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Speaker 1: The Michael Berry Show. Sage Steele was co host of

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Speaker 1: ESPN Sports Center. Beautiful woman. I had such a big

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Speaker 1: crush on her, still do she was. She was attacked

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Speaker 1: by The Wall Street, by The Wall Street, by Walt

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Speaker 1: Disney Company for speaking out against the company's COVID maxine

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Speaker 1: man COVID vaccine mandate. As you probably know, ESPN is

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Speaker 1: owned by Disney, and she felt it was wrong to

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Speaker 1: require people to get the clock shot, and so she

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Speaker 1: sued them when they did all this, and she sued Disney.

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Speaker 1: She sued ESPN, and she refused to be censored. She

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Speaker 1: would end up leaving the company to exercise her First

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Speaker 1: Amendment rights. This is courage, this is fearlessness. And Praguer,

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Speaker 1: you that does some great work on stuff like this.

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Speaker 1: It's for Dennis Prager. Prager and then you for University Preger.

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Speaker 1: You CEO, Marisa, I think it's Stripe. I'm not positive

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Speaker 1: how you pronounce her last name. She sat down with

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Speaker 1: Sage Steele to talk about how you find the Street

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Speaker 1: to take on one of the most powerful companies, Disney,

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Speaker 1: and what she learned from it and what her future

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Speaker 1: plans are. You know, when we talk about black history, month,

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Speaker 1: or all the various things where we say young people

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Speaker 1: need heroes that.

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Speaker 2: Look like them.

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Speaker 1: Well, if you're so determined that a hero be black,

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Speaker 1: here's one. Here's one I would like. I'd like her

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Speaker 1: to get some praise. Hey, young folks, whether you be

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Speaker 1: black or not. Hey, young people, whether you be a

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Speaker 1: girl or not. Here's somebody look up to. Here's somebody brave.

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Speaker 1: Here's somebody who didn't sell out. Here's somebody who took

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Speaker 1: on a big corporation to bring about a change. Here's

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Speaker 1: the kind of people you want to be like, Be

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Speaker 1: like Sage.

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Speaker 3: Sage Steele.

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Speaker 4: Let's have the conversation we had in the green room

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Speaker 4: right here on the whole world.

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Speaker 2: Buckle up, bussell.

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Speaker 3: So for those who are.

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Speaker 4: Living under a rock and don't know about your story,

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Speaker 4: I want to just get right into it. And I

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Speaker 4: actually think it's going to be so fascinating to walk

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Speaker 4: through your story now several years later, where you can

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Speaker 4: really talk about everything. There's another little Sage Steal somewhere

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Speaker 4: out there who is probably going through what you have

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Speaker 4: gone through and has no guidance, has little courage, and

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Speaker 4: doesn't really have a role model to follow. To note

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Speaker 4: that things will be okay, and boy, you are okay.

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Speaker 4: You are okay, and so I want the little sage

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Speaker 4: steal and I'm sure there are both women and men

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Speaker 4: to hear what you went through and how you came

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Speaker 4: out of it an absolute warrior.

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Speaker 2: Oh gosh. First of all, thank you and thank you

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Speaker 2: for inviting me. Conversations are what life is about for

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Speaker 2: me today and always it's always what it's been like.

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Speaker 2: But I was never really allowed to, you know, and

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Speaker 2: you work on the live news shows and Sports Center

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Speaker 2: for all those years and it's like I gotta go, go, go,

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Speaker 2: go go, And so it's been awesome to be able

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Speaker 2: to do it on my own show, and to be

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Speaker 2: able to do this with you, like I never thought

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Speaker 2: to be allowed to. This is a big deal. To

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Speaker 2: be able to actually talk forget about cameras and just

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Speaker 2: go It was a I ended up so crazy. How

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Speaker 2: did this shy kid believe it or not? And I

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Speaker 2: still feel that way sometimes I get shy and I

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Speaker 2: have to like flip the switch. How did this shy

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Speaker 2: kid who just wanted to talk about sports for a

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Speaker 2: living and tell stories of great athletes and their why

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Speaker 2: Sue Walt the Walt Disney company and ESPN to stand

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Speaker 2: up for her freedom of speech and First Amendment rights, Like,

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Speaker 2: I don't know how that happened. God, I don't percent.

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Speaker 2: God I am learning now the why, and I think

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Speaker 2: that's been really important in the last I've been gone

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Speaker 2: from ESPN for like fifteen sixteen months after sixteen and

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Speaker 2: a half years there, which was my ultimate dream when

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Speaker 2: I was a little girl to work there, and I

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Speaker 2: did it, and I did it at the highest level,

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Speaker 2: and I'm literally so grateful for every moment there. I

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Speaker 2: wouldn't change any of it. But I thought, just innocently,

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Speaker 2: you know, gave my opinion on the COVID vaccine mandate,

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Speaker 2: not the vaccine itself, but being forced to get the

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Speaker 2: shot to keep my job. This is in September October

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Speaker 2: of twenty twenty one, so it's been three years since

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Speaker 2: I said what I said and then got punished for it.

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Speaker 4: What was the punishment when you said, Well, first of all,

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Speaker 4: what did you say exactly?

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Speaker 3: I'm sure you've memorized it.

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Speaker 2: I kind of have. I was on a podcast with

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Speaker 2: Jay Cutler for the non sports fans out there, the

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Speaker 2: former Bears and Broncos quarterback we would retired and started

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Speaker 2: a new podcast, and his publicist had said, Hey, he's

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Speaker 2: done two shows. He wants to have a woman come

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Speaker 2: on with Jay. I was like, sure. I talked about

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Speaker 2: him a lot on Sports Center, did a bunch of

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Speaker 2: highlights for low lights of his and Cheryl come on.

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Speaker 2: Seems like a nice guy, and he was prepared. He

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Speaker 2: did his homework on things that I had spoken about

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Speaker 2: in the past that maybe weren't a big deal then,

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Speaker 2: but we're more so in twenty twenty one, and I

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Speaker 2: had literally just come from getting the vaccine that I

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Speaker 2: had to get to keep my job, and I was

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Speaker 2: devastated that I was forced to do something to my

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Speaker 2: body that I didn't want to. And so I was

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Speaker 2: running hot and in hindsight, like I literally came from

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Speaker 2: getting the shot that I cried during to running home,

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Speaker 2: flip up my laptop and open it up and get

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Speaker 2: on a zoom and I had a short sleeve shirt

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Speaker 2: on with a band aid on my shoulder and literally

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Speaker 2: didn't even really remember realize it because I was in

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Speaker 2: a rush. He's like, what's that band aid? Oh, he

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Speaker 2: asked you during the show, what's the band aid for? Well,

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Speaker 2: I got my shot today. I didn't want to do it.

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Speaker 2: I work for a company that mandates it, and I

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Speaker 2: had until September thirtieth to get it done or I'm out.

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Speaker 2: I respect everyone's decision, I really do, but to mandate

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Speaker 2: it is sick. And then what I was like, I

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Speaker 2: just kind of laughed because I thought, uh, oh, like

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Speaker 2: I was hot, I was angry. I was pissed off

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Speaker 2: that I had been forced to do this, and so

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Speaker 2: I was like, well, I just came back from getting

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Speaker 2: my shot. I had to get to keep my job,

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Speaker 2: and I said, I think it's sick and scary for

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Speaker 2: any employer in mine happens to be Disney to force

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Speaker 2: somebody to do something to their body that they don't want.

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Speaker 2: But I have a job that I love and a

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Speaker 2: job that I need, frankly, and I had no choice

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Speaker 2: and I'm complying. That's what I said, sick and scary

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Speaker 2: about the Disney mandate. And so when the podcast hit

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Speaker 2: the first week of October twenty twenty one, you know,

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Speaker 2: I started to get texts and phone calls from bosses

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Speaker 2: and my agent at the time, and you know, my boss,

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Speaker 2: who was second in command at ESPN at the time,

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Speaker 2: was like, did you get permission to do this. I'm like, no,

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Speaker 2: I mean, no one gets permission. Stephen A. Smith is

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Speaker 2: eight hundred podcasts and shows to talk about your body. Well,

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Speaker 2: permission to do a podcast, any interview without asking them first, Okay,

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Speaker 2: you have to ask to breathe there, And that was

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Speaker 2: part of the official rules, but none of us really

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Speaker 2: followed them. Like all that. You know, I was on

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Speaker 2: a podcast with the former quarterback I worked Inesapan. It

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Speaker 2: made sense, but we talked about social issues. Other people

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Speaker 2: were allowed to do whatever they wanted, and I didn't

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Speaker 2: even think about it because everybody just did their thing

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Speaker 2: and it got big quickly. And basically it was that

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Speaker 2: I had criticized my employer and I wasn't allowed to

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Speaker 2: do that. And so the punishment answer your question was

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Speaker 2: to first of all, publicly apologize. I had to issue

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Speaker 2: a written statement, which they then followed up with a

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Speaker 2: statement of their own. So I was apologizing for criticizing

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Speaker 2: the company. I couldn't say the word Disney. I could

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Speaker 2: not say Disney. I had to say the company. That

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Speaker 2: was a mandate. And then I apologized for putting them

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Speaker 2: in a tough position, I guess by talking about the shot.

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Speaker 2: And then They followed up with a statement of you know, well,

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Speaker 2: while we respect everyone's opinions, we don't we don't we're

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Speaker 2: gonna shot her down. And so I got suspended. They

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Speaker 2: don't like to use that word, but it was suspended

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Speaker 2: with pay, but suspended, taken off the air for almost

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Speaker 2: two weeks. And you know, at that time I would

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Speaker 2: have been content, I guess with just that. The problem

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Speaker 2: is the punishment continued and assignments were taken away from me,

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Speaker 2: and I thought, okay, I'm going to publicly apologize. I

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Speaker 2: think this is wrong, but I'm gonna do it because

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Speaker 2: I was scared and I was told that if I

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Speaker 2: don't apologize, then I will be fired. So of course,

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Speaker 2: as a I mean, I'm divorced and I'm one hundred

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Speaker 2: percent financially responsible for everyone in my family, even the

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Speaker 2: one I'm not married to anymore. Like, the pressure was

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Speaker 2: immense and I was scared to death.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and it's your dream job job, you worked your back.

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Speaker 2: Workmre bought off for all those years, thirty years and

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Speaker 2: so but the thought of being fired it was real,

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Speaker 2: and I said, okay, I'll do whatever it takes. It

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Speaker 2: should be apology, even though I disagreed on it, and

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Speaker 2: then sat out for twelve days whatever it was, and

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Speaker 2: then came back to work and was told, you know

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Speaker 2: how many people hated me, and I need to call

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Speaker 2: certain members of my team and coworkers to apologize for

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Speaker 2: other things I had said too in that podcast about

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Speaker 2: women being more responsible for what we wear in professional settings,

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Speaker 2: and that's just my opinion and my experience working in

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Speaker 2: men's locker rooms for twenty five years. So that's the

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Speaker 2: reason why everybody hated me at the company, according to bosses.

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Speaker 2: And then of course defying being defiant by speaking out

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Speaker 2: against the company, even though I followed their shop policy.

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Speaker 2: So when they kept taking assignments away though, that's where

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Speaker 2: it broke me because I've worked years to earn them

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Speaker 2: and to host the Rose Parade in Pasadena every January,

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Speaker 2: or to host the New York City Marathon, or some

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Speaker 2: of the pieces I've been working on for my new

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Speaker 2: streaming show that were incredible pieces of human interest with

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Speaker 2: athletes who opened up and shared their stories and tears

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Speaker 2: with me, and I was so honored, and then they

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Speaker 2: stopped promoting it, and that is when I couldn't believe it.

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Speaker 2: The reason I sued, though, is because I thought that

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Speaker 2: was unfair willing to overlook it when I saw them

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Speaker 2: allowing my peers, fellow on air teammates to speak their

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Speaker 2: mind about social political issues, not just privately or on

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Speaker 2: separate podcasts, but on ESPN airwaves, to talk about roversus

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Speaker 2: Wade being overturned on an NBA show, or having a

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Speaker 2: moment of silence for the alleged don't say gay rules

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Speaker 2: in Florida during women's college basketball.

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Speaker 3: Tournament, which was never said in the bill.

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Speaker 2: If they took the time to read it and do

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Speaker 2: their homework, people would have probably still made up the

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Speaker 2: line because it worked and they get away with it.

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Speaker 2: But it's one thing to do it on the side,

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Speaker 2: which is what I did. I thought that was okay

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Speaker 2: to give my opinion on a shot that I complied with.

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Speaker 2: It's another thing to say these things on ESPN airwaves,

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Speaker 2: on a sports channel that has nothing to do with

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Speaker 2: Roe versus Wade or don't Say Gay. The hypocrisy of

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Speaker 2: that is what made me say enough and call an attorney.

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Speaker 2: My attorney who's such a dear friend now, Brian Friedman,

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Speaker 2: who has saved a lot of us who have been

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Speaker 2: canceled by our networks. And I'll say that to make

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Speaker 2: that decision to pull the trigger and foul a lawsuit

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Speaker 2: was one of the scariest moments of my life.

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Speaker 3: But I knew.

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Speaker 2: I knew I had to because I'd been silent and

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Speaker 2: scared for so long, and I knew that enough was enough.

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Speaker 4: Where do you get those inner voices from. There's this

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Speaker 4: thing that we say as educators that the things that

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Speaker 4: are spoken to you when you were a child become

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Speaker 4: your inner voices when you become a grown up, and

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Speaker 4: oftentimes there are the things that are going to build

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Speaker 4: you or give you courage.

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Speaker 2: My faith has grown so much over the last i'd

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Speaker 2: say six years, you know, on a personal level, and

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Speaker 2: I had to make the decision to leave my marriage.

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Speaker 2: And I've been married for twenty years almost to the day,

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Speaker 2: twenty seven years total, first boyfriend I ever had, Wow,

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Speaker 2: that's all I knew. Three beautiful kids. So in order

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Speaker 2: to get there, I had to dive deep on my faith,

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Speaker 2: even though it was a scary decision. Obviously, I'm Catholic,

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Speaker 2: like you don't do that, and I'm not a quitter,

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Speaker 2: so like you don't, you don't get divorced, so that

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Speaker 2: happened to be much more important than the professional stuff.

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Speaker 2: But when I had dug deep on my faith with

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Speaker 2: that and talked to my priest and talk to people

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Speaker 2: I really trusted, and then I learned to trust myself,

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Speaker 2: and those voices that I know for me were spiritual.

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Speaker 2: I'm like, if I could get through that, then I

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Speaker 2: can do this, and so I need to continue to

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Speaker 2: dive deeper. And I really felt like I got so

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Speaker 2: many signs in both situations personally and professionally to make

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Speaker 2: the decisions that I made. I also remember being on

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Speaker 2: the floor literally because when I got suspended for speaking up,

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Speaker 2: primarily about the vaccine mandate, I'm sitting at home and

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Speaker 2: I then got really, really, really really sick with COVID,

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Speaker 2: the thing that the shot was supposed to prevent me

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Speaker 2: from getting. I was literally on the verge of driving

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Speaker 2: myself to the hospital. I was not good. And then

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Speaker 2: these headlines kept coming out about you know, all the

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Speaker 2: people were making up lies to become part of the

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Speaker 2: story of how terrible of a person I am, and

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Speaker 2: one headline in particular just got me and broke me.

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Speaker 2: For some reason. I was on the ground because I

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Speaker 2: didn't have the energy to get back up, and my

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Speaker 2: parents had driven up from Pennsylvania because I knew I

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Speaker 2: was scared and alone and sick and they shouldn't have come.

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Speaker 2: My dad has two kinds of cancer and this is

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Speaker 2: twenty twenty one and COVID and you're not supposed to

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Speaker 2: be around. And it's proof that when you know, as

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Speaker 2: parents would do whatever it takes. And so they came

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Speaker 2: and got their fifty year old daughter up off the

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Speaker 2: floor and was like, you're not going to let this

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Speaker 2: break you. So my parents, who've been through so much

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Speaker 2: just to you know, survive as an intercial couple in

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Speaker 2: the early nineteen seventies, like so much bigger than what

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Speaker 2: I've been through. When I saw them walk in and

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Speaker 2: help me, and then thinking about what they'd been through,

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Speaker 2: and finally thinking about the prayer that my dad had

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Speaker 2: just thrilled unto us as kids, I knew I had

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Speaker 2: to do this and that prayer. He's a nineteen seventy

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Speaker 2: West Point graduate, and as kids, I have two younger brothers.

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Speaker 2: He met his memory part of the Cadet prayer, and

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Speaker 2: that part is helped me to choose the harder right

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Speaker 2: instead of the easier wrong, and to never be content

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Speaker 2: with a half truth when the whole truth can be one,

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Speaker 2: so the harder right. I was so annoyed that I

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Speaker 2: knew what the heart of right was because I knew

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Speaker 2: I couldn't be silent like no more. I've been silent

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Speaker 2: in my whole life and so afraid to stand up,

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Speaker 2: afraid for good reason. Look what happened when I was

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Speaker 2: just being myself. God forbid. You can be yourself in

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Speaker 2: every other way. You can be a girl today, a

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Speaker 2: boy tomorrow, and a cat on Thursday. Right, that's fine,

288
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Speaker 2: But I couldn't be a conservative with I guess my

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Speaker 2: gender and my skin color. So I knew what the

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Speaker 2: heart of right was, and that I you know, the

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Speaker 2: second half of that prayer. I could never be content

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Speaker 2: if I was only telling the half truth, because the

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Speaker 2: whole truth was right here. So that stupid prayer that

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Speaker 2: he made me memorize, stupid like was right before my eyes.

295
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Speaker 2: And I preached that to my kids too. So if

296
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Speaker 2: I didn't follow that at my lowest, most vulnerable point,

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Speaker 2: when my little sports world was watching and laughing because

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Speaker 2: I'd been silenced, which is what they wanted, then shame

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Speaker 2: on me. And I'm a hypocrite. So that faith that

300
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Speaker 2: came with all the things, and in particular that prayer

301
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Speaker 2: that had got me through so much when I was

302
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Speaker 2: thinking about getting divorced, then I knew I would have

303
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Speaker 2: to forever be quiet, and I could not do that.

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Speaker 4: There is something that you said that keeps ringing in

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Speaker 4: my head, and that was you made a comment while

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Speaker 4: you were working for ESPN about how women were more

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Speaker 4: were supposed to focus more on what they wear than

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Speaker 4: what they say.

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Speaker 2: And they get upset that you said.

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Speaker 4: That, Yet they wanted to control you and make sure

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Speaker 4: that you don't say what they don't want you to say.

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Speaker 2: You're right.

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Speaker 4: So how did your colleagues and friends from twenty plus

314
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Speaker 4: years of work react.

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Speaker 2: To you speaking out? The silence was deafening.

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Speaker 4: They didn't call you in secret and say stage we're

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Speaker 4: behind you, we get it. No, we're sorry, We're sorry

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Speaker 4: this is happening to you. We can't say anything publicly,

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Speaker 4: but we're going to put a big hat on and

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Speaker 4: come and support you. There wasn't even support behind the scenes.

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Speaker 2: No, I will admit that that part is still hard,

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Speaker 2: you know, especially some of the young women who came

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Speaker 2: after me. At IDIOESPN, and you know, i'd been there

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Speaker 2: a few years, and I really it was important to

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Speaker 2: me to welcome them because I had not felt welcomed

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Speaker 2: when I started in two thousand and seven, a different

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Speaker 2: era completely all together. And I had gone about for

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Speaker 2: some of those women when they were going through some

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Speaker 2: things or just had questions, and so for them to

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Speaker 2: I never expected anybody to publicly support me because I

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Speaker 2: know what comes with that. That is scary and it

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Speaker 2: could be career suicide. So I never expected that it

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Speaker 2: was the human level. It was just that human part

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Speaker 2: of like just we're friends and just you see that

335
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Speaker 2: I'm broken right now, just to reach out and just

336
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Speaker 2: you know. And so to not have that part that

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Speaker 2: that changed me hardened me for a little bit. And

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Speaker 2: now I'm glad because gosh, my circle is a lot

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Speaker 2: smaller and healthier. And I needed that because it was

340
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Speaker 2: probably too big because I've always been the I just

341
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Speaker 2: try to do too much. I'm still working on that,

342
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Speaker 2: but like such a pleaser in every way, and I

343
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Speaker 2: want to make sure. I wanted to make sure these

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Speaker 2: other young women didn't feel the way I did coming

345
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Speaker 2: in as a young mother when I started at ESPN.

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Speaker 2: My kids were eleven months old, two and four, and

347
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Speaker 2: this is an O seven, this is you know, it

348
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Speaker 2: was still very much a boys club. And then the girls,

349
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Speaker 2: the women who were there were not the nicest, that's

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Speaker 2: for damn sure. So I just never wanted others to

351
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Speaker 2: feel that way. And then before I knew it, I

352
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Speaker 2: was one of the veterans, and so I was like,

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Speaker 2: let me help them, and then I went to bat

354
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Speaker 2: for a lot of them, and then silence. I wouldn't

355
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Speaker 2: ever change it, though, I will continue to go to

356
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Speaker 2: bat for any young woman or man, because I know

357
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Speaker 2: what it feels like when no one does that for

358
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Speaker 2: you when you need it, when you're not asking for something,

359
00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,320
Speaker 2: but you're just scared, because this is an ugly industry,

360
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Speaker 2: you know. So I promise you I have no regrets.

361
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Speaker 2: There's no bitterness at all from those women who chose

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Speaker 2: to stay silent and men. My best friends were men silent.

363
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Speaker 2: But that's because they're afraid. And I know that it

364
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Speaker 2: takes a lot to push through that fear. So I

365
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Speaker 2: respect it. But I also I'm like, okay, onward then,

366
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Speaker 2: you know, and I'm glad. And it also taught me

367
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Speaker 2: how few people do have strength, and again I get it,

368
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Speaker 2: but I know now that I need to be around

369
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Speaker 2: like minded people, not necessarily people who are going to go,

370
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Speaker 2: you know, drop bombs and see their company, you know,

371
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Speaker 2: especially when you're still working there, which is another thing

372
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Speaker 2: was kind of crazy and unique about my situation. But

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Speaker 2: I can't. Oh, I can't handle weakness. I can't, you know.

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Speaker 4: It's the other thing is being around real people who

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Speaker 4: want to live a real life. And so there are

376
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Speaker 4: two components to that. One is these people are not real,

377
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Speaker 4: they're not authentic. The friendship is not real and authentic

378
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Speaker 4: because when my friends hurt, I hurt. But the other

379
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Speaker 4: part of it is that they are not living a

380
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Speaker 4: real life. I mean, they're controlled. They can't say what

381
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Speaker 4: they know, they have to live in fear, and that

382
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Speaker 4: that must be very heavy for them as well.

383
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Speaker 2: I know it is because it was for me, and

384
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Speaker 2: I felt like I didn't have a choice for a

385
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Speaker 2: long time either because of the financial obligations.

386
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Speaker 4: I told you, well, they'll give you the lollipop and

387
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Speaker 4: just take it away, and so you're like, give it

388
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Speaker 4: back to me, and they're like, well, we'll give it

389
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Speaker 4: back to you if if right it is.

390
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Speaker 2: The gold and handcuffs. In many ways, and especially when

391
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Speaker 2: you've this is your childhood dream and you've worked your

392
00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:01,320
Speaker 2: whole life, it takes a long time. It used to

393
00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:04,120
Speaker 2: take a long time to really build to get there,

394
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Speaker 2: especially once you achieved that childhood dream, like are you

395
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Speaker 2: going to throw it away over this or that? So

396
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Speaker 2: I understand more than anyone, but at the end of

397
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Speaker 2: the day, you know, for a while, and even with

398
00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:18,720
Speaker 2: my decision to take the vaccine to get the shot,

399
00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:22,240
Speaker 2: which I still really struggle with, I felt like I caved.

400
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,200
Speaker 2: I really am. I've forgiven myself because I had to

401
00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:27,879
Speaker 2: do what I had to do at that moment to

402
00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,959
Speaker 2: survive three years ago, a very different time than now, certainly,

403
00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,320
Speaker 2: and companies have stopped. It's magic, right, how all of

404
00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:37,800
Speaker 2: a sudden, nobody's forcing it and it just goes away, like, oh,

405
00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:39,440
Speaker 2: I just I want to you know.

406
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Speaker 4: And by the way, those who are on the other

407
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Speaker 4: side of it, do not look at you with this

408
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Speaker 4: thing that you need to carry some sort of shame, right,

409
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Speaker 4: And everybody should just make their own decisions.

410
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Speaker 2: That's all we wanted.

411
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Speaker 3: So I said to macciny, make your own decision. And

412
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Speaker 3: if you made the decision and you changed your mind.

413
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Speaker 2: That's okay too, it is it was more for me,

414
00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:03,480
Speaker 2: such a principled in so many ways. But again there's

415
00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:05,720
Speaker 2: there's fear, and I literally didn't know what I was

416
00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:08,359
Speaker 2: gonna do. So when people say and thank you and

417
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,359
Speaker 2: I'm better now it's been three years. But when people

418
00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,639
Speaker 2: say to me, you had a choice and you chose

419
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,320
Speaker 2: to do it, they're right. I did make that choice,

420
00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,359
Speaker 2: which is why I understand the fear. But I also

421
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:26,040
Speaker 2: know this, it will eat you up. The fear will

422
00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,359
Speaker 2: eat you up, and the silencing, at least in my experience,

423
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Speaker 2: it'll eat you up. And that's kind of what it did.

424
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Speaker 2: So when I made the decision to speak up, I

425
00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:42,000
Speaker 2: threw it all away. I had an incredible contract at

426
00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:49,040
Speaker 2: ESPN and a relatively speaking in that way, easy life

427
00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:52,439
Speaker 2: with a good schedule, high pressure, a lot of stress,

428
00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,280
Speaker 2: all the things. But like, I did throw it all away,

429
00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:57,440
Speaker 2: and I did not have an idea where my next

430
00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,639
Speaker 2: paycheck was coming from. And I'm still working on that.

431
00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:04,440
Speaker 2: So I get the fear thing, but I also I'm like, okay,

432
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Speaker 2: that's on you then, because you're never gonna there will

433
00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:11,119
Speaker 2: never be a perfect time to take that leap and

434
00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:16,320
Speaker 2: to really take a chance on yourself and just go

435
00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,879
Speaker 2: for it. And without my faith full circle, without my faith,

436
00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:21,639
Speaker 2: I would never have been able to do it. And

437
00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,440
Speaker 2: I have seen Marsa that like the more I have

438
00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:28,000
Speaker 2: let go of control, especially in the last like six months,

439
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,480
Speaker 2: the beautiful things that are happening are insane, and I

440
00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:35,600
Speaker 2: am so grateful. I get emotional. I live down in

441
00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,400
Speaker 2: South Florida now, and I sold my house in Connecticut

442
00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:42,080
Speaker 2: and sold everything in it, like literally everything, put some

443
00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,159
Speaker 2: stuff in storage, and got in my little car and

444
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:46,320
Speaker 2: drove twenty three hours down here to start a new

445
00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:50,000
Speaker 2: life by myself. And it was scary, but like I

446
00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:52,520
Speaker 2: shudder at the thought of what had happened if I

447
00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:57,399
Speaker 2: had stayed comfortable and stayed fearful, and with good reason

448
00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,199
Speaker 2: to stay comfortable and to just keep it all per fit.

449
00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,560
Speaker 2: Never a good time. And I'm so passionate now about

450
00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:08,280
Speaker 2: sharing that and how you can push through fear even

451
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:13,040
Speaker 2: when you're responsible for an entire family, And I just

452
00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:15,560
Speaker 2: I'm so grateful what if I hadn't. And then I'm

453
00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:17,320
Speaker 2: preaching to my kids to take chances and to believe

454
00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:21,160
Speaker 2: in themselves. And then I'm going to sit quiet, total hypocrite.

455
00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:23,800
Speaker 2: So now I'm just winging it and that's kind of fun.

456
00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:24,240
Speaker 3: Yeah.

457
00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:27,159
Speaker 4: Well, I mean, it is such an amazing feeling to

458
00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:31,200
Speaker 4: feel free, right, it's worth more than any money. You

459
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:33,000
Speaker 4: read the Bible of the Old Testament. You talk about

460
00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,280
Speaker 4: leaving your Egypt, right, that was your Egypt. And in

461
00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:38,520
Speaker 4: Egypt things were comfortable and you know there was food,

462
00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,520
Speaker 4: and you know what's going to happen tomorrow. But then

463
00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:43,600
Speaker 4: when you have the courage to get over it and

464
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,040
Speaker 4: just keep going and listen to God and listen and

465
00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:51,679
Speaker 4: tap into yourself, that is really the meaning of everything

466
00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,120
Speaker 4: we were chatting earlier, where I told you I don't

467
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,920
Speaker 4: work out enough and I don't eat that healthy, and

468
00:24:57,880 --> 00:24:59,880
Speaker 4: what I think sustains me well, want to sleep.

469
00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:01,920
Speaker 3: I think it's really important. But more than anything, I

470
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,000
Speaker 3: think it's meaning. Meaning. Meaning is my medicine.

471
00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,520
Speaker 4: And I think that when you are able to live

472
00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,360
Speaker 4: a free life, you can truly live a meaningful life

473
00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,320
Speaker 4: because you can drop into what God really wants you

474
00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:13,600
Speaker 4: to do.

475
00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:14,760
Speaker 3: And I really do believe that.

476
00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:19,920
Speaker 4: You're on the journey to do what you're meant to do.

477
00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:21,840
Speaker 4: I've been watching what you've been doing over the last

478
00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:27,200
Speaker 4: few months, last few years, and just the transformation that

479
00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:31,320
Speaker 4: has happened in your personal life and in your career

480
00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,320
Speaker 4: is so worth sharing. And before we walked in here,

481
00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,320
Speaker 4: I just in full disclosure, I kind of encouraged you

482
00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:40,280
Speaker 4: to speak about what happened several years ago.

483
00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:44,399
Speaker 3: And you know, you're like, oh, well, what happened to ESPN.

484
00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:46,080
Speaker 4: It was a long time ago, and I've been on

485
00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:48,840
Speaker 4: so many shows and I've talked about this, and people

486
00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:50,760
Speaker 4: may know about it anyway, it's a thing of the past.

487
00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:52,520
Speaker 4: And you know, my point is, no, it is not

488
00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:54,280
Speaker 4: a thing of the past what you went through a

489
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,520
Speaker 4: few years ago. People are going through every day right now.

490
00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:01,280
Speaker 4: And also the way you look what you've gone through

491
00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:04,280
Speaker 4: a few years ago will be viewed by you a

492
00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,879
Speaker 4: little differently now because you have been touched in so

493
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:12,720
Speaker 4: many ways. Your heart has expanded, your mind has expanded,

494
00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,080
Speaker 4: your visibility has expanded. That the new perspective that you

495
00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,760
Speaker 4: have now about what you went through a few years

496
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:20,480
Speaker 4: ago is a whole other level.

497
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,680
Speaker 2: You're right, and I needed that encouragement from you. My

498
00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,480
Speaker 2: fear and continue to speak about it has literally only

499
00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:33,119
Speaker 2: been because my fear of being perceived as oh she

500
00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,560
Speaker 2: wants sympathy or woe is me? And uh yeah, and

501
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:38,080
Speaker 2: that's why I'm like, no, no, no, that's not me.

502
00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:38,760
Speaker 2: That's not what it is.

503
00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:41,040
Speaker 3: Yeah, And you know, like I.

504
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:46,120
Speaker 2: Literally just don't want anyone else to live in fear

505
00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:50,080
Speaker 2: for so long. And I want The reason I filed

506
00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:52,800
Speaker 2: the damn lawsuit is because I want these companies to

507
00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:57,439
Speaker 2: know that we will know longer accept it because that's

508
00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,880
Speaker 2: what they bank on. Yeah, and it's worked. It's worked

509
00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,720
Speaker 2: incredibly well to just do what they said to me,

510
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:08,000
Speaker 2: like be quiet, say this, do this, sign this or else,

511
00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:14,680
Speaker 2: and there's reason for us to listen, but absolutely not.

512
00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:17,440
Speaker 2: And the strength that has come from that, I mean,

513
00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:19,760
Speaker 2: I will say, I think that's probably when I look

514
00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,159
Speaker 2: back on the experience itself, from the moment I got

515
00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:26,080
Speaker 2: suspended to the moment I settled with ESPN Disney with

516
00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:30,080
Speaker 2: twenty two months. So once I got back from suspension,

517
00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:33,600
Speaker 2: I mean I was on the air for twenty two months,

518
00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:36,280
Speaker 2: sixteen months with an act of lawsuit against the very

519
00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:39,520
Speaker 2: company whose tea had to go there every day, every day,

520
00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:42,040
Speaker 2: every single day. So I think if I look back,

521
00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:44,920
Speaker 2: because when you're in it, you're just like Oh, that's

522
00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:49,080
Speaker 2: probably what I'm most proud of, because I felt sick

523
00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,720
Speaker 2: to my stomach every day for twenty two months, and

524
00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:55,080
Speaker 2: especially the sixteen months once I filed the lawsuit, and

525
00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:57,359
Speaker 2: to walk back in there the next day after it

526
00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:01,840
Speaker 2: had hit that I'm suing Disney fan, like nobody does

527
00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:06,399
Speaker 2: usually wait to see somebody after you're gone, but I couldn't.

528
00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,000
Speaker 2: I didn't have that luxury. It had to be kind

529
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,639
Speaker 2: of now or never. So I think you would like

530
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:13,800
Speaker 2: this though, because when my parents came and lifted me

531
00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,040
Speaker 2: off the ground, and like all the the day I

532
00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:19,280
Speaker 2: went back to work, my best friend was there, Tiffany,

533
00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:21,080
Speaker 2: who was also my makeup barist, who had a lot

534
00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:25,280
Speaker 2: to fix that day and every day since. And she

535
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:26,960
Speaker 2: was there, and my mom and dad were there, and

536
00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:29,840
Speaker 2: my dad, who was a former football player at Army,

537
00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:33,240
Speaker 2: went back to his football mode. He's like, okay, girls,

538
00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:35,399
Speaker 2: huddle up, and I'm getting ready to walk out the

539
00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:36,960
Speaker 2: door to drive to work to go back on Sports

540
00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:42,040
Speaker 2: Center for the first time, and he, you know, words

541
00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:44,520
Speaker 2: of encouragement, and then he said, we're going to say

542
00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,520
Speaker 2: a prayer. And it wasn't the kid at prayer because

543
00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:49,520
Speaker 2: we already said that one hundred times right, and i'd

544
00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:51,120
Speaker 2: already you know I'm doing the hard to write by

545
00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:52,920
Speaker 2: going back into work and not just running away saying

546
00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:56,800
Speaker 2: I need some time. It was Saint Michael the archangel

547
00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:59,840
Speaker 2: And so for any Christians or Catholics out there, that's

548
00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:02,040
Speaker 2: I prayer that we say at the end of Mass,

549
00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:06,720
Speaker 2: and it's basically protecting you. Putting it, I've envisioned it

550
00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:10,840
Speaker 2: as a protective bubble that I put around that God

551
00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,720
Speaker 2: put around me to be able to walk into any

552
00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,960
Speaker 2: scenario and protect you from the wickedness and snares of

553
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,760
Speaker 2: the double. And so from that moment on, when I

554
00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,520
Speaker 2: walked out the door shaking Tiffany threatening me to not

555
00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:27,800
Speaker 2: cry because she made my face look much better to

556
00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,520
Speaker 2: the day I left, I felt protected. And so every

557
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:33,960
Speaker 2: day I would drive to work, and they lived in

558
00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,080
Speaker 2: Pennsylvania at the time. My parents said I'd call them

559
00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:38,360
Speaker 2: when I pulled into the parking lot and I'm putting

560
00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:40,320
Speaker 2: my mess hare on before I walked in those doors,

561
00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,880
Speaker 2: and we would be on speak her phone and say

562
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,240
Speaker 2: that prayer to protect me when I walked in. So

563
00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:50,240
Speaker 2: I felt sick every day, but I walked in there

564
00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:52,320
Speaker 2: and I did feel like I could do it. I

565
00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,560
Speaker 2: found this strength and it's crazy because I feel like

566
00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:59,280
Speaker 2: sixteen and a half years there, those last twenty two months,

567
00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:03,040
Speaker 2: I did my best work, like I was the I

568
00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:05,440
Speaker 2: feel like, because I've always been super critical of my work,

569
00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:07,680
Speaker 2: especially you know, two hours of live TV every day

570
00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:12,400
Speaker 2: is a lot. I felt so calm and so strong,

571
00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:16,120
Speaker 2: and I trusted my instincts even more doing the live

572
00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,240
Speaker 2: stuff and the interviews and winging it with highlights.

573
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:20,000
Speaker 3: You're like, God's with you.

574
00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:23,720
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. The more people came at me, the

575
00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,200
Speaker 2: more calm I felt, and the better I did. I

576
00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:28,400
Speaker 2: didn't realize it in the moment, but I look back

577
00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:30,680
Speaker 2: now and I'm like, how the heck did I go

578
00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:33,760
Speaker 2: in there knowing that, like Bob Iger and everybody literally

579
00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:36,240
Speaker 2: was trying to crush me and bleed me dry financially

580
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:40,800
Speaker 2: with a stupid lawsuit. So I wouldn't change a thing.

581
00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:43,680
Speaker 2: And that's why I can't shut up about it, because

582
00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,480
Speaker 2: too many people feel scared to death of their companies

583
00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:49,400
Speaker 2: based on the pressures, you know, to raise a family

584
00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:53,200
Speaker 2: or stay alive medical bills, to pay Like, I get it,

585
00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:56,960
Speaker 2: but just know that you are not alone. There are

586
00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:00,200
Speaker 2: millions of people out there who have felt scared I

587
00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:04,760
Speaker 2: did and just stay quiet, and that's what they bank

588
00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:06,280
Speaker 2: on it. And if we continue to do that, then

589
00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:09,600
Speaker 2: I think it's on us, Like at some point that's

590
00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:12,120
Speaker 2: on me if I choose to stay silent. So I

591
00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,160
Speaker 2: got to help make people not be silent and realize

592
00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:17,160
Speaker 2: we're in this together. And the more we speak up,

593
00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,920
Speaker 2: the more they will realize they don't have the strength

594
00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:22,920
Speaker 2: they think that they do. We are powerful and we

595
00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:23,720
Speaker 2: have to use it.

596
00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:26,880
Speaker 4: Well, I'm really glad that you're willing to go back

597
00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:29,800
Speaker 4: into this again. And I also think that one of

598
00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:33,160
Speaker 4: the things I want people to truly understand is that

599
00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,240
Speaker 4: when you do the right thing, and when you do

600
00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,240
Speaker 4: God's work, you suddenly have more hours in the day.

601
00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:44,320
Speaker 4: You suddenly have more superpowers. It's really unbelievable. It's when

602
00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:47,480
Speaker 4: you don't tap into who you are and connect truly

603
00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:50,560
Speaker 4: with what you're meant to do, that you're depleted that

604
00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:52,560
Speaker 4: you don't have enough hours in the day, that you're

605
00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:54,920
Speaker 4: fearful that you can't do things. But the moment you

606
00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:57,600
Speaker 4: let go of those what did you call it, golden handcuffs,

607
00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,520
Speaker 4: you actually become you're meant to do, and then you

608
00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:05,680
Speaker 4: can do almost anything. And it is so amazing. Every

609
00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:07,440
Speaker 4: time we take on a new program at prayer, you

610
00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:11,040
Speaker 4: I'm already so busy. How is it possible that we

611
00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,320
Speaker 4: can do one more thing? But if it's the right

612
00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:16,960
Speaker 4: thing for us to do, somehow more hours in the

613
00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:21,920
Speaker 4: day show up. It's pretty unbelievable. And the people that

614
00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:24,760
Speaker 4: you and the people that show up that will show

615
00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:27,080
Speaker 4: up for you right, the right people will show up

616
00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:31,280
Speaker 4: for you. I think about some of the things that

617
00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:35,400
Speaker 4: I go through raising my kids now they're eleven, nine

618
00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:40,440
Speaker 4: and six, and I today have luxuries that I didn't

619
00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:43,440
Speaker 4: have as a child, and I think not having luxuries

620
00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:46,400
Speaker 4: was actually helpful and me being the tough chick that

621
00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:50,640
Speaker 4: I am. And I'm doing some research about your childhood

622
00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:54,040
Speaker 4: and just you describing your childhood being an army brat,

623
00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:57,240
Speaker 4: having to move around the country, having to make new friends,

624
00:32:57,720 --> 00:32:59,840
Speaker 4: being a shy kid, and having to get over it.

625
00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:02,640
Speaker 4: These really really hard things that you went through as

626
00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:07,240
Speaker 4: a child. Do you feel like they've prepared you better

627
00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:11,080
Speaker 4: for what you were meant to do later on in life?

628
00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:14,280
Speaker 4: Because we're so scared to put our kids through hard things,

629
00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:17,880
Speaker 4: and we so want a helicopter over them, but then

630
00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:21,080
Speaker 4: they get this big hit in real life and they're

631
00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:24,239
Speaker 4: not prepared, right, And I just I'd love to hear

632
00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,240
Speaker 4: a little bit about your childhood and how you think

633
00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:30,360
Speaker 4: those hard times built you so you're built.

634
00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,200
Speaker 2: I was, and I did and do have the best

635
00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:39,480
Speaker 2: parents who dragged me through a lot of things, obviously professionally,

636
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:42,920
Speaker 2: but growing up. I by the time I was eleven,

637
00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:47,280
Speaker 2: I lived in four different countries. But what a beautiful experience,

638
00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:50,800
Speaker 2: I think when I look back on true diversity, like

639
00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,800
Speaker 2: that's how we lived and to be the new kid

640
00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:58,959
Speaker 2: a lot in your elementary, junior, higher high school classrooms.

641
00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:01,840
Speaker 2: If you want to play on the kickball team, you

642
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:05,680
Speaker 2: had to go up and say hi, And then I

643
00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:08,719
Speaker 2: was I think in some ways like it's the most

644
00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:12,719
Speaker 2: diverse upbringing but also the most sheltered because military kids

645
00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:15,279
Speaker 2: are cool because they get it. They know what it's

646
00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:16,920
Speaker 2: like to be the new kid, and they're very welcoming,

647
00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:20,600
Speaker 2: you know, and understanding, and it's like, yeah, you want

648
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:21,120
Speaker 2: to be on the team.

649
00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:23,440
Speaker 3: It's a big family, the military, big.

650
00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:27,520
Speaker 2: Family, and a beautifully diverse family, because like I'm from

651
00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,719
Speaker 2: my dad's black, my mom's white, and there was just

652
00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:35,480
Speaker 2: so much you know, interracial dating and marriages. Everybody was

653
00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:37,520
Speaker 2: all blended and beautiful, like that's what the world looks like,

654
00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:38,960
Speaker 2: and that's what the military is, you.

655
00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:41,160
Speaker 3: Know, eap blu or bashoon, and that's what we're meant.

656
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,319
Speaker 2: To be, it is, and so that's all I knew,

657
00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:46,279
Speaker 2: and so coming getting out of the military environment was

658
00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:49,200
Speaker 2: actually a little bit shocking. When I went to had

659
00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:51,200
Speaker 2: to move across the country senior year of high school

660
00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,200
Speaker 2: that was the worst, to a place that was the

661
00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:57,840
Speaker 2: opposite of diverse, and I very much stood out like

662
00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:01,960
Speaker 2: a sore thumb. And then college, etc. And then this industry.

663
00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:04,040
Speaker 2: I was like, oh my gosh, this is not so.

664
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:07,120
Speaker 2: I was so spoiled. I was so sheltered despite beings

665
00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:10,080
Speaker 2: so worldly and living across the world because of how

666
00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:13,840
Speaker 2: every welcoming everybody was, so you know, every time was

667
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:16,680
Speaker 2: hard to move because you got used to it and

668
00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:19,960
Speaker 2: you made friends. And then my mother in particular was

669
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,799
Speaker 2: awesome with this because the moves are hurdest I think

670
00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:27,560
Speaker 2: on the spouses and certainly the dependence, but the spouse

671
00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,520
Speaker 2: is more so and when the father and mother goes,

672
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:34,040
Speaker 2: you know, offers is deployed or something, who's home with

673
00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:37,080
Speaker 2: the kids and trying to adjust and find new doctors

674
00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:40,439
Speaker 2: and dentists and getting kids signed up for soccer every

675
00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:42,759
Speaker 2: couple of years to a place you've never even heard

676
00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,640
Speaker 2: of sometimes, and my mom always said, no matter where

677
00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:49,520
Speaker 2: we live, there's always something great. We lived in really

678
00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:53,400
Speaker 2: cool places like Greece and Belgium growing up. I was

679
00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:56,680
Speaker 2: born in Panama and California, and also lived in the

680
00:35:56,719 --> 00:36:00,640
Speaker 2: middle of Indiana, middle of nowhere in Kansas, and every

681
00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,960
Speaker 2: place I loved, we loved because my mom taught us

682
00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:06,359
Speaker 2: you got to just go find the good. It's all

683
00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:09,000
Speaker 2: there and you're always going to meet great people. So

684
00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:13,000
Speaker 2: I'm super grateful for that perspective that she chose to have,

685
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:17,000
Speaker 2: growing up very differently from my father, who was also

686
00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:19,600
Speaker 2: an army brat. But my mom grew up in small

687
00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:25,640
Speaker 2: town Massachusetts, never leaving the state ever, and then being

688
00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:28,759
Speaker 2: disowned by her parents for marrying a black man. Like

689
00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:33,400
Speaker 2: my mom is tough despite being so sheltered in her

690
00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:36,759
Speaker 2: own life. So I just thought it was normal to

691
00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:39,000
Speaker 2: move around and have to make friends, even though I

692
00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:43,600
Speaker 2: was shy, And so that's why TV wasn't that difficult.

693
00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:45,799
Speaker 2: For me to adjust to when you had to start

694
00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:48,360
Speaker 2: from in a really small market and keep moving and

695
00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:51,000
Speaker 2: being the new kid and being the weird one or

696
00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:54,800
Speaker 2: whatever else. It was preparing me and I just didn't

697
00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:56,520
Speaker 2: know it. So I'm grateful for that, But of course

698
00:36:56,560 --> 00:36:59,279
Speaker 2: you don't know it until afterwards. And what it does

699
00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,480
Speaker 2: take to walk into those classrooms, you know, or the

700
00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:05,040
Speaker 2: sports teams when you know you don't move at the

701
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:06,719
Speaker 2: beginning of the year. Quite often you move in like,

702
00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,160
Speaker 2: you know, February. So I had to build that toughness

703
00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,000
Speaker 2: to walk in and then okay, that allows me to

704
00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:15,000
Speaker 2: do things. A lot of things I've done today, even

705
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:17,680
Speaker 2: where I have to say, okay, it's hard to walk

706
00:37:17,719 --> 00:37:19,640
Speaker 2: into this restaurant by myself and sit at the bar

707
00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,840
Speaker 2: by myself and get a nice steak dinner by myself,

708
00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:25,600
Speaker 2: and I do think back to being.

709
00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:28,200
Speaker 3: Everybody that's what happened.

710
00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:31,640
Speaker 2: I wish that's not what's happening. I'm at the wrong restaurant.

711
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:36,560
Speaker 2: Everybody's gonna be dming me, set me up. Gosh, yeah,

712
00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:41,320
Speaker 2: we'll talk later. But like it does, still I go

713
00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:44,840
Speaker 2: back to being that little shy girl. But then I realized,

714
00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:46,960
Speaker 2: remember when you walked into that first year of your

715
00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:49,279
Speaker 2: first day of your senior year of high school. I

716
00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:51,920
Speaker 2: didn't know a soul in that whole school of two

717
00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:55,839
Speaker 2: thousand students, and I was only black student, the only

718
00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:59,839
Speaker 2: one in the whole school. How was that not fun?

719
00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:03,960
Speaker 2: I think a lot of the kids were great. There

720
00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:06,719
Speaker 2: were a couple that were not and made it very clear.

721
00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:10,279
Speaker 2: Definitely the toughest experience of my life up to that

722
00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:14,279
Speaker 2: point for things that kids said, racist, ugly things that

723
00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:16,759
Speaker 2: were said and done that I had never experienced in

724
00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:18,560
Speaker 2: my life until I was a senior in high school

725
00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:23,000
Speaker 2: because of the beautiful, accepting, tolerant, diverse world I was

726
00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,680
Speaker 2: in as a military kid, so I didn't realize there

727
00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:27,279
Speaker 2: was that kind of racism until I was a senior

728
00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,759
Speaker 2: in high school. But it was preparing me for what

729
00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:32,960
Speaker 2: was to come, and I had no idea, And I'm

730
00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:34,839
Speaker 2: grateful for that for that time too.

731
00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:36,920
Speaker 4: You know how you lived all over the world, you

732
00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:40,120
Speaker 4: lived all over the country. You really know America?

733
00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:44,800
Speaker 3: I do? Do you think America is a racist country?

734
00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:45,200
Speaker 2: Is it?

735
00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:49,640
Speaker 3: Are we institutionally racist? I feel like, especially.

736
00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:51,960
Speaker 4: Somebody like you who has not only lived all over

737
00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:56,319
Speaker 4: the place, but you're half black, half white. If there's

738
00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,480
Speaker 4: anybody who could answer that question, it would be you.

739
00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:04,799
Speaker 2: I get so mad when people say that the institutional

740
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:08,440
Speaker 2: systemic racism, all these basically new phrases that are just

741
00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:10,960
Speaker 2: you know, now, everybody says it because it seems like

742
00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:14,880
Speaker 2: it's acceptable and polerant and cool. I have literally lived

743
00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:17,399
Speaker 2: across this country and across the world, and having lived

744
00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:21,920
Speaker 2: in other countries, I can look at ours and say, stop, guys,

745
00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:23,080
Speaker 2: that's not what this is.

746
00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:23,719
Speaker 3: Now.

747
00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:27,719
Speaker 2: Will there always be racism and prejudice? Of course until

748
00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:29,560
Speaker 2: the end of time. There always has been, and there.

749
00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:31,600
Speaker 3: Always humans will always be assholes.

750
00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:35,120
Speaker 2: Yes, it's called human beings. And whether I want to

751
00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:38,200
Speaker 2: admit it or not, we all have some prejudices in us.

752
00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:40,840
Speaker 2: I know what mine are. I'm working on it, you know,

753
00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:45,960
Speaker 2: But like stop stop looking for perfection when there's no

754
00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:49,960
Speaker 2: such thing, and be forgiving and understanding. I'm not saying

755
00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:54,319
Speaker 2: accepting intolerant of ugliness and racism, but quite often, when

756
00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:57,880
Speaker 2: I go back to what my mom went through to

757
00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:02,120
Speaker 2: be here today, and my parents just celebrated fifty three

758
00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:06,640
Speaker 2: years of marriage, my mom and dad had to forgive

759
00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:11,840
Speaker 2: my mom's parents for their racist behavior, to disown my

760
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:17,400
Speaker 2: mother because of who she chose to love. So the

761
00:40:17,480 --> 00:40:22,120
Speaker 2: forgiveness came in understanding their why, because I believe that

762
00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:25,239
Speaker 2: everybody's opinions are based on their experiences. So I don't

763
00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:28,000
Speaker 2: know exactly what my grandparents experienced, but I know that

764
00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:30,120
Speaker 2: where they were from, they just didn't see people like

765
00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:33,080
Speaker 2: my dad. And then, you know, this is long before

766
00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:37,560
Speaker 2: media and internet was even in existence, really, but if

767
00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:39,800
Speaker 2: all they knew was what they saw on the news

768
00:40:40,320 --> 00:40:45,120
Speaker 2: in the sixties and seventies and what black people were about,

769
00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:46,759
Speaker 2: and it was just is coming off the civil rights

770
00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,880
Speaker 2: are in a very different time, Well, then you're gonna

771
00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:51,680
Speaker 2: have some stereotypes and vice versa that all white people

772
00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:54,240
Speaker 2: are racist and hate black people. Like it goes both ways.

773
00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:59,080
Speaker 2: So for my mom and dad to forgive my mom's

774
00:40:59,160 --> 00:41:03,960
Speaker 2: parents and then allow that recovery to happen six or

775
00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:08,480
Speaker 2: seven years later, that taught me a lot about forgiveness.

776
00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:13,719
Speaker 2: If anyone is bored, like I've kept this pinned on

777
00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:15,800
Speaker 2: my Twitter x account for six or seven years, and

778
00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:19,680
Speaker 2: NFL Films did a piece on my parents based on

779
00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:22,279
Speaker 2: my brother who works with the Baltimore Ravens and he's

780
00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:25,160
Speaker 2: in the NFL and interviewing him, they discovered this beautiful

781
00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:27,320
Speaker 2: story of my parents, and it's forever pinn there because

782
00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:30,200
Speaker 2: it tells the story of what my parents went through

783
00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:33,200
Speaker 2: to get to today. And this was done in twenty sixteen,

784
00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:38,120
Speaker 2: so it's old now, but it still applies like my

785
00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:41,320
Speaker 2: crap is nothing compared to that, Which is why I

786
00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:43,239
Speaker 2: think I've been able to maintain perspective because of what

787
00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:47,040
Speaker 2: they chose to go through to be together, and if

788
00:41:47,120 --> 00:41:50,880
Speaker 2: they can forgive and persevere, who am I not to?

789
00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:55,600
Speaker 2: And to just realize that people say ugly things and

790
00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:58,680
Speaker 2: do ugly things, and even talking about, you know, a

791
00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:02,200
Speaker 2: little bit ago about my friends at ESPN or in

792
00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:04,680
Speaker 2: the media world who went direk on me and kind

793
00:42:04,719 --> 00:42:07,759
Speaker 2: of just forgot about that those years of friendship. Like

794
00:42:08,320 --> 00:42:11,920
Speaker 2: to forgive them because I don't know what they've been

795
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:15,279
Speaker 2: through to make them do that, that caused them to

796
00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:17,560
Speaker 2: do that. So I you got to forgive and realize

797
00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:20,240
Speaker 2: that everybody has a why as to why they're behaving

798
00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:21,840
Speaker 2: a certain way or not being there for you.

799
00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:24,359
Speaker 3: You would forgive them.

800
00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:30,680
Speaker 4: If the ESPN friends suddenly called you now that President

801
00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:32,759
Speaker 4: Trump got elected and you were part of the new

802
00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:35,960
Speaker 4: Chool team and they suddenly call you.

803
00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:37,000
Speaker 3: Now you'll forgive them?

804
00:42:37,520 --> 00:42:40,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, I oh my gosh, am I not to forgive.

805
00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:47,400
Speaker 2: Yeah doesn't mean that the hurt is not there, and

806
00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:53,520
Speaker 2: I don't forget that's for sure. The friendship has changed forever.

807
00:42:54,200 --> 00:42:56,719
Speaker 2: I don't know that it would even still exist, but

808
00:42:56,880 --> 00:42:59,840
Speaker 2: I know the importance of letting someone speak and letting

809
00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:03,480
Speaker 2: and allowing someone to grow. I don't expect I'll get

810
00:43:03,520 --> 00:43:08,160
Speaker 2: those phone calls, you know, And that's okay either way.

811
00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:12,880
Speaker 2: They know, they know, and they can live with that,

812
00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,080
Speaker 2: and I don't wish ill on any of them, but

813
00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:18,160
Speaker 2: I know that. Again, I just go back to something

814
00:43:18,239 --> 00:43:20,160
Speaker 2: so much more important to me, which is how my

815
00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:24,239
Speaker 2: mom forgave her parents for letting go of her and like,

816
00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:29,879
Speaker 2: I don't know, so I'm humbled all the time by

817
00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:32,600
Speaker 2: that perspective. And that's why I say screw you to

818
00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:35,959
Speaker 2: people who want to focus on everything, making everything about race.

819
00:43:36,480 --> 00:43:36,719
Speaker 3: Yeah.

820
00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:38,719
Speaker 2: I think the part that I struggle with the most

821
00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:42,279
Speaker 2: today and probably always have and always will is to me,

822
00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:45,319
Speaker 2: the most racism I have felt is from people who

823
00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:50,160
Speaker 2: look like me. And that's the part that I'm like, now,

824
00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:50,839
Speaker 2: what do you lean?

825
00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:52,040
Speaker 3: Can you give me some examples?

826
00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:58,720
Speaker 2: Well, when people who look like me tell me I'm

827
00:43:58,760 --> 00:44:03,800
Speaker 2: not black enough, you know, or call me a coon,

828
00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:06,839
Speaker 2: and a very long list of things I won't even

829
00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:14,359
Speaker 2: repeat because of my views, because you know, how can

830
00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:18,400
Speaker 2: I be a Republican or conservative based on the racist

831
00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:21,160
Speaker 2: Republican Party and the racist Donald Trump and all, you know,

832
00:44:22,560 --> 00:44:25,640
Speaker 2: like who cares? That's how I grew up, and I

833
00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:29,400
Speaker 2: feel like I had the best upbringing because of how

834
00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:33,319
Speaker 2: diverse it was and still is, like I might all

835
00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:36,319
Speaker 2: love me as much as my white family, Like it's

836
00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:38,560
Speaker 2: not what we want in America. That's what America is.

837
00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:42,040
Speaker 2: That's what we are promoting, so shut up with your divisiveness.

838
00:44:42,680 --> 00:44:46,000
Speaker 2: It has devastated me the most though, when black people

839
00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:48,640
Speaker 2: have said what they have said, And oh my gosh,

840
00:44:48,760 --> 00:44:52,920
Speaker 2: it's probably a massive minority of people, but it's a

841
00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:55,680
Speaker 2: very loud minority, and certainly some of my peers at

842
00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:59,640
Speaker 2: ESPN and elsewhere. But that's the part, because I think,

843
00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:04,600
Speaker 2: grow up up. You know, kids are kids, even good

844
00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:08,320
Speaker 2: military kids, and so you know, oh, well, she's this

845
00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:10,640
Speaker 2: because of her white mom, or she talks like this

846
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:14,200
Speaker 2: because of you know, or her hair or like all

847
00:45:14,239 --> 00:45:17,160
Speaker 2: that stupid shit that like, what are we doing, We're

848
00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:21,800
Speaker 2: actually we're actually being racist by saying these things. So

849
00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:23,719
Speaker 2: that's the part that I've had to let go of

850
00:45:23,880 --> 00:45:27,120
Speaker 2: and realizing that this is how God made me. And

851
00:45:27,239 --> 00:45:29,520
Speaker 2: if I'm not black en off all of a sudden,

852
00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:32,480
Speaker 2: or I'm I'm no longer invited to the cookout because

853
00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:36,520
Speaker 2: of who loved me and who I loved or how

854
00:45:36,600 --> 00:45:39,759
Speaker 2: I believe, then you're the one with the problem, and

855
00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:43,040
Speaker 2: you're the one that's actually being a detriment to this

856
00:45:43,280 --> 00:45:46,560
Speaker 2: beautiful country by continuing to focus on race. Whether it's

857
00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:48,719
Speaker 2: those people, whether it's these people at these colleges and

858
00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:53,800
Speaker 2: universities or just on Twitter who are choosing to benefit

859
00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:55,560
Speaker 2: from this. That's why the joy Reads of the world

860
00:45:55,640 --> 00:45:59,080
Speaker 2: continue to do what they're doing, because it'd be they'd

861
00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:02,080
Speaker 2: have to take a a cut, a hit and their

862
00:46:02,120 --> 00:46:05,120
Speaker 2: paychecks if they stop making things all about race, and

863
00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:07,320
Speaker 2: they're not willing to do that. So go ahead with

864
00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:09,680
Speaker 2: your big bed self, go ahead and do it. Be divisive.

865
00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:12,239
Speaker 2: I can't imagine what that feels like to live in

866
00:46:12,320 --> 00:46:15,600
Speaker 2: such ugliness and to want to divide. So those are

867
00:46:15,600 --> 00:46:18,759
Speaker 2: the people we need to pray for. I love that

868
00:46:18,840 --> 00:46:20,040
Speaker 2: you have the tolerance in you.

869
00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:22,000
Speaker 4: You know the work that we do here at Frigguer

870
00:46:22,080 --> 00:46:25,200
Speaker 4: you the whole mission of this enterprise is to change minds,

871
00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:28,320
Speaker 4: and so we have to come into it knowing that

872
00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:30,839
Speaker 4: we have to be with arms wide open. People will

873
00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:33,760
Speaker 4: wake up in different times in their lives, in different stages,

874
00:46:33,840 --> 00:46:36,919
Speaker 4: and humans make mistakes, and so there is a line

875
00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:39,320
Speaker 4: which I believe when people cross, we can't forgive.

876
00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:43,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, right, and it's probably an individual right.

877
00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:46,319
Speaker 3: Well individual or if we show zero if we see

878
00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:47,240
Speaker 3: zero remorse.

879
00:46:47,680 --> 00:46:50,360
Speaker 4: But when people show remorse, I think I think we

880
00:46:50,440 --> 00:46:52,239
Speaker 4: need to welcome them because at the end of the day,

881
00:46:52,320 --> 00:46:52,960
Speaker 4: that's our mission.

882
00:46:53,080 --> 00:46:56,520
Speaker 2: Our mission is to bring people into the light. That's

883
00:46:56,520 --> 00:46:58,759
Speaker 2: what God wants us to do at the end of

884
00:46:58,840 --> 00:46:59,160
Speaker 2: the day.

885
00:46:59,800 --> 00:47:02,000
Speaker 4: Right, we want our children to get along, and God

886
00:47:02,120 --> 00:47:06,000
Speaker 4: wants us to get along, right, And that's truly truly

887
00:47:06,080 --> 00:47:08,560
Speaker 4: our test. And then there are the people who have

888
00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:12,839
Speaker 4: been truly brainwashed by the joy Reads of the world

889
00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:17,040
Speaker 4: or the MSNBC who or who have gone to the

890
00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:21,120
Speaker 4: vast majority of American colleges where they've been constantly brainwashed

891
00:47:21,760 --> 00:47:25,160
Speaker 4: that Donald Trump is an anti Semite, that he is

892
00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:28,880
Speaker 4: a racist, that he hates women, that there is no

893
00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:32,880
Speaker 4: chance that Kamala Harris would be elected because if Hillary,

894
00:47:33,200 --> 00:47:37,320
Speaker 4: who was a white woman, didn't get elected, then Kamala Harris,

895
00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:41,680
Speaker 4: a black woman, could never be elected in the United

896
00:47:41,719 --> 00:47:46,480
Speaker 4: States of America because she's a black woman. And I

897
00:47:46,600 --> 00:47:51,880
Speaker 4: think this fear that has been instilled in our culture

898
00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:55,839
Speaker 4: into young women, it's actually evil to instilled this kind

899
00:47:55,880 --> 00:47:59,840
Speaker 4: of fear into people. And you can't expect them to

900
00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:03,480
Speaker 4: think differently if they don't actually see some of the light. Right,

901
00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:06,359
Speaker 4: I don't know if you can expect a twenty year

902
00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:11,840
Speaker 4: old college student to understand what is really happening, the

903
00:48:11,920 --> 00:48:15,799
Speaker 4: type of brainwashing that has happened through our I call

904
00:48:15,880 --> 00:48:18,719
Speaker 4: our colleges oftentimes they're left wing seminaries.

905
00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:19,360
Speaker 3: That's what they do.

906
00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:21,520
Speaker 4: You just send them into the washer and just day

907
00:48:21,560 --> 00:48:24,640
Speaker 4: in and day out, they're brainwashed. And so I think

908
00:48:24,640 --> 00:48:27,200
Speaker 4: the element of forgiveness is so important. And then I'm

909
00:48:27,200 --> 00:48:30,480
Speaker 4: wondering what message would you have given the journey that

910
00:48:30,600 --> 00:48:33,719
Speaker 4: you've been through to women like that, who and men

911
00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:37,600
Speaker 4: who have been going through the university washers who have

912
00:48:37,719 --> 00:48:43,479
Speaker 4: been listening to woke media, who haven't really been given

913
00:48:43,520 --> 00:48:47,680
Speaker 4: the opportunity to hear the alternative perspective, probably have not

914
00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:50,719
Speaker 4: gone to church, or they have gone to a woke church.

915
00:48:50,920 --> 00:48:54,360
Speaker 4: Those exist too. There are many woke citidogues. And so

916
00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:58,120
Speaker 4: if you could speak to them right now, because they

917
00:48:58,239 --> 00:49:01,640
Speaker 4: are living in fear, in fear, think about what they

918
00:49:01,719 --> 00:49:03,960
Speaker 4: are thinking in their mind is about to happen to

919
00:49:04,040 --> 00:49:04,600
Speaker 4: their country.

920
00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:05,920
Speaker 3: What would you say to them?

921
00:49:06,320 --> 00:49:10,160
Speaker 2: First of all, get off TikTok, or at least expand

922
00:49:10,239 --> 00:49:13,280
Speaker 2: your horizons a little bit, because we know the influence

923
00:49:13,960 --> 00:49:17,560
Speaker 2: that the mainstream media has had on all the social

924
00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:22,839
Speaker 2: media platforms, and they're only allowing these kids to see

925
00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:25,799
Speaker 2: one point of view. And if that's all I saw,

926
00:49:26,239 --> 00:49:29,520
Speaker 2: especially that age or even now, then I would be

927
00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:32,880
Speaker 2: fearful as well. I get. I say, I'm proud. My

928
00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:35,240
Speaker 2: oldest daughter is twenty two when she's a senior in college,

929
00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:37,160
Speaker 2: and you know, she called me the day of the

930
00:49:37,239 --> 00:49:39,120
Speaker 2: election and was and I said, are you going to watch?

931
00:49:39,200 --> 00:49:41,640
Speaker 2: And she said no, I'm afraid. I'm so afraid that

932
00:49:41,719 --> 00:49:43,480
Speaker 2: what happened in twenty twenty is going to happen again.

933
00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:46,200
Speaker 2: I can't watch. Mom. And she did her own homework

934
00:49:46,920 --> 00:49:49,720
Speaker 2: on all of it and why she believes what she believes,

935
00:49:49,880 --> 00:49:53,560
Speaker 2: So she Quinn, My Quinn, my firstborn, gives me so

936
00:49:53,719 --> 00:49:57,759
Speaker 2: much hope because of the conversations she has with her

937
00:49:57,840 --> 00:50:01,200
Speaker 2: friends and roommates. And that's what it takes. And so

938
00:50:01,520 --> 00:50:06,359
Speaker 2: for the young women and men, have the conversations, really

939
00:50:06,480 --> 00:50:08,640
Speaker 2: talk to each other about it. And I also think

940
00:50:08,719 --> 00:50:10,800
Speaker 2: that when they do that, just like with us, you

941
00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:13,839
Speaker 2: realize you're not alone. There's a lot of good kids

942
00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:17,759
Speaker 2: who come from just normal households there. Maybe you know,

943
00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:21,200
Speaker 2: middle left, middle right, whatever it is, but common sense.

944
00:50:21,719 --> 00:50:23,880
Speaker 2: And if you have the conversations, you realize you're not alone,

945
00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:26,839
Speaker 2: and that's when it can happen and the magic can

946
00:50:26,920 --> 00:50:31,680
Speaker 2: really happen. I also don't want these young kids to

947
00:50:32,840 --> 00:50:35,840
Speaker 2: live in fear like I did for so long, and

948
00:50:36,719 --> 00:50:39,600
Speaker 2: I think that's one of my biggest regrets, even though

949
00:50:40,360 --> 00:50:42,440
Speaker 2: I can't really regret it, because I wouldn't be here

950
00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:45,920
Speaker 2: today without having lived in that fear and feeling it.

951
00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:48,600
Speaker 2: You got to go through the hard things too, yes,

952
00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:54,160
Speaker 2: and if I can, you know, if I can prevent

953
00:50:54,320 --> 00:50:58,040
Speaker 2: them from beating themselves up for as many years as

954
00:50:58,080 --> 00:51:01,480
Speaker 2: I have in every aspect of my life, then this

955
00:51:01,800 --> 00:51:04,520
Speaker 2: journey is so worth it. Like if we don't share

956
00:51:04,840 --> 00:51:07,279
Speaker 2: the crap. We've been through. What a waste, you know,

957
00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:12,799
Speaker 2: So be kinder to yourself, Listen to what's in your gut,

958
00:51:12,960 --> 00:51:15,480
Speaker 2: don't ignore it just because you don't hear others talking

959
00:51:15,560 --> 00:51:17,560
Speaker 2: about it and speak about it. I think it's the

960
00:51:17,600 --> 00:51:20,200
Speaker 2: way you say things. It's not your words necessarily, it's

961
00:51:20,280 --> 00:51:23,200
Speaker 2: how you say them. And so when you begin those

962
00:51:23,239 --> 00:51:25,520
Speaker 2: conversations and even in your posts and your tweets and

963
00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:29,680
Speaker 2: all those things, your comments and the dms, how do

964
00:51:29,800 --> 00:51:32,399
Speaker 2: you say it? Lead with kindness, even if it's something

965
00:51:32,480 --> 00:51:35,160
Speaker 2: opposite of what they're saying. But when you go in

966
00:51:35,400 --> 00:51:38,359
Speaker 2: like you know, a blaze like of course they're going

967
00:51:38,400 --> 00:51:41,640
Speaker 2: to be defensive as well. But most importantly, you cannot

968
00:51:41,719 --> 00:51:45,520
Speaker 2: live in fear. You will regret it and it will

969
00:51:45,600 --> 00:51:48,920
Speaker 2: change your life and you will look back and regret it.

970
00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:51,759
Speaker 2: So is the fear legitimate. Yes, that's what I've been

971
00:51:51,800 --> 00:51:56,520
Speaker 2: talking about. Absolutely, But it also took me too long

972
00:51:56,560 --> 00:51:59,560
Speaker 2: to rely on my faith. So when you have that faith,

973
00:52:00,320 --> 00:52:03,800
Speaker 2: that looks like just because I grew up strict Catholic,

974
00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:08,480
Speaker 2: still practicing and Christian overall, my mindset on that has

975
00:52:08,560 --> 00:52:14,200
Speaker 2: very much expanded. Whatever your faith is, where that's rue

976
00:52:14,239 --> 00:52:18,759
Speaker 2: to go there, pray about things, and then do you

977
00:52:19,160 --> 00:52:22,279
Speaker 2: in a kind way. I really believe that that would

978
00:52:22,320 --> 00:52:26,719
Speaker 2: have helped me realize much sooner that it's okay to

979
00:52:26,800 --> 00:52:29,280
Speaker 2: take that chance, especially if you have a support system

980
00:52:29,280 --> 00:52:31,399
Speaker 2: that might not be your parents like I had. Maybe

981
00:52:31,440 --> 00:52:34,160
Speaker 2: it's your roommate, maybe it's their parents, you know, maybe

982
00:52:34,200 --> 00:52:38,440
Speaker 2: it's your rabbi. I don't know, but you're not alone.

983
00:52:39,200 --> 00:52:41,080
Speaker 2: Please don't think that take a chance.

984
00:52:42,560 --> 00:52:45,960
Speaker 4: There was something amazing that you did at the beginning

985
00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:49,600
Speaker 4: of your career, and that was you rejected ESPN the

986
00:52:49,640 --> 00:52:52,640
Speaker 4: first time around and decided to have a baby and

987
00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:56,640
Speaker 4: to raise a family. And I think about that because

988
00:52:57,160 --> 00:52:59,799
Speaker 4: just yesterday I bumped into this young woman, she's probably

989
00:52:59,800 --> 00:53:03,640
Speaker 4: at the age of your daughter, maybe a few years older.

990
00:53:03,880 --> 00:53:07,319
Speaker 4: She's married, and she walked up to me and she said,

991
00:53:07,520 --> 00:53:09,960
Speaker 4: I am so scared to have children.

992
00:53:10,800 --> 00:53:11,719
Speaker 3: And I think this is so.

993
00:53:11,800 --> 00:53:15,880
Speaker 4: Important because young women have been told to be afraid

994
00:53:16,400 --> 00:53:20,000
Speaker 4: to have children. One reason on the right is that

995
00:53:20,360 --> 00:53:23,920
Speaker 4: because the education system is so broken, and they're going

996
00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:25,680
Speaker 4: to hear all these bad ideas and they're going to

997
00:53:25,719 --> 00:53:29,280
Speaker 4: go on social media and it's so difficult to raise children,

998
00:53:29,719 --> 00:53:33,399
Speaker 4: which it's not easy, of course, and then another reason

999
00:53:33,480 --> 00:53:35,920
Speaker 4: on the left is that humans are parasites and planet

1000
00:53:36,040 --> 00:53:38,520
Speaker 4: Earth and that we're mooching off the planet and we

1001
00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:42,360
Speaker 4: need less humans. And you know, there's a toxic mom culture,

1002
00:53:42,400 --> 00:53:45,919
Speaker 4: which both are really bad. At the end of the day,

1003
00:53:46,840 --> 00:53:50,239
Speaker 4: there is nothing more beautiful and meaningful. There's no better

1004
00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:55,160
Speaker 4: vitamin for your life than having children and somebody like

1005
00:53:55,280 --> 00:53:57,160
Speaker 4: you who put your career on the line to go

1006
00:53:57,280 --> 00:53:58,040
Speaker 4: and have a family.

1007
00:53:58,160 --> 00:54:02,160
Speaker 3: And when I said to this young woman, I said, said, I.

1008
00:54:02,239 --> 00:54:05,840
Speaker 4: Just stood with President Trump, and I do an incredible

1009
00:54:06,120 --> 00:54:08,760
Speaker 4: work that I'm really proud of, and I really enjoy

1010
00:54:08,840 --> 00:54:12,520
Speaker 4: it and really nourishes my soul. But there is nothing,

1011
00:54:13,280 --> 00:54:16,160
Speaker 4: nothing more important to me than my children. There's nothing

1012
00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:18,840
Speaker 4: I'm more proud of than having kids. It's what I

1013
00:54:18,920 --> 00:54:23,319
Speaker 4: get to actually really keep to myself. So it's really mine.

1014
00:54:23,360 --> 00:54:25,759
Speaker 4: I mean, you went through a divorce, you don't have

1015
00:54:25,840 --> 00:54:29,280
Speaker 4: the husband, you've changed your career, you don't have ESPN.

1016
00:54:29,760 --> 00:54:31,120
Speaker 3: But look at you. You have your kids.

1017
00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:33,160
Speaker 2: Have my babies. You have your babies.

1018
00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:37,960
Speaker 4: And look, we'll have kerfuffles with our children, especially if

1019
00:54:38,000 --> 00:54:40,640
Speaker 4: they're in their late teenage years. But this message that

1020
00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:43,400
Speaker 4: young women are too afraid to have kids, or that

1021
00:54:43,440 --> 00:54:46,400
Speaker 4: they should have their career first because otherwise.

1022
00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:48,160
Speaker 3: They won't be able to have kids, or.

1023
00:54:48,520 --> 00:54:51,440
Speaker 4: That having kids in this period of scary time in

1024
00:54:51,480 --> 00:54:53,279
Speaker 4: the world is not worth doing.

1025
00:54:54,120 --> 00:54:56,320
Speaker 2: I just think is a message that we have a

1026
00:54:56,400 --> 00:54:57,920
Speaker 2: responsibility to break.

1027
00:54:57,920 --> 00:54:59,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, and break it hard.

1028
00:55:01,200 --> 00:55:06,640
Speaker 2: And I probably don't think about that decision to turn

1029
00:55:06,680 --> 00:55:10,560
Speaker 2: down ESPN enough because it's just what I did in

1030
00:55:10,640 --> 00:55:13,719
Speaker 2: that moment, just what I thought was right. But I

1031
00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:16,320
Speaker 2: look back and I'm like, wow, that I took a

1032
00:55:16,360 --> 00:55:19,600
Speaker 2: big chance there too, you know. But I was raised

1033
00:55:19,880 --> 00:55:23,800
Speaker 2: in such a beautiful family that I knew that I

1034
00:55:23,880 --> 00:55:29,440
Speaker 2: would regret putting that priority on the back burner for

1035
00:55:29,600 --> 00:55:32,240
Speaker 2: this career. And so I was pregnant with my second

1036
00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:37,080
Speaker 2: when I finally got the call from ESPN, and I

1037
00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:39,680
Speaker 2: was so excited, and I went up to audition and

1038
00:55:39,960 --> 00:55:41,920
Speaker 2: I mean I was like twelve months pregnant, like just

1039
00:55:42,280 --> 00:55:46,799
Speaker 2: loo and crushed the audition because I didn't care because

1040
00:55:46,800 --> 00:55:49,439
Speaker 2: I had this baby bouncing on my bladder, like let's

1041
00:55:49,680 --> 00:55:52,359
Speaker 2: let's get this over with, you know. And then yeah,

1042
00:55:52,400 --> 00:55:56,239
Speaker 2: I got the call, and I mean, my husband was

1043
00:55:56,400 --> 00:55:58,960
Speaker 2: very supportive of taking the job. He was a stay

1044
00:55:58,960 --> 00:56:02,840
Speaker 2: at home dad. My parents knew this little girl that

1045
00:56:02,880 --> 00:56:05,640
Speaker 2: had been talking about ESPN her whole life. I finally

1046
00:56:05,719 --> 00:56:07,120
Speaker 2: did it because I've been talking to them for four

1047
00:56:07,160 --> 00:56:08,160
Speaker 2: or five years and they were like, this is what

1048
00:56:08,200 --> 00:56:09,680
Speaker 2: you need to do to get better and to work

1049
00:56:09,719 --> 00:56:11,480
Speaker 2: on it and to be basically worthy of working here.

1050
00:56:11,520 --> 00:56:14,040
Speaker 2: And they were right. And then I got there and

1051
00:56:14,120 --> 00:56:15,400
Speaker 2: they gave it to me, and I was like, I

1052
00:56:15,520 --> 00:56:17,680
Speaker 2: can't do it. And my agent at the time was like,

1053
00:56:17,760 --> 00:56:22,560
Speaker 2: are you high, Like what are you doing? ESPN doesn't

1054
00:56:22,600 --> 00:56:26,839
Speaker 2: need you. You need ESPN and she's like, you're going

1055
00:56:26,880 --> 00:56:29,640
Speaker 2: to get black belt. They'll never call you back. I

1056
00:56:29,880 --> 00:56:32,880
Speaker 2: just knew I wanted at least three kids and so

1057
00:56:33,120 --> 00:56:35,279
Speaker 2: and I had a dear, dear friend, Stuart Scott, the

1058
00:56:35,360 --> 00:56:37,600
Speaker 2: late great Stuart Scott, who's I miss him every day.

1059
00:56:38,560 --> 00:56:42,640
Speaker 2: He's a legend at ESPN and died of cancer almost

1060
00:56:42,680 --> 00:56:44,560
Speaker 2: ten years ago, which I can't believe. And he was

1061
00:56:44,560 --> 00:56:46,440
Speaker 2: the one that pulled me aside when you didn't even

1062
00:56:46,480 --> 00:56:49,799
Speaker 2: know me that well and said, don't come until you're

1063
00:56:49,840 --> 00:56:53,400
Speaker 2: ready because this place will eat you up, especially as

1064
00:56:53,400 --> 00:56:55,200
Speaker 2: a young mom. So this is in two thousand and four,

1065
00:56:56,000 --> 00:56:58,120
Speaker 2: and I listened and I just said, you know, what

1066
00:56:58,239 --> 00:57:00,160
Speaker 2: And I prayed, I'm like, if it's meant to be,

1067
00:57:01,040 --> 00:57:04,680
Speaker 2: then they'll call me back. So I said no and

1068
00:57:04,880 --> 00:57:07,840
Speaker 2: signed another contract where it was in DC Baltimore and

1069
00:57:08,280 --> 00:57:10,640
Speaker 2: had a third kid, and three years later they called

1070
00:57:10,719 --> 00:57:12,520
Speaker 2: back and it happened to be a better offer too.

1071
00:57:13,640 --> 00:57:17,600
Speaker 2: But I I can't imagine what had happened if I

1072
00:57:17,720 --> 00:57:20,400
Speaker 2: had listened to the fear of they don't need you,

1073
00:57:20,680 --> 00:57:23,400
Speaker 2: you need them. Listen to that message, and I probably

1074
00:57:23,440 --> 00:57:25,520
Speaker 2: wouldn't have had a third kid, because when you get

1075
00:57:25,560 --> 00:57:28,760
Speaker 2: to ESPN, like, oh my gosh, I don't even know

1076
00:57:28,880 --> 00:57:32,000
Speaker 2: how I survived the first decade there in the first

1077
00:57:32,040 --> 00:57:35,080
Speaker 2: place with babies, you know, just as the mother who

1078
00:57:35,160 --> 00:57:38,320
Speaker 2: was trying to be everything at work and National TV.

1079
00:57:38,440 --> 00:57:40,200
Speaker 2: And then the room month and for all three. You

1080
00:57:40,280 --> 00:57:42,000
Speaker 2: can't do one kid. You got to be a room

1081
00:57:42,040 --> 00:57:43,520
Speaker 2: month for all three kids at the same time, and

1082
00:57:43,600 --> 00:57:46,040
Speaker 2: make the cookies, homemade, make up for everything, all of

1083
00:57:46,120 --> 00:57:54,200
Speaker 2: the things. It's just it's ridiculous what we do my kids. Yeah,

1084
00:57:54,440 --> 00:57:57,800
Speaker 2: talked about keeping us humble in every way but perspective.

1085
00:57:58,480 --> 00:58:06,080
Speaker 2: And when I the night before my lawsuit dropped and

1086
00:58:06,160 --> 00:58:08,960
Speaker 2: the news of it was dropping, I talked to each

1087
00:58:09,040 --> 00:58:11,680
Speaker 2: kid separately. This is what this is the power of

1088
00:58:11,720 --> 00:58:15,960
Speaker 2: your children. And a sophomore in high school, a senior

1089
00:58:16,000 --> 00:58:17,680
Speaker 2: in high school, and a freshman in college, and I

1090
00:58:17,840 --> 00:58:19,800
Speaker 2: spoke to each of them separately, and I'm like, listen,

1091
00:58:19,840 --> 00:58:21,720
Speaker 2: this is what's coming down. This is what's going to happen.

1092
00:58:23,840 --> 00:58:25,960
Speaker 2: I don't want you to feel like you have to

1093
00:58:26,280 --> 00:58:28,600
Speaker 2: defend me or stand up for me, but I wanted

1094
00:58:28,640 --> 00:58:30,760
Speaker 2: you to know because in the past, with other things

1095
00:58:30,800 --> 00:58:33,360
Speaker 2: that you know, stirred the pod or I made headlines

1096
00:58:33,360 --> 00:58:37,600
Speaker 2: with my big mouth. You know, teachers would say something,

1097
00:58:37,680 --> 00:58:39,800
Speaker 2: or coaches or other their parents which pissed me off.

1098
00:58:39,880 --> 00:58:42,000
Speaker 2: And I like, you have an issue, come to me,

1099
00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:45,439
Speaker 2: don't talk to my kid. And I just said, don't

1100
00:58:45,440 --> 00:58:47,520
Speaker 2: ever defend me. But if someone says something, just remind

1101
00:58:47,560 --> 00:58:50,560
Speaker 2: people that diversity of thought really is the most important thing,

1102
00:58:51,080 --> 00:58:53,320
Speaker 2: and that my mom is right to your opinion whatever

1103
00:58:53,400 --> 00:58:56,280
Speaker 2: it is. But just don't feel that pressure, but remind them.

1104
00:58:57,120 --> 00:58:59,320
Speaker 2: And so each kid reacts a little bit differently. And

1105
00:58:59,400 --> 00:59:01,560
Speaker 2: my son in the middle of my daughter's he he's twenty,

1106
00:59:03,400 --> 00:59:05,000
Speaker 2: I was in tears. I'm like, I'm just sorry for

1107
00:59:05,080 --> 00:59:06,800
Speaker 2: what's gonna happen, because I know it's going to be ugly.

1108
00:59:07,440 --> 00:59:09,160
Speaker 2: And my son stopped what he was doing and he

1109
00:59:09,200 --> 00:59:11,720
Speaker 2: looked at me and he goes, mom, it's about time

1110
00:59:11,800 --> 00:59:18,360
Speaker 2: you stood up for yourself. So this is when I

1111
00:59:18,440 --> 00:59:24,200
Speaker 2: need like alcohol, have some teeth. Okay, but like that's

1112
00:59:24,320 --> 00:59:28,600
Speaker 2: the so many lessons for me as a parent, right,

1113
00:59:29,040 --> 00:59:33,080
Speaker 2: Like we're trying to do everything perfectly for them, and

1114
00:59:35,320 --> 00:59:39,480
Speaker 2: I was making myself smaller and like not being true

1115
00:59:39,480 --> 00:59:43,280
Speaker 2: to myself to protect them, and the whole time he's

1116
00:59:43,320 --> 00:59:47,000
Speaker 2: watching me, they're watching me being like, God, that's not her.

1117
00:59:47,120 --> 00:59:49,280
Speaker 2: But he never told me that. They never told me

1118
00:59:49,360 --> 00:59:51,200
Speaker 2: until the moment I was going to stand up to

1119
00:59:51,560 --> 00:59:55,520
Speaker 2: one of the biggest companies on the planet, David versus Goliath,

1120
00:59:55,640 --> 00:59:59,640
Speaker 2: like you know who am I? And so I knew

1121
00:59:59,680 --> 01:00:04,800
Speaker 2: it that moment that even if I lost against big

1122
01:00:04,880 --> 01:00:07,720
Speaker 2: bad Disney and the company that I love for all

1123
01:00:07,720 --> 01:00:12,200
Speaker 2: those years ESPN, I was still gonna win because my

1124
01:00:12,400 --> 01:00:16,040
Speaker 2: kids saw that I finally was standing up. I just

1125
01:00:16,120 --> 01:00:19,840
Speaker 2: didn't know that they'd seen all of it. So my

1126
01:00:20,080 --> 01:00:23,080
Speaker 2: kids have saved me in many ways too. Yeah, and

1127
01:00:23,360 --> 01:00:26,760
Speaker 2: especially in that moment. I'll never be able to thank

1128
01:00:26,880 --> 01:00:31,840
Speaker 2: my son enough for that moment of making me realize

1129
01:00:31,880 --> 01:00:34,720
Speaker 2: I'm gonna be okay no matter what, even if I

1130
01:00:34,760 --> 01:00:37,680
Speaker 2: don't have a paycheck, because at least they see me

1131
01:00:37,720 --> 01:00:40,840
Speaker 2: and respect me, and most importantly won't wait till they're

1132
01:00:40,920 --> 01:00:42,960
Speaker 2: my age to do it and to be honest and

1133
01:00:43,000 --> 01:00:45,320
Speaker 2: true to themselves and stand up for not just myself

1134
01:00:45,600 --> 01:00:47,880
Speaker 2: but for others. That's what it was at that point,

1135
01:00:48,480 --> 01:00:54,200
Speaker 2: other people. So don't wait. Yeah, don't wait, young women

1136
01:00:54,440 --> 01:00:58,000
Speaker 2: and men, that's what we're told. And it's so sad

1137
01:00:58,120 --> 01:01:04,120
Speaker 2: because like the family is where it's at, and it's

1138
01:01:04,160 --> 01:01:06,160
Speaker 2: so cliche. Right on your deathbed, you're not going to

1139
01:01:06,200 --> 01:01:08,840
Speaker 2: wish you had worked to more. But it's true. And

1140
01:01:09,040 --> 01:01:12,000
Speaker 2: my kids have seen a better version of me over

1141
01:01:12,040 --> 01:01:14,360
Speaker 2: the last few years since I did this and made

1142
01:01:14,360 --> 01:01:17,800
Speaker 2: this decision, and their life has changed, and they went

1143
01:01:17,840 --> 01:01:20,680
Speaker 2: through a lot of people attacked my kids online, the

1144
01:01:20,720 --> 01:01:23,200
Speaker 2: threatened to rate my daughters because of my mom, their

1145
01:01:23,240 --> 01:01:26,360
Speaker 2: mom's opinion, Like the psych goes out there, let's point

1146
01:01:26,400 --> 01:01:30,200
Speaker 2: that out right, And so there are risks because they're

1147
01:01:30,200 --> 01:01:32,360
Speaker 2: going to come after your kids too, But my kids

1148
01:01:32,400 --> 01:01:38,600
Speaker 2: are tough and I know that, like who cares like

1149
01:01:38,640 --> 01:01:44,480
Speaker 2: about my accomplishments And my kids don't but they care

1150
01:01:44,520 --> 01:01:46,640
Speaker 2: about their mom and they know that they're old enough.

1151
01:01:46,680 --> 01:01:50,680
Speaker 2: They also care about our happiness. They do, and so

1152
01:01:50,800 --> 01:01:53,960
Speaker 2: they inspire me to keep doing it. Most importantly, so

1153
01:01:54,200 --> 01:01:57,240
Speaker 2: they don't wait as long as I did. And now

1154
01:01:57,240 --> 01:01:59,480
Speaker 2: they're seeing a different version and they're going to be

1155
01:01:59,560 --> 01:02:01,480
Speaker 2: hell of a lot stronger than I was. And they're

1156
01:02:01,520 --> 01:02:03,880
Speaker 2: not going to live in fear because they know that

1157
01:02:03,920 --> 01:02:06,800
Speaker 2: you're going to survive. So I hope, I hope those

1158
01:02:06,920 --> 01:02:11,400
Speaker 2: young women don't wait. You can do both, and either

1159
01:02:11,440 --> 01:02:14,520
Speaker 2: way there's going to be sacrifices if you wait. By

1160
01:02:14,600 --> 01:02:17,080
Speaker 2: the way, I have several friends who are in the

1161
01:02:17,120 --> 01:02:21,520
Speaker 2: early forties who have struggled and are devastated because of

1162
01:02:21,640 --> 01:02:25,080
Speaker 2: the infertility issues. Now it's not going to be perfect.

1163
01:02:25,120 --> 01:02:26,920
Speaker 2: I've turned out a ton of great assignments. I've left

1164
01:02:26,960 --> 01:02:27,880
Speaker 2: a lot of money on the table.

1165
01:02:28,080 --> 01:02:32,160
Speaker 3: So what who cares? Like look and no one give.

1166
01:02:32,080 --> 01:02:35,680
Speaker 2: The crap about you in the big picture. What your

1167
01:02:35,760 --> 01:02:36,120
Speaker 2: kids do?

1168
01:02:36,480 --> 01:02:38,040
Speaker 3: Your kids are the gift from God.

1169
01:02:38,080 --> 01:02:40,040
Speaker 5: They are no they make me crazy and they're playing

1170
01:02:40,360 --> 01:02:43,640
Speaker 5: that's their job, but that's their job. I want to

1171
01:02:43,720 --> 01:02:46,840
Speaker 5: lease their teens that they're at means you have normal,

1172
01:02:46,920 --> 01:02:48,560
Speaker 5: healthy kids that are doing their job.

1173
01:02:48,640 --> 01:02:51,240
Speaker 4: Oh my gosh, like they're watching their mom win in life.

1174
01:02:51,680 --> 01:02:53,520
Speaker 4: You are going to be part of their inner voices.

1175
01:02:53,720 --> 01:02:55,760
Speaker 2: And what if I hadn't done it? What if I

1176
01:02:55,880 --> 01:02:58,480
Speaker 2: think about it? What if I stayed quiet? Can you

1177
01:02:58,600 --> 01:03:00,920
Speaker 2: imagine like I can't, I'm not if I'd stay quiet

1178
01:03:01,600 --> 01:03:05,000
Speaker 2: and not allowed them to see and then their friends

1179
01:03:05,200 --> 01:03:11,600
Speaker 2: see it too. And I'm just so grateful that I went.

1180
01:03:11,960 --> 01:03:14,120
Speaker 2: I dug deep on my faith to find the strength

1181
01:03:14,200 --> 01:03:18,080
Speaker 2: to do it for them and hopefully for other young

1182
01:03:18,120 --> 01:03:21,280
Speaker 2: women and men who are afraid to be true to themselves.

1183
01:03:21,680 --> 01:03:21,919
Speaker 3: Yeah.

1184
01:03:23,120 --> 01:03:24,480
Speaker 2: Sorry, I'm not supposed to cry.

1185
01:03:24,400 --> 01:03:27,200
Speaker 3: So you are just supposed to be who you are.

1186
01:03:28,000 --> 01:03:29,160
Speaker 3: If Sage Steal.

1187
01:03:31,080 --> 01:03:34,760
Speaker 4: In her twenties could come back and sit with us

1188
01:03:34,840 --> 01:03:39,880
Speaker 4: today and watch you cry with me about everything you've

1189
01:03:39,920 --> 01:03:45,280
Speaker 4: been through, what would Sage Seal from her twenties say,

1190
01:03:45,560 --> 01:03:50,200
Speaker 4: watching you, I had a.

1191
01:03:50,200 --> 01:03:52,320
Speaker 2: Feeling you would go here, and I'm still not prepared.

1192
01:03:56,200 --> 01:04:02,720
Speaker 3: I yeah, just I'm getting you tissue. Everybody's gonna think

1193
01:04:02,760 --> 01:04:05,440
Speaker 3: I'm like that for not giving you a tissue.

1194
01:04:05,440 --> 01:04:10,400
Speaker 2: Okay, okay, okay, we're just gonna pretend like this didn't happen. No,

1195
01:04:10,800 --> 01:04:12,680
Speaker 2: I'm fine, Like this is the other part, we try

1196
01:04:12,680 --> 01:04:13,080
Speaker 2: to be taught.

1197
01:04:13,120 --> 01:04:16,600
Speaker 4: You know, you're incredibly you know what, you're incredibly generous

1198
01:04:16,720 --> 01:04:19,680
Speaker 4: for being so genuine and so and so open.

1199
01:04:20,720 --> 01:04:20,840
Speaker 5: Uh.

1200
01:04:21,080 --> 01:04:23,560
Speaker 4: Most people put on a front thinking that they can

1201
01:04:23,640 --> 01:04:26,800
Speaker 4: go through all the hard things without being human, and

1202
01:04:28,160 --> 01:04:31,240
Speaker 4: that also is a bad example either way, it's an

1203
01:04:31,360 --> 01:04:33,320
Speaker 4: unfair example, and we don't need to do that.

1204
01:04:33,560 --> 01:04:35,720
Speaker 2: Is there any cleanex like it's stuck to my face?

1205
01:04:36,640 --> 01:04:39,240
Speaker 3: No, and you're like one of those people who are

1206
01:04:39,240 --> 01:04:40,160
Speaker 3: beautiful no matter what.

1207
01:04:40,520 --> 01:04:43,520
Speaker 2: Love it not true love you, But that's very unfair.

1208
01:04:43,720 --> 01:04:46,720
Speaker 3: But no, Like we'll deal with that now.

1209
01:04:46,840 --> 01:04:48,640
Speaker 2: I think that you're right though, because we try to.

1210
01:04:48,960 --> 01:04:50,760
Speaker 2: Oh it's been three years or it's been five years

1211
01:04:50,760 --> 01:04:54,040
Speaker 2: since the like, yeah, that doesn't hurt anymore now to

1212
01:04:54,200 --> 01:04:58,400
Speaker 2: entertain Yeah, it's still there, and that's okay because because

1213
01:04:58,520 --> 01:05:04,560
Speaker 2: it's helping me continue to share it and hopefully help

1214
01:05:04,600 --> 01:05:06,200
Speaker 2: others through it. Like I said, what a waste if

1215
01:05:06,240 --> 01:05:11,920
Speaker 2: we don't share the pain. But like I think, I

1216
01:05:12,000 --> 01:05:15,200
Speaker 2: think you said the word warrior earlier, and I hesitate

1217
01:05:15,320 --> 01:05:17,920
Speaker 2: to use it because it sounds like you know, but

1218
01:05:18,040 --> 01:05:22,120
Speaker 2: I think I, yeah, I'm a lot stronger than I thought,

1219
01:05:23,080 --> 01:05:28,560
Speaker 2: and that's kind of cool, because you can be really

1220
01:05:29,680 --> 01:05:32,920
Speaker 2: emotional and really probably too sensive in some ways and

1221
01:05:33,000 --> 01:05:35,600
Speaker 2: all those things. And I am not too sensive, but

1222
01:05:35,680 --> 01:05:39,280
Speaker 2: just very sensive and very emotional and still be freaking

1223
01:05:39,360 --> 01:05:42,840
Speaker 2: strong and a badass and not back down. You can

1224
01:05:42,920 --> 01:05:45,800
Speaker 2: be both. You don't have to choose, and I'm proud

1225
01:05:45,840 --> 01:05:48,600
Speaker 2: of that. I would have just I think the message

1226
01:05:48,600 --> 01:05:51,120
Speaker 2: I would have to myself, my twenty year old self,

1227
01:05:51,320 --> 01:05:57,760
Speaker 2: is is to stop living in fear and stop trying

1228
01:05:57,760 --> 01:06:01,560
Speaker 2: to please everybody else about yourself. I'm the ultimate pleaser

1229
01:06:01,600 --> 01:06:05,360
Speaker 2: and I'm trying to I'm in recovery for that little disease. Yeah,

1230
01:06:05,440 --> 01:06:09,680
Speaker 2: because it is especially a shy kid, the firstborn. I

1231
01:06:09,760 --> 01:06:11,640
Speaker 2: was the only girl on both sides of my family

1232
01:06:11,680 --> 01:06:13,720
Speaker 2: for like fifteen years. I wanted everybody and everything to

1233
01:06:13,800 --> 01:06:15,840
Speaker 2: be perfect, and if they weren't, or if it wasn't,

1234
01:06:15,880 --> 01:06:17,160
Speaker 2: then I was going to be the one to fix it.

1235
01:06:18,520 --> 01:06:23,800
Speaker 2: And it's exhausting. And so I would say, stop trying

1236
01:06:23,880 --> 01:06:28,400
Speaker 2: to please and save the world. Be empathetic, be that

1237
01:06:29,320 --> 01:06:32,400
Speaker 2: bring her together or whatever that word as I'm making

1238
01:06:32,480 --> 01:06:36,120
Speaker 2: up right now, be yourself because that's who I am,

1239
01:06:36,440 --> 01:06:38,080
Speaker 2: and I'm a nurturer and I'm a mom and I

1240
01:06:38,320 --> 01:06:45,720
Speaker 2: care and love so hard, but don't absorb that if

1241
01:06:45,760 --> 01:06:48,440
Speaker 2: it doesn't turn out perfectly for everyone else around you.

1242
01:06:48,520 --> 01:06:50,680
Speaker 2: And I used to absorb it, try to fix it all.

1243
01:06:51,160 --> 01:06:55,080
Speaker 2: And I can't empower others to do that, you know,

1244
01:06:55,280 --> 01:06:59,480
Speaker 2: But like, be okay being you even if it's uncomfortable,

1245
01:06:59,480 --> 01:07:03,880
Speaker 2: and even if it's it's not popular. And I'm grateful that,

1246
01:07:04,000 --> 01:07:06,880
Speaker 2: through my faith and through my parents and a very

1247
01:07:07,000 --> 01:07:11,280
Speaker 2: tight circle of friends and my kiddos, that I found

1248
01:07:11,360 --> 01:07:14,840
Speaker 2: it and now there's no turning back, and it's so exciting.

1249
01:07:15,160 --> 01:07:17,480
Speaker 2: It is so exciting, even though I literally don't know

1250
01:07:17,560 --> 01:07:22,840
Speaker 2: what tomorrow brings personally or professionally. I don't know, and

1251
01:07:22,960 --> 01:07:27,840
Speaker 2: I'm okay with it. So I would hug her too,

1252
01:07:28,120 --> 01:07:29,920
Speaker 2: because she needed a hug and still does a lot,

1253
01:07:30,160 --> 01:07:32,960
Speaker 2: and it's okay to ask for that, right yeah, yeah,

1254
01:07:33,160 --> 01:07:36,920
Speaker 2: so it's but I ofurse. I wouldn't change it, not

1255
01:07:37,080 --> 01:07:44,160
Speaker 2: one thing, the cancelations plural, the the devastation from being

1256
01:07:44,280 --> 01:07:50,840
Speaker 2: let down by employers or teammates or spouses, I wouldn't

1257
01:07:52,200 --> 01:07:55,120
Speaker 2: change any of it. And I need to keep working

1258
01:07:55,200 --> 01:07:58,040
Speaker 2: on myself to be better for those who who are

1259
01:07:58,080 --> 01:07:59,760
Speaker 2: around me and those who aren't around me, because I

1260
01:07:59,800 --> 01:08:03,040
Speaker 2: did didn't realize I had this voice. I didn't realize

1261
01:08:03,240 --> 01:08:06,040
Speaker 2: that this sportscaster dream would turn into something where a

1262
01:08:06,120 --> 01:08:08,360
Speaker 2: couple of people might care what I have to say.

1263
01:08:08,400 --> 01:08:11,439
Speaker 2: And I didn't. It wasn't the goal. Sometimes I don't

1264
01:08:11,520 --> 01:08:15,440
Speaker 2: like it, but I do believe that's besides being a mother.

1265
01:08:16,560 --> 01:08:20,560
Speaker 2: That's why God has me here is because he he

1266
01:08:20,680 --> 01:08:25,040
Speaker 2: knows I'm I'm no longer afraid to speak up for

1267
01:08:25,240 --> 01:08:26,840
Speaker 2: myself and more importantly, for others.

1268
01:08:28,360 --> 01:08:32,240
Speaker 4: I'd hope that stage from her twenties, if she were

1269
01:08:32,360 --> 01:08:37,439
Speaker 4: to watch you, she would say, Wow, God really has

1270
01:08:37,520 --> 01:08:40,160
Speaker 4: a hand on me, and I'm going to be just fine.

1271
01:08:42,760 --> 01:08:45,960
Speaker 2: Because of him. I'm okay, I'm more than okay. I'm great.

1272
01:08:46,560 --> 01:08:46,760
Speaker 3: Yeah.

1273
01:08:47,760 --> 01:08:53,320
Speaker 4: Well, congratulations, my fellow warrior. I love you, and I'm

1274
01:08:53,400 --> 01:08:55,360
Speaker 4: just excited about what you're going to be doing next.

1275
01:08:55,520 --> 01:08:55,880
Speaker 3: I'm sure.

1276
01:08:55,880 --> 01:08:57,800
Speaker 4: I'm sure people are going to follow you. You have

1277
01:08:58,200 --> 01:08:59,960
Speaker 4: your own platform now where you're free to see.

1278
01:09:00,400 --> 01:09:03,640
Speaker 2: It's weird. I keep thinking Bob I was going to

1279
01:09:03,680 --> 01:09:05,600
Speaker 2: reach up from behind me and choke me out, and

1280
01:09:05,720 --> 01:09:07,479
Speaker 2: like he hasn't shown up yet, and.

1281
01:09:07,520 --> 01:09:08,960
Speaker 3: I feel like I could take him if he did

1282
01:09:09,720 --> 01:09:12,679
Speaker 3: you would take him down. You would take him down.

1283
01:09:12,880 --> 01:09:13,639
Speaker 3: I have no doubt.

1284
01:09:13,840 --> 01:09:16,320
Speaker 2: God bless him. Let's do it. God bless them all.

1285
01:09:17,840 --> 01:09:20,240
Speaker 2: Thank you, Thank you for wanting to talk to me.

1286
01:09:20,320 --> 01:09:20,920
Speaker 2: I appreciate it.

1287
01:09:22,320 --> 01:09:25,320
Speaker 1: If you like the Michael Berry Show and Podcast, please

1288
01:09:25,600 --> 01:09:29,640
Speaker 1: tell one friend, and if you're so inclined, write a

1289
01:09:29,800 --> 01:09:34,799
Speaker 1: nice review of our podcast. Comments, suggestions, questions, and interest

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01:09:34,960 --> 01:09:38,800
Speaker 1: in being a corporate sponsor and partner can be communicated

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Speaker 1: directly to the show at our email address, Michael at

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01:09:43,479 --> 01:09:47,799
Speaker 1: Michael Berryshow dot com, or simply by clicking on our website,

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Speaker 1: Michael Berryshow dot com. The Michael Berry Show and Podcast

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01:09:53,120 --> 01:09:58,240
Speaker 1: is produced by Ramon Roeblis, the King of Ding. Executive

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01:09:58,360 --> 01:10:07,120
Speaker 1: producer is chadknock Niche. Jim Mudd is the creative director.

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Speaker 1: Voices Jingles, Tomfoolery, and Shenanigans are provided by Chance MacLean.

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Speaker 1: Director of Research is Sandy Peterson. Emily Bull is our

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Speaker 1: assistant listener and superfan. Contributions are appreciated and often incorporated

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Speaker 1: into our production. Where possible, we give credit, Where not,

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Speaker 1: we take all the credit for ourselves. God bless the

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Speaker 1: memory of Rush Limbaugh. Long Live Elvis. Be a simple

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Speaker 1: man like Leonard Skinnard told you, and God bless America. Finally,

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Speaker 1: if you know a veteran suffering from PTSD, call Camp

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Speaker 1: Hope at eight seven seven seven to one seven PTSD

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Speaker 1: and a combat veteran will answer the phone to provide

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Speaker 1: free count