WEBVTT - Author Snack Series: Meaghan Murphy

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<v Speaker 1>What's Her Story with Sam and Amy presents our author

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<v Speaker 1>Snack series, where we share the story of one author

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<v Speaker 1>and one book in less time than it takes to

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<v Speaker 1>finish your snack. Megan Murphy is an editor in chief

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<v Speaker 1>of Woman's Day magazine and the author of Your Fully

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<v Speaker 1>Charged Life, a radically simple approach to having endless energy

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<v Speaker 1>and filling every day with you. What made you write

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<v Speaker 1>this book? It's like a culmination, probably of twenty five

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<v Speaker 1>years of using myself as a guinea pig and road

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<v Speaker 1>testing happiness strategies on myself to ultimately live in a

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<v Speaker 1>way that's fully charged, but would actually lit the fire

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<v Speaker 1>to put pen to paper and actually physically write the book.

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<v Speaker 1>Was was my dad's pancreatic cancer dice. He was diagnosed

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<v Speaker 1>with stagewar pancreatic cancer, wasn't looking good and I had

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<v Speaker 1>gone to chemo with him one day um And in

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<v Speaker 1>that moment I was like, Dad, I'm not giving up.

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<v Speaker 1>I love you, but how do you want to remember

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<v Speaker 1>be remembered? What do you want your legacy to be?

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<v Speaker 1>And in asking him that, it also gave me pause

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<v Speaker 1>to ask myself the same question. And when I did,

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<v Speaker 1>I realized that I wanted to be remembered for a

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<v Speaker 1>legacy of positive energy, because I'm somebody who started out

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<v Speaker 1>nicknamed Neggie, had really tumultuous teen years, was hospitalized for

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<v Speaker 1>needing disorder, my best friend committed suicide. I struggled, and

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<v Speaker 1>I have trained very hard to live with optimism and

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<v Speaker 1>joy and grit and grace. And I knew the tools

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<v Speaker 1>that work for me would work for other people, and

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<v Speaker 1>I wanted to share those things. Going back to earlier

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<v Speaker 1>in your life, when you struggled with interexty, when you

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<v Speaker 1>lost your best friend when you were a teenager, you've

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<v Speaker 1>also said that you started life out as a ground. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm I'm inherently negative. My negative tivity bias and all

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<v Speaker 1>of our negative civity biases is strong. But I was

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<v Speaker 1>programmed for negativity. I mean I was glass half empty.

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<v Speaker 1>Now I realized the glasses refillable, but that took years,

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<v Speaker 1>and it was just my disposition. I had a loving home,

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<v Speaker 1>a loving middle class home, a really nice life, but

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<v Speaker 1>everything was doom and gloom. It was just how I

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<v Speaker 1>was wired. And it took work. It took a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of work to actually retrain my brain and to learn

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<v Speaker 1>to live differently. But I didn't have to work hard,

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<v Speaker 1>and I don't have to work hard to be negative now, right.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean it's easy to slip into those habits because

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<v Speaker 1>I am privately programmed for negativity, as are most of us.

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<v Speaker 1>Right now, we hear so much about toxic positivity. Is

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<v Speaker 1>that something you've been accused of? How do you manage

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<v Speaker 1>those kind of naysayers? I actually love the naysayers, right,

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<v Speaker 1>I high five the haters. It's part of my m oh.

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<v Speaker 1>But I do laugh about this because, like, if you

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<v Speaker 1>want to ask my neighbor from Ascot Lane Haul of

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<v Speaker 1>Crouse about little Megan beu Can, I used to sit

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<v Speaker 1>on the corner and stick my tongue out at people

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<v Speaker 1>like That's that was the pastime. I would sit on

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<v Speaker 1>the corner and stick my tongue out at anybody who

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<v Speaker 1>drove by. So Paula Krauss has delighted in my transformation.

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<v Speaker 1>What is the first person to be like, Oh, no, no, no, no,

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<v Speaker 1>she was a pain in the past. She was a negative,

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<v Speaker 1>nasty little kid. And so I laugh about it. But

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<v Speaker 1>I think the real distinction is, and it's so important

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<v Speaker 1>for people to understand, is toxic positivity only looks on

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<v Speaker 1>the bright side. It's those bs platitudes like don't worry,

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<v Speaker 1>be happy, you know, good vibes only. The truth is

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<v Speaker 1>it's good vibes mostly, and it's having a tool kit

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<v Speaker 1>to be able to rise the stuff that sucks, because

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<v Speaker 1>there's a lot of stuff that sucks. Absolutely recognize it,

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<v Speaker 1>process it, but have fully charged toolkit to handle it

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<v Speaker 1>and then move onward. That's the difference. There are mornings

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<v Speaker 1>when I wake up and I don't want to get

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<v Speaker 1>out of bed. I'm really struggling, right, there's so much

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<v Speaker 1>negativity being blasted at me. The difference now is I

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<v Speaker 1>understand there are things I can do to move the

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<v Speaker 1>happiness needle, and I use those tools on a daily basis.

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<v Speaker 1>I am absolutely not somebody who will ever like those

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<v Speaker 1>platitudes kill me. Good vibes only is like the most

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<v Speaker 1>disgusting phrase on the universe. Do not ignore those bad feelings,

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<v Speaker 1>express them, share them, get them out. But the key

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<v Speaker 1>is onward. What is the most important tool to you?

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<v Speaker 1>So it's interesting and I love this because the tools

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<v Speaker 1>I love when readers are like this work for me,

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<v Speaker 1>that work for me, because it's always surprising what works

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<v Speaker 1>for other people. And you never really know what your

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<v Speaker 1>secret sauce is going to be. I think one of

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<v Speaker 1>the most important tools in my tool kit is gratitude.

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<v Speaker 1>I believe having an attitude of gratitude, making a gratitude

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<v Speaker 1>adjustment is one of the keys to life. If you

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<v Speaker 1>found a truly grateful person, that person would be happy.

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<v Speaker 1>There's no such thing as a miserable grateful person because

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<v Speaker 1>when you pause and appreciate the good in your life

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<v Speaker 1>and the good in the world, you function differently. And

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<v Speaker 1>so for me, it took me a while to actually

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<v Speaker 1>adopt a gratitude practice because when I looked at those

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<v Speaker 1>traditional methods of practicing gratitude, like I can't keep a

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<v Speaker 1>gratitude journal, like that is homework. I have three kids,

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<v Speaker 1>I with math, that's like carry the one. I do

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<v Speaker 1>enough homework, right, Like, I don't want anything that feels homeworking.

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<v Speaker 1>And so I couldn't do it. And so I had

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<v Speaker 1>to trick myself into adopting a gratitude practice. And it

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<v Speaker 1>was truly transformational for me. And it goes back to

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<v Speaker 1>my dad's pancreatic cancer diagnosis. It was a very pivotal

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<v Speaker 1>transitional moment in my life where again, I was like,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't want to get out of bed. I know

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<v Speaker 1>from the work of Dr Martin Seligman and the Permit

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<v Speaker 1>theory of wellness that gratitude is something that if I

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<v Speaker 1>can harness it, it's gonna help me get out of

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<v Speaker 1>bed and it's gonna help me move through these really

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<v Speaker 1>crappy times with great and grace. And so I knew

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<v Speaker 1>I had to adopt a gratitude practice, but I needed

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<v Speaker 1>to hack it. I needed to fund filter it so

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<v Speaker 1>that I would actually do it. And that's when I

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<v Speaker 1>started something called Operation Good Grief, which was this active

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<v Speaker 1>and conscious thing that every day I would look for

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<v Speaker 1>something that didn't suck. And when I say didn't suck,

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<v Speaker 1>because that's how it started, like I really didn't want

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<v Speaker 1>to get out of bed, and I had three little kids,

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<v Speaker 1>and I knew I had to learn how to function.

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<v Speaker 1>So it would be this process of like, what doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>suck today? And it would be daffodils, Oh my god,

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<v Speaker 1>the daffodils at the end of my little walk finally bloomed,

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<v Speaker 1>or it'd be a really killer workout tank that said

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<v Speaker 1>you're stronger than you think you are, that powered me

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<v Speaker 1>through the day. I would take a picture of it

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<v Speaker 1>and capture it. I would share it on social media

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<v Speaker 1>because guess what, sharing that those good things makes them

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<v Speaker 1>even stickier. And I kept that up for two years

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<v Speaker 1>even after my dad passed, and I began to more

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<v Speaker 1>automatically see good things, not just things that didn't suck,

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<v Speaker 1>but good things. And what I was really doing at

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<v Speaker 1>my core was practicing gratitude and developing a gratitude practice.

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<v Speaker 1>And when I moved through the darkest parts of my grief,

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<v Speaker 1>I reframed it a bit. I started calling it finding

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<v Speaker 1>the YA and I started creating a Y list every

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<v Speaker 1>day and it was what makes me say yea today?

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<v Speaker 1>And I would find five, ten, fifteen things because I

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<v Speaker 1>was rewiring my brain for gratitude. And I adopted with

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<v Speaker 1>my kids. So when we sit at dinner every night,

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<v Speaker 1>what made you say ye today? Before I took them

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<v Speaker 1>in got any more years? Like what were your yeused today?

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<v Speaker 1>And it's a fun, filtered, easy way to adopt a

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<v Speaker 1>gratitude practice. And the scientific benefits of practicing gratitude having

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<v Speaker 1>a grateful art or undeniable I mean, it's everything from

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<v Speaker 1>managing stress um to having better health outcomes, being more

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<v Speaker 1>likely to exercise and eat right. I mean, gratitude is

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<v Speaker 1>legitimately the secret sauce. And I feel like we only

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<v Speaker 1>talked about it at Thanksgiving, right, But like, gratitude is important,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think it's the greatest tool in my tool kit,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'm very proud and grateful to practice it with

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<v Speaker 1>so much ease. Right now? What is the trick? Obviously

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<v Speaker 1>in your own home, Like, you have three kids, three

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<v Speaker 1>different personalities. I imagine when you see glimpses of Megan's

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<v Speaker 1>childhood personality in any of them, in terms of the

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<v Speaker 1>negativity or the grumpiness, how do you manage that? It's

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<v Speaker 1>interesting because I think my youngest son is totally a grump.

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<v Speaker 1>So we do the Okay, you can tell me something bad,

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<v Speaker 1>but you have to tell me two good things first.

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<v Speaker 1>And so he's still actively looking for good things to

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<v Speaker 1>share with me because he knows he can't complain and

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<v Speaker 1>he can't share the hassles until he had he gives

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<v Speaker 1>me two good things, and so he's he's learned. It's

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<v Speaker 1>funny because I've seen this transformation. So he is still

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<v Speaker 1>he's allowed to see the crap, but we're sandwiching it

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<v Speaker 1>with the good stuff. And so he's actively finding that

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<v Speaker 1>good stuff, you know, and listen, my daughter rolls her

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<v Speaker 1>eyes at me, but this has been the way they've

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<v Speaker 1>grown up. So as much as she rolls her eyes

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<v Speaker 1>at me, when I get a glimpse of her doing

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<v Speaker 1>something with her friends where she's she's like okay, well

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<v Speaker 1>that makes me say yay, or she's she's doing parodying

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<v Speaker 1>or echoing a little bit about what we do at home,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm like, uh huh. I don't point it out, but

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<v Speaker 1>I'm like, yes, mom, when do you do this with

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<v Speaker 1>your friends? You know? It's funny. My husband is like,

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<v Speaker 1>there doesn't always have to be a life lesson. You

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<v Speaker 1>don't always have to coach everybody. You don't always you know,

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<v Speaker 1>like have to have these deep and meaningful interactions. But

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<v Speaker 1>I can't always help it. And I think the funny

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<v Speaker 1>thing is good energy is so contagious, and so I

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<v Speaker 1>do approach life with so much optimism and joy that

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<v Speaker 1>I bring that out of people naturally. It's not that

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<v Speaker 1>we don't also have, you know, a cry session or

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<v Speaker 1>a bitch fest, but but it always comes full circle

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<v Speaker 1>where it's like, okay, but not everything sucks. Let's talk

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<v Speaker 1>about your good hair day, right, and now a quick break.

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<v Speaker 1>Did your husband know you before the transformation or only

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<v Speaker 1>post transformation? Now, so, my husband is my brother's best friend.

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<v Speaker 1>So we've known each other since second grade. But I'm

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<v Speaker 1>four years older. So growing up it was like you,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm in eighth grade and you're in fourth grade. Clearly

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<v Speaker 1>we're not making out. You know, I'm a senior, you're

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<v Speaker 1>a freshman in high school. Gross. We even went to

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<v Speaker 1>the same college and my brother and him lived across

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<v Speaker 1>the street. We didn't get together, and I had set

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<v Speaker 1>him up, like I would be he's the best guy.

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<v Speaker 1>I would try to like find him a date. It

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't until we were both living in Hoboken years later

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<v Speaker 1>and my brother would have us over for Sunday dinner

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<v Speaker 1>that I was like, oh, we were reading the same book.

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<v Speaker 1>He was reading a Little Million Little Pieces by James

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<v Speaker 1>Fry and I was reading the same book. And I

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<v Speaker 1>was like, he reads, he's like hot all kind and

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<v Speaker 1>he reads. It was like I was like swooning, and

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<v Speaker 1>I called my sister. I remember like leaving my brothers

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<v Speaker 1>and like pet Murphy reads and it was like, Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>get it together, don't you dare that's Kevin's best friend.

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<v Speaker 1>And then the next dinner, he also used a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of salt, and I did never wanted to be judged

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<v Speaker 1>for my salt intake and I have low blood pressure,

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<v Speaker 1>so suck it. But he also used a lot of salt,

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<v Speaker 1>and I realized I would never be judged for my

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<v Speaker 1>salt intake. And I was smitten. I was absolutely smitt

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<v Speaker 1>And ultimately we like, We're out to dinner with my

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<v Speaker 1>brother and a bunch of their friends, and I put

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<v Speaker 1>my hand on his thigh under the table and that

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<v Speaker 1>was it. Oh my goodness, that is super gutsy. Well, Sam,

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<v Speaker 1>I was a Cosmo editor for four years or you

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<v Speaker 1>lest you forget Helen, Curtly, Brad and Kate White, they

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<v Speaker 1>taught me, well, what did he do when you put

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<v Speaker 1>your hand on his side? Green le Go. We were

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<v Speaker 1>like making out in an a t M machine like

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<v Speaker 1>an hour later, but then we secretly date it because

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<v Speaker 1>we didn't want Basically, I was like, listen, I am

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<v Speaker 1>a former Cosmo girl, Like marriage and babies is not

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<v Speaker 1>really on my horizon, Like, let's just make sure we

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<v Speaker 1>really like each other before Kevin, my brother, like loses

0:12:29.160 --> 0:12:32.120
<v Speaker 1>his ship. So we secretly date it, which made it

0:12:32.200 --> 0:12:36.120
<v Speaker 1>even hotter, right like we would rendezvous. It was like

0:12:36.480 --> 0:12:38.120
<v Speaker 1>and it was like that early dating where you like

0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:40.680
<v Speaker 1>stay up till three o'clock in the more Like it

0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:43.079
<v Speaker 1>was I was done. I knew I was done. How

0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:46.920
<v Speaker 1>did Kevin react? It was awful. I can remember somebody

0:12:47.000 --> 0:12:49.720
<v Speaker 1>saw us making out because it was like twenty years

0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:51.520
<v Speaker 1>of build up, right, I was like, oh my god,

0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:54.320
<v Speaker 1>I love this guy. And so my brother didn't find

0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:58.120
<v Speaker 1>out from us, which made it worse. And my brother

0:12:58.200 --> 0:13:00.559
<v Speaker 1>was like, there's no good outcome to this unless you

0:13:00.640 --> 0:13:03.880
<v Speaker 1>get married and have three kids. Ultimately, he was the

0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:07.160
<v Speaker 1>best man and his speech was hilarious because it's exactly

0:13:07.160 --> 0:13:10.720
<v Speaker 1>what happened. How old were you at the time, nine

0:13:11.360 --> 0:13:13.920
<v Speaker 1>and I had been through like maybe fifteen twenty boyfriends.

0:13:13.920 --> 0:13:17.560
<v Speaker 1>I mean like, it was not it was not. I

0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:22.880
<v Speaker 1>can just remember my my father's relief, Like when he proposed,

0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:27.680
<v Speaker 1>my dad was like, okay, because my family loves Pat.

0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:29.600
<v Speaker 1>I mean like he's been a part of our family

0:13:29.640 --> 0:13:33.320
<v Speaker 1>since I was a little kid. So it was it

0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:35.960
<v Speaker 1>was pretty magic when it all kind of worked out.

0:13:36.040 --> 0:13:40.319
<v Speaker 1>I feel very lucky. So you're unusual for the authors

0:13:40.360 --> 0:13:43.160
<v Speaker 1>We interview because you have a very full time day

0:13:43.280 --> 0:13:46.400
<v Speaker 1>job as the editor in chief of Women's Day magazine.

0:13:46.960 --> 0:13:49.800
<v Speaker 1>How do you manage that? And was there ever a

0:13:49.840 --> 0:13:52.520
<v Speaker 1>conflict between Okay, this is my separate life as an

0:13:52.559 --> 0:13:55.160
<v Speaker 1>author and here's my life as editor in chief. So

0:13:55.200 --> 0:13:57.199
<v Speaker 1>that I guess the interesting part of all of it

0:13:57.240 --> 0:14:00.240
<v Speaker 1>is like, so I took over. I was the see

0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:02.920
<v Speaker 1>an executive editor of Good Housekeeping for six or seven years.

0:14:02.920 --> 0:14:09.840
<v Speaker 1>I took over a Woman's Day in March March twelve lockdown.

0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:14.480
<v Speaker 1>So I never did the job in person, like I've

0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:16.600
<v Speaker 1>never been in an office with my team. I never

0:14:16.640 --> 0:14:19.960
<v Speaker 1>did the job in person. My book was due April,

0:14:21.840 --> 0:14:26.160
<v Speaker 1>so we go on lockdown. I am revamping, re energizing

0:14:26.200 --> 0:14:30.760
<v Speaker 1>a magazine, finishing a book, and now home schooling three kids.

0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:33.800
<v Speaker 1>It's one of those moments where I look back and think,

0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:36.800
<v Speaker 1>pretty sure, I don't know how that happened, Like I

0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:40.360
<v Speaker 1>actually don't know how I did it. It was insane.

0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:42.560
<v Speaker 1>I guess I'm I'm good. I always say I'm I

0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:45.320
<v Speaker 1>must just be good in crisis because it's like, Okay,

0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:48.440
<v Speaker 1>it's go time, no stealing, just doing, it's go time.

0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:51.360
<v Speaker 1>Got it all done, and the magazine has been very

0:14:51.400 --> 0:14:55.400
<v Speaker 1>successful under my watch. So I've never really said, like

0:14:55.560 --> 0:14:58.320
<v Speaker 1>can I do both or how do you do both?

0:14:58.400 --> 0:15:00.640
<v Speaker 1>I just do it. You talk a out about in

0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:03.880
<v Speaker 1>person connection and the value of that. How have you

0:15:03.960 --> 0:15:08.360
<v Speaker 1>managed to handle your team remotely this entire time and

0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:11.840
<v Speaker 1>gain the respect necessary as the as the chief? You know?

0:15:12.000 --> 0:15:15.720
<v Speaker 1>I think we we've been very effective virtually. I think

0:15:15.720 --> 0:15:19.240
<v Speaker 1>it's going to almost be like strange to finally like

0:15:19.440 --> 0:15:22.440
<v Speaker 1>be together all the time, you know, But when we

0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:24.960
<v Speaker 1>did so, we we do go back on some Mondays

0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:27.800
<v Speaker 1>and Tuesdays, and when we have been in person, like

0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:30.480
<v Speaker 1>we've had a really fun lunch and a brainstorm and

0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:33.840
<v Speaker 1>like come up with some pretty cookie ideas that we

0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:36.720
<v Speaker 1>probably wouldn't have come up with otherwise. So I think

0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:40.480
<v Speaker 1>I have the luxury of having been very established in

0:15:40.520 --> 0:15:44.560
<v Speaker 1>my career at this point of lockdown. I feel for

0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:47.560
<v Speaker 1>young people in their career, like, I don't need to network.

0:15:47.640 --> 0:15:50.320
<v Speaker 1>I've been networking for twenty five years. I know everybody

0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:54.920
<v Speaker 1>and I and I have wonderful connections. I feel for

0:15:55.760 --> 0:15:59.560
<v Speaker 1>the young people, the young assistants, the young editors, because

0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:02.080
<v Speaker 1>I don't know how you do what I've done for

0:16:02.120 --> 0:16:06.560
<v Speaker 1>twenty five years completely virtually. How do you bring the

0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:10.280
<v Speaker 1>tools from the book into the workplace. I think a

0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:14.600
<v Speaker 1>big thing that I'm proud of is that I fun

0:16:14.720 --> 0:16:17.720
<v Speaker 1>filter life, and I think I fun filter work for

0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:20.480
<v Speaker 1>my team. By one of my art people said the

0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:22.560
<v Speaker 1>most amazing thing to me the other day, and it

0:16:22.600 --> 0:16:24.560
<v Speaker 1>was I've never had so much fun on the job.

0:16:24.920 --> 0:16:27.120
<v Speaker 1>And I was like, oh my god, hard exploding because

0:16:27.160 --> 0:16:30.560
<v Speaker 1>that's my goal. I feel very strongly that what we're

0:16:30.600 --> 0:16:34.600
<v Speaker 1>doing doesn't actually matter right, Like, we can do it

0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:37.280
<v Speaker 1>differently tomorrow. We can do it differently next week, we

0:16:37.320 --> 0:16:39.960
<v Speaker 1>can do it differently next month. Let's do the best

0:16:40.040 --> 0:16:42.560
<v Speaker 1>we can right here, right now and be proud of it.

0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:45.520
<v Speaker 1>But let's not stress it. Let's not angst it, let's

0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:49.040
<v Speaker 1>not overthink it. Let's just have fun. Because if we're

0:16:49.080 --> 0:16:51.840
<v Speaker 1>having fun, the audience is going to have fun with us.

0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:56.480
<v Speaker 1>How do you handle a negative coworker or colleague? Energy

0:16:56.520 --> 0:17:00.320
<v Speaker 1>begets energy. Nobody brings that to my table, and I'm

0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:02.280
<v Speaker 1>really proud of that. And the same thing like even

0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:04.680
<v Speaker 1>people always say, oh, social media so this or so that,

0:17:05.040 --> 0:17:08.760
<v Speaker 1>I don't find that nobody is bringing that negative energy

0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:10.680
<v Speaker 1>to me because they know I want I will put

0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:12.840
<v Speaker 1>up with it. I don't want it. I shut it down.

0:17:13.000 --> 0:17:16.240
<v Speaker 1>I have like this force field and I don't want

0:17:16.240 --> 0:17:18.159
<v Speaker 1>to deal with that. Now that's not to say we

0:17:18.200 --> 0:17:20.679
<v Speaker 1>can't have conflict, and we can't have discussions, and we

0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:24.480
<v Speaker 1>can't have disagreements, but you have to approach all of

0:17:24.520 --> 0:17:28.359
<v Speaker 1>those disagreements and those discussions with a positive attitude, with

0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:30.600
<v Speaker 1>optimism that we're going to find a solution that we're

0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:33.400
<v Speaker 1>all really excited about. Should we go to our speed around? Now?

0:17:33.800 --> 0:17:36.760
<v Speaker 1>Who leaves you starstruck? You know who? It would be? Like?

0:17:36.800 --> 0:17:39.440
<v Speaker 1>It would probably be like the CEO of hearst right,

0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:42.200
<v Speaker 1>it would probably be somebody in like a like a

0:17:42.320 --> 0:17:47.080
<v Speaker 1>very big executive position versus like somebody who's on television

0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:49.480
<v Speaker 1>or has like a movie. You have talked a lot

0:17:49.520 --> 0:17:53.720
<v Speaker 1>about the importance of a morning routine. Let's hear yours.

0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:56.480
<v Speaker 1>So I'm an early riser. Um, I am like the

0:17:56.600 --> 0:18:00.200
<v Speaker 1>ultimate morning person. Like I like jump out of bed,

0:18:00.240 --> 0:18:02.359
<v Speaker 1>I kind of bolt out of bed. I do a

0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:05.080
<v Speaker 1>usually a very early morning workout, whether it's like a

0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:08.679
<v Speaker 1>six am. It used to be like five. Now I

0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:10.880
<v Speaker 1>can kind of do a six am or a six fifteen.

0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:13.600
<v Speaker 1>I love dance cardio at a k T. And I

0:18:13.640 --> 0:18:16.439
<v Speaker 1>love s LT, which is like plots on crack, like

0:18:16.480 --> 0:18:21.080
<v Speaker 1>I love my morning workouts. I am a crazy person

0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:26.040
<v Speaker 1>about bed making. I really find such peace out of

0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:28.320
<v Speaker 1>having all the beds made, and I am that mom

0:18:28.359 --> 0:18:31.600
<v Speaker 1>I make my kids beds. I can't help it because

0:18:31.880 --> 0:18:36.040
<v Speaker 1>it just makes me feel like I've accomplished this one

0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:37.840
<v Speaker 1>thing first thing in the morning, and it's going to

0:18:37.960 --> 0:18:41.639
<v Speaker 1>set the tone for a really awesome day. So lots

0:18:41.640 --> 0:18:44.680
<v Speaker 1>of bed making. And now that I'm not rushing into

0:18:44.760 --> 0:18:47.679
<v Speaker 1>this city, it's then I can do. I buy myself

0:18:47.680 --> 0:18:51.880
<v Speaker 1>flowers every month Monday morning and I'm flower arranging. I'm

0:18:51.920 --> 0:18:56.240
<v Speaker 1>drinking coffee. I love putsaying around my house. Now it's like,

0:18:56.560 --> 0:18:59.040
<v Speaker 1>I just love it. I love it's when kids leave

0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:02.080
<v Speaker 1>and it's quiet. Oh my gosh, it's like a gift.

0:19:02.800 --> 0:19:07.520
<v Speaker 1>What is the next buck? You'll right? My agent is

0:19:08.280 --> 0:19:11.600
<v Speaker 1>really on me about getting the proposal done, but I

0:19:11.640 --> 0:19:17.280
<v Speaker 1>am working on a fully charged life hack almanac. What

0:19:17.320 --> 0:19:20.119
<v Speaker 1>book are you reading? I just finished? Okay, So my

0:19:20.240 --> 0:19:24.600
<v Speaker 1>friend John Searles, who I um, who I worked with

0:19:24.720 --> 0:19:28.440
<v Speaker 1>at Cosmo. He's a phenomenal writer. He's about New York

0:19:28.440 --> 0:19:31.760
<v Speaker 1>Times bestselling author, but his new book is called Her

0:19:31.920 --> 0:19:36.240
<v Speaker 1>Last Affair, and it's really good. His other those other

0:19:36.240 --> 0:19:40.000
<v Speaker 1>books have been made into movies, etcetera. Like he's amazing,

0:19:40.680 --> 0:19:42.800
<v Speaker 1>And it was one of those books, like I started

0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:45.879
<v Speaker 1>it on vacation and I got through most of it,

0:19:45.960 --> 0:19:47.359
<v Speaker 1>and then of course you come home and you come

0:19:47.400 --> 0:19:50.040
<v Speaker 1>to real life. And on Mother's Day, all I wanted

0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:52.080
<v Speaker 1>to do was be a left alone for an hour

0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:54.960
<v Speaker 1>and a half to finish my book, and I did,

0:19:55.119 --> 0:20:00.240
<v Speaker 1>and I was so happy. Amy did I ken a

0:20:00.320 --> 0:20:03.440
<v Speaker 1>slight eye roll with the word yea, so you did.

0:20:03.600 --> 0:20:07.919
<v Speaker 1>But I have to say something. There's such a positivity

0:20:07.960 --> 0:20:10.000
<v Speaker 1>around the way that Megan described it that I have

0:20:10.200 --> 0:20:14.360
<v Speaker 1>overcome my hesitation of the word ya and and like it's, well,

0:20:14.640 --> 0:20:16.240
<v Speaker 1>here's the thing. It's a really simple thing to be,

0:20:16.320 --> 0:20:19.120
<v Speaker 1>like what is your right? Like what are ya? Things

0:20:19.119 --> 0:20:21.040
<v Speaker 1>that happened to you today? And it's something that you

0:20:21.040 --> 0:20:23.399
<v Speaker 1>can use with your kids. Like it's just quick and

0:20:23.440 --> 0:20:25.760
<v Speaker 1>it's good and it's easy, and I should stop being

0:20:26.040 --> 0:20:28.480
<v Speaker 1>snobby about it. You know. What I love about Megan

0:20:28.680 --> 0:20:31.520
<v Speaker 1>is like I share a very similar philosophy with her

0:20:31.720 --> 0:20:35.120
<v Speaker 1>in the sense that like she's not pollyanni ish she's

0:20:35.119 --> 0:20:37.520
<v Speaker 1>not saying there are no bad moments. She's not saying

0:20:37.600 --> 0:20:40.760
<v Speaker 1>everything is going to always be great. She's very realistic

0:20:40.760 --> 0:20:42.440
<v Speaker 1>about it, and it's like things will mostly be good,

0:20:42.600 --> 0:20:45.119
<v Speaker 1>so like, let's focus on those things and let's have gratitude.

0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:47.879
<v Speaker 1>So I really appreciate a lot of what she said.

0:20:48.280 --> 0:20:51.680
<v Speaker 1>The way Megan and I first met was um when

0:20:51.760 --> 0:20:55.040
<v Speaker 1>Good Housekeeping hosted my book party, which was six years ago.

0:20:55.640 --> 0:20:57.960
<v Speaker 1>She was an editor there and she just stood out

0:20:58.000 --> 0:21:00.280
<v Speaker 1>to me then. She just had a spark to her.

0:21:00.880 --> 0:21:04.399
<v Speaker 1>And in reading her book, there's so much more depth

0:21:04.440 --> 0:21:08.160
<v Speaker 1>to her than I even ever understood. I could never

0:21:08.640 --> 0:21:12.879
<v Speaker 1>fathom Megan being a grumpy person. It's wild. And also,

0:21:12.920 --> 0:21:15.679
<v Speaker 1>you know, it's reading about her teen years and what

0:21:15.760 --> 0:21:19.120
<v Speaker 1>a struggle they were. It makes you realize that, like

0:21:19.280 --> 0:21:23.919
<v Speaker 1>you know, everything is changeable. You can always change the

0:21:24.000 --> 0:21:27.479
<v Speaker 1>course of your life or your mindset or your circumstances.

0:21:28.040 --> 0:21:33.920
<v Speaker 1>And I really recommend reading the book. If you enjoy

0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:36.440
<v Speaker 1>What's Her Story with Sam and Amy, please do leave

0:21:36.480 --> 0:21:39.920
<v Speaker 1>a review wherever you get your podcasts, and do let

0:21:39.960 --> 0:21:42.080
<v Speaker 1>us know what you think of the author snack series

0:21:42.200 --> 0:21:46.480
<v Speaker 1>by commenting on Instagram at What's Her Story Podcast