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Speaker 1: There's going to be many more times where you're going

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Speaker 1: to want to give up and just don't. Don't keep

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Speaker 1: pushing value yourself, be proud of who you are.

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Speaker 2: Hello, Hello, Emily, a body here coming to you from

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Speaker 2: the AG studio. You are listening to Hurdle, a wellness

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Speaker 2: focus podcast where I connect with everyone from your favorite

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Speaker 2: athletes to top experts and industry CEOs about their highest hies,

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Speaker 2: toughest moments, and everything in between. We all go through

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Speaker 2: hurdles in life, and my goal through these discussions is

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Speaker 2: to empower you to better navigate yours and move with

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Speaker 2: intentions so that you can stride towards your own big

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Speaker 2: potential and of course have some fun along the way.

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Speaker 3: For episode one eighty eight.

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Speaker 2: I am talking with Jenna Johnson Kovski. She's known by

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Speaker 2: so many for her time on Dancing with the Stars,

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Speaker 2: where she's been dancing since age nineteen. The show just

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Speaker 2: finished its thirtieth season, and for it, Jenna was paired

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Speaker 2: up with Jojo Siwah, making the duo the first same

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Speaker 2: sex couple in the show's history. We talk about how

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Speaker 2: that came to be, plus how.

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Speaker 3: She got to be a pro on the show.

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Speaker 2: In the first place, growing up, dancing competitively, winning international titles,

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Speaker 2: and even making an appearance on So You Think You

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Speaker 2: Can Dance after moving to LA and for going college

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Speaker 2: at eighteen years old. She also talks to me about

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Speaker 2: the difficulties she's faced as she's gained a following on

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Speaker 2: social media, especially how difficult it was when other people

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Speaker 2: started to vocalize how they felt about her body. Q

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Speaker 2: conversations about body dysmorphia, weight loss, and the creative outlet

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Speaker 2: aside from dance that helped her come into her own

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Speaker 2: and cope with her mental struggles. Plus we wrap about

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Speaker 2: her husband Val, what's on deck for her now that

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Speaker 2: season thirty is over, and so much more. Loved this

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Speaker 2: conversation and so so amped to bring it to.

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Speaker 3: The Hurdle Feed.

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Speaker 2: If you are home this week and want to get

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Speaker 2: down with some goal setting work, I've got you. I'm

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Speaker 2: most in a goal setting workshop this Tuesday night, and

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Speaker 2: there are a few spots left. I would love to

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Speaker 2: have you join us. The link to get into that

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Speaker 2: is in the show notes. Use the code grateful at

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Speaker 2: checkout for ten percent off again. Head on over to

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Speaker 2: the show notes to snag your spot for this week's

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Speaker 2: Goal Setting Workshop twenty twenty two is on deck and

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Speaker 2: we have got some big things to go after. Make

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Speaker 2: sure you're following along with the show over on social.

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Speaker 2: It's at Hurdle Podcast. I am over at emia body

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Speaker 2: and if you haven't done so yet, today share the

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Speaker 2: show with a friend, a family member. Tag the show

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Speaker 2: on social. Share your love for Hurdle with the greater community.

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Speaker 2: It means the absolute world to me. And while you

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Speaker 2: are giving the gift of kindness to Hurdle to me,

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Speaker 2: make sure to head on over into Apple podcast or

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Speaker 2: wherever you get your podcast to rate and review the show.

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Speaker 3: And with that, oh, let's get to hurdling. Today.

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Speaker 2: I'm sitting down with Jenna Johnson Schmarkowski. She is a

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Speaker 2: Dancing with the Stars pro, a unbelievable dancer.

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Speaker 3: How you doing today, Jed?

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Speaker 1: I am great. Thank you thanks for having me.

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Speaker 3: Of course, I'm so happy for you to be here.

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Speaker 2: I have to give you kudos because you have recently

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Speaker 2: done something that I have wanted to do for a

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Speaker 2: long time but haven't been able to find the courage

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Speaker 2: to do.

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Speaker 3: Oka went with a little hair chop.

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Speaker 1: Yes I did, Are you like?

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Speaker 2: Are you happy? It's the decision. Did you think twice

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Speaker 2: about the decision? Was it hard to make the decision?

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Speaker 1: Here's the thing, for many years, here she is, we

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Speaker 1: went with a blunt cut. I love her. So here's

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Speaker 1: the thing. I had short hair for a while and

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Speaker 1: I loved it, and I was I just felt so

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Speaker 1: sassy and free, and I was like, you know what,

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Speaker 1: this is such such a fun hairstyle. It's so much

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Speaker 1: easier than long hair. Then during COVID, I was like, ugh,

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Speaker 1: I'm going to grow it out. I love I mean, like,

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Speaker 1: look at your hair. I love people with long hair

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Speaker 1: just looks so like sexy and gorgeous. So I had

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Speaker 1: it for a while and then I was like in

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Speaker 1: this whole like happiness phase where I was really trying

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Speaker 1: to put my mental health first, and I was listening

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Speaker 1: to all these audio books and in one of my

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Speaker 1: books it said, you know, like when you're going through

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Speaker 1: a change or when you want just like a fresh start,

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Speaker 1: you should do something drastic, and and one of the

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Speaker 1: options was chop off your hair. And I was like,

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Speaker 1: you know what, it's time. I have a lot of

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Speaker 1: energy and baggage, even just like through the past two

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Speaker 1: years of like COVID, and all of this stuff attached

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Speaker 1: to my hair, and I was like, this will be

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Speaker 1: a great refresh, a restart. So it was so scary.

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Speaker 1: I waited until after the season of Dancing with the Stars,

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Speaker 1: but I chopped it and it was free. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I was like panicking because I gotten so used to

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Speaker 1: my long hair, and I loved it. But I definitely

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Speaker 1: feel more like myself.

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Speaker 2: So all right, maybe you're giving me the confidence I

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Speaker 2: need to know about doing a similar change. I started

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Speaker 2: working with a new hairstylist not all that long ago,

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Speaker 2: and she told me that she gets at least three

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Speaker 2: cuts with me, and I thought cut number two was

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Speaker 2: going to be the one where we did something like

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Speaker 2: you did and went a little bit shorter. But then

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Speaker 2: we were thinking about like the winter, and how like

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Speaker 2: you know, you had a new excuse, right.

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Speaker 1: I know, I know, and I knew that I set

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Speaker 1: this date and I was like, I know that if

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Speaker 1: I cancel on this or if I don't commit, I'm

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Speaker 1: not going to do it. I'm going to chicken out.

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Speaker 1: But my hairdresser, his name's Bradley Leake, he really held

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Speaker 1: me accountable and he knew I wanted to do it,

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Speaker 1: and He's like, we just got to do it.

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Speaker 2: I mean, you mentioned obviously the last two years certainly

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Speaker 2: being a little bit challenging to say the least. I

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Speaker 2: am sure that everyone listening to this can certainly agree

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Speaker 2: with you when you think about the last two years,

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Speaker 2: what would you say was probably one of the biggest

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Speaker 2: surprise word here, hurdles that you had to navigate going

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Speaker 2: through that difficult time.

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Speaker 1: I am a performer and I've known this. That wasn't

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Speaker 1: a surprise to me, but I never knew the impact

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Speaker 1: or the value that having a live audience could do

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Speaker 1: for me as an artist and a performer. And it's crazy.

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Speaker 1: I mean again, there are like little silver linings in everything,

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Speaker 1: because on the flip side, I then had to find

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Speaker 1: how to be fulfilled by myself and by my inner

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Speaker 1: circle and not have to rely on like people's validation

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Speaker 1: or energy, cheers, applauses, words of affirmations to keep me

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Speaker 1: content and happy. But I that was and it was

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Speaker 1: shocking because I never knew how much that that would

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Speaker 1: mean to me. And it really was hard not being

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Speaker 1: able to be in theaters or public settings we were

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Speaker 1: we were on the Dancing with the Stars tour when

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Speaker 1: COVID hit and you know, we were we had I

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Speaker 1: think about four more weeks less of shows, which is

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Speaker 1: essentially a show every day, you know, and so that

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Speaker 1: I felt like that got cut short. And then even

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Speaker 1: during the season of twenty twenty, we didn't have a

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Speaker 1: live audience. No one was allowed inside, and it's just

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Speaker 1: it was crazy, Like that really left an emptiness in

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Speaker 1: my heart. But again, you know, like it was a

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Speaker 1: nice wake up call, like you need to find other

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Speaker 1: ways to be fulfilled and not have to rely on this.

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Speaker 1: But I think that was a big, big hurdle for

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Speaker 1: me in a real eye opening experience hearing this.

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Speaker 2: So many can certainly relate with this idea of needing

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Speaker 2: to become like maybe just a little bit more self reliant. Right,

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Speaker 2: it was like we got to this place over the

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Speaker 2: last eighteen months, twenty months, two years now where it

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Speaker 2: was like I need to take ownership and be responsible

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Speaker 2: for my own joy.

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Speaker 1: Yes, which was another huge moment because I think that

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Speaker 1: I find a lot of joy and I just feel

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Speaker 1: more content. And when I'm working, when I'm constantly busy,

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Speaker 1: when I have a chaotic schedule, I feel like, oh,

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Speaker 1: I'm accomplishing things and so to go so drastically nothing.

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Speaker 1: It was really hard to be like, who am I

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Speaker 1: other than a dancer? Yeah? What do I have to

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Speaker 1: offer to this world? Like you know? And so it

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Speaker 1: was again little silver linings trying to make the best

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Speaker 1: out of the situation. I had to find out, Hey,

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Speaker 1: what my hobbies were. I didn't even really have hobbies

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Speaker 1: because I've just been in so work mode since I

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Speaker 1: was about like fifteen. What brings me joy? What I

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Speaker 1: need in life, what I don't and how to be

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Speaker 1: happy living at home, being a wifey, being a dog mom.

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Speaker 1: You know, there were all these things that I started

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Speaker 1: to so enjoy and love, which I don't think I

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Speaker 1: would have had those if COVID didn't happen. But yeah,

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Speaker 1: it was a lot like that. I just remember specifically

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Speaker 1: that moment of like what do I have to offer

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Speaker 1: the world other than being a dancer and a performer?

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Speaker 1: Like who? You know? Who is Jenna?

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Speaker 2: The biggest identity moment for all of us, like asking

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Speaker 2: ourselves so many of the important questions that you articulated.

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Speaker 2: You also mentioned starting dance, you know, at a young age,

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Speaker 2: I know, actually before fifteen.

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Speaker 3: Talk to me a little bit about that.

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Speaker 2: Beginning phase and how you fell in love with dance

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Speaker 2: because spoiler alert, you knew from a young age that

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Speaker 2: you wanted to do this for a very long time.

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Speaker 1: I started dancing when I was three years old. And

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Speaker 1: I have two older sisters who were also dancers, and

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Speaker 1: so my mom would take them to the dance studio

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Speaker 1: and I would just beg and cry, can I please

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Speaker 1: go into dance class with them? And she said, I

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Speaker 1: would just like watch in the window so eagerly. So

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Speaker 1: I just I've always been infatuated with it. Again, I

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Speaker 1: keep saying this word. I don't want it to be repetitive,

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Speaker 1: but I think that I have been a performer my

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Speaker 1: whole life. Even at family gatherings, I would want to

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Speaker 1: get up and seeing or dance or like acts in

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Speaker 1: front of everyone, always putting on a show. And so

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Speaker 1: I just I I really dove headfirst into it. And

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Speaker 1: I said this, but I didn't have much of a

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Speaker 1: social life because I just was so invested and clearly

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Speaker 1: knew from a young age that this is what I

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Speaker 1: want to do. I don't know how, I don't know

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Speaker 1: what this entails, what I'm going to be doing, because again,

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Speaker 1: dancing with the stars didn't really start until I was

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Speaker 1: like twelve, I'm going to really age some people and myself,

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Speaker 1: but you know, and it was kind of just like, oh,

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Speaker 1: this is a this is a one time thing. This

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Speaker 1: isn't going to be able to last. And so for

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Speaker 1: my parents, you know, like dancing as a career choice.

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Speaker 1: I'm the first kid in my family to not go

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Speaker 1: to college, and I knew that that was huge. I'm

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Speaker 1: one of six, and so that was you know, a

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Speaker 1: real big like leap of faith moment for myself but

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Speaker 1: also for my parents. But they just believed in me,

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Speaker 1: and I believed in myself so confidently. I don't know

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Speaker 1: why or how, but I just knew that this is

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Speaker 1: what I want to do, this is what I'm going

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Speaker 1: to do, and this is all I want to do.

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Speaker 2: Talk to me about one of the biggest lessons that

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Speaker 2: being in such a big family taught you from the

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Speaker 2: get go.

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Speaker 1: I love that being one of six, I immediately had five

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Speaker 1: best friends. And my husband jokes with me now because

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Speaker 1: he's like, you're the most antisocial person in the world,

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Speaker 1: and I'm like, because I already have five best friends, Like,

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Speaker 1: I don't need a bunch of other people in my

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Speaker 1: life because I have my circle. I think something that

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Speaker 1: also really was the benefit of being one of six

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Speaker 1: was having to be independent. You know, all of us

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Speaker 1: were heavily active in extracurricular activities in sports. Athletics is

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Speaker 1: a really big part of my family, and so my

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Speaker 1: mom couldn't just focus on packing my bag having to

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Speaker 1: do this for me. I was traveling by myself with

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Speaker 1: my partner. We would go to barm competitions when I

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Speaker 1: was like sixteen years old, and I would be navigating

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Speaker 1: the airport for him. I mean again, my partner had

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Speaker 1: no idea what he was doing, but I was like,

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Speaker 1: this is our terminal and we need to check in here,

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Speaker 1: like you know. And it was awesome, and I loved

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Speaker 1: that I got to be so free and independent at

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Speaker 1: a young age and to take ownership of that. I

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Speaker 1: have to deal with now the back end of it

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Speaker 1: of like having to trust people a bit more, having

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Speaker 1: to be more social, and yeah, as you said.

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Speaker 2: Having to find that independence, but also being so content

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Speaker 2: being surrounded by so much love and support. I would

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Speaker 2: imagine that the decision to forego college was probably a

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Speaker 2: little bit scary.

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Speaker 1: It was because I don't want to say it was

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Speaker 1: the easy route for me to take, to just follow

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Speaker 1: in all of my siblings' footsteps and in my parents' footsteps.

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Speaker 1: I knew that that would be a safe option, that

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Speaker 1: this is what my life would look like if I

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Speaker 1: do this potentially, but I knew that I wouldn't be happy.

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Speaker 1: I loved school, I love learning, But in a sense,

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Speaker 1: I felt like I kind of got my college experience

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Speaker 1: by moving to LA when I was eighteen, having six

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Speaker 1: roommates at one time, moving from apartment to apartment. I

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Speaker 1: fended for myself since I was eighteen years old, you know.

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Speaker 1: So it was a really amazing experience that I would

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Speaker 1: never trade. And I feel like that also forced me

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Speaker 1: to figure out who I am really quickly, to know

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Speaker 1: what I value, what I believe in, what I want

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Speaker 1: to do with my life. I had to hustle, and

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Speaker 1: I'm really grateful that I did. I chose the path

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Speaker 1: that I did. But there's a part of me too

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Speaker 1: that looks back and you know, like my siblings have

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Speaker 1: college roommates that they're lifelong friends with, and I'm like, oh,

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Speaker 1: that would have been so fun, you know, or have

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Speaker 1: these these discussions about what the college life was like.

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Speaker 1: But I guy had that too. You know, my casts

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Speaker 1: of Dancing with Stars are essentially my college roommates. We

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Speaker 1: went on seven tours together, living on a bus, in

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Speaker 1: bunk beds, you know, so those are also experiences that

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Speaker 1: they would never have or they've never had, you know.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, pros and constable, but yeah, it was it

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Speaker 1: was very scary making that decision, and especially graduating high

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Speaker 1: school and all of my friends were getting accepted into colleges,

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Speaker 1: and I applied to many different colleges, but I just

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Speaker 1: I ultimately knew that I just wanted to move to LA.

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Speaker 2: And then at eighteen, also that's exactly when you auditioned

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Speaker 2: for so you think you can dance. So talk to

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Speaker 2: me about what it was like to be eighteen fresh

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Speaker 2: into LA and you were like, all right, I guess

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Speaker 2: it's time to go on this kind of national stage here.

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Speaker 1: Oh man, I wish I could go back in time

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Speaker 1: so many times and just like read that phase of

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Speaker 1: my life. But it was also I have so much

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Speaker 1: to be grateful for for that show, because it is

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Speaker 1: really what brought me exposed to so many different people producers.

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Speaker 1: I ultimately got hired from dancing or by Dancing with

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Speaker 1: the stars from that show anyway, but I had never

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Speaker 1: been on TV before. I had never performed on TV before,

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Speaker 1: and so performing for a live audience and for them

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Speaker 1: like the screen with a red dot saying we're live,

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Speaker 1: was very different. It also happened to be at the

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Speaker 1: same time that social media popped off, and I remember,

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Speaker 1: because I was a contestant on the show, they got

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Speaker 1: us Instagram handles and Twitter handles. I'd never really heard

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Speaker 1: of either platforms before, and then was kind of like

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Speaker 1: forced into you need a post about this because you

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Speaker 1: need people to vote for you, you need people to like,

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Speaker 1: you need to get people engaged with you. And this

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Speaker 1: is true. I ended up being the way. So you

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Speaker 1: think you can dance works. There's top twenty, you all compete,

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Speaker 1: you do duets. It ends up that there's like a

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Speaker 1: bottom two for both boys and girls. So there's a

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Speaker 1: bottom two boys and girls every show, every episode. And

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Speaker 1: then at that time, the show was having the judges

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Speaker 1: and the audience or the choreographers save one person that

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Speaker 1: they would let go back into the next week and compete.

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Speaker 1: I was in the bottom two five times. I hold

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Speaker 1: the record of Safety Can Dance contestants that has been

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Speaker 1: in the bottom the most times, and I, you know, well,

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Speaker 1: I'll proudly take it. And I remember that this I

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Speaker 1: was so devastated and confused why people didn't like me.

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Speaker 1: And I thought that this meant that people didn't like

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Speaker 1: me as a dancer, that I wasn't good at dancing,

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Speaker 1: that people didn't like my personality, and it really started

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Speaker 1: to affect my mental health and like and I then was,

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Speaker 1: you know, trying my hardest to work as hard in

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Speaker 1: these dances. But every time, these five times, the judges

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Speaker 1: and the choreographers kept saving me because they knew what

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Speaker 1: kind of work ethic I had, they knew me as

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Speaker 1: a person, and I was just so grateful that they

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Speaker 1: kept saving me. But it was the first time that

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Speaker 1: I then was confronted with this like social media just

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Speaker 1: h haters, fan bases. You know, it was a lot

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Speaker 1: to try to process all at the same time. And

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Speaker 1: I'll never forget the executive producer of that show, his

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Speaker 1: named Jeff Stacker. He pulled me aside and he's like, listen,

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Speaker 1: people don't vote you off of this show. They vote

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Speaker 1: you on, So you just need to shift your perspective

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Speaker 1: in your mindset of like nobody's voting you off or

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Speaker 1: to be in the bottom too. You just might not

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Speaker 1: be getting as many votes as some other people. And

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Speaker 1: that did help me. But yeah, I think that I

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Speaker 1: wasn't the best version of myself when I was doing

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Speaker 1: Safety you Can Dance. And so that's why I said,

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Speaker 1: I wish I could go back into time, because I

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Speaker 1: wish I could mentally be better, because I think I

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Speaker 1: would enjoy the experience more. I wouldn't care as much

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Speaker 1: as what people thought or what people had to say.

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Speaker 1: But I was trying to navigate this new internet space.

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Speaker 1: And then, you know, I had been a really accomplished dancer.

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Speaker 1: I was winning titles, I was getting all of the

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Speaker 1: accolades that you could get. I was beating a lot

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Speaker 1: of my peers that were on the show in the

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Speaker 1: dance world, you know, or in the convention comptition world.

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Speaker 1: And then I just felt like I shrank into this

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Speaker 1: like tiny bitty dancer that uugh. Anyway, it was such

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Speaker 1: an incredible experience, but I just wish I was a

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Speaker 1: better version of myself at the time or knew how

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Speaker 1: to handle it.

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Speaker 2: So yeah, I think a lot of people can totally

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Speaker 2: hear you on this note that social media can be

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Speaker 2: entirely overwhelming, especially you know, being thrown into it having

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Speaker 2: all of this exposure. I know that that struggle kind

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Speaker 2: of continued for you as you transitioned into being on

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Speaker 2: Dancing with the Stars. So how did you continue to

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Speaker 2: cope with that as you just kept getting more and

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Speaker 2: more of a following.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it really, it really ruined me for a little bit,

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Speaker 1: and I unfortunately had to publicly. I mean again, I

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Speaker 1: had this now platform once I joined Dancing with the Stars,

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Speaker 1: and I was excited about it. But then I think

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Speaker 1: that I let people get the best of me, and

364
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Speaker 1: I focused too much on people's comments or what they

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Speaker 1: had to say, and I ended up going through this

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Speaker 1: like big body transformation. I had a lot of hormonal imbalances.

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Speaker 1: I gained a ton of weight. I was really unhappy.

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Speaker 1: And this is I think the first time as well

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Speaker 1: in my life where I was confronted with like my

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Speaker 1: mental health and maybe something's wrong or maybe I have

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Speaker 1: an imbalance going on. And I had to go through

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Speaker 1: this whole public transformation in front of people, you know,

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Speaker 1: and then I also was involved with somebody on the show,

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Speaker 1: and then people would then in twine those you know,

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Speaker 1: and so they would say I wasn't good enough or

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Speaker 1: skinny enough, or I was too fat to be with

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Speaker 1: this person. You know. It was just like wild. I

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Speaker 1: would get people's screenshotting paparazzi photos of like thee worst

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Speaker 1: photos of me and would post it and like tag

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Speaker 1: all of my peers in it, tag Val in it,

381
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Speaker 1: like tag my family in it. It was insane and

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Speaker 1: it ruined me for a while. And my family didn't

383
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Speaker 1: really know what to do because they weren't in Hollywood whatsoever.

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Speaker 1: They also weren't really in social media, so they didn't

385
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Speaker 1: know how to help me in this. But I am

386
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Speaker 1: so grateful for I ended up getting some help through therapy.

387
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Speaker 1: But I also am so grateful for my in laws,

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Speaker 1: my now in laws. But Max, Peter and Val, you know,

389
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Speaker 1: they had a couple more years of experience on the

390
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Speaker 1: show and being in this public setting and have to

391
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Speaker 1: deal with a relationship publicly, or just you know, fan

392
00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,440
Speaker 1: bases in general in the show and the audience of

393
00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,160
Speaker 1: Dancing with the Starts. They're really really passionate. They care

394
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Speaker 1: a ton, and they helped guide me through and they

395
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Speaker 1: were my support system during that time. And I'm so

396
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Speaker 1: incredibly grateful that I had that, and even now, you know,

397
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Speaker 1: it's I think our family is a wild It's crazy

398
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Speaker 1: that there's been four of us on a hit television

399
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Speaker 1: show and in the public eye. And I love that

400
00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:35,000
Speaker 1: we have each other to turn to because there are

401
00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,920
Speaker 1: so many moments that you know, as much as my

402
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:42,119
Speaker 1: family can understand, they'll just never understand. So it's been

403
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Speaker 1: amazing to have their support and guidance.

404
00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,960
Speaker 2: I love the positive spin on the phrasing that the

405
00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,359
Speaker 2: audience is so passionate.

406
00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:54,399
Speaker 3: They are passionate, and.

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Speaker 1: You know, I once I started to figure out my

408
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Speaker 1: own health and my mental space and I got really

409
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Speaker 1: confident just of who I was and what I had

410
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Speaker 1: to offer. I think then there was a really big

411
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Speaker 1: shift of how I saw the audience, how I saw

412
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Speaker 1: my followers, how I viewed social media, and what was

413
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Speaker 1: a priority and what wasn't. And now I have a

414
00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:24,880
Speaker 1: really beautiful positive experience with social media. I mean, again,

415
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Speaker 1: I get haters all the time, but their effect and

416
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Speaker 1: their voice isn't as loud, doesn't have an impact on me.

417
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Speaker 1: And I think also a huge contributor to that mindset

418
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Speaker 1: is my husband. One of his best qualities he doesn't

419
00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:46,480
Speaker 1: care what people think. He cares what certain people think

420
00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:52,520
Speaker 1: and values like his family, you know, his friends, what

421
00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:56,560
Speaker 1: they think. But he doesn't for one second dwell on

422
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Speaker 1: what anybody that is a stranger has to think about him.

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Speaker 1: Just doesn't. And I love that, And that's been something

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Speaker 1: that I've had to learn and really really work on,

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Speaker 1: but it's benefited me a ton.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think what's that saying.

427
00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:14,719
Speaker 2: It's like, don't take anyone's opinion to like seriously, who

428
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Speaker 2: you wouldn't look to for advice.

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Speaker 1: Or who you're gonna call when something is going wrong?

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Speaker 1: You know, right? Yeah, Like those are the people that

431
00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:23,879
Speaker 1: you need to turn to.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure, for sure.

433
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Speaker 2: And if you don't mind me asking, I mean, you

434
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Speaker 2: said that it ruined you. So the first part of

435
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Speaker 2: this question is do you remember, like some of the

436
00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:38,000
Speaker 2: things that you would.

437
00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,639
Speaker 1: Read, Absolutely, they'll never go away in my brain, which

438
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:43,800
Speaker 1: is terrible and sad, and then really shows me the

439
00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:47,000
Speaker 1: effects of social media, especially for this younger generation, and

440
00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:51,600
Speaker 1: I want to protect at all costs. Yeah, I remember

441
00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,240
Speaker 1: there was an account that was made, I mean multiple accounts,

442
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:58,399
Speaker 1: but one of them was Piggy Jenna, like Piggy and

443
00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:01,320
Speaker 1: they would just post like real a bad photos of

444
00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:07,080
Speaker 1: me looking super heavy, super overweight and unflattering and just

445
00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:12,960
Speaker 1: just terrible. I used to also screenshot com or like dms.

446
00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:16,359
Speaker 1: I get nasty dms all the time. But yeah, one

447
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:18,879
Speaker 1: was like I think I even reposted it, but it

448
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,119
Speaker 1: was like, you know that val would have never married

449
00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:23,119
Speaker 1: you if you were still fat. I was just like,

450
00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:30,240
Speaker 1: are people psychotic? And it's funny too, because in my mind,

451
00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:35,159
Speaker 1: even my worst enemy, I don't have a ton, but

452
00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:40,040
Speaker 1: even somebody that I just like loathed, I would never

453
00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:43,320
Speaker 1: in my right mind or at any phase in my

454
00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,760
Speaker 1: life be like I'm going to write this to them,

455
00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,119
Speaker 1: this is what I'm gonna do. This is really what

456
00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,119
Speaker 1: does it do for you? How does it help you?

457
00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:54,560
Speaker 1: So then I started to also change my perspective of

458
00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:57,080
Speaker 1: I feel really bad for these people that must be

459
00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:01,280
Speaker 1: this miserable that they have the time, the energy and

460
00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:02,560
Speaker 1: feel comfortable doing this.

461
00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,600
Speaker 2: Yep, because that's the takeaway here, because it isn't about you.

462
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,600
Speaker 2: It's not like this hate and anger. It's about something

463
00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:14,399
Speaker 2: that's more often than not going on in their life,

464
00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,080
Speaker 2: and so they're projecting that on somebody else.

465
00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,560
Speaker 1: Yes, that's what it was. And so I had to

466
00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:23,600
Speaker 1: learn that, which was hard and took some time. But again,

467
00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:29,800
Speaker 1: silver Linings, I'm all about this. This phase really ignited

468
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:33,080
Speaker 1: something inside of me and just my nature in general.

469
00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:39,439
Speaker 1: AM incredibly competitive. I'm super stubborn, and when somebody tells

470
00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:42,679
Speaker 1: me I can't do something or I shouldn't, I'm going

471
00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:44,640
Speaker 1: to just do it or I'm going to prove them wrong.

472
00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:49,040
Speaker 1: That's that's always been my mentality. And so this kind

473
00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:51,879
Speaker 1: of you know, I had a moment of it completely

474
00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:55,200
Speaker 1: broke me, but then it ignited something and I started

475
00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,679
Speaker 1: to get healthy from the inside out, starting with my

476
00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:01,159
Speaker 1: mind then kind of transforming into my body, which was

477
00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:04,439
Speaker 1: just like a trickle effect. But I ended up I

478
00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:07,800
Speaker 1: was so and then I started sharing this on social media.

479
00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:10,359
Speaker 1: I wanted to be real. I didn't want to hide

480
00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:12,520
Speaker 1: what I was going through. I wanted to be open.

481
00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:18,760
Speaker 1: And the response was insane. I got thousands of messages

482
00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:21,440
Speaker 1: thanking me and being like I'm going through this too,

483
00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,240
Speaker 1: or I know somebody that also went through this, like

484
00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:28,240
Speaker 1: thanks for being real. And so I decided to launch

485
00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,800
Speaker 1: a blog. It was like a well being blog, and

486
00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:34,600
Speaker 1: it was called Get Real with Jen and it was

487
00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,160
Speaker 1: so fulfilling. I would do these blog posts on just

488
00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:43,119
Speaker 1: being honest and open anything and everything from spirituality to

489
00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:46,879
Speaker 1: what I was eating in my nutrition to workouts I

490
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,880
Speaker 1: was doing, or like a really anxiety depression field day

491
00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:55,600
Speaker 1: that I was having, and I just received the most beautiful,

492
00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:01,320
Speaker 1: encouraging messages every day, and it I don't think I

493
00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:05,080
Speaker 1: would have had this moment unless I went through that

494
00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,840
Speaker 1: bad phase, you know, and to be broken down, But

495
00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:11,760
Speaker 1: you have to be broken down to then find yourself.

496
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,320
Speaker 1: I feel like, you know, that's the journey of life.

497
00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:16,520
Speaker 1: And so I'm so grateful that I did have that

498
00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:19,320
Speaker 1: moment and I started this blog and then it just

499
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:23,159
Speaker 1: from then on kind of kept my intention clear and

500
00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:26,120
Speaker 1: my brain of like, from now on, I'm not going

501
00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:28,120
Speaker 1: to try to be a picture perfect, but I'm going

502
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:32,200
Speaker 1: to be real. I'm going to be open, and that's

503
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:35,480
Speaker 1: the kind of relationship I want to have with my fans,

504
00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:38,840
Speaker 1: my followers, you know, my audience, whatever in anything I

505
00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,920
Speaker 1: do in my performing and my social media posts. Whatever.

506
00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:46,520
Speaker 1: What happened to the blog, The blog was the best

507
00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:49,680
Speaker 1: thing ever. But my sister and my sister and I

508
00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:51,960
Speaker 1: were actually running it. We were doing everything from like

509
00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:55,520
Speaker 1: back end website, all of that jazz, and it just

510
00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:57,760
Speaker 1: became a little bit too overwhelming. At the time, I

511
00:28:57,840 --> 00:28:59,760
Speaker 1: was on tour with Dancing with the Stars and then

512
00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:03,400
Speaker 1: the season picked up and it just kind of dwindled away.

513
00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:06,280
Speaker 1: But it is something that I definitely would love to

514
00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:10,960
Speaker 1: revisit because when I look back at powerful moments in

515
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:15,440
Speaker 1: my life, career or personally, that is a moment that

516
00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:17,360
Speaker 1: sticks out to me of like the best thing I've

517
00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:21,040
Speaker 1: ever done. So I'd love hopefully to I need to

518
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,560
Speaker 1: get a team involved, but I would love to reboot

519
00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:25,800
Speaker 1: that and start that again.

520
00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,280
Speaker 3: If anybody's listening, Jena is looking for some web people,

521
00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:33,440
Speaker 3: hit me out how to find her? Yeah, a find her.

522
00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:36,360
Speaker 2: The one last thing I do want to ask you

523
00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:40,360
Speaker 2: about this difficult time for you. You mentioned the upswing

524
00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,080
Speaker 2: from that having been at such a low point. I

525
00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:47,520
Speaker 2: think a lot of people get to this low point

526
00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:51,480
Speaker 2: and just feel truly so stuck. And for some that

527
00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:55,800
Speaker 2: stuck feeling lasts for a while, for some it doesn't

528
00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,720
Speaker 2: last so long. What would you credit aside from maybe

529
00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:04,480
Speaker 2: you mentioned the benefit of having such a close family relationship,

530
00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:08,560
Speaker 2: such close personal relationships, but what else would you credit

531
00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,959
Speaker 2: with helping to pull you out of that darker place.

532
00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:18,800
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean again, when you are that zero, you

533
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:22,000
Speaker 1: know you have two options. You can remain there or

534
00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,280
Speaker 1: you can get out of it. You're the worst that

535
00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:26,440
Speaker 1: you've gotten, so there's not a lot lower that you

536
00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:31,000
Speaker 1: can get. But I'm really I think again it attributes

537
00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:37,400
Speaker 1: to that independence I had from childhood of I had

538
00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:39,680
Speaker 1: to be the one to pull myself out of it.

539
00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,560
Speaker 1: It couldn't be anybody else. And I think that I

540
00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,560
Speaker 1: had a lot of people I could turn to and

541
00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:48,760
Speaker 1: ask for help. That was never a doubt in my mind.

542
00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:50,680
Speaker 1: But I think at the end of the day, I

543
00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:54,000
Speaker 1: had to make a decision of you're either going to

544
00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:57,080
Speaker 1: do this or you're not. And once I made that

545
00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:02,680
Speaker 1: decision in my brain, it it just switched everything for me.

546
00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:04,920
Speaker 1: And again there were times where it was hard and

547
00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:07,640
Speaker 1: where I just wanted to like go back into like, oh,

548
00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:12,200
Speaker 1: this is too much. But I'm really grateful for I

549
00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:16,160
Speaker 1: think my own willpower and something that just I've always

550
00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:21,040
Speaker 1: been really driven and really competitive, and I think I

551
00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,160
Speaker 1: treated it more of like a game, not a game,

552
00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,760
Speaker 1: but like a competition with myself, like how can I

553
00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:30,480
Speaker 1: get there? Can I do it the best? Ever? And

554
00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:34,280
Speaker 1: remain strong through it all. So I have to give

555
00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:36,680
Speaker 1: myself some credit. You know what, we don't give ourselves

556
00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:38,760
Speaker 1: credit enough. But I do feel like I have to

557
00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,960
Speaker 1: give my own willpower some credit in that moment. But again,

558
00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:45,040
Speaker 1: for those of you that maybe don't have that sort

559
00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:49,080
Speaker 1: of brain mind's power, I think surround yourself by people

560
00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:52,800
Speaker 1: that do that are going to motivate you, that are

561
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:56,080
Speaker 1: going to inspire you, that are going to push you,

562
00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:58,800
Speaker 1: that are going to be honest with you. Ugh, honesty

563
00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:03,280
Speaker 1: is the best policy, see in my book. And I

564
00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:06,160
Speaker 1: just appreciate those people that are blunt and like, listen,

565
00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:10,120
Speaker 1: get out of this, do the work, do what you

566
00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:12,640
Speaker 1: need to do. But like you've got to just do it.

567
00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,479
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I do think that sometimes it is at

568
00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:17,560
Speaker 2: that rock bottom place.

569
00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:19,600
Speaker 3: It's in these really emotional moments.

570
00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,640
Speaker 2: Where like we're able to have that level of like

571
00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:26,360
Speaker 2: unfiltered honesty with ourselves. I mean, there have been so

572
00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:29,040
Speaker 2: many different big moments in my life where I've been

573
00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,760
Speaker 2: sitting somewhere like in tears, whether it be about how

574
00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:36,320
Speaker 2: I feel about my body, or getting out of a relationship,

575
00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:39,120
Speaker 2: or dealing with things when it comes to business and

576
00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,120
Speaker 2: making difficult decisions, and it is in each of these

577
00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:45,360
Speaker 2: like really difficult, like what feel like rock bottom moments,

578
00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:47,800
Speaker 2: that something so beautiful is born.

579
00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:49,320
Speaker 3: And so you know, they.

580
00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,760
Speaker 2: Always say it's like you don't like learn things from

581
00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,560
Speaker 2: like smooth sailing, right. You don't learn a ton when

582
00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:58,200
Speaker 2: you're like on the top winning. You learn a ton

583
00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:01,200
Speaker 2: when you're like trudging through the thick of it, going

584
00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:01,840
Speaker 2: through the mud.

585
00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:07,000
Speaker 1: Absolutely, And it's funny because my mom will always say

586
00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:08,760
Speaker 1: to me too, She's like, I feel like these are

587
00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,480
Speaker 1: like your little challenges in life where you're given a

588
00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:16,479
Speaker 1: moment where you determine the outcome and it's up to you.

589
00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,160
Speaker 1: And I think that that has been I've found myself

590
00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:21,920
Speaker 1: in these moments where I'm like, why is this happening

591
00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:25,000
Speaker 1: to me? This isn't happening to anyone else. But I

592
00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,560
Speaker 1: think that that's where I really define who I am

593
00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:30,320
Speaker 1: as a human and what I want my legacy to

594
00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:33,080
Speaker 1: be or what I want other people to be able

595
00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:36,920
Speaker 1: to relate to or be inspired by. But yeah, it

596
00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:40,480
Speaker 1: sucks being in that place, and I've been there many times,

597
00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:43,880
Speaker 1: but the upside is so worth it.

598
00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:46,360
Speaker 2: Do you remember, Because I kind of think that we

599
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:48,880
Speaker 2: all have these moments that feel a little bit like

600
00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:53,840
Speaker 2: a movie. But was there like a moment or perhaps

601
00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,960
Speaker 2: like an event after like you were on this upswing

602
00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,520
Speaker 2: when you like started to really feel like you had

603
00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:02,920
Speaker 2: your feet under you and you were like, I am

604
00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:05,040
Speaker 2: so damn proud of myself here.

605
00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:09,400
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think starting my blog was one of those moments.

606
00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:12,719
Speaker 1: I was proud of myself for the first time in

607
00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:19,040
Speaker 1: a minute. And again even now, I feel like I'm

608
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:23,400
Speaker 1: so happy and confident in my body, but I still

609
00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:26,160
Speaker 1: have body dysmorphia. You know. There are still moments where

610
00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:29,839
Speaker 1: I look at myself and I'm like, oh, oh, which

611
00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:31,719
Speaker 1: is crazy, you know. So I don't think you're ever

612
00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:34,000
Speaker 1: going to get rid of those, but I think like

613
00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:39,120
Speaker 1: checking yourself and having those moments of proud pride of

614
00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:42,520
Speaker 1: like how far I've come. And I think my blog,

615
00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,080
Speaker 1: when I decided to do that, I held myself accountable

616
00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:49,960
Speaker 1: and I was just open and honest. It was it

617
00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:52,839
Speaker 1: was a real moment of like, ah, this is this

618
00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:56,840
Speaker 1: is this is why this happened, this is worth it.

619
00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:03,439
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620
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639
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640
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641
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642
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648
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649
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650
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652
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654
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655
00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:08,320
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656
00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:20,120
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657
00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:23,200
Speaker 2: sounds shiny and wonderful. I'll never forget. I felt like

658
00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,400
Speaker 2: I was like in an episode of Girls, but I

659
00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:28,799
Speaker 2: was walking. I'd like just gotten off the subway. I

660
00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:31,320
Speaker 2: live in Brooklyn, I was in Williamsburg. I was meeting

661
00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,200
Speaker 2: friends at like Brooklyn Bowl. I was like probably like

662
00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:37,400
Speaker 2: five weeks post breakup with this guy that like I

663
00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:39,759
Speaker 2: thought was gonna be my husband, and I just got

664
00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:43,920
Speaker 2: out of the subway and the song Bulletproof came on.

665
00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:45,880
Speaker 3: I don't know, I can remember this song. It was

666
00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:46,640
Speaker 3: like for this.

667
00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:49,920
Speaker 2: Son yep that came on and I had like heels

668
00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:52,440
Speaker 2: on and I was like walking by this park and

669
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:54,440
Speaker 2: I was like, I'm gonna be okay.

670
00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:58,120
Speaker 1: I love that for you. You know what, music is so powerful.

671
00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:02,520
Speaker 1: First of all, it's funny because when I'm going through

672
00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:05,600
Speaker 1: certain phases of my life, I have like playlists that

673
00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:07,839
Speaker 1: I'll just put on repeat, and so it's funny because

674
00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:10,600
Speaker 1: then I'll revisit them and I'm like, oh, this is

675
00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:14,480
Speaker 1: what I was going through. So yes, Bulletproof, but yeah no,

676
00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:17,040
Speaker 1: I don't think all of my moments have been as

677
00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:22,080
Speaker 1: shiny as that. But I also I remember too, you know,

678
00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,279
Speaker 1: when I decided to make this, I also was going

679
00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:27,920
Speaker 1: through a breakup, and I remember that once I decided

680
00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:34,680
Speaker 1: to prioritize myself and to make myself happy, I started

681
00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:39,880
Speaker 1: attracting all sorts of people, whether it was friends, relationships,

682
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:44,319
Speaker 1: ex lovers, whatever. It was crazy. It was like I

683
00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:47,399
Speaker 1: was just beaming from like my heart center out and

684
00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:50,200
Speaker 1: then people were just attracted to me, And so I

685
00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:53,399
Speaker 1: think that that's also something to remember. I think we

686
00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:56,839
Speaker 1: we feel like we always need to rely on other

687
00:38:56,920 --> 00:39:01,239
Speaker 1: people or relationships to make us happy. But I'm I

688
00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:04,480
Speaker 1: promise you it starts with you. And once you do

689
00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:07,040
Speaker 1: the work and you find your own happiness on our

690
00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:11,319
Speaker 1: content and rely on yourself, you'll be surprised what then

691
00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:13,960
Speaker 1: happens to you, you know, And it's.

692
00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:16,640
Speaker 2: So beautiful to like see that moment happen and like

693
00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:19,640
Speaker 2: watch other people shine, right, Like I have another girlfriend

694
00:39:19,719 --> 00:39:22,480
Speaker 2: who got out of like a devastating breakup. I was

695
00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:25,400
Speaker 2: with her, like, you know, on the kitchen floor, crying,

696
00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:28,880
Speaker 2: bringing her milk bar, Like it was so sad to

697
00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:32,560
Speaker 2: see her so low. And now it's comical. I have

698
00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:35,239
Speaker 2: been single, living in New York for four years. I'm

699
00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:38,640
Speaker 2: very content with my life. I'm so good. But every

700
00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:43,240
Speaker 2: other day she somehow now meets someone on the street

701
00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:44,479
Speaker 2: that asks her out.

702
00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:46,040
Speaker 3: It is literally miraculous.

703
00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:47,719
Speaker 2: And yeah, I told her, I was, like, it is

704
00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:50,040
Speaker 2: because you are now like ganging to a place where

705
00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:53,160
Speaker 2: you are so good as you are, but you're.

706
00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:57,920
Speaker 1: Beaming yeah, and you know, like I'm grateful for these

707
00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:03,160
Speaker 1: breakup moments or these down moments, because I was there

708
00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:07,279
Speaker 1: for myself, you know, like you are. You have to

709
00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:09,440
Speaker 1: take care of this being that you're in because this

710
00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:10,600
Speaker 1: is going to be with you for the rest of

711
00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:13,520
Speaker 1: your life, you know. And so I think that I

712
00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:17,920
Speaker 1: had neglected that for so long, mentally, emotionally, physically, whatever,

713
00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:20,600
Speaker 1: and all the faces that I've been in, and the

714
00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:24,839
Speaker 1: second that I made myself a priority, everything else fell

715
00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:25,400
Speaker 1: into place.

716
00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:29,560
Speaker 2: It felt like, you know, definitely, I do want to

717
00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:33,440
Speaker 2: touch on what you said about still having by dysmorphia,

718
00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:36,400
Speaker 2: because I actually think that that's like a really valuable

719
00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:39,799
Speaker 2: and important topic for us, just to give some air

720
00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:43,600
Speaker 2: to that from the outside looking in. And I'm sure

721
00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:46,280
Speaker 2: you hear this all the time, and it's not lost

722
00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:48,520
Speaker 2: on me that I'm sure you have so many messages

723
00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:51,319
Speaker 2: from women who feel like you. From one person who

724
00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:55,520
Speaker 2: may see you looking at your Instagram this like slender woman, like,

725
00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:57,919
Speaker 2: how could you ever feel any sort of way about

726
00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:01,160
Speaker 2: your body? That doesn't discredit the way that you may

727
00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:03,680
Speaker 2: feel and the journey that you're on. So talk to

728
00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:07,200
Speaker 2: me a little bit about how that relationship has ebbed

729
00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:08,680
Speaker 2: and flowed over time.

730
00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:13,720
Speaker 1: Absolutely. And it's funny because even in the past few years,

731
00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:15,960
Speaker 1: you know, I went for so long from being like

732
00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:19,520
Speaker 1: you're too fat, you're hideous, you're ugly, you shouldn't be

733
00:41:19,560 --> 00:41:22,799
Speaker 1: on TV because you're too big, all this stuff, to

734
00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:27,120
Speaker 1: now it's I'm being skinny shamed. You're too skinny. You

735
00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:30,160
Speaker 1: should go eat a hamburger. You look like bones, Like

736
00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:34,439
Speaker 1: I can see your rib. It's just no one's ever

737
00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:37,240
Speaker 1: going to be happy for you if they're happy unhappy

738
00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:43,919
Speaker 1: with themselves. So whatever. But you know, I I love

739
00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:46,600
Speaker 1: where my body's at, and I'm proud of the work

740
00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:49,240
Speaker 1: that I put into it. I do. It's a real

741
00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:54,040
Speaker 1: big priority for me, and I'm constantly changing the way

742
00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:55,840
Speaker 1: that I work out and I just love it. Like

743
00:41:56,239 --> 00:41:59,359
Speaker 1: fitness is a huge part of my happiness. I know it,

744
00:42:00,239 --> 00:42:05,000
Speaker 1: but it is not. It would be impossible for me

745
00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:09,080
Speaker 1: to have a whole year without looking at myself in

746
00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:12,120
Speaker 1: the mirror and being like this is this is not

747
00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:16,719
Speaker 1: good enough? Like oh, like I'm always gonna have to

748
00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:20,520
Speaker 1: deal with that, which is fine, but I think recognizing it,

749
00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:26,040
Speaker 1: knowing how to disengage those triggers, how to move through it,

750
00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:28,000
Speaker 1: how to then be like, you know, what this is

751
00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:29,440
Speaker 1: a moment I'm going to look at myself and I'm

752
00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:31,720
Speaker 1: going to tell myself. I love myself and I'm proud

753
00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:34,080
Speaker 1: of you. You know. I think it's just having to

754
00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:38,239
Speaker 1: be honest and check yourself. But yeah, I do agree that,

755
00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:41,359
Speaker 1: like I do promote a ton of fitness also on

756
00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:44,960
Speaker 1: my social media, and I do give off the image

757
00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:48,960
Speaker 1: of like, oh, she's in such great shape, that's amazing,

758
00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:51,800
Speaker 1: and I think people that will message me about it whatever,

759
00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:55,160
Speaker 1: ask me what workouts I do, what my nutrition is,

760
00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:59,799
Speaker 1: you know. But yeah, I want to be completely transparent.

761
00:42:59,880 --> 00:43:02,520
Speaker 1: And I have days where I feel fat or blowed it,

762
00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:06,680
Speaker 1: or too skinny, or like I'm not good enough, or

763
00:43:06,719 --> 00:43:10,000
Speaker 1: I don't have like a sexy curvy woman figure that

764
00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:12,360
Speaker 1: I know is a big fad right now, you know,

765
00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:16,160
Speaker 1: that's just not me. So I am constantly confronted by

766
00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:20,800
Speaker 1: these insecurities. But I think that again, I'm just proud

767
00:43:21,239 --> 00:43:24,000
Speaker 1: of how far I've come and I do love my body.

768
00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:27,120
Speaker 1: So it's just remembering that and telling yourself that.

769
00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:31,200
Speaker 2: You're like essentially articulating, like what is body acceptance?

770
00:43:31,320 --> 00:43:31,520
Speaker 3: Right?

771
00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:33,560
Speaker 2: It's like, it doesn't mean that you're not going to

772
00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:35,880
Speaker 2: have days where you look in the mirror and you

773
00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:39,279
Speaker 2: don't think, like, man, I look so great right now, Like.

774
00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:41,480
Speaker 1: That's not every day now, But it's.

775
00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:44,040
Speaker 2: Knowing that, like, you're gonna have these bad moments, and

776
00:43:44,120 --> 00:43:46,600
Speaker 2: the best thing that you can do is try to

777
00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:51,400
Speaker 2: create this inner dialogue of positivity like that is completely

778
00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:52,400
Speaker 2: up to you.

779
00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:54,600
Speaker 3: Which leads me to the next question that I want

780
00:43:54,640 --> 00:43:55,120
Speaker 3: to ask you.

781
00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:59,040
Speaker 2: In these moments where you are kind of like being

782
00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:02,400
Speaker 2: your own biggest critic, how do you get to that

783
00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:04,640
Speaker 2: place where you're capable of flipping the script.

784
00:44:05,080 --> 00:44:08,520
Speaker 1: So I just read this book recently and it was

785
00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:12,799
Speaker 1: talking about intrusive thoughts and how I think we think

786
00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:16,440
Speaker 1: that we need to just completely exclude intrusive negative thoughts.

787
00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:18,600
Speaker 1: That's not going to happen. You're gonna completely You're going

788
00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:22,000
Speaker 1: to always have these negative thoughts enter your brain, but

789
00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:25,680
Speaker 1: it's your reaction to it of than changing the way

790
00:44:25,719 --> 00:44:28,080
Speaker 1: that you think of that intrusive thought. So, for example,

791
00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:32,520
Speaker 1: my boobies I have, like little boy boobs. They're just

792
00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:35,319
Speaker 1: so tiny and small, and I wish that they were

793
00:44:35,360 --> 00:44:37,600
Speaker 1: like a little bit perkyer, I were a little bit

794
00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:40,360
Speaker 1: more belumptuous. And so that's the thing for me, Like

795
00:44:40,360 --> 00:44:42,000
Speaker 1: when I look in the mirror, I'm like, I wish

796
00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:45,080
Speaker 1: I had freaking cleavage, like just to give me a

797
00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:49,560
Speaker 1: sliver of cleavage. But then instead of dwelling on that

798
00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:52,720
Speaker 1: and picking that apart, I'll be like, but my butt

799
00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:55,839
Speaker 1: is getting bigger, and I've worked really hard on my squats,

800
00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:58,600
Speaker 1: you know what I mean, And so like I just

801
00:44:58,719 --> 00:45:05,080
Speaker 1: have to acknowledge that negative, but then find too positive

802
00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:10,160
Speaker 1: to cancel it out. Essentially, so yeah, whenever there's a negative,

803
00:45:10,200 --> 00:45:13,240
Speaker 1: I try to cancel it out it's too positive. But yeah,

804
00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:15,920
Speaker 1: that's just something that I've been working on.

805
00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:19,880
Speaker 2: And I always love when you're doing this exercise and

806
00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:21,759
Speaker 2: it's like, tell me two to three things that you

807
00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:24,600
Speaker 2: love about yourself, and like only one of them can

808
00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:27,799
Speaker 2: be a physical attribute. And sometimes when I do this

809
00:45:28,480 --> 00:45:30,560
Speaker 2: in some of the sessions that I lead for the community,

810
00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:33,600
Speaker 2: a lot of women actually have a hard time articulating

811
00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:36,640
Speaker 2: the physical attribute, and I almost challenge them to like

812
00:45:36,719 --> 00:45:39,000
Speaker 2: pick kind of an odd one, like what is the

813
00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:42,560
Speaker 2: oddest thing about yourself, maybe the most like off the

814
00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:45,920
Speaker 2: beaten path thing that you would say that like you love, Like, okay,

815
00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:50,040
Speaker 2: I'll go first. So for me, I don't know when

816
00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:52,359
Speaker 2: this like became something that I became highly aware of.

817
00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:54,240
Speaker 2: And they're covered up as you and I are talking

818
00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:57,040
Speaker 2: right here, But I love my collarbones.

819
00:45:57,080 --> 00:45:58,759
Speaker 3: I think they are outstanding.

820
00:45:59,080 --> 00:45:59,400
Speaker 2: Yo.

821
00:45:59,520 --> 00:46:02,600
Speaker 1: All bone is so sexy, like when you know what

822
00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:05,920
Speaker 1: I mean, it's just like really elegant and beautiful. And

823
00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:08,400
Speaker 1: I think a body part that doesn't get recognized.

824
00:46:07,880 --> 00:46:09,440
Speaker 3: In this all right, but what's yours?

825
00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:09,879
Speaker 2: Ooh?

826
00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:16,000
Speaker 1: I for sure I would say my back. It's just silly,

827
00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:19,600
Speaker 1: but like I love a low back moment always, but

828
00:46:19,719 --> 00:46:23,160
Speaker 1: I have a natural art and I just yeah, I

829
00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:25,120
Speaker 1: love it. I feel like it's a really feminine part

830
00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:28,759
Speaker 1: of my body and something that I like to show.

831
00:46:28,520 --> 00:46:31,799
Speaker 2: Off, something that you like to show off. See you, Okay,

832
00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:34,560
Speaker 2: we've got a collarbone, we've got a back. And everyone

833
00:46:34,680 --> 00:46:37,040
Speaker 2: has like a little outside of the box part of

834
00:46:37,080 --> 00:46:39,160
Speaker 2: their body that they can highlight. And I challenge everyone

835
00:46:39,200 --> 00:46:43,320
Speaker 2: listening to this right now to ask themselves what is mine?

836
00:46:43,600 --> 00:46:44,279
Speaker 3: Yeah?

837
00:46:44,360 --> 00:46:46,279
Speaker 1: Yeah, because I think you know, we're always like, oh

838
00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:50,319
Speaker 1: my arms are too flabby, my legs, But like find

839
00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:53,279
Speaker 1: those unique parts of you that you love and you

840
00:46:53,320 --> 00:46:55,080
Speaker 1: want to show off or that you're proud of. Yeah,

841
00:46:55,080 --> 00:46:57,400
Speaker 1: it's such a great that's such a great exercise. I

842
00:46:57,440 --> 00:46:59,080
Speaker 1: love that I got you.

843
00:46:59,120 --> 00:47:02,160
Speaker 3: I'm here for you. So fast forward a little bit.

844
00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:05,799
Speaker 2: You've been on Dancing with the Stars for some time now,

845
00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:08,319
Speaker 2: you're just coming off What season is this for you?

846
00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:11,920
Speaker 1: This is my eleventh season on the show.

847
00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:14,080
Speaker 3: Season number eleven.

848
00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:17,040
Speaker 2: Did you ever think when you started at nineteen that

849
00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:19,000
Speaker 2: you would still be here eleven seasons later?

850
00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:22,880
Speaker 1: No, Like, there are so many moments about the show

851
00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:26,040
Speaker 1: that I'm like, what is my life right now? But

852
00:47:26,280 --> 00:47:31,359
Speaker 1: it's been amazing. It's been a learning experience, and I

853
00:47:31,520 --> 00:47:36,880
Speaker 1: feel like, especially recently in the recent years, I'm so

854
00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:41,719
Speaker 1: grateful to have been able to create on the scale

855
00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:45,800
Speaker 1: and to do what I love to do. But also

856
00:47:46,120 --> 00:47:50,120
Speaker 1: I think reinvent myself as a choreographer, as a dancer,

857
00:47:50,640 --> 00:47:54,840
Speaker 1: as a performer, as a student. It's just it's been amazing.

858
00:47:54,920 --> 00:47:58,240
Speaker 1: But yeah, we just ended season thirty. Like the fact

859
00:47:58,239 --> 00:48:02,560
Speaker 1: that this show has been on for thirty seasons. Who

860
00:48:02,680 --> 00:48:06,520
Speaker 1: knew people would love ballroom dancing and the concept of

861
00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:11,640
Speaker 1: pairing them with the celebrity like wild, but wild, I.

862
00:48:11,640 --> 00:48:12,480
Speaker 3: Won't front with you.

863
00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:14,640
Speaker 2: I have one hundred percent watch Dancing at the Stars,

864
00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:18,759
Speaker 2: probably more than any season actually, this past season, I

865
00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:20,640
Speaker 2: found myself continually turning it on.

866
00:48:21,160 --> 00:48:26,480
Speaker 3: But do you have if you had to pick a favorite, all.

867
00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:28,720
Speaker 1: Of my ex partners are going to be so upset

868
00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:32,640
Speaker 1: with me. You know, I'll be honest. You know, every

869
00:48:32,840 --> 00:48:37,760
Speaker 1: season has like specific moments or things about my partner

870
00:48:37,920 --> 00:48:41,279
Speaker 1: that I just adore and love, and they've all been

871
00:48:41,360 --> 00:48:45,000
Speaker 1: so unique and different. I would say obviously a standout

872
00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:48,480
Speaker 1: season was when I won season twenty six with Adam Rippon.

873
00:48:51,160 --> 00:48:53,000
Speaker 1: I think that that was such a moment for me

874
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:56,239
Speaker 1: just it really gave me the confidence of like, you

875
00:48:56,239 --> 00:48:59,319
Speaker 1: know what you're doing and you deserve this. You know,

876
00:48:59,400 --> 00:49:02,000
Speaker 1: this wasn't a fluke. And I think that was huge

877
00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:03,880
Speaker 1: for me because I'd been on what they called the

878
00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:08,600
Speaker 1: troop for many seasons and I always felt like I

879
00:49:08,640 --> 00:49:11,480
Speaker 1: was behind the scenes, I wasn't good enough to be

880
00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:15,000
Speaker 1: a pro. But I feel like in that season I

881
00:49:15,080 --> 00:49:18,960
Speaker 1: really came to my own and I showed what I

882
00:49:18,960 --> 00:49:20,840
Speaker 1: had to offer. And so I think that that and

883
00:49:20,880 --> 00:49:23,360
Speaker 1: then I obviously, you know, took Homa Mirror Ball with Adam,

884
00:49:23,440 --> 00:49:26,960
Speaker 1: so that was amazing. And then I think this past

885
00:49:26,960 --> 00:49:31,200
Speaker 1: season with Jojo is a huge standout. I'm somebody that

886
00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:36,799
Speaker 1: loves to be comfortable and to not do things out

887
00:49:36,840 --> 00:49:41,120
Speaker 1: of the norm. But this was a moment. I just

888
00:49:41,200 --> 00:49:46,640
Speaker 1: remember when I was approached about being dancing with female,

889
00:49:46,280 --> 00:49:50,480
Speaker 1: I just was thinking about it and I was like,

890
00:49:50,719 --> 00:49:54,920
Speaker 1: you know, I'm going to do many more seasons with

891
00:49:55,000 --> 00:50:00,200
Speaker 1: a guy. I've done five seasons with a guy. Why

892
00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:04,080
Speaker 1: not take this opportunity to do something different, to make

893
00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:08,080
Speaker 1: a change, be the change, be the first ever, and

894
00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:10,400
Speaker 1: do something scary. You know. I think it was a

895
00:50:10,440 --> 00:50:13,520
Speaker 1: really big moment for me internally that I needed this.

896
00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:17,680
Speaker 1: I needed this, I needed to do something outside the box,

897
00:50:18,400 --> 00:50:20,879
Speaker 1: and I am so grateful I did.

898
00:50:21,239 --> 00:50:23,880
Speaker 2: For those that aren't up to speed, you want to

899
00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:27,040
Speaker 2: give us a little bit more context, yeah yeah, played out?

900
00:50:27,120 --> 00:50:27,920
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah yeah.

901
00:50:27,960 --> 00:50:30,960
Speaker 1: So this season season thirty on Dancing with the Stars,

902
00:50:31,120 --> 00:50:34,400
Speaker 1: they decided to have the first ever same sex pairing,

903
00:50:34,960 --> 00:50:39,200
Speaker 1: and I it's funny because I remember the executives called

904
00:50:39,239 --> 00:50:42,839
Speaker 1: me and they said, you know, we're gonna we're we

905
00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:45,480
Speaker 1: wanted to ask you one question. That's it. Like we're

906
00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:47,360
Speaker 1: going to make this brief. And I was like, okay, cool,

907
00:50:48,400 --> 00:50:50,280
Speaker 1: and they're like, we're going to do something really exciting.

908
00:50:50,320 --> 00:50:52,280
Speaker 1: We're going to have the first ever same six pairing,

909
00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:54,560
Speaker 1: and I was like, oh sick. And for some reason,

910
00:50:54,640 --> 00:50:57,600
Speaker 1: I just immediately thought it was going to be two guys.

911
00:50:57,880 --> 00:50:59,360
Speaker 1: So I thought they were going to ask my opinion

912
00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:01,880
Speaker 1: on Korea or what I thought of the concept, you

913
00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:05,960
Speaker 1: know whatever. And then they were like, it's gonna be

914
00:51:06,000 --> 00:51:08,799
Speaker 1: two females. And I was like, oh, I see where

915
00:51:08,840 --> 00:51:12,960
Speaker 1: this is going. And they straight up bluntly asked me like,

916
00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:14,960
Speaker 1: would you be willing to dance with the girl this season?

917
00:51:15,520 --> 00:51:19,600
Speaker 1: Without hesitation, I said yes, right, I just I said yes,

918
00:51:20,440 --> 00:51:23,200
Speaker 1: and then fear started to set in. We hung up

919
00:51:23,200 --> 00:51:25,600
Speaker 1: the phone and they just kept saying, you know, they

920
00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:27,760
Speaker 1: were like, we just think you'd be the perfect person.

921
00:51:28,160 --> 00:51:31,000
Speaker 1: You would be the perfect person for this moment. And

922
00:51:31,120 --> 00:51:32,480
Speaker 1: I hung up the phone, and I was just like,

923
00:51:33,880 --> 00:51:36,120
Speaker 1: what did I say this too? Can I do this?

924
00:51:36,920 --> 00:51:38,960
Speaker 1: Am I good enough? Do I know what I'm doing?

925
00:51:39,040 --> 00:51:41,720
Speaker 1: I've never done this before. And I called my parents

926
00:51:41,760 --> 00:51:45,360
Speaker 1: and again, you know, stressed about what is their reaction

927
00:51:45,520 --> 00:51:48,080
Speaker 1: going to be? What is their reaction going to be?

928
00:51:48,320 --> 00:51:50,560
Speaker 1: You know, and then oh, my goodness, I'm gonna like

929
00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:53,080
Speaker 1: if I do this, I'm gonna have to give this

930
00:51:53,680 --> 00:51:56,720
Speaker 1: sentiment to everybody and be like, I'm dancing with a girl. Anyway.

931
00:51:57,640 --> 00:52:00,160
Speaker 1: I called my parents and my dad was like a

932
00:52:00,200 --> 00:52:02,279
Speaker 1: little bit shocked, and then he was like, you know,

933
00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:05,319
Speaker 1: what an honor that they would think of you. And

934
00:52:05,400 --> 00:52:10,360
Speaker 1: I was just like, WHOA, You're right, What an honor

935
00:52:10,520 --> 00:52:13,040
Speaker 1: that they would trust me with this? Like this is

936
00:52:14,440 --> 00:52:18,720
Speaker 1: major breaking of barriers, you know, a huge step forward.

937
00:52:19,960 --> 00:52:22,719
Speaker 1: And that was then the intention I had for the

938
00:52:22,760 --> 00:52:25,319
Speaker 1: whole season of this is an honor. And then I

939
00:52:25,400 --> 00:52:28,279
Speaker 1: met Jojo. I danced with those of you that didn't

940
00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:30,759
Speaker 1: want to stancy to start the season. I danced with Jojesiwa.

941
00:52:31,239 --> 00:52:34,000
Speaker 1: She's eighteen. She recently came out as gay this past year,

942
00:52:35,600 --> 00:52:39,279
Speaker 1: huge influencer, millions of followers, and she's a child star

943
00:52:39,480 --> 00:52:42,719
Speaker 1: and a lot of her fan base are kids, and

944
00:52:42,880 --> 00:52:48,440
Speaker 1: a huge wave of courage came from her. You know,

945
00:52:48,480 --> 00:52:51,759
Speaker 1: I'm looking at this eighteen year old who's come out

946
00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:55,640
Speaker 1: publicly and then had the courage to be the first

947
00:52:55,680 --> 00:52:58,640
Speaker 1: ever same sex pairing, and I was just like, if

948
00:52:58,680 --> 00:53:01,719
Speaker 1: she can do this, I can do this. You know,

949
00:53:01,760 --> 00:53:03,279
Speaker 1: I'm not going to have to deal with half the

950
00:53:03,320 --> 00:53:06,040
Speaker 1: stuff that she has to deal with throughout her life.

951
00:53:06,080 --> 00:53:08,600
Speaker 1: What she's already had to deal with this is one

952
00:53:08,880 --> 00:53:11,200
Speaker 1: little small moment, and I can do this, and I

953
00:53:11,200 --> 00:53:14,479
Speaker 1: wanted to do it for her. She is a light.

954
00:53:15,000 --> 00:53:18,719
Speaker 1: She is full of joy, full of strength, and I'm

955
00:53:18,840 --> 00:53:21,600
Speaker 1: so proud of what we accomplished the season and what

956
00:53:21,640 --> 00:53:25,480
Speaker 1: we were able to do every day was just an

957
00:53:25,520 --> 00:53:27,319
Speaker 1: absolute dream come true working with her.

958
00:53:28,360 --> 00:53:28,760
Speaker 3: Yeah.

959
00:53:28,880 --> 00:53:32,400
Speaker 2: I interviewed Matt James during this season as well, and

960
00:53:32,440 --> 00:53:35,120
Speaker 2: we talked about, you know, the six hour dance practices

961
00:53:35,200 --> 00:53:38,279
Speaker 2: and all the effort that goes in so spending so

962
00:53:38,440 --> 00:53:42,400
Speaker 2: much time with Jojo week after week, preparing not just

963
00:53:42,440 --> 00:53:46,360
Speaker 2: for Mondays, but for so much more. What would you

964
00:53:46,400 --> 00:53:49,520
Speaker 2: say One of the biggest takeaways was spending all of

965
00:53:49,520 --> 00:53:50,080
Speaker 2: that time with.

966
00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:54,000
Speaker 1: Her before this season, when I knew that she was

967
00:53:54,040 --> 00:53:57,000
Speaker 1: on the show and I'd potentially be dancing with her.

968
00:53:57,719 --> 00:54:00,480
Speaker 1: I just remember everyone was giving me their opinions on her. Oh,

969
00:54:00,600 --> 00:54:04,640
Speaker 1: she's loud, she's she has so much energy, she's this,

970
00:54:04,920 --> 00:54:07,120
Speaker 1: she's that, and I was just like, I had never

971
00:54:07,160 --> 00:54:08,719
Speaker 1: met her before, and I was like, just let me

972
00:54:08,840 --> 00:54:10,520
Speaker 1: figure it out for myself. I don't want to make

973
00:54:10,520 --> 00:54:13,520
Speaker 1: any assumptions before I meet her. She is one of

974
00:54:13,560 --> 00:54:17,120
Speaker 1: the smartest humans I've ever met. She is a straight

975
00:54:17,200 --> 00:54:20,720
Speaker 1: up boss. She's also one of the hardest working people

976
00:54:20,719 --> 00:54:26,640
Speaker 1: I've ever met, ever met. She's kind, she's humble, and

977
00:54:28,000 --> 00:54:31,319
Speaker 1: you know, she didn't need to necessarily do the show,

978
00:54:31,719 --> 00:54:35,279
Speaker 1: and she did, and she approached it like it was

979
00:54:36,120 --> 00:54:37,840
Speaker 1: the last day she was ever going to dance in

980
00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:43,160
Speaker 1: her life. And I just I can't even imagine, Like

981
00:54:43,160 --> 00:54:45,120
Speaker 1: it makes me a little bit emotional, you know, like

982
00:54:45,200 --> 00:54:48,399
Speaker 1: I can't imagine my life without her in it, and

983
00:54:48,760 --> 00:54:51,560
Speaker 1: without these past three months that we got experience together.

984
00:54:52,040 --> 00:54:54,600
Speaker 1: I'm really glad that we did have that good friendship.

985
00:54:55,040 --> 00:54:57,680
Speaker 1: We had a real understanding of one another, and we

986
00:54:57,760 --> 00:54:58,839
Speaker 1: had the same goal in mind.

987
00:54:59,719 --> 00:55:02,479
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think the takeaway of just being able

988
00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:06,840
Speaker 2: to formulate your own opinion about someone is very important

989
00:55:06,920 --> 00:55:11,279
Speaker 2: and something that maybe we don't like air out often enough, right,

990
00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:15,000
Speaker 2: Like the value of not judging someone based just on

991
00:55:15,239 --> 00:55:18,160
Speaker 2: what you see, whether it be on social media or

992
00:55:18,160 --> 00:55:20,600
Speaker 2: what you hear from somebody else, but being able to

993
00:55:21,160 --> 00:55:23,200
Speaker 2: make your own opinion and get to know them for

994
00:55:23,280 --> 00:55:24,160
Speaker 2: who they are first.

995
00:55:24,560 --> 00:55:29,120
Speaker 1: It's funny because I wish people would have that same

996
00:55:29,120 --> 00:55:32,640
Speaker 1: approach with me. Then I think that I'm really intense.

997
00:55:33,320 --> 00:55:35,719
Speaker 1: I have really strong features, and I think a lot

998
00:55:35,760 --> 00:55:40,680
Speaker 1: of people think that I'm really unapproachable. That I mean

999
00:55:41,080 --> 00:55:43,359
Speaker 1: in a sense, I mean, I hope I don't give

1000
00:55:43,360 --> 00:55:45,640
Speaker 1: off that vibe. But you know, taking a step back,

1001
00:55:45,719 --> 00:55:48,480
Speaker 1: I am really intense, but because I care about everything

1002
00:55:48,480 --> 00:55:50,520
Speaker 1: that I do and I put my whole heart into everything.

1003
00:55:50,880 --> 00:55:52,960
Speaker 1: But yeah, I hope that I wish that people would

1004
00:55:53,239 --> 00:55:55,600
Speaker 1: give me that same benefit of the doubt and not

1005
00:55:56,040 --> 00:55:58,160
Speaker 1: immediately from what they see or what they hear or

1006
00:55:58,200 --> 00:56:00,839
Speaker 1: what they think, or that I have a perfect life

1007
00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:04,239
Speaker 1: from my social media, you know what I mean. So yeah,

1008
00:56:04,280 --> 00:56:06,120
Speaker 1: but yeah, that was a really big thing for me

1009
00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:08,960
Speaker 1: that I learned, and that also came from Val. He

1010
00:56:09,120 --> 00:56:11,360
Speaker 1: was like, you need to meet her first before you

1011
00:56:11,400 --> 00:56:15,359
Speaker 1: make any assumptions or make any conclusions about how your

1012
00:56:15,400 --> 00:56:16,200
Speaker 1: season's going to go.

1013
00:56:17,040 --> 00:56:19,839
Speaker 2: Totally totally brought him up. We're going to talk about

1014
00:56:19,920 --> 00:56:22,600
Speaker 2: Val just for a second here. You got married in

1015
00:56:22,719 --> 00:56:25,880
Speaker 2: early twenty nineteen. How has it been for you to

1016
00:56:25,920 --> 00:56:29,680
Speaker 2: be married as like you like literally just like came

1017
00:56:29,760 --> 00:56:33,200
Speaker 2: up together from like your entire relationship for everyone just

1018
00:56:33,239 --> 00:56:35,400
Speaker 2: to kind of witness from start until now.

1019
00:56:36,160 --> 00:56:40,759
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's been wild. There are many times where I

1020
00:56:40,800 --> 00:56:43,920
Speaker 1: wish that we that nobody knew us and that we

1021
00:56:44,040 --> 00:56:48,360
Speaker 1: just lived a regular life and could experience our relationship

1022
00:56:49,000 --> 00:56:53,000
Speaker 1: in private, you know. But it's also been really amazing

1023
00:56:53,120 --> 00:56:56,440
Speaker 1: to have the support and to have people get a

1024
00:56:56,480 --> 00:56:59,719
Speaker 1: witness our I guess our love, our relationship flourish before

1025
00:56:59,719 --> 00:57:03,719
Speaker 1: they're Yeah, he is by far the best thing that's

1026
00:57:03,719 --> 00:57:08,560
Speaker 1: ever happened to me. And I'm so It's funny because

1027
00:57:08,560 --> 00:57:11,200
Speaker 1: they say this like love will hit you when you

1028
00:57:11,360 --> 00:57:14,800
Speaker 1: least expect it. And I was the only new person

1029
00:57:14,920 --> 00:57:16,840
Speaker 1: the season that I joined Dancing with the Stars on

1030
00:57:16,960 --> 00:57:19,800
Speaker 1: season eighteen. He was one of the first people that

1031
00:57:19,960 --> 00:57:23,080
Speaker 1: approached me and introduced me and made me feel welcomed

1032
00:57:23,120 --> 00:57:26,800
Speaker 1: into the cast, and I think that goes a long way.

1033
00:57:27,040 --> 00:57:30,920
Speaker 1: But yeah, it's been There are pros and cons to

1034
00:57:31,480 --> 00:57:35,160
Speaker 1: working with your spouse, working with your loved ones, and

1035
00:57:35,440 --> 00:57:40,880
Speaker 1: I'm really proud of the effort and the focus that

1036
00:57:40,880 --> 00:57:42,760
Speaker 1: we've put into it, because you know, we don't have

1037
00:57:42,800 --> 00:57:45,000
Speaker 1: a ton of people that we can turn to and follow, like,

1038
00:57:45,240 --> 00:57:47,840
Speaker 1: how does it work for you? You know? Does this work?

1039
00:57:48,120 --> 00:57:49,640
Speaker 1: I tell my dad all the time, I'm like, can

1040
00:57:49,680 --> 00:57:51,400
Speaker 1: you imagine if Mom had to come to one of

1041
00:57:51,440 --> 00:57:53,640
Speaker 1: your operations and sat there and just like gave her

1042
00:57:53,680 --> 00:57:55,840
Speaker 1: opinion and talked to you the whole time, like you'd

1043
00:57:55,880 --> 00:57:59,920
Speaker 1: probably be like no, no, no, So you know, it's

1044
00:58:00,400 --> 00:58:03,040
Speaker 1: it is a really interesting dynamic that we have. But

1045
00:58:04,200 --> 00:58:06,640
Speaker 1: to be able to share it together on such a

1046
00:58:06,760 --> 00:58:10,120
Speaker 1: large scale is this is a dream come true.

1047
00:58:10,320 --> 00:58:12,200
Speaker 2: I have to tell you that you got married at

1048
00:58:12,240 --> 00:58:15,960
Speaker 2: like one of my favorite resorts ever, Taranea.

1049
00:58:16,520 --> 00:58:17,760
Speaker 3: It's so stunning.

1050
00:58:18,000 --> 00:58:20,240
Speaker 2: I've been there, like I think two or three times,

1051
00:58:20,280 --> 00:58:22,720
Speaker 2: and every time I go, I'm just like, how does

1052
00:58:22,760 --> 00:58:23,960
Speaker 2: this place even exist?

1053
00:58:24,240 --> 00:58:26,200
Speaker 1: It's so funny because you're like, this does not exist

1054
00:58:26,280 --> 00:58:28,920
Speaker 1: in California. You feel like you're transported into a different

1055
00:58:29,000 --> 00:58:31,560
Speaker 1: universe totally. But yeah, when we were looking, when we

1056
00:58:31,560 --> 00:58:33,720
Speaker 1: were talking about venues and looking at venues, we knew

1057
00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:36,840
Speaker 1: we wanted to be near water. Water is huge for

1058
00:58:36,960 --> 00:58:41,000
Speaker 1: Val he grew up near the water. But I didn't

1059
00:58:41,000 --> 00:58:43,040
Speaker 1: want it to be like a beach wedding where like

1060
00:58:43,080 --> 00:58:46,520
Speaker 1: we're barefoot Contessa and the sands frolicking, Like that's just

1061
00:58:46,560 --> 00:58:49,040
Speaker 1: not my vibe, Like I want a stiletto, you know.

1062
00:58:49,680 --> 00:58:53,520
Speaker 1: But we wanted a gorgeous backdrop. So we saw a

1063
00:58:53,560 --> 00:58:57,040
Speaker 1: picture of Karenea and this couple was like on this

1064
00:58:57,360 --> 00:59:00,400
Speaker 1: rock in the middle of the water taking a photo

1065
00:59:00,480 --> 00:59:04,000
Speaker 1: and I was like, this is it? Say no more.

1066
00:59:04,400 --> 00:59:06,520
Speaker 1: We drove down and we saw it and it was

1067
00:59:07,000 --> 00:59:11,440
Speaker 1: straight magic, so romantic perfect. That's the best.

1068
00:59:11,920 --> 00:59:15,200
Speaker 3: Yeah, ah, the best. All right, Well we're winding down here.

1069
00:59:15,560 --> 00:59:19,640
Speaker 2: We did talk a lot today about first impressions and

1070
00:59:19,720 --> 00:59:20,480
Speaker 2: social media.

1071
00:59:20,800 --> 00:59:22,480
Speaker 3: If someone goes to your social media.

1072
00:59:22,280 --> 00:59:25,440
Speaker 2: Page right now, they'll see a woman nearing eight hundred

1073
00:59:25,480 --> 00:59:29,360
Speaker 2: thousand followers, a Dancing with the Stars pro you know,

1074
00:59:29,560 --> 00:59:31,880
Speaker 2: so you think you can dance all star and mentor

1075
00:59:32,320 --> 00:59:35,520
Speaker 2: when you look in the mirror, what is it that

1076
00:59:35,640 --> 00:59:37,240
Speaker 2: you see looking back at you?

1077
00:59:38,200 --> 00:59:42,600
Speaker 1: I see first a daughter. I think that is one

1078
00:59:42,640 --> 00:59:45,360
Speaker 1: of my proudest titles, as being a daughter, a sister,

1079
00:59:46,240 --> 00:59:49,080
Speaker 1: a wife. Now you know, those are always my main

1080
00:59:49,080 --> 00:59:53,960
Speaker 1: priorities before anything else externally. But I also see a dancer,

1081
00:59:54,320 --> 00:59:58,200
Speaker 1: and I'm proud of that. And I lost a little

1082
00:59:58,280 --> 01:00:01,760
Speaker 1: bit of that love or that identity of am I

1083
01:00:01,800 --> 01:00:03,960
Speaker 1: a dancer? Am I good enough to be a dancer?

1084
01:00:04,320 --> 01:00:06,200
Speaker 1: Is just what I want to do? I lost that

1085
01:00:06,320 --> 01:00:08,919
Speaker 1: for a little bit, and the second that I made

1086
01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:13,200
Speaker 1: the realization that this is who I am, It's made

1087
01:00:13,200 --> 01:00:16,360
Speaker 1: me happier than ever, and that's that's a title that

1088
01:00:16,440 --> 01:00:19,120
Speaker 1: I hold dearly. I will always have it a goal

1089
01:00:19,200 --> 01:00:23,960
Speaker 1: to connect and be relatable to people, to be a voice,

1090
01:00:24,000 --> 01:00:27,760
Speaker 1: but also to be an ear to listen. I love

1091
01:00:27,800 --> 01:00:32,200
Speaker 1: the relationship that I have with my followers, my audience.

1092
01:00:32,920 --> 01:00:36,080
Speaker 1: It's really personal to me, to me and I don't

1093
01:00:36,120 --> 01:00:40,400
Speaker 1: take it for granted. But yeah, I think that I

1094
01:00:40,480 --> 01:00:42,720
Speaker 1: know that I'm Jenna when I look in the mirror

1095
01:00:42,760 --> 01:00:45,919
Speaker 1: and I'm proud of her. I love her. Yeah, It's

1096
01:00:45,920 --> 01:00:48,200
Speaker 1: taken me a while to get there, and so I

1097
01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:50,960
Speaker 1: think in moments like this, like I'm I feel confident

1098
01:00:51,000 --> 01:00:51,440
Speaker 1: saying that.

1099
01:00:52,080 --> 01:00:54,040
Speaker 3: What else excites you right now?

1100
01:00:54,640 --> 01:00:57,840
Speaker 1: I'm excited because this is the first time in quite

1101
01:00:58,000 --> 01:01:00,680
Speaker 1: in probably five years, that I'm not going on the

1102
01:01:00,760 --> 01:01:03,000
Speaker 1: Dancing with the Star's tour, and it was a really

1103
01:01:03,000 --> 01:01:06,320
Speaker 1: hard decision to not go because it is such a

1104
01:01:06,320 --> 01:01:09,760
Speaker 1: big part of our life, my life and has been.

1105
01:01:09,960 --> 01:01:13,400
Speaker 1: But we have a few projects coming up that I'm

1106
01:01:13,480 --> 01:01:16,160
Speaker 1: really really excited about that I've been wanting to do

1107
01:01:16,240 --> 01:01:19,080
Speaker 1: for a long time, and venture into other aspects of

1108
01:01:19,480 --> 01:01:22,439
Speaker 1: performing that I haven't had the time to do yet.

1109
01:01:23,040 --> 01:01:26,800
Speaker 1: So I'm really excited about that. I'm also really excited

1110
01:01:27,320 --> 01:01:29,760
Speaker 1: to be home for the holidays and the first time

1111
01:01:29,880 --> 01:01:35,000
Speaker 1: in almost probably nine years, and just experience that being

1112
01:01:35,040 --> 01:01:38,200
Speaker 1: a real human is important and I can't wait.

1113
01:01:38,560 --> 01:01:43,480
Speaker 2: Okay, right now, you have the chance to offer the

1114
01:01:43,600 --> 01:01:47,320
Speaker 2: Jenna who is at that rock bottom hurdle moment a

1115
01:01:47,400 --> 01:01:51,800
Speaker 2: piece of advice looking back on that really difficult time.

1116
01:01:51,920 --> 01:01:55,080
Speaker 3: Right now, what do you tell her?

1117
01:01:56,360 --> 01:02:00,920
Speaker 1: You know it's so cliche, but I would tell her

1118
01:02:00,960 --> 01:02:05,360
Speaker 1: to never give up. And you know, I think I

1119
01:02:05,600 --> 01:02:08,200
Speaker 1: many times was so close to giving up or to

1120
01:02:08,320 --> 01:02:11,240
Speaker 1: just like throwing in the towel, and I'm so happy

1121
01:02:11,280 --> 01:02:14,240
Speaker 1: I didn't. And I would tell her, yeah, there's going

1122
01:02:14,280 --> 01:02:16,720
Speaker 1: to be many more times where you're going to want

1123
01:02:16,720 --> 01:02:20,040
Speaker 1: to give up, and just don't. Don't keep pushing. The

1124
01:02:20,320 --> 01:02:23,960
Speaker 1: quote comparison is the thief of all joy. I would

1125
01:02:23,960 --> 01:02:27,640
Speaker 1: constantly tell her that, yeah, and just value yourself, be

1126
01:02:27,680 --> 01:02:28,480
Speaker 1: proud of who you are.

1127
01:02:29,280 --> 01:02:32,840
Speaker 3: Keep going, Jenna, thank you so much for your time today.

1128
01:02:32,920 --> 01:02:35,400
Speaker 3: This was like such a fun conversation. I'm so happy

1129
01:02:35,400 --> 01:02:36,440
Speaker 3: that we were able to have it.

1130
01:02:36,520 --> 01:02:40,080
Speaker 1: Thank you, Yes, me too, Thank you for having me.

1131
01:02:40,600 --> 01:02:42,520
Speaker 3: How did the hurdlers follow along with you? How do

1132
01:02:42,560 --> 01:02:45,280
Speaker 3: they keep up with you? Give me all your details.

1133
01:02:45,400 --> 01:02:48,160
Speaker 1: Keep up all things Jenna. You can go into my

1134
01:02:48,240 --> 01:02:52,600
Speaker 1: Instagram which is at Jenna Johnson Super simple and follow along.

1135
01:02:53,200 --> 01:02:55,840
Speaker 2: And follow along I'm over at Hurdle Podcast and at

1136
01:02:55,840 --> 01:02:58,400
Speaker 2: Emily Body Another hurdle conquered.

1137
01:02:58,800 --> 01:02:59,760
Speaker 3: Catch you guys next time

1138
01:03:01,800 --> 01:03:01,840
Speaker 1: To