Inspired by Roy Warner; Written by Shantelle Dedicke
This past August, my life shifted irreversibly with the passing of my grandfather, Roy Warner. To my family, he was Papaw—a steady presence and a man with the world’s best smile. He was also the Roy in Frances Roy, the namesake of our agency and the bedrock of the values that guide our work. As I recorded the latest episode of Hello Frances, I confronted a truth that had quietly taken hold in my heart: there is no going back. Life, as it once was, had changed.
In the episode, “Let it Change You: The Fight Against Normal,” I discuss the resistance we often feel toward change, our instinct to cling to the familiar, and the discomfort accompanying transformation. But what I was truly grappling with was the profound personal change that loss brings. My Papaw’s passing made me realize that change is not merely something to be managed—it shapes us, often in ways we cannot anticipate.
Papaw’s legacy, however, has always been about more than just family memories. His values live on in the very core of Frances Roy, embedded in every decision we make, every story we tell, and every relationship we cultivate. He taught me that doing what is right, even when difficult, is non-negotiable. Authenticity is not just a value but a way of life. And that there is no shortcut to true success—only hard work, honesty, and integrity. These are the principles that Frances Roy stands on, and they are the principles that will continue to guide us, now more than ever.
The episode became a space for me to explore the necessity of embracing change and the personal reckoning that comes when life pulls you in a direction you didn’t choose. In business, as in life, we tend to resist anything that disrupts our rhythm. We seek normalcy as a form of stability, something to hold onto in uncertain times. But I have come to realize that normal is not the goal. Change, and how we navigate it, is where growth happens. In the unfamiliar—where we are tested—we discover new strengths, new capacities for resilience, and new ways of being.
Papaw understood this intuitively. He lived a life built on the courage to embrace the unknown, to work through the challenges, and to let change guide him to something greater. His hands, which once built homes and created beautiful things, also built a life founded on anything but ordinary values. His legacy is woven into every fiber of Frances Roy, into how we serve our clients, honor our commitments, and continuously strive to do the right thing, even when it is the hardest thing.
Reflecting on his life and recording this episode, I realized that the fight against average is not a struggle against change but a call to embrace it. The notion of “normal” is often a construct of comfort, something we hold onto when the future seems uncertain. But Papaw’s passing reminded me that there is strength in stepping away from what is familiar, in allowing ourselves to be reshaped by the moments that challenge us the most. In business and in life, it is this openness to change that leads to real transformation.
I hope listeners will take away the same lessons that Papaw imparted to me: that there is no shortcut to authenticity, that change is not to be feared but embraced, and that we honor those we’ve lost by carrying forward the values they instilled in us. This is how we keep their legacies alive—by living and working with the same principles, continuing to strive for something better, and never settling for what is simply “normal.”
You can listen to the full episode on our website or through your favorite podcast platform. I hope it offers you the same clarity and strength it brought me and that you, too, will find the courage to embrace change and let it transform you.
