strict childhood. You didn't even know what Footloose was. I wasn't allowed to watch it, but we did sneak a VHS copy and watch it.

But I grew up in Footloose and you're like, I didn't know I grew up in Footloose because I wasn't even allowed to see Footloose. I wasn't allowed to watch it, yeah. Now, how does that translate for you into your own family? I mean, because now I feel like kids are bombarded all the time with technology and, you know, billboards where you feel like you have to cover their eyes. Right. I mean, the world is

all over them all the time. Well, you know, Dynasty, it's like it fried my brain basically those five years, you know, because it was so crazy. And so it's kind of like my life before that was normal and boring and routine. And then all of a sudden it's like, wait, what just happened? You know, and so my children were raised with all of that. And Mia is 15. And so I know, I know. And we've gone through some challenges with her. And she understands we've talked about this.

But I had to take her phone away. Our daddy had to take her phone away because of all of this that goes on. So much garbage. Yes, there is. And so they're not old enough to be able to understand how to discern and make those decisions. And so that has been challenging because I was raised...

in a very strict environment with a lot of rules. Jace was raised in, there are no rules until we need to give you one, until you give us a reason to give you one. I mean, his parents basically, he was the last of six and the rule was just be in your bed alive when we wake up in the morning. Well,

It was the opposite of mine. It was very survival. Survival of the fittest. But Jace's rule, even with our kids, and I had to kind of make sure because I'm routine. I want to plan. I have a list and all of that. And Jace was like, what's going on? Just point me in the right direction. Tell me where to go. He's so selfish.

And so, again, opposites, you know. But his deal is when, even when, you know, other kids would come over, he was like, as long as it's not immoral or illegal, you're okay. I'm like, wait, wait, I need more than that. There's a lot of gray area out there. I know. I grew up in a very black and white household. There wasn't all this room for gray. Yes, that's right. So it's been, you know, challenging with the parenting skills and trying to be cohesive with that. But, again, we're both very intentional with our kids. Mm-hmm.

Not that we didn't make mistakes at all. We're flawed and we've apologized to our firstborn many times, especially recently. Like, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I did that. But we thought we were doing the best that we could do. So intentionality is just basically our big thing. We try as hard as we can and we give as much grace as we possibly can. And growing up the way that I did, I don't know about you, but that was something I sort of had to learn.

Because it was, you know, there wasn't a lot of room for error. And so the older I got, and my parents certainly have chilled quite a bit. And they kept me, you know, my mom says to me now, like, what did you do then that I didn't know about? And I'm like, I wasn't out robbing banks or anything. You know, like I wasn't doing anything terrible. I was like sneaking to McDonald's after youth group and not telling you. You know, like those are my big mortal sins that I was doing. Because I was a rule follower.

I really didn't give my parents any reason to not trust me other than I did sneak and watch Dirty Dancing in our chapel at school. So, yes, we put it on the big screen. Can you believe we did that? And you didn't get struck by lightning? No, we didn't. We did it like two or three times once we realized we got away with it. So, yeah, Dirty Dancing is one of my favorite movies of all time.

But no, all of the songs, everything. Yeah. But I understand. Absolutely. I still am a real follower. Definitely. Well, me too. I've had to weave in some grace along the way. Yes. And we thank you for what you're doing and the way you're trying to live out life and serving others and really helping just to, you know, in a way that you didn't have to, but you felt called to. And then it's really making a difference in real people's lives every single day. Yes.

Laminate jewelry. It's beautiful. You will not feel like you're doing a charity thing. You'll just feel like you're having fun shopping. There you go. And you're supporting a great cause. Missy Robertson, thank you for dropping in. Thank you, Shannon. Thank you. From the Fox News Podcasts Network, subscribe and listen to the Trey Gowdy Podcast. Former federal prosecutor and four-term U.S. congressman from South Carolina brings you a one-of-a-kind podcast. Subscribe and listen now by going to foxnewspodcasts.com.