WEBVTT - Being Your Authentic Self featuring Jeopardy Champion Amy Schneider 0:00:00.080 --> 0:00:13.080 M how many things are different since we met, since 0:00:13.680 --> 0:00:17.680 before the pandemic, how my life has changed, and how 0:00:17.720 --> 0:00:20.560 a lot of people's life and how things that you 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:25.440 didn't realize were so important really the important thing, right, 0:00:25.640 --> 0:00:28.520 it's not just your career, and it's not just you know, 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:32.080 how you show up at work. It's just it's really 0:00:32.159 --> 0:00:34.000 the words that come out of your mouth and how 0:00:34.040 --> 0:00:41.720 you live your life. I'm so excited to talk to 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:44.840 Amy Snyder. I can't even tell you. I've been thinking 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:47.159 about this all day, all week. I can't believe she 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:50.959 said yes. And uh, I have so many questions for her. 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:54.280 I know you you have answers for her. Yeah, we're 0:00:54.320 --> 0:00:57.160 just gonna we should do the entire interview and answer 0:00:57.240 --> 0:01:00.360 format that's very funny, and see if she can come 0:01:00.400 --> 0:01:02.400 up with the questions that we are giving her the 0:01:02.400 --> 0:01:05.480 answers to. I bet she can. Yeah. You know, when 0:01:05.480 --> 0:01:09.319 I first saw Amy on the show, I didn't think 0:01:09.400 --> 0:01:11.840 about it. I just thought about who is this person 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:15.160 that is winning every single night? I mean, she's literally 0:01:15.480 --> 0:01:18.400 a human Google. Yeah. She always made that face like 0:01:18.480 --> 0:01:21.199 she didn't know what she was doing or she didn't 0:01:21.240 --> 0:01:23.559 know the answer, and she pulled it out how would 0:01:23.600 --> 0:01:26.920 she know these things? But she did, so you know 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:30.040 how I actually got to her is I followed her 0:01:30.160 --> 0:01:34.240 on Instagram, and as only I would, I DMed her 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:36.800 and said can I send you some Jones Road? And 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:40.480 she answered me and gave me her address and that 0:01:40.600 --> 0:01:44.400 was cool. And when she lost it was a shocker. 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:46.080 And you know, I just checked in to see how 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:49.000 she was doing, and it's not the same without her. Yeah, 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:51.640 I mean, I have to admit I can't watch Jeopardy 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:54.840 because it really stresses me out for the combatitors, and 0:01:54.920 --> 0:01:57.720 also because there's nothing in the world that will make 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:01.600 me feel more dumb and watching Jeopardy because I don't 0:02:01.600 --> 0:02:04.520 think I ever know other questions. I never ever ever 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:06.480 know them or the answers. You might know that I'm 0:02:06.520 --> 0:02:11.519 really good at the popular one ye any like seventy eighties, 0:02:11.720 --> 0:02:15.160 you know, television, pop culture music, I'm on those. But 0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:18.320 everything else, like, I have no idea bridges in India, 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:21.880 I don't know how do you know those things? Rivers bridges? Yeah, 0:02:22.000 --> 0:02:24.440 I might have been to get a couple of those. Yeah, 0:02:24.480 --> 0:02:26.560 those you can get, you know, I think I can 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:29.440 get the Kulaski Skyway or whatever that is that's about 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:34.720 it exactly. So stay tuned everyone. Here's our conversation with 0:02:34.760 --> 0:02:47.000 Amy Snyder. Hi. Amy, it's Bobby, so nice to meet you. Likewise, 0:02:48.320 --> 0:02:51.239 I know it's crazy and a Julie have you. This 0:02:51.320 --> 0:02:54.960 is my co host, a Julie Hill. It is such 0:02:55.120 --> 0:02:57.840 an honor to meet you. I have so many answers 0:02:57.880 --> 0:03:03.000 for you. Yeah, not me, I only have questions. But 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:05.600 I just wanted to say I was telling these guys 0:03:05.639 --> 0:03:08.880 earlier that I've I've interviewed so many well known people 0:03:08.960 --> 0:03:12.119 and so many you know, like just people that you'd 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:13.720 be like, wow, you got to talk to them. But 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:17.440 I'm overly excited to talk to you. And people cannot 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:20.640 believe that I actually connected with you and you're going 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:23.560 to be on this podcast. So I'm really excited. Bobby 0:03:23.600 --> 0:03:28.679 slid into your d M as the kids would say, 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:31.080 yeah I did, I did, and I was you know 0:03:31.120 --> 0:03:33.680 when when I first like said, can I send you makeup? 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:37.320 I mean you must get all these weird d M s. Yeah, 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:39.520 I think the weirdest. What I think was that we 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:41.840 just got like new tell Us and us something New 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:44.600 tell Us and it was just like, you know, fine, 0:03:44.720 --> 0:03:46.360 happy enough to get it. But like, why did you 0:03:46.400 --> 0:03:49.280 do that? I mean, that's an awesome gift. I mean, 0:03:49.360 --> 0:03:52.120 I know how it works. There's some cool person sitting 0:03:52.360 --> 0:03:55.520 on the influencers side didn't tell us, said oh, that'd 0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:58.000 be so cool if Amy you know, shouts it out. 0:03:58.240 --> 0:04:03.240 So yeah, uh well, I'm it's just first of all, 0:04:03.760 --> 0:04:06.320 we were also talking about how much fun we're not 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:09.520 having watching the show without and I know you've heard 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:12.000 that from a lot of people. I certainly have. Yeah, 0:04:12.160 --> 0:04:15.040 you know, I'm like, come on, everybody, let's give him 0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:17.640 a chance. But yeah, I understand. Well, you brought an 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:20.120 energy to the show that I think was really missing, 0:04:20.120 --> 0:04:23.039 and a kindness. I keep reading that and I feel 0:04:23.080 --> 0:04:25.800 like we all witnessed it, and I think unfortunately in 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:28.880 these times, it really stood out how kind of you work. 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:31.359 But it was really it was just amazing just to 0:04:31.400 --> 0:04:34.320 see the graciousness that you connected yourself with over the 0:04:34.360 --> 0:04:36.640 forty episodes. It was really cool. And also you're just 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:40.720 you know everything, But because that's what we don't understand. 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:43.159 I know a lot of really smart people, but it 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:45.120 was like you would make this face like you had 0:04:45.160 --> 0:04:47.680 no idea and you would just answer it, like time 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:50.920 and time again, you know that amy face. Yeah, yeah, yeah, No, 0:04:51.040 --> 0:04:53.120 it was funny. I had no idea that I did 0:04:53.160 --> 0:04:56.080 that kind of like half smile things so much until 0:04:56.120 --> 0:04:58.159 I saw myself on TV. I was like, I was like, 0:04:58.520 --> 0:05:00.120 that looks weird. Is that really what I do? Every 0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:01.599 But it's like, yeah, it looks great. We love it. 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:04.680 So I was like, Okay, well you were just yourself 0:05:04.720 --> 0:05:07.160 and I think that, you know, that's kind of the secret, 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:10.240 like the more you're yourself. But have you always been 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:14.200 a brainiac? Yeah? I, uh, you know, just I was 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:16.719 just born with a good memory. I mean that's the 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:19.719 main thing, you know, so like when when I learned something, 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:21.880 it it tends to stick in my brain more than 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:24.680 it does for most people. Um. And then you know, 0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:27.760 I was also like raised in a household that like 0:05:27.800 --> 0:05:30.719 encourage learning and education and all that, so you know, 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:33.280 that was definitely then, you know, sort of nurtured and 0:05:33.720 --> 0:05:36.640 like rewarded and that sort of thing. And how many 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:38.880 kids in your family? Like growing up what was your 0:05:38.920 --> 0:05:41.760 house like? Uh? So I have a younger brother, I 0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:44.320 have well I also you know, and I always want 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:46.279 to make sure I mentioned her, the an older sister 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:49.279 who died. She was born premature and died after a 0:05:49.279 --> 0:05:51.360 few days. So it was never in my life, but 0:05:51.440 --> 0:05:53.880 you know, I always want to make sure I acknowledge her. 0:05:54.080 --> 0:05:56.320 And what did your mom do? Was she like a teacher? 0:05:56.600 --> 0:06:00.839 She was? She was a math professor? Yeah, math professors. 0:06:00.880 --> 0:06:04.279 See that now it's coming together, Amy, You're you're making 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:06.320 it like I just read a lot as a kid. No. No, 0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:10.160 And how about dad? He was a computer programmer, a 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:12.880 software engineer, was a programmer back when I was a kid. 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:15.000 They call it engineer now. But yeah, And are they 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:19.200 both still around? My dad, unfortunately is not. It's about 0:06:19.760 --> 0:06:22.320 six or seven years ago, passed away. But my mom's 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:24.440 still live us. Yeah, And how is she dealing with 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:28.720 this new found fame of her daughter. You know, she's 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:31.919 she's happy about it. She's you know, she's she's enjoying it. 0:06:32.000 --> 0:06:33.960 I know she's been enjoying watching the games. I mean, 0:06:34.000 --> 0:06:36.920 I think you know, she's she's having a tough time 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:40.680 right now. She last summer I had to move into 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:43.640 assisted living because she's you know, like it's still like 0:06:43.839 --> 0:06:45.800 mostly able to get around, but just like not quite 0:06:45.880 --> 0:06:47.640 enough to still live on her own. And that's you know, 0:06:47.760 --> 0:06:51.400 that's been hard for her understandably. But yeah, like so 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.560 it's it's definitely been nice to have this as as 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:56.240 something to talk about when when I'm calling home. I 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:58.120 would love to understand a little bit about the process. 0:06:58.160 --> 0:06:59.840 I know you've talked about it in a ton, but 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:02.560 just did a high level even I didn't realize how 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:04.880 involved it was that you were taping up to five 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:08.279 episodes a day. Is that right? Yep five episodes every day. 0:07:08.320 --> 0:07:11.200 They take Mondays and Tuesdays and do a week a 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:13.640 week of episodes each on each one, so it was 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:16.480 generally like a ten eleven hour day. Yeah, And so 0:07:16.520 --> 0:07:18.520 you're just are you just on a roll at that 0:07:18.560 --> 0:07:20.640 point or is it just exhausting? I mean, it must 0:07:20.640 --> 0:07:24.440 be really tiring. It's really tiring. Yeah. I you know, 0:07:24.560 --> 0:07:26.520 like I would when I was done for the day, 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:29.680 I was just like go back to either my hotel 0:07:29.760 --> 0:07:31.520 or the airport if I was flying back that night, 0:07:31.600 --> 0:07:34.000 and just like sit there and like not like not 0:07:34.120 --> 0:07:37.560 even be thinking, not reading, just like spacing, you know, 0:07:37.640 --> 0:07:39.520 just letting my mind not do anything for a bit. 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:42.559 It was really, you know, just being so focused for 0:07:42.560 --> 0:07:44.800 for so much of the day. And I mean, you know, 0:07:44.840 --> 0:07:47.160 like during the game itself. You know, I didn't really 0:07:47.200 --> 0:07:49.320 notice it, like you're just it's going too fast and 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:51.160 you're just sort of involved in the game. But like 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:53.960 every time the cameras stopped, I would be like leaning 0:07:53.960 --> 0:07:57.240 on the podium and like just feeling exhausted, and I'm like, Okay, 0:07:57.440 --> 0:07:59.280 let's get back up, you know. And yeah, I mean 0:07:59.320 --> 0:08:01.239 I feel that we have or back back zoom calls 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:04.600 I kind of fashion being like on like that, like 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:06.320 if I have to engage that much, that be just 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:09.320 too much. So it's really impressive. Yeah, And I have 0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:12.200 to say, like, you know, I was always impressed by 0:08:12.240 --> 0:08:14.720 by Ken Jennings streak, but now that I've been through it, 0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:17.640 I find it almost unfathomable that he was able to 0:08:17.640 --> 0:08:20.160 go almost twice as long as I did, which felt 0:08:20.200 --> 0:08:22.680 like years for me, and even like the last long 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:25.840 streak Madamoio, because I was flying back and forth from Oakland, 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:27.840 which was a drag, but he was flying back and 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:30.760 forth from from New Haven and dealing with the time 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:34.840 shift and so like, I definitely have some more appreciation 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:37.800 for how hard this stuff is and what is it 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:40.760 like for you now going out in public because you're 0:08:41.160 --> 0:08:44.720 so recognizable and you've kind of blown up, not even 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:47.880 I mean outside of Jeopardy, which will talk about that. 0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:50.240 But how is it for you? Uh, you know, it's 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:54.000 like I'm yeah, definitely recognized, you know, pretty often. Um, 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:58.119 but you know, it hasn't been anything too too oppressive 0:08:58.240 --> 0:09:01.280 or or anything like that. You know. Just yesterday I 0:09:01.320 --> 0:09:03.680 was coming in my building and the FedEx guy was 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:05.160 there and he was like, oh, hey, you're you were 0:09:05.160 --> 0:09:07.520 on TV right, And I was like yeah, yeah, and 0:09:07.520 --> 0:09:09.480 he was like, yeah, I've been telling people I delivered 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:14.000 her a package. Yeah, don't tell him my address please. 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:19.520 That's really funny. And you have an agent now and 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:22.920 you're with a big age. Yeah, yeah, I am. Yeah. 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:26.280 So that's been you know, I've I've said so many 0:09:26.280 --> 0:09:28.160 times in the last couple of weeks, like you know, 0:09:28.880 --> 0:09:31.360 I'll check with my agent or you know, send that 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:33.079 over to my agent or things like that. Every time 0:09:33.080 --> 0:09:37.480 I'm like, who am I? This is crazy? You're so fancy. Yeah, 0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:40.320 but there's I don't know. I'm someone who's a visionary 0:09:40.360 --> 0:09:42.960 and I see so much opportunity for people like I 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:47.320 see so many different partnerships, like even the clothes on 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:50.440 your Instagram, you know, every night you kind of shouted 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:52.439 out the clothes and you know, I think it was 0:09:52.520 --> 0:09:54.920 so amazing And your pearls are you wearing them? Now? 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:57.880 I am not? No, you know, like I'm you know, 0:09:58.080 --> 0:09:59.760 like I'm here with Genevieve. I I don't need the 0:09:59.800 --> 0:10:02.760 room ender, but you know there's yeah, yeah, so that's 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:05.040 those are just like the things that you put on 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:08.000 when you want to feel fancy. Yeah, and you know 0:10:08.160 --> 0:10:11.640 it's and I mean mostly at that, but they do 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:14.040 also like they don't have to be fancy. And that's 0:10:14.080 --> 0:10:15.760 what I sort of didn't realize about them, and what 0:10:16.040 --> 0:10:18.600 I like about them is there's almost literally not an 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:20.680 outfit you can't wear them with. Well that it became 0:10:20.720 --> 0:10:23.280 like a talisman for you too. It was like something 0:10:23.320 --> 0:10:26.160 that everybody wanted to see every day that will invidrid 0:10:26.200 --> 0:10:29.640 you with their pearls. Yeah, and you know, just by 0:10:29.679 --> 0:10:32.160 you being on TV, I have to say, has just 0:10:32.240 --> 0:10:36.960 done so much for awareness for transgender people and just 0:10:37.040 --> 0:10:40.920 so like interesting that on our pre conversation both myself 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:44.840 and a Julie have nieces and nephews that are transgender. 0:10:45.520 --> 0:10:51.319 And you know, growing up I never heard the word yeah. Yeah, 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:54.840 so you know, I know you've talked about, you know, 0:10:54.880 --> 0:10:57.040 your experience, but what could you tell the people that 0:10:57.080 --> 0:11:02.160 are listening? Uh? You know, I think that when I transitioned, 0:11:02.240 --> 0:11:04.920 you know, you you know, I was a scary time 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:07.760 and there's a lot of things I was afraid of, um, 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:11.120 but you know, one of the big ones was that 0:11:11.240 --> 0:11:14.320 I was sort of putting myself in this sort of 0:11:14.480 --> 0:11:18.320 disadvantaged position of of being trans and our society and 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:22.520 that you know, like that I was choosing by choosing 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:24.880 that I would be closing myself off from other things. 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:28.360 And that's just not turned out to be the case 0:11:28.400 --> 0:11:30.760 at all. And I think, you know, as as like 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:33.480 I've just shown in a like very big public way, 0:11:33.559 --> 0:11:36.439 but like even beyond that, in you know, my professional 0:11:36.440 --> 0:11:38.880 life before that and in my personal life and everything else. 0:11:39.040 --> 0:11:42.440 It just there hasn't been anything I felt unable to 0:11:42.480 --> 0:11:46.200 do because I'm trans. Uh you know, once once I 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:48.199 got into it, and once I'd gotten used to it, 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:51.760 it's amazing because I agree. I mean, Bobby and I 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:54.800 grew up both in Chicago as that of Chicago for me, 0:11:55.160 --> 0:11:58.200 and um, I didn't know of anyone who was trans 0:11:58.200 --> 0:12:00.679 growing up until I got to New York. And then 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:03.199 I feel like you know, close friends or folks that 0:12:03.240 --> 0:12:05.400 I worked with, um, And it was until my nephew 0:12:05.440 --> 0:12:08.120 came out. UM, And it's been incredible to see the 0:12:08.160 --> 0:12:11.960 shift and the acceptance. But obviously it's still really difficult. 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:13.880 I mean, even if he lives in a big city 0:12:13.920 --> 0:12:16.440 and is in a work environment that's super supportive and 0:12:16.480 --> 0:12:20.360 our family has been really supportive and loving, but it's not. 0:12:21.320 --> 0:12:23.680 It just breaks my heart whenever I hear the stories 0:12:23.720 --> 0:12:25.720 when it's not like that. And I know you you 0:12:25.800 --> 0:12:28.440 dealt with a lot of online trolls. I would love 0:12:28.480 --> 0:12:31.360 to hear about how you dealt with that. Yeah, I mean, 0:12:31.679 --> 0:12:33.280 so like a few things. One of the things that 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:36.240 just made it easiest was that I anticipated worse and 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:41.160 I anticipated more. Um, you know, like you know, because 0:12:41.200 --> 0:12:46.320 to me, like the change in the last five years, 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:50.400 ten years is so dramatic, um that like you know, 0:12:50.480 --> 0:12:52.560 definitely there's you know, stuff out that that worries me 0:12:52.600 --> 0:12:54.120 and that I'm sad about and all that sort of thing, 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:57.200 but like it's so much easier for me to see that, 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:00.120 you know, trans people have a position in society that 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:04.160 I would have thought impossible, uh, not that long ago. Um, 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:06.679 But yeah, you know, that that doesn't mean that there 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:09.240 weren't some people that felt the need to share their 0:13:09.320 --> 0:13:12.840 opinions with me. Um, And you know, I did my 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:15.720 best not to, you know, I mean, not to not 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:17.520 to read it too much, not to you know, not 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:19.600 to go in the common sections of of anything and 0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:22.480 that sort of thing. But it's still, you know, that 0:13:22.640 --> 0:13:26.160 was hard, and it's hard not to take it personally 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:29.600 and be affected by it. I just had to find 0:13:29.640 --> 0:13:32.719 ways to make peace with it, I guess, and to 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:37.240 give myself the permission to filter that out and just 0:13:37.240 --> 0:13:39.520 just focus on the positive stuff that I was getting. 0:13:55.760 --> 0:13:58.200 I've heard you talk a little bit just about beauty 0:13:58.240 --> 0:14:00.319 and how you feel about yourself and how you become 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:04.559 more comfortable with yourself. Can you share that with everybody? Yeah? 0:14:04.640 --> 0:14:08.679 I mean, you know, one of the biggest fears transitioning 0:14:09.520 --> 0:14:12.640 is you know, looking ugly, looking like a man in address, 0:14:12.840 --> 0:14:14.880 you know, all that sort of like dysphori and and 0:14:14.960 --> 0:14:18.599 discomfort with yourself. And so definitely, at that time, in 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:21.320 the immediate aftermath, I didn't try out for Jeopardy and 0:14:21.400 --> 0:14:24.080 wasn't considering it because I couldn't imagine, you know, wanting 0:14:24.120 --> 0:14:27.000 to be on TV in that way. But that phase 0:14:27.280 --> 0:14:30.000 lasted for a while, um, you know, And I remember 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:32.760 like one time in particular, so I was being really like, 0:14:32.840 --> 0:14:36.040 I can't leave the house without makeup because like that's 0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:37.520 just part of my arm and part of how I 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:41.280 make sure I'm I'm signaling femininity to everyone. And one 0:14:41.280 --> 0:14:44.040 time I had gone to a spin class with a 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:48.200 coworker before work, and you were in the locker room 0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:49.720 afterwards and I was I was going to put my 0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:51.440 makeup on. She was like, Oh, you don't really need it, 0:14:51.520 --> 0:14:54.440 and I was like oh, And like that moment like 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:56.440 maybe kind of look at myself and be like I 0:14:56.520 --> 0:14:58.960 really don't. I still like I don't dislike the way 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:01.360 I look without makeups, So like that was definitely a 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:04.040 sort of key moment and starting to like let that 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:06.800 all go. And how is it seeing yourself on TV? 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:10.200 Were you happy with what you saw? Eventually? It was 0:15:10.240 --> 0:15:12.960 hard at first? Um it was you know, I'd say, 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:16.240 like the first you know, three or four episodes, like 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:18.920 it was it was uncomfortable. Um, you know, I didn't 0:15:18.960 --> 0:15:20.920 like it, Like, like I said, I thought I I 0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:23.800 thought I was making a weird phase or just another stuff. 0:15:24.240 --> 0:15:26.480 And and this is I was anticipating this as well. 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:28.080 I was thinking, you know, I'm not gonna like this 0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:31.680 at first, but like this is going to like force 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:34.840 me through that discomfort and forced me to to come 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:38.000 to make peace with this, and so you know, getting 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:40.800 used to it, and also just like seeing the you know, 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:44.440 the positive response and not hearing that criticism that in 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:46.680 that in my mind I was expecting to hear on 0:15:46.720 --> 0:15:49.680 some level, And so it definitely did really put me 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.320 into a place about how I feel about myself and 0:15:52.440 --> 0:15:55.080 my appearance that that I kind of didn't think i'd 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:57.480 ever get to. It's amazing of all the things have 0:15:57.560 --> 0:15:58.920 come out of this, I think that's been the most 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:03.200 unexpected and positive. I mean, yeah, it's honestly. I the 0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:06.360 secret I tell people all the time being confident is 0:16:06.360 --> 0:16:09.440 being comfortable in your skin and realizing you are you 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:11.680 and you can't look like anyone else, so you might 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:15.080 as well, you know, self love and and and enjoy it. 0:16:15.160 --> 0:16:18.520 Like how do you practice self love? Yeah, you know, 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:25.200 it's uh, it's I feel like more my practice is 0:16:25.240 --> 0:16:31.040 more like stopping the self hate, you know. Um, And 0:16:31.480 --> 0:16:33.840 like you know, definitely a key part of that has 0:16:33.880 --> 0:16:36.880 been years and years of their therapy. I really love 0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:39.400 my therapist, and she's you know, taking me a long 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:43.760 way with that um and so just you know those 0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:48.520 constant like self doubt, self criticism, imposter syndrome type things, 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:51.760 all that stuff. Just trying to figure out how to 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:54.920 tone those voices down, not not give them so much power. 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:57.680 That's that's been I think the main thing that that 0:16:57.720 --> 0:17:00.640 I've been doing for for the last decade or so. 0:17:01.200 --> 0:17:04.040 And how about any beauty rituals do you you know, 0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:07.480 do do spa days? Do you you know, treat yourself 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:11.080 that way? Uh? Yeah, So I don't really do spa days. 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:14.200 I'm I've done it once or twice. But I like 0:17:14.359 --> 0:17:16.359 a lot of the beauty rituals that I had to 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:19.720 have disappeared since COVID, you know, like not leaving the 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:21.760 house and you know, just getting out of the habit. 0:17:22.000 --> 0:17:24.879 But I definitely used to. One thing I remember is 0:17:24.920 --> 0:17:27.240 just every morning before work, waking up and lying in 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:29.439 bed and like planning out my outfit and really like 0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:32.800 just enjoying that and like feeling the pleasure I had 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:35.960 and doing that and then putting on on makeup. That's 0:17:35.960 --> 0:17:38.640 another thing I've I've started to get back into that 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:40.399 you know, in the last couple of months, you know, 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:42.520 partly just you know, being on TV and stuff like that, 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:45.240 and and also seeing myself, you know, with makeup on 0:17:45.320 --> 0:17:49.280 Jeopardy and just remembering how how much I used to 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:51.280 enjoy it now that I'm out of the habit. On 0:17:51.320 --> 0:17:53.520 any given morning, it's like, how I could spend that 0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:56.160 fifteen twenty minutes doing something else, and I like, don't 0:17:56.200 --> 0:17:57.960 do it, but like every time I do, I'm glad 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:00.320 I did. Well. I'm going to teach you how to 0:18:00.359 --> 0:18:02.480 do it in five minutes, so that that is my goal. 0:18:02.640 --> 0:18:05.119 So so you know, not that anyone that's listening is 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:07.159 going to see it, but I'm really excited about my 0:18:07.640 --> 0:18:10.440 virtual makeup lesson. I'm going to give Amy and Genevieve 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:13.040 love it. So I'm looking I'm looking forward to that. 0:18:13.280 --> 0:18:16.200 Oh so am I. So the name of this podcast 0:18:16.280 --> 0:18:19.400 is the Important Things, because you know, so much has 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:22.800 changed during COVID. I know, for me, I've taken everything 0:18:22.840 --> 0:18:25.200 down and match I used to have a big corporate job, 0:18:25.520 --> 0:18:28.960 you know, I did, everything was different. So right now 0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:32.280 the different things that I do is I dressed differently. 0:18:32.640 --> 0:18:34.800 I certainly, you know, haven't put a pair of high 0:18:34.840 --> 0:18:38.840 heels on in five years. I'm just curious, like, what 0:18:38.920 --> 0:18:41.160 are the important things to you? What has really changed 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:43.680 during COVID. Yeah, I mean, you know, I think that 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:48.760 I definitely, you know, before the Jeopardy thing, was really feeling, um, 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:52.280 like like so many people just like lost and realizing 0:18:52.320 --> 0:18:54.560 that my job wasn't fulfilling the way it used to be, 0:18:55.040 --> 0:18:57.000 you know. And so there's you know a couple of 0:18:57.040 --> 0:18:59.919 parts to that. One is that I need to have 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:03.760 of I need to be being creative in some way. Uh. 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:07.440 For much of my life that was pretty consistently theater 0:19:07.640 --> 0:19:09.560 that I would be. You know, any time I hadn't 0:19:09.600 --> 0:19:11.400 been in a play for a few months, I would 0:19:11.440 --> 0:19:13.400 like get itchy and I was like, I gotta got 0:19:13.400 --> 0:19:15.720 an audition again for something. And then like as I 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:18.040 as I got older, that like the time commitment just 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:21.320 not became not really manageable for me. Um. And that's 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:23.879 why I got into computers in the first place. You know, 0:19:23.920 --> 0:19:25.960 my my parents were not going to stand for me 0:19:26.080 --> 0:19:30.000 majoring in theater or creative writing or something like that. Um. 0:19:30.080 --> 0:19:32.880 And so I needed to find something that would be 0:19:33.160 --> 0:19:37.240 you know, secure and like stable and also have something 0:19:37.680 --> 0:19:41.479 to fulfill that part of me and writing software. You know, 0:19:41.640 --> 0:19:44.400 it's it's still writing, You're still starting with nothing and 0:19:44.600 --> 0:19:48.320 making something. And for a long time that was that 0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:51.040 was sufficient for me. And then for a while I 0:19:51.080 --> 0:19:54.560 got into managing people and managing you know, small teams 0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:57.399 and was able to find fulfillment in that. At that point, 0:19:57.480 --> 0:19:59.879 that was a new and gratifying thing to be. Like 0:20:00.240 --> 0:20:01.920 I could see that, you know, when I was doing 0:20:01.920 --> 0:20:03.560 a good job, I could see that I was making 0:20:03.960 --> 0:20:06.440 their lives easier, and so I could get that like 0:20:06.560 --> 0:20:10.160 you know, immediate feedback. But ultimately, like I lost that 0:20:10.240 --> 0:20:13.840 with COVID, and I also just came to realize that 0:20:14.160 --> 0:20:17.679 I don't care about computers anymore and there you know, 0:20:17.760 --> 0:20:20.000 it just doesn't interest me. And a lot of that 0:20:20.080 --> 0:20:22.800 has been coming, Like I found out that I'm a 0:20:22.880 --> 0:20:25.720 much different person than I thought I was since I transitioned. 0:20:26.240 --> 0:20:29.600