WEBVTT - Know Yourself, Know Your Worth (w/ Shirley Strawberry) 0:00:01.280 --> 0:00:04.560 Welcome back, Welcome back. I'm Dawn Day and I want 0:00:04.559 --> 0:00:06.960 to thank you so much for tuning into the Vitamin 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:09.840 D Podcast. Thank you for joining me on this journey 0:00:09.920 --> 0:00:13.000 of living your best life, for depositing into your life 0:00:13.000 --> 0:00:16.000 bank account, and thank you for entrusting me to share 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:18.959 some light into your life. I am so excited for 0:00:18.960 --> 0:00:21.279 you to check out this episode because I sat down 0:00:21.280 --> 0:00:24.520 with the legendary, the incomfortable uh, the queen of what 0:00:24.640 --> 0:00:27.560 is now R and B Radio and co host of 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:31.520 the Steve Robbie Morning Show, Miss Shirley Strawberry. This is 0:00:31.520 --> 0:00:33.840 the past you chose, or the past that chose you, 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:36.320 however you want to look at it and you deal 0:00:36.400 --> 0:00:40.040 with what comes with that. This is something that is 0:00:40.080 --> 0:00:44.000 calling you. You can't do anything but this. Shirley has 0:00:44.000 --> 0:00:46.080 been a mentor of mind since I started working with 0:00:46.080 --> 0:00:50.080 the Steve Harvey Morning Show back in December seventeen, and 0:00:50.159 --> 0:00:52.600 since then she's been like a source of wisdom and 0:00:52.720 --> 0:00:55.200 insight and being an advocate for my growth and me 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:58.320 shining my life. She even gave me the nickname Loving Life. 0:00:58.480 --> 0:01:00.440 So you know what's real and what don't want you 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:03.920 to understand too, is that I've dreamed of being on 0:01:03.960 --> 0:01:06.319 the radio since I was a little girl in high school. 0:01:06.400 --> 0:01:09.000 And to have the opportunity to be mentored by the 0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:12.520 likes of Shirley Strawberry, who has been on air probably 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:16.040 as long as I've been on this earth, well, that's 0:01:16.040 --> 0:01:19.080 just God. I hope that this episode serves as a 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:22.959 mode of inspiration for you that anything is possible as 0:01:23.000 --> 0:01:25.160 long as you believe and you are willing to put 0:01:25.160 --> 0:01:27.440 in the work. All you have to do is take 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:30.600 the first step to living out your wildest dreams. Dive 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:32.760 in as Shirley talks about what it seems to be 0:01:32.800 --> 0:01:35.640 a woman in radio, sacrifices she's made as a mother, 0:01:35.959 --> 0:01:39.560 being a domestic violence survivor, and the importance of asking 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:42.959 the torch as for her infamous quarantine sandwich. I have 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:46.399 no parts of that. So without further ado, it's time 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:50.920 for your dose of vitamin D D right with me 0:01:51.400 --> 0:01:59.919 and get excited. Hello, Mr Strawberry, Hello with love and life. 0:02:00.160 --> 0:02:04.200 How are you well? Shimmy over here because I am 0:02:04.240 --> 0:02:07.880 at talk it's a fish stop Verry. How you doing well? 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:11.960 Thank you? I am I'm safe, I'm healthy, I'm doing well. 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:15.280 Inside of the house. Um, you know that could be 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:18.960 a challenge. We all know that. Sometimes I like being inside. 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:22.440 I'm a homebody. I just you know, when you're forced 0:02:22.480 --> 0:02:25.760 to do it, that's something different. I mean, although you 0:02:25.760 --> 0:02:27.760 know things are opening up and we can get out, 0:02:27.880 --> 0:02:31.480 but I still stay in as much as possible, you know, 0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:33.920 I do, And when I go out, I'm definitely in 0:02:34.000 --> 0:02:37.160 my mask right right right. But it's interesting I think 0:02:37.280 --> 0:02:39.560 like even wearing the mask, I feel like I'm being 0:02:39.639 --> 0:02:42.079 suffocated a little bit, like I'm just being hell bag. 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:45.919 Oh yeah, you do, especially if you have that rebellious spirit. 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:50.000 You know, it just flares up anyway anyway with any 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:53.519 kind of constrictions or restriction. Do you feel that anyway 0:02:53.560 --> 0:02:56.200 in your spirit? But you know you just have to 0:02:56.240 --> 0:02:58.640 repress it. It's going to be over. God is gonna 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:01.959 pull us through. We're gonna be te you know. Yeah, 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:03.480 I do think so. But I do think a lot 0:03:03.480 --> 0:03:06.240 of people need to be smart and and about what's 0:03:06.280 --> 0:03:08.600 happening around this. But then also, you know, take this 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:10.440 moment of why you have to stay at home to 0:03:10.480 --> 0:03:12.160 figure out what's going on with you, and you to 0:03:12.160 --> 0:03:14.920 figure out whatever your dreams and aspirations, who are you? 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:18.400 Because a lot of people are scared to see themselves surely. Well, 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:22.000 you know what when when COVID nineteen, the quarantine and 0:03:22.040 --> 0:03:25.520 everything first started, you know, everybody was like, Okay, this 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:28.320 is it. You know, I'm gonna uh start on this 0:03:28.400 --> 0:03:30.880 new program. I'm going to work out, I'm going to 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:33.280 eat right. You know a lot of people do that. 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:36.240 I'm going to see what, you know else is along 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:39.280 the journey. I'm going to find my purpose and all that. 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:46.200 And after about a month or so, I discovered my purpose. 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:50.280 What's going from the bedroom to the living room, watching 0:03:50.280 --> 0:03:54.440 my Netflix shows, catching up on all the Hulu shows. 0:03:54.840 --> 0:03:57.600 That's my purpose apparently, because that's what I've been doing. 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:01.240 That's what I have discovered. It a new sandwich. I'm 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:03.640 gonna put you on. Okay, come on, come on, give 0:04:03.680 --> 0:04:08.400 it to me. Give it to me. Raisin bread, not 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:12.320 any old kind of raised bread, pepperage farm race. We're 0:04:12.320 --> 0:04:16.280 talking with the cinnamon in it. Okay, heat it up 0:04:16.360 --> 0:04:21.440 just a smidgen, you know, put some mustard on it. Okay, 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:25.920 stop it, I'm done. Listen, this is listen. Listen. It 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:31.000 gets better. Put some deli sliced thinly sliced turkey on there. 0:04:31.520 --> 0:04:36.640 Unless you're a vegan or whatever. And then olives were 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:40.440 if you wait, listen, if you aren't into olives, dill 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:44.760 pickles will do just fine. That's my new sandwich. Ladies 0:04:44.760 --> 0:04:47.919 and gentlemen, This is not spotsor by the Vitamin Do podcast. 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:53.240 It's a perfect combination of sweet and savory. I'm telling you, 0:04:53.520 --> 0:04:57.560 I'm telling you get your life girl. The mustard on 0:04:57.640 --> 0:05:00.160 top of the cinnamon raising bread. Then I'm gonna slap 0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:01.920 some turkey on there, and then you want me to 0:05:01.960 --> 0:05:03.920 put it in my mouth. And then I want you 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:05.960 to put snow. I want you to put some olives 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:10.680 stuffed with mementos or dill pickles. Okay, take your choice. 0:05:10.800 --> 0:05:13.480 You know, Shirley, we have been rocking for a bit 0:05:13.520 --> 0:05:15.720 when it comes to food. We we talked about the 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:18.880 colors and textures. In fact, we have a little moment 0:05:18.920 --> 0:05:22.960 with Eminem's. Wait a minute, wait a minute, do not 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:27.240 do not bring up Eminem's. All right, So uh, some 0:05:27.360 --> 0:05:29.400 ladies and gentlemen, I have to tell you about my girl. 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:32.680 Don I love her dearly. I call her loving Light 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:35.719 because she's loving light to me. She's all about love, 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:38.320 and she's all about that light. And and I love 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:42.320 that about her. So Um. When she first started working 0:05:42.640 --> 0:05:45.520 um with us doing our social media on the Steve 0:05:45.520 --> 0:05:52.200 Harvey Morning Show, we had just discovered coffee Eminem's. Coffee Eminem's. Now, 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:55.120 I'm not talking about the regular Eminem's or anything like that. 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:58.200 This was a new flavor, eminem said, up their game. 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:00.640 I'm not just talking about the blue when they added 0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:03.280 the blue. This is a whole new flavor. I do 0:06:03.360 --> 0:06:08.279 not drink coffee anything like that, but it's something about 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:11.760 those coffee Eminem's. I started off with the little bags. 0:06:12.760 --> 0:06:15.160 Every day, every morning, I would bring them in and 0:06:15.240 --> 0:06:18.200 are Because our work schedule is so crazy, we eat 0:06:18.279 --> 0:06:21.800 whatever whenever. Okay, we eat you know, breakfast for dinner, 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:24.279 and dinner for breakfast and snacks in between all that. 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:27.920 So every morning we would eat Eminem's. And the bag 0:06:28.040 --> 0:06:30.400 just started getting bigger and bigger. And I would just 0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:32.920 sit there during the show four hours and just eat 0:06:32.960 --> 0:06:36.400 those Eminem's because I love them. I was addicted. And 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:39.640 John walked as to me. She looked over in my 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:42.680 seat one day she was in there taking pictures and 0:06:43.000 --> 0:06:46.719 she said, Wow, it's amazing. I won't she eat those 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:49.520 every day? And it's amazing that you never gain a 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:53.400 pound just sitting fabulous every day? Not one pound? Okay, 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:57.280 like how every day? Not one pound? Mind you, she 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:02.360 only saw me sitting down because one day I think 0:07:02.400 --> 0:07:04.280 I got out of the the shower and looked at myself 0:07:04.320 --> 0:07:08.080 in the mirror. I was like, oh my god, Donna's 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:10.320 cursed to me. I think I must to gain ten 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:13.960 pounds in my hands, you know, that's my area, my 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:16.960 kids and thighs. I was like, I haven't eaten them 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:18.960 since done, I have not put them down. I have 0:07:19.080 --> 0:07:21.160 not eaten them since. And I was addicted to him, 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:24.600 but I want to say thank you because you're part 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:26.720 of your loving life. That light bulb went off in 0:07:26.760 --> 0:07:29.520 my head because I've never even thought about I could 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:32.640 gain weight because I ate a full big bag. Okay, wait, wait, wait, 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:34.720 let's be clear, we're not we're They had the personal 0:07:34.760 --> 0:07:38.280 size bag, then they had the king size bag. Then 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:41.000 you go get to the theater bag. The size but 0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:45.680 this is like the the warehouse size bag that can 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:48.240 that can fit like twenty people, and it would just 0:07:48.560 --> 0:07:51.720 every to the fact. I jumped on board and I said, 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:55.600 you know what, let me gift you some Eminem's and 0:07:55.680 --> 0:07:57.480 I love you for that. That must so good. But 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:00.200 I have not eaten them since because just sitting they're 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:02.760 eating them. You don't think about it because it's just one, 0:08:03.000 --> 0:08:04.880 you know, at a time, and stuff. You can't stuff 0:08:04.880 --> 0:08:07.520 a whole bunch of them in your mouth. But during 0:08:07.560 --> 0:08:09.760 that period, I don't know what's it, six months or so, 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.080 I think I must have gained about all that sugar 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:14.760 and chocolate. It was a lot. It was a lot. 0:08:15.000 --> 0:08:17.320 But you know, to a story Eminem's where my like 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:21.080 my favorite childhood candy, penut Eminem's. I'm not so much 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:24.880 as the coffee kind of girl, but pen Eminem's. And 0:08:24.920 --> 0:08:27.320 then I used to pair it with um, whoo baby, 0:08:27.760 --> 0:08:32.880 some plain lays chips perfect. What you say, Charlotte, what 0:08:33.000 --> 0:08:35.319 you say? They go with everything. That's what I ate 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:38.959 with my Raisin brand turkey mustard, and I'll have sandwich 0:08:39.040 --> 0:08:44.640 some chips on the side, lays of course. Okay, So 0:08:44.679 --> 0:08:47.080 I thought, okay, we're gonna leave the sandwich along because 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:49.880 I'm still trying to say how alive? But if you 0:08:49.920 --> 0:08:53.920 want to, you you got Shirley strawberries a sandwich. Don't 0:08:54.000 --> 0:08:56.600 say that I told you. She told you about it. Okay, 0:08:56.679 --> 0:08:59.880 it's good. It's good because you run out of stuffy 0:09:00.040 --> 0:09:02.080 eat You gotta be creative. When you're in the house 0:09:02.120 --> 0:09:05.320 for this many days, you have to be creative. I mean, 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:08.760 or because I was tired of eating period at that point, 0:09:08.800 --> 0:09:14.280 so I just try this. I never had that problem. 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:17.280 Can I say, though, you look beautiful. Your skin looks beautiful, 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:21.160 your teeth are white and beautiful, You're you look amazing. 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:23.000 I hadn't seen you in a minute, so it's good 0:09:23.040 --> 0:09:26.440 to see you, honey. That conversation that we had um 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:29.439 right before you left, we had a conversation on our walk, 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:33.400 and I said, surely, first of all, I am so 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:35.800 grateful that we had our moment to chit chat because 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:38.160 that's pretty much what I want to talk about, just 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:41.680 being a woman in radio and having those mentors. And 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:44.280 you said to me, I'm telling you all of my aspirations, 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:46.400 and you're saying, well, Dawn, you know, you gotta make 0:09:46.480 --> 0:09:48.600 up your mind what it is that you want, and 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:51.360 you have to be a reflection of that and being 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:53.920 so that if I'm all about loving life and I'm 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:57.000 speaking life into people, when was the last time you 0:09:57.120 --> 0:10:01.040 checked in with Dawn? Because by then you I gained 0:10:01.080 --> 0:10:04.040 some weight, you know, and and just being president enough 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:05.840 in authority because you said, how many people are you 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:08.120 telling that you want your podcast too, that you want 0:10:08.120 --> 0:10:10.360 to be on air. No one's gonna step to you 0:10:10.480 --> 0:10:13.200 and and ask you that. But here's the thing, Shirley, 0:10:13.240 --> 0:10:15.000 that's not the first time you got into my heart. 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:17.560 The first time you got into my heart was when 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:21.720 I first started working with the show. And it was 0:10:21.840 --> 0:10:27.600 probably within that first week I went to the doctor 0:10:27.760 --> 0:10:30.080 and I found out that I had a blood clot 0:10:30.160 --> 0:10:34.240 in my leg. Oh wow. And when you reached out 0:10:34.280 --> 0:10:36.440 and you just said to check in and say, how 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:39.880 are you doing? If you're okay? Because imagine this is like, 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:42.880 right before I started working with you guys, I had 0:10:42.960 --> 0:10:45.560 I wasn't working. I was on a bike getting around 0:10:45.880 --> 0:10:47.839 so and then to be at the level of working 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:49.480 with you guys, and I'm like, I have this element, 0:10:49.760 --> 0:10:51.600 and then that's the whole thing. You know. My mother 0:10:51.679 --> 0:10:53.800 died when I was younger. That's when you want to 0:10:53.800 --> 0:10:56.319 tell Mama, like, Mom, I got this dime and oh 0:10:56.360 --> 0:10:58.679 my gosh, Mom, I got a blood clot in my leg. 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:02.040 Hold on, Shirley, you my dad died of a blood five. 0:11:02.400 --> 0:11:05.680 So the fact that you yeah, when I was three 0:11:05.679 --> 0:11:07.840 months old, he passed away from a bloodhouse. So it 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:11.040 was like your dreams and and fear of life are 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:14.280 hating all at once. But I think that's the journey 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:16.040 and that's the process that we need to talk about 0:11:16.080 --> 0:11:19.080 when you're going after your dreams and balancing your relationships 0:11:19.120 --> 0:11:21.680 with your husband, your partner, whether or not you have 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:24.599 a family, and then also being a woman enough to 0:11:24.640 --> 0:11:29.439 balance it with yourself and dealing with other women. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 0:11:29.480 --> 0:11:31.800 I mean, but that's just part of life now, isn't it. 0:11:32.440 --> 0:11:35.600 You know, no one said this was going to be easy. 0:11:35.800 --> 0:11:37.600 No one said that it was going to be a 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:40.520 cakewalk or walk in the park any of that. It's 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:42.520 you know, this is the past you chose, or the 0:11:42.559 --> 0:11:45.040 past that chose you, however you want to look at it, 0:11:45.360 --> 0:11:48.920 and you deal with what comes with that, you know, 0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:52.280 because this, this is something that is calling you that 0:11:52.360 --> 0:11:56.480 you can't do anything. You can't do anything but this, 0:11:57.120 --> 0:11:59.480 but this is it. So you have to deal with 0:11:59.520 --> 0:12:03.760 those things, and it's how how you deal with them. Uh. 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:05.880 You know, you can choose to deal with them in 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:10.160 a complaining way, in a you know, a self pity 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:12.560 way or however you want to look at it. But 0:12:12.679 --> 0:12:15.839 you know, you have to understand and realize that you're 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:17.760 gonna have to deal with it if this is the 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:21.800 craft and you're chosen profession, and deal with it and 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:25.080 try to deal with it as gracefully as you can. 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:28.280 I mean that, that's all we can ask. Gracefully as 0:12:28.320 --> 0:12:31.560 you can, you know, because you do want to try 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:35.959 and leave a legacy, you do, and you're not necessarily 0:12:36.000 --> 0:12:38.760 thinking about that when you first get into it, of course, 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:41.040 you know, leading a legacy and all that. I mean, 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:43.880 I can say that because I've been in it for 0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:46.760 so long and you know, I don't know how much 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:48.559 longer I'll be in it, but yeah, I've been in 0:12:48.640 --> 0:12:51.400 it for a long time. I'm much older than you, 0:12:51.480 --> 0:12:54.160 and I accept that. I'm cool with it because that 0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:57.000 too is a part of life. You know, it is 0:12:57.040 --> 0:13:01.040 what it is. It just it is it is. And 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:06.559 consider the alternative, you know, you're even here dealing with it, 0:13:06.640 --> 0:13:09.400 or you're dead or something, right, And and that's how 0:13:09.440 --> 0:13:11.400 I look at it. That's how I look at it. 0:13:11.440 --> 0:13:14.960 And I had such great mentors and great women to 0:13:15.320 --> 0:13:17.680 look up to, and I just want to pass that 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:21.040 along as much as I can. And you know, you're 0:13:21.080 --> 0:13:25.080 just so sweet and just so love and lighting that 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:27.880 you know you're a perfect candidate to do that with. 0:13:28.080 --> 0:13:30.960 So it's just how you deal with things because life 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:33.320 is always going to throw you something and you never 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:36.400 know what it is. So it's how you deal with it. 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:41.400 So let's talk about it. Um, about it, love and life. 0:13:43.960 --> 0:13:45.679 That's what let's go down in a little bit. If 0:13:45.679 --> 0:13:51.000 you like, you know I am and I love Um, 0:13:51.040 --> 0:13:54.560 I guess what I was thinking about. Even furthermore, you know, 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:56.960 you look at the aspect of going into radio and 0:13:57.000 --> 0:14:00.720 finding these mentors and making sure that you you deal 0:14:00.800 --> 0:14:02.840 with what it's like to be a woman in radio, 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:05.520 and it's it's one thing, sure Lee, to say that 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:08.080 you started in a radio to eighties. It's a different 0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:11.120 thing for it to be and you're still here now, 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:14.080 not just so much as how radio has changed, but 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:16.760 the dealings that a lot of people don't tell us 0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:20.680 that you have to deal with. So when you're talking about, 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:23.880 you know, being the woman in radio, did you have 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:27.960 aspirations where you felt like you wanted to leave at times? 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:32.200 Like why are you here? Um? Okay, I'm here? I'll 0:14:32.240 --> 0:14:35.880 answer that first, because I'm still relevant, you know, Thank 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:38.560 the good Lord. Um, people still want to hear what 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:42.440 I have to say. I still mean something to some people, 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:46.400 you know, who've been listening to me for a long time. Um, 0:14:46.440 --> 0:14:49.240 that's why I'm still here. I still enjoy what I 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:51.760 do every day. I mean, it's fun to get up 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:54.880 every day and have a job that you like, especially 0:14:54.960 --> 0:14:58.120 during these times. I mean this, this is considered an 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:03.840 essential profession. So you know, I'm going to take that seriously, um, 0:15:03.840 --> 0:15:06.840 which means I have something to give. I have something 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:10.800 to provide. You know. People have to get their information, uh, 0:15:10.960 --> 0:15:14.920 their entertainment, their laughs, their news, things like that that 0:15:14.960 --> 0:15:17.480 we provide on the Steve Harvey Morning Show. They have 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:20.360 to get that. So that is my job. That is 0:15:20.400 --> 0:15:23.600 my job. That's why I'm still here, uh to answer 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:26.520 you know, to answer your question. And I think you 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:29.840 asked me where there are times when I wanted to leave, right, 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:31.600 And it's based on just the way that you cared 0:15:31.680 --> 0:15:33.200 as a woman. I don't think that a lot of 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:35.920 people really talk about that enough. And you may mention 0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:39.800 of handling things gracefully, you know, I think it's tough 0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:42.400 and a lot of professions for women, not just this one. 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:47.080 When I started out many years ago, um, it definitely 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:52.680 was a man's profession, meaning that most men had the 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:57.160 morning talk shows, most men had the afternoons. They were jobs, 0:15:57.160 --> 0:16:00.080 they were this, and if you were blessed enough to 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:03.120 get a job in radio, man or woman, the man 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:07.080 still you know, made more than you, even if you 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:09.920 guys did the same jobs and things like that. You know, 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:12.080 that's just the way it was back then. A lot 0:16:12.160 --> 0:16:16.119 of times. It's like that now. You know, men make millions. 0:16:16.160 --> 0:16:18.840 A lot of men make millions and several hundred thousands 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:21.880 of dollars. But you could probably count the women on 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:26.600 your hands that make in the millions in radio things 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:30.240 like that, or that even lead their own morning shows 0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:33.520 and stuff. You know, women back when I grew up, 0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:35.840 they may have done the midday show, or they may 0:16:35.960 --> 0:16:39.160 have been at night or something like that. But morning 0:16:39.240 --> 0:16:41.800 drive and afternoon drive is the way it was situated 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:45.040 um then and still is a little bit now. Um, 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:48.280 those were those were relegated to the men. That's how 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:50.360 it was, I guess when I first started on. It's 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:52.440 still a little bit like that now, but more women 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:55.320 are getting their shows and more women are showing up 0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:59.160 for sure. You know, people UM want to hear from 0:16:59.160 --> 0:17:01.440 the women as well as they want to hear from 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:03.960 the men exactly. And so thinking of that, did you 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:07.040 ever have aspirations and do you have aspirations now of 0:17:07.440 --> 0:17:10.440 being the first chair or the lead of the show. Well, 0:17:10.520 --> 0:17:14.000 it's a lot of responsibility, um, to to be the 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:17.520 lead of the show, and I welcome that. I don't 0:17:17.680 --> 0:17:20.439 mind that, UM. But I like it the way it is. 0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:23.000 It's cool. I like it the way it is, um. 0:17:23.080 --> 0:17:26.119 You know, I I think it kind of works for 0:17:26.160 --> 0:17:30.119 Steve and I. Um, We've been together almost twenty years. 0:17:30.560 --> 0:17:32.800 You know, I've worked with some of the greatest men 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:37.600 in the business. I've worked with Tom Joyner, um, who 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:42.600 um just had a stroke recently, I read and yes, definitely, 0:17:42.960 --> 0:17:46.919 And I've known Tom along very very long time. Yeah, 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:51.119 and I think he's recovering and uh, he's you know, 0:17:51.200 --> 0:17:54.760 he's okay. But it was it was mild, but um, 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:58.119 you know, my prayers of course go go out to 0:17:58.240 --> 0:18:00.920 him as a colleague in the busines since as a friend, 0:18:01.160 --> 0:18:04.080 I work with the late great Doug Banks um out 0:18:04.119 --> 0:18:07.240 of Chicago. UM. So I've worked with some great people, 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:11.360 and I was always in this in this position. It's 0:18:11.440 --> 0:18:14.840 kind of like I guess I liken it to don 0:18:14.880 --> 0:18:18.480 a a doctor, a male doctor, and a female nurse. 0:18:19.400 --> 0:18:22.720 You really know how the nurses. She could do what 0:18:22.800 --> 0:18:26.360 the doctor does, but you know she's she stays here, 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:28.560 holds up the doctor, supports the doctor, and when he 0:18:28.600 --> 0:18:31.760 says scalpel, she passes in the scalpel because he's into 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:33.520 what he's doing. If he reached for it, he might 0:18:33.560 --> 0:18:36.240 pick up something else. So she's there to make sure 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:39.240 he's good and that and that's fine. I don't think 0:18:39.280 --> 0:18:42.560 it think of it as a subservient, subservient role. I 0:18:42.600 --> 0:18:45.080 just think of it as a supporting role. And that's 0:18:45.080 --> 0:18:47.720 fine with me. That's okay, and that makes sense. And 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:49.480 I think that's where it's like one of those things 0:18:49.480 --> 0:18:52.320 that even when I heard coming up in life in 0:18:52.400 --> 0:18:56.159 the business about playing your position, and it necessarily isn't okay. 0:18:56.160 --> 0:18:58.040 You're belittle and you can't do anything more but be 0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:00.320 excellent at what you do and make sure it's your 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:03.400 piece fits the puzzle. And I think a lot of times, 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:05.280 like you know, being younger, coming up, you just say 0:19:05.320 --> 0:19:06.640 I want to do this, and I want to jump 0:19:06.680 --> 0:19:09.560 in this and say, wait a minute, little baby, sit down, 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:12.280 test the water, see what it feels like, see where 0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:15.400 you fit, and then work your move. Yeah, just work 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:17.160 your move. If that's what you want to do, then 0:19:17.240 --> 0:19:19.760 do that. And I've had my own shows before. I've 0:19:19.800 --> 0:19:22.960 definitely had my own shows. I've done. I mentioned like 0:19:23.040 --> 0:19:27.960 the midday show, the seven and midnights, I worked afternoons. 0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:31.120 I've done almost every shift in radio, come and think, 0:19:31.640 --> 0:19:35.440 every single shift, So I've done that. I enjoy the ensemble. 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:39.520 I enjoy playing off people in different personalities and things 0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:42.080 like that. I just do it keeps you alert, it 0:19:42.160 --> 0:19:45.600 keeps it more fun. You know. Um, you get to 0:19:45.720 --> 0:19:49.320 use an array of your mental abilities, of your talent 0:19:49.440 --> 0:19:51.560 if you have any, you know, stuff like that. So 0:19:51.760 --> 0:19:54.320 I like that. It's like being at home at a 0:19:54.359 --> 0:19:57.280 dinner party, you know or something, or you know, just 0:19:57.359 --> 0:19:59.720 having friends over for dinner. I like that. I love 0:19:59.760 --> 0:20:04.040 being around people. My mom um was a person that 0:20:04.200 --> 0:20:07.520 loved company. She just loved having her house full of 0:20:07.640 --> 0:20:10.679 people and laughing and talking and cooking grape food and 0:20:10.720 --> 0:20:14.520 all of that. She loved that. So I think, you know, 0:20:14.920 --> 0:20:18.720 I'm in that way much like her, because I love 0:20:18.800 --> 0:20:21.760 being around a lot of people, you know I do 0:20:22.040 --> 0:20:26.240 now Now, I love being around a lot of people. 0:20:26.280 --> 0:20:29.119 But I may not always be the most talkative one, 0:20:29.200 --> 0:20:32.080 the life of the party like I once was, because 0:20:32.280 --> 0:20:34.880 that's what I do for a living now, so I'd 0:20:35.040 --> 0:20:38.280 rather sit back and you know, let them entertain me 0:20:38.400 --> 0:20:40.320 and she'll for a while. You want to see what 0:20:40.359 --> 0:20:43.480 I mean? Yeah, I hear you all say so with 0:20:43.640 --> 0:20:46.120 that and coming up and you realizing where your position 0:20:46.119 --> 0:20:49.159 has played. When I think of being a woman and 0:20:49.200 --> 0:20:52.240 coming up in this business, it takes a lot of work. 0:20:52.400 --> 0:20:54.360 It takes a lot of guts, It takes a lot 0:20:54.359 --> 0:20:57.840 of balls, and it takes a lot of time. Time 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:02.600 and balancing a relationship and having aspirations to have children 0:21:02.680 --> 0:21:06.240 and start a family. What's your journey been like as 0:21:06.280 --> 0:21:12.840 far as relationships, marriage, children? How do you balance it? No? 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:15.239 Because my friend and I like we talk about that. 0:21:15.280 --> 0:21:18.119 She has a daughter and she's on a morning show. 0:21:18.320 --> 0:21:23.560 You think about childcare is sacrifice? Okay, And that is 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:26.640