Tell Us A Good Story: Recent Episodes
Tell Us A Good Story
‘Tell Us a Good Story’ is a HIGHLY entertaining podcast that will leave listeners feeling inspired, encouraged, and motivated. Kevin and Stephanie Mason talk about their crazy (and hilarious) experiences from 15+ years of marriage, plus swap fascinating behind-the-scenes type stories with some amazing guests. This podcast will also give you, the listener, an opportunity to share your own story with Kevin, Stephanie, and their audience. The only criteria is 1) it’s gotta be good and 2) its gotta be clean. If interested in being a guest on a future episode, you can submit your story at kevinandsteph.com on the ‘Contact Us’ page.
Like every fifth episode, it’s just Kevin + Steph sharing stories with some of their closest friends. And this week it’s long-time guest Adam Bennett and Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer for part II of this discussion.
This conversation includes Kevin + Steph sharing stories from this year’s family vacation to Myrtle Beach, how Kevin had to make the trip separately, AND how Steph volunteered Kevin to sit through NOT one, but TWO timeshare presentations!
Also, what happens when the Mason kids get on the go-cart track? Apparently, it means get ready to watch a NASCAR fight!
BONUS: This is part 2 of this conversation. Make sure you go back and catch part 1 here.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head to our website HERE for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
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Like every fifth episode, it’s just Kevin + Steph sharing stories with some of their closest friends. And this week it’s long-time guest Adam Bennet and Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer.
SPOILER ALERT…in this episode, you will hear Katie’s hilarious story about her encounter with an all-black skunk. This “evil and vile” creature blasted Katie and her dog from only a couple of feet away!
Also, this conversation includes the story of how Steph was recently nominated to be part of Parkway High School’s Alumni Hall of Fame. Who nominated her? Will she accept? If she does, why does she expect Kevin to write her acceptance speech?
BONUS: this is only part 1 of this conversation. The hysterical stories will continue next week on episode 236 for part 2!
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
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We’ve heard your requests! Some of your favorite episodes are with Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer.
Have you ever been scared while on vacation? Ever gone on an excursion that looked like fun but then got dangerous real fast? That is EXACTLY what happened this past summer! Katie and her family took a trip to Lake Erie, went to a drive-through safari, and barely made it through in one piece. Kevin + Steph took their family to Myrtle Beach, went to a “fire show”, and the entertainers almost burned the place down. However, these crazy experiences make for some great stories!
PLUS…how bad is Kevin with animals? And why are Steph and Katie going on a trip to Disney but NOT taking their kids?
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
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This week Kevin + Steph get the opportunity to talk with Dan Hinote.
Dan Hinote is a former NHL player and current hockey coach, known for his grit and leadership both on and off the ice. He spent six seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, where he helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 2001. After a successful playing career, including time with the St. Louis Blues, Dan transitioned into coaching with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators. He recently accepted the associate head coach position with the Colorado Eagles, the AHL affiliate of the Avalanche.
A few of the stories in this conversation include…
– How many teeth did he lose during his hockey career?
– A HILARIOUS hockey fighting story.
– Some wild stories about the traditions of celebrating with the Stanley Cup.
– Being related to the famous actor, Jim Carrey.
– What it is really like for a professional athlete when their playing career is over.
We can’t wait for you to hear this awesome conversation with our new friend, Coach Dan Hinote.
Guest Bio
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Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
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This week Kevin + Steph get to talk to one of the top coaches in college basketball, Coach Scott Drew!
In 2003, Coach Drew accepted the head basketball coaching position at Baylor, which was considered to be “the worst job in all of college sports.” However, this man helped rebuild a program disgraced by scandal by instilling a culture of putting Jesus first. Then in 2021, he led the Baylor Bears to their first Big 12 and NCAA national championship in program history.
A few of the stories in this conversation include…
– How did his life change after winning a national championship?
– What is it like to attend the NBA draft with his players, who then become overnight millionaires?
– What are some of the fun tactics he has used to pump up his team?
– How he teaches the culture of “JOY” to his players.
We can’t wait for you to hear this awesome conversation with our new friend, Coach Scott Drew.
Guest Bio
Entering his 22nd season in 2024-25, Coach Scott Drew is tied as the Big 12’s longest-tenured head coach and has notched a school-record 444 victories in his first 21 years, including a 30-12 postseason record since 2009. Over the past 17 seasons, Coach Drew has led Baylor to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, five Sweet 16 berths, three trips to the Elite Eight, and the 2021 National Championship.
Drew and his wife Kelly are the parents of one daughter, Mackenzie, and two sons, Peyton and Brody.
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Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
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This week Kevin + Steph get to talk to a Broadway actress who has performed in West Side Story, Chaplin, Cats, and Disney’s High School Musical. She was also cast as Frankie Valli’s wife, Mary Delgado, in the Clint Eastwood film Jersey Boys.
Friends meet Renée Marino!
Stories in this conversation with Renée include…
– Her recent vacation to Fiji after winning a 5-day trip to Tony Robbins private resort. BUT how long did it take to get there?
– What Broadway auditions are like.
– What it’s REALLY like to grow up in New Jersey. Is it anything like what we see on TV? Is the mob on every street corner?
– The lifestyle of a professional actress (which may not be as glamorous as you think).
– What it was like to work with the legendary Clint Eastwood.
Folks, we can’t wait for you to hear this conversation with our new friend, Renée Marino.
Guest Bio
Renée Marino is a professional communication coach named by Yahoo Finance as one of the “Top 10 Communication Coaches to Follow in 2021!” She was the co-host of Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi’s first-ever virtual “World Summit” and has spoken, performed, and been interviewed on thousands of live and virtual stages, including Dean Graziosi’s podcast The Dean Graziosi Show. Her first published book, Becoming a Master Communicator, is now available.
Guest Contact Info:Instagram: @iamreneemarino
Website: reneemarino.com
FREE GIFT from Renée: click HERE
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
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Like every fifth episode, it’s Kevin + Steph sharing their stories with you! And this week, they are joined by their soon-to-be teenage daughter, Emme Mason!
Ms. Emme’s parents ask her some serious questions during this conversation. Who embarrasses her more…Kevin or Steph? What things have they done to embarrass her? Why are her parents so “cringe”? What are her friends’ reactions to Steph and her aunt Katie in public?
Also, Kevin + Steph reveal HUGE NEWS regarding upcoming guests for the show. We guarantee you will be surprised!
We can’t wait for you to hear this episode with Kevin + Steph + Emme.
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
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Alex Kendrick is an actor, director, and co-writer of faith-based films such as Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous, and War Room. His newest film, THE FORGE, opens in theatres on August 23rd. After serving in church ministry for 20 years, Alex now writes, speaks, and produces Christian films with his brothers Stephen and Shannon as part of The Kendrick Brothers Productions.
In this conversation, Alex shares some great stories, including…
– Who has attempted to replicate the death crawl scene from Facing the Giants– What it was like to work with Kirk Cameron in the movie Fireproof– How they freaked out their parents as kids filming dangerous scenes with a camcorder
– AND stories about their new movie, THE FORGE, which is a sequel to their prior movie War Room
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website HERE for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
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Friends, he’s back!!!
Victor Marx is the founder of All Things Possible Ministries and a Turning Point USA Faith contributor. This man is also a former Marine, master of mixed martial arts, weapons expert, and a 7-time black belt. He travels all over the world to rescue women and children from ISIS, along with putting teams together to fight against human trafficking in the United States. In his words, he is a “high-risk missionary”, but to Kevin + Steph, he’s a “real-life Rambo”!
This conversation includes stories such as…
– What it was like for Kevin + Steph to meet Victor, Eileen, and his 3 dogs in person.
– Is Kevin still the closest to ever getting attacked by Victor’s dogs?
– How a man tried to murder Victor this past year.
– The story of rescuing a girl that was kidnapped and part of a sex-trafficking ring overseas.
– AND Victor’s thoughts on the recent assassination attempt of President Trump.
Victor Marx has overcome a lifetime of obstacles to realize success, including having over 1 BILLION views on social media and Youtube in 2021. Severely abused and tortured as a child, by the time Victor graduated from high school, his lifestyle was filled with drugs, fights, and theft. The discipline of military life and faith in God helped him recover from a traumatic childhood and empowers him to help others.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Guest Contact Info:Instagram: @victormarx
Facebook: @victormarx
Website: victormarx.com
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
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(NOTE: this is part 3 of a 3-part discussion. Please see episode 225 for part 1 and episode 226 for part 2.)
Like every fifth episode, it’s Kevin + Steph sharing their stories with you! And with summer vacations on the horizon, this “fifth” episode turned into a THREE-part conversation with Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer, and their friend, Jeremy Hartman.
In part 3 of this conversation, stories include:
– The Mason’s Wiffleball Party.
– Upcoming guests and who to expect.
– Big news regarding TV.
– And a request for all our listeners.
We hope you enjoy part THREE of this conversation with Katie Keller Schnetzer and Jeremy Hartman.
[NOTE: as of Friday, 8/2/24 we are working through some technical issues with our website in regards to having the ability to accept donations.]
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
The post Episode 227: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
(NOTE: this is part 2 of a 3-part discussion. Please see episode 225 for part 1.)
Like every fifth episode, it’s Kevin + Steph sharing their stories with you! And with summer vacations on the horizon, this “fifth” episode turned into a THREE-part conversation with Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer, and their friend, Jeremy Hartman.
In part 2 of this conversation, stories include:
– The challenges Kevin + Steph are having as sports parents.
– How Steph has to reduce her INTENSITY with the kids.– Katie’s reputation on her son’s 9U travel baseball team.– Why Katie and Kevin challenge their kids in sports, including having to prove to Katie’s son that they are both still better than him at baseball.
We hope you enjoy part TWO of this conversation with Katie Keller Schnetzer and Jeremy Hartman.
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
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Like every fifth episode, it’s Kevin + Steph sharing their stories with you! And with summer vacations on the horizon, this “fifth” episode turned into a THREE-part conversation! For the next three episodes, Kevin + Steph are joined by Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer, and their friend, Jeremy Hartman.
In part 1 of this conversation, stories include:
– Some of the weird things happening behind the scenes of Tell Us A Good Story.– How Steph pitches Kevin her guest ideas for the show.
– And a few hilarious stories from the new neighborhood/retirement community Kevin + Steph recently moved to.
We hope you enjoy part ONE of this conversation with Katie Keller Schnetzer and Jeremy Hartman.
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
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This week we are very pleased to welcome back filmmaker, media consultant, and author Phil Cooke.
Some of Phil’s stories include:
– The crazy stunts he has done to get a film shot?
– A hilarious adventure Pastor John and Joel Osteen from years ago.
– How difficult it is for filmmakers to sit in the back row of a theater and watch people’s reactions to their movies.
– AND the time Phil’s team produced a film about Billy Graham and the Billy Graham Ministry HATED IT!!
Can’t wait for you to hear our conversation with friend of the show, Phil Cooke.
GUEST INFO
Filmmaker, writer, media consultant, and founder of Cooke Media Group, Phil Cooke has produced film and television programming in more than 70 countries, and his client list include studios and networks like Walt Disney, Dreamworks, and USA Network as well as major faith-based organizations such as The Salvation Army, Museum of the Bible and many more. His most recent book is “Church on Trial: How to Protect Your Congregation, Mission, and Reputation During a Crisis,” based on decades of helping churches and nonprofits navigate a wide range of challenges, scandals, and crises.
Facebook: @PhilCookePage
Website: PhilCooke.com
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
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This week we meet our new friend Lisa Kroehler. Lisa shares her inspiring journey from overcoming significant challenges in marriage, health, and business.
From surviving a heart attack to battling COVID, she emphasizes the importance of faith and resilience. Lisa and her husband faced immense debt from a failed farming business, leading them to unconventional ventures like selling root beer at carnivals. Despite setbacks, they persevered and eventually found success in a window cleaning business.
Lisa’s book, “Never Say Never,” chronicles their trials and triumphs, serving as a testament to the power of perseverance and trust in God. Through health scares and financial struggles, Lisa’s story highlights the belief that nothing in life is wasted, and every experience shapes one’s journey towards a better future. Her message resonates with the idea of never giving up and finding hope even in the darkest moments. Lisa’s unwavering faith and determination serve as an inspiration for all those facing challenges in their lives.
Guest DetailsWebsite: lisakroehler.com
Email: lisakroehler.com
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:02] I’m Kevin and I’m Stephanie and during our marriage we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery, then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible and we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day. Welcome to Tell Us a a good story.[0:31] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our posts across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So hey, if you want us to to keep working our way up to talking to chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[1:03] All right, Steph, we’ve been looking forward to this. She’s from my home area. I’m so excited. Well, friends, our next guest has been writing stories since she was 10 years old, a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a bachelor’s degree in news editorial journalism, which is hard to say. She has worked in newspapers, magazines, and television, and she’s the author of the new book titled Never Say Never, a TV producer and pig farmer’s love story of faith, resilience, and business success. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us Good Story, Mrs. Lisa Kraler. Lisa! Yay! So good to be here. Thank you for having me. We’re so excited about this. Lisa, thank you for saying yes to us. And of course, I always like to vet who we’re potentially going to have on as guests of tell us good stories And so I called you we had a conversation about 10 minutes and then later that day staff I said, hey, I had a really good conversation with potential guests. Lisa Craylor and she’s like, where’s you know, where’s she from? I said a light at Ohio. Yes immediately Lisa stuff’s like, okay I don’t care what she does. I don’t care what you know what she’s done. No. Yes. I want to talk to her You have no idea who she is. Like, I don’t care. She’s good people. She’s from God’s country. Let’s talk to her. God’s country. Yes, she is.[2:20] Northwestern Ohio. You can’t beat it. You can’t. It was literally the best place to grow up. I just loved it so much. Okay. Okay. Wait, for those not aware, Alida, Ohio is how far from where you grew up? Maybe 40 minutes, a half hour? Maybe 30 to 40. Yeah. So Lisa, you sent us, you were kind enough to send us your book, which is wonderful. And I have it, I have it right here. Okay. So when I looked at this book, immediately, you had me on the first line of the book. Okay. On the back of the book that says a television producer and a pig farmer meet on a cruise.[2:56] You had my attention with that first line right there, but going back, can you share what you were doing back then before you met your husband? Well, you know, I started out as a newspaper writer, which is almost a dinosaur anymore, but that’s what I was doing first. And then they started this TV station here and I got involved. I always wanted to be on TV, but I never went to college for that. So then I got into television and I started being on the air and producing shows and all of that and a band from philadelphia came to our station for a telethon and they said they were sponsoring a singles cruise and wanted me and my roommate to go we were both on tv and we’re like oh it’d be awesome but we were both like we’re broke we had to pay for it even though we were part of the media and we both contacted our parents and just told them about it did not not ask for money. Both of our mothers said, we are going to loan you money. And I think they were desperate for their daughters to meet someone on a cruise. And I was hoping I would meet somebody on a cruise.[3:58] So we go on this cruise in 1985, 39 years ago. Now things have changed a little bit. They were a little bobbing boats in the ocean back then. Oh, okay. 500 people on the ship. And I meet this tall, dark and handsome guy in the lobby. On the second night, and my heart was thumping. The second night. That’s right. And I was just going to say, he knew I was a TV producer because I introduced the media the night before. But I didn’t know who he was or anything about him. I just knew he was handsome and he was talking to me. So this sounds a little bit like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, okay? Where, Lisa, when I’ve watched that show with Steph, I’m like, Steph, this is so not good for these couples, right? Because they are, they are meeting each other at a beautiful destination. It is going to be very easy in that scenario to fall in love, right? And then when they get back home to reality and they meet their in-laws or like,[5:01] oh my gosh, this person is a complete mess, right? And then you see them in a completely different light. It’s like, oh, okay. Maybe I don’t like this person anymore.[5:11] I would love to hear how it turns when you get back. Right. Our first date was in Jamaica. So where do you go from there? Right. You’re in Jamaica. But the thing was right away, he said, I’m a pig farmer from Minnesota.[5:26] Oh, you know, I was in a whole nother world. Right. And I was like, wow, he doesn’t look like the pig farmers I knew back home. You know, not in a bad way. He looked like he was, you know, could be a movie star to me. So that was the i guess the realization to me is when i actually went to the pig farm and visited him how different our lives were i bet you do smell pig farms right right from miles away oh yeah and he was such a hard worker and everything i everything i guess for me you know they say love is blind there is a lot of truth to that that it overcomes a lot of things that you’re feeling and seeing, you’re like, oh, we can overcome everything.[6:12] And it’s not really till you’re married that you realize it’s going to be a[6:16] little tougher than you thought. Right. So back on the cruise, how hard was it, Lisa, to say goodbye to him after you spent, I mean, probably six amazing days, right? With your Prince Charming there. How hard was it to leave? And you didn’t have cell phones back then either. You had no internet. No way to keep in contact. contact, and we live 700 miles apart, and so you weren’t going to be just jet-setting all the time saying goodbye to him. In the book, I described it was like being a black and white movie. We’re sitting in a diner. We have our suitcases. The bus came sooner than what we thought was coming for him, and he grabbed me, and he kissed me goodbye, and I didn’t know if I would see this guy again. You know he even forgot my contact information on the table he forgot oh no and you know there’s no internet and so he takes off and i’m like i don’t know if i’ll ever see this guy again.[7:11] And we did reconnect and we ended up having 12 official dates in 14 months before we got married. 12. Yeah. So it’s fairly rapid. And I went through a lot trying to decide, is this really right for me? I was giving up my career, I was leaving my family and I was moving to a pig farm. And that is not something I ever thought that I would do. That was not in my life plan. Let’s put it that way. Okay. OK, I have I have a question and you’re probably going to be like, Stephanie, that is so insignificant. But I want to know how he found you again. I wrote him a letter because we had to write letters back then. Uh huh. And then he responded. And of course, in the letter, I put my phone number and that’s how.[7:55] Correct me if I’m wrong, Lisa. The only thing you had was his mailing address. Right. That was it. You didn’t have a phone number and he obviously didn’t have your information. Yeah. So everything was harder back then. And, you know, it’s hard to explain that to even your kids today. You can tell them that, but they don’t really know what it was like. Everything was more difficult. You know, you didn’t go on the internet and Google something. I mean, everything took a lot more work and everything that we did in our lives took a lot more work because we had to initiate everything. There was no playbooks that you went by or even starting a business. You know, you didn’t have somewhere to go and figure it all out. You just learned by mistakes.[8:31] So from the time you met, you guys got married 14 months later. Yeah. Yes, we did. And then I moved to the farm and man, it was a lot different. And one thing I didn’t know was how long farmers work. They work like 40 hours a day. And I got pretty lonely.[8:52] Well, that was my question for you, Lisa. Like, what was the culture shock like for you when you moved to Minnesota? I mean, completely different than how you grew up. Well, I would say especially because I was on television back here and a lot of people knew me and they’d stop you wherever you were. Nobody knew me at all. And I moved to town. We were in the country outside of a town of 700 people. And they knew me as Keith’s wife. And that was my only claim to fame. And then just getting used to the pig farm. You know, I didn’t go out and work in the pig farm, you know, or do anything like that. But I was trying to figure out my life. I had to start over and I didn’t really know anybody. He had some family around there. I got to know him a little bit, but you’re not like right next door to everybody. So it was challenging. For sure. Another challenge, I believe, Lisa, was not only was your husband single, his father was single as well, right? They were both bachelors living in that farmhouse, correct? Yeah, they were. And he eventually remarried. Keith’s mom had died when she was in her 50s. But yeah, there was a lot there. And I think in the book, one of the big things I talked about was when we lost the pigs, we had feeder pigs delivered to our farm. And he comes running in the house crying. And he said, they’re dead. They’re dead. They’re all dead.[10:14] And we had just had 159 feeder pigs delivered. It cost thousands of dollars. And here the methane gases in the middle of the night had rose up through the floor. And all of these little pigs died.[10:27] We were already almost a million dollars in debt on our farm. And we were wondering what’s going to happen. We’re not going to be able to make money. We have to pay this man for the pigs that have nothing in return for it. It was a pretty emotional time for both of us. But, you know, we are people of faith. We really believed that God was going to walk with us through whatever it is we went through, because He already had. It was just like, you’ve got to trust in God. He will go before you and walk with you. And that was important to us. And so what happened the very next day after all those pigs died, the farmer came to us and said, Yeah. I am not going to make you pay for these pigs. Wow. I am basically, he’s basically forgave our debt. And he said, I’m not going to make you responsible for it. And for me personally, that was such a spiritual insight into the fact that he didn’t owe us doing that. He didn’t have to pay for that debt for us, but he did. And it was a spiritual implication to me about what Jesus did on the cross was that he paid a debt he didn’t know. And we owed the debt. we could not pay. And that was kind of that significance of that time in our lives, that everything was going to be okay, regardless of the outcome, because it doesn’t always go the way you want it to, but you’re not going to be alone.[11:47] Steph, what is one of the most asked questions we get about tell us a good story? Do I really get that excited? Besides that one? Oh, how do we get all these incredible guests? Correct. And some of our best conversations have been with guests who are listeners have reached out to us and said, you should talk to this person. To name just a few, Nick Vujicic, Coach Tom Ryan, Carol Matico were all recommendations from our listeners. So if there’s someone you would like us to interview and think they might be a great fit for Tell Us a Good Story, please let us know at kevinandsteph.com. You don’t even have to personally know them. True, but do me a favor before you submit their names, please make sure they are still alive. That has actually happened and it is super hard for me to find their contact information. But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[12:34] So, Lisa, at what point… Did you find out that your husband in the farming business had about a million dollars in debt? And I guess that goes back to what I said earlier, where you get back to reality and you’re like, oh my gosh, hey, by the way, I’ve got a little bit of debt related to this farm. You had no clue. So at what point does he inform you of that? Well, I remember on the cruise ship that he, I don’t think he said any specific number, but he said, we’re in a lot of debt, but that went over my head you know yes but as we were dating you know I mean he I’m sure he mentioned it he never hid anything but once you’re in that situation life is very different for you you realize that this could affect you for the rest of your lives and we came up against so many.[13:23] Challenges during that time period and we end up losing our farm business we didn’t lose the buildings or whatever, but it ended up being a bad situation. But in the end, it ended up turning into good. So one thing that got my attention, Lisa, was looking at your book, you said once the farming business collapsed, you and your husband did multiple things, including becoming traveling carnies. Can you please share any good story from that? Because you talk about people watching and probably some amazing experiences at the carnival. Can you please share something good from back then? Someone gave him the idea of us selling 1919 draft root beer at state fairs and festivals. We were trying to pay off some short-term debt.[14:12] And he was always thinking outside the box, unusual things. I said, oh, we only have one kid. You know, she’s two. We could probably do this. And for some reason, we took off and went to Beaumont, Texas, which is 24 hours from Minnesota, with an old beat-up truck and a camper top on the back. And then I found out I was pregnant with my second kid. I had morning sickness the whole trip.[14:36] And we were in the back end of that camper top. And we’re pulling all of these kegs of root beer each keg was 16 gallons and we had all this root beer we had this refrigerated trailer and we were going to be officially carnies we went to the state fair in texas and it was a really disastrous first trip i didn’t need any money and i lost my My daughter at the fair, and she was picked up by a bunch of gypsies who actually were very kind. They found her and brought her back to us. And so we just started off really rough on this venture of being carnies. So we learned a lot through that time, but it was not a financial success. We ended up getting more debt accrued. And my husband went on by himself to Florida for a couple of months. And we ended up going back up north to my family’s just because it was all such a bad, it was a bad decision. But you know what, when you’re trying to turn your lives around, sometimes it doesn’t work on the first time around. You’ve got to try new things, especially people that are entrepreneurs.[15:49] You’re trying things, and that does not mean it’s going to be an overnight success. And we’ve learned that you’ve got to keep getting up and keep persevering and moving ahead and learning from your mistakes. And that’s how we got into window cleaning eventually. So it wasn’t the first trip around the world that was successful. It took us a while. So how long did you travel around then to state fairs, carnivals? How long was that? What was that time period? I would say it was just a few months. I was with them a little less than that because I was pretty sick and being pregnant at that time. But it was enough. I’m glad it wasn’t longer than that.[16:29] So when you’re traveling to these different venues, any funny stories, I guess, from the people you met, the people you’re working with, from, gosh, the Texas State Fair? I mean, you talk about people watching, right? Any fun stories from those trips, Lisa? Well, the thing I remember the most, and I think it was because I was pregnant and so nauseous, was the smells from the fair. Oh, right. Crawfish, fried alligator. Oh, my gosh. Cajun food. And Steph, you can probably relate that it just makes you nauseous when they trigger And I just remember these were such unusual smells for me. I was used to, you know, up here in Ohio was totally different than what I smelled down there in South Texas. Steph, that doesn’t sound like the Van Wert County Fair. It doesn’t. No, it does not. Best fair round. No alligator there. No alligator. Or crawfish. There’s no crawfish being served. Okay. So eventually you moved back to Northwest Ohio. You started the cleaning business. How did you, I guess, climb out of the hole with this mountain of debt?[17:36] Good question. You know, I remember we were sending, now, mind you, this is years and years ago, we were sending $1,000 a month back to go towards the farm debt. Which may not sound like it, and it’s probably three times that now, but when you don’t have hardly any income, that is mountains of money. You know, we were going to pay our obligations. but fast forward to we got a phone call from our banker in minnesota and he said if you give us the farm back i am willing to completely erase your debt as an even thing so then we can turn around and try to sell that farm because we hadn’t been there in a while we were trying to keep up with it but he knew we were never going to catch up with that debt yeah and so basically that’s how that But the whole thing ended with that. We didn’t pay a lot of money back. We were committed to doing it no matter how tough the times were. Wow. So what was it like in your marriage during this time? Because I think so many listeners can relate to being in so much debt, having two little babies. You’re not feeling good. Your husband’s away. But how did that relate to you guys as a married couple? Well, as you can imagine, it’s a challenge, and we were both in our 30s. So we were completely starting over, and fresh starts don’t always go well overnight. It takes a long time.[19:04] Again, as I said before, I don’t know how people make it if they don’t have some type of faith that pulls them through, because we, in ourselves, are just so fragile, and we’re human, and we’re going to mess up, and we messed up plenty in our lives.[19:19] But we kept going another day because we had hope and we had faith. And then that helped bind us together because otherwise I could see how families split up. My husband has said more than once, I can’t believe you never divorced me through all of this. But that was never on my lips, on my mind. I believe in traditional marriage. And I said I would never even let my mind go there because we were in this together.[19:47] Together. If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a coworker, or share one of our posts on social media. However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody. Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us. Yep. Go on with your merry day. And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com. Thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[20:17] If I were Lisa, it would be so tempting for me to beat up on my spouse at every moment, given the debt, right? Because he could say, hey, you know what? I don’t think that’s a good idea. And then I would say, you know what’s not a good idea? How about taking on over a million dollars of debt, right? For a farm, right? And taking me to Texas for the Texas State Fair, right? That’s not a good idea. It would be very challenging not to just bring that up. Nonstop yeah so kudos to you lisa yes well when he when i wrote this book it was painful for him to read this book i bet yeah because of all of these these scenarios he’s like i do not know why i did this what i was going there i said hey this is our journey in life yeah and we we walked through it and we overcame it and we get to inspire other people now that never give up And that’s the theme of it.[21:11] You can be inspired and never give up and you don’t have to walk alone. Stand with your faith and stand with your spouse.[21:19] 32 years, you’ve done a widow washing business with your husband, and it’s still open today. So what led you then, Lisa, to write this book? Well, a couple of things that were pretty serious. 2017, I had a widow maker, a heart attack. Oh my gosh. Yeah, and I almost died. I had emergency triple heart bypass. I got stuck in an airport. There were storms. I had just had the heart attack. Didn’t know it was a heart attack but knew I was something was really wrong and I still remember the cardiologist telling me you should have died in the hotel room where you had the heart attack or on in the airport but you shouldn’t have made it and wow that was one thing that kind of turned your head and you start thinking about your life and then in 2021 both my husband and I got COVID pretty bad, but I was really bad. Ended up in the hospital and my oxygen numbers were tanking, my kidney failure. It was a bad situation and I survived, but I was on oxygen for many months. The last I was on oxygen was October of 22. So after that I said, I am going to write this book.[22:33] Because I don’t know how long I have. I’m turning 64. You’re never guaranteed another day. And I haven’t had a great track record. And I wanted to pass this legacy story on to my children and grandchildren so that they could be inspired that it’s not always a bed of roses. You can get back up again. You can start over completely, even in your 30s. You can start over from scratch. And you can overcome whatever obstacle and challenge you have. Have and you can make a difference than in other people’s lives. And that’s what made me write this book. And I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do this and it took me almost a year, but I did it. Oh, that’s amazing.[23:14] Well, listeners quote on the back of this book, this book is geared toward those who appreciate stories of overcoming obstacles. This book inspires readers to believe that everything is possible with God and no one should ever walk alone. And listeners for For more information about Lisa, you can go to her website, lisacraylor.com. Her email, the email is actually in this book, lisacraylor at gmail.com. If I could just say one last thing. Please. To encourage people, nothing in your life is ever wasted. The reason this book is called Never Say Never is that you may go down paths and journeys that you never thought you would go through, but never say never. There’s hope there’s promise in all the things that you do and if you let it your life can be better shaped by all the things that you go through in your life nothing that you do is wasted you never know what you’re going to have to do to make it work but take whatever you learn from that and it can change your life that’s good so good thank you lisa so much for saying yes to us and coming here on tell us a good story thank you thanks lisa thank you for having me.[24:27] Friends we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this whether it’s on the apple podcast app iheart radio spotify or one of the other platforms you guys it’s completely free and while you’re there feel free to give us a rating or a nice review thank you for listening to tell us a good story.
The post Episode 223: Lisa Kroehler appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
This week, Kevin + Steph get the privilege to speak with Bay Turner, who has an amazing story.
Bay had a dream to one day become a professional singer. However, due to a medical mishap during surgery, Bay’s vocal cords were paralyzed, and he was told he would likely never sing again.
And then, after a miracle, Bay gets an invite to appear on America’s Got Talent!!
And then, Bay’s life had changed forever…including the release of his new song, Brand New.
We can’t wait for you to hear this amazing tale from our new friend, Bay Turner.
Guest DetailsWebsite: bayturner.com Facebook: @bayturnermusic
YouTube: @bayturnermusic
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Today, we get to talk to someone who has an amazing, amazing story. This is another real-life miracle that you’re about to hear. Friends, meet our new friend, Mr. Bay Turner. You guys, Bay had a dream of one day becoming a professional singer. However, after going in for surgery to remove two tumors in his chest, he quickly realized there was something wrong with his voice. After a visit to the ENT, he found out one of his vocal cords had been nicked during surgery and paralyzed by the the intubation tube. He was told he would likely never sing again. And then? And then, after a miraculous healing, Bay gets invited to compete on the hit NBC TV show America’s Got Talent. Where he crushes it![0:40] Where he crushes it! And his life changed forever. You guys, we can’t wait for to hear this amazing conversation with Bay Turner. I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery. Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However, today, we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.[1:11] And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day. Welcome to Tell Us a Good Story.[1:20] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our posts across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please Please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[1:52] All right, friends, before we get to this conversation with Bae, you have got to listen to a short clip from his audition on America’s Got Talent. We’re going to play about a minute clip for you from the Talent Recap YouTube channel that saves all some of the best moments from this TV show on NBC. Please listen to this man’s incredible voice.[2:13] I’m really curious about you. You know, you have a quite a boring job. You want to be a singer and that’s it. What am I missing? I actually had a surgery I found two benign tumors in my chest and got them taken out the surgery was supposed to go super routine and The anesthesiologist nicked my vocal cord and paralyzed my vocal cord Yeah, so I’ve spent you know countless hours using voice teachers to be able to get my voice back to where it’s at So this is my first thing about that. Okay, Bae.[2:50] Music.[3:36] That was really good, babe. Thank you. You have a really, really beautiful tone. You’ve got great taste. Yeah, it cracked a little bit, your vocal. It doesn’t matter, though, things like that. I think people are going to like you, babe. I hope so. Yeah. All right, Steph. You’ve already yelled at me. Because you said I was too loud. You screamed at the guest as soon as he got on here. I was so excited. I know, but you don’t want to scare him. I don’t think this guy is so cool.[4:08] And he was already clapping, which you know makes me happy when people clap. That’s true. All right. Well, friends, our next guest is an amazing young singer with an amazing story. This man received a standing ovation during his audition on season 17 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent. And he just released his debut radio single titled Brand New. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us Good Story, Mr. Bay Turner. Bay, Bay, Bay, Bay. Hey, guys. Hi. Thank you for saying yes to us. Oh, my gosh. I’m so excited. I love to talk. So this is going to be great. Oh, good. Good. Love it. Well, Steph and I just rewatched the video clip of you on America’s Got Talent. Chills. Goosebumps. Yes.[4:51] Absolute goosebumps. So how long did you have to wait from the time you auditioned to the time the episode ran that you had to keep it a secret? Yeah. So it was a really last minute crazy thing. So they called me in January. And they said, you’re coming to audition for the show. You’ll probably hear from us in April if everything goes through. I’m like, okay. So April 1st comes along.[5:13] They say, tomorrow, you’re going to go and sing for the judges. Oh, no. Get on a plane. I go there, and I’m there for two weeks. And then I don’t hear anything until the night before my show comes out in August. So it was a really weird faith thing. Because you just never know how TV stuff is just so strange.[5:30] You never know how it’s going to work. So you didn’t think it was a practical joke, did you, when they call you on April 1st? April 1st, 1,000% I did. And then they gave me my ticket confirmation. I’m like, OK, I guess this must be real. Real like do they book you they book your flight they book hotel and they keep you there for two weeks like all expenses paid yes all expenses paid they give you a little food stipend but your boy likes to eat so I definitely went over that every day oh was it just you did you have to be by yourself or did they fly anybody else out there with you so it was just me and then my mom ended up coming out to she’s like biggest supporter I mean all my family’s of course yeah But my mom is like, she gets like first priority every time. But anyways, it was really sweet. She got to be there. So you had to wait till August. So basically three months to let people know you even audition and the show’s the next night, right? Yeah, exactly. I mean, I told everybody that probably shouldn’t say this, but I told a lot of people, you know, with my close friends and stuff. But I didn’t post it publicly until August. You’re like, yeah, guys, wait until you see what happened here. Like, I don’t know. I’m telling you, it went really well. It’s so good. Exactly.[6:42] Okay. So let’s back up a second. So can you share the story with folks about four years earlier or four years from now that you went to the doctor and they found two tumors in your chest? Can you take us from there? Because just an incredible story. Yes. So I was working out and I noticed there was a little bit of like a lump on my chest. And I went to the doctors to get it checked out. Turns out there was a tumor in there. And so the doctor said, we’re going to do some tests. Turns out there was no cancer. Thank you, Jesus. It was completely benign. But then I went in. I had to get it taken out. I had to get it removed. So I went in. The anesthesiologist did their thing. Doctor did their thing. And I came out from the surgery.[7:24] And my voice was pretty hoarse. And I went to school for music. I sang all over the world as an opera singer. And so I have a pretty good understanding of how my voice works. And I thought, man, I guess my voice just must be tired. So a week goes by and I’m worse. Two weeks go by and I’m even worse. And then a month goes by and I’m pretty much no voice. And so I went to an ENT voice doctor and they told me the anesthesiologist ripped my vocal cord and paralyzed it with an integration tube. And so I ended up completely losing my voice. And you guys are starting to figure out. They told me I cannot, I’m not supposed to sing anymore. But they also said I can’t talk, which that’s not possible for me. Right. Yeah, that was really tough. So I ended up sitting in silence for almost three months. But it’s, man, I’m so thankful for it. It’s so crazy. I just wrote a song called Dear God, Thank You. And the whole crux of the song is, thank you, Jesus, for the pain that led me back to you.[8:20] And I feel like if it hadn’t been for that time of real heartache and struggle[8:25] and wrestling with the Lord, I don’t think I’d be where I am as a Christian man. So I’m actually grateful for it now in retrospect, which is a kind of a crazy thing. So bae, how are you communicating for three months? Then? Are you playing charades with your friends? Are you picking up sign language? Are you writing on a whiteboard the whole time? How does that work? There’s a bunch of apps. I ended up using a whiteboard actually, because there’s a bunch of apps you can use on your phone. And they’re just they take too long. And I’m too quick with it. So okay, just write it out and hope for the best. But it was brutal. But it was again, it’s so weird to be thankful for something like that. But I am. Yeah.[9:00] So when you are quiet, when you are reflecting, are you also upset? Are you angry at the anesthesiologist? Did you have to deal with that? Like what was your thought process during that time period? Yeah. I went through every single possible emotion you can go through. I was definitely angry at first because it’s like an athlete losing a limb or right. I lost the thing that made me, me. And it honestly, the hardest part for me was my identities shift. I thought I’ll never be a singer again. And that’s all I’ve ever been to people. So it was in that silence when I had to really wrestle with God that he began to teach me the difference between who I am as a man of God and my gifting. And I learned the separation between the two, which was, I think, paramount for why I’m able to get up and sing now with a pure heart, because it’s not about doing it really well or impressing anybody. It’s truly ministry for me. So did they tell you no talking for three months or did you just put that on yourself? And then you started like baby stepping it. How did that all work? They wanted me to be in silence for a while, but there was…[10:03] There was like an industry, like you need to be to shut up. No, no talking. No, you can’t even listen to music because your vocal cords have like sympathetic reactions to music and vibrating without even knowing. And so it’s supposed to be a month of absolutely nothing at all. But after the month, after some diagnostics and stuff, it still wasn’t ready yet. And I still wasn’t ready yet to a thing to come out from this experience, you know? Okay. So you go back to a new doctor to have a reevaluation. Can you walk us through what happened there? Because literally you’re waiting three months for your vocal cords to heal and all that.[10:38] So I began to wrestle with the Lord, as you guys know. And I literally heard an audible voice that said, go back to the doctor. I have healed you. And I just kind of felt in my spirit, I shouldn’t have gone to this first doctor. He was super negative and just didn’t really care about me or my voice or anything like that. So I went to another doctor and they were like, they were kind of confused because they put the little scope down your nose and looked at your vocal cords. And they were like, we don’t really see what you’re talking about. And I’m like, what do you mean? You don’t see what I’m talking about. They said, there’s absolutely no scarring. The vocal cord is not paralyzed. Like everything looks like it’s in working order. And I went to that second doctor, kind of just walking in with confidence, knowing kind of by faith that it had already been healed, but just got confirmation by that second doctor. So it was really, truly like a miracle working thing. God, God healed me. So were you talking at that point?[11:29] I mean, I was barely, barely, barely communicating with people if I had to and people didn’t understand what I was saying, but I was really silent up until that point. Yeah. So do you have the scans then from, okay, here was post-surgery, here is the second evaluation and you compare like, okay, this one, I am healed. Yeah. A hundred percent. It almost looks like my vocal cord was like mangled or something. It was disgusting. And vocal cords aren’t very cute to look at anyways, but on top of that, they just looked out of place and wonky. And then the next one, they’re like perfectly white, perfectly intact and healed. And it was like a real true miracle from God. God is still performing miracles.[12:10] I feel like I hear so many people in the church talk about how they were all in Jesus’s ministry. He performed so many miracles and we don’t see them anymore, but it’s happening every single day.[12:22] All right, Steph, I’ve got a question for you. What’s your favorite book of all time? Obviously, You Met Her Where. Oh, I thought you were going to say the Bible. Oh, oops. What’s your second favorite book of all time? You Met Her Where?[12:40] A distant second. Totally distant. It’s a pretty good book. Sorry, God. It’s still a pretty good book. But we’re so excited. Where can people get our book? Okay, I know this. Amazon.com. Yes. Barnes and Noble. Yes. And? And our website, KevinandSteph.com. And what happens if they buy it off our website? What do they get? An autograph from us. Yes. Who wouldn’t want that? So listeners, if you’ve already read the book, thank you so much. We’ve had such good feedback. One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on Amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank Thank you so much. And thank you for listening. Okay. Okay. I’m going to go back to this doctor. So you come in, you might be whispering, you might be doing charades using your whiteboard. He says, what are you talking about? This looks amazing. You can talk now. Like, are you just like, wait, are you nervous to talk? Are you excited to talk? Like what’s going on in your mind right now? How long do you sing as well? Yeah.[13:42] You know, I was nervous to talk, but I think if God hadn’t already began to give me faith that I was healed, I think it would have been more nerve wracking, but I just already knew that I was healed. It’s like this knowing with this miracle just kind of was placed on my heart and my mind. And I was good. It was like, let’s go. Let’s start. So you just started talking. Yes. And then I think my big thing right after that was, was America’s Got Talent. That was my first like big performance so no one thing after the next yeah and i want to get to that i want to get to that oh my gosh okay okay okay so for all of our guests i like to give a list of fun facts to let listeners know what you’ve done what you’ve accomplished and steph is not aware of any of these okay no so this is going to spurn some conversation so keep me honest if i’m if i’m off on any of these please let me know all right so okay so we had to cut him off there because he He was going to steal my fun fact. I knew he was. All right. Fun fact number one about Bay. A week after the second ENT appointment, a producer for America’s Got Talent called Bay and encouraged him to audition.[14:46] This led to his very first performance post-surgery on season 17 of the televised talent competition. One week. Okay. Okay. One week. Okay. We got to step it back there. First of all, you weren’t singing, right? So how did this guy know about you? So I auditioned in 2019 in New York I was living in New York at the time and they they said we really really loved you we think you’re incredible and and really were like gung-ho about me auditioning for the show and I never heard back from them and it’s just a lesson on God’s timing I it just wasn’t time for me to do it yet um and so they knew about me then and they actually called me and they said we need a Josh Groban type to come on the show and I’m like okay I guess I can make that happen and so i ended up i was going to sing you raised me up by josh groban oh right and then ended up everything changed last minute and they gave me the song biblical by calum scott which i think.[15:41] I mean, I love the song, but it was never my first choice. And then I started thinking to myself, oh, my gosh, first thing on national television, I had done some stuff on BET, but like on this big scale was this song called Biblical that was, I don’t think ever intended to be a worship or Christian song, but my heart was definitely set on Jesus while I was singing. So it’s cool. Very cool. So they give you the song. You can’t choose a song? It’s kind of a collaborative process, but they told me that’s like by far and away the best song. And I had to send them, I probably made no exaggeration, maybe a hundred videos of me with a hundred different songs. And that was the one they landed on. And I’m like, I’ve got so many better songs than this biblical song. And it’s just, again, God’s timing. If we’re submitted to him and his will, it just always works out the way it’s supposed to.[16:28] So on America’s Got Talent, you really don’t have time to train then because it’s April 1st. It’s the next day. Okay. We need to get you on a flight. You’re going to sing this song and you’re there. How nervous are you beforehand? Like, do you even sleep the night before going on stage for this performance? How does that work?[16:48] You know what? It was a weird kind of out of body experience. The reason I didn’t sleep is because I was so excited. And it’s like God literally made me brand new, which we’ll talk about. Got a new single out called Brand New. And it’s about this story. But God totally made me a new human being. And I was just so grateful and excited for the opportunity to get out in front of people. It’s like he just held me through the whole process I was not nervous at all I remember I had one little like moment right before I walked on stage and it’s like everything went slow motion and the producers that are on side stage are like okay go go go go go it’s time cameras are on everybody’s waiting for you and I had like.[17:25] Five seconds where I’m like, I’m literally about to walk onto this national stage. Either I’m going to crash and burn or it’s going to be an amazing thing. And I think the choice is up to me. And so I went in and I was like, let’s just go do this thing. And we did it. So you had never even tested your voice to that level since your surgery then. I mean, we had like a little practice and stuff like that. And so I went for it then, but there wasn’t absolutely no world that existed that I I was like really singing, singing, singing until the actual taping of the show, which was the craziest thing now that I’m thinking about it. Cause I’m, I’m kind of a perfectionist, honestly, by trade. I want everything to be like in its place. But at that point in time, I was like, let’s just go for it and give it to them. I’ve been holding this thing back for long. Yes. So once you got on stage, Bay, is that the first time you got to talk to Simon Cowell and Terry Crews? Like, is that the first time you got to talk to anybody? buddy. Yeah, that was my first time. And they were, I was a little nervous to meet Simon and hear what he had to say. But he was the nicest man. And it’s so funny. So my mom came. And she’s, she’s short. She’s like probably five foot or five one. She’s always in high heels. She’s probably like five, three or five, four. And she went backstage to try and come and find me. And she said she ran into Simon Cowell, who was also exiting stage and they were at eye level. She was he was a lot shorter than she thought. I did not know that. Yeah.[18:48] Was this surreal going out on that stage and just looking at these judges like this is it a month ago, I’m not talking. And now I’m here, you know, being ready to perform in front of these four, like could hold my future in their hands. People, right? Yeah. I think people don’t really understand like the insane amount of buildup[19:10] that you have leading to this moment. And I think it’s literally built for people to fail because you are recording all day long for multiple days telling your story absolute chaos from morning till night and then the actual show date you don’t really know when you’re gonna sing like they’ll tell you you might sing in the morning you might sing at night you could wake up at five in the morning and have to sing at seven or you could wake up at five in the morning and you don’t sing until like nine o’clock which was my really um and And so 9 p.m. Yes. And so I think there’s just so much pressure that either you are either just ready for it, ready to go and to absolutely crush it or you kind of fall on your face. And that’s when you see a lot of those clips on the Internet where people are messing up or forget their lyrics or whatever. It’s total. That part is inscripted, I think, because there’s just so much pressure, all these different cameras and angles and all this kind of stuff.[20:00] And you kind of just have to, like, do it. Yeah. You make a great moment, you know. So you’re up there singing, and then people start, like, you just hear the buildup of the audience starting to cheer. And then they’re starting to stand. And, like, are you just, like…[20:14] Oh my gosh, like this is happening. Like goosebumps covering you. Are you so in the zone? You don’t even realize what’s happening.[20:21] Okay. So it’s funny. I haven’t ever actually said this, but I recorded the whole thing one time. Okay. And that was the most out of body, crazy thing. I just like close my eyes and sing to Jesus and hope for the best. And it all worked out. And then the judges left and the producers made me sing the whole thing again. Really? Just in case. I don’t really know exactly why I had to sing it again. Maybe they really, Liked my story and wanted to make sure they got a good take. I have no idea But the second time I sang and i’m like, oh my gosh I am on america’s got talent stage. There are literally 150 cameras all over the place There are thousands of people watching me like that’s when the nerves actually hit It’s the second time I had to sing it through and I don’t think they ever aired that portion What you saw was like my first the first take sure. Yeah Okay, so yeah Yeah. Here’s what’s wild to me, Bay, is I watched the video clip. You get a standing ovation from the audience. You get a standing ovation from all four judges. Terry Crews off to the side, right? Is like, wow. Like that’s incredible. Okay. Then I come to find out that you are not one of the semifinalists. You don’t make, you don’t make the top 55.[21:30] So for me in your shoes, I would be like, how does this dude who’s like eating fire, how does he advance? And I don’t, after getting a standing ovation and just killing it on stage. Like how shocked were you when you didn’t advance? You know, it’s so, again, whatever God has for us is for us and it’s the right thing. And if I had gone on further, I would have never met my label home, Centricity, because the rest of the season was taped in a time when I got to go to this like little independent artist retreat thing where I met them and was discovered by them. And if I had been on the show for longer, I would have missed my opportunity to be with them. So that started a whole other thing that completely changed my life. So again, totally God’s plan. I had total faith.[22:15] If I was not meant to move on for the show, it was for good reason. And you know, there’s a lot of weird contracts and things that people have to sign. Who knows? Maybe I wouldn’t have met my label home, but if I did, maybe they wouldn’t have wanted to take me on because of all the crazy stuff with, you know, contracts and stuff like that with the show. I mean, right again, just God’s plan. I’m so thankful that it all worked out the way it was supposed to. too.[22:37] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it. Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where. But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas. Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com. And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want. And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. All right, Steph. That was a long fun fact. That was a long fun fact. That was a good one. That was. Okay. No pressure on your next one. Second fun fact. Bay was originally trained as an opera singer, like you mentioned. After earning his undergraduate degree, Bay became a rising star in the Young Artist Program, affiliated with major opera houses throughout North America and Europe. Bay then relocated to New York City in pursuit of a career in classical music. So I’m not trying to offend anyone here, but you might be the skinniest opera singer I’ve ever seen.[23:43] In my mind, you cannot be different from leading worship at like Hope City Church to an opera. So what’s the biggest difference? What’s the challenges of going from opera to leading worship at a church? Oh my gosh. This is a really great question. Thank you for asking this. It is a really difficult thing so i loved and i was so grateful for i ended up as an opera singer kind of on accident i mean i was not good at math i was not good at science i didn’t really care about school and i was only really good at music so when i had my college decision making time i went and decided to be like to go for music and i had no idea that that meant that i was going to be an opera singer okay so i ended up in school and they handed me my very first day They handed me 12 arias and were like, here you go.[24:30] Here’s the German one, a French one, an Italian one. Figure it out. And because I’m competitive, the competition guy in me was like, well, okay. I got this. Yes, you do. Challenge accepted. Yeah.[24:42] I hit the pavement. I began learning how to sing as an opera singer. And I worked with some incredible musicians and coaches. And the thing about opera singing is it is using your voice in its most mathematically perfect way. Every single part of your mouth and your tongue is perfectly aligned so that you can make this incredible sound. Because with opera, you’re not using microphones and you’re in front of 5,000 people. Oh, that’s true. You have to be able to be heard. I didn’t think about that. I didn’t think about that. No. Yeah, you’re not using a mic. Yes. Yeah, you’ve got to find out how to use your voice in this really powerful way. And you learn how to sing really well and you know how to kind of master your voice. And so I could get up in front of people and sound like a country singer or a jazz singer or an opera singer or whatever you needed. But I think the mindset behind it is what I needed the most help with. And honestly, the transition came after I lost my voice. It was like, I don’t really care about singing anything else. I just want to make music that furthers the kingdom. And then God kind of began to do heart surgery on me. And here we are. Wait, I have a question for you. Because on America’s Got Talent, didn’t they say that you work for like a law firm?[25:50] I did. Yes. I was working in New York at the time as I worked as like a receptionist at a law firm, and it was miserable. Also, it was in the middle of, I mean, I had lost my voice for COVID. And so all the work that I had to do was completely remote. I had to change from working for the law firm because there was no way that I could speak to people. And so I had a real interesting work history before I went on America’s Got Talent. Thank you, Jesus. I’m a full-time musician now but oh that’s good that’s good that had to work with me before that i had i have horror stories there was i i worked for um this is really funny do you guys know a bed what is it even called bath and body works yes yes it’s it’s here in columbus it’s based here in columbus yes yes okay so for like a month and a half i worked for them before the law firm because i walked in to try and just get a candle or something and they were like oh my gosh you’re a man and you you care about smells and stuff so we want to hire you to pay five extra dollars an hour so i’m like great i started working for him but i got fired because it was like national hot dog day or something and i this is so embarrassing to say i didn’t want to put the hot dogs in the trash and leave them overnight right there was no place for me to put them out take them out outside of the building so i was like i’ll just flush them down the toilet so i flushed them down the toilet and i come back the next day there’s maintenance people in the pipes up above our heads And the hot dogs got stuck. Like, all the way up, he got stuck and leaked all over. And I ruined the whole entire back of the bodywork store. No.[27:20] Needless to say, you’re out. You’re done. You can’t work for us anymore. So retail is not for me, I don’t think.[27:26] No, it’s not your calling. But he is really good with candles. And he’s such a good singer, though. Like, his sense of smell is amazing, y’all.[27:35] Oh, my goodness. All right, next fun fact. fact, while living in New York back in 2018, Bae began leading worship alongside the iconic Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. So, Bae, can you please share the story of how you’re just like, apparently walking in Brooklyn, you hear this amazing melody and it just, you go find it, and it leads you to the church. Can you please share that story, how that came about?[28:04] Yes. You know, in New York, it’s tough. Either you love Jesus or you hate him. There’s no in between, no gray area that exists. Like in a place like Nashville, where you can kind of grow up culturally Christian and love Jesus, but not really walk it out. And again, I don’t want to sound too churchy, but it is the truth. There’s kind of a gray area that exists in these kind of, you know,[28:23] Southern Bible belt places. In New York City, in these big cities like Chicago, New York, LA, Miami, you love the Lord or you don’t. And I was kind of in between, if I’m being honest, because I grew up culturally Christian and I had a lot of questions and began really wrestling with God, just a faith level. I hadn’t heard about Jesus my whole life, but didn’t really know him for myself. And I will never forget, I was walking around Brooklyn and I was like, okay, Lord, if you are real, I need you to reveal yourself to me because I just am doubting you. There’s so much that is weighing on my heart and my mind, and I just need you to bring revelation of who you are to me. And I hear, Lord, I will lift mine eyes to the hills. And I’m like, what is this song?[29:09] It was familiar to me from when I was a kid. And I began to follow the sound and I ended up in this church. And they kind of usher you in, there’s a long hallway and I’m getting kind of cattled into this place. And I sit down in my seat and then all of a sudden Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir stands up and starts singing. And it was like all the doubt I ever had in my life, all the fear I ever had about if God’s real or if he loves me just left the building. And I’m like, okay, Lord, I hear you. I see you loud and clear.[29:38] Three months later, I was leading worship with him. So you were leading worship. Yeah.[29:44] No, no, no, no, no. We have so much to uncover with that. How do you go from sitting there to then leading? Like somebody when I heard you singing and the audience like how does that happen yeah I walked up to the very front of the stage at the end of the last service and there was a lady there um Holly and Bradley night Bradley was the music director at the time and this was his wife Holly I had no idea and I walked up and I’m like how do I join the choir um I I’ve got to be a part of this thing um she was so gracious and kind just pay attention for the audition day and just go sign up and do it and it’s, Lo and behold, that next week was the audition date. And they don’t audition very often. It was like once every six months. And it just happened to be that next week. And I went and sang for Carol Cimbala and kind of created a relationship there. And then bada boom, bada bing. I was there singing with them. Wow. That’s incredible.[30:34] All right. Next fun fact. Yeah. Bae’s musical journey has led him from the opera to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, to signing a label and publishing deal with Centricity Music, to performing on America’s Got Talent, And performing on season 10 of BET’s Sunday Best. And getting to sing with Gary LaVox from Rascal Flats. Oh. Okay. So a lot of questions here. First off, how did you get on BET? Like, did they not know what you look like? Did you forget to send in a picture with your application that they saw you were a white kid? Like, how did that work? I sent a video in. I applied for it because I was like, you know what? but I grew up singing these gospel songs. I want to get in front of people and sing them. And this was the only format that I saw people really sound like me. And so I ended up singing, sending a video in and they invited me to come to Atlanta to tape the show and got to hang out with Kirk Franklin and the whole nine. It was, that was a really surreal experience. I bet. That’s amazing. Okay. Then what about Gary Levox? How did you connect with him? Cause I saw you singing like a hymn with him, a hymn with him, right on Instagram. So do you have a good story about that? I got a really good story. Oh, please share. So I moved to Nashville.[31:49] Oh, I’m excited to tell this one. So I moved to Nashville with really no like indication that I was going to get signed to any sort of record deal or whatever. I just knew that I was supposed to be there. Again, I had like a just a feeling in my spirit. I’m like, let’s get to Nashville. We’ve got to be there. And I moved there and nothing happened at all. I mean, I had I met a couple of friends and, you know, started having a couple of meetings, but there was no like real breakthrough. And I’m like, well, I’ve got to have a job. So I began working a million different jobs. I worked at a restaurant. I worked as a house cleaner. I worked for a moving company. I did a bunch of different things and I was working for this moving company, which by the way, shout out to all the people that work at a moving company, the most difficult, terrible job. Better be, if you’re not strong already, you’re going to be strong. Yeah. And your Tetris game is going to be awesome. Right? I got done with the day and my, even my like fingernails were sore. But I was upset this day. I woke up. You got to get up at like four in the morning to get to the trucks. And I was upset. I’m like, Lord, I moved to this town and nothing’s happening for me. Like, what is the deal?[32:53] And I went to my this move and I moved this really sweet lady and her daughter. And we got everything loaded into the truck. And as I’m kind of getting, you know, you have to like kind of prepare the truck after the moves over with just like get ready to go the next thing. And I start humming this hymn because there’s kind of good acoustics honestly in the back of this truck and I hear somebody say wow that’s an incredible voice you have and I’m like oh thank you so much whatever you know I’m Christian love singing about the Lord whatever.[33:21] And so it turns out this was Gary. And he was like, hey, man, you know, you’re an awesome singer. You should come out to my farm and hang out sometime. And I’m like, OK, whoever you are, man, I didn’t put two and two together. And by the way, I’ve listened to Rascal Flatts my entire life. I don’t know how my brain didn’t put two. You didn’t know this was him? Yeah, not at first. And I was like, well, are you in music? Like, do you do music or something? I’m like, he’s like, yeah, you know, I dabble. He’s a humble guy. He’s dabbling in music here and there. and he gave me his number and I you know I text him and he was like hey man this is Gary and then it like hit me that this is like the dude from Rascal Flatts and I ended up going out to his farm and he is the nicest most kind hospitable wonderful human being I think I’ve met this far so far in the industry really I brought my my buddy Brent who’s a songwriter when we wrote a bunch of cool songs, which hopefully some of these songs will come out one day. And he’s become a real like mentor in my life. He’s a really awesome guy. That’s amazing. So it wasn’t just that one time. He’s actually kept in touch with you and vice versa then.[34:28] Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’ve we go back and forth. You know, you see each other every couple of months. Okay. You know, it’s like you never, never broke contact. It’s he’s just, just the most awesome man. Yeah. I love that. He’s an an ohio guy he is an ohio he’s a big ohio state fan i believe yeah oh yeah yeah he’s got a urinal that’s got ohio state on it too so he’s oh he’s probably got michigan on it i would imagine yeah okay i have a question before you go to fun facts where do you get your name from bay.[34:58] So my mom would probably kill me for saying this story but my parents they’re divorced but before they had me i can’t believe i’m about to say this.[35:08] Usually i just brush people off but whatever we’re here to tell stories so, They had a really wonderful night drinking Bailey’s Irish cream. Okay. And ended up creating me. And they were like, well, this is my dad says this. He says that they were like, well, we made him with Bailey’s Irish cream, but we’re just going to call him Bailey. So I ended up just going by Bailey my whole life. So, yeah, such an embarrassing story. It’s the last thing I want to think about. But it’s a cool, like, music name. name it actually is thank you yes it is the coolest music name you don’t need a stage name no like you were born to be a musician i love it no you gotta love it yes i love it yeah i love it now i was not expecting that bae and i love how you say the night they created me that’s funny i’ve never heard it that way but that’s a very nice way of saying it as soon as you said bailey’s i was like oh i know where this is going.[36:08] If you like what you hear please tell someone about us as soon as this episode is over go tell your spouse your closest friend a parent a co-worker or share one of our posts on social media however if you don’t like what you’re hearing please do not don’t tell anyone don’t tell anyone don’t tell anybody just disregard this message don’t worry about it about us yeah go on with your merry day and to get more information about us or our entire catalog log of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com. Thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[36:38] All right, Steph, final fun fact. Yes. Bae is currently headlining 16 community worship nights. I think he actually mentioned a different number just a minute ago in eight states and recently released his debut radio single titled Brand New. He’s also written or co-written over 90 songs preparing for his first album. Oh, I love it. So, Bae, can you tell us more about your song,[37:02] your music, where listeners can find your music? Yes. Oh, my gosh. I’m so excited. So this whole format is to talk about telling stories. And that’s literally what we do as songwriters and musicians is tell stories and just put them to melody. And my very first single was actually supposed to be a song called Stories. I signed with Centricity. And I think like, what is what would you guys say is like the opera of Christian music, the opera operatic genre? Oh, and I’ll tell you the answer. Oh, thank God. I don’t know. I don’t know. So I feel like Southern gospel music with opera because there’s these big grand melodies and big high notes and all this stuff. And so I thought that’s kind of the lane that I was going to end up in this like gospel, Southern gospel thing.[37:49] And so we got this song Stories, which is written by Ann Wilson and produced the whole thing, photo shoot done. And I went on a water fast for seven days because I was like, you know what? This just does not feel like me yet. I feel like I’ve got more to offer and more to say. And the very next day I wrote what I just released, which is this song called Brand New. And I wrote it with my buddies, Sajan and Turner. And we just I shared my story about my voice and how God literally like made me. He performed a miraculous healing in my voice. But I feel like more than that made me brand new, like at a heart level and at a soul level. I just felt like he just transformed me as a human being.[38:27] And I just want whoever listens to this song to just be infused with joy and just be able to laugh and have fun. So whoever streams it, please just give me some feedback and let me know if you thought it was a fun time because that was kind of the goal. But it’s out everywhere. You can listen to it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube. It’s going for radio ads here in the middle of June. So hopefully it’ll come to a radio station near you pretty soon. So we’re working on it. That’s exciting. That’s very exciting. Oh, my gosh. Congratulations. Yes, that’s amazing. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Well, listeners, for more information about Bay, you can go to his social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. It’s at Bay Turner Music. On YouTube, his channel is the same, at Bay Turner Music. And his website is bayturner.com. Well, Bay, you’ve been fantastic. You did make me nervous when you started asking us questions and quizzing us on the opera. Oh, yeah. No, no, no. We’re the ones asking you questions, brother. No more questions, Bay. Don’t flip the script on us here. No more questions. No, for the next time. This is great. And I absolutely love what you’re doing, man. We’re going to keep following you. So thank you so much, bae. Oh, man. I love you guys. This is so fun. I could do this all day long. Don’t tempt us with a good time. We’ll do it, bae. Baileys. Baileys. Baileys.[39:48] Oh, my gosh. You guys are so fun. This is awesome. Bae, thank you so much. Friends we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this whether it’s on the apple podcast app iheart radio spotify or one of the other platforms you guys it’s completely free and while you’re there feel free to give us a rating or a nice review thank you for listening to tell us a good story.
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This week, Kevin + Steph get to speak with one of their favorite authors – Jon Gordon.
Jon has penned some of the best selling books on Leadership, culture, sales and teamwork. With titles such as The Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership, The No Complaining Rule, and The Coffee Bean for Kids in his portfolio, it’s no wonder that Jon has won a number of best-selling awards.
In this conversation, Jon opened up to Kevin + Steph on the things he really struggled with early in his career, and in his marriage. From how Jon received an ultimatum from his wife that he needed to change, to his company almost going bankrupt, to his first book, The Energy Bus being rejected by 30 publishers, to his daily prayer walks seeking guidance to get through some of the toughest moments, you are not going to want to miss this very inspiring and hopeful episode with our new friend, Jon Gordon.
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Today is another one of those bucket list type moments for us. Our next guest is a 16-time New York Times bestselling author and is considered to be one of the top three leadership speakers in the world, Mr. John Gordon. You guys, if you’re not familiar with John, you’ve probably seen one of his books on the shelves at the airport or at any bookstore near you. However, we found out that wasn’t always the case. In this conversation, John was really open about the things he struggled with earlier in his career and in his marriage, from his wife giving him an ultimatum to change, to almost going bankrupt, to him eventually writing the Energy Bus book that was then rejected by 30 publishers. And the story of how John turned to God and would take daily prayer walks to get through the toughest, most challenging times of his life. Folks, this was such a blessing for us to be able to talk to this man. You guys, we can’t wait for here, this amazing conversation with John Gordon. I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery. Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However, today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible. And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day. Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.[1:25] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our post across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[1:57] All right, Steph. Are you freaking out right now? You have been wanting to talk to him for so long. We’re very excited about this. You are so calm right now. You’re like, I’m so excited. No, you’re freaking out about this. Well, friends, our next guest is a husband, father, and author. He is a 15-time bestselling author, including the books The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, and Training Camp. And he is considered to be one of the top three leadership authors and speakers in the world. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us a Good Story, Mr. John Gordon. John Gordon’s here![2:29] What a great intro. Oh, we’re so excited, John. Thank you for saying yes to us, sir. We’re excited to talk to you. And first off, John, you went to Cornell, very prestigious Ivy League school in Ithaca, New York. Steph and i and our family are actually going to ithaca next weekend for about four days first time we’ve ever gone there with with some friends so before we go is there a john gordon statue somewhere is there a john gordon sign that we need to get a family photo in from yes what is in ithaca north that we should go see not at all there’s no stop to me whatsoever and i often think you know as a lacrosse player at cornell there’s no way i’m in the hall of fame either the only way I would make it there would be as a writer. So that’s not happening. But Ithaca is really known for beautiful lakes and the gorges. And it’s really beautiful, really nice, great winery. So you’re going to enjoy it. I’m just wondering why you’re going there. Why are you going to Ithaca? John, I feel the same way. Honestly, I feel the same way. Our best friends have wanted to take us for like, I think ever since we were like newly married. Yeah, he went to school at cornell and he just talked about the gorges there and the lakes and hopefully we can keep our six year old away from jumping off into some of this water so i’ve ever wanted to leash a child.[3:51] Yes i understand the leashes now for this situation yeah hold the child’s hand for sure yeah but yeah it is beautiful it is majestic i’d love to go in there, The wintertime was rough, so it was not fun in the wintertime. It was so cold in college. That’s why I moved to Florida after college. I’m like, I’m going to the warm weather and some sunshine. I totally get that. I have a question for you. You are known for being so positive. Where did that positivity come from in your life? Did a situation happen or you just mentally one day woke up and you’re like, I’m done being all doom and gloom? Yeah, it’s so interesting because I’m not naturally positive. So this is my life’s work. And yet I naturally go towards the negative. I grew up in a Jewish Italian family, a lot of food, a lot of guilt, a lot of wine, a lot of whining. When I started speaking, my dad said, I can’t believe people actually pay you to speak. When you’re a kid, we paid you to shut up. And that’s how, that’s how it was for my house. But I gradually, you know, was dealing with more and more negativity, fear, anxiety, depression.[4:59] And I lost my job during the dot-com crash. And my wife threatened to leave me during that time because I was being so negative, so miserable. I’m blaming her for why I had not lived up to my potential.[5:10] And she said, if you don’t change, we’re over. So that was a huge wake-up call for me. And I wanted to change. I wanted to be a better husband. And that really got me into researching ways that I could be more positive. I began to study some new emerging ideas from positive psychology. This is all the way back in 2001. No one was talking about these ideas and concepts back then. And so I began practicing some ideas. I began taking a thank you walk every day. I began to celebrate my successes at night. I began to train my mind to be more positive. And I would take these daily walks and I would do this work day in and day out. And then I began writing a weekly positive tip.[5:52] On strategies I was doing. And I was sharing those now with others and benefiting them.[5:57] And that led me to actually do this work as a writer and speaker. So it was actually out of my own challenges, my own struggles that made me want to be more positive. And I think that’s why I’m a good teacher because I know what it’s like to struggle like so many do with negativity. And I know what it takes to become more positive. And here’s the great news. We can all elevate our state of mind. We can all elevate our positivity. And it’s not just a nice way to lead. It’s not just something that’s Pollyanna. You literally can elevate your mind and change the way you think and the way you think changes everything. So that’s why this is so important. That is so, so good. Okay. Okay. You wrote one of your best known books is the energy bus. And you were just talking about how you were struggling. Well,[6:45] John, this morning we had a daughter who’s on the struggle bus. We needed her on the energy bus. So as you were raising your kids and they went on the struggle bus, how did you elevate them? Yes. You know, get them to think positively, speak positively. How did you train the kids to have that mindset, John?[7:05] You know, it’s, it’s not easy. And we did struggle with it because my son would be more on the negative side. Like me, my daughter was generally more positive, but now she struggles at times. She’s actually a speaker. And whenever she’s on the road going to speak, she’s always encountering some adversity, right? Some challenge. I’m telling you, this girl goes through the fire. And I told her, that’s what you have to do as a speaker. You go through all these issues, all these challenges, the planes don’t work. The mics don’t work. The audiences are challenging. and it’s like, do you really want to do this work? Are you really going to make a difference? Are you doing it for the right reason? So it will refine you. It will test you. And she’s learning that now. So I’m encouraging her. I encourage my son a lot. I’m really a natural encourager. So even though I might not be positive myself at times, which, you know, again, I become more positive. I love to encourage others. So I would really encourage them. And then we did a practice where I would ask them their success of the day. I created a success journal. And every night we would talk about what went right that day. The one thing that they feel proud of, the one great accomplishment, the one great conversation, the one thing that made them smile. And every day you go to bed, a success.[8:16] You wake up, a success. And so now you are looking for the successes in your life. And we know that what we look for, we find. What we focus on shows up more in our lives. So the more that we do this, it literally changes, again, the way our brain’s wired inspired and allows us to focus more on positivity versus the negativity. And you build more confidence as a result of that. So I think it’s probably one of the best things I did as a dad was that I did a lot of things that were wrong along the way, like talking about the game too much after the game when they were, I’m guilty. I definitely made that mistake.[8:51] I admit that, but, but I also did some things right. Thankfully.[8:54] Yes. You beautiful family. When you look on Instagram, you obviously did something. Yes, you did. Well, that’s it. My wife gets all the credit it for that smart man john the good answer all right steph i’ve got a question for you, what’s your favorite book of all time uh obviously you met her where oh i thought you’re gonna say the bible oh oops, what’s your second favorite book of all time you met her where, a distant second totally distant it’s a pretty good book sorry god it’s still a pretty good book But we’re so excited. Where can people get our book? Okay, I know this. Amazon.com. Yes. Barnes & Noble. Yes, and? And our website, KevinandSteph.com. And what happens if they buy it off our website? What do they get? Uh, an autograph from us. Yes. Who wouldn’t want that? So listeners, if you’ve already read the book, thank you so much. We’ve had such good feedback. One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.[10:04] All right, John, for all of our guests, I like to give a list of fun facts to let listeners know what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished. And Steph is not aware of any of these okay so you’re gonna see her genuine reaction to this and if i’m off on any of this john please correct me but this should spurn some fun stories all right okay yep fun fact number one john has a pickleball court named after him most people have things named after them when they die.[10:31] Not this guy all right so our friend damon west who we interviewed about a year year and a half built a pickleball court in his backyard and named it after john so two-part question here john first off how do you find out that you have a court named after you do you just show up to play and you’re like oh my gosh like what is this and two how do i get something named after me whether it’s a court a building a baby how does this work john that is so funny that you said that i don’t have I have a statue named after me at Cornell, but I have a thinker ball named after me in Beaumont, Texas at Damon’s house. Yes. So Damon and I wrote The Coffee Bean together. And I came to him with the idea because Dabo Sweeney told me how Damon had just given a talk to Clemson and how he inspired the team with this coffee bean message. And once he said what a coffee bean was all about, I’m like, oh, man, that needs to be a book. I had a vision for it right away. way. Cause I had always been talking about the power is on the inside, not outside. And the coffee bean messages, you have the power inside to transform your world on the outside. And so when Dabble told me that I reached out to Damon, I said, Hey, we should do a book. Damon said, you don’t need me for that. You’re John Gordon. You can do this on your own. I said, yeah, I know, but we’re supposed to do it together. I just have this feeling that we are.[11:55] And yes, I could have made a lot more money doing it on my own, but I gave Damon, you know, half the book, half the royalties, everything. And so he went forward with this concept, started giving a lot of talks, and now he’s been crushing it as a speaker, as a writer. So this book really put him on the map and helped him build this new, great, amazing house. And so, Kevin, the way you actually get a pickleball, you know, court named after you is you’ve got to give someone a book that they could write.[12:27] You got to help them make millions of dollars and then build a big house and then a pickleball court. And then they appreciate you. And here’s what’s great about Damon. He appreciates it so much and is thankful he’s not arrogant. And then he’s done the most with it. And now he’s impacting so many lives as well. So both of us are out there impacting tens of thousands of people every month, hundreds of thousands if not more every year and and we’re just on a mission so so yeah it was cool to have a pickleball court named after me he reached out to me said he was doing that and uh yeah i was i was i was thankful i mean i don’t get jazzed by statues or stadiums or if someone said we’re gonna name this after you it really wouldn’t do a lot for me to me my legacy is is I want to leave it in people. That’s what matters most is the impact I have in people. That’s what fires me up. Statues do not get me excited, but I am excited about playing on this pickleball court, even though I haven’t yet. So I’ve got this pickleball court with my name on it and I have it. And I often think about his relatives or friends that come over like, why do you have a court named John Gordon Pickleball Court? What is that all about?[13:42] Well, I’m sure they probably know by now. They for sure know. The impact you had on his life.[13:47] It’s funny and special. It’s funny. Yes. Yeah. All right, Steph. Next fun fact. John opened one of the very first Moe’s Southwest Grill restaurants in the US. Yes. I didn’t know that. And then eventually sold it to focus on writing and speaking. However, his wife said, but you’re not good at writing and speaking. So, John, can you share the story of how you basically made a complete career change, right? but can you talk about what led to that, John? Because that’s an incredible story. Kevin, you have done your homework. I am really impressed with your background information. You should go work for the FBI.[14:27] Well, thank you. So I opened up the fifth Moe’s in the entire country. We were the first Moe’s in Florida. We had just moved to Jacksonville, Florida from Atlanta. It was when I lost that job during the dot-com crash and I was crumbling, didn’t know how I was going to pay the bills. And I had been in the restaurant business in Atlanta since I was 24 years old, got out of it at like 29, 30. We moved down to Jacksonville and I’m thinking, how am I going to pay the bills? How will I support my family? I’m almost bankrupt. I’m almost literally about to lose everything. And I said, let me get back in the restaurant business. this. I knew of the concept Moe’s from Atlanta. I thought, okay, that’s a great concept. I think it might work here. I second mortgaged my home. 20,000 credit cards. And I opened up that first Moe’s Southwest Grill in Jacksonville. And people were walking in the door and we were yelling welcome to Moe’s and they walked out. Really? They thought we were saying we’re closed. Oh no![15:28] Yeah, yeah. And so we would grab them and bring them back in and then gradually we started to develop a following. I advertised to the radio with our first amount of money we made. It wasn’t even a profit, but it was just a little bit extra money. And we put it into radio. And then all of a sudden things started to happen for us and we started to grow. It was a really special time in my life in terms of faith, because I was so full of fear and I was praying a lot. And I just saw God work miracles to support me, my family, and not have us go under during that time because it was pretty scary. It was during that time that I knew I wanted to write and speak and I knew that was my calling. So the goal was make enough money with the restaurant to allow me to write and speak. So there I am wiping tables down every day. I’ve got my crew making the burritos. I’m talking to customers. I’m going out trying to build business with caterings and we’re flying the movie theater. My wife and I were doing this together. It’s amazing what you’ll do and your family’s future is on the line.[16:29] And I was just doing that over and over again, just trying to make it happen somehow, some way. I remember we made our first profit, eventually started to do better and better. And I said, okay, I now really want to try to write and speak and do this and go after this. And my first speaking engagement came when a woman was in the Moe’s and I’m wiping tables down. I start talking to her. It turns out she’s the managing partner of New York Life right near the Moe’s. And I said, you know, I’m also a motivational speaker. I had yet to give one talk but i was a motivational speaker and she said well come speak to my my company my agents i said okay i try to get out of it because i got so nervous and scared she said no no you agreed to do this we’re ready for you we are expecting you i’m like all right fine i went i gave a talk on success is about the little things and then talked about no energy vampires suppliers aloud because I had, I thought I came up with that term. If I didn’t come up with, I popularized it and then talked about that. And then from that moment on, I’m like, you know, I think I could do this. It went really well. I enjoyed it. They laughed. I was sharing information. I’m like, okay, I think I can do this. And gave about 80 free talks after that.[17:46] And then that began my career as a writer and speaker. And I know tens of thousands of talks and groups and organizations and speeches later and 30 books, 16 bestsellers. It’s wild to go back to that story, right? It’s all about a story, as you say. And then knowing that that was where it all began, like wiping tables down, talking to a customer. She thought I just worked there because I was like 30 years old. I looked like a kid wearing a t-shirt and shorts, wiping the table down and just started talking to me. I said, well, I’m actually the owner here. And then I said, that I’m a motivational speaker. That led to that first gig. All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it. Very good. This time, you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where. But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas. Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com. And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want. And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. All right, next fun fact. So, John wrote the book, The Energy Bus, in 2006, which came out in 2007. That book, of course, changed he and his family’s life. That book alone has sold over 3 million copies. However, it was not an overnight success.[19:07] John had 30 publishers tell him no, and not one bookstore in the US would sell it. So, can you share the story of what you did, John, to get your message in front of people because no one was willing to take a chance on you. So after I sold the Mo’s, I’m now focusing on writing and speaking. I knew this is what I truly wanted to do. And I had to let the Mo’s go. This was 2005. Okay. So I had them for like three, four years. So now I sold several Mo’s. I had opened up several and made some money, thankfully, enough to at least carry us as I was going to pursue this writing and speaking career full time. And my wife was like, what happens if it doesn’t work? Like, you’re not really a great speaker or writer. Later, I said, there are no other options. There is no plan B. And so I knew I had to go for it. It’s like burn the boats, right? Yes, burn the ships. Sell the moes. There’s no going back. And this is where I’m going. I am going to focus on writing and speaking 100%. Well, I sell the moes and all of a sudden nothing’s happening. No speaking, things dry up. I’m like in this wilderness and I’m praying and I’m coming to faith during that time. I’m like really coming to faith and just turning to God and tuning into God on my walks of prayer. I’m asking for guidance. I’m asking for help. Money’s running out. Do I have to get a job? Should I just forget this dream?[20:31] And the energy bus comes to me on this walk. Boom, just pops in my head. The idea, I have a vision for it. And I go right to my home office, which was upstairs. And I began writing this book. And I wrote that book in three and a half weeks and it was magical. It was special. It was the most spiritual experience I’ve ever had in my life was writing that book because literally the story was unfolding and it was like I was taking notes and just typing it. And as it was coming to me, so I thought I had something really special and magical, but then we sent it out to publishers. I was able to find an agent. So that was cool. But it was rejected by over 30 publishers. pushers. So I’m told, no, no, no. What’s an energy bus? We don’t get it. Does it make sense? It’s about a guy who gets on the bus and meets Joy, the bus driver. It wasn’t your traditional business book. It was a combination of business and personal, and no one had ever really combined the two before. You had to be self-development and personal or business, not one that combined them. So those rejections really were scary. There were times I thought my dream was over, it was going to happen, but I literally could not give up because I knew I had something special. I had written something special. And then I’ll never forget, you know, John Wallington’s agreed to publish the book. And so now it’s finally coming out six months later. And I asked a friend, what should I do? And he said, pray.[22:01] So I prayed for it to be a bestseller. And it came out and it was a bestseller in Korea. I learned you have to be specific with your prayers.[22:14] Huge hit, huge hit in South Korea, no joke. But not one bookstore in the United States would carry the book, you’re right. So I went on a 28-city tour, paid for myself from city to city, sharing the message in the book. And I didn’t have a huge following. So we were promoting it through local radio stations, emailing at the time just people I knew in the area. We had five people in one city, 10 people in another, 20 in another.[22:42] The most people we had were 100 people in Des Moines, Iowa. They thought Jeff Gordon was coming, the race car driver. Not John Gordon.[22:52] And that’s why they show that true story. Like people call me Jeff. I got home and I didn’t know what the future held, but I knew that I had this vision and mission. And that was 2007 when the book came out.[23:04] And here we are years later and he said the book is now sold over 3 million copies.[23:09] Changed my life. People started to read it, started to share it, became something that people share with their companies, their schools, their nonprofits, their teams, their families. It just really is some kind of book that everyone just shares and it just continues to get more and more popular even now more than last year, more than the year before. So it’s been a really huge blessing and a huge change in my life. And I’m just so appreciative that I was the one that got a chance to steward and share that book with the world. Okay. I have a question for you because listening to you speak, you’re a man of faith, but it was been a low season for you when you were trying to get the book off the, off the ground, you know, your best seller in South Korea, you’ve already sold your most, you’re seeing 10 people, five people. Some people didn’t even want to see you. They want to see Jeff. Where were you mentally? And then where was your faith in all of this? Well, that was where I really learned real positivity because I had written this story about a guy who has to overcome negativity and challenges to define himself and ultimately create his future. And that was me. I was literally living my own story that I had written, and I had to stay positive on this tour. I had to stay positive sharing the message. I had to remember it wasn’t about me. Like, come on, John, you said it was about one person at a time. Make a difference one person at a time. Even if six people are there, make a difference one person at a time. And you know what’s so cool? One event, there were six people.[24:37] One of those people was Betty Palm. She was working for a company at the time. Years later, over 10 years later, she became president of Avon and remembered the impact I had on her at that talk and brought me in to speak to 6,000 people for Big Event at Avon. So I look back on that and was like.[24:58] I was being taught to live the vision, live the mission, do it one person at a time, do it for the right reason. You learn humility, you learn character and resilience. And to this day, I don’t have a big head. I don’t get too big for myself because I know the journey I’ve been on. I know what it took to get here. And I’m just so thankful. I’m so thankful because I went through the grind and the fire. As I told my daughter, you will have to go through it. And I’m doing this for the right reasons. Even to this day, I make sure that I really focus on the message, making a difference, who I’m reaching, and make sure that every event I do, I bring my best. It’s like Joe DiMaggio said, there’s always some kid seeing me for the first time. I owe him my best.[25:47] So John, we live here in Columbus, Ohio. So Steph, back in August of 2016, he’s already laughing. I’m laughing at Columbus because one of my less than stellar performances happened in Columbus, Ohio.[26:00] Oh, yeah. I didn’t know that. Talk about a story. I go to speak to these educators. And right before I go on, they show a video of a young man who passed away from cancer. And he’s sharing how teachers impacted him and his story. I’m a wreck. Oh, no. And they want me to then speak on the energy bus and about positivity and uplifting everyone. It was the worst time and the worst message. And I usually rise above. I’ve never not risen above. This was the only time I think in my thousands of speeches that I was just truly wrecked from that experience of seeing that young man. And then his parents were there. And so I was trying to weave that, seeing his parents, seeing his son. And then back to the energy bus, but not be too positive about it. It was definitely one of the strangest moments of my life. And it happened in Columbus. But so when you said Columbus, but I did speak to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Oh, you did? Okay. Yes.[27:00] And I really, I really liked them. Obviously they didn’t have a good season this year, but, but I really do like them a lot. Yes.[27:06] Okay. So another good thing happened in Columbus, Ohio. Oh, that’s good. Yes. He has something positive to say here. Okay. His very first Ted talk was in Columbus, Ohio in August of 2016. Here’s what’s crazy. We’ve talked to people who have done Ted talks before. They practice this for months, rehearsing, practicing it, being on stage. John here was given a two hour notice.[27:30] Two hours. So can you share that story, how that happened, John? Cause that’s incredible. If you find my Ted talk online, you’ll know that it was very spontaneous. Cause I actually share that in the talk about what happened when I arrived. I had just spoken to the San Francisco 49ers during training camp and I didn’t get much sleep the night before. And I arrived in Columbus and everyone’s wearing these Ted shirts and they were picking me up. I’m like, what are you wearing in the Ted shirts for? Oh, we’re having a Ted event today. You speak tomorrow at the conference. We’re using the same place to do our Ted event. And then tomorrow is the educators conference. They said, one of our speakers didn’t show up. Would you want to speak today? And I’m like, no, I have not prepared.[28:19] And I didn’t get any sleep the night before. And I spoke to the 49ers and a bunch of the coaches and players wanted to talk to me and ask me questions. And I was giving advice. So again, I was talked to. So we’re driving to the hotel. They’re taking me to the hotel and then they were going to go to the event. And on the way to the hotel, this thought came to me, John, remember your mission to inspire as many people as possible. One person at a time. Are you living your vision and mission? If you don’t do this, I said to them, how many people were going to be there, about 400. I said, all right, I’ll do it. Let’s go. And so they brought me to my hotel. I changed into my suit because I was like in a t-shirt and shorts, I think, and changed my suit and boom, we went there and I literally gave a talk on the surprising secrets of success. And you could hear my voice during the talk that it was definitely scratchy. I was a little nasally. I wasn’t feeling great, but it turned out pretty well. And what’s fun is it was spontaneous so I was actually less nervous because it was just winging it let’s go for it nothing to lose no fear and I gave that TED talk.[29:33] Isn’t it wild okay okay okay truth obviously it was like god telling you hey john yeah you know you’re saying you’re aligning your steps you’re like dang it god yeah but do i really want don’t you know i’m tired god like for did you wrestle it or you’re like okay god here we go let’s do it oh it was it was exactly that conversation no i don’t want to do this no i’m exhausted i mean my first reaction was no i don’t want to do this job but then i’m like i have to do this like i’m really going to live the vision and mission. And I wasn’t even thinking about the video part of it. To me, it was about the people that were in the audience to be able to reach them. Yeah. And that’s what drove me to do it. For sure.[30:13] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a coworker, or share one of our posts on social media. However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody. Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us. Go on with your merry day. And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com. Thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[30:43] All right. Final fun fact here. John has now written 30 books, including two that will come out this year. I think one just did. The list includes 16 bestsellers, five children’s books. I read a quote here from you, John, that says each book I’ve written takes about three weeks. I give all the credit to God. He’s the author. I’m the pen. So can you talk about your books that are coming out in that quote? Because that’s very powerful. I didn’t even know that I could write a fable or even write books like that until I wrote The Energy Bus. And again, I wrote that book in about three, three and a half weeks, and it was divine inspiration. And then I was able to do it again with the no complaining rule and training camp. I wrote The Shark and the Goldfish on an airplane going to Las Vegas to speak. Oh my gosh. Out of my BlackBerry. So I wrote that one there and then was able to fine tune it afterwards. But I’ve written most books, yeah, three and a half to four weeks is the latest.[31:41] And I get the idea, I get the vision, I know what it’s supposed to be. And then as I begin writing, it just begins to write itself. So I know I’m really not the author. I really give credit to the ultimate creator, the ultimate writer, the ultimate author. And then I’m just basically trying to surrender and trust and be a conduit for what I’m meant to write. And musicians will tell you all the time, like the song just comes to them. The words just come, the melody just comes. And in so many ways, when I’m writing, that’s what’s happening. It’s really when I’m probably happiest is when I’m writing. So to me, it’s about writer first, then speaking. And I love telling stories. And I really believe we’re meant to go through challenges and struggles to become who we’re meant to become so that we can impact others. And when you live that way, it becomes a very powerful and amazing, magical story. Lori.[32:35] Well, listeners, for more information about John, you can go to his website, JohnGordon.com for his books, his newsletter, his podcast, which now has, Steph, 383 episodes. And his Facebook page is John Gordon Page. His Instagram is at JohnGordon11. And we will put links to that in our show notes on our website. So you can click on that and go right to those pages. Perfect. And that’s J-O-N Gordon. Yes. J-O-N. Yes. Thank you. well john thank you so much for giving us your time here you’re amazing to talk to like you said an amazing storyteller as well so thank you for saying yes to us thanks john well thank you both for just doing an incredible podcast and doing all your research you know that that separates you from all the other people doing these interviews you’ve done your homework and and you really get to know your people and that makes it more fun and then you bring out the stories which is what it’s all about so you all have done amazing i’ve done a lot of podcasts you are exceptional Shut up, Kevin.[33:39] Oh, babe. Thank you, John. Thanks, John. Oh, babe, are you freaking out right now? That’s very kind. That is so amazing. Good job, babe. Thanks, John. Kevin’s awesome. Keep up the great work. I see you did a really amazing job. Great job, Kevin. Thank you. Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
The post Episode 221: Jon Gordon appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Like every fifth episode, it’s just Kevin + Steph sharing their stories with friends. And this week they are joined by Courtney Simmons and Adam Bennett. Some of the stories in this conversation include…
– How (NOT) helpful Steph is with preparing for 5th episodes.
– Steph and Courtney’s “fake Bible study” group.
– Things that annoy Steph.
– The one thing that Kevin should not volunteer to do…EVER!
AND…a big announcement regarding the next step of Tell Us a Good Story. Thank you for listening!
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello friends, welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Today, like every fifth episode, it’s Steph and I sharing our own stories with you and some of our closest friends. And this conversation is with Adam Bennett and Courtney Simmons. You guys, this is the first time Courtney has been on a fifth episode with us and she was so much fun to talk to. From what annoys Kevin, to what annoys me, to what Kevin should not be volunteering to do ever. And we provide a big announcement at the very end of this episode in regards to the next steps of Tell Us a Good Story. So you will want to hang with us to the very end. As always, we can’t wait for you guys to hear this very fun fifth episode, sharing our stories with you, with our friends, Adam Bennett and Courtney Simmons.[0:42] I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery. Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However, today we live a life completely healed and restored. With three healthy children who doctors said were not possible. And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day. Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.[1:11] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple Podcasts, or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our post across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[1:44] Steph? First time in Tell Us a Good Story history, two guests are coming together, babe. For the first time. I’m so excited. Welcome to episode 220. Jeez. And today we get to share stories with our friends, Adam Bennett and Courtney Simmons. Thank you both. That’s so exciting. Saying yes to us. Adam is a veteran of this. Courtney, this is your first, fifth episode, but second time on Tell Us a Good Story. You were episode 52 when you shared your adoption story, which was fantastic.[2:12] I cried. You’re not the only one. That was a fantastic story. So like always, I have a list of potential topics to discuss tonight. Yes. And as always, my wife here was not helpful at all. I wasn’t any help at all. So two nights ago, I asked Steph, hey, is there anything you would like to talk about on episode 20? And immediately she goes, nope, not at all.[2:37] Nothing, nothing. So then Courtney, last night at our daughter’s softball game, and we’re sitting there, I’m trying to think of topics and all that. And I said, Steph, listen, tomorrow night is going to be Courtney’s first time on a fifth episode. Is there any topics you think would be fun to talk with her?[2:53] And that’s the response I got right there. Like radio silent. So I thought, okay, maybe she didn’t hear me. Hey, Steph, tomorrow night, anything would be fun to talk about with Cordy. I got nothing. Okay, so here’s the problem. It’s a Thursday night. I have worked my full four days. I was tired.[3:14] Again, get up at four something a.m. We don’t get home from the ball diamonds until 9.30. Nine o’clock, yeah, at least. So we are exhausted. I said, so come Thursday night, mama’s tapped. I’m done. And he’s like, I need you to put on your thinking cap. I was expecting one idea. I had nothing. Just one. No. One. Thursday night, y’all, you’re not going to get my best. I’m going to be honest. So if we record on a Thursday night, I might just sit here. So it’s a good thing it’s a Friday because I feel so much better on Fridays. So did you come up with something in the intervening 10 hours? No. Not at all. He asked me to do it tonight.[3:47] So tonight at dinner, I tell Steph, listen, one of the topics is going to be things that annoy you. Yes. And I go, what annoys you? And immediately, what did you say? Your face. Oh my gosh. That hurts. Yeah. No, seriously. Don’t feed her a straight line like that. It’s your fault. I go to bed at night and I see your face and I’m like, ugh. And then what happens? The next morning, I wake up and there’s your face again. And yes, I’m annoyed. Let’s do a shorter show called Things That Don’t Annoy Me.[4:19] I was teasing though. You thought it was funny. I could do, for material, 10 minutes on that new microphone.[4:27] That gives you a Paul Harvey-like groggy toss. I literally just took it out because I wanted to test this, so I didn’t have to hold this all night. And yeah, I’m like, oh my gosh, that sucker’s… Yeah, the old headphones, you look like a ham radio enthusiast, too. You know, hadn’t been out of his mom’s basement in a while, but that, it’s like this… Serial deal. Limbaugh, Harvey, Carson, all rolled into one.[4:51] So, before we get to things that annoy my wife, let’s talk about things that annoy me. There’s one thing in particular. Oh, I didn’t know we were going there tonight. That one thing that annoys me is Steph and Courtney’s fake Bible study. It’s not fake. It’s not fake. It is totally fake. It’s real. The fact that you just said fake. That hurts. He’s going on the prayer request.[5:15] It’s going to be one of those where they look and they go, I have an unspoken one when they look over. And then people’s imaginations just run wild.[5:23] Oh, that hurts. So here’s what happened, Adam. This is what, two years ago, probably? At least. We’ll say two years ago. So at our church, they have small groups. You can sign up to lead a small group, and then they put it in the announcements. Here’s a list of small groups, all of that. So Steph starts talking about this new small group that she’s going to go to at Courtney’s house here. I’m like, oh, okay. Well, when is it? What was it, Saturday morning? It was either Friday night or Saturday morning. They vary. Like a three-hour small group, Adam. It corresponds with half-rice margaritas. Well, we do have communion. We do offer communion at most small groups, Bible studies. Peace be with you. Do you want salt on your room or your glass?[6:11] Yes we do so this was an awfully long small group this this first session so steph got home and i started asking her questions like hey like who spoke who spoke in your group just like uh, you know we didn’t really get into a whole lot like well who was there and then you listed off basically your very close group that you have right i’m like oh okay well what devotional did you go through and then after probably the third or fourth question stuff’s like listen listen, this is just mama getting out of the house, okay? There’s no Bible study. And I thought this was a legitimate small group through our church and a Bible study. And no, you had been manufacturing something here that it was literally just, I want to get out of the house. Which you could have just told me. You asked too many questions. And I just come from my small group and I felt bad lying to you because I just asked, my sins were wiped clean during this group. And then you kept asking questions and I just want you to not talk. And we knew that we could ride this out for, I mean, six, eight weeks, I think is an average small group at our church. Before the real tough questions started. So Kev is on this, like he’s going to stay home with the kids. Steph really needs this time with the Lord. And what better way to do it once a month with communion and at my house.[7:32] So it worked. And, you know, he eventually caught on, dang it. He put a clear piece of tape around the Bible. Yeah. See if it got broke. It hasn’t moved. It hasn’t. So then that next Sunday, I asked the group leader here, Courtney,[7:49] because it was at her house. She’s the one who hollows out the Bible to put the flask in it. I asked, okay, so what’s this week’s session on? And you said, hey, send me your prayer request. Your prayer request ahead of time, and we’ll get those on the list. Any special songs you want us to sing during the meeting? Oh, yeah, we get out tambourines. We’re handling snakes at this point. Yes. If you want to take it a step further, you could be a fake missionary. You could like, oh, that’s good. It’s our bring up donation. You hear this stuff? We’re taking notes. Keep talking. You can take a fake mission trip. I mean, that’s the next progression where you’re like, I’m taking a mission trip to Cabo San Lucas. We are rebuilding an orphanage slash bar.[8:36] It was destroyed in the same hurricane. So, I mean, either way, there is fellowship there. Amen. Adam, the worst is when, and I’ve seen this before where of course you get asked a lot to sponsor teenagers, right? Young people for mission trip, all of that. Oh, you know what they’re doing. And then they, they come back and they share pictures and all this. And so they share the pictures and it’s like, wait a sec. I didn’t know this was like a football camp that you were doing there in Haiti. Right. And then you have this teenager who gets these Haitians and they’re doing like the OHIO with their arms, taking pictures. And you’re just like, This was to fill out your social media profile with people who don’t look like you. Oh, it’s so trite. One time a guy at our church wanted a sponsorship for a mission trip to Belgium. They got a higher standard of living there than we have here. They should be sending missionaries to us. My gosh, this country’s a dope. I was like, what a turnaround. You don’t get to go to a better country to be a missionary. That’s not the rule. I mean North Korea I mean Haiti something like that right that’s an interesting idea I’m on it yes I’m on it our leader is here I’m gonna take up an offering for that what could go wrong what could go wrong I’m on it.[9:51] All right Steph I’ve got a question for you what’s your favorite book of all time obviously you met her where oh I thought you were gonna say the Bible oh oops oh, what’s your second favorite book of all time you met her where Yes![10:10] A distant second totally distant it’s pretty good book sorry god it’s still a pretty good book but we’re so excited where can people get our book okay i know this uh amazon.com yes barnes noble yes and and our website kevinsteff.com and what happens if they buy it off our website what do they get uh an autograph from us yes who wouldn’t want that so listeners if you’ve already read the book. Thank you so much. We’ve had such good feedback. One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.[10:50] So Steph, let’s talk about things that annoy you. Okay. Are you ready for this? Yes. All right. Apparently number one is my face. No, I was teasing. I love your face. I think you’re cute. You okay number two my coughing oh i can’t stand it i can’t stand it is it too loud too high it’s constant i’m like hold that sucker in to now tate’s doing it i’m like buddy i didn’t teach him i didn’t teach him how to do that do you think it’s for attention yes clearly it’s for attention oh my gosh no you just caught hold it in yeah see he’s doing it again hold it in okay here’s Here’s the thing. Any time my sleep is disturbed. Yes. Drives me crazy. Because again, get up early. I go to bed early. Like I have, I have to get my sleep. Like it’s so important to me. If I cough, I sleep in the guest room. Oh, I do it every time. That’s what I did last night. Every time I cough, I just, I don’t even, I cough once, twice. Steph’s like, uh, you got to get out of here. You have to leave. No, you have to leave. And so, yeah, that’s what I did last night. That’s exactly what I did last night. It’s just so loud. Hold it in. I don’t understand it. I just, I don’t understand it. Is it seasonal allergies? Yes, that’s exactly what it is. All right, number three. Sponsored by Zyrtec. I was trying to segue that.[12:12] Another thing that annoys my wife. Emmy’s softball team, 12U, their coach is giving them water breaks. Oh, I can’t stand it. Water breaks during the game. I can’t stand it. Okay, let me preface it by saying, Emmy’s coach is the most amazing, kindest, most beautiful soul. She’s the sweetest woman.[12:35] However, these girls, they’re pitching. Let’s be honest. They are not Jenny Finches. they are not you know world series pitchers it is 78 degrees they have to stop after four to five batters to get a water break a water break wow yes i can’t i can’t because we’re saying like wait what and then it’s like can i get water and then the catcher who has the gear on can i get water i’m like no no no you can’t if you if you want to want water strike out the side get your butt back over the bench get yourself a game exactly step nuts and i made the comment like okay when you’re watching tv how many times to take a water break during cincinnati reds game how many times to take water breaks no the college world series no during the inning you don’t no you don’t but it was kind of like they’re calling oh you need water we’ll make sure you get it but you can’t be the parent like hey enough’s enough right but it’s driving you crazy crazy wednesday emmy’s pitching and they’re like emmy would you like a water break she knows my stance on this i’m i’m I’m just looking at her like, don’t you dare. Don’t you dare. She’s like, yeah, sure.[13:42] When that child got in the car, Mama Bear let her have it. We do not take water breaks. Even though it was already a dead ball, like timeout, you were upset because she said, yeah, sure, I’ll take the water. I’ll take the water. No. Like Adam said, strike the girls out. Sure. Then take your water break. The other kids on the field. Yeah, earn your water break. Oh, y’all. It’s called pitch efficiency. Greg Maddux never needed a water break in the middle of the inning. He knew he had nine pitches and he was done. Major League. They’re in full gear. You know, they’re playing in 90, 100 degree weather, humidity.[14:17] There’s no breaks. Like, oh, I can’t. I can’t. The next thing that annoys you, going to our next daughter’s softball game, Elle. Taking a time out to tie shoes. We had this this past week and the coach went out, tied the girl’s shoes. It’s eight you. This girl, it looked like he was teaching her how to tie the shoe out in the outfield. It was a five minute break. Teachable mama. It’s going nuts. No one has time for that. Let’s keep it moving.[14:45] Let’s go, people. Now’s not the time to teach her how to tie a shoe. Come on. We don’t get home until 9.30 at night. I’m like, we still have baths. The kids want their third dinner of the night. Oh my God. Don’t they have the two-hour rule in your league? They do. It was within that two-hour, though. But it wasn’t going to stretch out the game any longer. I mean, it technically did because it will go past the two-hour. Got it. All right. Next thing that drives you nuts, and you already mentioned it because[15:08] it drives you crazy and annoys you. What? Kids sneaking into our bedroom. Oh. Can’t do it. Oh. So.[15:15] Okay. I sound like this horrible person tonight. I love my kids. I love them. But again, sleep is so precious to me. It’s gold. It is. I’ve always been that child that needs eight hours of sleep. I need eight hours of sleep. Do they stream? Like right now, I can watch my girls’ softball game right now. Do they do that for yours? Yeah. That’s kind of cool, isn’t it? It is. On Game Changer? Yeah. Yeah, it’s really cool. Yeah, it’s kind of slick. I feel like less of a neglectful parent when they ask me, did you see my hit? I’d be like, well, I was at a bar, but yes is the answer to your question.[15:57] So kids sneaking into the bedroom. This happened multiple times this past week. So the first time was I woke up, I went to the restroom. You woke up, came in, and apparently I was taking too long. So you went out in the hallway and went to the kid’s restroom. He was taking a nap on the can. It happens. It’s the only place you can get some peace. Close that door, turn that fan on. So during that time, I came back in. I laid down on my side. When Steph came in, you basically laid down on Emmy. I did. You literally laid down on her. She had crawled into bed. When I was getting to bed, she must have slid over into your side, and then you laid down and laid right on top of her. I was so annoyed. I’m like, ah! Oh, you were giving her the business. I was not happy. You were not happy. No, you know what? I don’t think I was, because at that point, I might have raised my voice, but I was like, whatever, and I went and slept on the couch. I’m just like, it’s not even worth it right now. Did you? Yeah. Oh, I didn’t know that. I didn’t know that. Yeah. So the week before, I believe, again, I’m like out of it at night. So i went to the restroom came back and our eight-year-old had come into our bedroom and apparently i just walked in as i’m walking back to our bed oh she gets scared literally i ran into her and i’m like.[17:17] Why do people do that oh my gosh i mean it was almost the end of me and l I ran right into her pitch black, like tripped over her and just like the whole neighborhood oh my gosh and then yeah you woke up like why are you yelling I’m like I just ran into a kid but why are you yelling the kids that live here yeah so I would think that would sort of be expected, he is not the brave one sometimes oh my gosh when it’s pitch black and I ran into another human being even though they’re tiny It doesn’t matter if it’s pitch black, I could be around the corner and pop out and you’re screaming. Like, that is you, I can scare you so easily. I am. I am. If I come home and I open the door and one of my kids goes, ah, I go, yeah, I live here. I just say that every time. How many times are we going to go through this? Steph’s the same way. You cannot scare her. You cannot rattle her. Same thing. Same as you, Adam.[18:20] All right, another thing that annoys you is about this house. There’s a handful of things that annoy you. I’ll mention one in particular.[18:27] If anyone puts something in their microwave without covering it. That’s fair. This woman loses her mind. That’s a blender with the lid off. Thank you. Even if it’s something that is not going to explode. Oh, no, that’s just idiosyncrasy. Not going to explode. This woman loses her daggone mind. No, that’s not true. Can I ask a question real quick? Yes. Out of the five of you that live here, how many people are putting something in the microwave? Just three or four? Probably three. Three. Okay. So it’s basically me and Kevin. Okay. That know the rules. That’s what I was going to ask. But they still just don’t do it. They know what’s expected. Yes. Okay. But they don’t do it. And then I’m the one that still has to clean the microwave. So it’s just like. Yeah.[19:13] Yes. You were across the room. I put something in the microwave like two weeks ago. And you lost your mind across the room. Well, was it stew or was it? No, it was like a cup of coffee or something. No, Kevin. It was nothing that was going to explode. It was not. It’s always something. It’s the stuff like soup, Adam, or something that he can. Yes, I do cover that.[19:36] Okay, which reminds me of this story. This was maybe three years ago at your parents’ house. It was somebody’s birthday. So we’re having a birthday party there. They had little kids, plastic plates. And on it i didn’t know this but it was like metallic something metallic inside of that paper plate kids got a firework show didn’t they yeah and that’s exactly what happened so i put it in your parents microwave and within six seconds it is a firework show in the microwave like your mom’s yelling at me what are you doing as like the fireworks you start hearing the sirens come down the street it was like how did that happen i mean this guy knows how to party i remember as a kid remember like racks or species yes the tin foil yes i remember as a kid put that in the microwave that’s what i learned hey that don’t put this that is still funny i had the same experience so i pulled it out and i’m like brent i like i’m so sorry i didn’t know this and then we looked i’m like oh there’s metallic stuff on the paper plate so about a half hour later your brother wasn’t there at the time same thing happens it’s not 30 minutes later he puts something in the microwave same thing happens we’re having a firework show and your mom about loses her mind like these kids are trying to burn the house down the party is over we were gonna hire a clown but shoot this is way better.[21:04] This is better than balloon animals oh I’m like oh I’m so sorry like he and I both about burnt the house down with that. Next, we’ll put nickels in the garbage disposal. We’ve got all sorts of great ideas. All right, I’ll skip a couple of these stuff. The last one here is things that annoy you would be me mispronouncing things. I just, it doesn’t annoy me. I’m just like, you are probably one of the smartest men I know. I think you are brilliant. I think your brain, it amazes me sometimes until you try to say certain words or until you know your animals. And then it’s just like, I don’t understand what’s going on with you. I’m trying to sound it out. Okay. So one of the worst, one of the worst examples guys was one of the first episodes we had was an individual who I’m drawing a blank on his name, but he’s sent us a list of stories that he had. And one of the stories was a trip that he had recently taken to La Jolla, California. So we, that’s a tricky one. so i’d had this in my notes and i’m like hey you were recently in la jola california.[22:26] And you really just say that like what is it merlot i’m like there’s no i was gonna say when he started la jolla i’m like i was like okay that’s how he’s just gonna that’s how he’s gonna talk about it I’m like, that’s still not how he’s supposed to say it. You’ve now twice mispronounced. When he thought it was right the second time. He’s like, I’ve now fixed it. Wow. I was vexed when the story started. I’m like, wait, is this the mispronunciation? Or is this the correction? Says he’s still not done. He still doesn’t. Is somebody going to tell him? Is somebody going to tell him here tonight? Well, it’s so funny when you said my heart. Words are hard. Adam just kind of looked at me like, is this the way he’s saying it? Yep, sure is. This is my husband. Something I noticed about you two that I just want to point out, because again, Steph is my girl, and maybe Adam, you could take this home as a lesson learned from tonight. I love how Steph will build you up and then correct. And I really think that’s an important key factor here that we need to zone in on. That’s what the Marines do. Break them down first. You’re one of the smartest men I know. You’re brilliant. you’re so good looking but your face you know you are da da da da da but but like it’s your coffin but.[23:51] But I like that because you still pull out the best while correcting. And so I noticed that and I just didn’t want it to go unseen. See?[24:02] Let me know the opportunities. La Jolla. La Jolla. La Jolla. La Jolla. Oh my gosh. I hate it. But every time I say something, for the most part, you didn’t do it just now. But Steph is always, are you serious? Are you for real? I do say that. Please tell me you didn’t. You just think that. Please tell me you’re pretending right now. For example, can I say the example? Of what you did a few weeks ago last week oh my gosh we are playing a board game with the kids, and i forget it’s i think it’s family face off so you have to ask questions at the kids level the kids have to ask parents questions at their level beat the parents beat the parents thank you so much so kevin is asking the kids a question and i think the question do you know the question yeah what what is yeah yeah i i read it as what is a chihuahua.[24:51] That is inappropriate that’s inappropriate are you serious right now he’s like what and the kids are like i don’t know what that is kevin and i was like kevin and he’s like what and i’m like do you mean chihuahua and he’s like oh and i was like are you being serious right now Now, did you really think that’s how you pronounce it? Yeah, because that’s a good question. Oh, my gosh. And he thinks he’s so funny. He’s like rolling on the ground laughing. Because I messed up when I was sounding it out. And I re-looked at him like, okay, that was dumb. That was a complete dumb moment. Is the answer the dog or the province in Mexico? It was definitely the dog. Okay. Definitely the dog. So, anywho, a few things you annoy you. I fixed it. I’m like, you’re cute, but sometimes we just have to. See, here we go. See how this works? There you go. I like it. See? That’s a great point. I think it’s patronizing. I don’t know. Nope. Nope. I appreciate it.[25:53] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it. Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where. But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas. Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com. And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want. And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[26:25] So steph of the things that i i’ve done or volunteer for what is one thing that i should not be doing you should never be an umpire or a referee ever ever ever never really ever okay no sport at all no because yeah tell them why you can’t do this i do not like being yelled at but I can’t handle it. If someone’s yelling at me and especially if I think they’re wrong, I make it worse. I’m either going to yell back at them or I’m going to be passive aggressive and say something to make them look stupid. Yeah. We don’t use our Jesus thoughts.[27:04] Put that on the prayer request for the next Bible study. Here’s the thing. In some youth sports, the coaches are loud on the field or on the basketball court, right? So there’s been times where I’m, I’m referring a basketball game in the past. And the coach is following me on the court yelling at me. I don’t handle that well. And I don’t know if it goes back to childhood getting yelled at, which it probably does, but I don’t handle that well. So I have a short leash when it comes to getting yelled at by an adult, especially if they’re following me around the court. And you turn around and scream, I hate you, Dad. I’m like, wait a minute, wait a minute.[27:40] We’ve uncovered something. So in the last two months, I’ve been volunteered for or asked multiple times to umpire or referee a game. And you have been like praying nonstop. All the time. I am literally in the stands praying over him, praying over the people. Like, just be nice to him. Just don’t argue with him. Make the right calls, Kevin. It’s awful. It is awful. Last week, our nephew, Sam, is on a travel baseball team. They take it very serious in travel baseball. Well, the umpire ended up being 45 minutes late. 45 minutes late, you guys. 45 minutes late. So we get to 20 minutes. I’m like, oh my gosh. And then we see an umpire get in the parking lot, and he’s just taking his good old time. And we’re like, come on, hurry it up, dude. So he finally gets to the plate, brushes off the plate, and he’s like, is this the 12-U game? And we’re like, no, it’s the 9-U. Oh, sorry, I’m on the wrong field.[28:38] So then he leaves, and I look at my brother-in-law, and I’m like, listen, if you need somebody to start the game here, I’ll step in. I will gladly help. and so he’s like okay so he goes to the coaching staff and they’re like you know what we might need that so they go over to the uh the home team and like yes please if you have a parent volunteer let’s do it i thought they were gonna have me and one of their parents do it okay too sure that’s not what happened they just had me go out there and start doing it so they have no clicker to keep track of balls and strikes they have no gear no helmet no nothing so they’re like just stand I stand behind the pitching mound, I’m like, okay. So I go down the line and look in the outfield and I start to talk to the one coach and tell him, hey, can you help me on these foul lines because I didn’t think they were marked. So it’s gonna be hard to see whether it’s a fair ball or a foul ball. So I go over, I’m like, hey, can you help me? And then I see it’s marked, I’m like, oh, I should be good. And he’s like, listen.[29:38] We don’t have a very high expectation of you. So go ahead and just do it. So I did it for what? A half an inning, maybe a little bit more than half an inning. And then finally this dude shows up 45 minutes late. So I, I umpired for what? 15 minutes or whatever. And you said, when I got back, you said you were praying in the stands the whole time, the whole time. I was like, babe, you did so good. That was so good. He’s like, well, thank you. I was like, you’re so proud of you right now. Cause I was like, Oh my gosh. He’s like, what’s wrong? I was like, I was praying the whole time. I was like, I was praying for everyone. Just be nice to him. Don’t yell at him.[30:10] So it was wonderful. So I passed the test on that one. However, my nephew Zeke recently got married. Joe’s son. Yes. Okay, so he’s 25, I believe. I believe he’s 25 years old. Yes. So part of his bachelor party and buddies thing was he organized a basketball game with his buddies that were going to be in town. So when I say organized, that means he wanted a referee. Referee he had the scoreboard he got shirts for everybody had their names on it like they’re keeping stats he hired some friends to film it all of this he’s mini kevin legit at this point so he texts me and asked me or called me and asked if i would do it i was like zeke for you buddy i will do it i’ll referee however he only had me doing it there was nobody else now on basketball basketball, typically you always have two referees because if somebody’s guarding another person as a referee, you can’t see through the body, right? So if they like smack down, you can’t tell unless you hear their arms getting hit. You can’t tell if they got ball, if they got arm, anything like that. So it’s very challenging if you only have one referee.[31:19] I didn’t know that until like the week before that it was only going to be me. So I get a random text from Zeke that week. Hey, uncle Kevin, um, Just want to ask you, do you have a referee shirt by chance?[31:33] No, I’ve never worked at Foot Locker. And no, I have never bought my own referee. Like, no, I don’t wear that around the house or, you know, to church. No, I don’t have one of those. So he actually bought me a referee shirt. So I had a referee shirt, get there, and it’s all like mid-20s year olds, right? They’re still in decent shape. A lot of them are former athletes, and they’re taking it very serious. Especially my nephew zeke yeah he’s taking it very serious he’s mini kevin he’s so mini kevin so he gives me a whistle gives me a referee shirt to put on and tells me you know here’s the rules that we have all of this so he like everything so we start the game and on the way there to the gym, i’m praying god help me to do well and help me to have the right attitude give me peace, that there’s no issues at all, right? So I literally, I am praying on the way there. So first quarter, guys start chirping, including my nephew, all right? So midway through the first quarter, Zeke is yelling for substitutions. Well, it wasn’t a dead ball. So I tell him, hey, you play, I ref. There you go.[32:46] So shut your pie hole, right? Keep that pecking order in place. By the end of the quarter, the team that was going at Zeke, a couple of them started chirping at me. And that was enough. I couldn’t handle it. It was done. So the one guy yelled out, you’re the worst referee I’ve ever seen. The other guy’s like, this is the, we’re playing football out here. We’re supposed to be playing basketball. He yells this, right? So end of the quarter, I turn, black team, that’s your first warning. I need y’all to shut your mouth. I said it really stern, and it got completely quiet. So then I go over to the scorer’s table where they’re keeping stats, not knowing that the people keeping stats that was their son that i just yelled at okay and they were completely fine with it they totally understand so i had said i’m like well we’ll see if that shuts them up right like that was the line that i drew and i literally yelled that right back at him like i’m done and so the rest of the game was fine it was totally fine and i they totally understood like hey i’m the only referee here there’s things i can’t see on the other side i can’t see through your body all of that but i got through it for the most part unscathed yeah you still have the shirt i do still have you better believe it all worth it.[33:57] I’m proud of you for keeping up with those 25 year olds well i wasn’t running as much as they were okay i was literally going from like basically foul line to foul line but um yeah it was still i was still kind of a sweaty mess after that so then what happens with our eight you daughter softball team you tell me do not volunteer for anything no don’t we are so busy please let us let’s just watch the game together so we can actually have some time together while we watch our girls play. And they’re like, we need a parent volunteer. Okay, I’ll do it. I’m like, well, they’re, they’re when our time together. I don’t think that’s how it happened. Pretty sure that’s how it happened. So I did not volunteer for anything. We get to the first practice.[34:40] Everyone had helped out, but in this particular league, each team has provided a parent volunteer to umpire oh so nobody volunteered no one would volunteer and so it starts going i’m like listen i will help out and i was thinking if i don’t do this it could be very very bad well and i also think if you don’t have a parent volunteer you end up having to forfeit the game yeah like you have to provide an umpire from each team so and i i love that role but i end up getting stuck doing that. Now granted, I enjoy doing it, but here’s what happened. The very first game, come to find out, there is a jerk coach on this one particular team. On 8U, which makes me so sad. Like again, they’re kids, right? Yes. So I confirmed a few of the rules with them in that league ahead of time. I go out there and what happens is when your kids’ team’s batting, you’re out in the field. When they’re batting, you’re behind the plate, okay?[35:39] So, this coach was already complaining about me and where I was positioned on the field. I was positioned behind the pitching mound, like close to second base. He wanted me on the outfield. Exactly, Adam. Exactly. So, he’s complaining to our team’s coach about where I’m positioned. So, then there is a foul ball and he starts complaining about something. And I go, sir, I’m behind the play. I’m like, sir, is everything okay? He’s like, yep, it’s fine. I just totally disagree with you. And remember, he said that out loud in front of everybody. Buddy and my response was i’m like okay like thank you for telling me that yeah and i just you know zipped it and then in between innings i went to you and you’re like are you trying to pick a fight with this guy or what are you doing please be careful just be nice please be careful please don’t run your mouth back to him if he starts yelling so that was the worst that we’ve had but then last game adam we had a parent come to me afterwards and say hey you should be a ref and go through the training and stuff and get certified to do it. For softball? Yes. You should be an umpire. Umpire. You should be an umpire and get certified. I’m like, no, I’m good. He’s like, no, I’m serious. I’m like, I am too.[36:45] That is one thing I should not be doing. As am I. Yes, I cannot do that. He’s like, okay, well, if you think about it, he’s like, I did it for 30 years. I’m certified. Let me know. I’m like, please no. He’s good. But one of the most fun, though, was the prior game. There was a coach on the other team. he had umpired for 20 years okay and he told me this you know the second inning and he said when he was umpiring he said there was one game where he’s umpiring high school baseball he’s out in the field his partner’s behind home plate and they announced in like the last inning that the pitcher for this high school team had just tied the record for strikeouts for the game and so he said you know over that loudspeaker hey next strikeout you know mason bowling alley is going to give everyone a free night of bowling or whatever so he was one strike out away from of course breaking the record so he said the count was like two and two and the pitcher throws one and it’s outside but his buddy the umpire turned looked at the batter and said sorry kid we’re going bowling and then goes strike three calls him out and he said the place just erupted like like, you know, banging on the fence and stuff. We’re going bowling, all that. He’s like, I will never forget that. He was like, sorry, kid. We’re going bowling.[38:08] I’m sacrificing the integrity of this sport so we can play a different one. Yes.[38:17] Steph, what is one of the most asked questions we get about Tell Us a Good Story? Do I really get that excited? Besides that one. Oh, how do we get all these incredible guests? Correct. And some of our best conversations have been with guests who our listeners have reached out to us and said, you should talk to this person. To name just a few, Nick Vujicic, Coach Tom Ryan, Carol Matico were all recommendations from our listeners. So if there’s someone you would like us to interview and think they might be a great fit for Tell Us a Good Story, please let us know at kevinandsteph.com. You don’t even have to personally know them. True, but do me a favor. Before you submit their names, please make sure they are still alive. That has actually happened, and it is super hard for me to find their contact information. But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[39:04] Okay, so Courtney, it’s the first time you’re on a fifth episode. Do you have any questions for us or anything that you’re curious about behind the scenes? Well, I feel like I get the inside when I do get time with you because I know you’re so busy all the time, and that does drive me nuts. At your Bible study? Is that what you’re talking about? At Bible study. We need an extra hour at Bible study. We do. Bump it to twice a week. Well, when we go on that missions trip, we’ll get caught up. We change that one light bulb for one family. I’m like, mission. Done. Mission accomplished. But first off, I want to applaud you. Because I’m sitting here. I remember when we were just talking about this. We, because I’m on the team now. Obviously. We were talking about this. And- How many episodes? Two? Twenty? Is this 220? It’s 220. Two hundred, like… Yeah, four and a half years now. This is crazy, because like I said, I remember when this was just on paper, or this was just a talking point, sitting around playing cards. And it’s just wild to see what y’all have done. But I want to know, like, when you guys started, did you ever say, like, hey, let’s just try five episodes, or let’s just… What was your vision, like, for this? You know, that’s such a good question. And I think it’s very fitting that Adam is here because Kevin had the vision of he and Adam.[40:28] Oh, that’s right. Like that was their podcast. The four of us doing this. Take it on the road. Yes. I’m like the fifth beetle. What could have been? What could have been? That’s right. That was the original. This was never my vision. This was Kevin’s vision. And it was with his buddies. He wanted this podcast as like something fun to do because whenever they did their football trips, he just loved. That time together and he loved talking and that was only one idea, right? That wasn’t like the main reason for doing tell us a good story, but that was one idea about tell us a good story and it never would have worked. Yeah. The first episode was like, how long do we have to talk? And I said, let’s try to do it for 27 minutes. And you’re like, Kevin, we don’t talk that long in a day, 27 in a row, in a row. I’m like, well, let’s do our best. And you’re like, can we put a bunch of ads or something in this? What can we do to break this up? Yes. So the follow-up question is, Kevin, when did you lose creative control exactly? I think we’ve pinpointed that.[41:32] Well, then I have, my next follow-up question is, then what’s next? Like, you didn’t see this. I never saw this. 220. Like, guys, that’s huge. Thank you. And the people you brought on. I mean, like, there’s so many wow factors to, it’s so unique. But we’re here. Do you guys ever say that? that like when you have time coming back from a ball game like it is how long are we gonna do this what are you gonna do because you’re at a high right now like keep going but like do you ever like uh when we retire when we stop doing the show or when we is that ever talked about or is that not in sight like what is next interesting we’ve never talked about being done with the show okay good i mean we started it and we didn’t know if this was going to be good we didn’t know if it It would connect with people. I remember we got to episode 16 or 17 and we did an interview two in one day. The first interview went really long. Like he wanted to keep talking to us and we had to get going, right? Because we had another interview. And then the second interview, we stopped it.[42:35] And he said, but I had more stories I wanted to share. And we’re like, okay, go ahead. Let’s keep sharing. And so we got out of those two interviews. And I remember thinking for the first time, maybe there’s some runway here. I didn’t know how long because the average podcast is like seven episodes. So this is rare to be able to do this for four years. Absolutely. But I never saw this. And people ask me because my personal life, I’m a CPA. I’m a fractional CEO. Everything I do, I measure. Everything’s measured.[43:03] Everything’s scrutinized. Everything’s looked at. And so with this, it’s like, what’s next? And I never saw this. I didn’t know what the end was going to do. And it just next steps and next steps. Because originally, Steph, it was just you and I sharing stories. Then it turned to us talking to other people who had great stories. And then some of the feedback we got was they enjoyed fifth episodes. They enjoyed hearing us more than maybe guest interviews. Which I don’t understand. I still don’t either. I don’t get that at all. But the fifth episodes, when you look at the downloads and all that, it’s actually the most popular. Which I’m, again, I’m shocked. Well, it’s so relatable. It’s real. Like, people know you now. And it’s so, oh, Kevin, Steph, people that never met you. Like, oh, Kevin, Steph, son, you know. Like, that’s what it feels like. So bravo to you guys for even bringing that so organically and natural. Thanks, Court. And what’s happened is it has snowballed where we’ve had guests who has recommended us to other guests. Yes. And then recommended us to other guests. And so the names that we’ve had over the past five, Steph, we’ve had Helen Smallbone. So that’s a great story in itself, right? Where a listener reached out and said, hey, you know what you should talk to? And again, people having a very high opinion and more confidence in us than we do. Where they say, hey, you need to talk to us for King & Country. And you’re like, I don’t know if we’re there yet.[44:24] But reached out, found their PR team, and they’re like, hey, let’s try to make this happen. I love what you’re doing, tell us a good story. For King Country was busy at the time, but that new movie, Unsung Hero, was coming out. So they hooked us up with their mother. She’s like the featured person in that movie. So we were able to talk to her. Then we talked to former president of Magnolia Network, Doug McKinney. And again, all these people, who knows when you show them a video clip, right? Or if we share something, who knows what that leads to and what doors that opens up. But who are the other people that we’ve talked to lately?[44:57] John Gordon. I was going to say, John Gordon. John Gordon, who is a 16-time New York Times bestseller. When we’re doing the research, he’s one of the top three authors and speakers on leadership in the world. So it’s like him and Tony Robbins and John Maxwell, right? And just like insane. And so that will drop, I think, next week. Yeah, that will drop next week. At the end, he was incredibly complimentary of Steph and I. Of you. Let’s be honest. It was more of you. Of us. Which it should be. It was us. but um and then the other people who keep saying yes to us right and i can tell you more you know off the air who said yes we haven’t actually booked them yet so like adam and i will get like the inside like do we have to sign anything inside the other one that we are interviewing that will drop gosh in two months his name’s alex kendrick okay he’s with the kendrick brothers they are christian filmmakers so they have made war room courageous yes facing the giants, All the good ones So their peer team Set things up to interview them Their next movie is coming out in August And so they sent me a link to the new movie And said you can’t give a movie review About this but we can watch it Two months ahead of time from Sony Music And so we’ll talk to him here Shortly as well So in Facing the Giants he’s the coach He’s the main character in all those movies, Don’t give up! Don’t give up![46:19] Again it’s wild the people that, And we’re going to keep going. We, again, we’re on a team. You are on a team. So there’s no talking about like… Well, Steph, you want to announce the next step? No. This will be our final episode. I knew it was coming. We have something to tell you. I’m happy to be here for it. Oh, no. This is it. This is our closing. I guess five episodes we’ve recorded in a studio here in Columbus to potentially turn this into a TV series. Shut up. so we can show you the video clips offline but there may be some opportunity that we could pitch this we’re going on tv i mean you guys are going on so shut up there goes my contribution.[47:02] Oh well sorry i already asked hey can you fit four in here they’re like no we can’t we can fit two dang it we’re done i already asked like hey can we do these fifth episodes in here and he’s like no you can’t do that so we’ve recorded i think five now in the studio and like every time we’ve got to change clothes like the one time we did three in one day wardrobe we had to do three different wardrobe changes and it was man we did three interviews in what within four hours i think with guests and um i’ll show you that how it looks on video that is but like the lighting’s better stuff’s like oh my gosh i love this filter oh my gosh can i just walk around with this filter like can i just i want it all the time it really does look much different when you’re somewhere Somewhere that has good lighting and a 4K camera as well makes a big difference. But then I watch the replay and I’m getting very self-conscious. Watching yourself on camera and I’m like, oh, I’m just sitting there with my mouth open the whole time.[47:59] And so now you have to pay attention to your mannerisms and stuff. All those eye rolls. Oh, boy. How was it like seriously, Kevin? Are you serious right now? Please tell me you’re joking. How was his cough? Was he coughing? Yeah. Oh, it’s so annoying. The barrel hostility comes through. You cut the tension with the knife. Just look at it there. Wow. You can see it now on camera. Audio, they sound like they like each other, but you add the visual. There is some seething rage. She is daggering him right now. Hilarious. So, yeah, it’s definitely a different experience. It’s definitely different. But again, just next steps because it’s too overwhelming when we think, yeah, I mean, when we think originally, Steph, that the podcast would turn into national radio show, which would turn into a potential TV show, all of this, right, and not getting intimidated by that, but also not getting intimidated by the people we talk to. That’s, you just gotta put it out. I’m just a regular person like you guys. I put on my pants. Yeah, I really do, I mean.[49:05] Relax yeah when you talk to a jim trestle to dog the bounty hunter to yes john gordon right just like these incredible people not getting flustered and just try not to fan out you don’t do a very good job of that you will fan out you give your authentic self but with me trying to stay calm like hey it’s just a regular person here i’m talking to jim trestle no big deal right you were you were definitely fangirling it um there has been a few so john gordon was one you’re like i cannot believe i’m talking to him that was you know who the one that you freaked out maybe the most like during the interview maybe before when we got him oh i mean i yeah i do that all the time i know like i’m basically running around the house like steph you’re not gonna believe he’s I didn’t know who it was. No.[49:50] John Schneider. That was yes. Oh, yeah. Yeah, Dukes of Hazzard. And I had no clue who it was. Yeah. No clue. No. Hey, but if you say Bo Duke, she knows exactly who it is. Well, yeah. Did you grow up in the country? I did. But I don’t know his real name. Most people don’t know the name John Schneider. No. But if you say Bo Duke, people know like, oh, yeah, that’s a blonde haired guy from Dukes of Hazzard. I will do it all. She’ll put her shorts on. I will put the baby Dukes on. I will slide across the hood. but yes she will don’t ask me what his real name is we all right we break out the windows in our in her minivan we just jump in we still make fun of coy advance that’s gonna be a too obscure reference for your crowd we’re not getting that it’s literally this whole thing is just next steps it is we have no idea like we never saw this happening people ask me all the time like you did earlier is this what you saw no i didn’t see any of this yeah and again i go back to like what I do professionally. Yeah, which I love that you do that. It’s the opposite of what I do professionally. I’m always looking ahead. And with this, it’s like, no, just next step. It’s like, that’s all you got to worry about. Literally, it’s blind trust. It’s faith. I saw myself just going out for milk one day and never coming back. Be like. I’m out. I’m out. I mean, look what happened. I mean, that’s still on the table. Look what happened. I’m here tonight instead of watching my girls softball. Yes.[51:13] Dad of the year. Right here. Yes. You’re watching them on video right now. I’m streaming you, babe. There’s no point because I can’t scream at them. I gave you a like. I gave you a like. I hearted that last walk you had. All right. I’ll tell the nanny to take you out for ice cream. Tell the nanny that’s raising you.[51:39] So what’s next, Steph? Just keep doing what we’re doing. We’re walking this out. Walk it out. And again, just next steps. But if this continues, we’re not going to be able to self-fund this. This is going to be a completely different venture. We legit are paying for all of this. All of it. So it’s time. It’s time. Moving on up. Well, Steph, any other stories you’d like to share? in this episode. You know I’m very good with great stories. I don’t even know why I’m asking. I’m so good at this. Adam and Courtney, are there any stories you’d like to share before we end this episode? All right. Well, Courtney and Adam, thank you so much. Absolutely. Certainly. Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
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Matt Branch was a UCLA college athlete, and was on the path to pro when everything changed in 2018 during a hunting trip. He was shot in the leg, which eventually led to that leg’s amputation.
Since then, he’s authored the book “Nobody’s Going to Die Today”, received a prosthetic leg, and has brought hope and humor wherever he goes.
From hospital rooms to personal triumphs, Matt’s story of unwavering faith, humor, and gratitude in the face of adversity exemplifies the human spirit’s capacity for hope.
We cannot wait for you to hear our conversation with our new friend, Matt Branch.
Guest DetailsWebsite: fieldandstream.com
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Our next guest has one of the craziest stories you will ever hear. Five years ago, the news headlines read LSU football players shot by dog. When you read that or you hear that, you immediately think, what? I don’t understand. Well, today you get to hear that story with our guest, Matt Branch. You guys, this man is a former Division I college athlete, played football at LSU from from 2008 to 2012. And in December 2018, was involved in a near-death experience that almost cost him his life. However, to save his life, they had to amputate his leg. This is an incredible story from his football career at LSU to how he turned his life to God after the accident. And I’m the one who heard Matt’s story on Phil Robertson’s podcast and then pitched him to Kevin. And this is one of her pitches that I actually liked. Yes. You guys, we can’t wait to hear this amazing story and conversation with Matt Branch. I’m Kevin and I’m Stephanie and during our marriage we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery, then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible and we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope and brighten your day. Welcome to Tell Us A Good Story.[1:24] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our post across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story. All right, Steph. I just want people to know that I brought him to you. Oh, you did? Yes, I did. That’s true. That’s true. You did. You made me aware of this individual. That’s very true. And his story. See, this is one of those examples where you gave me a name that I actually liked. I actually like this one. What? You should like a lot of them. I have a lot of great ideas. But this guy’s story, I’m like, I really want him on the show. And thankfully, we were able to contact him. Well, friends, our next guest is a former Division I college athlete who played football at LSU from 2008 to 2012. In 2018, he was involved in a near-death experience that changed his life forever. And he is author of the book titled Nobody’s Going to Die Today. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us a Good Story, Mr. Matt Branch. Hey, Matt. Welcome.[2:43] Hey, how are y’all, Kevin, Steph? How are y’all doing today? We are so good and so excited to talk to you. Yes, he’s a Southern guy. Obviously, did I give it away? Yeah, right. Listeners can tell already. So Matt, before we get into things, can you share the story of the meaning behind the title, Nobody’s Going to Die Today, right? Because you heard this a lot at LSU. So can you share the story of like the meaning behind that? Yeah, so first off, everybody can guess like, I did not die that day, you know, the day the story takes place. So that’s one meaning behind it. And it just kind of, came together with what my old strength coach, you know, she used to tell us every day. So we would have summer workout programs and we would be put through the grinder. I mean, it was in South Louisiana. I mean, we were touching a hundred degrees most days and they made us go outside and just countless wind sprints and everybody was balling over and, you know, just didn’t think we were going to make it through. And our strength coach would always yell at us when it was just the worst point of the workout. And he would say, don’t worry, hurry, y’all. Nobody’s going to die out here today. Y’all keep going.[3:52] So that was his comforting words of advice to us is we’re not going to die. It might feel like it, but we’re not going to. So yeah. So after my story and everything happened and I wrote the book, I reached out to my strength coach, coach Tommy Moffitt. He’s at Texas A&M now. He’s the head strength coach at Texas A&M and told him my idea for the title. And I asked him, I was like, Hey, I want to, I want to, you know use your catchphrase as the title he was like heck yeah go for it and he said and i want you to write the forward so he was kind enough to write the forward to the book and everything so yeah we’ve we’ve kept in touch over this and he’s been really good to work with through all this so you know what when he said temperatures were reaching 100 that’s not even talking about the humidity right like right in louisiana oh so the other thing what i guess love hate relationship with the coach. You probably hated that guy when you were at LSU, right? In the moment, yeah, sure. I’m sure you did, right? But today, it’s like, okay, I see what he was doing to the point where you can call him years later, Matt, and he’s like, I would be honored to help out. That’s really cool.[4:58] Yeah, no, that is really cool. And that’s exactly right. In the moment, you hate his guts, right? He’s the one out there making us do all this. But then hindsight is always 20-20, And you look back and like, those are some of the fondest memories, you know, I had growing up and everything. And I appreciate the wisdom and everything that he gave us over the years, even though in the moment, probably didn’t like him very much. Right. Right. So LSU, what is it like, Matt, to get recruited by SEC schools? Because Steph and I are huge college football fans. We’re in Columbus, Ohio. So it is like all high state stuff here, as you can imagine,[5:37] right? So huge college football fans. So can you share this? I know one of your recruiting script stories was I think somebody actually kissed you and said, please come to LSU or something like that. Right. Like, can you share some recruiting stories? Yeah. So it was, you know, getting recruited was a was a crazy thing because back when I was going through it, it was a lot different than it is today. You know, today there’s a lot of money involved and there’s a lot of different things that are going on behind the scenes. When I was there, it was just pure experience. Like you love the school you committed to. You know, that’s why you went there and, um, you know, yeah, so.[6:12] I did not expect to be a college football player growing up. You know, I was always pretty good at sports, but I did not think football was going to be my path to play in college. And it just kind of like fell out of the sky and landed in my lap one day. You know, I had a guy who was a year ahead of me in high school, and he was a big recruit. He was a wide receiver. And I had a lot of colleges that were coming to look at him and watch him play, and they just noticed me. And I was a big kid. I was like 6’6″, my junior year in high school. Oh, my gosh. 240 pounds and running all over the field, catching passes, making blocks. And college coaches were like, who’s this guy? You know, we need to be recruiting him too. So all of a sudden, just out of the blue one day, I start getting all these head coaches. Like Phil Fulmer was calling me and texting me. Ed Ogeron, he was at Ole Miss, was calling me. Like Coach Miles, Coach Saban, like all these guys. Oh my gosh.[7:06] Out of the blue, yeah. And I’m just like, what is going on? And so I immediately my head just like blows up like I think I’m just hot stuff you know and um did anyone come to your high school then did any of those coaches come to your high school and like people are freaking out like oh my gosh Saban is in our school right now yeah coach Saban did come to our high school so he came and watched a basketball game that I was playing in and um and then coach Miles came to our school one day too I remember I’ll never forget this one we were all in the cafeteria, like the whole school was in the cafeteria eating lunch. And we’re all sitting there and I look up and I see a car pull in because like where our cafeteria is, you can see the front parking lot is just big bay windows. We see a car pull in park right there by the front door and then out steps Coach Miles. And I’m just like kind of turning red in the face because I know why he’s there. And then all of a sudden, one of the students in the cafeteria is like, oh, my God, that’s Coach Miles.[8:06] Yeah so i like i get up and walk out to the front to go talk to him you know and stuff but yeah it was it was crazy yeah you have just you would never know who’s going to drop by and come see us so it was pretty cool did you know he was coming, And I did not know he was coming that day. He just kind of did a surprise visit. But most of the time they would give you a heads up if he was going to show up. But that day was just like a surprise. I guess he was in town and he just wanted to swing by and say hey or something. Okay. So I didn’t mean to cut you off there, Matt. But can you share the story about I think a fan came up and kissed you, right? Yeah. So this was at the Auburn game in 2007.[8:45] So LSU won the national championship in 2007. It was a big year. That was my senior year in high school. OK, so as a recruit, you get home game tickets to every single game for the 2007 season. So before the game, they would let all the recruits on the field, watch the team warm up, watch the stadium fill up full of people. And then right before kickoff for the Auburn game, they told us to walk up the steps and go find our seats. So I’m walking up the stadium steps, you know, and all of a sudden I feel somebody grab my arm and, like, pulled me. So I turn and I look, see who’s pulling me, and it was this dark-haired girl, and she just pulled me in and, like, kissed me. And said, like, woo, come to LSU. I was like, okay. I’m coming. I’ll be here, you know.[9:34] It was something else. But, yeah, that was just, I mean, just crazy stories like that, you know, happened. But, yeah, it was a really cool experience getting recruited in all the SEC[9:44] schools back when it was a pure experience. Right. How hard was it being a Division I elite college athlete and do the academics? How hard is that? Juggling that? Yes. The academic side of it. You know, I did enough to get by. I’ll say it that way. My main focus was on was on football, is on sports.[10:07] And we had to be there so much. It was like a full time job on top of going to school full time. Like your life revolves around that football program. And it’s not just weekdays. It’s lots of weekends. I mean, obviously, during the season, like you’re doing something all weekend long. You’re busy and um there’s there’s very little free time for like breaks and just a personal life you know but yeah it is a serious challenge to be a full-time division one college athlete and a full-time student so they schedule your classes around football so you can’t have class during practice right nobody can have a class during practice the only time there would I would occasionally, like if somebody had a specific major and there was only one class available for their major and it had to be during practice, like they might try to make an exception or maybe allow the teacher to recorded session for them or something like that. But, yeah, so everything had to be scheduled around football. So our classes would just kind of fall wherever they could in between there to try to get to everything. so we could have enough hours and credits and everything to graduate at the end of the day. Well, it probably came to Matt like, well, it looks like you’re switching your major. Sorry, this class interferes with that. That happens. No, I’m serious. Does it really? Oh, yeah, for sure. For sure, yeah.[11:30] It’s like, hey, there’s no classes outside of your practice time. So we might have to either push these to the spring or the summer because you can’t take them in the fall. So you just have to kind of hope like maybe this class is available another time of year or something like that.[11:48] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it. Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where. But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas. Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com. And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want. And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[12:19] So I recently was on a trip and on the flight there and back, I read your entire book. Couldn’t put it down, Matt. Can you start off here and share basically the hunting trip that you went on and how your life changed December 28th of 2018? Yeah, that’s the day that will always stick with me and my family and everybody who knows me and everybody who’s read my story, you know, at this point. So that morning, December 28th, 2018, always got to start with that date in mind. We were at Eagle Lake, Mississippi, which is our hunting camp just north of Vicksburg, Mississippi, on the Mississippi River. So my family has a farm over there, and they’ve been farming that land for over 20 years now. And this was a typical trip. You know, right after Christmas, we would always go over there and duck hunt, deer hunt, and just hang out for two, three, four days, however long we could, you know, how much time we had. So typical trip for us. And so it was a crazy morning. And I can’t get into all the details. You know, you’ve got to read the read the whole story. It’s a lot that went into it all. But just some crazy, unusual things happened to me that morning. That’s an understatement. That’s an understatement. Yeah. With the TV and stuff. Yes. Yeah.[13:37] So all of those things led to what ultimately happened was we were packing up our gear, getting ready to move to a new location. and I had laid my 12-gauge shotgun down in the back of a Polaris Ranger in the bed of one. So we’re all standing around trying to load our gear up, and we had a hunting dog with us, a black Labrador retriever named Tito. So he’s standing around, and we tell him to load up because we’re about to leave. So he jumps in the back of the Ranger, and he kind of moves around, tries to find a spot to sit. And after a few seconds, we hear a sound of a muffled bang.[14:13] Caught our attention pretty quick. So immediately everybody looked at me when they saw that where the gun was pointed. You know, that bang sound was my 12 gauge shotgun that went off because the dog had bumped it. So everybody’s looking at me and they see a hole in the side of the range of bed. It’s about the size of a Coke can or so about that.[14:37] And I look down and it’s kind of strange. Like I didn’t feel anything like it didn’t hurt. You know, you think if you get shot by a gun, like it would hurt really bad, but I didn’t, I didn’t feel anything. It didn’t hurt at all. So I look down and I see the cup can size hole and I’m like, I don’t know, maybe, maybe it didn’t hit me too bad. So I went to take a step back. And when I did, my leg didn’t move. I tripped, I fell to the ground. And, um, that’s when the adrenaline rush just ran over me like a freight train. Like the reality of what just happened sunk in at that point. And, um, I had been shot. I had experienced basically every hunter’s worst nightmare. And um i quickly realized like i was not gonna survive if i did not get help very soon because my body just fell limp my blood pressure dropped so the shot had ended up hitting my femoral artery um it hit me right on the top of my left my left thigh and groin area is where it hit me and i mean it just it destroyed my femoral artery that’s what the surgeons told us later on after After they had performed several surgeries on me trying to save my life and my leg. So anyway, my friends acted really fast. They get me to the highway and called 911.[15:51] So the ambulance pulls up and then they start to cut my waders off. And that’s when they realized like everybody understood at that point, like how bad it was. Because I had basically bled out at that point. Yes.[16:03] So they load me up, put me on a stretcher, load me in the back of the ambulance. And I remember just a little bit of being loaded in the ambulance and then I remember kind of going down the road and just kind of feeling like the the ambulance kind of swaying you know in the curves in the road and then out just curtains and that was the first time that my heart stopped beating um they said I went into cardiac arrest for somewhere around 45 minutes total that day 45 minutes. So Matt, Steph’s a registered nurse. I’m freaking out over here, Matt. So everything you’re saying is just clicking with her. Yes, like the fact that this bullet hit his femoral artery and he’s like talking to us right now is a miracle in itself. So one thing that hit me, Matt, was you described in the book how I think you had your waders on, right? And so when they took that off, they didn’t realize how bad you were bleeding until they took that off and it was just like a river. And it was, it was, yeah, yeah. It was like, like I’ll describe it like blood, like you pour water out of a pitcher. That’s what the blood coming out of my waders was like, just pouring it out of like water out of a pitcher.[17:13] Yeah it was a a truly just like terrifying experience for them because of the waiters they didn’t know how bad it was until that point you know and so they had tried to like so some volunteer firefighters had showed up they had tried to tourniquet it but it was so high up like it didn’t really do any good you know but yeah so um another crazy story that actually i just found out this was very recent so i was recently on another podcast on the phil robertson’s podcast Podcast.[17:41] That’s what Steph sent to me. Right. That’s what she’s like. We got to check this out. That’s what we watched. So listen to this. So, um, so after I went on that podcast, I had somebody reach out to me on Facebook and they just sent me a message randomly.[17:53] And they said, Hey, I heard your story on the unashamed podcast. I just wanted to let you know that, um, my daughter was the one who performed CPR on you, never stopped doing chest compressions. She was like and she kind of gave me her backstory but basically she was um she was at home for the through the holidays she was a student at Mississippi State and she had like come home to try to figure out what she wanted to do with her life and in the meantime she was just took like a part-time like nurse tech job at the hospital there and so they wheel me in and she’s the one in charge of doing chest compressions on me and they said that like she never stopped doing like she never stopped for like an extended amount of time just physically exhausted emotionally exhausted and it was just so cool like you know just telling my story and then more parts of my story come back to me that i had no idea i had no clue about you know and like she was not a nurse she was like a nurse tech so maybe she was afraid to stop doing chest compressions maybe an experienced nurse might have been like he’s he’s gone like there’s no saving him but she kept going which which allowed, you know, blood to continue to pump through and allow my brain to probably stay active. So, you know, that was a big fear from all the nurses and the doctors and the whole medical team throughout the whole situation was they didn’t know if my brain had been cut off from blood and oxygen at any point because of the blood loss.[19:22] They didn’t think I would wake up the same person. So just a just another little piece of my story that’s come back to me recently. That’s just like.[19:31] Amazing. So you get to the hospital, your friends inform your wife, your wife at this time, you guys have like a one-year-old, okay? She gets to the hospital. She doesn’t realize the severity of it. She just knows that, hey, there was a hunting accident and you may have got shot in the foot or something or shot in the leg, right?[19:49] She doesn’t know the severity of it until she gets to the hospital. So can you take it from there then when, like what happens when she and I believe like over a hundred people arrived to the hospital for you. Yeah. Yeah. It was, it was very overwhelming for her because she was just completely caught off guard. Like she gets a strange phone call that said, I’ve been shot. No details. Cause honestly, they didn’t really know many details at that point.[20:15] So she, she gets in the truck with my brother. My brother lived, he lived right down the road from us at the time. And he came and picked her up and drove her to Vicksburg. It’s about a 45 minute hour drive from where we lived in Monroe. Room so she shows up to the hospital and then she just starts getting these little pieces of information just little pieces like oh uh he was shot and it hit his femoral artery and she was like wait what so she had called her mom and her mom was like her mom was also a nurse and she was like no that’s that can’t be like that’s not that didn’t really happen she’s like surely that didn’t happen you know we don’t need to think like that but it did so she’s sitting in the emergency room Basically, at this time, my whole family had showed up, a lot of friends, a lot of people had just shown up because they just, I mean, nobody knew. Everybody knew it was bad. They just didn’t know how bad.[21:08] So she’s sitting there and waiting and waiting and waiting, and I’m in the OR, and I’m not really certain of the time. It was several hours. She had to sit and wait, just waiting on a phone call to know if I was alive or not. Anyway, they ended up updating the family and.[21:27] Told them that I needed to be transported to a major trauma center, a major trauma unit in Jackson, Mississippi, which is University of Mississippi Medical Center. That’s the largest hospital in Mississippi.[21:39] And they had to fly me there via helicopter because they said my body just wouldn’t be able to take being in an ambulance and ride.[21:46] And they said I was just too unstable at that point. So they needed to fly me there. And this is this is more details to the story. And I believe this is in the book as well. So that helicopter flying me to Jackson was like another miraculous thing. So that day was really nasty day. It was cloudy, rainy. And initially when they called the helicopter in, they said, hey, we can’t fly today. There’s no visibility. The cloud covers are too thick. Like we can’t, we can’t get to you. We can’t get him to where he needs to be. And the doctors just pleaded with the medevac team. And they were like, please, like if you, if you don’t get here, like he is not going to make it. So they ended up flying to us but they had to go like all the way around they were stationed in natchez which is just south of vicksburg probably about an hour south they ended up having to fly west in louisiana north into arkansas and then back east into mississippi and fly down south into vicksburg just to have a clear path and they said uh the doctor that was on the on the um pad he said when the helicopter came down he couldn’t even see it he said all he All he could do is hear it until it got right on top of the pad. And he said, as soon as that helicopter landed, he said, the clouds just like just parted and like gave him a straight shot to Jackson. Wow.[23:04] And this is from the, this is all come from the doctor. You know, this is what he’s telling us. Just crazy stuff that happened, you know, and then, and then I get to Jackson. And not only is it right sandwiched between December 28th, okay, sandwiched between Christmas and New Year’s, two major Christmas holidays in the U.S., okay?[23:25] Every person I needed for my specific injury was there that day. Not like they were on call, they had to be brought in, like they were there. And they later told us, they said, do you know how rare that is for all of us to be here at the same time? And it was several different surgeons. It was a vascular team, plastic surgery team, orthopedics team. It was all different teams that I needed that day. And they told us like, you know how rare it is. And one of them was like, yeah, I’m only here like one week out of the month. And it was this week. Between Christmas and New Year’s. Which people never want to work. That does not happen. They never want to work that week at all.[24:04] They could just meet in the hallway, like have a quick meeting on next steps, what to do.[24:09] That’s crazy. That is crazy. Okay. Can you share the story then of your wife? Because now they’re coming to your wife, Matt, and she’s got to make all these medical decisions, which is like heavy stuff and stuff. This is going to hit home with you. I know. Yeah. So they get me to Jackson, all the surgery teams there,[24:29] and my wife, my parents, family, all of them start showing up in Jackson. Now they made the drive over and they’re all sitting around waiting to hear back from the OR like, okay, what are we be doing so they’re all sitting there and i don’t know it had gotten up to probably close to 100 people at that point you know so many people had showed up my wife’s sitting there and then all of a sudden one of the surgeons comes through she jumped up to go talk to him he was like no no no go back and sit down he’s like you need to sit down so she goes back sits down and he comes over and he says look we’re gonna have to amputate his leg or he’s gonna die it’s like i need to know what what can we do like asking my wife’s permission like what can we take his leg and she can’t talk to me she can’t ask me what I want you know my dad standing there and you know the doctor’s not looking at him he’s looking at my wife at Leanna and she just looks up at my dad my dad was like I don’t know so she said yeah take his leg.[25:34] And just the thought of that, like, I can’t imagine what goes through her mind, you know, of what if he wakes up and he’s mad at me for this?[25:47] How is our life going to be different now? Like, what are we going to have to do differently moving forward? You know, how is our how how much is this going to affect not only her life, my life, but our son’s life? Our one year old baby boy who’s back home being babysat.[26:04] And um yeah so she had to make the call right then and there you know it was instant like we got to do this now or it’s over so she makes the call and then they wait and they wait and they wait on them to come back out and say okay everything’s gonna be fine but that’s not what happened they they came back out and they said all right the surgery’s over but it’s still not good like we don’t know if he’s gonna make it through the night we don’t know so she’s just in tears like doesn’t know what to do and the only thing they said we can we can let you come back and see him and visit him you know we write this in the book and she comes through the big metal doors of the sic and walks down the hall following a nurse to the room and said when she comes in the the room like shouldn’t even recognize me like i was so puffed up and blown up they had filled me up with fluids and um just there was a full staff was in there he monitored me around the clock machines going crazy vent was pumping air in my chest kept helping me to breathe like i was being kept alive by machines at that point and they were doing around the clock blood transfusions just around the clock, just non-stop. You know, they ended up allowing her to stay in the room with me, in the SICU room, which is not.[27:26] Not protocol. Typically, they say, you know, no one can stay in here. You have to go stay somewhere else. But they let her stay in the room with me just because they didn’t they didn’t think I was going to make it. So she’s she dealt with that for, you know, the first night. And then it was just a roller coaster over the next 12 days. That’s how long I was in a coma over the next 12 days of not knowing if I was going to make it, not knowing what the next surgery was going to discover, you know, how bad everything was going to be. But yeah, that was such a crazy ride. And I can briefly talk about it here, but the book does a really good job of[28:03] explaining it all in detail. And basically, you’re going through every moment, every day that she went through in those basically two weeks of chaos.[28:15] Steph, what is one of the most asked questions we get about Tell Us a Good Story? Do I really get that excited? Besides that one. Oh, how do we get all these incredible guests? Correct. And some of our best conversations have been with guests who our listeners have reached out to us and said, you should talk to this person. To name just a few, Nick Vujicic, Coach Tom Ryan, Carol Matico were all recommendations from our listeners. So if there’s someone you would like us to interview and think they might be a great fit for Tell Us a Good Story, please let us know at KevinAndSteph.com. You don’t even have to personally know them. True. But do me a favor. Before you submit their names, please make sure they are still alive. That has actually happened and it is super hard for me to find their contact information but regardless thank you for listening to tell us a good story you basically died or could have died did you have any walking to the light or see heaven or have any remembrance of those 12 days while you’re in the coma.[29:15] I did not know. So I did have some crazy dreams. And if they were dreams, who knows? That’s what I’m calling it. But the dreams were so real, I thought they actually happened after I had woke up, after two weeks. It took my family a week to convince me, like, nope, you’ve been here this whole time. You’ve been laying in this hospital bed in this room for two weeks. You have not been out in the world doing whatever you think you’ve been doing. And, you know, it was it was really like my mind was blown almost because even today, you know, I still feel like those dreams and all that was like a part of my life. Like they’ve stuck with me that much. Wow. Yeah. So it was really crazy. And, you know, some of it could have been due to, you know, the medications I was on and, you know, everything else. But, yes, no afterlife experience. But it was it was like another life experience. And I guess if that’s a better way to put it.[30:15] So Matt, at one point you wake up, but at what point do you find out you don’t have a leg? Oh, I was going to ask him that. Yeah. So that was not too long after I woken up. So that was another one of the tough things that Leanna had to go through. Because when I woke up, I was like a character. I was on all these medications. I was saying all this crazy stuff. It was funny. It was also not funny. kind of sad at the same time it was just a whole mixed bag of emotions so due to phantom pain.[30:48] I’ve still felt my leg. So it’s as an amputee and not maybe not everybody understands this. You have what is called is a phantom sensation or phantom pain. So basically what it is, is it the limb that is gone feels like it’s still there. Like even right now, as I’m talking, you know, like I can still feel my left leg, like it’s still there. I feel it. Yeah. So when I woke up, I felt like my leg was still there. You know, it kind of felt it doesn’t feel the same. It kind of felt like it was itching, like my foot was asleep or something like that, you know. And so I kept telling people like, hey, can you scratch my left leg? Like, can you scratch my foot or whatever? And I would just get these blank stares from people. And I was like, what’s going on? Like, what’s the deal? Like, just scratch my foot. And I’ll never forget, you know, Leanna was she was worried about telling me, you know, because of my she didn’t know how I would react. And so she had called my dad and said, hey, he’s he’s asking about his leg. You know, he was she was like, I don’t know what to say. And I was like, I’ll talk to him, you know.[31:48] So I’m sitting in the hospital, hospital bed, you know, being kind of a character, being kind of crazy. And my dad walks in the room, got a real serious look on his face. And my dad’s a big guy. He filled up the doorframe, basically walking in the room. And he sat down on the end of my bed. He kind of looked down at the floor for a minute. Then he turned and he looked at me and he had tears in his eyes. And I was like, what’s his deal? You know, what’s going on? I’m like, I’m good. He looked at me. He said, son, I had to take your leg to save your life. So your leg is gone. And, you know, immediately I was just kind of like, oh, OK. Didn’t really know what to say. Like, it’s never anything I pictured or imagined for my life. Right.[32:40] And, you know, just kind of hit me and. By no means were we done talking about it, but I just looked back up at him, and I said, all right, Dad, could you at least go get me some mac and cheese or something? Because, like, I had been starving. They wouldn’t feed me. So, like, that’s what I counter him with. I look at him, and I’m like, can you get me mac and cheese now that I’ve lost my leg? So he laughed. He laughed because it was kind of funny in the moment. But by no means were we done talking about it, you know.[33:07] But, yeah, it was just one of those things where, like, in the moment, it just kind of hits you. And it’s so shocking you don’t know how to react yeah so my go-to was just comedy you know a little bit of comic relief but it’s still tough today it’s something that you know life is just different it’s just different but we’re just doing our best and we’re making it one day at a time so so once you go to the hospital right you end up getting this prosthetic leg but matt you’re six foot six. So like how hard was it to one, make the thing to figure out how to use it? Because that is a huge prosthetic. Yeah. So I was in the hospital for about two months. And then during that two month span, I had a guy reach out to my dad and he had heard my story. And my story went like viral because the headlines were LSU football players shot by dog. That was what all the headlines went, Right. Which was crazy. But it actually ended up being a good thing because a lot of people heard about it, you know. And so this one guy, he heard about it. He reached out to my dad and he said, hey, I’ve got a son who has prosthetic legs.[34:19] And he said, I’d love to talk with you and, you know, consult with you a little bit about, you know, what what it’s going to look like moving forward to try to get a prosthetic made. He said, I know a guy and his name is David Rotter and he’s in Chicago, Illinois. That’s where his practitioner office is. So he was like, hey, I’d like to offer to fly him down to Jackson to visit with your son, with me in the hospital. And he’s telling my dad this. So that was like, yeah, sure. Why not? you know so david rotter flies into jackson mississippi from chicago and comes and just sits down with me in the hospital and just kind of laid it all out for me he’s like hey man, your amputation is really tough it is one of the hardest lower leg amputations if not the hardest to deal with and to be able to walk with so he laid it out for me right then and there and so after i had gone through the the rehab process and felt like i had built up enough strength i I reached back out to David and I said, hey, I want to come up there and I want to work with you to build prosthetic for me to use. He was like, yeah, sure. So we booked the time about probably about five to six months after I had been shot. So five to six months post accident, we traveled to Chicago, Illinois to get a prosthetic made.[35:32] So basically, I lost my entire left leg. I have no hip, no knee,[35:37] no ankle. The whole thing’s gone. And I’m six foot six. so that’s like that’s a long leg to replace there like it’s about four feet total my prosthetic so we travel to chicago and he builds the whole thing in three days which is now i understand how crazy that is david he has a special gift he is a special talent for um building prosthetics so i show up and he builds me one up in three days and i’ll never forget whenever he had it all completed, he walks out of his back office where his shop is. He walks out with it. I’m in the lobby, like sitting on the couch. And he’s holding this huge, like, hunk of metal. It’s a little over four feet long. And it weighs 15 pounds. Oh, my gosh. And I’m looking at it like, what am I going to do with that?[36:27] That’s just like a long broomstick, what it looks like. And he was like, you’re going to put it on, you know. So I put it on, and the way I have to put it on, so I, like, set my whole body in it, and I strap it on like a belt. Like, you tighten it up like a belt. So it’s not like your typical prosthetic where you use, like, a suction device or a clip-in. And you have to literally strap it on like a belt, like a pair of pants almost. So I put it on and I look at him like with big eyes, like now what? Like, what do I do? Like, this does not feel like a leg at all. Like, it just feels like, like I’m just walking, like I have a stick attached to me. Like, how is this going to work? And then he starts explaining it and, you know, talking about having my chest up and not looking down at the floor. I’m like, how am I not going to look down at the floor? Like, I got to figure out where this thing is going to go because literally I can’t feel it. So I’m literally walking on faith. Like this leg is going to swing. It’s going to land flat on the floor because if it doesn’t land flat, it’ll bend and then I’ll fall. It’s going to land flat on the floor. And then when I put all my weight on it, it’s not going to break. So you’re literally walking on faith with this prosthetic. So, after about 30, 40 minutes of walking back and forth in some parallel bars.[37:45] He was like, all right, man, I’ve seen enough. I think you’re ready to go. So I like took a step out of these parallel bars, my security, my comfort, my safety, you know, so I don’t fall and just start walking across the room, walking across the floor in the room. You know, he couldn’t believe it. The guy who built it, David, he was like, dude, I have never, ever seen anybody walk day one with this type of prosthetic. It was like, that is very rare to see anything like this. And, you know, like I tell people, I was an athlete with two legs. I’m still an athlete with one leg. It’s just, it’s not the same for everybody. I’ve been, I’ve definitely been blessed by God with the ability to be able to physically do this, you know, and then the mindset to have the strength to push myself every day to make sure I’m strong enough, make sure, you know, I’m in good enough shape to be able to walk. But, yeah, so getting the prosthetic and all of that, you know, that’s that’s pretty much all I had dreamed about for about, I would say, five months. I was like, this is what’s going to give me my life back.[38:50] Well, I gained all my independence back. You know, I can go and I can do things and went back to work and did all of that. But it’s nowhere near a real day. It’s just tough. It’s big. It’s clunky. It doesn’t move quite the same. It sucks all your energy out and you know immediately I just kind of fell back into the pit like Alright, this is it. This is my life. This is as good as it’s gonna get right here, you know But you know God God tends to use our our dark moments He tends to use them to speak to us, you know, and that’s that’s precisely what ended up happening from there You know, I got my leg. I thought everything was gonna be great. I thought we were gonna move on with life and, And then the reality sunk in, went back to a dark place, and then God revealed himself to me. And that’s really where the book started. That’s where the book comes in because, you know, I’m depressed. I’m down. I don’t know how we’re going to keep going like this. I don’t know how we’re going to live life like this. I had all these dreams before, and they’re all gone now.[39:52] So I’m sitting in my truck one day, just depressed, whatever, listening to the Unashamed podcast, Phil Robertson’s podcast. And all of a sudden, it was just like it’s like God spoke to me like he just said now. And like I started shaking and I didn’t know what was going on. And it was like it was like he just hit me over the head and said, look, man, you’ve you’ve known of me basically your whole life. Like I grew up in church. I did all these things as a kid. He said, but you haven’t known me. You’ve known of me, but you haven’t known me.[40:28] And immediately I was just like, I’ve got all this basic understanding. I’ve got all this basic knowledge, but I need to go back. I need to revisit this. And I went home and sat down. I just started typing at my desk and I typed for four days straight. Didn’t stop typing for four days. And then after that four days,[40:45] I had wrote the book that you’re holding in your hand right there. Yeah. Wrote that book out in four days. And then, you know, from there, it’s just been a whirlwind. Man, it’s been a journey all the way to here talking with you guys today.[40:59] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a co-worker, or share one of our posts on social media. However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody. Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us. Yep. Go on with your merry day. And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. So you went from basically blaming God for the incident, what happened, to this attitude of, I’m thankful and look at the opportunities, right? The good things that have come from this. Yes, exactly. Exactly. You know, it’s hard to see positive things coming from a situation like we went through, but, you know, I can fully attest to, you know, how God has used this tough circumstance in my life to, you know, just be a little bit of a light in so many other people’s lives. And I’ve been able to share my story.[42:06] Oh, dozens and dozens of times now, you know, speaking on podcast and speaking at churches, you know, I talk at a lot of churches and schools and banquets and, you know, corporate events, whatever it is. And I’m just amazed by how God has used one of the darkest moments in my life to be a light in other people’s lives. And it’s just it’s truly just mind blowing. And it just rocked my world, rocked my family’s world. And, you know, I’m truly, truly grateful for it. I’m truly grateful for the experience and everything now. Not to say that it’s not tough, but it’s definitely worth it in the end.[42:46] How’s your wife doing? Because her world has shifted. did. Yeah. So it’s, I mean, it’s tough for her too, because she’s had to, you know, definitely pick up some of the pieces that I just physically can’t do. Like I can’t lift certain things around the house or carry certain things around. So she’s, she’s kind of filling in the gaps, but you know, we’re, we’re in it together. We’re working together as much as we can, but I will say, you know, for anybody out there listening, you know, like we could definitely use your prayers because it’s, it’s a constant struggle. It’s a constant battle every single day, you know, but overall she’s doing good with it. You know, we both kind of understand the big picture here now and we’re not so drawn down, you know, when the little inconveniences pop up throughout each day, um, you know, because we, we have just such a better view of the big picture overall now with the whole situation. So, and now you have two children, which I can only imagine Imagine, Matt, how grateful you are to experience life with your kids. But, of course, kids say crazy stuff. So when kids see you in public, how do they react when they see this giant leg that they’ve never seen before? So what do you say to kids?[44:00] It’s best to have a few prepared statements for kids because they are going to ask. Yes. So I’ve had… Actually, just last week, my son’s school, he’s in kindergarten, and they had a career day. They had asked me to come and be one of the speakers for career day.[44:22] Before school that morning, Barrett looked at me. His name’s Barrett. He’s six. He looked at me and he said, hey, Dad, could you not wear your leg to school today? I was like, okay, why? He was like, cause when I tell my friends, you only have one leg, they don’t believe me. You know, I was like, okay, I get it. He was like, nobody believes me. So I was like, I’m not, I said, I was like, I’m going to wear the leg. I was like, but I’ll wear shorts with it just so people can see, you know, he was like, okay, okay. That’ll work.[44:53] I use crutches a lot around the house. You know, I don’t always wear it. So I go to the school and I mean, talking to the kindergartners and first graders and they all are just like, do you know you have a metal leg? I’m like, really? Like, you’re telling me this now? But they’re just full of questions. You know, I’ve come up, tried to come up with some prepared statements. And I’ll say like, well, you know, I didn’t eat enough vegetables when I was little. And one day it just fell off, you know, or the dog took it. Like, have you seen it? Like, if you see it, chase the dog down, you know. Just try to come up with funny stuff that parents will also approve of, you know, because you could say some things that might cause nightmares or something. Right. I was just going to say that. I was like, how many moms appreciate your vegetable statement? Oh, I’m sure. I’m literally like, yes, Matt. That’s exactly what happens. See what happens? Yeah, yeah. See, I’m telling you to do the right thing here. You better listen to me. Yeah, no, they like that one. They like that one. So I tend to use that one the most when I get asked. All right. I just have one final question.[45:57] Do you still hunt? Yeah. Oh, yeah. I went hunting like three weeks after I got out of the hospital. Did you really? Yeah. Crazy like that. What did your wife, what’s your doctor, what were their reactions then when you’re like, no, I’m going out to hunt again?[46:13] Leanna was not happy. She’s not happy. She was like, what is wrong with this guy? Are you kidding me? You almost died doing this, and now you’re going back. But no, it’s been a part of my whole life. And it’s not the hunting that caused it. It was me. It was my fault. It was user error, I guess you’d say, is the reason it all happened. So, yeah, I mean, I don’t hunt as much as I used to, mainly just because of kids and family life has just kind of taken over. But I still go. I still hunt quite a bit. Oh, that’s awesome. That is awesome. Good for you.[46:51] Well, listeners, for more information about Matt, you can go to social media pages. Instagram is matt.underscore.branch. His Facebook is at mattbranch. And we’ll put links in our show notes. So you can click on those and go right to those social media pages. And his book. His book. Which is so good. Titled Nobody’s Gonna Die Today. It’s at Amazon. It’s at barnesandnobles.com. And I would highly recommend this because there’s a lot of details Matt wasn’t able to go through, right? Just because of time. But what I really appreciate is the perspective from his wife, right? And Matt, like myself, you married a saint, my friend.[47:29] No doubt. She went through, but to get her perspective at the hospital about getting home and life is completely different. But then, Matt, all of the stuff you went through in regards to how the community stepped up and helped, even with a blood drive, was very, very moving. So I would highly, highly recommend this book. Hey, question. Do you know how many pints of blood you received over that whole time? Time they told us it was over 300 wasn’t that a record or something yes i mean gotta be a record somewhere i don’t i really don’t know but yeah that’s it was over 300 units total oh and there’s a great story in the book steph about how they got that amount of blood so there’s a great story around that so another reason to get that to get the book yes well matt thank you so much for doing this. I know you’ve shared your story, like you said, dozens of times, but I appreciate you coming here and sharing this with us and our listeners on Tell Us a Good Story. Thank you. Thanks, Matt. Yeah, thank y’all very much for the opportunity. I really appreciate y’all too.[48:31] Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcasts app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review. You. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
The post Episode 219: Matt Branch appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Doug McNamee is the former president of the Magnolia Network and current president of Field & Stream.
Doug and his wife were actually the very first couple that filmed the pilot episode of Fixer Upper with Chip & Joanna Gaines! A few of the stories in this episode include…
– How hard it is to watch that very first episode…and how nervous they were when their home was revealed.
– What happened when the time came for them to sell their Fixer Upper home. Did they sell it at a premium price?
– What it’s like to be friends with a celebrity couple, including a hilarious story of fan interactions with Chip Gaines.
– One of the most incredible engagement stories of when Doug proposed to his wife.
– How he immediately became very popular after being named president of Magnolia.
– AND…how Doug is partnering with Eric Church and Morgan Wallen to rebrand the new Field & Stream.
This interview actually took Kevin two years to schedule with Doug…and it was worth the wait! Please enjoy this conversation with our new friend, Doug McNamee.
Guest DetailsWebsite: fieldandstream.com
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Today’s conversation has been about two years in the making. When we initially reached out to our next guest, he was president of the Magnolia Network. Now he is the president of the new Field & Stream brand. Two great jobs and lots of great stories with Mr. Doug McNamee. You guys, not only was this man president of Magnolia with Chip and Joanna, but he and his wife were the homeowners on the very first episode of Fixer Upper. That show would go on to become one of the top shows in cable television history. So how hard was it for them to eventually sell that house? And how hard was it for him to watch the episode? And what is it like to be close friends and try to go out in public with celebrities? Doug shared a hilarious story of going to a Baylor football game one time with Chip and the reactions they got from everyone at the game. It was actually very, very funny. You guys, we can’t wait for here this conversation with Mr. Doug McNamee.[0:57] I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery. Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However, today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible. And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day. Welcome to Tell Us a Good Story.[1:50] Chip and joanna please share us with your friends but regardless thank you for listening to tell us a good story all right stuff oh my gosh this kevin is two years in the making kevin and i’ve talked to this next guest on the phone i think twice and i’m excited for him to actually meet you oh i’m so excited about this i have so many questions for him well friends our next guest is a baylor university graduate he’s the former president of magnolia where he worked directly with chip and Joanna Gaines. And today he’s the president of the Field and Stream brand, which just relaunched this past January. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us a Good Story, Mr. Doug McNamee. Doug McNamee, he’s here. Thanks guys. Doug. Great to be with you. Thank you for doing this. Hands down, this is probably the longest I’ve been in interaction with someone. You are very patient. You are kind. I don’t know if I merit the patience and the pursuit that you had to get me on this, but I’m grateful. I hope I can live up to the expectations and the billing. It’s going to be worth the wait. Guaranteed. I hope so. No pressure. You’re right. No pressure. Exactly.[2:57] So now you’re part of Field and Stream. Are you like a fishing and hunting expert at this point? I’m assuming you are. No, I would say I’m as much of a fishing and hunting expert as I was a home decor export when I led Magnolia for Chip and Joe. So I dabble in it. I grew up on the coast and I enjoy fishing and I enjoy hunting. But there are far, far more knowledgeable people, especially on our staff in the actual spaces than myself. So I know it. And I know that other people are far better at it than I am. I should say are you hunting with gun are you more arrow oh uh yeah definitely don’t have the skill set to to hunt with a bow if i’m gonna bring something down i gotta use it i’ve got to be able to use a rifle or shotgun i’m not i’m not the accuracy of the boat what do you okay do you have any good fishing stories then at this point then doug i’ve got a couple good you know big ones that got away um landed a couple but i didn’t have my camera everybody’s gonna have a few of those stories. Yes. So I could give you all those, but I’ve got to build out a little bit more of a portfolio to be taken serious.[4:00] So none are on your wall right now is what you’re saying. I mean, the biggest ones, you know, of course I didn’t, I didn’t have them, you know, I didn’t have the camera nearby when I got them. Right. That’s the story. That’s the way all the fishing stories go, but I’ve got, I’ve got some good ones. I got some sweet ones with my little girls and maybe not the biggest ones, but definitely some great stories around the ones we have been able document oh i love that okay so can you share the story doug of how you met chip and joanna gains because there’s a lot we can unpack there but can you share the initial sort of how you actually met them there in waco.[4:34] Absolutely. So, you know, Chip and Joe were twofold. One, Joanna had the retail store, a little shop on Bosque. That’s kind of where she had found her passion in just in kind of early years as she was kind of deciding what she wanted to do professionally coming out of school. And Chip was on the remodeling side. And they had built a nice business here in Waco, Magnolia, both was the name of the store and also the remodeling business. And they were active remodelers in the home space in Waco with obviously pre any kind of media or TV thing. And so wife and I had, um, and there was a specific neighborhood, which they lived in, which a lot of the homes in Waco had turned over old historic, beautiful neighborhood, but there was a lot of homes that were being renovated. And we really just kind of cold called them and said, Hey, we we’ve heard good things. We know a few people that, um, you’ve done the remodel for, and we’d love for you guys to come over and do our home. And so they did our house pre any fixer up for fame. And they did an amazing job. Like we were incredibly happy, had a great experience, beautiful design, excellent quality of work, great value. And so that really is where the relationship started. And my wife found another home that was, you know, three or four blocks away from our existing place we’d lived in for a few years. And it had a for sale sign by Magnolia Realty. And so she called Joanna and said, Hey, what’s the story on this house?[5:55] And they said, it’s for sale. You need to move quick because it’s in this desirable neighborhood. So it’s going to go fast. It’s a total gut job. You’re going to have to redo it. But if you guys are interested, you should do it.[6:05] So wife was like, hey, I was out of town. She reached out. I found a cool house. This is a little bit off of a less busier street. And I’d love for us to explore. I was like, great, let’s go. And so we start to explore and we got to move fast. So this is a span of a day or two that’s It’s like either you got to make an offer or get out of the way. And during that time, Chip and Joe reached out and said, hey, I know this is weird, but there’s actually a production company that’s reached out to us and they’re interested in capturing us flipping a home with a couple. And we think this home and you all could be a great story for us to help do that with. And so it sounded cool. It sounded awesome. But it also was a legitimate, serious financial decision. So you needed to kind of set aside the two things and say, hey, we got to make a good call on it. Does this make sense for us financially? And if this also happens to include that aspect of it, great. But I would, I’d be lying if I told you initially it was a little bit of a distraction because you’re, you’re, it’s, this isn’t like they’re going to do the work for free. Right. You had to pay for it all. So we were really trying to be thoughtful in our decision making. And so.[7:08] Long story short, we ended up buying the house. They did the remodeling. And at that point, they’d been contacted and they had a production company that had chosen them to film a pilot for Fixer Upper. And so that house and we were the couple in the house for the pilot episode. Initially, they didn’t even say that that episode was going to make HGTV. They said, hey, we’re going to film it and we’re going to show it to a focus group. If the focus group likes it, then we’ll get to run it as kind of a one show special. If that does well, then there may be something more out of this thing. And so they filmed it. I think they knew right when they filmed it, you know, less of anything to do with us and more just, you know, Chip and Joe being naturally who they are, that they had something special and they caught it and filmed it and went and said, hey, this is going straight to air. We’re going to put it on. And it aired on May 23rd, 2013 is when that episode aired. And before I think before the episode even aired, they had already signed them up for a full season. They knew that they had something super special. And so we had them do a house and had a great experience. And then a couple of years later, we had them do another house, but it just happened to be the pilot episode of what became one of the most successful shows on cable television history.[8:20] All right, Steph, I’ve got a question for you. What’s your favorite book of all time? Obviously you met her where? Oh, I thought you were going to say the Bible. Oh, oops. What’s your second favorite book of all time? You met her where?[8:39] A distant second totally distant it’s pretty good book sorry god it’s still a pretty good book but we’re so excited where can people get our book okay i know this uh amazon.com yes barnes and noble yes and and our website kevinstuff.com and what happens if they buy it off our website what do they get uh an autograph from us yes who wouldn’t want that so listeners if you’ve already read the book. Thank you so much. We’ve had such good feedback. One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.[9:18] Okay, a lot to unpack there. So Doug and his wife are literally and that was my very first fun fact. Yeah, Doug and his wife were the initial pilot of Fixer Upper with Chip and Joe. Okay. Have you, did you ever watch the episode? I’ve seen it once. It’s not a, um, I would say it’s not a fun experience to watch yourself go through that on TV. Cause you’re like the amount of times that you like Brown at pricing conversations. You’re like, like I’m not a natural for this. Right. So I’m, this isn’t what I’m trained or exceptional at. So I would say it was a little bit of a painful experience just watching yourself, but obviously the episode was great and Chip and Joe are amazing, but I’ve seen it from start to finish one time okay my goodness so i have not watched that episode duck did you i wouldn’t i wouldn’t recommend it take your take take 47 minutes and apply it somewhere else did you end up doing any demo then with chip in that house on that pilot yes like like me personally yes.[10:17] No no no okay they didn’t they were gonna let that happen that was that was probably you know probably some compliance folks that would have said don’t let this guy do this um so no i let Let the experts handle that. I stayed away from that. Okay. How nervous were you then, you and your wife, when they’re revealing it to you, right? Because they haven’t even, this is the first time they have done this. Yes. Right? Sure. So how nervous are you and your wife when they’re revealing, here’s what it looks like?[10:42] Yeah, well, so they told first of all, you have to remember, this house is three blocks away from our current house. And they told us, yes, they told us, hey, don’t don’t go by that house. Like, we really want to capture an authentic moment. We really want this to be like, when you quote, reveal it, we want it to be the first time you’ve seen it. And so, I mean, we literally drove down a street every day, where if we took one turn to the right, that within a second, we’d see that house. And I can say with certainty, like we wanted to have a cool moment, like we didn’t do it. Like we truly honored that request and we never went by and saw it so like when they did their famous you know pull the curtain back in this case it’s kind of a like a metal stand that had the old picture that they split apart you see it like it was the the first time we had seen it since the actual like like when it was stripped down to nothing and so nervous i wouldn’t say i mean we this was our second home with them and we had a high level of trust with them and then add on the fact that we’re like these guys have a lot at stake here like they’ve got a potential right you know television show we we knew like we we trusted them on its own but then when you throw that aspect of it like oh they’re going to knock this out you know they’re going to be amazing at it and they obviously were and that’s why they’ve been so successful but i wouldn’t say it was nerves i think it was excitement and anxiousness but like we truly honored the request and didn’t see the the house before before that on moment where they rolled it back okay okay okay from the time that you’re like okay we signed the papers we want this house to when they pull back the curtain. How long of a span was that?[12:08] It was quick. It’s probably like three months. I mean, in that particular scenario, they needed it from a TV talent. You know, there was commitments as far as like how quickly they needed to get it done. And so it was a grind. I mean, you know, it’s easy for us because we just signed the papers and kind of gave direction. But like they grinded it like to a point where, you know, I think they were having to kind of ask for forgiveness from neighbors for like some extended hours of working on the property property, to be able to accomplish it. But yeah, it was not a typical construction project. They were definitely overlapping, kind of overstepping to hopefully get it done. And they did. Okay. So at some point you move, is it tough to tell them, hey, all this work you did on this house, we’re putting on the market? Like, is it tough to have that conversation with them? Or they’re like, no, go ahead. Totally understand. No, you know, we, at the time it was just wife So we had no kids. And so we had our first shortly thereafter. And then a second, it wasn’t a house that was super conducive. It had stairs and a lot of stairs. And so it wasn’t great for for young kids. And so it was hard. We love that house. But for us, it was just we needed a house that could accommodate our needs of the family. And they were great. It wasn’t a you know, I think there was there became a little bit as the show became more and more prominent. And I think opportunists that saw kind of the financial chance to do it and then to, you know, get their upside. And I think that the show had to be a lot more intentional producers about finding people who really wanted to.[13:33] Do it for the longevity of it being their family home. And so we were there for, you know, we were there for, I think, three or four years after it filmed and loved the home. And actually, my wife still misses the neighborhood, but just needed to grow for what our family was. So, you know, we actually sold it. A lot of people started to take advantage of the buzz of that. And you had people coming from out of town buying these houses so they could say that at Fixer Upper House. And in our situation, we actually sold it to someone who was a missionary who had come back from overseas and didn’t even really know anything about the show. It just knew where they wanted to live. And so it really was a great example. It wasn’t like, oh, they wanted to take advantage of, oh, we want to fix her up. It was like, no, we love this home. It’s a beautiful home. Credit to the Gaines. But like, we don’t care about the show. We just want to be in this neighborhood. So for that purpose, I think it was really ideal because all the intents, I think, were genuine in honoring to the original purpose of what the renovation was all about. Oh, I love that. Because I was curious if you were going to have like, are people marketing these homes as fixer upper homes? And there’s a premium now. I was curious about that. It became a challenge that they had to kind of proactively address by saying, hey, they had to do a little bit more further homework to ensure people were buying it for the purpose of really making it their family home. So there was an opportunity. I think people started to exploit it a little bit. But for us, definitely it was a situation where we were loving it. We missed that home, but just wasn’t picking up where we were going. Yeah. Hey, Steph, I didn’t even think about that with buying this home, I want to be on TV. Yeah, for sure.[15:02] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a coworker, or share one of our posts on social media. However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody. Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us. Yep. Go on with your merry day. And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, Be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[15:32] All right. Next fun fact about Doug. Doug grew up in Waco, Texas, went to undergrad at Baylor, worked at Baylor, and apparently was introduced to his wife by the head basketball coach at Baylor, Scott Drew. Really?[15:48] So I got to stop you. I didn’t grow up in Waco. You did not? Okay. No. So I grew up in Lake Jackson. Jackson oh like Jackson okay and came to school at Waco so okay so that’s when you got to thank you yeah you bet thank you okay so how did you get a national championship basketball coach to play matchmaker for you Doug and can you share the story of like when you ended up proposing to your wife can you share that story with Steph, Yes. So first of all, he is an awesome human being. His family is incredible. And his intent, you know, is genuine in terms of his care for other folks. And so this is one of the many lives that he’s touched, Coach Shroof. And we happen to be a beneficiary of his kindness. And she, my wife was a babysitter for them, watched their daughter and she was in school and had just some mutual friends of Kelly, Scott’s wife, who had connected them. And so she was a babysitter that they use on a regular basis. And they just said, hey, I worked in college athletics at the time. And they were just kind enough to say, hey, this would be a great couple. So they played matchmaker and set us up on a date. And to their credit, obviously, it worked out well. As far as the actual engagement, you want the details of that? Well, I know how you proposed. Okay. So can you share the story of how you proposed there? That’s impressive because I’m trying to think. There’s not a whole lot of people that maybe know that story. So that’s good research. Thank you.[17:12] So, okay. Here’s the quick story. I gave my wife a puzzle for her in one month in advance of her birthday. And I gave her the puzzle and I said, hey, you’ve got one month to complete this puzzle. And if you do, I’ll give you something even nicer on your birthday. So I said, you got a month, let’s figure it out. And so I had a picture of the two of us and I had gotten a ring Photoshopped, an engagement ring Photoshopped on her hand. And so I did the puzzle and I obviously took the pieces of the ring out.[17:47] Um so that she didn’t she didn’t know what’s going on and so so i gave her the box minus like three pieces and so i was like hey get this done and we’ll have a we’ll have a better gift for you on your birthday and so i went to pick her up on her birthday and she’s crying because she couldn’t complete the puzzle because she thought she lost the pieces so she had the puzzle laid out and she literally has opened the door and she’s in tears and she’s like i’m so sad i’m so sorry like i lost these pieces and like, I felt bad. I was like, Oh, you probably should have thought about like the potential impact associated with that emotionally. But I was like, it’s all right. We got to roll with it. So I said, I said, Hey, don’t worry about it. We’re all good. So I had lined up a surprise quote birthday party for her with a bunch of friends at a restaurant. And so she had no idea. So we drive over there, we come in surprise. It’s her, you know, her friends, her family, et cetera. And everybody’s there thinks it’s a birthday party. So we go on, I have a great day, et cetera. Everything’s all gone great. I have a great dinner, not day. And at the end of it, I was like, hey, we need to go do dessert elsewhere. Like this seems like a moment we should go find dessert elsewhere. So I had a trolley pull over at that time. Everybody in the building loads up and goes in the trolley. And I was like, hey, that’s crowded. Let’s you and I take a different car. So trolley goes off and it goes over to what is now the old football stadium for Baylor. But they take all the friends and family they take up into one of the sky suites.[19:14] So that they can watch what’s going on. And I blindfold Lacey, drive her to the stadium.[19:20] And I had friends that had helped. And so on the 50 yard line, there was a stool with a box. And in the suite, the picture that was at their house had been picked up and moved and put into the suite.[19:31] So I blindfold her. I stop. We get out, walk her over. I set her on the stool. I said, OK, it’s your birthday. You got one more present to open up. And so she opens the present. And obviously inside the box are the three remaining puzzle pieces. And she can see by connecting them that it’s a ring on a finger. So I was like, all right, so we have a deal here. You’ve got the puzzle completed. So you get to win the prize. Right. You get the next gift. And so so I gave her another box, which was the ring and and the rest is history. And so the great thing about that was, one, and she got to go up and put the actual puzzle pieces in the real puzzle with her family there. And I tell folks the best thing about that story is that it gave a chance for everybody to be a part of it. But it was still a private moment for us. So it’s like you could see it from afar and you can observe it. And imagine being in a football stadium with nobody in it with all the lights off and the spotlight on the 50-yard line. And so you can see it and you knew it was special. And so her family and friends could say, hey, we’re a part of it, but from a distance. So it worked out well. It’s probably my single greatest moment of creativity and innovation. My wife would say it’s all been downhill from there. But no, all kidding aside, it was a fun night. It really worked out well and everything went off with a lot of help as planned. Do you have the puzzle still?[20:50] Yes, signed by everybody that went to the party and framed in our house next to a picture of the stool with the spotlight and the actual picture on top of it. So yeah, we do. I love that. Okay, that’s even better than I thought. Oh, that’s really good. You did it in the football stadium with the spotlight with the stool. I didn’t know about the puzzle and all that. So that’s even more creative. I’ve never heard of the puzzle before. That’s really good. Amazing. How did you come up with the puzzle? I don’t know. It was back when I was really thoughtful and creative. I will say this. Don’t do black and white. That made it real hard. But it turned out really well. It was a special night for sure.[21:34] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it. Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where. But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas. Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where? At kevinandsteph.com. And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want. And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[22:05] All right, Steph. Next fun fact about Doug here. So 19 years after going to Baylor as a freshman and eventually becoming the Senior Associate Athletics Director at Baylor. Doug left his position there for a once-in-a-lifetime job, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with Chip and Joe, and became the president at Magnolia, which was and has been one of the fastest-growing brands in the country. So, Doug, I’m curious. When you were named president of Magnolia, did everyone just come out of the woodwork, Doug? It was like pitching you ideas, wanting to meet Chip and Joe. Like, hey, let me tell you this idea about TV, right? Right. Did like what’s what happened when they named you that? Yeah, I mean, it’s a it was I mean, they are highly sought after personalities and have been incredibly successful. And so getting close to them and getting them to be a part of something or speak or partner, et cetera, like they still to this day have a tremendous amount of outreach that comes their way. And so, yeah, anybody that gets involved in their web, you know, they definitely feel that. And when you lead the company, you definitely feel that because everybody understands the power associated with the brand.[23:18] And so, yeah, you all of a sudden got real popular for access and for reasons that many times were pure, like many times truly like well-intended opportunities, but obviously a lot that you have to bet and kind of sit through. Yeah um i felt a little bit of what they feel and i think that their approachability is kind of like normal people where people feel like even more inclined to try to reach out to them or to tell their story or they see them out in public as opposed to a traditional celebrity who may have a little bit of a buffer associated with it so like i saw a lot of it and definitely felt a lot of that outreach because people saw me as a route to get to them as well too so yeah the dynamics was definitely changed after after that day for sure for all of us did you have any like weird pitches yes like somebody that’s not tracking you down at the airport or anything like that for for like yeah yeah i mean um yes there was definitely i mean i would say there were some pretty elaborate pitches as far as like people who want to come work for the company who would send stuff or send videos or send some pretty extravagant ideas and i mean there was also So I would say oftentimes other communities that recognize the impact of Chip and Joe on Waco that wanted to replicate that. And they would make pitches for why they should be the next the second location of the silos in Magnolia.[24:39] And some, I would say, just like off the wall concepts and ideas and like towns that you may have never heard of. Well, people probably said the same about, you know, Waco before Chip and Joe in some regard. So it wasn’t crazy, but I became much more geographically educated with towns trying to reach out and seeing if they could get the next brick and mortar of Magnolia manifestation come to their town. That definitely was an interesting part of the equation. I bet.[25:04] Okay. So final question on them, because you saw a lot when you were working with them and even being close friends with them, Doug. Sure. What’s one of the more unique fan interactions that you’ve seen that they’ve had to deal with, right? Right. Because their life changed completely once Fixer Upper went on the air and then even more so once they started Magnolia. So I guess what’s what’s one of the interesting things you’ve seen them like, oh, my gosh, have to have to deal with because they are so approachable and everybody thinks they’re like their best friends.[25:34] Yeah, I mean, and they and they span across so many different demographics where people are attracted to them and love them. And I would say, first of all, they’re very distinctive looking individuals like you can recognize them in a crowd. And so they don’t blend in. It’s not like you’re like they can kind of, you know, occasionally you’ll see Joe put a hat on and try to stay low profile. And Chip has such a distinctive look. He was always wearing those boots and the jeans and the white T-shirt, the aviator shades and the hat on backwards. So they don’t kind of blend into the landscape well. So they deal with that. I would say I won’t identify the individual.[26:10] But a very prominent politician that we were with at a football game who had hosted us for a football game had Chip as a guest. And as we were progressing through the pregame and the stadium, everybody was wanting pictures with Chip. Like I watched this happen. Everybody wanted to get a picture with Chip. and a lot of people were handing the phone to this to this very prominent politician and saying can you take our picture and he didn’t like it i’ll just say that like i think one or two times into it he’s like yeah i can do this and then it’s like oh these people don’t even know who i am and this is in this person’s geographical um the region so he probably should have been pretty well known and yet i think people were so excited and enamored with chip that they literally were handing the phone saying to this guy, take my picture. And he didn’t care for it. A couple of times he went with it. And a couple of times it was like, no, I’m not doing that. So that became pretty entertaining to watch. I mean, like sports figures, I guess, like politicians, celebrities.[27:12] Actresses, like you name it. Yeah. Like they all had this tremendous affection and still do for Chip and Joe because they’re everyday people, right? Everyday challenges that people just love and gravitate to. And it’s been fascinating to watch for sure. I think that’s what makes them so special yeah right because we relate to them yes and they’re authentic what what they appear to be on on the surface is exactly who they are there is no disingenuous nature to them at all that’s amazing all right final fun fact doug is now the president of the new field and stream brand that was announced this past january the iconic magazine which dates back to 1871 i didn’t know that over 150 years is making a comeback with the help of doug and country musicians, Eric Church and Morgan Wallen.[27:58] A lot to unpack there as well, Doug. So first off, how do you meet Eric Church, Morgan Wallen, to the point where like, hey, you guys want to buy a company? Like, how did that evolve, Doug? Yeah. So it actually ties back to Chip and Joe, because one of the first things that I did at Magnolia is Chip, in his impulsive, typical, like courageous, but crazy way, bought a downtown building in Waco, a 60,000 square foot building that had been vacant for 30 years on an impulse and said, hey, figure out something to do with this thing. And so my previous life had given me an opportunity to observe some hotel redevelopment that one of the general partners in this equation, Ben Wappert, had done with graduate hotels. And I’d stayed at a graduate hotel and I’d seen how they’d taken these old historic buildings and renovated them and created masterpieces. And long story short, Ben and Chip and Joe in a joint venture built and launched a hotel here in Waco about six months ago, Hotel 1928, which was ultimately the fruition of that initial conversation. So just developed a great relationship with Ben and a friendship. And Ben and Eric were partners on what is now just opened a new downtown bar venue in Nashville. And so Ben is really kind of the key conduit. He’s the one that’s so well connected to so many great folks. Ben helped put the whole thing together and assemble our team and get those guys and some other really talented people involved in the endeavor.[29:22] It’s an iconic brand. It was a brand that had been left out to potentially go in a different direction and stopped printing the publication.[29:29] Dick’s Sporting Goods had ownership on the retail side. They stopped using the brand in a retail capacity.[29:35] We really saw it as like a pivotal moment for the brand where it had a chance to be salvaged and refurbished and brought back in a really prominent way in a unified way, or it might potentially go in a different direction. And so, yeah, I use the expression, we’ve got a 150-year-old startup company, and that’s what it feels like. Like we’re really trying to figure out how do you find success and viability in the media landscape today and do so with a brand that is so well respected and so well known. But also, you know, it’s been a while since it’s been at the level of prominence that we think it deserves to be. Okay, so all the stuff that goes into it, right? You’ve got the new print magazine, right? You’ve got music festivals. You got all the digital content.[30:17] What’s the other stuff that is involved with the relaunch of the brand, Doug? Sure. people trust us. They’ve read the pages of Field and Stream for 100 plus years, and we’re going to make sure that that’s the case going forward. How do we leverage that relationship to support both our readers and our consumers and the brand? And I think that’s what is really the key kind of question that we’re exploring right now and trying to figure out what makes the most sense for us. Well, listeners, for more information about Doug and primarily the company, you can go to the website field and stream.com. We’ll put links in our show notes on our website so you can go right to that. But super excited for this new opportunity for you, Doug. And thank you so much for saying yes to Steph and I. I know it’s been pretty much two years now in the making as we were introduced to you by our good friend, Bob.[31:06] So thank you so much for doing this, sir. Thank you. And I know, you know, we’ve been quiet trying to get our plans together and kind of I’m operating in stealth mode. So I’ve had to ask for your patience. And I’m really grateful for you guys to wait this out. It’s been an honor to get to chat with you. Oh, well worth the wait. It was worth it. Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too. Thanks, Doug. Thank you. Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
The post Episode 218: Doug McNamee appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Helen Smallbone is featured in the new film Unsung Hero, which is about her extraordinary family’s life. As mother to Joel & Luke Smallbone of Christian music’s “For King & Country” and Rebecca St. James, this mother of seven led her family on a faith-building journey that changed her family forever. Today, Kevin + Steph have the honor of talking with someone who has inspired many mothers and families around the world. In this episode, Helen shares some inspiring stories about raising seven very creative children, why they moved their family to America from Australia in 1991, and what it was like to travel across the country with a family of NINE in an RV.
Helen Smallbone is also the author of Behind the Lights: The Extraordinary Journey of a Mum and Her Family, co-founder of MUMlife (MUMlife.org), and co-host of the MUMlife Community Podcast. Her passion is encouraging mothers and families with Godly wisdom as she shares decades of experience as the mother of seven and grandmother of thirteen. Helen lives near Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, David.
We can’t wait for you to hear these amazing stories from an amazing woman…Helen Smallbone!
Guest Details
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Today, we have the honor of talking to someone who could probably be voted Mom of the Year every year. And her family story is featured in the new Kingdom Story Company movie titled Unsung Hero, Mrs. Helen Smallbone. You guys, this woman is the mother of seven very creative children, including Grammy Award winning artists for King and Country and Rebecca St. James. This new movie shares the story of the hard times that brought their family from Australia to the the U.S. in 1991. As you will hear, Helen talks a lot about how this movie about her family was actually made, but she also shares some fun stories about her high-profile children, including what it was like traveling the world with a family of nine. Nine, Steph, in an RV. Oh my gosh. Oh, I just can’t even think about that, Kevin. This woman was so sweet and so kind to talk to. We can’t wait for you to hear our conversation with Helen Smallbone. phone. I’m Kevin and I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery, then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However, today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.[1:15] And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day. Welcome to Tell Us a Good Story.[1:24] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our post across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[1:57] All right, listeners. So before we get to this conversation with Helen Smallbone, Steph and I want to give you some context about what you’re about to listen to and how this came about. So Steph, this was pretty amazing. Oh my gosh. This was a big honor to talk to Helen. I was freaking out when you even told me the possibility because you had reached out. Did you reach out to their PR people? A listener had actually reached out. And again, this is one of those things where listeners are giving us some big ideas. Which I love. It is very nice. But they mentioned for King & Country. And I was like, oh, they are Grammy award-winning artists. I know they had a new movie coming out. So I was like, okay, maybe they would be interested.[2:37] I found their PR team’s contact information, reached out to them. And again, this was like a shot in the dark. But we have interviewed a handful of people who are friends with them. Okay. So for those not aware of 4King and Country, it’s two brothers. It’s Luke. It’s Joel Smallbone. They’re brothers. They are one of the top music artists in the Christian music industry. So reached out to them. And their PR team came back to us and said, Hey, we love what you’re doing. Tell us a good story. Let’s try to get something on the calendar. Freaking out. Yes. Freaking out when you told me that was happening. We were thrilled that we got a response. Yes. That it wasn’t a no, that they were actually trying to work this out. So this has happened before in the past, and you don’t know whether they’re being serious or they’re just kind of pushing you off to the side. You don’t know. Well, in this case, they were legitimately trying to find time on Luke and Joel’s PR tour that they were doing for the movie Unsung Hero, which is a movie about their family and how they moved here in 1991 from Australia to the United States as kids. So the PR team reached back out and said, I’m sorry, we can’t make this happen. However, would you like to talk to their mother, Helen, who is the main character in this movie? Yes. And we were like, absolutely.[3:53] Yes, we would love that. And she was like, how about tomorrow? Well, just so happens, we record all of our interviews on Fridays. And that happened to be a Friday. So that was perfect. It worked out perfect from a timing perspective that we were going to be able to have this conversation with her. However, she is doing a PR media tour. Yes. So what happened is the media team set up probably a bunch of interviews for her. Just line them up. And she’s going from this show to this show to this show, whether it’s TV, radio, podcast, whatever, live, not live. So she had a lot going on that Friday. And I remember her PR team was like, you can only have this amount of time. You need to stay on time with her. You can’t go over. You can’t miss your time slot. So we had to be super tight. And we had already had two interviews that day. That’s the thing. We were able to put her in between two other interviews that we already had scheduled. So we had three scheduled on this Friday afternoon. It was Josh Baldwin of Bethel Music, Helen Smallbone, and Doug McNamee, who will be next week, who’s the president of Field & Stream. So I had a lot of preparation to do. You did. You were so busy. So Steph, we did three interviews within four hours. It was pretty crazy. These three people, we did three interviews literally in four hours that Friday. But what happened was, while the first interview is going on.[5:19] We’re getting text messages from the PR team of Helen saying, hey, she’s running over on some of these other interviews. It’s going to be another 15 minutes. It’s going to be another 15 minutes, which is fine. But we had a hard stop for one of our interviews. And so we know what it’s like to be put on the back burner. And we did not want to do that to any of our guests. Well, we respect our guests’ time so much. So we didn’t want an interview with Helen, which we were super excited about, to be delayed, delayed, and then pushing our next guest back, we just didn’t want to be rude. So it got to the point where we finally got on the Zoom call with Helen. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I want to go back. I want to go back because we were like waiting for her and they’re like, okay, it just got pushed back 10 minutes. And I’m like, oh, Kevin, I’m getting nervous. I’m getting nervous. And you’re like, no, no, no, babe, it’s okay. It’s okay. Well, then it got bumped back like another 10 minutes and I’m like, Kevin. We almost had to call it. We almost had to like cancel her. And I was like, Kevin, I want this so bad. And you were being so encouraging. Like, Steph, it’s okay. We got this. We can do this.[6:24] And then I was like, Kevin, I don’t want to be disrespectful to our next guest. So I’m like, we have got to stop it at a certain point just so we can download this podcast and get ready for the next one. So I was super nervous. Right. And so to the point where it almost didn’t happen. Thankfully, she was able to get on the call with us and we had 20 minutes with her. 20 minutes, you guys. so you guys know me i am super nervous i want everything to go okay so she pops on and we i’m of course so excited to meet her and to talk with her and bless her heart she’s like oh hello and her little australian accent accent you’re going to notice immediately immediately but then she’s like is the lighting okay so then she stands up and tries to go fix the lighting and you guys i’m cringing. You’re like, we need to talk. We just need to talk to you, Helen. Like, I love you. You look beautiful, but we really need to focus.[7:19] You’re in the shot. We’re good. Yes. And then she’s like, is this angle okay? I’m like, I’m squeezing Kevin’s leg. I’m like, babe, we’ve got to get her to sit and start talking to her because I’m about ready to lose my daggone mind. Because we’re running out of time. Yes. Yes. So in this conversation, I want to give you some context. So she mentioned some names. So Joel and Luke are her sons who are the two members of the the band for King and Country. Yeah. All right. Rebecca St. James is her oldest child, and she is another Grammy award-winning artist in the Christian music industry. Her husband, David…[7:52] This is the main story about her and her husband, David. That is her husband when she mentions the name David. So you’ll hear that constantly. But it’s funny because she’ll say, what’d she call her son, Luke? The other chap in her country. Yes, I caught that too. And then she says the word mom a lot. So you could tell that she’s definitely Australian. But Unsung Hero is about their family and the hardships when they came over from Australia back in 1991. 91. But Steph, she came over with six kids, eight months pregnant with her youngest.[8:23] And the job that her husband had when they got over here fell through after like two months. And they had hardship after hardship before making it, right? And multiple kids becoming these world travelers and world-renowned artists. Just incredible what their family did and went through and miracle after miracle. It was interesting because I had read a story about this and I kind of talked to her a little bit about it, but she didn’t go into great detail. But it was basically, there’s so many miracles in their families’ lives through this whole situation that Hollywood had to cut some of these miraculous stories because people are like, it’s not going to be believable. It’s not going to be believable. And I’m just like, oh my gosh. So many miracles happened in their family. Like, we’re not even going to believe this, right? That it’s so far out there. It was pretty cool. And what was amazing is when they read the script, she said the only change she had was, be careful not to take the miraculous out. Because that was so critical to the story of their family. So the other thing that was interesting stuff is the son, Joel.[9:33] Who again is in for King and Country, he plays his father. He’s director of the movie and plays his dad in the movie. How hard would it be for you to play your parents, your mom? Could you play your mom in a movie? Totally. You could? Sure. I got this. I don’t know. I think I could. Yeah. Could you play your dad? Well, I could. I could. Maybe not. Great. I think, I think, Steph, I’d have flashbacks where I’d get on set and I would just start yelling at the kid actors.[10:05] Put your shoes away. Kevin, stop picking on your sisters. I will turn this car around right now. Like, they would probably tell me, Kevin, please stop yelling at the child actors. But if someone were making a movie about our lives, Yes. Wouldn’t you want to have input on which kid is playing you? I don’t know. Because, I mean, I mean, I think they’re going to pick the best actors for it. You would hope so. I don’t know. Yes. I think it would be fine. I trust them. You would trust them. They’re professionals. I know you wouldn’t trust them. Well, I would probably give them some notes, right? You would do a lot more. You would be in the screening process. You would be in the interviewing. That’s totally not me. Hey, where’s those kids from Stranger Things? Can we get some of them in here, please? No. What do you mean they’re too expensive? I would be so chill about it. I trust you. And you’re like, I need background checks. I need headshots. It would be really weird. talking to a kid who’s playing you in a film. I think it’d be really cool. I think that would be a really cool experience. That would be wild. Can you imagine having your life story up on the big screen? And apparently all seven kids make cameo appearances at some point in the movie. That’s pretty special. So they’re all involved in the movie at some point. Just to know that your family story is going to inspire others, I think is pretty incredible. Okay, so you’re not nervous about the kids. Would you be nervous about reading the script for the first time, knowing how they were going to portray you? Yes. I think that would make me nervous.[11:34] And it’s me, you guys. So you guys know me. I’m like, oh, I hope they like me. I hope I come across okay. I’d be like, why am I the villain in this movie?[11:43] Why am I the bad guy here? Of course they made me the bad guy in this movie.[11:50] Oh, which they probably would. Yeah, I’m sure they would. They’re not gonna make you the bad girl. That’s for sure. But how crazy would it be to like, see your life story up there and be like, Oh, I hope it’s received. Well, like, I think that would be a lot of pressure. I think so too. Right to tell your story in a way that people could relate to. Yes. Well, listeners, we were so honored to actually be able to spend time with Helen. It was, like I said, about 20 minutes. So this is the best of that conversation. And she was fantastic. You’re going to hear how sweet and kind she is. So please enjoy this conversation we had with Helen Smallbone. Enjoy it, guys.[12:31] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it. Very good. This time, you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where. But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas. Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where? At kevinandsteph.com. And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want. And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. All right, Steph, this is such an honor to be able to talk to this next guest.[13:07] Friends, our next guest has a passion for encouraging moms and families. She’s the mother of seven very creative children and grandmother of 13 her children include multiple grammy award-winning artists and her family story is featured in the new movie titled unsung hero ladies and gentlemen please welcome to tell us a good story mrs helen smallbone oh we’re so thank you i haven’t had such a good excited uh intro for i don’t think ever oh thank Thank you. That’s awesome. Well, we are thrilled. We’re so excited. To talk to you. Yes. First off, of your seven kids, Helen, how many are actually in the movie? How many were cast in it? Actually, we all have a cameo role to some degree. You do. But our son, Joel, plays David. Yes. So he plays his father. He says it was a very expensive therapy session.[13:58] And frankly, it has been in some ways. David and Joel, and Joel’s one of the guys in For King Country, are very similar personalities. And so a lot of times they’re butting heads a little. Oh, really? And so I have seen Joel be more generous to his father, actually be kinder to his father and not butt heads as much. And I think he’s giving David probably a lot more grace, having felt a lot of the emotion that David went through through David’s hard season of failure. Oh, that’s good. Okay, with your kids, did they want to pick who played them in the movie? Like casting? Yeah. Like I want this kid to play me?[14:39] No, no. We actually had, you know, even David and I had very little to do with the movie. It was originally Luke’s idea, and Luke is the other chap in For King Country, because he in the concerts talks about Compassion, which is a child sponsorship organisation that they’re involved with, and he tells our story. And our story is really the hard times that brought us to America in 1991 and the journey that we had in those days. And a lot of times when he tells a story, people will say, gosh, it’s such a significant story. I mean, you need to write a book about it. So he says he wanted to go one step better and make a movie. He did speak to a producer and the producer was excited about making the movie. And so once he got that sort of base ground done, then he passed it on to Joel and the office and then they chose a script writer and then the script writer interviewed us and then he put the basics of the story together and then Joel and he worked together on finishing the script. Script, Joel and he ended up being the directors for the movie. And then Joel acted as David.[15:48] David and I actually didn’t even see the script until about a month before they were about to go into filming. And David started to read it, realized he was the antagonist in the movie. And if you know much about movies, there’s got to be more like a bad person, good cop, bad cop. So he’s like the bad cop. And he was like, I just don’t remember it quite like that. So he decided he would keep his mouth shut and he did not read anymore. And so I then finished reading it. And my only comment that I came back to them was, be careful you don’t take the miraculous out because without the miraculous, we could not have stayed. And I think there’s a problem sometimes in faith movies that we can end up making God and God’s work and what God’s doing in our lives a little cheesy.[16:43] And so I think there’s a tendency then how do you incorporate faith and make it real and not make it cheesy?[16:50] And then I suppose you can look at miracles as being a little unbelievable. I mean, even in our own lives they can be a little unbelievable at times, but they’ve actually done an incredible job of bringing faith in they’ve brought miracles in and it’s not cheesy i mean it’s real is it true that you have so many miracles in your family they couldn’t even get all of them into the movie somehow yes isn’t that crazy but yeah it’s true yeah they said that there were others they were going to put in don’t ask me too many details else because I’m probably not going to remember as to what they were necessarily that aren’t in the movie yeah I’m probably off the top of my head not going to think of any that’s okay okay so when was the first time you saw the movie then was it at the film premiere that just took place recently no no not just recently um I mean Luke and Joel were on the set the whole time obviously Joel’s uh director as well he’s playing David Luke was determined Joel had actually asked Luke to be up there the whole time, so Luke was there as a producer and doing some background stuff, interviews and things. David and I went up there. We went up and back for a couple of days here and there. We weren’t on there all the time. Rebecca was up there a fair amount.[18:08] So, different family members were up there, but no one other than Joel and Luke for the whole time. Joel went and did a basic edit. Okay. And then he showed it to the family. So, it was being recorded October to November 2022.[18:25] Oh, wow. We saw, the family saw a basic edit in May 23. Okay. So, nearly a year ago. Okay. So, you know, I think he just wanted responses from the family as to how they felt, if they had anything that they really had noticed. It was a pretty basic edit. Some of the family, that’s the only time they’ve ever seen it. So, for a couple of members seeing it at the release the other day, theoretically, it’s probably really the first time they’ve seen it. And then there was one family member, a wife who had not been able to attend that other screening. And she when she went to the premiere on Monday night, it was the first time she’d actually seen him.[19:10] I know you cover a lot of this in the book that you wrote a couple of years ago. But for listeners who are not familiar with the story, can you just briefly give context, Helen, about how your family ended up moving over here in the United States? You had six kids, and I believe you’re pregnant at the time. And of course this gets covered in the movie but can you share the context of your family story.[19:32] Yeah, so my husband David has always had a passion for Christian music since really we got married. He started working full-time in his own companies in Christian music in 1977. The first concert that Rebecca ever attended was at a Larry Norman concert in the Sydney Opera House in 1977. So we’ve been in Christian music since nearly Christian music started, to tell you the honest truth. He was a concert promoter. He had a record company. He was into publishing. Coaching, he managed artists, and he was doing all that down in Australia. He came to me in the late 80s when he was just before he turned 40 or around when he turned 40. And he said, I don’t know that I can do this for the rest of my life. Like it is so stressful and so overwhelming that I just, I love it, but I just don’t know that I can do it for the rest of my life. I think it’s going to kill me. And anyway, after that, we had three major doors closed for us in Australia. The first one was we promoted a concert and David was anticipating and had budgeted for a concert attendance Australia-wide of 25,000 people. He only had 15,000 people turn up. It was a recession. You know, it just was unexpected. So, I mean, he lost over a quarter of a million dollars in 1990.[20:51] Late 80s, that’s a, I mean, it’s a lot of money. It’s a lot, a lot, a lot of money in those days too. And then he thought, well, gosh, you know what? I’ve been recording Hills CLC’s Praise and Worship music, and it’s been going really well. I can continue doing that. Then on his 40th birthday, he had a meeting at Hills, which then became Hillsong, and they said, no, we want to bring the music and the recordings back in-house into the church. We won’t need you anymore. That was devastating for him because he had been hoping that that might be the next thing that he would really be taking on full time. And so then he had spoken to a few artists that he promoted in Australia, and he was really looking for maybe management opportunities that he could come to America for. And one of those was Carmen. Carmen and we actually came David and I came to America in about the November 1990 to look at schools and where we might live in Tulsa Oklahoma Carmen was due to come down to Australia in the March of 1991 he came it was a successful tour but a promoter in Australia a pastor actually in Australia got his ear and said, you know, Smallbone’s a loser.[22:13] And he got, Carmen got gun shy then and thought, oh, maybe I better not bring him back over to America. So we got the phone call in April 1991 to say that Carmen did not wish us to come over. He had bought our airfares and so David said, by the way, that’s your deposit. You know, we’re keeping the airfares. So we had the airfares to come. We just didn’t have a job. So David ended up finding another job. We came over as management for this other artist. Then David’s reputation caught up with him and that job lasted two months and he said, I’m sorry, I can’t work with you. Oh, no. Well, now we’re on the other side of the world. No family, no friends. Six kids, now no income, no car, no furniture, and I’m about eight months pregnant with our baby, no insurance. Oh, Helen. Oh, my goodness. So really, yours is a story of faith. Perseverance. Perseverance. Oh, my goodness. Failure, yes. Right. But not giving up. Not giving up.[23:24] If you like what you hear please tell someone about us as soon as this episode is over go tell your spouse your closest friend a parent a co-worker or share one of our posts on social media however if you don’t like what you’re hearing please do not don’t tell anyone don’t tell anyone don’t tell anybody just disregard this message don’t worry about it about us yeah go on with your merry day and to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com thank you for listening to to tell us a good story.[23:54] I know we’re limited on time, but during those rough times, Helen, what did you do with your family? Right? Is it, hey, kids, it’s family meeting, we need to pray, right? Like, what would you do to just keep everyone’s spirits up? Like, hey, it’s going to be okay. What did you do as a parent, as a mom? Well, I think for first up for me, we kept the kids at home, because I needed that community, You know, like I needed their strength to be with me through this time. And so when we got settled into our home, it was actually September 1991. So the school year had started. So we decided we’d homeschool and just be together. And then, I mean, we’d known there was nothing in Australia for us anymore. That’s probably one of the hugest statements. Like if we had stayed in Australia, we would have had, I don’t know what David would have done because his passion was Christian music. Yeah. So we had to look. At new opportunities, we had to look for the doors that God were opening.[25:00] You’re right, it’s a story of persistence. He had to keep calling people, seeing if there was an avenue. We had realised before we left Australia that there could be a possibility of Rebecca being signed. We had done a demo sort of album of her singing Australian praise and worship music. He had that with him. So he was going to record companies and trying to sell that. And with regards to the home and whatever, I mean, frankly, I just verbalise it as an adventure. Like we don’t know. Like this is a different time in our lives. I mean, we’re together.[25:34] God’s with us. We need to pray. I think when you go through incredibly hard times, well, any hard time, it can be job loss, it can be grief, it can be pain, it can be physical stuff going on, illness, you realise where your foundation is. You realize what is the core of what you’re built your life upon. And I think at that time, we did realize that our faith was actually built on Jesus. And so, he was the first place to turn, that we needed one another for strength, for support, for community. And the kids, when David and I were weak, a lot of times it was the kids who were encouraging us, saying, Mom, it’s going to be all right. Right. And I’ve realized you just take the next step that God opens, whatever that might be. Yes. Well, listeners, those kids she’s talking about include Rebecca St. James and the boys from, well, the men, I should say, from For King and Country, Joel and Luke.[26:33] So multiple Grammy award-winning artists. Real quick, final question. Do you have any good stories from the years of touring with your kids? Is there anything that comes to mind?[26:46] Well, there’s one instance that does come to mind. So we travelled in a motorhome for quite a few years with Rebecca. We’ve crisscrossed America on the motorhome. And once we got a tour bus, the band, Rebecca’s band, would travel on a tour bus and we would travel on a day off, we would travel on a motorhome. The boys, because they were crew for Rebecca, needed to be on the tour bus if it was a concert day. But when it was not a concert day, they would be on the motorhome with us. So we’re nine people on the motorhome. I mean, it’s pretty congested. So this day I was not feeling well. And so we had the Class C motorhome that has the bed above the driver’s seat. Yes. And I’m up there trying to sleep.[27:33] The kids are all there. They’re ants. I mean, like, we’re traveling miles. Like, they’re antsy. They’re whatever. Anyway, David was getting aggravated at the kids because I was not able to sleep. They were making too much noise. And David’s always had my back as a father. Like, you cross your mom, you get me, you know. And so, I can remember Joel, and he would have been about maybe 16, 17. So the kids were all down the back on the back bed with the door shut and there was a back room bedroom then there was the bathroom there was another door then there was a kitchen and the front couch and then me up above the driver’s seat so Joel had come out of the back to heat up his dinner and put it in the microwave and he yelled and laughed because he’d opened the doors back at his brothers down on the back david like he was mad like how dare you come down you boys are all laughing and carrying on your mother’s trying to sleep he swerves off the road and breaks okay joel’s dinner flies through the air and lands on the floor i’m crushed to the front of the because my bed slides in and out my bed slides forward he storms around can’t get in because Because the door’s locked.[28:56] Yelzit’s bashing. Yelzit’s someone to open the door. And he goes down the back and like, you guys, your mother’s got a headache. She needs me sleeping. How dare you do this? Yelzit’s like, dad, my feet is all on the ground. It was like, in the end, we just all ended up sort of laughing. Because the whole response was just ridiculous. Because he’s as bad as your kid. How dare you wake up your mother as he’s slamming on the brakes. And then yelling back at the kids. Yes![29:22] Hatching on the door! How dare you! How dare you! It was one of those incidents that, Nine people, shut in, tired, day off, not got enough energy out, all together. So we do have some great, we’ve had some great experiences. We’ve traveled the world together. We’ve done Europe. We’ve done England, Australia, New Zealand, and then crisscrossed America again and again. Well, listeners, for more information about Helen, you can go to her social media page. On Facebook, it’s Helen J. Smallbone. the website to look at this trailer of this incredible trailer amazing trailer hero dot movie which is in theaters april 26th and then her book is titled behind the lights and gosh she’s incredibly busy even after getting all these kids out of the house right she’s co-founder of mom life and you can find her information at momlife.org and we will put the links in our show notes on our website so you can click on it and go right to those pages so helen i know where We’re short on time,[30:28] but thank you so much for doing this. You’re fantastic. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you. And we can’t wait to watch the movie. We’re so excited for your family, for you guys, all of it. Thank you. Thank you. I hope you enjoy the movie.[30:40] Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
The post Episode 217: Helen Smallbone appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
This week, Kevin + Steph continue their conversation from episode #215 (you can find part one HERE) with Jeremy Hartman and Katie Keller Schnetzer.
In this episode, they discuss the annual Mother-Son Laser Tag event at their kids’ school and how Katie has developed the nickname “The Gladiator” from the event. Also, Kevin shares some stories from his recent trip to Texas (without Steph), where he met up with a few prior guests of Tell Us A Good Story, including Jim Comer…who had a hilarious reaction to meeting Kevin in person!
We hope you enjoy part 2 of our conversation with Kevin, Steph, Jeremy, and Katie.
Guest Details
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Today is part two of our hilarious conversation with our friend Jeremy Hartman and Steph’s sister, Katie Keller-Schnitzer. You guys, in this episode, we talk about participating in this year’s Mother-Son Laser Tag event at the school, the nickname the kids gave my sister, and stories about Kevin’s recent trip to Austin, Texas without me. That’s true. But I also talk about the reaction I get from folks when I show up somewhere without you. You guys, here’s part two of our conversation with Jeremy Hartman and my sister, Katie Keller-Schnitzer. I’m Kevin and I’m Stephanie and during our marriage we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery, then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible and we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope and brighten your day. Welcome to Tell Us A Good Story.[1:00] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our post across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[1:32] Okay, Jeremy, you gave me a list of potential stories. One of them you said you wanted to share was you apparently saw Katie here at Target outside of school hours. So I am very interested to hear what happened there. All right. So Sunday, a few weeks back, I’m at church. And several students that I work with also go to our church. And this is about five days before our big mother-son laser tag event. We walk out, church is over, we go out to the lobby, you know, families will gather and talk and this young man says to my son Dane, Dane, we got to get ready for the gladiator. And he’s like intense and he’s serious and Dane’s like, huh? He said, the gladiator, Sam S’s mom.[2:23] We are like, me and Amber like losing it like oh my gosh we’re talking about katie the gladiator so i mean they have their conversation they’re getting pumped they’re get talking strategy for the you know for that next friday night we leave we go to target we need to pick up some a few things, I mean, literally, we get out of our car, and here comes Katie. She’s got Alex with her, and here’s Katie and Alex. And I’m like, Amber, the Gladiator’s here. There she is. It’s the Gladiator. So we go up to her. Amber immediately tells her the story. Oh, I was dying. And it was awesome. I was so freaking happy. And so when she arrived on Friday night, I was like, hey, Gladiator, are you ready for this? So that was pretty fun. I was born for this. That’s hilarious. Her reputation goes well beyond this room. Like, just the kids even know it. She is the key. She’s the one we got a double team, triple team. If we stop her, we win.[3:15] Oh, I love it. That made my day. Okay, to recap last year, and we recorded this conversation. Yes. Last year, Jeremy invited us to the mother-son laser tag. Best decision he’s ever made. So I helped.[3:28] Well, he didn’t really invite us. We invited ourselves and we created a committee. Oh, that’s right. Yes, that’s true. That we weren’t invited to this year. We weren’t invited to the laser tag committee. It disbanded or he just chose his wife amber they like we don’t we don’t need any more of their input yeah so yeah so the thing was last year yes you asked for some input jeremy we gave you more than you asked for ever so much i’m not even sure i read it all honestly that was a lot and so i helped you at the event so of course for the dads we have the father-daughter dance right and then for the moms you have the mother-son laser tech event which is like the biggest event that you have at the school. And it’s fantastic. So fun. You have laser tag and you have dodgeball. Last year, we told the stories of what happened when we participate in this, including you ladies just drilling these kids with the dodgeball, accidentally hit him in the face, blooding their nose, all of this. Okay. To the point where Jeremy actually probably had a decision to make of whether we were allowed to keep doing it this year. So for this Christian school.[4:34] Tell how many people actually attended. It was over 200, I believe, right? I think we ended up having about 230 people. There’s 400 students. I mean, about half of them are boys. So I don’t know. We probably had a little more than half the boys and a little more than half the moms. So that’s the most we’ve ever had. And I thought it was great. This is your favorite thing, Steph, because you can take out your aggression on our son and not get arrested. I can’t. It’s amazing. At least. It’s the best.[5:00] And other people’s sons. I do not discriminate. discriminate i’ll take i’ll take all my aggression all of you guys love it every mom too is just like don’t ruin this for me yes this is my kids start crying nope we’re not doing this tonight so for me i don’t have a whole lot to share from this night because to me jeremy it was pretty tame there’s a couple things that happened this year the one that comes to mind was i saw katie the gladiator here running around laser tag and yelling at kids don’t take this personal don’t take this personal. Yep. And then just lighting them up. She said it so many times. It’s not personal. It’s not personal. It’s not personal. Shot, shot, shot, shot, shot, shot. It’s not personal. Yes. And then the kids would go to the desk, get a new gun, turn around, and Katie’s like, I’m so sorry. Click, click, click, click, click, click, click. And then their gun’s empty. And she’s like, okay, I’m really not that sorry. I’m really not that sorry. Sorry. Try harder next time. Yeah. A couple times, I just grabbed their gun and threw it. Ah.[6:01] I took their gun and threw it away. Good luck finding that, kid. That explains a few of the guns I need to replace. Got it? All right. Why are these guns underneath the bleachers? Katie, I’ll be billing. But when we got there, we’re all dressed up. Stephanie and I are doing our stretches. We’re lunging. We’re stretching. And there was this mom who had work clothes on. She had a blazer. And she was like, oh, y’all are serious. And I was like, yes. And she was like, oh, okay. I just thought this was like something fun. And I was like, no. There’s nothing fun. This is not fun. I’m glad you got your blazer on because this is business.[6:45] We’re going to go to work. We’re going to work these boys over.[6:49] That’s what we’re doing. So I saw two moms, air quote, accidentally tackle boys playing dodgeball in the laser tag. The one woman, it was a teacher, went through one of the walls. Yes. And there was a boy on the other side, and she just smashed him. It was like a kindergartner, and she just smashed him. So then he’s crying, and she picks him up. I’m like, is his leg broke? He’s very dramatic. So she’s carrying him off, and she just hands him to me. And I’m the emcee of the event. I have the microphone. phone my wife’s a nurse actually i’m like what am i supposed to do with this kid i’m like are you okay and he’s just screaming i’m like what hurts and then finally i see his dad um who had was volunteering he came over and i just hand him to him and then the kid calmed down and then because he just got bum rushed right he had no idea right then i saw another mom she had the laser gun and it was tucked under her armpit and i made the comment when she was running past me like oh oh, that’s really smart. And she goes, my husband’s a police officer. He told me what to do before I got here. And so she’s like hiding the laser and stuff underneath her armpit and then shooting the boys and then hiding it again. And I’m like, that’s really good. Like her husband in the law enforcement is telling her, here’s how you do it. It’s how you conceal your weapon.[8:07] So my favorite part of the entire night, for the most part, I was a sniper. Does that mean grab their gun and throw it across the gym? That’s what I resorted to when we weren’t winning. When we weren’t winning, I was like, all right, this plan is over.[8:23] But prior to that, I was hiding and just sniping kids. And it was perfect because I had the same plan as last year. And I shouldn’t say it in this public forum because now they’re going to catch on to me. But I hide and I take them out like right as they’re getting their new guns, right? All their ammunition is full. So I just shoot them until their guns empty.[8:44] Anywho, at one point, I was like, it is pitch black in here. These kids are not paying any attention. I was walking behind him. I was just stalking, walking him behind him and just shooting him. I was doing it to Sam. And one kid was like, Sam, your mom. Sam turned around, takes off running. And I was like, no, you don’t. So I’m running after him. So we run around the volleyball net because there was a barrier. Big H put a barrier there With like a parachute So you couldn’t see on the other side Steffi sees me running around the net With Sam She cuts him off You ran[9:27] around the other side To cut him off, Steph? I went through the net She went through the parachute To cut him off He fell on the ground It’s like a fainting goat, He got so scared He just like went down out he’s like i just stood over him and just demolished the poor kid took the rest of his life even done that’s how you do it tag team at its finest i could see you ladies next year having your own like headgear walking talking to each other yes dude that is such a good idea we’re gonna make it happen yes yes we are a great idea for christmas yeah sam’s going around the net He’s going around the net. You get him. We’re going to ask for Santa.[10:12] Santa. You got one on your six. Watch your six.[10:18] Any stories, Big H? Yeah, so we’re almost ready to start. You guys are in that very first group. I had ordered some brand new guns. Super excited. They look cooler. They’ve got like lightning bolts on the side. I mean, overall, they look the same shape. So I know they’re the same company. And I have to buy new guns every year because people take them from kids and throw them on the ground.[10:40] So i’m just like hey just to make sure i should have done this a while ago just to make sure i’m gonna go ahead and test these guns out make sure they cooperate with the old guns and i go to shoot and nothing happens but then i shoot the other one back and it takes away live so the new gun could be shot but could not shoot the old guns and i’m like oh i got a dilemma this is the biggest group i’ve ever had if i take out it was 12 guns about new if i take these 12 out i don’t think i I have enough. But if I leave them in, some people are just going to be shooting. Nothing happens. And the only thing they can do is shoot the other 11 new guns and they’d be okay. But if they shoot any of the 50 old guns, nothing happens. So this is a moral dilemma. Like, now what do I do? And I’m like, I’m not going to tell anybody. Let’s play. So they’re shooting. I do apologize to anybody who used one of the new lightning bolt guns that you were not really getting the full experience. Amber wasn’t happy with me when I told her about the new guns after the event was over. She’s like, a little heads up would have been nice. She said there was a point where she had, our son Clark only had one life left on his gun. She kept going for the new guns because obviously they’re the best. They’ll do us. So she’s like lighting him up and nothing’s happening. And with that one life, he keeps killing her and she can’t figure out what’s going on. She was so frustrated. I was like Amber I’m sorry I probably You had to tell her A heads up would have been good But I mean There’s so many things going on Yeah It wasn’t like I Deliberately left it You know Out of the story It just Didn’t even You know But she’s the only person Like you had to tell Right Alright Right My bad Amber.[12:03] I’m trying to think If there’s anything else Oh Emmy Just got props to Emmy Like Emmy Emmy rocked everything that night She took pictures She was getting popsicles out For the end Hey what can I do What can I do She’s putting the curtain up Putting the curtain down Oh, that’s nice. And I actually felt, for me, I feel like I had the lowest energy I’ve ever had. And then I thought about it after the fact. Kevin’s running all things microphone in the gym. Emmy’s running all things hallway, all things snack. I had a guy, Tom, who was on the lights this year. He was on lights and music. So he’s just fading lights up. He’s bringing lights down. He’s turning music on. He’s pausing music if I’m talking. I mean, the only thing I had to do basically was give rules to the games. Hey, welcome. Thanks for coming. Rules to the games. And we’re off. I was kind of bored, to be honest. So you had a very important job in the beginning. I knew it, yes. Because you prayed for the safety. I did. I prayed for safety. As a strategic prayer. I looked at Steffi. I’m like, this is your fault.[12:58] I did. You guys inspired me to pray. To actually pray over this. Like, do I need to lay hands on some of these moms too ahead of time? And I got to be honest, other than the story you told earlier about the little boy who got ran into, I’m not sure I saw tears at all. No. No. Not any. yeah that was good that was good it was amazing all right stuff i’ve got a question for you what’s your favorite book of all time uh obviously you met her where oh i thought you’re gonna say the bible oh oops, what’s your second favorite book of all time you met her where, a distant second totally distant it’s a pretty good book sorry god it’s still a pretty good book But we’re so excited. Where can people get our book? Okay, I know this. Amazon.com. Yes. Barnes & Noble. Yes. And? And our website, KevinandSteph.com. And what happens if they buy it off our website? What do they get? Uh, an autograph from us. Yes. Who wouldn’t want that? So listeners, if you’ve already read the book, thank you so much. We’ve had such good feedback. One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening. Steph, let’s talk about what I did last weekend, going to Austin, Texas. I was going to say, cause it wasn’t cleaning the garage. It was not.[14:25] You gave me a look at like what did you do last weekend i already forgot so steph allowed me to go on a two-day getaway that was like an unfair vacation you remember that it was a three-day saturday sunday monday i got back i left saturday morning got back monday afternoon i count three days okay three mornings three mornings okay so we were invited to joe serio’s 60th birthday party all right joe serio is one of the few repeat guests on tell us a good story he’s also connected us to a lot of the guests that we’ve had he’s the kevin bacon of tell us good story yes he’s been so incredibly helpful to us so he invited us to the birthday party and there’s going to be up to, I think, five of our former guests at this party. So I’m like, Steph, let’s try to make that because it’ll be wonderful to connect with some of these people. All right. So you politely declined, but you said, hey, Kevin, please go. It’s three days, two and a half, whatever. Well, I declined just because we have three children. So to get somebody to watch three kids for three, you know, it’s hard. It’s hard. But I still wanted us to be there. So I thought that would be a great big time for Kevin to have some guy time. Forget a face so he’s not gonna have a problem now he’s gonna be great he’ll remember everyone so here’s what typically happens when i show up somewhere without stuff.[15:51] They’re like, oh, hi. Where’s your wife at? Is she in the bathroom? And it’s always like, oh, she couldn’t make it. And they’re just like, oh.[16:00] But she’s the one we wanted to see. This happens all the time. Did you give a little more energy to feel like stuff? But that’s like literally any school sport activity where I show up and Steph’s not with me, the moms will come up, hey, where’s Steph at? Oh, but that’s like why I came tonight was I wanted to. She’s not here? Oh, is she with your other kids? Oh, okay.[16:24] Well, it’s good to see you too. All right. And then they leave and they don’t even know my name. Good to see you too. So I have made this comment and Steph was like, no, that does not happen. Well, we went to church and I think you were either out in the van already or you, oh, you weren’t feeling good. Okay. So I went with the kids. So we’re leaving and a woman runs up to me and says, hey, where’s your wife at? Where’s Steph at? And I go, oh, she’s, she’s home sick today. day she’s like oh well okay we’ll tell her i said hi and when she gave that reaction emmy bust out laughing and so we get in the van and emmy’s like dad you’re right that’s what happens nobody wants to talk to you it’s all mom so that’s what i’m expecting to happen here right is i show up oh where’s your where’s your wife at and so everyone asked about you but they were still happy to see me, which, which was nice. Okay. Because that’s what typically happens.[17:20] All right. So, um, I don’t know where to start here, but I don’t know any of this. Yes. I’ve saved it for right now. Oh, okay. So we, I got picked up by the airport by former guest Dennis Welch. Okay. So I spent the weekend with Dennis and his wife, Susie. And at Saturday night we go to Joe’s house and there’s probably probably 60 people at his house. Okay.[17:43] And catered meal, everything. And so people would come up to me, I’d say hello to them. And I’m not great at parties. Right. And I, what I try to do is look around the room, like, okay, who’s having the most fun.[17:55] Okay. Let me go talk to them. And that’s kind of what I try to do. Well, there were certain people that would be like, okay, so how do you know Joe? And this is after I would talk to them and got to know them. And then they would say, well, how do you know Joe? And I’d say that this is purely random, but my wife and I, we have a podcast and a national radio show it’s called tell us a good story and they’re like that’s you no i promise steph this happened multiple times no that’s you i go yeah that’s my wife and i we love you guys we love tell us a good story they’re like we’ve listened to the conversations you have with joe joe’s posted it or we’ve seen you post it and then we’d listen to it they’re like we love you guys oh they’re like that is so good and so then they start interviewing viewing me so this happened three to four times stuff okay why I was at this party talking to people that I did not know.[18:45] So the one person, you know, we were talking about his job and he moved to Austin for construction and how Austin is just growing like crazy. Okay. Then when he flipped it and said, okay, how do you know him? And I said that the wife and me was like, oh my gosh, that’s you. I love your podcast. And then she told him, this is who we’ve listened to. And he’s like, oh my gosh, I love that. That is such a good podcast. Like that would be so much fun. Like he was envious of me and he’s like, okay. Then he starts interviewing me. What’s some of your favorite guests? And so I just told him, you know, a few and it was interesting because he was like flip the script, flip the script like that is really cool. The people you get to talk to and it made me kind of step back and like stuff. What we do with this is pretty cool. Like that people were talking to right now. I mean, it’s always been cool, but I mean, yeah, people you’re talking to right now, like my sister-in-law and my kids gym teacher. Yes, this is amazing. Thank you very much. Thank you. You are welcome.[19:50] Gracing you with our presence so one thing we do have is we have friends and guests of the show who in my opinion have a higher opinion of us than we do ourselves fair would you say that’s 1000 there’s so many times where people will compare us to somebody or they’re like hey you know you should talk to chris pratt and we’re like oh okay um sounds great thank you for that recommendation do you have his number yes do you have do you know anybody who knows him like you guys would love him i’m like of course we would love him probably that’s been thrown out to the point where our producer and editor craig clausen actually has copied me on emails to chris pratt’s team requesting interviews now granted there has been zero responses it has been radio silence but to the point where craig is like hey i’m going to throw the net out there and see like i would not do that at this point into the universe like i’m pretty confident but maybe not that confident yet okay yeah so the people at this party are in that same boat stuff and this is going to make you cringe but this is what happened so i meet all these people then i want to eat all right well dennis and his wife suzy kind of like split at the table and allow me to sit at the corner of the table with them, okay? So I sit down to eat. There is someone sitting there that I did not recognize, okay?[21:20] So he introduced himself, and I said hello, and then Dennis said, listen, you need to know Kevin. And he’s like, why is that? And he’s like, because he and his wife are the next Chip and Joanna Gaines. I knew you were going to cringe.[21:35] The bar has been set. Yeah? So I knew you were going to cringe when you said that, okay? So I’m already uncomfortable. He introduced me as that. And I’m like, ooh. That’s something I love up to right there. Yeah, that’s a bar. And he goes, these people are going to be famous, so remember his face. And so when he said that, the perception of me immediately changed from, oh, hey, this is nice. Yeah, you’re from Ohio. OK, that’s cool. To, oh my gosh, can I get a picture with you?[22:07] Stop. I’m not lying. So then he hits his phone to somebody. Steffi would have died. I would have gone to the bathroom. She would have gone to the bathroom. I would have come back. Your wife’s been gone a long time. I’m like, I’m out there hitchhiking. I’m like, get me out of here. Where’s the Uber? Can I get an Uber right now? Oh, Kevin. You’re a power walker. I know. That was a first for me. I would die. So now his perception has changed of me based on that introduction. I don’t know him. All right? Yeah. He asked for a picture of me. So I stand up, get a picture. Okay. You know what? This is how we’re different. I’m out there hoofing, trying to get an Uber. Kevin’s like, does anybody else want a picture with me? I was literally, Steph, I was cringing because this was a first for me as well. Like when you’re put in that situation, it’s like, ooh. And again, it’s your friends having a very high opinion of you. Which is so nice. Which is so sweet. But you’re like, are you sure? Yeah. I mean, like, how do you respond to that? Yeah. When someone introduces you, that way it’s like, ooh. I know how I respond. I just kind of shrug my shoulders a little bit. In the flesh. Don’t mind if I do?[23:20] No, Kevin’s like this. Oh, sorry. You got to move. That’s my good side. Did you make him move? Did you tell him your good side? Do you actually say you have a good side? When I’m with Steph. He takes her good side. He’ll move. If they’re getting ready to stop, he’s like, just give me a second. A lot of times I’m doing it to be funny, but there’s a little bit of truth to that. You’re well on your way to being a celebrity, though. I want to see the picture that Dennis took and just see what side you’re on. Oh, I was on my good side. But I didn’t flip. I have to flip. Like, oh, excuse me. Oh, I just put this. I need to get this. Wait, let’s go over here. The lighting’s better over here. Let’s go over here. I didn’t know some people did it in real life. Like I thought it was just TV shows. Oh, that’s Kevin. You typically do have a better side. I got a long way to go. It’s so sad you know that. I loved you though for that. It’s amazing. So, but the fun fact, if you didn’t know it, they have the same side. Yeah. So he takes her good side. When you took the basketball picture of us, was he on his good side? I was.[24:36] You know he was. With his heart. You know he was. Okay, sit back to the story. So I take a picture with this guy. All right. And then he leaves for a few minutes, comes back and he gives me his book. So this is his book that he wrote, signed it three cheers for Kevin and then puts his name in there. Tom, right? So he’d written a book. He is a professional speaker. So I think he’s, I think he’s retired now, but he’s actually a professional speaker. That’s how he knows Joe cereal. Ah, Well, I got kind of excited because it said the magic of change. I’m like, is he a magician? Let’s do the same thing. Is this Nate Bargetti’s dad? I would have lost my… If that was where the story went… If you went there, I would have lost my crap. I would have lost it. I met the magic man. If he would have came in in a costume, I would have lost it. Listen, that is not where the story goes, ladies, okay? Shoot.[25:42] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a co-worker, or share one of our posts on social media. However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody. Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us. Yep. Go on with your merry day. And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[26:12] Okay, there were a few prior guests from Tell Us a Good Story at this party. All right, so Dennis is there, Joseria is there, and then after probably 45 minutes, guess who walks in the door? Jim Comer! Mr. Jim Comer. I love Jim Comer! So, folks, Jim Comer is 80 years old, okay? No, he’s not. No, he isn’t. He’s 80 years old. No, he isn’t. Yes. That’s a lie. He is 80, and he is one of three. three repeat guests on tell us a good story oh he’s all right so he’s amazing this man was in like broadway and an actor and he moved to new york city because he wanted to be rich and famous and then went on all these game shows right and was on like ten thousand dollar pyramid and jeopardy and went on their winning prizes and his uh his one partner was like lucille ball uh-huh ten a $10,000 pyramid and like fantastic stories. So funny. He is so funny. So he walks in and gets to the table and he comes around saying hello to people. And then I’m like, Jim, how are you doing? He’s like, hi. Hey, good to see you again. He’s no you. I don’t think he knows me. And so I shake his hand and then like I go in for a hug. He’s like, okay. Hey, good to see you again. So apparently he thought I was Joe Serio’s roommate who lived at this house. Okay. Right. And again, it’s one of those things, Jeremy, where I look at Joe’s roommate. I’m like, that looks nothing like me.[27:35] This guy had zero hair on his head. And like, okay, yeah, I don’t know how you just mixed us up. He goes back, gets food, comes back, and sits down. And he sits down across the table. And you’re just staring at him? I’m not staring at him. With his good side. Do you remember? Remember me? Now do you remember? Now? So I turned to Dennis, who’s sitting beside me. And I said, I don’t think Jim knows who I am. And he’s like, I think he does. And I go, no, I’m serious. I don’t think he knows me. I was expecting a bigger reaction than that. And he goes, well, aren’t you easily offended?[28:15] And i go no that’s not it i literally just think i was i was expecting a bigger reaction from him based on the conversations we’ve had yeah with him on tell us a good story yeah and he goes well you know what i’m not a gambler but i will bet you a hundred fake dollars he knows who you were all right and i go i will gladly take that bet and i will say he does not know who i am he’s like okay we will see so i was going to let him finish his meal all right and then i was going to go over and introduce myself all right so we are having a conversation dennis and then it’s probably maybe 15 minutes later jim is now sitting beside the gentleman who gave me his book all right he apparently asked who’s that guy sitting across the table from us and he’s like that’s kevin, Kevin from Ohio is like from Ohio. What part of Ohio? And Tom goes, I think you think he says from Columbus, Ohio, and he’s slams his hands on the table. And he’s like, Kevin and Steph from Columbus, Ohio.[29:16] I go, Jim, it’s good to see you, sir. And he gets up and runs around the table. And I turned to Dennis and I go, that’s the reaction. I was like, got it. And so Dennis mimes getting his wallet out and handing me $100. So I stand up and he’s like, I can’t believe I’m meeting in person Kevin from Columbus, Ohio. And then gives me a hug. And then he was so excited to see us asking about you stuff and had a wonderful conversation. So then I hand my phone to an individual at the table who happens to be over 60 years old. And I said, hey, it is recording. Please record this conversation with Jim. So Jim records a message for you, Steph, and says, I am so excited. This just made my night. Steph, I miss you. I love you. It’s good to see your husband. I mistook him for Joe’s roommate, okay? And he’s just very animated. So Dennis, the individual over six years old.[30:25] Hands the phone back to me and i look i’m like he hit record and stopped it okay so i hand it to him said it’s recording he then hit record and stopped it then he hands the phone back to me and it’s recording me right as i’m looking at the phone so then someone says give me the phone i know how to do it and so i hand her the phone i said go ahead and hit record cord so jim does the same thing again go through this stephanie it’s so good to see your husband i miss you so much love you okay then hands me the phone and now it’s now it’s recording me again.[31:04] So i go into my mind like yes neither one of these people recorded either one of those messages from jim sorry jim and i was not going to ask him to do it a third time yeah no, Jim says hello stuff. That’s awesome. Okay. So let me tell you about Dennis. Okay. So at this party, they have karaoke. All right. I’m not a karaoke guy. No way. People ask me to karaoke. I’m like, no, I’m good. I’m good. I don’t do that. And if I were, I told Dennis, if I were to get up and do karaoke, one, I would try to find the shortest song possible. Don’t put Stairway to Heaven up there. Right. And I’m singing for eight plus minutes. Okay. I would find the shortest possible song. So Dennis is a professional musician, professional singer, songwriter. This man has written over 500 songs in his career.[31:54] He goes to Nashville and will record songs. He is amazing. He’s the opposite of you in this situation. Meaning like he’s very comfortable doing karaoke.[32:08] He’s a musician. You’re not. Okay, we got it. Good job, Katie. I am not a musician that is correct so sorry he so he is a professional guy okay so as they start doing karaoke i turn to him i go listen is this like fingernails on a chalkboard for you and he’s like yep pretty much like it’s tough for him to sit there and see somebody go up and do karaoke because he’s like oh like no like that he knows too much yeah right he knows too much so people would come over hey can you go up he’s like nope i can’t do it and they’re like why he’s like man i like i gotta have my guitar the sound has to be correct again he knows too much like he’s at a different level yeah when people ask him he’s like no i’m i’m good i can’t do it right like it just it would be like if we would record this right now and jeremy just puts his iphone on says okay okay, let’s do a podcast recording. I’d be like, oh, like no, the audience is gonna be awful and like same thing, right?[33:09] One lady gets up there, does okay. It’s fine. So then next guy gets up there, and he is really into it. Like he’s really into this song. And I tell Dennis, I’m like, Dennis, this guy’s obviously sung this before. Like that is his go-to song. Because he’s into it. He’s like really taking this serious. Now his voice was pretty good. So he gets to the end. Everybody gives him a round of applause. And then he says into the microphone. Y’all i i just love to sing i’m an attorney here in austin i’m quitting my job and i’m moving to nashville and it’s like quiet and just like you got to be kidding me dude.[33:54] Because dennis has lived this right he’s and so he turns he’s like is that guy serious please tell me he’s not serious and i’m like i will bet you a hundred fake dollars right now know he is as serious a heart attack and so i i go and find out the dude is serious he’s an attorney he’s 48 years old and he’s quitting his job he’s moving to nashville amen put it out there so next guy gets up and this is what i would have to do so he tells the guy to put on the song tequila all right so the song starts and then he this guy is a little heavy set he’s probably like 16 he’s He’s like, you know, just dancing to the music and stuff. And I’m like, oh, there’s no lyrics to this song. No, he’s just dancing. The only lyric is tequila. And then it’s like 30 seconds to it, he’s like, tequila![34:48] And then I bust out laughing because I realized what he did. Like, he picked the song. So smart. Yes, with no lyrics. So then by the second time through, everybody’s yelling out tequila with him. So he comes back. I’m like, hey, that was fantastic, sir. He’s like hey thanks i that song always gets a little wordy for me at times but uh i was able to you know power through it was like very funny yeah so then guess who gets talked into going up and doing karaoke oh you jim comer so jim goes up there i would have lost it i recorded it for you so i do have it on video okay okay now again jim comer has been on like broadway yeah right A trained actor, all of this. So he gets up there, and I think it was like Eliza Minnelli’s song or something. But the dude is 80 years old and killed it. As soon as he starts, it’s like, oh. You can tell he’s a performer. It is like he is on stage performing in front of the theater. Like he came alive. Yes. And so it gets everybody’s attention like, oh, wow, okay. And so strong voice, animated, and…[36:00] It is literally like he’s on stage. Uh-huh. It was like, this guy is a trained actor in the theater. It was so good. So then he finishes, gets a standing ovation. It was fantastic. That’s awesome. It was absolutely fantastic. So that was like the highlight of the night. Is him finishing it off with karaoke, which was nice. Did Joe have a good birthday? Really good birthday. Good. Yes. Very good birthday. and was very surprised and very thankful that I was able to make it. That’s good. I’m thrilled I was able to go.[36:35] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it. Very good. This time, you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where. But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas. Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled, You Met Her Where? At kevinandsteph.com. And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want. And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[37:06] We got to wrap this up. So folks, we had a lot more stories to go through here, but Katie does have to leave the party. So we’re just going to shut this down for now. Why do I have to leave? Just start talking. I am talking. I have to leave because Sam has a tournament game tomorrow at 8 a.m. Okay. We have to be at the field at 7.15. Well, you’ll be up at 4, though, right? I will be. Okay. But I have to pack the snackle box. I have to pack everybody’s drinks. She has to walk the dog. I have to walk the dog. I have to do all the things. Because she’s a mama. Because I’m a killer. Yep. And we do all the things. We do all the things. I think the killer makes more sense than the black belt. Are you going to rip the pillow out from under your husband’s head tomorrow morning at 6.15? Yes. Wake up. Time to get your uniform on. Let’s go. Organize that garage real quick in the morning. Amen. I probably could. Yep, I bet you could. Was normal. Y’all, thank you for doing this. Thank you so much for volunteering your time. Have a fun conversation with us. We love you guys. Yay! Thanks for having us. We did it. Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, Feel free to give us a rating or a nice review Thank you for listening to Tell Us A Good Story.
The post Episode 216: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Like every fifth episode, it’s Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. This week they are joined by their friend, Jeremy Hartman, and Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer.
As you will hear, this conversation goes off the rails as soon as they start with Steph wanting to talk about the “passionate conversation” they had right before their guests arrived! Jeremy and Katie want to hear all about the argument, so they can take sides. Other stories include:
– Kevin + Steph’s recent move into a new house.
– How Steph turned into a crazy lady during the whole moving process.
– Finding out they moved into a retirement community and are the only family in the neighborhood with kids.
– AND a hilarious story about one of the most awkward moments Kevin + Steph have ever had.
This was such a fun conversation that it had to be split into two parts. Here is part one of this conversation with Kevin, Steph, Jeremy, and Katie.
Guest Details
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Today, like every fifth episode, it’s Steph and I sharing our own stories with you. And today, we are telling stories with our friend Jeremy Hartman and Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnitzer. You guys, we were having so much fun that we ended up recording not one, but two episodes for you. This is episode part one, which starts off with me telling Jeremy and Katie about the argument that Kevin and I just had before they got to our house. Which was not on my list of topics to discuss, but it certainly turned into a very fun conversation. Then we talked about how we recently moved into a new house and how my wife turns into a crazy lady during the move process. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Of course you don’t. You guys, this was so much fun. And here’s part one of our conversation with Jeremy Hartman and my sister, Katie Keller Schnitzer. I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery. Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However, today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible. And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day. Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.[1:17] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our post across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[1:50] All right, Steph. Welcome to episode 215. We didn’t think it was going to happen. Y’all, we weren’t speaking about an hour ago. Let’s be real. And this conversation is also with our friends, Jeremy Hartman. Mr. Hartman. And your sister, Katie Keller Schnitzer. Yes. Hello. Welcome to the show. Yes, I would say maybe two hours ago, y’all, I almost texted you and said, you know what? It’s canceled. We’re done. We’re done. We are done. I hope you guys have a good night. At one point, it started off, you know what? You could just do the podcast. You, Hartman, and Sid, all by yourself. I’m not doing it. Let’s see how good you are then.[2:31] That was three hours ago. So then two hours ago, Kevin’s like, you know what? I’m done. I’m not even going to do the podcast. I’m like, oh, that’s real mature, Kevin. And then thinking, I just said that about an hour ago. I go, hopefully he can’t remember that. So I was like, that’s real mature, Kevin. These two people have given up their Saturday nights for you. And you’re just like, no, I’m just going to cancel it. You’re like, they volunteered. That’s rude. Why would you cancel on them? Because you told me you weren’t going to do the podcast like 45 minutes ago. That’s what you said. And I thought it might be awkward if it was just me and these two talking.[3:07] With an empty seat. And then, yeah, let’s act like it didn’t happen. So good. He says that. Well, then I’m mad. Now I’m mad, right? I’m like, you are going to cancel on these two. How dare you? They gave up their Saturday night. No. And now look at us. Okay. We’re so happy. Ten minutes ago, y’all come in at the front door, and Steph and me is like, spilling your guts, Steph, of what just happened. We were out in the garage trying to organize our garage. I’m like, Steph, could we just keep that to ourselves? We need to tell them that we almost canceled on them because we had a moment there in the garage where moments. Yes. Was not good. Okay, so here’s the thing. Do we really want to go through this? We do. I think so. I mean, I’d like to be able to take a side, so I didn’t hear the story. If we want to say who’s the guilty party, I think we have to know. So far, I’m leaning towards Steph being right. I was going to say Steph’s right. Like most people. Steph’s always right.[4:06] So, okay. Whose idea was it? Totally mine. We move into this house. Love this home, you guys. I’m so thankful. There is not a day that goes by, and Kevin can say yes to this. I thank God for this house at least four or five times a day. I love my house. I love my house. That’s all I do. And we’ve been here five weeks. Thank you, Jesus. I love my house. Yes. Five weeks. Yes. It is wonderful. I am so happy here. So we cannot park both cars in the garage. Right. We basically, you know, you move in, you throw everything in the garage. You get settled into the house. And this weekend, Kevin’s like, I want to power wash the patio. I want to get the basement organized.[4:53] Yes. And I was like, well. No. I don’t think that’s a good idea. That’s the dumbest thing I have ever heard. I did not say that. You know I didn’t say that. However, I said, per our HOA, if you have two cars, both cars need to be put into the garage. You are a rule follower. I really am. They give you a grace period. It’s not like you have four weeks to figure it out, but they expect you to park your vehicles in the garage. Correct. So our garage is a little tight with everything in there. Even when the kids are getting out of the car, I get nervous. So I was like, Kevin, I really don’t feel like our patio needs power wash right now. It is still April. I do feel like that time needs to be handled into the garage. We’re going to get busy season. in. The kids are playing softball. We have games. We have practices. So the time we have needs to be focused on the garage. And I said, there are two or three things here we can complete on Saturday afternoon and be done with it. We can have the patio power washed and completely put together. We can have the basement organized, all the stuff put away versus the garage is going to take some time to figure out how to organize it, put stuff on the walls, hang it. It’s going going to take some time i don’t think you said that i promise you did not say that you did not say that at all you did say no put your hand down put your hand down it’s my turn to talk here’s the thing.[6:23] It is beautiful weekend. Gorgeous. Garage needs to be done. If it rains, I can do the basement. If it rains, I power wash still in the rain. The garage, having everything out of the garage, that needs a beautiful weekend. One that we need to focus on. So that was my reading. Here’s when she convinced me that I would go with her. She’s like, Kevin, I’m just really nervous. She’s parking in the garage. I’ve been parking outside. She’s like, I pull in the garage and I’m running into the bikes and I’m like running over things. I’m like, why are you running over things? You have cameras in your van. Why are you running into things? So I was like, okay, let’s see the garage. And I still can’t believe we’re actually talking about this. In all honesty, I don’t think I have run over anything, but that was the one way I knew that was going to happen.[7:12] I think we’re going to be honest right now. I’m pretty sure I ran over something you care about. I almost ran over a child. I’ve got to get the garage cleaned. I need the garage cleaned. Okay, that’s all you need to say, babe. I was really with you until you admitted the lie. I was like, man, Steph’s got a lot of good points. Actually, I was like, that was really good. That was smart.[7:34] Way to work that one. I mean, at this point, I’m with Steph. Because of the time-sensitive nature, HOA, they don’t care if your power wash, they don’t care if your basement’s cleaned up. They want your car in the garage. I like having things done. But anywho, we’re out there for hours. Hours. Hours. And is it done? Yes. It is not done. But I wasn’t expecting it to be done because Kevin is very meticulous in how he prepares his garage, which I totally appreciate, but we have to start somewhere to the point where, even though we are not done, I made the kids go out and look at the garage. They were like, Oh, this is amazing. I’m like, say a little louder, say a little louder. One more time. Daddy needs to hear this. Oh, this is awesome. Very good. That was good, guys. Here’s a dollar. You get a cookie. You get a cookie. You get a cookie. Yeah, so we were out there for hours. Still not done. Nothing. I didn’t check anything off the list today. So, anywho. And you know what? The weekend’s not over. It is not over. However, as he was kicking one of the buckets, he let me know that it was a waste of time. This is not even better. It was. Six hours later, it’s still not better, Steph. I have not accomplished anything. We haven’t accomplished anything. Except the dent in the bucket that I now have to throw away. so just run it over with the van it’s fine.[8:56] All right steph i’ve got a question for you what’s your favorite book of all time uh obviously you met her where oh i think i’m gonna say the bible oh oops oh what’s your second favorite book of all time you met her where.[9:18] A distant second totally distant it’s pretty good book sorry god it’s still a pretty good book but we’re so excited where can people get our book okay i know this uh amazon.com yes barnes noble yes and and our website kevinstuff.com and what happens if they buy it off our website what do they get uh an autograph from us yes who wouldn’t want that so listeners if you’ve We’ve already read the book. Thank you so much. We’ve had such good feedback. One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.[9:57] Okay. So none of that was on my list to talk about tonight. Perfect. But while we’re talking about our house. Yes. Yes. We are very blessed to be in this new house to us. Love it. Yes. But I forgot how, when we move, you turn into a complete crazy person. I’m just very OCD. I have things that I need to accomplish. Here’s the thing, y’all. Here’s the thing. We have three children. You do. We both have careers. We have a podcast. We have a certain amount of time to get moved into this house, get everything organized before the next week starts again. Yep. So I am focused. Okay, so they accepted our offer on the house. Yes. And we had a quick turnaround. We had three weeks until closing. Yeah. So our realtor was actually very nervous, not thinking that we could get this done, right? Challenge accepted. I got this. When I say we, I’m talking about the mortgage company and being able to get all the paperwork and the appraisals, all that. That’s what I’m referring to, not you and I. You and I are… I just want to clarify. Which one? We are a team.[11:09] Just like we were a team on the garage three hours ago even though we might not have packed anything in that other house okay so but here’s what happens that first weekend yes steph packs up 90 of the stuff yeah in the house yes i did and she’s like are you going to pack i’m like uh yeah it’ll be done in three weeks from now no why isn’t your why isn’t your closet done yet i’m like because we move in three weeks from now when did you pack up okay i know the answer to this Yes, y’all. I did everything. My mom came over and helped me. So you didn’t do everything. With my mom.[11:42] 90%, 95%. Me, myself, or my mom helped me do it. Kevin? Tell listeners, Hartman and Sis, you had one area to do, the closet. When did that get done? The day we moved. The day we moved. Done. You know why? Because I was using that stuff until the day we moved. You know what? I had everything packed away. I know you did. That was the problem. But I had certain things unpacked. Like I had all my scrubs. I had all my workout clothes. Seven days of workouts, seven days of workout clothes. And you know what? I rewashed them, so I wore them again. I was organized. Okay, so here we are. We’re like three weeks out and I get the kids breakfast in the mornings, help get Tate ready. So go to get the kids food. There’s no food anywhere. There is so why is there no food in the pantry in the cabinets? Oh, she packed it up. I’m like, okay, so that’s the first passionate conversation that Steph and I had was we still have to live life for the next three weeks. Here’s the thing, people. Let’s back it up. I had everything organized. Yes. But the food was not in the pantry. You had a full box. He had five boxes of cereal to choose from. He wanted the one box that was already packed up.[12:58] Dude, take out the five. You have five choices. I want the live cereal. I don’t care. That’s not your choice. That is not your choice. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Eat one of those. See? Okay. Organize. So we get to moving day. All right. Yeah, let’s talk about that. 6.15 a.m., I’m sleeping. Some crazy person rips a pillow out from under my head. And I wake up like, what’s going on? She’s like, it’s moving day. I got to pack it up. I’m like, it’s 6.15. I’ve been up since 4 a.m. I got to pack this. I’m like, can you just leave the blanket for me, please? That’s what I’m dealing with here. Yeah. 6.15 a.m. Rips the pillow. Moving company was coming. From under my head while I’m still sleeping. Get up. Sorry, I got to pack it up. You got to get up. Time to wake up. I don’t understand. I honestly don’t see the problem in this conversation.[13:53] I was prepared. Yeah, what could go wrong, really? Thank you.[13:59] Exactly. So we hired a moving company, which was well worth the money. You know what? That’s one thing that I gave in because I’m definitely frugal. And you were like, Stephanie, you are. But you’re like, Stephanie,[14:13] I really feel like we need this. I’m like, I don’t think we do. And then he reminded me of the conversation on our last move where I think Paul was going to pass around a hat to everyone to help chip in for a moving company. And I’m like, if they were saying this four years ago, we are now all four years older. Yeah. We all have lives. We all have kids in sports. Like, yes, it’s just not feasible. Kevin and I would be moving on our own. So I gave in and it was the best thing we could have done. These guys show up like 830. Okay. And give them a lay of the land. And then they just take off like sprinting. And it was six guys, I believe. Yeah. Six guys, all young. Yeah. Right. All in their 20s. I mean, they start taking off and they got these two big box trucks. So they left at four so within we’ll say seven hours okay they had the basement the garage the patio upstairs downstairs everything everything in our house outside of our house inside two box trucks and got it over here unloaded put the beds together put stuff together for us yep amazing they were amazing it’s amazing it was crazy you guys because i remember at our old house like my My dresser. I have nine drawers in my dresser. It’s big. It’s heavy. It’s huge.[15:27] We would take the drawers out, move, blah, blah, blah. They just picked it up. Stop. Picked up. Went down the stairs. Steph, these guys come in, and it’s like a feats of strength. It was unbelievable. What they’re carrying. Because these guys are carrying heavy stuff all day, every day. Yeah. I was blown away. Dang. Are you sure you want to take that by yourself? Yeah, I’m good. And he just throws it on his back or shoulders. Like, oh, my gosh. And these guys weren’t like big guys. No, they’re not muscular. No. It was impressive. They were strong. It was impressive. Yes. So everything’s in the house by four o’clock. Yeah. Okay.[16:02] Then crazy lady over here. No one is going to rest until everything is put away and organized. Exactly, Jeremy. That would be tough for me. So Saturday night, I’m exhausted. This is Friday at 4 o’clock. Saturday night, I’m exhausted. And she asked me, hey, can you hook this up for me? I’m like, I will do it tomorrow. No, no, no. We’re not even going to go there. No. Let me pull back. Let me pull back, people. Been up since 4 a.m. On Friday. And I’ve been up since 6.15 a.m. For the last three weeks. Honestly, you’re right. Since the last three weeks, every morning, 4 a.m., I’m not sleeping. Since we got the house, I have not slept. My mind is going. Everything that needs done. Go, go, go, go, go, go. Have not slept. Packing up life cereal. Yes, packing up life cereal. Yes, I am on the go. So 4 a.m. that Friday, we move all day. Oh, guess who has a father-daughter dance to go to? Oh, yeah. We talked about the move that day. It sounded like things went well. It sounded like things went well, but I’m starting to think that Kevin was just putting on a nice happy face. That’s right. I see Jeremy there. Oh, it went really well.[17:04] It’s pretty smooth sailing. You didn’t say anything about a pillow being ripped out of his head. Like I woke up at 6.15 this morning. I love that he keeps saying that. He rolled back over. Pillow, no pillow. Didn’t matter. So Katie and my mom helped me unpack. We’re organizing, getting everything organized. He comes home from the father-daughter dance, wants to shower again. It’s like, man. It’s been a long day. I’m like, really? It has been. You packed up your closet, watched the movers move, then stood here, told them where to go, and then you went to the father-daughter dance. And then I was like, man, it’s a long day. I think you’re oversimplifying this just a little bit. I don’t think I am. No. So then, what? No, I’m still going. I’m still going. Saturday morning, we get up, right? You, okay, okay. Saturday morning, Kevin’s job was to work on the house. Yeah. Right? Of course. You were going to get your closet organized. You were going to get all this stuff organized. I took all three kids.[18:01] I went to the rental. I had to patch walls. I had to repaint. I had to clean the rental. And I’m like, you know what? I am going to let Kevin have his time. I will take all three kids. I will let them play at the rental. I will do all of this stuff. Get home four or five hours later.[18:20] I get home and I’m like, huh. This drives me bonkers. This is all you got done? No, no, no. This is it? No, no. He’s like, baby, you want to see what I did? I’m like, I would love to see what you did. I would love to see. I would love. He’s like, ta-da! My office is organized.[18:39] Your office is organized. Look, I really like it. Hey, just so you know, I work from home. That was Saturday. I have to go to work on Monday. It was time sensitive. So I had a pretty tight deadline there. You needed your Ohio State helmets to decorate your bookshelves. Hey. Listen. Babe, I forgot I had this. Look at this stuff. Oh, man. Where am I going to put all this? Okay. Wait, that’s not… You want to know what I had done today? Do you know what I did today? He’s like, but I got my office. But it’s put together, so I can still work on Monday. Okay, so Saturday night. Fast forward. Fast forward to Saturday night. Can you please hook this up for me? I will do it tomorrow I am exhausted when I say hooked up it was my washer and dryer washer and dryer yes I’m exhausted can I do this tomorrow, okay I’ll do it first thing in the morning 9 o’clock at night I’ll do it first thing in the morning okay I sleep until 8 o’clock, Because I’m exhausted. Nobody got time for that. No, we don’t. I get up and I want to go make some coffee. I would like to eat some breakfast. And as soon as I walk out, oh, okay, hey, I need that hooked up. I’m like, okay, I told you I’ll do it here. Let me get some coffee. No, no, no, no. You said you’d do it today, and it is today.[20:00] That’s fun. Today is here. That may have led to another passionate conversation. Lots of passion. Lots of passion. So much passion. Lots of passion that weekend. Okay. Here’s the thing. Here’s the thing, people. People. The day before, he had to focus all his time and energy on his office because I go to work on Monday. Guess what, buddy? I can’t go to work and the kids can’t go to school without their clean clothes.[20:28] Or cereal. Or cereal. Don’t forget that. So we love moving moving is fun even with movers even with movers even with movers so but yeah that weekend was um a lot of passionate conversations so much passion a lot of passion so much passion on kevin’s behalf here thank you not everyone lives at 4 a.m to midnight standards and keeps operating yes you’re saying kevin you didn’t have a hard day i had a hard day but just because you If you had a harder day, it doesn’t mean his day wasn’t hard. Is that the argument? I believe the word relative would be appropriate. But, I mean, like, man, it’s Sunday morning. You just spent two days moving, and you want to sleep until 8 and get a coffee? Like, that’s okay. I mean. Exactly. I think it’s just considering kicking him out of this conversation. Nobody’s resting in this house until everything’s organized. We have three days.[21:26] Friday, Saturday, Sunday to get everything organized. because once that Monday goes, then we have sports. Game on. Then we have school. Then we have work. Then we have homework. We have so much starting again. You had a wedding. We had a wedding that the kids were all in. Yep. There was so much going on. We were about eight years into the house and I think there’s a few boxes we haven’t unpacked still. No. Say I promise. Oh, I’m sure of it. Oh, no. You didn’t do it within 48 hours when you moved in? There are different standards for different people. Yeah, that’s crazy. 48 hours? What kind of weirdo are you? Jeez, how do you live life? Well, I do have a wife that says, well, if you’re tired, just go to bed. Oh, what is that like? It’s amazing. What? No, she doesn’t. Seriously? Amber says that? Amber says that? To you? She loves me, so yes. Wow. I need my rest. I mean, I don’t look this good just naturally. Put in the rest. Shoot. So it’s just OCD then? Yeah. We got a timeline. Got to get it done. Jeremy, you feel the pain? I think I got to slow down a little bit.[22:26] Oh, I feel your pain for sure. Oh, man, that was rough. It was rough. I was exhausted. There would have been some passion in me that was reporting this way.[22:36] All right, Steph. I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it. Very good. This time, you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where. But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas. Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled, You Met Her Where? At kevinandsteph.com. And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want. And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[23:07] All right, so let’s talk about our neighborhood stuff. Love our neighborhood. So Jeremy, we basically moved into a retirement community here. It’s awesome. We didn’t know that. No. Until we basically put the offer in. And then I started looking at the HOA website that they have. And I’m like, oh, okay. This looks pretty strict. So here’s the rules, HOA. And granted, all the homes here are ranch homes. So that’s the first, I guess, flag, right? But they’re all ranch. So the HOA, no pools allowed. In ground, above ground, no fences allowed.[23:43] No play sets. No play sets. Oh, boy. No basketball courts, right? You can have a basketball hoop, but it has to be one of the mobile ones, and you can wheel it back into your garage. Every night. Every night, yes. You’re literally supposed to wheel it back every night? Yes. Oh, boy. Yes, you can’t leave it out, okay? You are expected to park in the garage, all right? So you can’t have your garage as another room. Yeah. You can’t have it as storage. Another kitchen, living room, house something. You’re not allowed to have boats, campers parked in front of your house or in your driveway. What else? If you have two cars, they both need to be in the garage. Yes. And one family per home. One family per home. Yes. Okay. So you can’t have 10 families in here. Can’t be a rental. The other thing is it can’t be a rental property. So if you own the home, you have to live here, right? And so some of these people are actually snowbirds, but they’re not renting it out, right? Which is a big deal. That is a very big deal. So a lot of these rules love, okay? Yeah, love the rules. But then we start meeting people and our home’s 25 years old. So they may have built it when they’re 55 and now they’re 80. So a lot of people that we meet are 80 years old. quite honestly and so we met somebody last week and they said we’re the first we’re the only family that she’s aware of in the neighborhood with kids she also warned us hey listen, We’re all bad drivers here, okay?[25:00] So you have little kids, and I see them riding their bikes.[25:05] Just tell your kids, we back out of the garage, and we don’t look, all right? That’s a good heads up. I’m like, oh, that’s a great point. She’s like, we’re not used to having kids in this neighborhood. So we just back out and go. So make sure your kids are looking at all times. I’m like, oh, that is a great idea. Yeah, thank you for that. How do your kids feel about not having any of their kids around? Or do they not even process it yet? No, not really. They don’t even process it yet. They’ve had some kids because grandkids are visiting their grandparents. And so a few of them have a love like, oh my gosh, there’s kids here for me to play with. Yeah. So that’s happened a couple of times at this point. So that’s nice. And you’re not far off from a teen driver. Are you allowed to have a third vehicle and have it in the driveway? Yes. Okay. Yes, you can. So you’re good there. Yep. So we’re good there. So they have lots of like community events, stuff like that. So they’ve got two, so a semi-annual HOA meeting, which is coming up actually next week. Yeah, I saw the sign. Yes, yes, they have a HOA meeting. So they also sent out a semi-annual newsletter, okay? So spring and fall. So I was reading the fall newsletter right before we moved in, and it said since the spring newsletter had been posted and emailed, that 10 people had passed away.[26:14] Oh boy. So we’re like, what? And then last week, I’m talking to a neighbor that we met for the first time, and she’s like, hey, the people across the street, husband just passed away. Pretty sure he’s going to go on the market here soon, just so you’re aware. So I’m like, Steph, we need to recruit some friends over here. Yes, we do. The best neighborhood. So we pay a good amount for the HOA, but it includes Jeremy.[26:37] All your mowing, your mulch, leaf removal, snow removal. Wow. Yeah.[26:43] Beautiful. We gave away our lawnmower before we moved here. You guys are practically in retirement home here. Yes, we do. And we’ve got like a half an acre, and they’re mowing it. If you did not just hear our previous conversation, we are not good movers. So if we want to keep our marriage strong, we will be staying in this home. I did find out the HOA does not organize your garage for you. They do not. You have to do that yourself. Low class HOA. But Steph, did you see the sign where they have a 3K neighborhood race coming up? Did you see this? No. I assume it’s all walking. Should I enter and just take off? Just sprint. I just sprint ahead of all the walkers and wheelchairs. Like, get ahead of it. I think Tate might be able to. Tate might be able to.[27:28] Oh, that’d be funny. Look at this hot shot. Pixie Special, I can still run. run i will tell you as someone i have experienced our neighborhood has a lot of older families now there are younger ones moving in but it’s similar people that built the houses originally now they’re at you know 80 something yes if your kids get close to an older neighbor that they’re going to have to deal with that loss and that that just happened to us right across the street the the husband died about i think it was three or four months ago really he was very much a grandpa figure to them so that was we went to the funeral we you know it’s been a thing we really try to that care of her now that she’s there by herself. Yeah. But yeah, that’s something that may come up for you guys. That’s a good point. Another thing that came up when I was talking to the neighbor, she asked what you did. And I told her you’re a registered nurse. And she goes, oh.[28:14] Don’t let people know that. And I was like, why? She goes, because you’re going to have like a CVS Minute Clinic at your house with all your neighbors. I’m like, oh, that’s a great point. Don’t let anybody know you’re a nurse because they’re going to be showing up. You know what this is? Can you check this out for me? Should I be concerned about this mole? Look at this mole. Well, you’re touching it. It is changing colors. You keep touching it. Stop touching it. Name that movie. I was just thinking that. Christmas Vacation. Christmas Vacation. Yep. If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a co-worker, or share one of our posts on social media. However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody. Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us. Yep. Go on with your merry day. And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com. Thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[29:21] So let’s tell them a quick story here about what happened two weeks before we moved in here. Okay. All right. So our good friends, Paul, Michelle, Gerringer, we went to lunch. And while we’re at lunch with them, we said, hey, we have a surprise. We are going to go show you our house. Right. And they’re like, oh my gosh. I mean, they were so excited for us. So excited. So on the way there, though, we had to drop off their son at a friend’s house who just happens to live, what, a mile and a half down the road. Oh, perfect. So I’m like, oh, that’s perfect. We’ll gladly do that. So get in the car, go to this house. They went and picked up their son. And then we drop him off at this friend’s house.[30:00] And the mom comes out of the house. And I’m pretty good with faces. Not so much with names. But typically, I’m really good with faces. Especially former Ohio State players. I’m really good at the faces. I can tell you who that used to be. For sure. So the mom comes out and I notice her and I’m like, That’s Rachel. I’ll make this up, Smith. And Steph’s like, really? No, no, no, no. Who was our friend like 15 years ago? No, he’s in the front seat because he was sitting beside Paul. Paul and Michelle both get out to walk Gabe to the door because it was the first time they had met. They’d never met this family before. They knew the child, but they didn’t know the parents, so they wanted to introduce themselves. Okay. So Kevin and I, I’m in the back seat. Kevin’s in the front seat. He’s like, Steph, I think that’s Rachel. No, I don’t think it is. He’s like, no, no, no. I’m really good with faces.[30:49] I think it’s rachel and i’m looking i’m like kevin i don’t think he’s like you need to say something you need to say hello to her like you need because like because you’re friends with her i was friends with rachel and i was like i don’t i don’t think it is he’s like steph that’s her it’s her that’s her i’m like oh shoot he’s like just go say hi to her i’m like okay so we’re parked in the driveway all right so i’m on the passenger side and the porch is on my side okay Steph’s on the other side. So she opens her door, stands up. She’s on the other side of the car. So she’s kind of hidden. And she’s like, just yells out, Rachel. And her name is actually Rachel. Okay. And this mom’s like, yeah. And then Steph’s like, do you remember me?[31:41] And the mom’s like, no, I don’t think so. I’m Stephanie. Hi stephanie and then steph is trying to think of something to say because it’s like oh she doesn’t remember me and then steph’s like were you previously married and just yells that in the neighborhood just yells it out and i’m like wait what why are you asking if she’s been previously married before and then rachel goes no but that’s what my husband thinks and she like jokes about that and then it got like super awkward and we’re all looking at each other They’re like, Steph, no, please, please stop talking. And I think Rachel, I thought Rachel had adopted children. I thought she had. So I’m like, Steph, get in the car. Because I’m like, what’s the next question going to be? He’s going to be like, aren’t those your real kids? Are they adopted? Like. Like steph no to get and i’m like i’m dying i’m dying right so i’m like this is you’re doing this is my fault i can’t believe that’s not rachel how is that not rachel so steph like okay nice to meet you right and then gets back in the car gets back in the car i might have slammed the door yeah oh i might have slammed she’s like yeah kevin that wasn’t rachel I’m like.[32:57] No crap Sherlock I just witnessed what just happened here I know that’s not Rachel I’m literally backseat I’m so mad at you I’m so not happy right now with you I’m so not happy with you next question Rachel do you have a twin sister also named Rachel.[33:15] Because my husband’s really good with faces and you’re a dead ringer did you play for Ohio State I pull up on Facebook, the Rachel we know, and I show Steph. I’m like, this is Rachel. Look. And you said, oh, yeah, okay. That does look like her. So then Paul and Michelle have this conversation. They get back in the car. And Paul gets in. He’s like, well, I was following you, Steph, until you asked her if she has ever been previously married.[33:48] And I’m like, okay. I’m so sorry. Like, we’re so sorry. That was your first impression that was the first impression they had they had of you i’m so sorry paul and michelle but this is the woman that i’m referring to and so i hand my phone to michelle and she’s like oh yeah that does look like her so i was not going to go tell rachel hey here’s who i think you look like you should have because here’s what happens when people tell me hey you look like such and such every single time katie ends up being like they’ll show me a picture and like Chewbacca, like, hey, you look like this person. And I’m just like, always like offended, right? So I wasn’t going to go short. Well, Michelle.[34:27] Agrees with me that looks like a dead ringer so she gets out of the car goes back up to the door what just happened yeah i’m so sorry hey here’s the person they thought you look like and then she looks like and she’s like oh okay yeah i i see it yeah i see it and you know it in your hands she can afford to lose her i wouldn’t wear that outfit so you know inside right she’s like that looks nothing like me but she’s like yeah i see it yeah i see it okay she’s like really nice about it yeah so then michelle gets back in the car i’m like i’m so like that’s on me guys i am so sorry i thought that was the rachel and it wasn’t so it was so awkward when they went back to pick up their son they apologized for their friends for you for that awkward situation like hey they’re really good people they thought it was for i’m so sorry and she laughed it off and it was it was great but it was a very awkward moment i just love it for you kevin because you had zero risk in this situation because you’re like, I know it’s her. I swear it’s her. I’m good with faces. But then it’s an idiot out there yelling, yelling in the neighborhood. Do you know me?[35:39] Rachel. And it just, yeah, her name’s Rachel. That’s great. I mean, if I were you, I would just do that more often. Oh, Steph, that’s definitely our old friend. You know, I will never say it again. I will never take his word. I don’t care if he’s like, that is Urban Meyer. I’m like, what up, Urban? I’m going to sit in the back seat. Nope, not even getting out. No. But I’m in 100% agreement. Don’t show a picture to someone and say, hey, you look like this guy or girl because it is. It’s awful. It is. It’s been done to me so many times. I’m always like so critical of that. Is that how I look? They’re at least 60, aren’t they? Gosh.[36:15] Well, our Rachel, she’s beautiful. Like she’s really pretty. So to show somebody else like, and this other Rachel is really pretty. Yes. Yes, they’re both beautiful women. I hope so. Okay.[36:29] Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
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This week we talk with our new friend, Josh Baldwin, a songwriter and worship leader who joined the Bethel Music Collective in 2014. Josh’s newest album, Made For More (2024), is his second live worship album, following his 2022 release, Where The Glory Is. In this episode with Kevin + Steph, stories include:
– His first experience at Bethel Church in Redding, California when he was so overwhelmed that he could barely talk.
– The heartfelt experience of a fan asking him to sing his song ‘Evidence’ over the phone to them.
– How he has to confirm the lyrics in his songs are actually in the Bible and not something he just made up.
– The hilarious story of trying to play a concert during a tractor pull.
In 2018, Josh’s gold-certified single “Stand in Your Love” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Christian charts and garnered his first K-Love nominations as “Breakout Single of the Year” and “Worship Song of the Year.”
We can’t wait for you to hear this awesome episode with our new friend, Josh Baldwin.
Guest Details
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Today, we have the privilege of talking to a gold-certified singer-songwriter and worship leader who joined Bethel Music back in 2014, Mr. Josh Baldwin. You guys, Josh was so much fun to talk to. He gave us some great stories, such as his first experience at Bethel Church in Redding, California, when he was so overwhelmed that he could barely speak, and how that church actually has an hours-long wait to attend there each service. Gosh, that sounds like going to Disneyland or an amusement park. That sounds freaking amazing. I’ve never heard of a church having an hours long wait just to go to church. Right. However, my favorite story is when Josh talks about the most random place he’s ever played at, which was hilarious to me because it’s actually here in Ohio. And I could visualize exactly what he was talking about. We can’t wait to hear this really fun conversation with singer, songwriter, and worship leader, Josh Baldwin. I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery, then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible and we’re here to tell stories that[1:14] inspire, give hope, and brighten your day. Welcome to Tell Us A Good Story.[1:22] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple Podcasts or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our posts across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story. All right, Steph. Are you ready for this? Oh, sorry. Yes. And that’s what you can’t say the guest name yet. I’m so excited.[2:05] All right. Just starting off great. Okay. All right, friends. Our next guest is a singer, songwriter, and worship leader who joined Bethel Music in 2014. His newest album, Made for More, is a second live worship album following the 2022 release of Where the Glory Is. From Thompson’s Station, Tennessee. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us Good Story, Mr. Josh Baldwin.[2:26] He’s here. He’s here. He’s here. Josh, thank you for saying yes to us. Yes. And first off, in honor of you, sir, I wore my flannel today for you. Yes. Because I told Steph, I’m like, Steph, out of 214 episodes, this dude might be the most masculine looking dude that we’ve interviewed to date. I’m like, Steph, when you meet Josh, or when we meet Josh, it looks like he probably grew this beard when he was in eighth grade. And he looks like he should just be carrying around an axe with him at all times. I’m like, wait, is he a lumberjack? Is that what I need to like cuddle in my vision of who we’re talking to? I mentally prepared Steph to meet you. So I said, I told you that earlier. Yes, you did. I did. That’s amazing. thing. Okay. So when was the last time your family saw you clean shaven? My, oh, my kids, they’re 12 and 11. And I don’t know that they’ve ever, I shaved my beard when my daughter was like one, but I didn’t even shave it like off. It was just like five o’clock shadow shave. And that was the first time my wife had seen my face. Oh, really? Yeah. And she was like, immediately grow it back.[3:41] Which is kind of cool that, and it’s always a little bit of a stab when you’re like, okay, Okay, I have to put hair on my face for my wife to think I’m attractive. My kids have never seen me without a beard, and they’re 12 and 11. Okay, so it has been a while. Yeah, it’s been a moment. It’s been a while. What made you grow it? To get the chicks, apparently, Steph. Apparently. Apparently to get the ladies. Yeah, to find my wife. No. You know what? I was living in – I’m from North Carolina. I was living in the mountains of North Carolina in my 20s, and we got snowed in for like a week. And me and my roommate just like decided not to shave that week. And that was 2004.[4:22] And I just, I haven’t shaved it since. That’s good. Okay. So you’ve gone on tour, Josh, with a lot of big names, including yourself, right? So Steph, he’s gone on tour with, for King & Country, Zach Williams, Phil Wickham, Cody Carnes, all of these high profile people. Yeah, yeah. So, Josh, do you have any good stories from being on tour, whether it’s something gone wrong? Do you have any good stories from one of these tours? Yeah, I mean, I have multiple good stories. How long is this podcast? As long as you want, Josh. We can make it two parts if you want, sir. Like if it’s really, yeah, it’s really great stories to be a three parter. Yeah.[5:02] I, I mean, I, I think one of my first, maybe because it was my first, the first of all those tours that you said, and I was just probably the most nervous was, this was 2019. I went on tour with for King and Country. Okay. And their show is unbelievable. And it’s even bigger and more unbelievable now than it was back then. Every night, Joel would try to like get me on stage with them and like jump around at the end of the night on Drummer Boy. And, you know. Yes. Because they just jump from like riser. i mean they’re it’s like when they get off that stage they are like sweating and tired from it’s like a workout and i was just like man jewel i just don’t think that’s not me i don’t think i could do it and so i waited the whole tour i just never went out there for it and then the very last night of the tour me and the band kind of just like secretly planned to do this so i went back stage and one of the band guys gave me their jacket that’s like this big sparkly gold jacket and I grabbed like these jingle bells thing because they were doing drummer boy at the end of their set and I jumped out there and was like standing on the risers of the drums.[6:09] Just not like me at all and I don’t think there’s video proof of it which is probably great but um that was fun because I got to shock that you know Joel and Luke were out front singing and they turn around and there I am on the drum just shaking my jingle bells and uh but that was a fun night I had The other guys, me and Zach are like, bro, he’s even more manly than me. Zach Williams? I mean, yeah, Zach Williams. Does he ever not wear that hat? He doesn’t sleep in it. He doesn’t, okay. So he does take it off before he goes to sleep on the bunk and the bus. But we had fun times. Zach, I love basketball. I love sports. And so I played basketball a lot with Zach on tour. But I don’t know if I have any crazy stories about him or Phil. But I think, oh, I do that. Well, yeah, no, I don’t have any stories that maybe I could tell.[7:02] That’s OK. No, that’s OK. How about any God moments during your concerts? I mean, yeah, there’s those. Then that’s amazing. And that’s why I love doing what I do and need to lead worship and writing songs. I feel like I have a song called Evidence that I’ve been singing for four years now, four or five years. and every night that’s like a song that.[7:26] I just always feel the Lord so close. And because it’s such a song that for me, it was even seeing his goodness in my life and my family, but not even that, but just in, I think more than any other song, it’s the one that I feel people grab onto the most because it’s one of those songs where we’re definitely like just, it’s getting our eyes on the Lord and thanking him for all he’s done. But then to just look back and see what he’s done. That makes sense. I have people come up and just talk about how that song’s just helped them through times where they’ve needed where they’ve been in seasons of maybe they do see the goodness of the lord in their life and that’s been it’s been good to hear that song but then most most of the time it’s a season where they don’t see necessarily like the evidence of his goodness and the song is like a reminder to to actually look back and remember all the lord has done for us and um i remember one time and specifically i sang i facetimed a lady who reached out and she was actually ringing the bell, she had just been, you know, her cancer treatment. And her husband surprised her. He reached out to me, and I FaceTimed her as she was ringing the bell and got to sing I Sang Evidence with her.[8:33] And that was like, I mean, I was just a mess. Being able to sing, like, I See the Evidence of the Goodness of the Lord with this lady who literally is ringing the bell and obviously seeing the evidence of the goodness of the Lord is special.[8:50] Yeah, that’s one of those messages where you can’t say, oh, sorry, I’m busy. No, you can’t say that. Like, oh, hey, I’ve got dinner plans tonight. I am so sorry. I’ve got to watch the kids. Oh, yeah. If she can delay that maybe two hours, then I could jump on a call with you. Yeah. No, those are the drop everything you’re doing. Right. Let’s be a part of this. Yeah. Yeah. Easy. That’s the easiest.[9:13] All right, Steph. I’ve got a question for you. What’s your favorite book of all time? Obviously, You Met Her Where? Oh, I thought you were going to say the Bible. Oh, oops. What’s your second favorite book of all time? You Met Her Where? A distant second. Totally distant. It’s a pretty good book. Sorry, God. It’s still a pretty good book. But we’re so excited. Where can people get our book? Okay, I know this. Amazon.com. Yes. Barnes & Noble. Yes. And our website, kevinandsteph.com. And what happens if they buy it off our website? What do they get? An autograph from us. Yes. Who wouldn’t want that? So listeners, if you’ve already read the book, thank you so much. We’ve had such good feedback. One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.[10:11] So you’re talking about evidence. What’s the evidence with God in your life? Like, when did you discover God? I always joke about this, but it’s a joke, but it’s also the truth. I was born on a Sunday and in church on the next Sunday. My dad’s a pastor, and so I grew up, you know, in the church and knowing the Lord. But my parents were—my dad’s a pastor. My parents, they were divorced when I was, like, 17. And so going through all that and, you know, and all the stuff that spawns, like the church mess stuff and all that. I… I just look back and through all those moments, I felt the Lord so present in my life. And I mean, I still have a great relationship with my parents. I still have a great relationship with the Lord and with church. Like I just even looking back at that and like I still love church. And that a lot of that to me is just the evidence of the Lord’s faith when it’s in my life. Because there’s so many times, especially nowadays, I think we get hurt. We get hurt by people because I mean, it’s full of people and we’re not perfect. And I think when you do wake up every morning to have that simple devotion of just seeing what the Lord’s done, it helps you just bring it all back down to the real thing, Jesus. I’ll tell you what, brother. You just hit home with me. Yeah, I knew you were going to say that. Big time. So I’m a fellow PK, pastor’s kid. My parents divorced after 27 years when I was 21.[11:39] And one of the hardest things, now granted, they don’t like me talking about this. So, hey, mom and dad, go ahead and mute or go and skip ahead maybe two minutes of this conversation right now if you’re listening. But one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through was my parents divorced and you’re dealing with church. You’re dealing with your parents. And I lost my family. I totally lost my family through that. And so you might be one of the few people who I’ve heard say that, right? That’s had a similar experience to me where I just turned an adult and then my whole world was gone. Been my dad lost the church after they got divorced and stuff and so like life completely changed right it was completely different from that moment so i completely know what you’re saying when you just you were sharing that story i’m like oh my gosh that that hits home, oh man i uh yeah i was 17 18 i’m a senior in high school and i i went to college next year really just to get away to get out of town yes and get away for a couple years and uh and they They even have a good relationship now, my parents, and they don’t mind me talking about it. I hope. You know what? I’ve never asked them. I wonder if they do mind me. We’ll see. We’ll see. I’ll ask them after this. Hey, guys. Right. Listen to this podcast. Yes. And by the way. I was listening to that song on the way here. Evidence. Were you? On the way here, yes. Yep, absolutely.[13:00] Oh, yeah. Well, I remember when we talked to Mac Brock, okay? Which we’re going to get to soon, Steph. Oh, shoot. Can I talk about it? Go ahead. Okay, okay, okay. And he loves you. Loves you, loves you. We’ve asked him, like, when you’re doing praise and worship and you’re singing the same song, do you ever, like… Over and over. Yes, over and over. Are you like, okay, are we going to wrap this up?[13:18] How long have you sang the same song over and over? Like is this the only song we practice today folks like oh okay yes you know what i mean like you mean like sing this not like the same song for years but sing the same song for a long time in one set yes oh yes well i lead worship at bethel so i think everyone knows how long we lead.[13:41] There’s been times where i’ve been like okay well we gotta wrap this up like like okay i think i’ve I’ve milked everything I can out of this. And sometimes when I’m leading by myself, you know, I can, when I feel that moment, I can shut her down real quick. But yeah, when you’re co-leading with other people and then you’re ready to bring it down and then they’re like, they have something and you kind of just, all right, well, let’s go for it. And, you know, cause you want to honor the point. If they see something, yeah. So there’s definitely been times where I’ve walked off the stage and gone and sat down with my wife And she was like, I think you really should have like shut down.[14:23] Like you like she will be brutally honest with me, which is great. I love You won’t do it well, she won’t do it during the service and honestly, I just don’t even look at her in case like maybe She is I’m just like I don’t want to But she will tell me later if a moment went too long she’s like or she’ll be like I If I shut it down too quick, she’ll say, you know, I feel like you should have stayed on that bridge. I feel like there was something there. And you got off too early. And so I was like, right. That’s a normal wife. I was going to say, I love her. Hey, that sounds like a normal wife, Josh. Right. She is. She’s amazing. She’s the fire that the Lord sent to light under me. She’s the pilot light that is constantly lit under my life to help me. There you go. go how did you just sorry go ahead i was gonna say how did you guys meet we um we met in charlotte north carolina she’s from she’s from pennsylvania i’m from charlotte area and um we were at a church she came to the ministry school she’s eight years younger than me okay so um i was like 29 and she was 20 about to turn she was 21 and she the girl that cut my hair she just was having a baby and And so she went on maternity leave, and my wife was a hairstylist. And so friends of ours connected us, and I went and got my hair cut. And just, I haven’t paid for a haircut since. Nice![15:53] Or you could say I pay more for my haircuts than anyone. That’s a good point. I’ve been paying ever since, Josh. You’ve been paying ever since.[16:02] So, yeah, that’s a short story of how we met.[16:07] Josh, for all of our guests, I like to give a list of fun facts to let listeners[16:11] know what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished. And Steph is not aware of any of these. So I have a list here, and I want you to keep me honest if I’m off on any of these, and these should spurn some fun stories. Okay? Okay. All right. You ready for this, Steph? Yes. Fun fact number one about Josh. Josh attended Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee.[16:31] Unfortunately, I said he attended Lee University because while there, he’s already laughing, he was put on academic probation and later dropped out. But Josh, here’s what’s hilarious to me. Later on, Steph, the university invited him back to the school to celebrate him and his achievements, even though he dropped out and was on probation. So he led worship there at the school and they celebrated him. So, Josh, what was that experience like? Because for me, I would be thinking like when they reach out, is this an April Fool’s prank? Like what’s going on? So what was that like when they reach out to you and you’re like, listen, I didn’t even – I dropped out. Like I was on probation and now you’re celebrating me? How did that work? Well, I was a part – they were asking Bethel Music to come as like a whole, a collective. And I was one of the ones they asked. They were like, we want specifically Josh to come. Um, and I, when they reached out, when Father Musa reached out to me, like told me this was happening, I was like, do they know that? Like, I, I thought they obviously have no idea that whoever is in charge of doing this now has no idea that I went there because they probably would not want me to come back. That’s not like a great example to all these students of what you should be in college. Look at what you could accomplish. Listen, I was a good kid. I was, I love the Lord. I just didn’t go to church or didn’t, I didn’t go to church. I just didn’t go to school. I didn’t go to class. Okay. You’re one of those Christians. I got it. I love the Lord. I just don’t go to church.[18:01] I love the Lord. I just didn’t go to class. I went to church. I played guitar in my dorm room and learned worship songs, played a lot of intramural sports, but I did have a 1.7 GPA. So I didn’t go to class. But yeah, when I finally found out that it was me, they really wanted me and they knew that I went there. I was floored and I got there and I remember I was about to get up and it was like their weekend where um students high school students from all the country come oh right and you know prospective students yeah yeah and so they um i got up there and the dean of admissions was was introducing me and he was like hey um i’m gonna introduce you as lee university alumni is that okay i was like that’s fine with me i mean you’re i was like you do know you do know my story right he’s like yeah it’s fine so i they did it and so the funny thing is um oh gosh that That was probably five years ago, six years ago. And I went there. I’m old. I went there back in 97, 98, 99, those years. So it was a while from that, probably 20 years later. And I was just recently in Cleveland, Tennessee, where Lee University is, last year on a tour. And we were playing at a church in Cleveland. And so I had the day, and I was just by myself. And I was like, I’m just going to Uber to Lee University and walk through the campus. It was a fall day. It was beautiful. And so I’m walking through the campus and I’m texting my old college buddies who both of them graduated and are pastors now with university degrees.[19:30] And I’m texting them and I go into the main, what they call the con center. It’s where they have the chapels and everything. I walk in there and I’m walking through the lobby and I look up and they have pictures all on the lobby walls. And I look up and there’s a picture of me leading worship. No way. Like two years later or before. It’s up in their lobby. And I just took a picture and sent it to my buddies. And I was like, you guys got degrees, but I got a picture in the lobby of the con center.[20:00] Well done that was a really great story of how the Lord redeems things another God moment stuff that you were looking for that’s fantastic I’m shocked he actually lied do you mind if I lie and just say you graduated from here he didn’t, he’s an alumni does that alumni mean you graduated I thought that just meant you attended I thought you meant you attended I’m like I did attend he’s not lying are you sure Pretty sure. Pretty sure. We didn’t check that afterwards. Well, that’s another fun fact. That’s a good fun fact. Yes. All right. Next fun fact.[20:36] Josh is apparently very close friends with one of our recent guests. Mac Brock. Mac Brock. Yes. Who actually recommended that we talk to you, Josh. Right? So after the conversation, he’s like, hey, you need to talk to my buddy, Josh. So Josh actually co-hosted the Good at Sports podcast with Mac. So are you still doing this? And how did that come about? because this has nothing to do with music, worship, nothing. Yeah. Well, Mac and I have been really close friends for years. I’m from Charlotte, that’s where he lives. So we’ve known each other for a long time. And then he was actually just here a couple of weeks ago, staying in this room right here. He came for the week to write music and he just stayed here at the house. But we have for years, we both lead worship, we both write songs.[21:25] But for years, our relationship really was all like surrounded by all the group texts that were in involving sports and fantasy football leagues, all this. So that was like really more of our relationship. We only started writing together over the last few years.[21:41] Like we were, we were like really close friends when, who loves sports together. And so for years we would joke around and talk about like, we should do a podcast and just talk about sports. But then we’re like, who’s going to listen to two worship leaders talk about sport? Like we have a very you know specific audience it has to be people that love worship know who we are and also like sports right it’s a very niche group there so um but we finally two years ago we just went for it and we did it and we did it for a year year and a half okay and we so we sad to say rip good at sports it has has gone to be with the lord oh so sorry so sorry for your loss Josh I know honestly I am sorry for my it was it was such a great like outlet of just first of all just hanging out and talking with my buddy and then to just be talking about sport like we’re we would talk at the beginning about life and just hey where did you go this weekend where you know but um but then most of it would just be we talk about the NFL or because we both we both are Panthers fans and um which is you know we would really cry with each other about that prayer sessions.[22:52] Yeah. But yeah, we just, it got to be where it was just too much for us and didn’t have enough time to make it work. If more people were listening, maybe we could have had a whole team like you have. And it’s, this would have been really special to just keep it going. But we still, we still hang out and talk though.[23:09] We just don’t do it, you know, over podcast form. Yeah. Totally understand. Okay. So let me tell you a quick story. This just happened. I’m going to, I’m going to talk about my wife real quick. Right. So we had a wedding for my nephew about what, what two weeks ago, we’re at the reception hall, and the DJ is playing a song and I’m like, Steph, do you know who this is? And she listens and you’re like, that’s Mac Brock. I go Yep, that’s Mac. And you’re like, I love that guy. And then Josh, the next song comes on. And it’s you. And I’m like, Hey, I go, Hey, Steph, do you know who this is? And you’re like, No, I don’t know who that is. I’m like, Josh Baldwin. She’s like,[23:44] Who’s that? And I go, what? I go, no. We’re talking to him next Friday. And you’re like, oh, that’s right. Yes, Josh Baldwin.[23:53] And then Steph’s like, okay, who do they play next, right? And so I think the third song, I think it was like Taylor Swift. And so the pattern ended right there. Done. Oh, no. She’s next. She’s next. That’s the progression. That’s how it goes. No, okay. In my defense, I obviously know you. I sing your songs. I sing Mac Brock’s songs. However, we had just interviewed him. We had had his albums going constantly. So in my defense, obviously I know you, but he puts me on the spot. And then I’m like, I don’t know. Because I’m not very good with music titles. Like, what’s this music title? I have no clue. But give me a song. I’m going to sing every word of your song. I’m going to have my hands raised. I’m belting it out. But I just never know who’s singing it. But it was a very funny moment for us, where it’s like, hey, whoever they’re playing, we actually know them. We’re actually talking to them. So it was pretty cool.[24:51] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it. Very good. This time, you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where. But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas. Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled, You Met Her Where? At kevinandsteph.com. And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want. And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[25:22] Next fun fact. In 2014, Josh went on to sign a record deal with Bethel Music during a week-long visit with his wife to Redding, California. So they moved there from Charlotte, like you said. I guess the first question, was it culture shock for you and your family going from East Coast, North Carolina, to very different atmosphere out in California.[25:45] What was that like for your family moving across the country? Yeah, it was a culture shock. It was, I mean, it was about as smooth a transition as you would want with something like something so massive like that. And the great thing is we had, you know, we were very connected already out there. So we didn’t, we moved to a lot of friends. We moved to a great community, but as far as just like moving from North Carolina to California, and this is Northern California, which honestly it’s like redneck California. Oh, it is. Oh yeah. It’s redneck, but it’s, it’s so different than the south i just it’s a redding’s beautiful and it’s it’s surrounded by beautiful mountains and and they have like real mountains out there yes we have hills in the in the interior so but it was a pretty massive culture shock right what was it like your first praise and worship session in bethel yeah yeah oh well i mean i remember the first time I went um I think it was 2012 and I’d heard so much about it and I was I was friends with uh Brian and Jen Johnson there but I was already I’d known them for a while but I’d never actually been.[26:53] And I remember the first time I went I didn’t leave I was just there at church um and it was for like a week night like they were doing a conference and I just remember I walked in and worship started and I just I had never felt like the presence of the Lord like that in my life Like just, it felt, um, I don’t know how to say like weighty in a way, but just like, I want it. I didn’t even, I couldn’t even sing. I was just almost just like, just my hands lift and just like, almost just wanted to cry. I just felt like, I felt like the Lord was like right here, like just right at right as close as I wanted. And, um.[27:30] And I just remember thinking like, this is possible. This is like, this is normal here. That’s what it felt like to me is like, this is so special to me and extraordinary to me. And I’ve never experienced this. And I look around and it was like, not like in a way that they were like, they were used to it or bored with it. But it was like, I felt like people were like, this is normal as in like, this is what we expect. Like we expect the Lord to just come every time we sing and praise and worship,[27:58] which is what he said he would do. He said inhabit our praises and so i just remember being blown away at people that like i felt like they were literally just like we’re gonna take the lord for what he said in the word and we’re gonna expect him to show up and be here every time we say and that was that’s what i felt when i first was just there and then the first time i led worship um which is actually a few days later uh that was you don’t really lead worship there you just kind of start the song and then everyone Everyone just jumped, you know, it’s, it’s, you just kind of like start the song and get out of the way and just join in because, um, it really is like a place where people it’s been worship has been cultivated there for years and there’s an expectancy on the Lord to show up every time. Is it true when you went to Bethel, there was like a waiting line just to get into church. Did that blow your mind?[28:50] It did. It did. And especially in Little Red, like Redding is just, you know, 90,000 people in the middle of nowhere, Northern California, and people are flying there from all over the world. And we were there for six years in Redding and our normal like Sunday morning service, like we’d have to get to church like an hour before service start to just kind of get in line to be able to get, because the church only seats like a thousand people, like 970 people, I think. Wow. It’s not even as big as what, there’s a lot of services, but the one main service doesn’t even seat that many. So yeah, and to know that people were that excited to let you there and come, and every service is like that. Every service throughout the day, and they used to have Friday night services. They were all that way, just lines. It’s really special. It’s a special place. All right, Steph, next fun fact.[29:40] So Josh is currently on the Every Hour Tour with David Leonard. Starting in june he will be on tour with bethel music going across europe and northern ireland however hands down the highlight of his year is going to be when he comes here to ohio in august we’re in columbus ohio by the way oh yeah yeah yeah yeah so he comes to ohio in august to perform at the annual music festival here called rock the lake with crowder do you know where rock the lake is no indian lake no is it yes indian lake which is what 40 minutes from where you grew up yes.[30:19] So he will be there on his third yes indian lake yeah oh that’s amazing yes so what is one of the more random places that you’ve performed because i love random it is kind of random right but it’s very popular. But the thing is, when we talk to musicians, when we talk to performers, it’s like, hey, I performed at this carnival, this random community festival fair. Hey, I just stood up on a truck, right? And just started singing, right? So what’s one of the more random places that you’ve performed, Josh, over the past 20 some years?[30:53] I immediately, when you said that, I immediately know right where that is. Okay, good. It was literally, it will have been a year from when I’m there in Indian Lake at Rock the Lake.[31:04] Last year in August, I mean, I think I remember the date. It was like August 3rd. I played at Galapagos County State, or the Galapagos County Fair, and it’s on the border of Ohio and West Virginia. All right, it’s pronounced Galapagos. Gallup. I knew, I knew that like, cause when I was there, I was pronouncing it wrong and they all correct. Yeah. Cause a friend of mine moved there. And that’s the only reason I know the correct terminology because he had to correct me multiple times. Gallup police. Gallup police. That’s right. Cause someone said, uh, just think of police at the end. Okay. And then I told him, I was like, that’s, you know, I think that’s wrong.[31:48] Like my parents are from Kannapolis, North Carolina. I was like, that’s not how you say the police. So that was hilarious because the stage was barely a stage. I think this old Southern Gospel group came up and sang before me with tracks. Oh, yes. I believe it. Oh, and it was just. That’s Southern Ohio. It was not a young crowd. I will play in lead worship for all ages, but definitely no one. There was no one there, probably under 40. Oh, they had a tractor pool. and me and the guys the tractor pull was going on like an hour before we played okay and so we just went over there we’re like let’s go watch the tractor pull and we watched it and then we’re like okay we have to play in like 10 minutes so we’re thinking like the tractor pull is gonna probably wrap up and then because it was like right next to the stage oh no didn’t stop we just had to play during the trap like it was the loudest thing i remember i would i would finish And I didn’t realize that, you know, because I have my in-ears in and it’s more loud, a song would end and I’m going to talk to people and all I hear is, what?[32:58] So at one point, I literally just waited. I was like, hold on a minute. And we just waited until that tractor pulled and was done. Right. All right, this next song.[33:10] Oh, man. They had the pigs out there. They had the barns all full of pigs. There’s a pig showing contest or something. And it was unbelievable. Steph, that’s like your home. I was going to say, I feel right at home now. That’s Steph’s world. That’s country. Yes, it is. It smelled amazing there, too. I bet are you ever like how did we get here how did this just happen that was one of those moments I felt like I think I apologized to the band like all day like I’m so sorry thank you so much for being part of it was a great night here’s a corn dog, thank you so sorry I go from dancing on stage with for king and country to plan a county fair with the tractor pool behind me. If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a coworker, or share one of our posts on social media. However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody. Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us. Yep. Go on with your merry day. And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, Be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[34:34] Okay, last fun fact here. So his new album, Made for More, is now out everywhere you listen to music, okay? So Josh, when you release a new album, a new song, are you constantly like hitting refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh on your phone?[34:50] Like how many downloads do I have? How many is sold? Like, honey, don’t book that cruise just yet. like how does that work opening day opening weekend yeah i mean i i’d be lying if i said i didn’t like check it and i don’t check it it doesn’t do me well to check it a lot because it’ll it’ll mess with me i almost like don’t want to know how well it’s doing or how not well it’s doing i think if i know that it’s doing good then i’ll check it more because i just need to get encouraged yeah and just know that okay keep doing what you’re doing but uh i keep looking over here because I have the vinyl right here. Oh, show it. Oh![35:29] Very cool. And it looks like you’re wearing the same. Are you wearing the same outfit too right now? Well, I’m kind of always wearing the same outfit. I love that. The fun fact about that shirt, I wasn’t going to wear that shirt that night. I was going to wear a denim shirt. But I wore that shirt there just to practice in. And it’s actually inside out. And I think it’s a band shirt that I just turned inside out. And my drummer buddy, he said, dude, you look really great in that shirt. You should just wear that tonight. And my manager was like, why are you wearing an inside out shirt for your recording? This is a live video. And I was like, it’s cool. All the guys think it’s cool. And so I did it. And I just love that it ended up being the cover. Yes. So it’s like just a beat-up band shirt that I turned inside out. That’s a great picture, though. Yeah, great picture. Anyway, every once in a while, every couple of weeks, I’ll get an update from the team and just, hey, here’s what Maverick Moore is doing. It’s doing great. I’m like, all right, awesome. That’s good. Thanks, guys. Because that’s different than me with fantasy football, right? When I did fantasy football, I’m checking nonstop. Yes, I do that. But that doesn’t affect my income.[36:41] That’s true. Good point. Okay, so tell us more about the album of this new album you have, Josh. I mean, it’s a live album that we did just down the road. We attend a church here called Hope You See. But since we moved to Tennessee, I’m still part of Bethel, but we live in Tennessee. We go to a little church down here. I had seven or eight new songs that I was going to try to do in another way. And then I just realized, you know, I want to do a live worship album again. It had been a while. And so that was the heart was just like, let’s just go into our little church. And on a Tuesday night, we had like about 150, 200 people there. And we just led these songs. And it was such a sweet night. The band was all like friends of mine that had been playing with me for years. My drummer, Joe, he was 14 years old when he started playing drums for me back in Charlotte. He plays drums for Maxim, too. Joe, he’s 31 now. So that’s how long that’s been. He was 14 when we started. But then all the guys in the band were just like guys that we’ve been playing together for 10 to 15 years. And it was really sweet. It was such a comfortable night. And I love that that night was such a night of family and friends for me. And I love that it’s on this album now forever to go out into the world with attached to songs that I really believe in that I wrote for the church, just for worship leaders and for Sunday morning church.[38:06] Okay, I have a question. Do you ever go to a church as like a guest, and they’re singing your song and you’re like, Oh my gosh, God, look what we’ve done together. Like, does that ever hit you? it does yes and that has happened it’s amazing because yes in that moment i feel like so like whoa this is crazy and then i also i’ll go back to when i wrote that song and right where i was going through in that moment good or bad you know just all the music so nostalgic and just so like you know you’re immediately you remember a lot of times when you’ve heard a certain song i do that and then just like when i’ve written a song even more it’s like oh man man, I remember what I was going through. And a lot of times, maybe I wasn’t, I was struggling with things or whatever, or just, or feeling discouraged. And then now I like, you know, fast forward five, six years later, I’m hearing this song at just a church that I’m not, I’m not leading. I’m just there and there. And I hear this song. I’m like, oh, you’re so faithful, Lord. This is unbelievable. And yeah, that’s really special. Well, and what a reminder too, right? That how important the lyrics are that you’re writing, because this isn’t just you. There are literally millions of people every Sunday morning who’s singing along.[39:22] Or in their car on the way to work or me driving here today and I’m listening to evidence, right? So it’s even a reminder like how important your lyrics are because it’s not just you. There are literally millions of people who are speaking these words into the world. But no pressure. Yeah, no pressure, right? I mean, that is so true. I don’t know if in any other genre of music, for lack of a better word, Or do you have, you know, there’s a freedom in not writing worship songs sometimes because you can just write whatever you want and like people can sing it or not sing it. But when you have like the task, the job, the calling or whatever to like write songs for the church, then you have to like be like, okay, people are going to be singing this over their lives and singing this to the Lord. Like I need to make sure this is like, first of all, that’s like theologically correct and all that. That’s really important. And then, yeah, I want to make sure if this is what they’re singing over their lives, that it’s like what the Lord wants, wants them to sing. And so when you said theologically correct, is there any time that you’re just like, Oh, is that right? Wait, did I just make that up?[40:26] I think this is in a first Corinthians, right? Yeah. Right. No, there has been times. And I think, uh, I’ve been blessed to be around pastors and leaders that I can just like, I’ll shoot it too. I’m like, Hey, is that right? Can I say that? Cause there’s a lot of times I’ll just, I mean, sometimes while I’m writing, I mean, I mean, I’ll definitely like check my, you know, like, but in the moment too, you’re like, I just want to, I’m just like flowing. Let me just, I just want to sing that this feels like it sings well. And I’ll, I’ll ask like one of the leaders, like, okay, this sings well and feels great, but check this. If this isn’t like, if this isn’t theologically correct, like, let me know. I’ll change things around. I’ll move it around. Right. Yeah. Cause Steph, Steph would not be good at writing songs because she just makes up scriptures to me and like, Hey, I’m pretty sure like this isn’t about like, where’s it at? Uh, I am pretty sure that wasn’t Proverbs, right? Like, uh, I’m like Steph. Husbands shall empty the dishwasher. Where did you find that? It’s in the Bible. Oh yeah. Proverbs 23. Pretty sure it’s there. Friends are friends forever.[41:28] That’s in the Bible. That’s a scripture.[41:32] Well, friends, for more information about Josh, you can go to social media pages. Instagram, it’s at Josh Baldwin. His YouTube channel is Josh Baldwin Official. The website is joshbaldwin.com. And you can get his new album and stream his music wherever you get music at. So josh thank you so much for doing this you’re fantastic the only issue i have is you called yourself old during this conversation i didn’t like that either i am actually older than you sir so yeah i was wondering if that was gonna come yeah i was like oh i feel like in my industry i’m used to being like one of the older guys so i apologize that’s okay that’s okay hard josh hey we forgive you we forgive you brother but thank you for doing this man we appreciate it oh thank you so much thank you for having me this was such a such a joy you guys are fun mac was right you’re you’re the best you’re so fun yeah.[42:30] Did you talk to mac oh yeah i have to listen i would we don’t just mac’s one of my best friends that’s not just what we say like we literally talk all the time he was like dude you’re gonna love this and so i actually listened to your i listened to your episode with mac oh you did And so it was great. I loved it. Oh, good. Well, thank you. You just made it. He listened to us. He actually listened to us. This is amazing. That’s awesome. Thank you. Thanks, Josh.[43:03] Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
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This is the second part of a two-part episode with Kelly K. You can find part one here.
Kelly K is a best-selling author, preacher, and social media influencer with over 600K followers on TikTok. However, this man does not look like your traditional preacher with his tattoos, earrings, and lip ring. That’s because before coming to Christ, Kelly was a musician, tour manager, and part of the management team for some of the biggest rock bands in the world including Nickelback, Richard Marx, Stryper, Candlebox, Wang Chung, RED, and many others. After a near-death car crash while out on tour with RED, Kelly gave up everything and turned to Jesus.
PART 2 of Kevin + Steph’s conversation with Kelly K includes…
– The aftermath of the horrible car crash he was involved in while touring with the rock band RED.
– What he did after the music industry, including becoming an insult comic and in-game entertainer for a local minor league baseball team.
– Finally, we cover how Kelly turned his life around and gathered over 600,000 followers on TikTok.
We can’t wait for you to hear part 2 of our conversation with Kelly K (aka Kelly Kopp).
Guest DetailsWebsite: kellykministries.com
Instagram: @kellykministries
Facebook: @kellykministries
TikTok: @kellykministries
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story. Here is part two of our conversation with author, preacher, and social media influencer, Mr. Kelly Kay. In this episode, we start off right where we ended in part one with the aftermath of Kelly’s near-death car crash when he was on tour with the rock band Red. Then he goes into what he did after leaving the music industry, including becoming an insult comedian and then the in-game entertainer for the local minor league baseball team. But then we get into how Kelly turns his life around and eventually amassed over 600,000 followers on TikTok. Folks, can’t wait for you to hear part two of our conversation with our new friend, Kelly Kay. I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery. Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However, today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.[1:00] And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day. Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.[1:10] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple Podcasts, or give us a review. Five stars, please. In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us. And thank you for sharing our post across your social media. That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests. Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[1:42] How long did it take to recover from the burns, everything on your back, right? So the healing of just my back was about three. I was in and out of burn centers for about three months. But the total healing probably was about a year. And then the mental healing was probably about five years of PTSD from being able to ride in a vehicle, sleeping in a vehicle. I still struggle today to sleep on an airplane or to sleep in a car because I just have this terror of waking up like that in that pain again. And no matter what I do, I can’t shift that. But for a long time, it was difficult to ride in a car. I definitely couldn’t sleep in a car and there was no way I was going to get in a van or a bus. So that pretty much ended touring for me. What about everyone else that was in the band? So I’m the only one that got seriously hurt. Hayden, Red’s drummer at the time, hurt his shoulder a little, but he had already hurt it. So it was just some more that he had done to an injury. I’m the only one that came out of the vehicle.[2:44] There was a lot of interviews with the band and a lot of articles in like Heavy Metal Magazine and stuff about that crash. And they always talk about the one guy that got hurt. I was the one guy. That was me. But since I wasn’t in the band, nobody named me. You know, who needs to know that guy? Hey, but you were the backup bass player though, right? I did play bass for them occasionally. Did you? Did you? That’s good. So it did work out. Yeah, when Randy was having their first baby, instead of canceling the shows on the tour, since I was out there and the bass player, I just filled in and played bass for him as well. So that worked out pretty good. That was fun for me. That was when they had the number one rock song out. So to get to play with them having the number one rock song, God cares about you. He cares about your desires and your heart. And even if what he’s asking you to do doesn’t go along with what you thought you wanted, he still makes a way so you get to experience that stuff, man. I love our father and that he is so good like that, that he allowed me to get to play, even though that’s not what he’s called me to do. So were you a believer before this accident? Yeah. Yes, I was a believer. I’ve been a believer my whole life. I grew up in a very godly home. I just got to a point where I wanted what I wanted more than I cared about what he wanted, and I made a choice to step away from him. Knowing the consequences to that, I just said, God, I’m going to go do me for a while. If I die, so be it, which is not a good place to be, but that’s where I was. So it wasn’t until I went out and experienced how rough the world is.[4:08] That’s what really drew me back to saying, all right, God, I’m ready to give everything to you. But that crash was kind of the first step that get me back into that place. OK, so let’s take it from the crash, right? You have the PTSD. You’re no longer going to be involved as a tour manager in the music industry. You’ve got to do something right. So can you talk about a couple of the things that you did with the first being you turned into a comic?[4:34] Yeah, absolutely. So what you need to understand, though, is that everything that I’m doing, you know, trying to be famous in music, doing comedy, you know, I hosted a TV show, I’ll get into that. All these things really came out of an emptiness in my heart. I felt so empty that I wanted other people to tell me how much they love me. I thought that if other people love me, then I would love myself because I was so empty on the inside. side. So I think that fame and being a celebrity will fill that void. So I’m constantly looking for that my whole life. That’s kind of my whole story. Right. So, yeah. So I didn’t start as a comic first. First, what happened was I went to a TV station. So I still want to be famous. I’m not in music. So I think, OK, maybe I can get on TV, but who’s going to give me a TV show? Nobody knows me. So I go to the TV station and say, hey, do you need any ad salesman? Right. You need somebody to sell ads. All I need is my foot in the door. Just get me in. If I can get in, I got this. So they did it, suckers. They hired me to sell ads for ABC in West Texas and New Mexico.[5:40] So I start doing that for a minute, but it just takes me about two to three months before I made a really good relationship with the station manager. And I went and pitched him an idea for a show. I said, Hey, I got this idea. I’ll host this TV show. It’ll be all about events and things that are coming to our area. We’ll call it the weekend spotlight and we’ll spotlight events coming because I knew that’ll take five minutes and then I’ll have 20 minutes to do whatever I want with my own show. Well, they bought it. They’re like, yeah, this is a great idea. We’ll talk about the things that are coming. You can host it. So I got my own show and that sounds exciting, but it was really just a mix of Wayne’s World and one of those stunt shows.[6:22] That’s what it was. It was not amazing by any means. But to me, I’m living the dream. I got my own TV show. We did about 80 episodes of that show. Wow. That’s a lot. Yeah, we did a lot. We were having a blast. And then that station manager that gave me the show, he ended up leaving to go to another station. They bring him the new station manager and we had a meeting the first day he was there. He calls the whole TV station together. And I remember it very clearly. He said, all right, we’re going to make a lot of changes. He said, most of you are going to stay, but some of you are going to go. And then he looked at me and he goes, you are the first one to go. Oh no. Yeah. He goes, I can’t stand you. I can’t stand your show. He’s like, and you are out of here. And by the end of the day, I didn’t have a job anymore. So day one. Yeah. So he lets me go and I got to figure it out again. Right here we are back in the same boat. I’m empty still. I need a job, but I also need validation. I need people to love me.[7:19] So now I had built the name as this TV host in my area. I was kind of a local celebrity. So I thought, how can I play to that? How can I make that work for me? So I started going to bars and clubs saying, hey, you tell me what your slow night is and I will make that your busiest night. If I just tell people I’m coming, people will already show up because I’m coming. And then on top of that, what I’ll do is I’ll host like trivia night or comedy night or, Or let’s make a deal, some sort of video game night. And that’s what I started doing. And I started turning clubs into super busy popular venues on those nights. But what I found worked the best was when I would go in and do insult comedy. Meaning I didn’t write a script. No comedy was pre-prepared. I just got on the stage with a microphone and just made fun of everybody in the room. I saw you. I just would go to town and everybody else would laugh. When I started doing that, I’m telling you, these bars went from having three or four people on a Tuesday night to a line out the door with security, letting one in, one out. I mean, it got crazy.[8:25] Here’s what I want you to see, though. The gifts that God gives us are without repentance, meaning he gives you the gifts that he gives you on purpose. And you have a choice whether you use it for him, yourself, or for the enemy. You see, the gift God gave me is I can look at people. I can read them. I can see into them. But instead of building them up to use it to tear them down to make them feel as horrible about themselves as they could And to other people that’s really funny. But to that person it was damaging. I had people pull guns on me I watched in the mouth more times than I can tell you from women that were just women y’all women I’m crazy. Just walk right up to the stage and just BAM just drill me right there I thought they were coming to say something so I’d leaned down to listen and, right in the mouth. And I had gotten married at this time too. So I’m like a year into my marriage. I’m at the bar six nights a week and I’m about to get divorced in our first year of marriage. My wife would sleep all night and then go to work in the morning. She would come home, take care of the kids, go to sleep, go to work. I was the exact opposite schedule. I would be at the club all night, get home four in the morning, go to sleep. I’d be getting up when she’d be getting home. And then I would head to the bar to go drink some more and to make fun of people, right? Which really wasn’t a good plan. And so once I realized that it looked like my marriage was going to end over all this, I hate divorce more than anything. And I didn’t ever want that for me, for my wife. I didn’t want that in my family.[9:50] I came from divorce. I watched my mom get married and remarried 17 times. No joke. So I hate divorce. Hate it. So I told my my wife, I will do whatever it takes to save this marriage. And for us, what that took was me to step away from doing comedy. And we had to leave that town because I had built such a name for myself there. I couldn’t just go work at McDonald’s or Walmart now, right? I couldn’t. The pride, that would sting my pride too much. So I told her, let’s leave. Let’s go back to Oklahoma and let’s really focus on our marriage. So that’s what we did. All right stuff i’ve got a question for you what’s your favorite book of all time uh obviously you met her where oh i thought you’re gonna say the bible oh oops what’s your second favorite book of all time you met her where.[10:44] A distant second totally distant it’s pretty good book sorry god it’s still a pretty good book but we’re so excited where can people get our book okay i know this uh amazon.com yes barnes and noble yes and and our website kevinstuff.com and what happens if they buy it off our website what do they get uh an autograph from us yes who wouldn’t want that so listeners if you’ve You’ve already read the book. Thank you so much. We’ve had such good feedback. One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on Amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.[11:23] So many things from what you just said. One, your family is beautiful, Kelly. Thank you. Your wife, I thought she was going to have like sleeves of tattoos. No, she looks like the most conservative person ever. She’s so cute. Me and my wife are total opposite she does not like tattoos she has a few when when we started dating she went through this like rock and roll phase and i could tell she was trying to please me where she would do like black nail polish and she got some tattoos and stuff but she hates her tattoos now she regrets them she used to do roller derby so they really fit in back then oh wow yeah tough i mean she’s six foot one and dude she is mean and she is tough boy she is no i don’t mess I’m messing with my wife, man, she’s making a joke. But yeah, we are polar opposites on the way we look, the way we live, we are total opposites, but that’s what works for us. The other thing is when you’re talking about the insult comedy.[12:17] The insult comedians that I see for some reason, when people get made fun of, it’s almost fun for them, right? It’s almost like I came here to get made fun of, right? So when you’re saying you were just infuriating people, I wasn’t expecting that, right? I thought they were going to be coming like, no, I want you to make fun of me, right? They would, but you got to also understand the things that I were saying wasn’t just surface level. Ha ha ha. I mean, I got pretty evil personal. Yeah. So not not everyone was infuriated. But yeah, you got to think some people were coming there to watch the show. But then you also got people that are just there, right? They’re just there to have a night. They’re just there to have a party with their boys or go drinking with their girls. They didn’t want that. But I don’t know that. So I got you. So there’s people that would get no joke. This is all right. This is just a funny story from doing this. So when we got to the point where I needed a bouncer, my brother in law, this is no joke. I’m not exaggerating. he’s seven foot one 450 pounds the dude is huge he’s scary okay he been to prison to do it as a bad dude my whole in-laws man my father-in-law was 6 11 my wife’s 6 1 my son’s 6 5 brother-in-law 7 they’re huge all right so we hire him as my bouncer he’s protecting me at the door so there’s this husband and wife i mean i started at five o’clock and at five o’clock the bar is pretty empty, right? There’s not a ton of people there yet.[13:41] There’s this guy and this girl sitting at this, I say guy and a girl, they’re probably in their sixties, fifties or sixties sitting there having a drink. Well, there’s not very many people. So I zoom in on them and I just go to town and I am just making fun of them, drilling them. Well, they were just there to have a snack, like a appetizer and a drink. They’re not having it so the dude goes to the bar manager and he complains hey that guy is picking on me and the manager’s like yeah we pay him to sorry that’s what he does so this guy is mad that that he’s not gonna get his way and that i’m gonna keep making fun of him so he goes over to his table and pours his beer and dumps all his food out on the table and then decides he’s gonna storm out well i already know what’s gonna happen because i know my brother-in-law they get to the door and he’s like nope he goes go clean up your mess they’re like what he goes we don’t work for you he’s like i watched you dump that he literally makes them won’t let them leave hands them a towel and a mop makes them go back to the bar and now they’re cleaning it up but not only are they cleaning it up in front of the people that are there i’m just hammering oh i mean just.[14:45] Relentlessly one line after another just while he’s over there mopping the floor they are they They are not having it, man. They were not happy. That might have been the most joy I’ve ever had in my heart to see somebody leave the bar was when they finally walked out. So some people did get infuriated, but some people laughed too. That was a wild time in my life, man. Then one of the other things you did was when you moved back to Oklahoma, Kelly, you became the emcee for the local minor league baseball team. Is that correct? That is correct. Okay. So what is that? What is that doing? You’re on the field. You’re bringing random, you know circus on the field. Like what are you doing there? Oh, Yeah, all of that. So my job as the on-field emcee for the Tulsa Drillers was in between innings for entertainment for the crowd. I would go out onto the field and either I would do games with kids or I would tell jokes or we would do some crazy stunts. I’m that annoying guy that you wish would shut up at the end of the game. That was me.[15:47] And again, this was still a plight for me to try to find fulfillment to be some sort of celebrity. everybody’s got to know me. If everybody knows me, I’ll be happy. I’ll find joy. But what I learned real quick is that nobody lines up to get the autograph from the on-field MC for the baseball team. Nobody cares about you. It wasn’t working for me. So at the end of that season, I retired from baseball and said, this is not for me. I am done. I’m out on this. So I only did that for one season. I have a question for you. When you were doing the whole standup, did you ever feel conviction when you were making fun of people you know every once in a while i would feel a little sting but for the most part i was so far so far your heart was probably too hard at that point right yeah right and i took pride in what i was doing yeah i took pride in making you cry i took pride so at the end of the night what i would do was i would give um three people an opportunity to come on stage and make fun of me just to make them feel like they got back at me. But as soon as I got them on stage, for two minutes, I would just destroy myself, just rip myself apart so that when I handed them the microphone, they have nothing left to say. I’ve already, I stole everything from them. And so they even look like bigger idiots trying to come make fun of me because I just made fun of myself in such a way that you couldn’t. So I had so much pride in my heart that I was even tearing myself down.[17:11] Horrible. So yeah, I was pretty far. My heart was pretty hard. So what was the turning point to bring you back to God?[17:18] That pretty much leads us right to where we were. So when I got done with the Tulsa drillers, when that wasn’t working, I decided, all right, I need to come up with another plan. I got to figure something else. I got to be famous one way or another. We got to make it happen. So I came up with another idea for a TV show. I thought, I already know how to do this. I’m pretty good at it. Let me go to Fox and I’ll pitch them an idea for the local Tulsa station of Fox and pitch them my idea for a show. So I’m driving to Fox to pitch them the idea. and I’m driving in my truck and I can’t tell you that I heard the audible voice of God, but I can’t tell you it wasn’t either. I don’t know. It was so loud and booming that it could have been audible. All right. But I hear God while I’m driving to that TV station, say, Kelly, I have a plan for you and I’m still waiting on you. I mean, like he was talking to me and you right now, I heard it that clear. And I think a lot of people would be excited when you hear the the audible voice of God. But I yelled back and I said, God, I have tried serving you so many times and I fail every time. I said, I’m not doing it again. I said, if you want me, come get me, but I’m not making any changes. That’s what I said. And I meant it. I really did. I meant it.[18:28] No joke. The very next morning when I woke up, it was like every desire I had had shifted. I didn’t want to listen to the same music anymore. I didn’t want to watch the same stuff on TV anymore. I didn’t want to talk the same. I just wanted to start watching sermons on YouTube. It, it overtook me. I cannot explain to you this desire. So I just started getting into the word like never before. I started watching sermons. Um, I did this for a few weeks. I’d be driving. I used to have a horrible road rage. I’d be cussing somebody out. And then I’d just be like, God, I’m so sorry. And I’m like, it was crazy. Just all the changes. After a few weeks, I told my wife, like, hey, I want to go back to church. I want us to take our family to church. You know, what do you think? And she was like, no. She’s like, we’ve done this with you before and we love it and we want to go. And then you stop going. And she’s like, and I’m there taking the kids by myself. She’s like, we’re not doing this again. I was like, fair enough. So that Sunday I got up and I went by myself. And the next Sunday I got up and went by myself. And about the The fourth or fifth Sunday, my wife and kids started getting up and going with us. And it wasn’t long before all of their lives got radically changed. I’m not saying I haven’t gone through hard seasons and difficult seasons, but I am just as on fire today as I was that day. And it came from just me opening my heart and saying, God, whatever you want to do, change me from the inside out. And that’s exactly what he did.[19:45] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a co-worker, or share one of our posts on social media. However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody. Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us. Yep. Go on with your merry day. And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[20:15] So tell us the story then about how you felt God was leading you to do videos and you wrestled with that for a while and actually started writing blogs instead, right? Can you share that story with Steph? Because that’s, that’s fantastic. Sure. So, okay. So we’re going to church now. God’s really moving in our lives. So I decided, all right, God, you called me to be a preacher. That’s what I’m supposed to do. So I decided to send a picture of myself and a a picture of my family and a resume to a hundred churches in the Tulsa area. That’s where I was living at the time. So I sent out a hundred emails. Do you want me to come speak at your church? A hundred emails. Guess how many replies I got?[20:56] Zero, not one, not one church even wrote back saying, sorry, no, we’re not interested. You know, thank you. And I get it now being a pastor. I get it that I would have looked at that email and been like, what, what? No, no. You know, I don’t even know you speak at my church. Who are you? I get it. I get it. But in that moment, I was really discouraged because I didn’t know what to do. So once I got the zero replies, I went to God and I was like, God, I don’t know what to do, man. You called me to do this. Nobody will let me come. And I knew, I knew a lot of it had to do with the way I look, right? You see a picture of me going, hey, can I come preach at your church? You’re going to be like, no, right? I get it. I get it. So I’m like, God, I need some help here. How is this going to work? And God straight up told me, start making videos and post them online. And I was like, no, is there another way? You got to know at this point, I’m like 400 pounds. I weighed about 400 pounds back then. I was a big dude. I’m like a little under 200 now. So half of me is gone, right? I’m a big guy. And I’m like, God, the internet is mean. They’re going to be brutal. They’re going to make fun of me. They’re going to talk trash. I don’t know that I’m up for this. Not only that, God, you know who my friends are? I’m friends with a lot of famous musicians, a lot of rock stars, and they don’t like you. So if I start posting videos about you, God, I’m going to lose my friends, right? I’m just being real with you. This is where I was. This is why I didn’t want to obey God because of what I thought it was going to cost me.[22:19] So I tell God, I’m not going to do videos. I’m not going to do it. I’ll write a blog for you instead. So I get up, start writing a blog every day, and I’m just killing it, cranking out these amazing lessons in this blog, and nobody’s reading it. Nobody. I mean, I’m not getting five views, five reads a day, nothing. I’m like, God, what’s the deal, man? And he’s like, I never told you to write a blog. I told you to make videos. I was like, all right, God, I get it. You win. And this is when I relented and said, all right, I’m not going to write blogs anymore. I’ll start making videos. And I will never forget the first video.[22:51] First video was just me holding my phone like this, right? And I called the video, Satan Doesn’t Attack Like Mad Max, something like that. The Mad Max Fury Road movie had just came out. That video got 92 views, 92. But something happened in me that I never expected. That fulfillment and that joy that I had been looking for my entire life. When I saw that 92 people had watched that video, this warming, fulfilling feeling just overwhelmed me. And it was, this is what I’ve been looking for my whole life. It’s not about making me famous. It was about making him famous. So the next day I made a video and the next day and the next day and the next day, and I just kept going. And they went from 92 views to a hundred to a thousand to five thousand to fifty thousand to five hundred thousand until finally in 2016 i released a video called is it a sin to get a tattoo which i bet you can tell which side i’m on i hope not right that video did over three million views in the first week.[23:57] And it was because of that video, my phone started ringing off the hook. I’m saying churches, conferences, camps all over the country started saying, hey, will you come and preach? Will you come and preach? And ever since then, in 2016, I’ve been traveling full time as an evangelist, pastor, and author, preaching and teaching everywhere I can go. Okay, I have a question. Have you ever gone to a church where you’re going to speak, but they’ve never seen you physically? They’ve just heard you, and then you walk in, and they’re like, who are you? And you’re a big dude too, right? Okay, so I’m preaching in Yakima, Washington, up by Seattle. Where are you guys, by the way? Columbus, Ohio. Okay, okay, okay. So I’m in Yakima. I’ve never preached at this church before. And I’m going to look for the bathroom before service starts. So I’m out like wandering around in the lobby, like by myself, you know, looking like me. And I see this lady like watching me. I mean like a hulk, like lying me down, you know.[24:54] And I’m just walking around. I’m trying to ignore her. And finally she comes over to me and she goes, do you know where you are? And I was like, kind of. I was like, I’m at church, but I’m looking for the bathroom and I can’t find the bathroom. She’s like, so you, you, you meant to be here today? I was like, yes, ma’am. She’s like, the bathroom is over there. And like points it out and like walks off. And I’m like, okay, you know, no big deal. I’m not judging her. So I use the bathroom, whatever. Well, when it’s time for me to come on the stage, they introduced me as the guest speaker and I’m walking up and I catch eyes with this lady. Like i see her and she looks at me and she just goes sorry apologizes so big and it was the funniest moment to me in my life because before that moment she thought i was a threat to her church and i didn’t belong there and then the pastor her precious pastor introduces me as the guest speaker and that was the funniest moment in my life of her just mouthing i’m sorry and then after church She came up to me. She’s like, I didn’t know you were a pastor. I’m like, that’s okay I don’t judge a book by a cover ma’am. You never know you never know but here’s the other thing stuff is, I guess we’re exaggerating the way Kelly looks, right? In my opinion, you literally, you have sleeves, you know, you have, I think a lip tattoo. A piercing. Or a piercing. A lip piercing, right? Earrings and stuff, yeah. It’s not like you have a face tattoo, neck tattoos here, right? Yeah, it’s true. One hundred percent. In my opinion, this isn’t crazy. But to us, it’s not. So to us, it’s like, okay, he’s a cool guy. Like we would never think that. But there are people that do.[26:23] And at the end of the day, I’m still not what a pastor looks like. Correct. You’re not. You’re a typical idea of a pastor. And then when I take the stage and I’m still dressed like this and I still look like this, which I do that with a purpose behind it to make people feel comfortable. There are people that just because of the way I look, they’ve come up to me and said, hey, I was able to listen and pay attention because I felt comfortable with you. I’ve heard things like that so many times and that it makes it all worthwhile for me.[26:52] Steph, what is one of the most asked questions we get about tell us a good story? Do I really get that excited? Besides that one. Oh, how do we get all these incredible guests? Correct. And some of our best conversations have been with guests who our listeners have reached out to us and said, you should talk to this person. To name just a few, Nick Vujicic, Coach Tom Ryan, Carol Matico were all recommendations from our listeners. So if there’s someone you would like us to interview and think they might be a great fit for Tell Us a Good Story, please let us know at kevinandsteph.com. You don’t even have to personally know them. True. But do me a favor, before you submit their names, please make sure they are still alive. That has actually happened, and it is super hard for me to find their contact information. But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Well, Steph, he’s also written three books. His newest book is titled Think About That for a Minute, which is a 40-day devotional. So Kelly, can you share with listeners about your newest book? Sure. So my newest, think about that for a minute, the devotional that you just mentioned, that’s volume one. So volume two is actually already done and written. It’s just not out yet.[28:03] Yeah. I hope that it is out right now when you’re listening to this. I hope that it is, but yeah, so I’m really pumped about it. So let me, let me walk you through what it, what it’s about. Can I do that? Is that all right? Please. So again, if you, if you’ve noticed anything through my stories, it’s a lot of God telling me to do something. And then me saying, Are you sure God? I really don’t want to do that. This book is no exception to that story This was my third book think about that for a minute was my third book My first one was called reckless love revolution. It was about loving people to Jesus My second one was called get lit stay lit spread it. It’s about getting on fire and never burning out So when it came time to write the third book, I’m like, alright God, what are we writing about next? I had so much fun with these topics. What do you want me to write about and I really felt him saying Kelly I want you to write a devotional.[28:45] And what you need to know is I do not like devotionals. I do not like them. I think that they are all kind of the same. So I said, okay, if God is going to have me write a devotional, I’m not going to win this argument. I’m going to write it. What I wanted to do was go to scriptures that you would not find in a devotional. Because the truth is every word of the Bible can set you free. Every single word in the Bible is filled with power. hour. So what I was going to do in my devotional was I was going to find verses that you’ve read a million times that we don’t ever pay attention to. They’re not the ones we quote when we’re in the middle of trouble. I want to take those verses and show you how even those can change your life. So that’s what I did. So the book is called Think About It for a Minute because that’s what God’s word said. Meditate on his word day and night and you will prosper in every season. So every day for 40 days, there’s a scripture. There’s a breakdown of that scripture. Then there’s an application for your life that day. Then there’s a prayer for the day and then space for you to write down what God is speaking to you. So if you see what I’m going for here, this book is starting your foundation and starting the habit of your walk with God exactly like it should be. Think about a scripture, see how it applies to your life, spend time speaking to him, and then let him speak to you.[29:59] Well, listeners, for more information about Kelly Kay and to get his book, you can go to his social media pages. Facebook and Instagram is at Kelly K Ministries, YouTube Kelly K Ministry, and his website is kellykministries.com. And we’ll put links in the show notes and on our website. So you can click on this and go right to those pages.[30:19] And my TikTok is where I spend most of my time. And that one’s kellykministries as well. I do a live Bible study at 9 a.m. on TikTok every morning. So just so if anybody wants to join that. Oh, that’s awesome. And currently, how many followers do you have on TikTok? Last time I saw it was like close to 600,000, I believe. Yeah, I think we’re right over 590,000. So right around 600,000 on TikTok. And we do that Bible study 9 a.m. every weekday. and we have about a thousand people on there consistently throughout the hour. And we’re having over 25,000 people total that join those Bible studies every morning. We’re seeing about a hundred people give their life to Jesus every morning, just on those TikTok Bible studies. It’s insane.[31:04] Oh, that’s amazing. That’s incredible, Kelly. Yeah, it is so cool. It really is. Well, Kelly, thank you so much for joining us. You didn’t know us, but oh my gosh. Thanks, Kelly. No, thank you. I’m honored. and I’ve had so much fun. I’ve done a lot of these and you guys have been so much fun and just this for me was a blessing today to stop working and hang out with you guys. I have really enjoyed it. Thank you so much. And I mean, I didn’t say that on every other interview. I only said it today.[31:32] And like, hey, Steph, what was the first thing I said when we got here? We want to have fun. No. Oh, shoot. We’re supposed to have this conversation. Oh, 100%. Every time there was a block to talk to you. Because it took three times to have this conversation. I’m so sorry. No. No, the first time was our fault. Yeah. First time was our fault. Second one was mine. But still, I’m like, okay, I said that last week. Apparently we’re supposed to have this conversation, Steph, because we typically don’t have issues like this with rescheduling with guests. It is. It’s so, and every time it has happened, there’s a conversation like what you just had with us and we’re like, okay, God, the enemy did not want this conversation to happen. That’s exactly right. You guys are so fun. This was, this has been one of my favorite ones that I’ve done of all time. So thank you. Thank you. Oh, Kelly, that was awesome. Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
The post Episode 213: Kelly K (part 2) appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Kelly K is a best-selling author, preacher, and social media influencer with over 600K followers on TikTok. However, this man does not look like your traditional preacher with his tattoos, earrings, and lip ring. That’s because before coming to Christ, Kelly was a musician, tour manager, and part of the management team for some of the biggest rock bands in the world including Nickelback, Richard Marx, Stryper, Candlebox, Wang Chung, RED, and many others. After a near-death car crash while out on tour with RED, Kelly gave up everything and turned to Jesus.
PART 1 of Kevin + Steph’s conversation with Kelly K includes…
– The hilarious reactions he gets when people find out he is a preacher.
– How nobody wants to sit beside him on Southwest flights. (His row seems to always include the last open seat on the plane.)
– Calling agents EVERY DAY for six months to get into the music industry.
– A great story about working with the band, Nickelback.
– AND…the incredible near-death car crash experience in Nashville with the band, RED.
We can’t wait for you to hear part 1 of our conversation with Kelly K (aka Kelly Kopp).
Guest DetailsWebsite: kellykministries.com
Instagram: @kellykministries
Facebook: @kellykministries
TikTok: @kellykministries
Kevin + Steph’s book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story.
Now, we typically try not to break episodes into multiple parts.
However, this conversation went about an hour and a half and was just too good to cut down into one.
So today is part one of our conversation with author, preacher, and social media influencer, Mr.
Kelly Kay. Oh, this man was so much fun to talk to. However, Kelly does not look like what we would describe as a traditional preacher.
No, he doesn’t. tattoos, few earrings, even his lip is pierced.
So as you can imagine, what are people’s reactions when they find out he is a preacher? Which are really funny. They’re so funny.
Also, this man developed a passion for music in high school, which led him to playing in punk rock bands before eventually becoming a tour manager and assistant for some of the biggest rock bands in the world, like Red and Nickelback.
Plus, Kelly tells one of the craziest stories about being in a traffic accident when he was on tour with the band Red and how that changed his life.
You guys, here’s part one of our conversation with our new friend, Kelly Kay.[1:03] I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery.
Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis.
However, today, we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible. And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day.
Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.[1:32] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please.
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Steph, I think this is meant to happen, right?
This is the third time that we are now getting on a call with this next guest, meaning we’re supposed to be doing this.
There’s been situations that I feel like the enemy does not want the story to be told to our audience. Absolutely.
Well, friends, our next guest is a husband, father of five, author,[2:26] evangelist, staff pastor as well at Limitless 405 Church in Kingfisher, Oklahoma.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us a Good Story, Mr. Kelly Kay. Kelly Kay![2:38] Kelly, thank you so much for having me, you guys. I’m so excited to be here.
Kelly, thank you for saying yes to us. And the first thing I want to ask you about, sir, is, and I’ve heard you say this in the past, but when we look at you, you do not look like a traditional pastor, okay?
Right. So what is typically the reaction when people ask you what you do and you tell them that you’re a minister, you’re evangelist, all of that?
Is, is, is the best. And I give this the most on flights, right?
You know, when you sit down, somebody sits by you, they don’t know you, you don’t know them. Right. And I, and I fly Southwest a lot.
And I like that because you get two free bags, you know what I’m saying?
But when you fly Southwest, you get to pick your own seat.
Now we know what that really means. You’re not picking a seat.
You’re picking a person, right?
Like you’re walking down the aisle, you’re like empty seat and not that guy, right? Yes.
So I know that. So the people who choose to sit by me, they’re looking at me going, okay, they’re making assessments and judgments about me before they ever sat down.
So this happens all the time. They’ll sit down and they’ll start talking, telling me about their week in Vegas, their party, trying to show me pictures of girls and stuff on their phones, offering to buy me drinks, just cuss word after cuss word, 30 minutes into the flight every time they’ll go. So what do you do?[3:53] I’m like, Oh, I’m a pastor preacher. No, no, you’re not.
I’m like, no, seriously. And every time, man, the voice changes.
Well, you know, I’ve been thinking about getting back in church.
My wife and I’m like, like, bro, I like to you were five minutes ago, way better than this fake version of you, right?
Yeah. Nobody ever looks at me and thinks, oh yeah, that’s a pastor.[4:16] That’s awesome. Matter of fact, when I, when I travel and speak, one of the first things I say from the stage is I know a lot of you are looking at me right now I’m going, that’s not a pastor. That guy might rob me in the parking lot.
And then I say to those of you thinking that, I might.
You know, let them know. Yeah, I could. So I get it. I get it.
But you know what? God is just looking for anybody with their hand raised. And that was me.
So he will use anybody. I tell everybody, if God will do this with me, What’s your excuse? Oh, that’s good. I thought you were saying on Southwest, you get upset because everybody keeps passing you.
Like, hey, why doesn’t anybody want to sit beside me, right?
With these tattoos. No, I want that.
I love that part of it. I’ll sit there too and I’ll try to look as mean as possible.
You know, that way I’m not sitting by that guy. There’s one empty seat.
It’s normally next to me.[5:08] I’ve got the witness to a lot of people on airplanes. I bet you have. It’s always good.
What’s been your most amazing conversation with someone once they found out you were a pastor?
Right. Where it’s like, Hey, God ordained this. This person was supposed to sit beside me on this airplane.
That’s a great question. And I’ve got the perfect answer too.
So early on in my ministry, about 10 years ago, when we were starting this, I used to, I had another guy that would travel with me to kind of help me with, with all my, my merch and the stuff that I was doing.
So we were doing conferences and we didn’t get paid for these, you know, it was just us doing them because we wanted to minister they couldn’t afford to pay us so i remember getting on a flight once and he and i would sit on the edges and leave the middle seat open so we could trap you you know you got jesus coming on both sides and uh we’re sitting there and no one sat down yet and i just looked at him and i said bro i said we don’t have enough money for the flight next weekend to the next conference i was like i don’t know how we’re going to get there we can’t afford it and he just said you know god will provide i’m like you’re right he will about that time this dude sits down same story he’s showing us pictures he’s trying to buy us drinks 30 minutes into the flight he’s like what do you guys do and we’re like we’re pastors he’s like no you’re not yeah we are well he finally he breaks down and he’s like you know i’ve really been seeking god and i really wanted to know more about him and i just don’t know what i need to do and for the next two hours we just got to minister to him and we actually got to pray with him lead him to the lord right there on that flight and here’s here’s the crazy part but this is what i’m getting to.[6:33] So two hours of all that, we get done. We’ve led him to Jesus.
Joy is all over him now. We’re having a great conversation. Then he looks at us and he goes, man, you guys are traveling past me. He’s like, you must make so much money.
And I’m like, actually, like we don’t get paid at all for this.
Like, we don’t know how we’re going to get to the next city.
We don’t know how we’re going to do it. Just God provides.
I didn’t tell him that we were in the middle of a financial struggle.
I just said, you know, we don’t have a ton of money. That’s not how this works.
No joke, the dude stands up, gets in his carry-on, pulls out his checkbook, writes me a check, and says, you know, I just feel like I’m supposed to pay for your next flight for wherever you’re going next.
So in a two-hour time period from having no money to get the next flight to leading this guy to Jesus, to him pulling out his wallet and paying for our next flights, like clearly God was working in that moment on both parties, and God put it together, and I will never forget that moment.
I’m still friends with him on Facebook. book.
I still get to catch up with him and check on him. Yeah. It’s really cool.
It was a really cool moment.
Okay. I’m feeling convicted stuff because when I get on airplanes, Kelly, I don’t want to talk to anybody.[7:39] I feel you. I feel you. Before I had these wireless earbuds, right?
I would just put in ear pods. It’s not even hooked up to my phone.
I just, I would have that universal sign.
Don’t talk to me. I don’t, I don’t want to hear your life story, but you know what? That’s not good when you’re seen by your wife and I’m the one that you’re not talking to.
But you, you get a new best friend, right? Because the person next to you tells you their life story.
I tell you what, though, what’s really changed my opinion on talking to people on flights, because I don’t like to either. I don’t want to.
But here’s the thing about talking to someone on a flight.
They don’t know you and they’re probably never going to see you again.
What that means is it’s very easy for them to drop their walls in their heart and they will talk to you about things they may not talk to anybody else again. Why?
Because they don’t know you and they don’t know that they’ll ever see you again.
So they will be very honest with you.
And a lot of times you’ll You’ll see people in a very vulnerable position on a plane because you’re a stranger and you’ll get to give them the words they’re looking for and get to give them Jesus.
So once I realized that, now I see it as a responsibility and I’m not just on that flight to get to where I’m going, but I’m here because God wants to use me on this flight as well.[8:50] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin.
Yes. Nailed it. Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where. But it’s still a really good book. That is true.
And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas.
Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com.
And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want.
And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
All right, Kelly, we’re like five minutes in this conversation.
Are you being evicted? I’m loving this already, Kelly.
Me too. I admit. This is fun. Okay, so you grew up in the church, apparently.
And back in high school, you developed this passion for music and became a musician and got involved with a punk rock band, I believe, is that correct?
Yeah, yeah, I was real into the punk scene. What is it like starting off in a band, like going to a punk rock concert?
What is that like at smaller venues starting out?
Is it just like one big mosh pit? Do you have any good stories from that, Kelly?
One big mosh pit. You mean out of the three people that came to the show? Huge mosh pit.[10:05] That’s what it was. Being in a band, you know, in the early mid-90s playing punk in Oklahoma, where I’m from, every show, it felt like we were just playing for the other bands, you know?
The only band, the only people that came to the show were also playing the show.
So it wasn’t really very exciting times. It was just, that’s what you do.
You got to pay your dues, you know to try to get a record deal to try to get somebody to see you so i don’t i don’t really have too many crazy stories from uh playing shows in those days just because there really wasn’t much happening i mean i was in a lot of bands but the truth is they were all wildly mediocre we just weren’t that great yeah i mean i’m a good musician i was with good musicians but i mean think about all the people trying to make it famous as a musician everybody you know you You got to be in the top 1% if you’re going to make it. And we just never were.
So it just didn’t happen. And it’s not even just that. Some of the most talented musicians and singers are out there every Sunday morning across the United States.
Yeah, for sure. And nobody knows about them.
It is in this small town out in the middle of Idaho or whatever, right?
So it’s not just being talented. It’s actually getting the opportunity as well. Yeah, for sure.
Okay. So then you met some tour managers, right? You wanted to get into the music industry, Kelly, to the point where you offered to work for free.
Can you tell that story of phone call after phone call? Can you share that story, please?[11:33] What happened was I was in these bands and we were trying to make it.
I had met these managers.
Some of the managers that I had met worked for one of the biggest management companies in the world at the time.
These guys manage Nickelback, Saliva, Poison, all the big rock bands.
These guys touched them at some point. I had met these dudes.
When I realized my band wasn’t going to work, I started calling them and asking for a job.
So I’ll never forget the first day I have this idea. I’m like, you know what?
If I’m not going to make it as a famous musician, if I got in the industry on the backside, the management side, then I’m only one degree of separation away from these bands.
And if anybody ever needs a bass player, a guitar player, hey, I’m right here.
I thought that that would be my idea to get close enough to them to not get a record deal myself, but just join somebody that already had one.
Right. I’m a pretty resourceful guy.
Yes. So I call and ask them, can I have a job? You know, can I come work for you? And they’re like, what?
Like, who are you? Like, where’d you go to school? Like, what’s your degree?
And I’m like, oh, yeah, no, I don’t have that. I didn’t do any of that.
I’m just I, I just know rock and roll. And I just love music.
Give me a job. And obviously, they said no, you know, like, no, we’re not going to give you a job.
So the next day I called, hey, can I have a job? They’re like, no, again.
And they told me, like, do you know how many people try to get a job here?
And they have degrees like they have references, they have a resume, like you have nothing.[12:55] Every single day, Monday through Sunday, no joke, I called them on their cell phones and asked for a job for six months.
I didn’t skip a day. I asked them for a job.
And I know they were getting tired of my phone calls. They were getting tired of telling me no.
But at the end of six months, I got a little note on my door saying my lease was up on my apartment and I either needed to resign or find a new place to live.
So I just took this as my big shot. And I called them again.
And I said, hey, I’m not asking you. to come work for you, I’m telling you, I’m coming to work for you for free.
I was like, you don’t have to pay me. I just want to show you that I know what I’m talking about.
I know that if you let me in, I’ll be beneficial to you.
And they called me back that evening. And one of the guys said, all right, you can sleep on my couch. If you’re willing to work for free, let’s go.
So I sold everything I had. I sold my car, all my stuff.
I ended up hitchhiking with $5,000 cash and one suitcase of clothes to their offices, got there and started working for free. I worked for free for three months.
Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. Do you have a question? Yes. Let’s pause there.[14:01] Hitchhiked from Oklahoma to Texas. Yeah, they had about seven offices, but that one was in Texas. Yeah.
Okay. How many rides did you have to hitchhike to make that route to get all the way there?
I hooked up with this one group of dudes that were going down there for the oil field and that’s where they were headed.
So I just I didn’t know him I just got in the back of the truck and they took me to the address I told him I wanted to go to that was it wow it didn’t get murdered on the way well were you all tatted up at that point too I had one tattoo this little one on my wrist I didn’t look near as scary.[14:37] That’s true people would probably pass him like no I’m gonna pass on that guy for sure no I look like a normal guy back then how long did it take for somebody to pick you up was it a while no not Not at all. I mean, we’re in Oklahoma.
There’s lots of oil field traffic. And I kind of knew that there was going to be people heading to West Texas. So that didn’t take long at all.
That was an easy process.[14:57] Okay. I’m shocked by that. I would have never thought of that.
I wouldn’t either. No. Okay. So you make it to Texas. They drop you off the office. Go.
Yeah. So I start working for them for three months. Three months I worked for free.
Just went in every day and I hustled. I mean, I was looking for new band.
They also had a record So I was looking for new bands that they may want to sign, just different things like that.
And after three months, they fired their assistant.
He wasn’t really doing much for them anyway. And once I saw that, I knew if I just pushed real hard and just did as much work as I could.
They’re going to see a huge contrast between me and the guy sitting in the desk that’s getting paid. And that’s all it took.
So three months in, they let him go. I got that job.
So now I’m there as an assistant.
And then about three months after that is when they put me out on the road tour managing some of the biggest rock bands in the world.
And it was like a dream come true.[15:53] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse your closest friend a parent a co-worker or share one of our posts on social media however if you don’t like what you’re hearing please do not don’t tell anyone don’t tell anyone don’t tell anybody just disregard this message don’t worry about it forget about us yep go on with your merry day and to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[16:23] Okay so who are you who are you touring with the band so I went out Yeah, the first band that I was a tour manager for was Red, and this was right at the end of Silence record when that came out.
So we were out with Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Three Days Grace.
And then I also later became the stage manager for Warped Tour on the main stage.
So I worked with Paramore, Kill Switch Engage, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Chiodos, Funeral for a Friend, you name it.
When I was the assistant, the main band I worked for was Nickelback.
So, yeah, it was crazy. Were you literally pinching yourself the whole time, like your life? I made, oh yeah. I did this.[17:01] The greatest part for me was when I was doing that, when I was moving out there, all my family, all my friends were like, dude, you’re an idiot.
This is the dumbest decision.
And then later, like a year later, they’re all calling me. Can you get me tickets to this? Can you get me backstage here? I’m like, yeah.
Whose horrible idea was it now? Now that you’re going to meet all these bands and go to all these shows.
Yeah, it was great. I don’t regret any of that. Okay, so working festivals, working these concerts, what’s one of the wildest things you’ve seen from fans, whether it’s trying to get on stage, whether it’s trying to get backstage, people sneaking in?[17:36] What’s one of the most interesting experiences you had?
You know, some of the craziest stories that are coming to my mind, I can’t tell on here.
Okay, well, that’s fair. That’s fair. I was going to say, give us a PG-rated.
Let me tell you, I saw some crazy stuff. up.
All right. The things that you see in movies or on TV of these rock and roll backstage, it’s true. It’s real. Seriously.[18:00] Yes. And yeah, I was working with a Christian band, but I wasn’t always with Christian bands. And, It’s wild. So I’m trying to think of some crazy stories that’s PG enough.
So when you hear crazy stories from like Motley Crue, that stuff’s real, right?
I remember reading the Heroin Diaries, Nikki Sixx’s book, and he’s the bass player for Motley Crue. I read that before I was really serving God.
And I remember reading those stories thinking, nah, like, did that really happen?
Like, are you exaggerating for the book?
And then after getting out there and seeing it all, it’s like, oh, yeah, no, that absolutely that happened. I don’t doubt that.
Not one bit. Oh, man. What does it mean to be a tour manager?[18:39] Essentially, you’re an overpaid babysitter for famous people. That’s all it is.
So as a tour manager, my job is to ensure everybody’s on the bus at the right time.
Everybody’s off the bus. They’re on stage at the right time.
We get to the right place. Everybody gets fed.
Essentially, if anything goes wrong in the day, it would have been my fault.
I make sure that we’re all following a schedule.
The bus gets to where it needs to be. The bus driver’s taken care of.
The bands where they need to be you’re just overseeing everything on that tour to make sure it runs efficiently okay that is a babysitter yeah for sure it is okay i’m a babysitter then what’s one of the most random requests then by someone you’re babysitting right is it hey i need this type of food back in the vip room i need like you had to deal with a lot of random stuff kelly in that Yeah.
The funniest thing is now tour managing Wang Chung.[19:33] These guys are in their 70s. So the bands I used to work with, they were all like in their 20s and 30s. It was all party, party, party all the time.
Now it’s stop listening to NPR.
I need you to get out of the bathroom, get in the van.
We need to get to the show. I need you to wake up. Like Nick Feldman from Wang Chung.
I love him so much. Like he is one of my favorite people on this planet.
But that dude, Dude, I feel like I have to walk behind him as much as I do with my two-year-old.
Like, we’ll be at an Airbnb, and I just hear this dinging.
I’m like, what is that dinging? Nick, he went and made some coffee, just left the refrigerator wide open.
Like, I’m walking behind him, flushing toilets, shutting doors, turning off lights, like, constantly.
So you got to think, rock stars get used to living this life where everything’s done for them.
Yeah. And that bleeds into everything. everything so i feel especially somebody that’s been a rock star their whole life since they were 20 and now they’re in their 70s like this dude is used to people serving him so even on our days off like all i do is just follow nick i just gotta follow nick around put up his bread clean up his mess shut the fridge turn off the light like all day long so that’s probably the funniest one to me i’m always like bro you’re harder to deal with than my two-year-old i was not expecting that I was not expecting that, but I totally get it though. Right?
Okay. So can you share the story? Now granted, we could ask you a ton of questions about like Nickelback or actually, do you have a good story from Nickelback?
Right. From your experience with them. So many.
Being one of the top rock bands in the world.[21:03] So this might be my, one of my favorite ones. And I can tell you a lot.
So when I worked for Nickelback, I was their day-to-day guy.
So anything that Chad or anybody needed, they didn’t call their manager. They called me.
And if I couldn’t handle it, then I went to them. So I talked to them a lot, multiple times throughout the day.
So one day I get an email from Chad, the lead singer of Nickelback.
And it just, in the email, there’s another email address.
And he says, can you send this email address five thousand dollars that’s all it said and i’m like well hang on chad like that sounds ridiculous for one like who is this so i call him you know like chad what what are we doing why are we emailing somebody five thousand dollars he’s like well on i guess it was world of warcraft some game that he was playing he’s like this guy runs a guild and they’re gonna escort me through this dangerous forest to so i don’t i don’t play the game and And I’m like, hold on.
I was like, you don’t even know this guy? He’s like, no, but he runs the guild and they’re going to escort me.
And I need to get through this dangerous area. And I don’t want to lose all my stuff. I don’t want to get killed. Within a video game.[22:07] Yes. So I’m like, so you want me to pay him $5,000 to escort you in a video game? Yes.
I’m like, all right, hold on. So I email this guy. I’m like, I need your phone number, man. I need to know what I’m doing.
So I call this guy. Sure enough, just some nerd.
That’s what he does. They protect people. They guard them and take care of them.
So I end up wiring some kid $5,000.
And he had no idea it was Chad Nickelback doing this. He had no idea.
So I had to pay somebody $5,000 so they could escort Chad’s little character in a video game.[22:39] Please tell me he wasn’t like 12 years old and you’re wiring him money.
I didn’t ask how old he was.
He’s probably a teenager. Probably so. That’s awesome. Yeah, that’s awesome.[22:52] Steph, what is one of the most asked questions we get about Tell Us a Good Story?
Do I really get that excited?
Besides that one. Oh, how do we get all these incredible guests? Correct.
And some of our best conversations have been with guests who our listeners have reached out to us and said, you should talk to this person.
To name just a few, Nick Vujicic, Coach Tom Ryan, Carol Matico were all recommendations from our listeners.
So if there’s someone you would like us to interview and think they might be a great fit for Tell Us A Good Story, please let us know at kevinandsteph.com.
You don’t even have to personally know them. True, but do me a favor.
Before you submit their names, please make sure they are still alive.
That has actually happened, and it is super hard for me to find their contact information. But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us A Good Story.[23:39] Can you share the story, Kelly, about you’re with Red, and your life changed dramatically traveling back to Nashville after a night’s concert.[23:51] Yeah, so we had been on this tour, the same tour I was talking about with Breaking Ben, Three Days Grace, Seether and Red. I’m Red’s tour manager.
We’d been renting a Prevo, a tour bus, and it was getting expensive to rent it. So we’d made the decision to buy our own bus.
So we had a custom bus built. But from when we needed to drop off our rental to pick up our new bus, there was going to be an overlap of two days.
So for those two days, we had to get a 15-passenger van to go do these final two shows.
So we leave Nashville, drop off the bus. We get in our van, head to South Carolina, then to North Carolina.
We finish up the second show. We’re heading back to Nashville to pick up our new bus.
It’s like a 16 hour drive. So I’m sleeping in the very back seat, the furthest seat.
We took out the seat in front of me so two people could sleep on the floor.
And there’s another seat and then the two front seats.[24:42] I’m asleep in the back. We’re almost to Nashville.
It’s like 6 a.m. We’re like 20 miles out of Nashville. So we’ve been driving all night and I wake up.
Now, normally in the morning when I wake up, I would put my earplugs in or earpods in, get on my computer and start working, just planning out the day, whatever we need to do.
This day, for whatever reason, I didn’t do that. And I decided to go back to sleep, which is very weird. I never do that.
What also was weird was I took off my hoodie, which I leave on 24 seven.
Back then I always had a hoodie on. I took it off and then I laid on my back to go to sleep, which was also weird because I sleep on my stomach.
I fell asleep instantly, which is weird. It normally takes me 30, 40 minutes to fall asleep.
All right. So I fall back to sleep. We’re driving down the highway.
It’s like 6am and a construction company had left a guardrail overlapping into the highway by just like four to four or five inches, not much, but it was over the line, just enough.[25:40] And I guess cars had been swerving around it, but since now we’re in bumper to bumper traffic, we’re coming up on this at 70 miles an hour and our driver can’t swerve because there’s cars next to him. So he just hits it doing 70.
And it literally peeled the entire side of the van off like a can and a can opener just destroyed the metal.
And while I was asleep or whatever, I don’t know what caused it, but I came out of that metal, that hole in the side of the van.
And so I woke up in a full scream, sliding on my back at 70 miles an hour down the highway.
Really? I thought I was burning alive. I thought I was on fire.
I just woke up screaming. And in my mind, I’m on fire. I’m burning.
I didn’t know what was happening.
So when I stopped sliding, I realized I’m not on fire. I came out of the van.
I’m looking around all our gear, amps, guitars everywhere scattered all over the highway.
Right behind my head is the trailer and a truck has ran up over the trailer.
So had that trailer gone to the passenger side of the van, not the driver’s side, I would have just got run over by the truck that was coming behind us. I’d have been gone.[26:46] So what had happened was I tore 90% of my back off sliding down the highway.
So it’s the exact same as a burn, which is why I felt that road rash.
It’s the same as a burn. So you’ve got to go through burn treatment.
So the paramedics get there.
They’re looking at my back. They assess the situation. They put me in the ambulance.
And while we’re driving to the hospital, the paramedic tells me, he’s like, bro, you are so lucky to be alive.[27:12] I’m like, what do you mean? And we’re just talking about it.
And he tells me all these things.
You know i tell him about what i had done before the crash and then he tells me had you been awake, this crash would have killed you he said if you tried to brace yourself while you’re coming out of that metal this it would have killed you but because you were limp you were just able to slide right out and it worked perfectly he said had you been laying on your stomach because i told him i sleep on my stomach i had this huge cut that went across my face because of where i came out of the metal he said had i been on my stomach he looked at the metal he said that would have slit your throat.
He said, it would have killed you. Rolling over on your back saved your life.
Then he said, had I had my hoodie on, had all this extra material, he said that probably would have got caught on the metal and pulled me underneath the van and I would have got run over.
So taking that off, rolling over and going back to sleep all saved my life.
And all those things happened in a split second.
I just woke up, did all those, went right back to sleep.
And he said, that saved my life. So God clearly had his hand on this the entire time, whether I knew it or not.
But that day, that ended my touring life.[28:19] I’m a nurse. That’s my career. So I’ve been in surgeries and I’ve seen burn victims. And I’m thinking, oh, dear God, what you had to endure. The pain.
That deep breathing is hands down the most extreme pain I’ve ever been through in my life, man. And you had to do it how many times?
How many times did you have to get deep breathing? Multiple times a day. Multiple times a day.
Two to three times every day. Yeah. That was evil, man. Evil. evil.
The good part about that was when we went to the lawsuit, like two years later, when we’re finally negotiating all that and going over the settlement, they told me when a judge looks and sees that you’ve gone through debriding through burn center treatment, he goes, you win.
All they need to know is that you’ve gone through that pain and no one argues you, you win.
So yeah, I got a great settlement out of that. That’s why I was able to get married and get her a ring and do my whole wedding was out of the lawsuit from that crash.
Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to do that. But, uh, but yeah, they said there’s no argument. If anyone who’s gone through that treatment, you win.[29:22] So it was, yeah, it was awful. When you survive that, but then you were going through like the debriding, were you almost like, God, I don’t even know if I wanted to survive. Like, did you question survival?
They would give me more morphine and it wouldn’t touch the pain.
Not didn’t even touch it. Like it was nothing.
So when that crash happened, they took me to the hospital in nashville right the ambulance took me to a nashville hospital, well the band didn’t have insurance i didn’t have insurance so the guy at the hospital tells me you need to go to a burn center but they just discharged me like i can’t well i can’t even put on clothes i have no back so i’m in nashville i’ve got no family no friends just the band well they already went back home so i’m just sitting there at the hospital and nobody knows what to to do with me.
So Mike, the singer from Red, just drives me to Provident Records.
He drives me to their record label.
All right. So now I’m at the record label in a hospital gown.[30:18] I got nothing. All my stuff’s destroyed on the highway. I got no clothes, no nothing.
They just put me in the president’s, the record label in his office on his couch.
I got no back. I’m just laying there.
He’s in a meeting with Mark Stewart from Audio Adrenaline. They come down and pray over me, which Mark Stewart’s like my hero growing up.
And now he’s in here praying over me in my back.
The president of Providence, like, what do we do with you? And I’m like, I don’t know, man.
He goes, he goes, you just tell me where you want to go and I’ll buy you a plane ticket like nobody knew what to do and i’m like i guess send me to my parents in tulsa which luckily tulsa has an amazing burn center so they just put me on a southwest flight again with no back no imagine a plane taking off when it sucks all your your body back no can you imagine so.[31:04] There’s me just on a southwest flight next to people just dying in pain my face has cuts and i look like i just been beat up and people are looking at me all the way it was it was a mess yes to finally get me home my mom looks at my back and she’s like you should be in a hospital right now i’m like yes i should and they finally drive me to the burn center but it was about 30 something hours that i went with no treatment no nothing just traveling all on my own to try to get somewhere to get treatment i’m shocked they even let you on a plane right no kidding like open wound like that and they had me in a wheelchair and then they wanted me to get up and walk through the metal detector.
And I’m like, I can’t stand up. I can’t move. And they’re like trying to pull me out of that chair. And I’m like, I have no back right now. Oh, it was brutal.[31:49] I don’t wish that on my worst enemy. So when you got in the accident, so you’re trying to get into a plane, how many days was that?
Like the next day, right? No, it was like 10 hours. Yeah. Shut up. Yes.[32:00] Shut up. Yeah. I’m telling you, it just happened that morning.
That was six in the morning. This is like five, 6 PM.
It hadn’t even been a day yet. Literally, open wound on his back from the asphalt.
I was going to say, you have gravel, you have rocks in your back embedded.
I’m shocked they let you on an airplane. Oh.[32:24] Friends, thank you for listening. Next week will be part two of our conversation with Kelly Kay, which includes what happened after the accident.
Oh, you guys. Guys, as you’ll find out, he was involved in a lot of different things, including comedy, before becoming a preacher who went viral on social media with his daily videos.
Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free.
And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
The post Episode 212: Kelly K (part 1) appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Today Kevin + Steph get to talk to a TWO-TIME #1 best-selling author, Ramsey Personality, and Dave’s daughter…Rachel Cruze!
Rachel Cruze is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, financial expert, and host of The Rachel Cruze Show. Rachel writes and speaks on personal finances, budgeting, investing, and money trends. As a co-host of The Ramsey Show, America’s second-largest talk radio show, Rachel reaches millions of weekly listeners with her personal finance advice. She recently wrote her first-ever illustrated children’s book, I’m Glad For What I Have.
Stories in this conversation include:
– What it was like growing up as Dave Ramsey’s daughter. Did they go around the neighborhood cutting up credit cards?
– How hard it was to be the “boss’s kid” when hired at Ramsey Solutions.
– Some of the craziest phones she has taken LIVE on the air.
– What the other Ramsey kids do
– Funny interactions with Dave Ramsey fans.
We can’t wait for you to hear this conversation with an amazing woman and Ramsey Personality, Rachel Cruze.
Guest DetailsWebsite: ramseysolutions.com/rachel-cruze
Instagram: @rachelcruze
Facebook: @rachelramseycruze
Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story.
Today, we get to talk to a two-time number one bestselling author and the host or co-host of many of the Ramsey shows, Dave’s daughter, Rachel Cruz.
So as you can imagine, the main question she always gets is, what is it like to grow up as Dave Ramsey’s daughter?
Yes. And Rachel had a lot of great stories to share, such as the craziest phone calls they have taken live on the air, the funny interaction she has had with Ramsey fans out out in public, and what do the other Ramsey kids do today?
Plus, Rachel might be the first person we’ve ever met who’s never had any debt in her life.
Zero. None. No debt of any kind, not a mortgage, student loans, nothing.
That’s not normal. Kevin, that’s crazy.
You guys, we can’t wait for you to hear this episode with an amazing woman and Ramsey personality, Rachel Cruz.[0:54] I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery.
Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis.
However, today, we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.
And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day.
Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.[1:22] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please.
In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us.
And thank you for sharing our post across your social media.
That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests.
Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, Joanna, please share us with your friends.
But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.
All right, Steph, this is going to be so much fun. She’s here.
We have so many questions that we can ask her. Yes. This next guest.
Well, friends, our next guest has a lot of titles.
She is a wife, a mom of three, a two-time number one national bestselling author.
She is host of The Rachel Cruze Show, co-host of the Smart Money Happy Hour podcast with with our new friend, George Campbell, and co-host of The Ramsey Show, often with her father, Dave Ramsey.
And she is a proud graduate.[2:26] Of the University of Tennessee. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us a Good Story, Mrs. Rachel Cruz. Rachel! Yeah.
Thank you, guys. Thanks for having me. We’re so excited. Yes.
First off, thank you for saying yes to us. We have been looking forward to talking to you.
And I’m sure the most asked question for you is always, what’s it like to grow up in the Ramsey household, right?
So let’s get that out of the way because in my mind, you were a certified certified financial coach by the age of five, right? That’s what I’m thinking.[2:56] What was it like, Rachel? That’s so funny. And you know, I feel like that’s a lot of people’s assumption is that we grew up in a household where money was talked about all the time.
You know, that was it. That was the point of conversation constantly.
And we had like mutual fund birthday parties, you know, when we were little and had budget camps every summer and things like that. And thankfully, that was not the case.
But mom and dad, they were, they’re very intentional with teaching us how money works, obviously.
But besides that, I would say it was very normal. And I do think people assume that, again, we were like obsessed with money as a family and like ran around with scissors, cutting up people’s credit cards and things. It wasn’t like that at all.
But they were great at, you know, teaching us to work and giving and saving and spending our money.
Like those like little tactical things they were great with and intentional with.
But I’ll tell you, it’s been more helpful as an adult having him as a dad that if I do have a question about something, I am like, like hey quick question so growing up in that household is there something that they did that as an adult you’re like no i’m not teaching my kids not doing that as a parent yes oh my gosh yeah it is funny because i’m like how you grew up there are so many things that you obviously want to repeat and then some things that you’re like i don’t know but i am trying to think because mom and dad were not overly strict on like movies or that kind of thing they were pretty like relaxed relaxed.
I will say they were pretty hardcore with like a like the curfew scenario.[4:22] Okay. It was pretty black and white. Like if you were just a minute late, it felt like you were an hour late.
Do you know what I mean? So I’m like, yeah, I would say maybe that there could be a little grace here and there with the with the curfew. But that’s later down the line for me with kids.[4:36] Yeah. Okay. What’s the biggest misconception then about being Dave Ramsey’s daughter?
Do people think you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth?
Is that like the biggest misconception, conception, Rachel? I would say, yeah.
I mean, I think that, yeah, being his daughter in some ways gives a level of credibility and then other ways it discredits me because people just assume, you know, I’ve been just handed everything, which is, you know, and it’s a balance because actually the year I was born, they filed for bankruptcy.
So in my, throughout my childhood, I mean, they were just scraping to get by.
I mean, they were really trying to get food on the table, if you will.
So I remember, you know, shopping at consignment sales and, you know, we didn’t go on on vacations, like that kind of stuff as a kid.
And then through high school, I feel like we started to probably see more them spending more and all of that. But they even through us growing up.[5:23] Kind of kept everything really low means, if you will.
And then when I graduated from high school, I’ll never forget, there were a couple of things they did. They built a house, all this stuff.
And I’m like, where is all this money coming from? Like, where was this when I was like a sophomore in high school and it feels like I could have benefited?
So in one way, you know, we, you know, it was a very quote unquote normal upbringing.
It wasn’t this like extravagant upbringing.
And then on the other end, I’m like, they set us up well. They set us up paying for for college, you know, we had a mutual fund when we got married, they gave it to us.
And so, you know, we were able to use that for stuff. And so, I mean, there, there were definitely things that they did to set us up well and opportunities.
I work here at Ramsey. So I’m like, I’m not shy to the fact that, you know, I get to co-host, you know, the Ramsey show and do these other things or have great contacts in the space of media, you know, different things that I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t here at Ramsey.
So, so it is one of those things that it is a balance. Like I definitely was born to a degree of privilege because you know when you look at college you look at all of that I’m like it was I started on a financial foundation that was above ground not in a hole having to dig my way out so all of that I so so appreciate but then I you know but I don’t get like secret checks in the mail like I have to go to work right I’m like I’m here you know in the office today working and hanging out with you guys and so like I have bills to pay like I have have to like pay our cable bill.
Do you know what I mean? Like our family is still, we have to make money.[6:46] Okay. So growing up, all right, you’re dating a guy in college.
He’s on, he’s taking you to on a date.
He whips out a credit card. Oh gosh. Is that like a red flag for you?
Are you just like, you like internally sink like in, we’re done. This is it.[7:01] This is not going to be a good fit. Yeah. No, because my husband did.
Did he? Well, I was going to ask about that. So how did Like how does that transpire in your mind?
Are you physically like freaking out like dad wouldn’t like this. What should I do?[7:16] No, no, cuz I know credit cards are so normal Like I know this is like it would almost be abnormal If he did it to a degree where I’m like, oh cuz everyone had a good that’s just like what you did And you know and Winston, you know, he would tell you this day Yeah, he got one to build up his credit score, you know He paid rent on it and utilities and the roommates paid him He had the system go in to get his credit score up, you know, so like I in all the quote unquote responsible ways, that’s kind of what he was doing.
And I didn’t know, I didn’t say anything for a few dates. And then as it started like progressing and I was like, oh no, this like could really go somewhere.
You know, he, he didn’t even know who Dave Ramsey was.
So as we were dating, I think people mentioned it to him and he kind of did some Googling and was like, oh wow.
So it was kind of this other just, oh, I didn’t even think you didn’t have to have it, but he’s a saver naturally.
So he was like, okay, that makes sense. If you You just pay cash for everything.
You don’t need a credit score.
And OK, like it just was a it wasn’t a big deal. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah, I remember the Capital One credit card paid for a few of our first dates.[8:15] OK, so with him not knowing who your dad was, please tell me he didn’t whip that out in front of your dad.
Like you went on a family meal, he offers to pay for his own meal and he whips out a credit card instead of like cash.
Like, please tell me he didn’t do anything like that. No, because I think if we ever went out with mom and dad in college, they were paying.
Okay, so have you ever owned a credit card? I’ve not. Have you ever had a loan outside of a mortgage?
No, I have not. Have you ever had a mortgage loan? No.
Well, so we got our first house in 2009 during the recession, and it was a short sale.
Oh, good. Which we kind of just lucked out the timing of when we got married and all of that. And then we just built a house in 2019.
I’m pretty open with it. we paid cash for it and so we saved up and yeah and paid cash for it so it was a long six-year process and we had two rentals too that we had flipped and kept them as rentals and ended up selling those so we had other sources of income for the this house that we’re in now um but yeah it’s a lot of work to do it and i know that and the mortgage is the one type of debt we don’t yell at people for so we always say so yeah so it’s the one that obviously i understand people can’t pay cash for a house and especially in today’s markets but it was a big goal for us Yeah, and we did it and honestly it was really and I tell people this you know that I, And especially when you’re building, because I think building can get insane so quickly when you’re picking out everything.[9:39] And so what it did, it forced us to say no. I’m like, there were things that we still would have done that we didn’t. You know, like we could have had an unfinished basement.
This is just one example. This is when we kind of regret. We’re like, dang it, we should have done it.
It wasn’t that much relative to the house to like dig out part of the unfinished basement.
But we literally didn’t have the cash. I mean, we didn’t have the money to do it. And we were like, we can’t. So we said no to that. I mean, there were probably six or seven things we said no to.
And looking back, we’re like, oh, man, you know, five years later, we’re like, dang it, we should have like stretched out the contract of the build and like saved up and done that. Like there.
But it was good, though. You know, it was good to say no and to have those boundaries and those limits. So that’s the beautiful thing that that cash does.
It really forces you into a budget because it’s what you have and you got to work with it. Do you have cash always in your pocket or are you like debit card girl?
I’m more debit card girl. I keep some cash always.
If I need something, I’ll have it. But I’m pretty much debit card.
And what’s crazy now, y’all, which you know this, but I’m like Apple Pay.
Do you know what I mean? I’m like there’s so many ways to spend.[10:45] So I’m kind of in that rhythm now. We do the every dollar budget.
My husband and I do. And so it tracks your transactions.
And so that’s helpful when these transactions come in.
From spending on the debit card and all of that, that you can kind of drag and drop them into categories.
So I like doing that. But if you’re new to budgeting, I always recommend people use cash in some capacity just to feel the money leaving and there’s so much benefit to it.
But at this point in life, yeah, I’m usually a debit card girl.
Rachel, do you know how rare that is? Not that we’re trying to shame you by any means, because we’ve had debt.
But how rare it is, you have never had debt.
Student loans, a mortgage, a car note, and not even having a credit card. That is incredible.
I can’t imagine what the percentage is. You might be the first person I’ve ever met to do that. So congratulations. That’s true. I mean, that is so rare.
That is incredibly rare. Just brainwash your kids. And I’ll do it.[11:44] Right. No basement for you kids. Sorry. That’s right.
That’s right. I know. All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it.
Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where.
But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas.
Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com.
And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want.
And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[12:22] Now, you started at Ramsey Solutions when you were out of college.
Is it true that your dad actually tried to talk you out of working for the company? Is that true?
Yeah, we had a big discussion when I was getting serious about it.
I had interned the summer before, and I just went to different high schools and did some assemblies.
And I just realized I was like, I love teaching the next generation, like college students, high school students, like getting them this information.
Because like we’re talking about here, it was such a gift.
I’m like, when you get this early, then you make decisions into adulthood that are probably different decisions than you would have made if you didn’t know this, right?[12:56] That was like a big thing for me. And when I graduated college, I remember going to mom and dad. I was like, this is what I want to do.
Like if there’s a position for me to travel and speak.[13:05] Yeah. And during that conversation, he just said to me, he was like, you realize that it’s going to be harder coming here for work versus going somewhere else because you have an uphill climb to make.
Because automatically, regardless of how great people are or not, it’s an automatic thought of like, oh, yeah, you’re the boss’s kid.
So, okay, you get a little little bit of a pass in some capacity right it’s kind of people’s assumption and so he’s like you’re gonna have to come in earlier work later like you really have to prove yourself to earn a level of respect that other people don’t walking into this position so yeah but thankfully you know people at ramsey are so they’re awesome yeah everyone at ramsey that we have dealt with are amazing for sure so what do your other two siblings do then please tell me your brother’s not like an executive you have an American Express or someplace, right?
What do they do? Do they work there too or not?
Yeah. So Daniel’s here, my brother. Yes. So he’s here at Ramsey.
And then my sister actually runs my parents’ foundation.
So they formalized all their giving about 10 years ago.
And she was working for a nonprofit at the time. And when they opened this, they asked her, yeah, if she would come in and help be the executive role and help with their giving. So she does that, which she’s awesome.
So all the nonprofits and charities and organizations that mom and dad give to, she she, She runs all that. Do you remember the first time that you co-hosted with your dad on air?[14:28] Gosh, do I remember the first time? I think I do. You know, there was another time before that, even that was we there was Ken Coleman, myself and maybe one or one other person.
And we co-hosted without Dave for the first time. And I remember that one because we were all like, oh, my gosh, are we going to sink the ship?
Like we have power in this like microphone right here. Like, oh, my gosh. Did anybody sit in a seat?
It was at the old building. I’m trying to think. Like, yeah, I guess we would have had to because of the way the table was.
But yeah, I remember that one because I remember Ken being like, I can get us in and out of breaks. Like he used to do radio.[15:00] Yeah. Like we were like, oh my gosh.
So that was funny. And I’m trying to think with him. I, yeah, I don’t remember that one as much. Really? Yeah.
It was always nerve wracking early on. I’ve gotten used to hosting that show, but people love Dave.
And so for a long time, as the Ramsey personalities were kind of transitioning in and rotating, It was not pretty on the old reviews, you know, when you went and read the reviews. They did not want us there.
They didn’t want change.
Yeah, they loved it, which I totally get. But also, we all know, you know, you don’t live forever.
And so eventually one day, what’s going to happen, you know, to this platform?
Is it just going to be gone when he’s gone? Or can you start transitioning to a degree at happening?
So we’ve been on more and more. But that was probably four years ago when all that was going on, which is crazy. It was right around COVID when we really kind of ramped up the co-hosting with other personalities, not just Dave.
So it’s been almost four years.
And I think finally people are somewhat okay with us.[15:55] Okay. So you mentioned actually a lot there. First off, going back to what you were doing.
High school assemblies, school events. Do you have any good stories from dealing with high school?
Because I have gone back to my high school one time and spoke never again.
No, they’re terrible, aren’t they?
No, high schoolers are great. They’re intimidating. They don’t care to be there.
No, they don’t. I know. It was more just like you have to be so okay with yourself because you get zero affirmation when you talk to high schoolers.
That’s why I think I slowly transitioned out, honestly, and my life. I was married.
I remember, you know, we were starting a family. I was like, oh, I have things to say about grocery shopping or like how to do this or that in life, you know, more adult topics.[16:40] So my message kind of transferred with my age and season of life, which I loved. But I remember those. Those were tough.
The high school assemblies were not ideal.
No. And even college, there were some funny college ones. When I’d go to college campuses, there was one where I realized halfway through that majority of the group didn’t speak English.
And I found out after the foreign exchange office literally gave them extra credit to come hear me.
And so they all kind of came up and they didn’t fully like understand.
You know what I mean? And we were like, I was trying to talk.
And I was like, wait, what’s going on?
Yeah, that happened once. Yeah, there were a couple of funny moments.
But I was glad they were getting the information.
That’s not bad. Like, man, these kids are really clueless. They are focusing.
Or they’re just focusing. Or they’re very intent of trying to catch every word that I’m saying.[17:25] Because I talk fast, too. So I probably wasn’t the best guest speaker in that regard. Okay.
Since you’ve been co-host and hosting stuff and you take live phone calls, Rachel, what’s one of the crazier calls you’ve taken, right?
And I’m assuming at this point, you’re probably not surprised, but what’s one of the crazier calls that you’ve had to take either you or your dad there as a radio personality?
Yes. Oh my gosh. I mean, always the ones with like staggering student loan debt.
We just had one this week. It was a million dollars in student loans between her and her husband. Oh.[17:57] Oh, yeah. Half a million, basically, for both of them. And I was like, oh, my gosh. So, like, those are always the ones that kind of just baffle you, where you’re like, I…
Praying you’re going to make a good income. I mean, those always stand out.
But when I was hosting with dad, this may have been two years ago now, but there was a lady on the phone and she was asking about selling her house.
And she was really rushed. You could tell she was kind of like outside.
It was a little confusing.
And so she said her son’s father was there.
It was the situation. And as you started getting context clues, realizing that he was abusive and he wouldn’t leave her house.
And he was there with With her son. And they start talking.
Like, it was bad. We ended up calling the police because it was, yeah, she wanted out of her house. She wanted to get her son somewhere safe.
But the son’s dad, yeah, was, like, literally there that day in her house and wouldn’t get out.
And so she was telling us this on the call. I mean, it was just, it’s just heartbreaking.
So, yeah, that was probably the wildest, like, in the moment.[18:56] There’s somebody on the other end that I can’t reach who feels in danger.
And her child is in a sense in danger, right? So you’re just like, oh my gosh.
So that was probably the wildest scenario.
So instead of calling 911, they called Ramsey Solutions.
She did, yeah. Yeah, she was trying to figure out if she could, with her house, she was asking about her house and we realized your house isn’t the issue.
But you almost get so, in those situations, the psychology breakdown happens so quickly that you just, you almost can’t see out and you feel like a crazy one in the situation. And so walking her through that, I mean, she just, and she cried at one point.
I mean, it was just, it was so, it was so terrible.[19:36] Is it hard for you to relate to some people because you’ve never been in debt?
Right. Especially when, like I saw the other day, Rachel, someone’s calling in and they’re taking out debt for pets, right?
Or like to get a puppy and stuff like that. Right. Right. How do you deal with all that?[19:53] Yeah. You know, I mean, obviously I haven’t been in it. So to your point, I mean, I haven’t done cocaine either, but I could probably tell you it’s probably not a great plan, you know?
So I think there is like this aspect of I may not be able to empathize 100% with exactly what you’re thinking and feeling, but I can tell you there is such a better way, right? I can tell you here’s the road to take.
That’s not that. that and you know and even growing up in a family where mom and dad’s pain around money was so real and so visceral of bankruptcy and just living in that environment to a degree you pick up on it and you realize this is something i like i want to stay far far away from but the norm is yeah you just don’t take out credit cards like i like i can’t even imagine you know i just think i’m like oh my gosh people they go into debt for a car i’m like okay and again not because mom and dad had had nice cars.
They had crappy cars growing up, but it wasn’t even an option.
So when that’s your norm, it is funny to look back. I’m like, oh my gosh. Yeah.[20:48] You know, it’s so interesting what she said. She’s like, oh my gosh, you guys, you took debt out for a car.
So many people are like, yeah, that’s the norm, but it’s not the norm for you.
So that’s so interesting that the way you just said it, you’re like, huh, why would people do that? Yes.
Yeah. Speaking of cars, a couple months ago, Steph and I were on a date, we pull up to a light in the car in front of us.
I think it was maybe a Toyota Camry set had a bumper sticker on the back.
And it said, Dave Ramsey makes me drive this car.
So we had a good laugh about that.
And we’re in Ohio, right? So we’re not we’re nowhere near Franklin, Tennessee.[21:25] Yeah. But with you with fans of Dave Ramsey, and all the personalities.
Have you had any fun interactions with fans at a live event out in public do you have any good stories from that yes oh gosh um you know it’s funny because our work we’re not you know it’s not like t swift or like uh you know uh jennifer aniston you know we’re not actors or musicians or like this that that kind of fandom happens if people recognize as it’s which i love it’s always it’s about them which is amazing like they’ll come up and be like we’re debt free or like i went to disney world with my daughters and i got stopped maybe 20 20 times it was it was a lot really really in the park but people would say i mean out of all those probably 15 out of 20 said we’re here because we’re debt free and we saved up for this or it’s because of you guys we did this and so i love it when people come up because i love that it’s it’s them it’s them doing the work right i mean like we can talk about this all day but it’s not this like screaming like oh my gosh i just love you it’s not it’s not that it is like here’s what our family’s done right you’ve actually put into practice you know what you guys teach so so that’s always my favorite and when people always say you know oh my gosh you guys changed our lives we always say back because it’s true i’m like no we didn’t.[22:40] You changed your life. Like, I’m not in Ohio, you know, living in your house and doing the work. Like, I’m not doing that. You’re doing that.
And that’s the power, I think, in this idea of being able to help people in this way is that they’re the hero.
Like, we’re not the celebrities in that.
Like, we see them as celebrities of like, oh, you did this.
So, yeah, we were getting on one of the rides at Disney and this lady from like way up top was getting on and she just yelled down, And I’m like, Rachel, I love you and George on the happy hour.
I’m like, happy and fine. I’m just wearing it. I’m like, thank you.[23:13] It was great. It was great. So, yeah, it’s always fun when people come up. How empowering is that?
Like, what does that do for your spirit?
Like, oh, my gosh. Like, we’re doing the right thing. Yeah.
Like, if there’s ever a doubt, there’s just clarification that we are in the right thing right now. It is, yeah.
Because sometimes, you know, there are points that I’m like, are we the crazy ones? Like, are we the ones that are missing something?
But no one’s ever come up to me and be like, oh my gosh, I did it all.
And I hate this. And I don’t want to get back in debt and spend everything I make and have no savings.
You know, you don’t get that reaction. It’s always, we did this stuff and it does work. So it is, it’s confirmation.
And just like you guys doing this podcast, you know, you don’t, we don’t get to interact with people all the time unless we’re at a live event.
So when you do see somebody that yells down, love you and George, I’m like, oh, there’s the face of the people behind the microphone because yes, You stare into a camera or a microphone and you hope someone’s listening or you never know.
Yeah, you never know. And then when you meet them, you’re like, oh, it’s you. Yes.
Kevin and I say that all the time. We’re like, we’re hoping people are listening to our show, but you never know. That’s right. That’s right. Yes.[24:21] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a coworker, or share one of our posts on social media.
However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not.
Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody.
Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us.
Yep. Go on with your merry day.
And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
So for all of our guests, I like to give a list of fun facts to let listeners know what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished, and keep me honest if I’m wrong on any of these, okay? And Steph is not aware of any of these fun facts.
So you’re going to see her genuine, authentic reaction. Oh my goodness, I can’t wait.
You ready, Steph? Yeah. All right, fun fact number one.
Rachel has been speaking at events since she was in high school.
Her first speaking gig was with her dad at the age of 15 in front of 5,000 people.[25:23] So, Rachel, at age 15, what was your dad like? Was he like, hey, don’t embarrass me, kid, in front of these people?
And how did you prepare for that?
How did you have the composure to get in front of 5,000 people age 15 and not have to change your pants afterwards? Like that is amazing.
Yeah. So it was at one of the big events they used to do on Saturday.
It’s called Total Money Makeover Live. So this was golly, 22 years ago.[25:51] And during that day, they would have different breaks. And so before one of the breaks, one of the other team members mentioned, because we would work those events as kids. We were the ones running around, handing out stuff or notebooks for people. We worked these events a lot as kids.
And one of the team members said, Rachel, you could go on stage and do something.
You have such a fun personality.
You totally could. And I was like, me on stage? And they’re like, yeah.
And so the conversation started. And basically, it came out like how great would it be to go and pitch the kids’ products.
You go out on stage and talk about the kids’ products because you guys use them at home.
And we can make a funny like it’s you know the top 10 list of why it’s tough to be dave ramsey’s kid uh that’s like when letterman was on and he always yeah that’s good during during that day so so they were like we could make it really funny and great you know and so we went and wrote it and i practiced it and then at the time the company which we still do to this day we have staff meeting and devos monday morning is an hour of staff meeting all the staff gets together.[26:51] And kind of updates what’s going on in company different different areas so everyone’s on the the same page.
And then every Wednesday morning for an hour, they have somebody local, an author or a pastor or a musician or someone come and just have some inspiration.
So they call it devotional time, Devo.
And so during that Devo, which now we have like 1,100 people here at Ramsey that work here.
So at the time, it was maybe 200 people.
It was significantly less.
And I had to get up and and give my talk in front of the company.
And that was my practice, to get in front of people and say it.
And I’ll never forget, like halfway through, I blinked. You know, that feeling where you’re like, and I don’t have notes or anything, you know?[27:31] I blanked. And I remember dad was on the front row. And he was like, push through. You got to push through. You’re on stage right now with 5,000 people.
That’s what you got to remember. What are you going to do? You got to just keep pushing through. And I was like, I’m going to keep pushing through.
And I just picked it back up and kept going, you know. And they were all like, it was the best 200 people to do it in front of. Oh, I’m sure.
They’re just wonderful. Like family. Yeah.
Totally. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So that was, I had to do it for them.
And I did it twice that week in front of that group.
And then went out. And he was, yeah, dad was so supportive. Yeah.
Before we went on, he’s like, it’s really not that big of a deal, Rach. Like, you can do this. Like, it’s going to be over in eight minutes. Yeah, you’re great.
Don’t stress out. You know, he was like trying to like, not a big deal. Yes.[28:14] That’s what they tell professional bull riders. Hey, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s eight seconds. Just go. You can do it. It’s not a big deal.
Yeah, go have fun. As I said, go have fun.
All right, Steph. Next fun fact. As I mentioned earlier, Rachel went to the University of Tennessee and got her communications degree.
And Rachel, I’m only sharing this because I would love for you to share a particular story, okay? Okay.
But while in college at UT, Rachel got a tattoo.
So can you please share the story of the tattoo and the reaction of your dad, Rachel?
Because I love that. Oh my gosh. It’s so funny.
Yes, I was a freshman and I remember it was like raining one day.
I don’t know why that’s my memory. We were all in the dorm.
We’re all so we’re just bored and all my friends you know they’re probably eight of us and someone’s like we should go like go get a tattoo we’re like yeah yeah we should go, so we went and i got it was like it’s this big i mean it’s tiny and it’s a jesus fish you know the whole fish it’s like this big it is so small and i went home a few weekends later and i told told my parents yeah and my dad got he was so mad he threatened to pull my tuition it was like oh yes he was like I’m not gonna pay for college if you start getting tattoos everywhere and I was like oh my god.[29:41] Now I think he’s way more comfortable with tattoos, so is probably society, than back in the day, 20 years ago.
So you actually told him? You weren’t on vacation and they saw it?
No, I told him. I told mom first, and she was like, oh, honey.
That’s so silly. She just was like, oh, man. And then I think she was like, you got to tell your dad. I was like, he’s going to be pissed.[30:07] It’s like this big. It’s so small. It’s so small.
Your dad’s like where do we go wrong as parents yeah like the world is ending i know i know it’s so funny i saw a meme the other day on instagram and it said my kid just got a face tattoo just bottle feed was the bottom i was like that’s so good all the moms are always like paranoid of like oh my god should i do this or that it’s like yeah my kid just got a face tattoo who knows how they’re gonna turn out you know so true i love the fact that he literally threatened i’m not school. We’re done. We’re done.
All right, Steph, next fun fact. Rachel is co-host of The Ramsey Show, which is America’s second largest talk radio show.
The Ramsey Show is also now the number one podcast in all categories on Apple Podcasts. She’s host of The Rachel Cruze Show.
She’s co-host of the That’s Smart Money Happy Hour with George Campbell, which debuted as the number one podcast on Apple Business.
And she’s authored multiple books.
So Rachel, here’s how I envisioned this happen.[31:11] I envisioned all these creatives at Ramsey Solutions went to your dad and pitched all these ideas. And your dad’s like, oh, Rachel can do that.
And then three months later, oh, Rachel can do that too. And then you just got all of these jobs now.
All this responsibility is like, how do you manage all of these tasks, all the responsibilities?
Because you have a lot going on. either yes yeah what’s funny is most of those i brought to the table not the co-hosting ramsay show but my show i really wanted to do and smart money happy hour was one that about three years ago i really fought for because i knew it was going to be a hit i was like people want a high level fun pop culture current events money show like that’s what we can do like we keep targeting people that want to learn about money what if we target just culture like just in general just people that like love entertainment and pop culture.
And then we sneak in the money on the back end. So it’s more like fun and all that. We have a cocktail or a mocktail every episode and like all of this.
So and then I was like, and George, I love George, George and George and me are like brother and sister. And so I was like, George would be so fun.
I want to do it with him. Like we both talk about money all the time and it just will be it’ll be great. So that one we really fought for.
And then finally they said.[32:24] Yes, we got a budget for it and we figured out and it’s been awesome.
So that’s been a really fun hit.
And so it’s what I love. I love it, though, too. My husband’s always like on Mondays, especially Mondays are like my really long days.
I work probably 12 hours and he’s always like, are you ready for Monday?
And I tell him like, I’m always just like, it sounds cheesy.
I’m like, I’m so thankful that I don’t hate Mondays. Like, yeah, I’ve had all weekend with the kids and family. And I’m like, I’m actually kind of excited to like shower and like put makeup on and And I talk to adults and be in meetings with people I love.
And we laugh and we have fun and we create content and we shoot shows.
And it’s so fun. Yeah. That’s not most people. Most people hate their jobs, right? They hate Mondays. I know. I know. Exactly. So I’m really thankful.[33:10] Steph, what is one of the most asked questions we get about Tell Us a Good Story?
Do I really get that excited?
Besides that one. Oh, how do we get all these incredible guests?
Correct. Correct. And some of our best conversations have been with guests who our listeners have reached out to us and said, you should talk to this person.
To name just a few, Nick Vujicic, Coach Tom Ryan, Carol Matico were all recommendations from our listeners.
So if there’s someone you would like us to interview and think they might be a great fit for Tell Us a Good Story, please let us know at kevinandsteph.com.
You don’t even have to personally know them. True. But do me a favor, before you submit their names, please make sure they are still alive.
That has actually happened and it is super hard for me to find their contact information.
But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[33:57] Final fun fact here. Rachel is a two-time number one national bestselling author and a few months ago released her first ever illustrated children’s book titled We love it!
I’m glad for what I have. And it’s over her right shoulder there as well. Yes, we do.
And ever since your team actually sent this to us, which they were kind enough to do, I’ve read this to Steph every night before bedtime.[34:22] That’s what we do now. That’s our bedtime routine. But in all seriousness, this is a wonderful children’s book.
Oh, it’s so good. It is wonderful. The pictures are amazing.
And like you said, Steph, the pages are super thick.
It’s quality. It is very nice. have to work hard to rip these because like our little guy well i don’t want to say it but for some kids most kids it’ll be a challenge to tear the pages yeah yes yes i know that’s my hope my i was like i wanted like i wanted thick pages because as a mom we know yes yes i know i i ideally we priced out doing like a board book like with like the real yes you know what i mean but with like yeah manufacturing all of it we couldn’t we couldn’t pull it off which is totally fine But I was like, okay, if we’re doing regular paper, get me literally the thickest page that they have because that’s what I’m going to go for.
It’s very nice. I’m glad you appreciate that. It was so – I noticed it immediately.
Yes. I noticed it. I’m like, oh, these are such good pages. Can you please tell listeners about this book that you put together, your first ever children’s book?
Yes, I know. I’m so excited about it. But, you know, I have three kids, like I mentioned, they’re eight, six and four.[35:31] And they just were in this like rhythm. We’re talking about like the Amazon guy coming to the front door.
You know, when is he coming, mom, today? You know, it was like this like assumption that.
Packages just always show up. And I thought, oh my gosh, I’ve created these little consumeristic kids.
I’m like, this is what I’ve done because it’s me, right? They’re not the one doing all this.
So it was just kind of a check in the mirror and in my spirit where I thought, oh my gosh, I want my kids to know that having stuff is not bad, but it’s not going to fulfill you the way you think it will.
That happiness and excitement that you get with something new, just like mommy feels and they feel when they always just want, want, want, that excitement, it’s gone.
It’s gone on within, you know, for me, sometimes half an hour, you get something in the mail. Oh, great.
And you just move on with your life. But when you’re buying it or you really want it, you feel like, oh, this thing, this excitement, what I’m feeling, this emotion, this dopamine hit, it’s going to last forever because if I can just have this, I’ll be okay.
And that is a lie that I think we’ve all believed. And you end up being a rat in a wheel, just running, running, running, buying, buying, buying, knowing that it doesn’t really satisfy you.
So it was a message I really want want to teach my kids. I mean, it goes into the contentment subject.[36:37] And what does really fulfill you? What is the things that we can focus on that is really there?
So I wanted animals with it. I didn’t want like kids, illustrated kids.
I was like, I want like an animal. I want it whimsical and kind of magical.
And so throughout the story, yeah, the little animals just want and want and want. And the parents kind of give way and they do, you know, they buy and buy and buy.
And they realize they’re not happy anymore, that our stuff is supposed to make us feel a certain way and it’s not anymore.
And so they go on this little adventure and discover that. So it’s so sweet.
I’m really excited about it. And I actually, I’m gonna go ahead and just say it because I have three books that I wanted to write kids books wise because I have a journal called the Contentment Journal for Women.
And it walks through 30 days of gratitude, 30 days of humility and generosity and 30 days of contentment.
And my dream about two years ago was if I could pair kids’ books along with the journey their mom is going on, it would be like a perfect world.
So it’s actually coming true.
So this book is on contentment. So I started on the end of it.
And the next one is on gratitude.
And it comes out April 16th. So there’s a new one coming. Congratulations.[37:47] Thank you. So, yeah, when you read this book, which I’m glad for what I have, there’s different scenes.
So there’s kind of like a safari scene with those animals.
There’s an ocean scene and then forests. And so each book has kind of the lead character. So the next one’s the ocean.
So that’ll be the front cover. So we’ll send you that one too.
But that comes out April 16th, which I’m really excited about.
You know what, Rachel? You hit on such an important topic with contentment.
Like I’m really so aware of that. Like just be happy with what you have.
And our kids are always like, can I get on Amazon and put stuff in the cart? I’m like, why?
Like be thankful for what you have. And then in the book, I loved it.
But one of the pictures, like they had so much, it was just in a pile or things were broken because they had so much.
And I’m like, oh, this is so good.[38:35] So I love that you wrote this book. And I think it’s going to touch so many children.
It touched my heart. And I’m an adult. I’m like, yes, yes, exactly what we need.
It’s something good. You can read your kids or grandparents can read to their grandchildren.
Yes. Yeah. Because that was the other thing. Like you said, Steph, I was like, as a mom, I read so many books to my kids. And so the ones that I’ve loved in the past are the ones that have a message that like make me tear up as an adult where you’re like, I needed that message.
So when I wrote it, that was part of it, too. I’m like, how can I end it where even an adult reading it is like, oh, I needed that. I needed that reminder because I do.
I mean, yes, basically for me. And they’re short, too. That was another thing.
I was like, I don’t want it long.
Especially at bedtime, right? You’re like, oh, my gosh. Let’s not extend the bedtime longer than it already is. The process. So shorts.[39:23] It gets to the point. Yes. I loved it. No, you did an excellent job. And I love you again.
I love the pages. It’s something so simple, but as a mom, you noticed it immediately.
Immediately. I’m like, oh my gosh, these pages are amazing. Yes.
I’m so glad. Thank you. I so appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you.[39:43] Well, listeners for more information about Rachel and to get her books, you can go to her website, rachelcruz.com.
Her Instagram is rachelcruz. and Facebook is at Rachel Ramsey Cruz and we’ll put links in the show notes and on our website so you can click right on those links and go to the social media and her website for this book.
Well, Rachel, you have been amazing.
Thank you so much for doing this and coming on with Steph and I on Tell Us a Good Story. You’re fantastic.
For sure. Well, thank you guys for having me. I so appreciate it. It was so fun.[40:16] Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms.
You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
The post Episode 211: Rachel Cruze appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Like every fifth episode, it’s Kevin + Steph sharing their stories with you, and this time they are joined by a friend and one of the few repeat guests of the show, Joe Serio.
Dr. Joe Serio is a popular and entertaining keynote speaker and trainer on leadership and communication. He is the author of numerous books, including Investigating the Russian Mafia which documents his experience working as a CIA agent in Moscow for five years. Steph also considers Joe to be the “Kevin Bacon of Tell Us A Good Story” because he’s introduced them to so many guests who have been on the show. Stories in this conversation include:
– What happens when Joe sends Steph cupcakes for her birthday…and then Kevin eats a few.
– How Steph didn’t know that Joe was a professional speaker.
– How the Mason’s recently moved into a new house.
– Fun facts about Kevin + Steph, including who Joe thinks will be a future guest.
AND make sure you listen to the end to hear the hilarious moment when Joe informs them he worked for the CIA.
We can’t wait for you to hear this great conversation with our good friend, Joe Serio.
Guest DetailsWebsite: joeserio.com
Instagram: @drjoeserio
Facebook: @joeseriospeaks
Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript Here[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story.
Today, like every fifth episode, it’s Steph and I sharing our own stories with you.
And today we’re telling stories with the man Steph calls the Kevin Bacon of Tell Us a Good Story, Mr. Joe Serio.
That’s because he has introduced us to so many people. I think the majority of our guests are connected to him in some way.
In this episode, we share stories with Joe, such as how we just moved into a new house, what happens when Joe sends Steph cupcakes for her birthday, and I eat too, and how Steph didn’t know that Joe was a professional speaker.
Also, Joe turned the tables and did a list of fun facts about us, including who he thinks will be a guest of ours this next year.
Plus, this conversation took a turn towards the end that I was not expecting when our friend informed us that he used to work for the CIA. That was so funny.
Friends, we can’t wait for you to hear all these stories and more with our friend, author, and motivational speaker, Joe Serio.
I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery.
Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis.
However, today, we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.
And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day.
Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.[1:28] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please.
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All right, Steph. You ready for another fifth episode here?
Fifth episode. And today we get the opportunity to share stories with a former guest of the show.
Can I say it? And now a good friend of ours. Oh, he is. Mr. Joe Serio.
Welcome to the show, Joe.
Thank you for doing this for us. Yeah, I can’t get this hour back, right? I will drop you the next time I see you. I will drop you.
You don’t have to drop me. Just hug me. That’ll be enough to kill me.[2:30] Well, for listeners who are not aware, Joe is one of three repeat guests on Tell Us a Good Story.
So Joe, Bob O’Dean, Jim Comer, who Joe actually introduced us to. He did.
Yes. Actually, and Bob O’Dean is an indirect invite from Joe as well, because he introduced us to Dennis Welch, who then introduced us to Bob O’Dean.
Joe is like the Kevin Bacon of Telltale Story.
Isn’t he? Yes. Yes, absolutely. Everyone somehow has come from Joe Serio.
That’s true. And Joe, I don’t know if you understand, but Joe actually routinely texts me.
Like feedback when he’s on the road traveling, he’ll send me like a review of episodes that he’s listening to. Don’t you, Joe?
I listen to every single episode. And I was debating about whether to get into this with you or not during this show.
Let’s just get this out of the way right up front.
I was on, I think episode 49. Was that the first one? Yes.
So since that time, Kevin and I have been talking and we talk about episodes and whatever. I think I gave you one note maybe about what should be slightly tweaked because you guys have been so great. You’ve been so great.
And it just finally popped in my head the other day that I realized what this creature is.[3:46] The Kevin and Steph creature is a single brain put together.
You’re a perfect complement to each other. Oh, Joe.[3:55] Thank you. Thanks, Joe. Thank you. And I know that being the people yourselves, it’s still probably hard to believe you’ve heard it over and over and over.
People love you. You guys are a natural fit.
And the funniest thing to me about you guys is you can disagree on the air with each other.
And nine and a half out of 10 other couples probably would have been sniping at each other.
And who knows what happens off air and we don’t need to know but the fact of the matter is when you disagree it still feels healthy it still feels normal it still feels like oh yeah my wife is this and this and this oh yeah my husband is this and this and this and we know that about each other and we roll with it that’s exactly what i see with you guys by the way stephanie kevin’s a funny guy thank you he’s a funny guy he’s a funny guy he’s a very different sense of humor than yours but he’s a funny guy.
Anyway, I know you didn’t ask for that. It’s just been on my mind so much the last 24 hours about you guys.
Thanks, Joe. Thank you. Well, that’s nice to hear because Joe, about a week ago, I’ll tell you this story.
We were at our daughter’s middle school play. Yes.
And we had an episode that dropped that day that I thought my dad was going to really like, and we were actually very proud of it. It’s one of our favorite episodes, right?
I asked my dad there at the play.
I’m like, Hey, did you listen to today’s episode? He’s like, Yeah, I did.[5:23] I’m like, well, what’d you think? And he’s like, I was all right. And Joe, I’m not joking.
It turned into what felt like I was in the middle of an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm here with Larry David, because I’m like, dad, what do you mean it’s all right? Well, I thought it was kind of boring.
And I’m like, boring?[5:41] And technically, Steph, you did not hear this. I did not hear that.
Or you would have jumped in this conversation.
I’m like, what was boring about it? It was amazing. So I go, what was boring? He goes, well, I didn’t really like your questioning.
Like our questions which one and he told me i go dad i asked that question which then led to this story and he goes oh yeah that was that was really funny i go exactly i go what else did you like he’s like well i didn’t like you know steph’s question about x i go but that led to him sharing this story he’s like oh yeah that was funny what are you talking about so i think at the end of of the day, and I’m telling this because my dad would always put me in his sermons as a kid to prove a point.
So now it’s like the tables have turned so I can talk about him here publicly, which is nice.
But I think my dad, though, at the end of the day, he loves the fifth episodes.
He loves us sharing our stories versus us interviewing other guests.
So I think that’s what he really likes and wishes that we could just do it every time. Got it.
Yeah. And you know, it’s a little complicated, I guess, because he’s your father, but he’s an an audience member yeah you guys know what you’re doing you do it really really well and some people are going to have a preference for goofing around or right fifth episode or step sister you know whatever it’s like she’s she comes on everything lights up right.[7:05] But it’s just different for everybody. I loved the last few episodes.
I mean, all the episodes are really good.
Now, you want to talk about a stinker? I can’t really identify a stinker in the whole bunch.
Oh, thank you. Thank you. But the last bunch have been exceptional.
And you guys are getting better and better and better when you think about where you started.
And you think about stuff like, you’ve got to get more guests. I’m afraid of this.
Yes. And now people are banging down the door to do it.
You know, they want to be part of this because every single guest tells you, I know it for a fact.
They tell you it was fun.
It was the most fun I had a podcast.
You guys are so awesome and made it enjoyable.
And that’s just because it’s organic.
You’re just so good at being yourselves on the air.
Well, it’s interesting because you did say like, we’ve gotten better.
I’ll sometimes go back to like, if I’m with the kids or I’m taking a road trip, I’m like, oh, I just want to laugh or something. Let me grab an episode.[8:08] And I cringe. I said, oh my gosh, Kevin, we sound so bad.
I’ll tell people like when they go to listen to tell the story, go in reverse.
Like don’t start from the beginning. Go in reverse because it’s different today than it was. Yeah. I guess four years ago.
Just like we’ve gotten better. We promise we’ve gotten better because Because I’ll listen to an episode, and we’re so slow.
Oh, yeah. Like, I’m putting myself to sleep. I’m like, thank God these listeners have stuck with us. No kidding.
Well, thank you. You know what? It’s just the price for growth.
So, cringe factor is good in this case.[8:44] All right, Steph. I’ve got a question for you. What’s your favorite book of all time? Obviously, you met her where?
Oh, I thought you were going to say the Bible. Oh, oops. Oh!
What’s your second favorite book of all time? You Met Her Where?[9:03] A distant second totally distant it’s pretty good book sorry god it’s still a pretty good book but we’re so excited where can people get our book okay i know this uh amazon.com yes barnes and noble yes and and our website kevinstuff.com and what happens if they buy it off our website what do they get uh an autograph from us yes who wouldn’t want that so listeners if you’ve You’ve already read the book.
Thank you so much. We’ve had such good feedback.
One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.[9:42] Well, Steph, tell Mr. Serio here what we’re doing this week.
Oh, my gosh, Joe. We got a house. Yes. We’re moving.
Can’t hear anything you’re saying. I can’t hear anything you’re saying.
No, I can’t. Your mic is going out. I can’t hear what you’re saying.
Are you serious? Yeah. You’re yelling into the microphone.
Yeah, it might be too loud. Well, you were scared that you couldn’t hear me. I told you. Now I can.
I told you. Now I can hear you. All right, tell them again. Do I need to say it again? Go ahead. Yeah, you have to say it again. No, I’m not going to say it again. We’re moving.
We’re moving. I can’t hear anything. I’m serious.
Exactly when you’re telling me what you’re doing, it just goes out.
That’s so weird. Do you sign language or something here? You’re the first person I’m going to know what’s happening.
We are moving. We’re moving! Oh, yes, you’re moving. Yes. Yes! We got a house!
Oh, my gosh. I’m so excited, Joe.[10:46] That’s awesome. Congratulations. Joe, wait till you hear the story.
You ready to hear the story? I’m ready. First off, Joe, let me share what it’s like to go to an open house with Steph.
Okay. We’ve been looking, we sold our prior home almost four years ago. Four years ago.
We’ve been looking for four years. We thought it was, we’re only be in this rental for a year. For a year.
Yeah. Because we sold our house and we wanted to downsize. And then we’re like, oh, we’re going to get this rental.
We’ll be here maybe a year max.
And then we’ll go to our final house because Kevin hates moving.
I hate moving. Everyone hates to move. Oh, so we’re saving the world for me.
We hate to move. So we’re like, we’ll be here for a year and then we’ll move into our final house. And then almost four years later, we’re still in this rental.
Yes. So we have lots of stories to share about buying this house.
So the first thing is, Joe, let me share what it’s like going to an open house with Steph. Okay, we will go to an open house.
And Steph cannot control herself.
Like there is zero poker face. We will walk in the house.
There’ll be multiple realtors and you’ll hear Steph from another room. Yeah. I love this house.[11:55] The price just went up 20,000. Yes. I’m like, Steph, stop talking, please. You are not helping.
Right. So then we’ll go to the other room. I love this house, Kevin. Like I love, I’m like, okay, I get it.
So then the one time we brought our children, and it was just us with the realtor we walk in and stephanie’s like all right kids don’t pick out your bedrooms which one do you want and i’m like stuff i don’t think that’s a good idea so the kids are like running like scavenger hunt like all right this is my bed like hey get off the bed it’s actually not ours okay stop jumping on the bed while your mom is doing basically snow no angels on the carpet in the living room.
I am like jumping up and down holding Kevin’s arm. I’m so excited.[12:41] We just walked in here. It goes for auction next week, Steph.
It’s actually not ours yet.
Oh, so tell them the story about the auction. Okay. So have you ever gone to an auction for a home, Joe? I have not.
I hadn’t either till the last four years. I’ve gone to a couple of them now.
So this one in particular, I read all about it. It was going to start at like 10 a.m. Saturday early morning.
The realtor wants to get with me. So show up there.[13:05] And Steph and I had come in agreement. Okay, here’s what the max price was going to be.
Here’s what we thought renovations would be on this house to get it functional for our family, all of that.
So we show up. And of course, there’s a bunch of people there, Joe.
It is so intimidating when you go to an auction because a lot of times it is general contractors, it’s construction people, and they’ve got cash.
And then it’s you wanting to actually use this as a full-time residence.
Yeah. Right. Not I’m trying to flip this.
I’m trying to make an investment. None of that.[13:36] So we show up. The realtor keeps drilling me. Hey, how much are you going to bid?
What’s your max bid? What’s your max bid? And I’m just trying to push it off because Steph and I had come up with agreement, but it was kind of a low offer. Yeah. Okay.
God, if this is our home, you’re going to make it happen. Right.
So they start the bid and the starting bid, Joe, is higher than what our max price was going to be.
Oh, shoot. we just lost it come on god i’m standing there joe i’m like please nobody bid please nobody bid please nobody bid and nobody bids i’m like all right here we go here we go let’s get it so then he starts he stops doing his auctioneer thing he’s like okay listen folks i need somebody to start bidding here this is an estate sale this is going to the family portion of this is going to you know feed the needy all this all right let’s do it so then he flips the switch again.[14:27] Right. And then some of my bits.
And I’m like, crap. I keep bidding, keep bidding. And this realtor is right beside me.
And she’s tapping me at one point like, hey, are you going to raise your hand here at some point?
I’m just looking straight ahead. And I didn’t bid one time.
And so it got to like $700,000.
And I turn. I go, sorry, it’s too much out of our league now.
And she just looks at me, Joe, like disgusted. Like, I can’t believe I hitched my wagon to this family because I didn’t raise my hand once.
Not even once. Did you raise your hand or did you have a paddle?
Did they give you a paddle? No, they don’t give you a paddle.
You just raise your hand. I would have loved a paddle. I probably would have been waving myself and I would have bought a house. No, because the starting bid was.
You would have gotten a million dollar house. Who got that? Right.[15:20] So that one didn’t work. Then about six weeks ago, Joe. Can I tell the story?
Can I tell the story? Yeah, go ahead. Okay, okay. so we started looking at homes and what it was friday night at like 11 o’clock and kevin found this home where i found this home and we’re like this could be it we say okay we’d love to see this house the next day literally 11 o’clock a realtor contacts us and we’re like holy cow it was one of those things joe i’m on realtor.com i put in hey i would like to inquire about this 40 seconds later Later, I’m getting a phone call from a realtor at 1030 at night.
I’m like, these realtors are- Piranhas. Yes.
Aggressive. They hustle. They were hustlers. This guy was a hustler, and I respect that.
So we went to go see the house the next day, and I might have had the kids pick out their bedrooms. I did.[16:12] Like, oh, here we go. But it was very intimidating. It made me kind of sad because we start walking to this house.
There’s 20 people walking into the house too. Cards are lined up on the road for their 10 minutes, 10 minute time slot, right?
To go into the house. To see the house. And I don’t want to say I felt defeated, but I kind of felt defeated as soon as I went into this house.
Kevin and I are looking at the house. He’s like, what do you think?
I’m like, no, there’s potential here.[16:40] So our realtor goes up to the other realtor and they had a relationship and he said, what’s it going to take for my client to get this house?
The realtor told him. So he’s like, this is what it’s going to take.
Put in your offer. So we made an aggressive offer, what we thought was fair.
And he said, you have until 11 o’clock the next day. So 11 o’clock the next day, we’re on our way to a wrestling tournament. and we get a call from the realtor.
And we’re like, what did they say? And he said, y’all aren’t even close. And we’re like, what?
At that point, there were over 20 offers, some cash offers of over $100,000 over asking, no home inspection.
Then the buyers were going to pay the sellers, closing fees, the realtor fees, all of it.
And I looked at Kevin and I’m like, Like, no, like we can’t compete with that.
And I don’t want to compete with that. Right.
Yeah. So kids were upset. They’re like, no.
And I’m like, OK, Kevin, from now on, kids aren’t involved.
Like it’ll just be Kevin and I looking at houses. And once we buy one, then we’ll tell the kids.
I think I think a good plan, a good strategy would be to walk through the house, Kevin, with your laptop on Zoom and have Stephanie in the car. Yes. Oh, no.
Yes. We’ll see a part of the situation. And have her on mute.[18:07] Right? That would have been good.[18:12] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us.
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And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.[18:42] So, tell Mr. Cereo here about the house we did get. Okay, okay, okay. Ready for this, Joe? I’m ready. So, it was a Saturday.
Four o’clock and Kevin had just spoken at a men’s conference and he had gotten home and I was looking on the internet and I found this home.
And a year previously, we had written out as a family everything we wanted for our home, for our family’s home.
And this probably had 90% of what we were asking for. Or will have. Or will have, yeah.
So I said, oh my gosh, this is amazing. And I said, Kevin, what do you think about the house? And he’s like, yeah, it’s nice.
And I said, okay, they have an open house right now. And he’s like, Stephanie, I am so tired. He’s like, I’ve just been speaking.
And the open house was from 3 to 5. And it was like 4, 4.15 at this point.
And I said, okay. I was on my way home.
Oh, you weren’t home yet? I wasn’t even home yet. Okay.
So I was like, okay. And I said, what do you think about me just reaching out to the realtor? He’s like, Stephanie, that nice of a home is going to be gone today.
And I was so sad. Because we just went through that process three weeks prior.
And I was so sad and I’m like, okay.
But then I was like, there’s something in me. They’re like, just reach out to the realtor.
So reached out to the realtor, heard nothing. I’m like, hey, house is gone.
Tuesday morning at 6.30, this realtor texts me in the morning and said, hey, the house is still available.
Are you guys interested? And I’m like, oh.[20:10] I’m like, yes, we are. So I heard it been told Kevin, like, what do you think?
What do you think? And he’s like, call our realtor.
So I called our realtor and I said, this was Tuesday. And I said, you know, maybe we can get on Friday.
And the realtor’s like, look, Steph, if you want this house, you guys need to jump on it.
So we couldn’t do it Tuesday. So Wednesday, which was Valentine’s Day.
We went at lunch. We went at lunch.
And as you can assume my reaction, I walk in and I’m like, oh, my gosh.[20:38] Kevin. I just held Kevin’s hand. I’m like, oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. I was trying to be calm.
Every room. Like the grip on my arm got tighter and tighter.
And by the third room, she literally looks at me. I want this house.
Kevin, make it happen. I want this house. I want this house.
You had to say yes. You had to say yes. I’ll do my best. Just get the circulation back in your arm. It was fine. He could walk around with one hand. It was totally fine.
But I was just like, this is it, Joe.[21:04] Like every part of my body just felt like this was our house.
Yeah. So our pastor at church talks about how God will hide things from you for you.[21:14] This home, the owner had passed away a year ago.
It has been sitting in a trust for the past year. Just sitting there. Nobody’s there.
And so they had this open house and apparently they did not have a lot of activity.
They didn’t have a lot of good pictures on the internet, on realtor.com and all of that. And so there wasn’t a lot of stuff going on.
So they texted you, we show up. And as we show up, they’re bringing a brand new photographer in to take pictures of this home and restage it.
So it was going to get restaged for that weekend.
So we ended up putting it a bid and they end up transferring it to us the same price that the owner bought a few years ago.[21:54] Oh, wow. Which never happened. Which doesn’t happen here in Columbus.
No. No, Columbus is a hot market right now for houses. Yes, absolutely.
It was such a God moment for us. So the long story short, we get the house.
The next day, the realtor sets it up where we can go show the kids now because we didn’t make that same mistake of bringing the kids to this house.
So we bring the kids to the house and we show up the front of the house in the driveway and tell the kids, hey, welcome to your new home.[22:23] And Emmy starts crying. Yeah. Kids are so excited.
I’m trying not to cry. But man, that was a cool moment.
Just because in this house, this rental, it’s been a great house for us.
But it’s been a house for us. It hasn’t been a home.
Like we don’t have pictures on the wall. We have all the bags full of groceries because we have no pantry.
Like it hasn’t been a home for us. So we’re so excited to have this home.
And then our realtor reached out and said, hey, the homeowners want to know if you guys want any of the furniture.
They’re like, we’ll sell it to you for like pennies on the dollar.
And we’re like, oh, okay. Well, maybe we’ll go take a look at it. Yes.
So we drive to the home and there’s two cars in the driveway and neither of them are our realtor.
And I’m like, oh, Kevin. Who’s here?
I’m like, who’s here? Does somebody live here? I’m like, is the homeowner’s son here?
And I’m like, oh my gosh, this is so uncomfortable. I’m like, just drive around the block, drive around the block.
So drove around the block and parked like a distance. And we’re like, where’s our realtor? We called the realtor. He’s like, yeah, I’m here.
And we’re like, well, we’re sitting down the street. Like, we don’t know what to do. He’s like, there’s been some communication situations.[23:35] Come on in. The homeowner’s son who’s selling the house is actually here to talk to you guys about the furniture.
And we’re like, oh, this is so uncomfortable. And I thought, okay, typically you’re not meeting the person in the transaction.
You’re not. That’s why you have a realtor.
So we open the door and this amazing man.[23:58] Opens the door 60 plus years old like beautiful smile so happy to meet us and he said which one of you is the homeowner and kevin and i raised our hand because it’s us our friends paul michelle and the realtor yes so what do i do she literally runs over there joe and gives this man the biggest bear hug i did i hugged him and he’s just like oh my gosh you’re a hugger and then apparently he’s a a hugger too he’s hogging stuff yep all right i’m my spirit animal it was him it was like i mean you know how steph hugs right it’s too long of a hug like it is an aggressive hug and i don’t let go it looks like steph just ran into her long lost friend somebody that she hasn’t seen in years is what this looks like the way she’s hugging this guy and so you know realtor’s like what’s going on i’m just like that’s just how steph you know meets people right so but he’s hugging her back It’s a long hug.
And then it kind of confused him, though, because it was like, do you know me? Yeah.
Yeah. So he was like, so we say, you know, we introduce ourselves.
I’m Stephanie. This is my husband, Kevin.[25:06] Kevin shakes his hand. And he’s like, do I know you?[25:11] And I’m like, I don’t think so. He’s like, I’m a part of this like musical group.
There’s like 100 people in it. He’s like, are you a part of that? And I’m like, no.
And he just kept looking at it. And it was like the wheels were turning in his head.
And he’s like, wait a second, Kevin and Steph, are you guys on the radio?[25:33] I said, yes, we are. He’s like, I listen to you guys on the radio.
He’s like, you’re those podcast people, right? And we’re like, yes.
Tell us the story. He’s like, yes, I listen to you guys.
And then he turned to me and he’s like, and sir, you are hilarious.
And I was like, thank you. This woman doesn’t think that.
Thank you. I was like, are you talking about Adam? I think you’re talking about Adam. It’s okay. I just think you got him reversed.
So then Steph goes back over, gives him another bear hug because he recognized us or recognized your voice. Yeah. Knew who you were.
Steph’s touching his face like she’s so excited. And I’m just like, Steph, don’t you need consent for that or something like that?
Why are you touching his face?[26:16] You’re so excited. It was such a cool moment for us. So this man ends up being Jewish, Jewish man, very strong in his faith. Yeah.
And his mother had lived in this house, loved it. And so now he and his sister were in charge of the estate, selling everything.
And so what he had said was it wasn’t a money thing.
They wanted to sell this to a family, to an owner that would love this home as much as their mother did.
So he’s like, Kevin, he starts getting tears in his eyes. He’s like, I prayed to God.[26:52] That we would be able to sell this home to someone who’s going to love it as much as my mother did.
And then here today, I open the door and there’s Kevin and Steph Mason.
And this woman’s hugging me. And he’s like, my prayer has been answered. Oh.
And the little extra, he already knows you.
Yes. Isn’t that incredible? It was just like such a God moment for us.
Like this is the house. Yes.[27:19] So, Joe, any stories you have, anything you want to share here on the fifth episode? Because, of course, we don’t want to be talking the whole time here. Yeah.
You know, Kevin, funny you should ask. And this is your setup.
Kevin, you and Steph have no idea. I don’t. We’ll see how this goes.
Well, hopefully this will fly.
Okay. So for the last four years, I’ve been listening to you.
And you have your little list of fun facts. Yes.
Talk about with your guests. So, I have a list of fun facts. Oh, no. Yes.
Here it is. Fun fact number one. Uh-oh. Let’s see if these are true. Okay.
Well, you know, look, I’ve been listening to your shows. I listen to all of them, and I listen to the fifth episodes.
I heard all of those, and I hear the stories. So, here’s follow-ups.
Okay. Fun fact number one.
Steph, it has been scientifically proven that when one car is supposed to follow another, The perfect distance between those cars is five car lengths.[28:20] I’m done with fun facts. Fun facts are now over. Scientific fact. No.
Yes. Not when you’re trying to stay with that person because you don’t know where you’re going.
False. So fun facts are not fun. Wow. I just, I totally made it up.
What are you talking about?
Did you make that up? Yes, I just made it up.
I just made it up because I thought you would laugh, but apparently you’re more competitive than I thought. No, I didn’t.[28:48] So listeners, those are not aware of what Joe just referenced.
In one of the fifth episodes last year, we talked about us being at Myrtle Beach, Steph and I getting to a, I would say a very passionate conversation because I was following her parents and I was trying not to just ride their bumper on the way to a show.
So I was probably five car lengths away, giving them space.
And then a car got in between us. They put on their brakes for a light and we lost your parents. Lost them.
Yes. Yes, we lost your parents and it was just a fiasco for me.
So thanks for bringing that up, Joe. This will be a tag team.
So I’ll say the fun fact and you can fill in the details.[29:28] Fun fact number two, Kevin, there are mountains in Colorado. Yes, yes.
We found that out. With our pictures.
Oh, Joe, literally. I don’t know what I was expecting.
But when we flew into Colorado Springs and got out, it was like, oh my gosh, Steph. Steph, it looks like those aren’t real.
Well, in Ohio, we have hills compared to Colorado. Not mountains.
So for us, we’ve never seen something like that. It was amazing.
But it was funny because Steph and I, you can tell we’re not from here because we’re just our faces against the window.
And people waiting on their plane was like, hey, do you want us to take a picture?
Since it’s the first time you’ve ever seen mountains in your life, right?
So they were kind enough taking pictures, and we’re just like minds blown.
You can tell we don’t get out. We don’t get out much right now. No, we don’t.
Fun fact number three. Kevin hula hoops. Oh, gosh.[30:27] Waterslides. Steph is going to beat you.
Every time. Every time. Every time. Even on the water slide, she broke a ribbon. You didn’t break any. Oh, that’s true.
He didn’t. He didn’t. That is true. That is true.
It was all who’s going to win. And she won. Broke the ribbon all.
He kept asking, hey, do you want to go down the slide again?
I’m like, no, I don’t. Like, I’m good.
I’m totally good. And then you hurt yourself trying to beat my score.
I did. I did. That’s right. And you came down faster, but she broke a bone. I broke a bone.
That trumps speed. I’m sorry. Broken bone does trump speed.
So I did still win. You did. You did.
Here’s what’s awful. We’re on vacation, Joe, and we’re on a date night, and yet it turns into a competition.
We can’t just go to the arcade and have fun. We can’t just go to go-karts and have fun. We have to make it into a competition with each other.
Yeah. But it was fun. It was fun.
Okay. Last one. Chip and Joanna Gaines will appear on Tell Us a Good Story within the next year. Yes. Oh.[31:31] We received that, Joe freaking Serio. Yes, yes. Amen to that.
Well, you’re close to them down there, aren’t you? How close are you from Waco?
I am an hour and 10 minutes. I’ve been to Magnolia.
I’ve stopped in there. And yeah, they’ll be on your show. That’s a bucket list, yeah. That’s a bucket list. But Joe being our Kevin Bacon.
Right, right. I feel it’s going to happen.
You’re related to them somehow, right, Joe? Please tell us. I’m sure.
I’m sure. We’ll find a way.[31:59] All right, Steph. Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it.
Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where.
But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas.
Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com.
And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want.
And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
All right. Well, next time we record episode stuff, we will be in this other house.
We will. And I’m sure we’ll have a… More stories. More stories and an even better setup here.
Tell us a good story. So I’m sure episode, what, 215 will be post-moving what had happened. Yes, absolutely.
After you move in, you got to send me your address so I can get you some housewarming cupcakes.
Hey. Joe, I freaking love you. Hey, but can I eat some this time?
Okay joe he sent those to us right this past year yeah so you sent the mini cupcakes all right so step the next day gets back home i’d had two, Too many ones, right? We get in the house. She opens it up, Joe.
And she starts yelling at the kids, which one of you have eaten me and my cupcakes? I’m like, oh, crap.[33:22] I inventoried them. Like, Steph, hey, sorry, honey. That was actually me.
Weren’t there like 24 of them? Wasn’t there like two dozen of them or something?
Yes. Maybe. Yes, exactly.
It was a big batch. Exactly. So I can’t have two of them? Maybe. I inventoried them.
Totally fine. It looked like more was taken than just two. I didn’t know how many of the kids had eaten.
She’s yelling at the kids like, oh, I better get in there and save the children.[33:49] Mama loves her sweets. She was not happy. Mama loves her sweets. Yes, I do.[33:56] No, it’s funny. So last thing, and this might be a big deal, a big thing, but if you can, if you can, stop thinking about whether the hopper is full.
Stop thinking about how many weeks or months out.
Because that slides into the scarcity thinking.
Right. You guys don’t need any scarcity thinking. You’ve got everything you need. And you know that God’s going to provide.
So don’t get anxiety about we don’t have the right people. Because they’re always going to show up.
So let that go. Just let all that go.
Because those are the things that keep us back and keep us scared from taking the next big, big step forward.
Because you can’t hang on to this stuff. It’s scary. The whole thing is scary.
You can’t hang on it’s like you know the elephant tied to the stake in the ground yes it’s been conditioned to think that he can’t pull the stake out himself yeah it’s like no that’s not how this works some of it’s a leap of faith some of it is just smarts and logistics and planning and you have to have both and that’s what i was saying at the beginning of the show you guys have both, you have the logistics guy who’s absolutely vital and you’ve got bubbly personality who appeals to They’re the people in the household who spends the money, right?
And you guys have both of those critical elements.[35:12] Thank you. And you’re doing great things in people’s lives. I know it doesn’t always feel that way, but people are taking what they need from what you’re saying.
Thank you. Joe, are you a motivational speaker?[35:27] You should be. You should be. You’re really good at this. You should write that down.
I’ll get on that. I’ll get on that. You should write a book someday, Joe. Ha, ha, ha.
My bad. I’m like, you didn’t know that’s what he did?
It is Thursday night, y’all. I’m having a full week. You’re starting to hang out with Russian mafia guys. That’s what I thought.
He’s collecting his money for the mob. He’s just laundering it to him. He is. I got it.
You didn’t know that. Did we ever talk about the CIA? Wait. You know that I work for the CIA, right? Did you not know that?
I’m going to hurt you. Did we ever talk about this? Joe. No, I’m being serious. Did we ever talk about this?
Wait. You wrote for the CIA? I worked for the CIA. I don’t think so. Wait. For five years.
Okay, got to go now. Bye. Listen, when you went over to Russia, you were working for the CIA then, right?
Yes, but that’s not why I went to Russia. Next episode! Hey, so when we asked you, hey, do you have any stories tonight?
You should have led with that, Joe. That’s what you lead with.
Like, do you know I work for the CIA?
Dude, you’ve been holding out here the past hour? We get fun facts out of you and not CIA fun facts. Why are we talking about moving instead of CIA fun facts?
Right? Because my role was just to sit here and laugh.[36:48] What are you doing? Let me tell you something I thought about also, by the way.
I was thinking about who would be great CIA agents. And you know who would be?
Not Stephanie Mason. Yes, I would. The two of you. Totally.
The two of you. Yes, I would. Yes, I would. I would. Go ahead and hug everyone.
Stephanie, let me just clarify the point so I’m not misleading you here.
It’s because of your listening.
You’re non-threatening and you listen. And when you make it about the other people, you guys are fantastic listeners.
And by developing fun facts and doing a deep dive on the research, this is all CIA stuff.
The first thing we would do is get a psychological profile on the person we were looking at.
It’s like, okay, who are these people? What’s their address?
How much money do they make? Who are they married to? Where do they drive?
Where does their money come from? What’s their connection to mafia?
Are they mafia? Are they connected to mafia? Are they just a, you know, whatever, all that stuff.
You guys are really good at eliciting information, getting people to want to talk.
And then you say, oh, well, let’s, I want to help you. Oh, Stefan and Kevin, they’re just these Ohio naive church people.[38:00] Yeah, let me help them. let me help them understand right you did it with victor marx badass victor marx says oh you guys are lovely let me take you to my compound how many strangers off the street you think he’s taken to his compound oh yeah you know what i mean yeah you get access to people, And then you start figuring out how to read people. That’s exactly what we did at the CIA.
Steph, we could totally be the people in the room. Yes.
Underneath the lamp. I could be. The light. I could. Just shining on us and just drilling people with questions. I’m going to get them. Because apparently we’re such good listeners. We are. And if not, I’m going to waterboard them.
I’m going to do it. No, no, no. No, the person’s going to sit there under the light and he’s going to say, I’ll tell you anything you want.
Just make her stop laughing.
If she gives me one more hug, I’m done. I’m enough. I can’t take it anymore.
This lady. Do you hear her voice? It’s so weird. Are you hearing this?
Are you hearing this? She’s just squealing constantly.[39:01] Oh, man. I’m surprised we didn’t talk about that. You’re the very first person ever who has said we would be good CIA agents. I love it. It’s going to happen.
I thought you were going to say because we could fit in, right?
We could be incognito, right? Put a mask on us.
Put a beard on me or something. All the CIA stuff happens in the open.
Other than the guy who was slitting his throat, it’s just sizing people up and getting information and getting them comfortable with you and easing them into what you need them to do.
But you know what? I already know how to slit somebody’s throat with Victor Marks. So if I need to, he’s right there. As long as there’s no dogs involved, I would be good. They’re there too. Exactly.
Next episode with you, Joe, we’re going to talk CIA and you’re going to say, hey, you two are going to be agents.
Love it. Next episode. We’re going to make it happen. Listen to yourself.
Next episode makes what six episodes for me five i think five i’ve interviewed you three times yeah okay so anyway my point would be fifth yeah why why do you keep doing that we felt sorry for you we don’t even know sometimes we didn’t think you had any friends like hey i bet joe’s lonely on the road right now why don’t we give him a call, Please say no. Please say no. Oh, he’s doing nothing. He’s literally doing a shocker step. He had nothing going on tonight.
Of course he would like to talk to us. All right. It’s happening.
Oh, thank you. Oh, he showed up. Shoot. He was early. He was early.[40:26] So is this like a Saturday Night Live thing where when you’re on the fifth episode, we have to give him like a suit jacket or something?
You don’t know how that works? It’s like the Masters in Augusta. Yes.
That’s how it is. On Saturday Night Live, when you host it five times, you become part of this exclusive club, and they give you a suit jacket.
Oh, I didn’t know that. And a former member who’s also part of the five-time club puts it on you. Oh, that’s cool.
So it looks like you’re probably not going to be on for a while.
We haven’t figured out the suit jacket stuff yet. So it might be a while.
I think maybe next year. We’ll try to figure it out by then.
That’s fine. It’s all good.
No. Thanks, Joe, for joining us. We love you. and so appreciate you. Yes, Joe.
Oh, thanks for having me. It was fun. And congratulations on the house. That’s amazing.
Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms.
You guys, it’s completely free. And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review. Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.The post Episode 210: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Morgan Kline is the founder & CEO of the fitness company Burn Boot Camp. Burn Boot Camp started in 2012, and currently has over 115,000+ members!
Kevin + Steph talked with Morgan about what it was like to start their fitness company and all the obstacles they faced. When Morgan and her husband wanted to start Burn Boot Camp, they were in their 20s, had no business experience, couldn’t secure any funding to get the project off the ground, and couldn’t find a landlord willing to take a chance on them and rent them space. But they persevered and today Burn Boot Camp is alive and thriving, having over 550 franchise locations.
Morgan also shares stories about how they came up with their very unique gym rules and do they intentionally set up gyms beside donut shops?
Can’t wait for you to hear this fun conversation with Morgan Kline.
Guest DetailsInstagram: @morgan.a.kline
Website: burnbootcamp.com
Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript HereTell Us A Good Story EP209CEO Morgan Klein shared Burn Bootcamp’s growth from grassroots to franchise, focusing on unique gym values, faith-driven leadership, and community commitment. She highlighted upcoming projects and a dedication to health and inspiration.
| Artist: | Team Mason | | Album: | Tell Us A Good Story | | Year: | 2024 |
Shownotes
| 0:00 | Introduction to Burn Bootcamp Founder, Morgan Klein | | 1:06 | Kevin and Stephanie’s Personal Journey | | 1:34 | Subscription and Engagement Reminder | | 2:12 | Introduction to Interview with Morgan Klein | | 2:33 | Compliments and Family Discussion | | 3:17 | Morgan’s Daily Workout Routine | | 3:51 | Working Out in the Gym | | 4:49 | The Dynamic of Working Out with Spouse | | 5:11 | On-Site Daycare at Burn Bootcamp | | 7:08 | Evolution of Burn Bootcamp into a Franchise | | 7:58 | Reflecting on Burn Bootcamp’s Growth | | 8:47 | Promoting “You Met Her Where?” Book | | 9:06 | Autographed Book Offer | | 9:25 | Setting Up Burn Bootcamp in a Parking Lot | | 12:48 | Burn Bootcamp Apparel and Style | | 13:43 | Gym Rules and Policies | | 15:33 | Maintaining Image and Integrity | | 17:35 | Promoting “You Met Her Where?” Book Again | | 18:06 | Fun Facts about Morgan Klein | | 20:05 | Fun Facts about Gym Rules at Burn Bootcamp | | 20:52 | Recognition and Growth of Burn Bootcamp | | 24:08 | The Role of Faith in Leadership | | 26:24 | Call to Action and Engagement | | 26:54 | Morgan’s Burn Bootcamp Podcast and Book | | 28:04 | Strategic Gym Locations and Real Estate Selection |
Long SummaryToday on Tell Us a Good Story, we had a fascinating conversation with Morgan Klein, the founder and CEO of Burn Bootcamp, a fitness company that has experienced tremendous growth since its humble beginnings in 2012. Morgan shared insights into the challenges she and her husband faced when starting the business, including their unique gym rules and the evolution of their brand. They started with just $500 and a parking lot, overcoming obstacles to grow into a franchise with over 115,000 members and 555 franchise territories. Morgan emphasized the importance of their workout effectiveness, community building, and the personal training approach they offer, setting them apart from other gyms. She also highlighted the significance of faith in guiding her leadership, especially during challenging times. The Burn Bootcamp Athlete Games and the upcoming book release titled “Burn” were discussed, showcasing their commitment to inspiring others in their fitness journey. Throughout the conversation, Morgan’s passion for health, wellness, and community shone through, reflecting the core values of Burn Bootcamp. Listeners were encouraged to engage with Burn Bootcamp through various platforms and were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s growth and future plans.
Brief SummaryMorgan Klein, the founder and CEO of Burn Bootcamp, shared the remarkable journey of the fitness company, from its inception with minimal resources to becoming a franchise with over 115,000 members. Emphasizing their unique gym rules and personal training approach, Morgan discussed the brand’s commitment to workout effectiveness and community building. She highlighted the role of faith in her leadership and how it has guided her through challenges. The conversation touched on the Burn Bootcamp Athlete Games and the upcoming book release, “Burn,” illustrating their dedication to inspiring others in their fitness journey. Morgan’s passion for health, wellness, and community was evident, reflecting the core values of Burn Bootcamp and offering listeners insights into the company’s growth and future plans.
Introduction to Burn Bootcamp Founder, Morgan Klein[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story.
Today, we get to talk to the founder and CEO of the fitness company Burn Bootcamp, Morgan Klein.
This fitness company started in 2012 and currently has over 115,000 members and just awarded their 555th franchise territory.
They’re pretty much turning into the McDonald’s version of franchising as a fitness company.
So for any listeners out there who might be interested in starting your own business or or becoming an entrepreneur, this is going to be a really good conversation for you.
Morgan and her husband, Devin, wanted to start a fitness company, but ran into multiple obstacles.
They were in their 20s, had no business experience, no rich parents, no investors, no bank that would loan them money, and no landlord that would rent them a space.
Plus, Morgan tells some great stories, such as how they came up with their very unique gym rules, which I love. And do they intentionally try to set up gyms right beside a donut shop like they did near us in New Albany?
Folks, we can’t wait for to hear this episode with an amazing entrepreneur, Morgan Klein.
Kevin and Stephanie’s Personal Journey[1:06] I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery.
Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis. However, today, we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.
And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day.
Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.
Subscription and Engagement Reminder[1:35] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please.
In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us.
And thank you for sharing our post across your social media.
That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests.
Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.
Introduction to Interview with Morgan Klein[2:07] All right, Steph, you ready for this? Oh my gosh. You know, I’m going to love this conversation.
You absolutely are going to love this. Yes. I’m all over this.
Well, friends, our next guest is a wife, mom of three, author, personal trainer, and the co-founder and CEO of the fitness company, Burn Bootcamp.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to tell us a good story, Morgan Klein.
Compliments and Family Discussion[2:29] Hello, what’s up guys? Oh, we’re super excited to have you, girl.
Morgan, thank you for saying yes to us. And first off, your family pictures.
Y’all look like you should be in a magazine or something. It is incredible looking at your family, your three kids.
Please tell me it’s not perfect behind the scenes with these kids.
No, no, no, absolutely not.
And I try my best on social to show that. But thank you for that compliment.
You know, it’s funny because growing up, Devin and I, we often got asked if we were a brother and sister.
Oh, really? Yes. Like we, so we met in sixth grade and like, so in college when people didn’t really know us and I’d go visit him, they were like, wait, is that your sister?
And I was like, so, you know, we have a lot of complimentary, I guess, features that has carried on to our children.
Morgan’s Daily Workout Routine[3:17] Okay, girl, I have a question for you. You are such a busy mama, wife, entrepreneur. Entrepreneur. So when do you personally get your workouts in?
Yeah, good question. I schedule them on my calendar at noon every single day. I’m very lucky.
My headquarters has a gym right upstairs.
So I get the privilege to really just walk up the steps and get my workout in 45 minutes and then go back downstairs.
So my calendar is blocked off. People know not to schedule time with me at noon.
Working Out in the Gym[3:46] Okay. Okay. Okay. So you’re up there working out. Are people like watching you?
Like, Like, do you feel like you have to be like 110%, like dripping in sweat?
[3:56] Going all out? Yes. Because you’re the benchmark. You’re the model here, right? Yeah. You better be sweating, Morgan.
[4:04] You know, I don’t feel that way in my own gym upstairs because I know so many of our members, like, I’ve helped build this community. And so they know me on a personal level or they see me obviously in and out of the gym.
So I am very humanized and which is very refreshing, but I will say when I go travel to our franchisee locations, I do feel like I’m being looked at, that I need to be on. And also the trainers, it’s either two things.
They’re either really intimidated and nervous to push me a little bit harder, or they’re like, that’s Morgan and Devin. and we got to like, you know, drill them to the ground.
So I don’t get it as much at the home location, which is really nice because it is, it does really get to be my time to be focused on myself.
The Dynamic of Working Out with Spouse[4:49] Totally. Steph, that’s a good point because this trainer cannot call out Devin and Morgan from the front, like, Hey, pick it up there in the back. Let’s go.
Like you don’t want to be Oh yeah. My name is still yelled very much.
Thank you to my trainers.
Uh, they push me. They don’t Don’t give me any hall passes upstairs at my gym, but it’s awesome.
That’s what I go for. For sure. I was going to say, that’s a good thing.
On-Site Daycare at Burn Bootcamp[5:11] Do you work out with your husband? Sometimes.
[5:15] Devin and I have definitely come a long way to be able to work out together.
I used to like not love being trained by him because, you know, he was constantly trying to correct my form, doing all the things a trainer does.
But when it’s your husband, you’re kind of like, get away from me.
Yeah, totally. It’s different.
Yeah. That wouldn’t go well with us. Oh, no. No, not at all.
Stop telling me what to do. For sure.
Okay, when you have your kids, did you say that you have like on-site daycare?
Because our kids, like when I try to work out in the basement, they are crawling all over me.
Kevin’s doing pushups. They think it’s time for them to ride daddy’s back when he’s doing pushups. Oh, constantly. So how is it with you guys?
Yeah, so our gym, all of our gyms, we have over 350 in 41 states.
So we do offer complimentary child watch. So it’s included in your membership.
It’s not an additional fee.
[6:04] It’s, you know, you get to sign up for camp. You get to sign up to bring your, your two to three kids. And we really want to create a space where it’s your time.
And so it’s just dropping child watch. You know, we have two to three child watch employees at a given time based on, you know, what the demand is for that camp slot.
And they just drop them off. And then obviously they pick them up, but our kids, it’s such an integration for us.
You know, I mean, we don’t really have these hard lines of like work and home because there’s so much of it that just is integrated.
Right. And we’re lucky for that. We’re lucky that our jobs is in the health and wellness space. And so we can bring our kids along and they come to so many of the events. They get to see what mom and dad do.
And so the busyness is like really worth it for us.
So you initially started this in what, 2014?
[6:50] So initially it was 2012 out of a parking lot.
Yep. And then Devin and I went from parking lot to sublease locations to finally somebody would lease us a space.
We were 24 years old and nobody believed in us, right?
Evolution of Burn Bootcamp into a Franchise[7:04] So you get super resourceful and you’re determined and you understand the vision.
And so we went from having one gym in the Charlotte area, which is our flagship gym to five.
And then that’s when we decided to be a franchise.
So we had built this community in North Charlotte.
And we had so many members at this point. I mean, we were so fulfilled.
That’s really like, that was it for us. We were like, we’re building this out in the place we live.
But we started having members who had these transformations and their lives were changed through the community.
And they’re like, I want to bring a Burn Bootcamp to this town or back to my hometown.
And so we really got approached to expand through franchising through just our our organic member base.
And so around 2014, we started building all of our processes, documents.
Reflecting on Burn Bootcamp’s Growth[7:53] We officially became a franchise in February of 2015. So just over eight years now.
Does it blow your mind where it started from and where it is now?
It does. Every time I walk into a Burn Boot Camp, and especially when it’s in another state or in a new state that we haven’t been in, I definitely pinch myself because I feel home.
I truly can walk in that door and feel just like I feel when I walk upstairs every day into my gym.
And so it’s just really amazing what we’ve been able to build and the people we’ve been able to build it with.
[8:28] All right, Steph, I’ve got a question for you. What’s your favorite book of all time? Obviously, you met her where?
Oh, I thought you were going to say the Bible. oh oops what’s your second favorite book of all time you met her where.
Promoting “You Met Her Where?” Book[8:47] It’s just a second totally distant it’s pretty good book sorry god it’s still a pretty good book but we’re so excited where can people get our book okay i know this uh amazon.com yes barnes and noble yes and and our website kevinsteff.com
Autographed Book Offer[9:04] and what happens if they buy it off our website What did they get?
An autograph from us. Yes. Who wouldn’t want that?
So listeners, if you’ve already read the book, thank you so much.
We’ve had such good feedback.
One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.
Setting Up Burn Bootcamp in a Parking Lot[9:26] So Morgan I love stories about small beginnings and you talk about how you started in the parking lot of a I believe it’s a gymnastic studio so first off please tell me you told the gymnastic studio that you were going to do this yes yes definitely all right next week it’s a home depot parking lot and then the next week it’s here yeah but do you have any good stories because I’m assuming to do a morning workout you had to get out there really early to get everything set up up. How did that work?
Yeah. And so I think this is how I always want to make sure I’m giving credit where it’s due.
This is where Devin really plays a part into the story of Burn Boot Camp, because I actually was on a completely different track from a career perspective.
I worked at Kellogg’s, the cereal company. That’s actually what brought us to Charlotte.
And I thought that that was like my plan A, my career. I’m going to climb this corporate ladder. I’m going to continue to get these promotions.
And Devin had his own pathway through baseball. And he was was released through minor league.
So he had to really change gears too, because that was his plan A.
So obviously, he was very passionate about fitness, health. That’s been part of both of our lives since we were kids. We’ve always played sports.
[10:36] So again, we’re 24 years old and I have a job that’s paid me $65,000.
We don’t come from money. We don’t come from somebody that can just write a check and be like, yeah, go start this business.
And so we started with $500 and a a parking lot, like we said.
And so really it was, it was Devin who was hitting the streets every single day, talking to landlords, trying to talk to these businesses that had like-minded consumers.
So you think gymnastics studio, you think, you know, there’s already moms coming here. There’s already people with their kids coming here.
We had a dance studio that we sublet out of. We had a rec center that we sublet out of because no landlords would even pick up a phone call for us, right? We didn’t have proof of business.
We did not have the financial backing. walking. And so we did it kind of rogue.
And so yeah, he found this gymnastic studio. And he’s like, listen, early in the morning, you know, you’re not using your business.
So let me give you some money. Let me come in the gymnastic studio in the morning.
And then in the afternoons, we’ll do it outside in the parking lot.
They had this little back parking lot that cars didn’t need to park on.
And again, like we’re already getting this exposure to moms.
And so that’s really what helped us take off. But when you talk about stories back then, it’s like.
[11:49] We had these rusty dumbbells over time because they sat in the rain sometimes, you know, they got rusty and Devin had a silver charger with these big, like 22s. It was very interesting.
And he’s just a car guy. So like he’s coming, you know, he’s this 24 year old guy training all these women, all these moms.
And he ended up wrapping his car just because it’s like, okay, everywhere we go, we are repping burn.
We are wearing the gear. And so the sound system for the parking lot days was, right?
[12:22] Like, again, we just, there’s so many things that I look back and I was like, competition would have beat us out every day.
Like you could have gone down the road and gone into this nice, clean boutique fitness, you know, with pretty bathrooms.
And it’s cool to see that we’ve built it through, you know, just community and serving members in a different way, in a very authentic way.
Burn Bootcamp Apparel and Style[12:44] And that that’s what’s continued to carry us through where we are today.
Okay. Do you wear anything besides burn bootcamp gear?
Because you’re wearing a shirt now. Like, do you look at your closet?
Like I really have nothing else in my closet. Why would you though?
The great thing about our apparel line is, well, for one, I get to, I get a hand in designing it, but everything is like athleisure where you can wear it in the gym and then like, it looks cute and we make second layer stuff.
And so I would say my closet is about 90, 10 as well with burn boot camp and then non burn boot camp stuff.
Cause I do have events that I need to go to, but yeah, I, even if I’m wearing a blazer, like if I’m at a conference, you know, I can look cute, but I still want to rock my logo. I love that.
Okay. I do have a question here, Morgan. First off your website is very, very good.
Very good. burnbootcamp.com folks. When you go to this website,
Gym Rules and Policies[13:40] you’re going to see lots of pictures of attractive women.
I don’t know who are moms. I don’t know which ones are single.
[13:48] But do you have any issues with guys showing up and you’re just like, Hey, are you going to work out? Or did you come to get phone numbers?
Like, that is a great question.
And I think that that is something that I, as the CEO and as a female male leader have worked really hard to make sure we’re building a space for women to feel like they can come here and they’re not going to be judged and they’re not going to feel intimidated and they’re not going to feel like someone’s watching them do squats.
And so that takes a lot of intention.
And at first we actually didn’t have men. This was just for females only.
We would let men come on Saturday morning.
So I mentioned the family mornings for us. That was kind of how we would start to bring in like husbands or boyfriends and say, yeah, come let them experience what what you’re experiencing.
So the brand has evolved since 2012.
We, we now are, you know, we allow men and women to all of our different camp times, but it didn’t start that way.
So I think who we serve and how we serve them is not the people that you’re talking about.
So we have 96% women, 4% male membership.
[14:51] Most of those males are coming in through a female that they know, right?
Whether that’s their wife, their girlfriend, their sister, you know, some sort of connection like that.
So I’m very thankful that that hasn’t necessarily been an issue that I’ve had to deal with.
There’s been other issues that I have to deal with, but that, that one being a space where women again can come, they’re postpartum, right?
So they had, they’re carrying some extra weight. They’re lacking confidence perhaps in their body because they don’t recognize themselves.
Or maybe it’s a woman that hasn’t worked out in 10 years, or maybe it’s somebody who’s depressed, right?
Like we want them to walk into our space and just feel like, Hey, we’re going to meet you where you’re at.
There’s no intimidation here. There’s no competition here and you can be yourself.
Maintaining Image and Integrity[15:34] Morgan, if I was in your husband’s shoes, I would be concerned about the bad marketing of someone taking a picture of me, like shoving a slice of pizza in my mouth or something.
Head of a fitness company, a co-founder, like, like I would be very concerned about that. Yes.
So in the beginning guys, yes.
I think that we’ve evolved a lot.
Our kids have humbled us a a little bit, but like pre-kids, when we started this brand, you know, we were kind of very like extreme.
We were like, and so that’s kind of how we would train our members and coach our nutrition is like cheat days and like this and that we were much more regimen.
And I can remember like Devin one time went through, I think a drive-through and he had that car that I was telling you guys about and someone called him out on it.
They were like, we saw you. In an Outburger.
[16:25] We’re like, you know, we’d have to go in my car if we needed to.
Go to In-N-Out and get a shake. But like I said, kids helped us because once we had kids, I think it humbled us to say like, oh, wow, there are challenges of meal prepping and always eating healthy.
I mean, it takes just more work. And so I think there was some empathy that we deployed when our lives started to get busier and busier.
And then we became our demographic, right?
We We became them. I became a mom. He became a dad. We became this family.
And so we were like, okay, we believe in balance.
You know, we don’t believe in being perfect. I think that’s setting you up for failure.
For me to pretend that I live this perfect life with a perfect diet and I work out every single day and I don’t have anything wrong with me, that would be a lie.
And so we try to lean into that. And again, that way we can relate more to people because I’ve found, you know, so many many brands out there, so much in our face these days.
People want the truth. They want authenticity. I don’t want the highlight reel.
I want you to connect with me through not just the successes, but also through the challenges.
Promoting “You Met Her Where?” Book Again[17:35] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it.
Very good. This time, you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where.
But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas.
Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled, You Met Her Where?
At kevinandsteph.com. And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want.
And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
Fun Facts about Morgan Klein[18:06] All right, Morgan. So for all of our guests, I like to give a list of fun facts to let listeners know what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished.
And Steph is not aware of any of these. Okay, so you’re going to see her genuine reaction to these fun facts.
If I’m off on any of these, please let me know. Okay. Feel free to correct me.
All right, Steph. Fun fact. Number one, as she briefly mentioned, Devin and Morgan were both raised in Battle Creek, Michigan.
They first met in sixth grade and instantly became childhood sweethearts.
Morgan, we have a daughter, Emmy right now, who just happens to be in sixth grade.
So how do we prevent that from happening? Like how do we do the exact opposite of what you and and Devin’s?
Well, listen, my parents didn’t love it either. And we weren’t instant sweethearts.
You know, Devin had to, he had a couple of years under his belt before he really hooked me in.
[19:00] No, but you know, we came, we grew up in a small town and honestly, you guys like Devin was my best friend first.
And so I support friendships and deep friendships and, but he wasn’t my only friend that was a guy.
I had so many other incredible, great friends that I met back in sixth grade.
So I would encourage your daughter to just meet a lot of different people.
Good answer, Morgan. Good answer. Yes. All right.
Fun fact number two, they have very unique gym rules at burn bootcamp.
Okay. So Morgan, I saw a gym that had about 15 to 20 rules listed on a poster on the wall.
You ready for this stuff? Here’s some of my favorite gym rules.
No talking during your workout.
Love that. You’re there to work out. Yes. Focus. Not social hour until before and after. Yes. A hundred percent. Love that.
Another rule. Don’t get tired. Get tough. Love that. Yes.
When you see hard work, give them a high five.
We love high fives. Your role would probably be when you see hard work, give them a hug. It would be your role. Sweaty.
Fun Facts about Gym Rules at Burn Bootcamp[20:05] No, I would totally like I’m in the zone with looking out. You’re all about that. I would totally do the high five. All right.
And my favorite role they have in the gym.
No swearing in the gym for real. God’s people are in here.
You came up with these rules. Was this you and Devin? It was me and Devin.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, this was when we started franchising.
Because again, when you start to scale yourself in your business, you have to get really clear on what is your standard? What is the culture?
Because you’re now giving it to other people to go represent yourself in another state and another city where you can’t be the eyes and ears all the time.
And so, yeah, the rules came very, very early on. And now we’ve got child watch rules and we’ve got the gym rules.
Recognition and Growth of Burn Bootcamp[20:49] I love all of those right now. It’s good, isn’t it? I love them.
All right. Fun fact number three, last year, 2023, Burn Boot Camp was recognized as one of the top 500 franchises for the fifth year in a row by Entrepreneur Magazine.
The company hit 115,000 gym members and awarded their 555th franchise territory.
Wow. So Morgan, you guys are turning into like the McDonald’s of fitness, it sounds like.
[21:18] So what makes a gym stand out? Because there’s so many gyms out there.
There’s so many health clubs. So what makes you stand out versus going to a CrossFit gym or a Planet Fitness?
Besides the rules, what makes this stand out?
Yeah, I think that’s a great question. And obviously, like you said, there’s so many other gyms out there.
And everyone can do push-ups. Everyone can do jumping jacks, burpees.
So I don’t want to discredit our workout because I do believe our workout is very effective.
Effective. And it hits different muscle groups every single day, different styles. We never do the same workout twice.
We don’t believe in screens. So you’re not going to pay over $150 to look at a screen and tell you what to do in the gym.
We really believe in that one-on-one personal training in a group setting.
And so that’s why we invest very heavily into our trainers.
So the training and fitness product is number one that is going to set us apart.
Number two too, is going to be the community.
And I know a lot of other gyms can say that, too. And there’s a lot of other strong gyms out there that build community.
[22:19] But the approach that we take at Burn is not just we care about the 45 minutes that you’re here. We care about the whole picture of it.
And almost 95% of our franchisees come from within.
So they have their own transformation at Burn Bootcamp first.
And so they have passion and they share the same mission. It’s not just just the business economic model that they’re in it for.
And that means we have to stay super disciplined too on who we give that opportunity to, because if it is the wrong franchise partner or the wrong leader at the top, it impacts everything else.
But it feels really good to lead all these people.
We’ve got just shy of 100 people at our headquarters.
[22:59] We own 9 gyms personally. That’s over 300 employees.
And then our organization with the whole franchise is around 8,000 employees.
So every decision I’m making, I have to think through how is this impacting the people that make this job they’re living and make this brand their mission and their passion.
How’s your faith playing in this? My faith plays a big role in this.
And especially over the last couple of years, that’s really the only thing that keeps me grounded, but also keeps my perspective. You know, my keeps my perspective as being a CEO, or leader of anything, right leader of your home, even there’s just a lot of pressure.
And there’s a lot of weight on your shoulders.
And so there that means there’s also a lot of people that maybe don’t love what you’re doing, don’t agree with what you’re doing, very mad at you, you know, whether that’s social media or business.
So for me, I think leaning into my faith has helped me again, like remember who I’m doing this for, why I’m doing this, like where my validation comes from.
It’s not from anybody here. It’s through God.
And just again, like giving me the grace and the strength.
The Role of Faith in Leadership[24:06] It’s helped carry me through a pandemic big time.
And that’s when I really started to search more into my faith because I knew I needed an extra layer of protection and another weapon to kind of carry me through this next phase of business.
[24:18] All right, Steph. Next fun fact. Last year, they hosted the Burn Bootcamp Athlete Games.
I saw this. Where over 700 people attended in person. So is this like the CrossFit Games for Burn Bootcamp?
Very, very similar. similar. Do you and Devin participate? So what we’ve done in the past is we have done the workouts that it takes to be the burn athlete, but we don’t compete because we want it about the trainers.
Like we’re there on the MC Devin’s, you know, we’re all working it and we’re championing our trainers, but I don’t want the attention, but I have in the past done the workouts that the athletes do on camera, by the way.
So I still try to put my hat in the ring somehow.
So is this with with your trainers or is this with your community?
Yeah. So it started with our trainers called the burn athlete games.
And what’s really neat is it’s, um, has evolved our level up games.
So like our member game. So now we do it at a national level for all of our trainers. They come to headquarters for finals.
Um, but then from there became kind of doing this for our members as well.
So gyms will do it for members, which is really neat. Oh, that is such a great idea.
I love that. That’s a great competition, but imagine going back to your gym for your trainer like yeah i finished 512 at the at the athlete games that would not be good.
[25:39] No, it’s like 16 in each division that make it to finals.
And then there’s an ultimate burn athlete. So making it to finals alone is just an accomplishment for sure.
So what do you get when you win? Yeah, what do you win? Yeah, they get a cash prize. They get bragging rights.
They get to be in some of our trainer meetings, you know.
So we definitely like to bolster them in the entire system because of what they’ve just done.
But going back home and getting those bragging rights and like it helps the community a lot, right? You have a trainer at this trainer that’s won burn athlete games. So kind of the best of the best.
Morgan, I was hoping you’re going to say they win a free wrap for their car that says burn boot camp on it.
That’s what I was hoping you’re going to say. That’s a good idea.
I’ll take that one into next year.
Call to Action and Engagement[26:25] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a coworker, or share one of our posts on social media.
However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not.
Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody.
Just disregard this message. Don’t worry about it. Forget about us.
Yep. Go on with your merry day.
And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
Morgan’s Burn Bootcamp Podcast and Book[26:55] All right, Steph. Next fun fact, Morgan apparently does not sleep because she hosts the Burn Boot Camp podcast, podcast where she shares her thoughts on several topics that range from motherhood to building a business, to the lessons she’s learned in her journey to becoming a CEO.
And she’s actually going to be an author of their first book called Burn, which comes out later this year.
Is that correct? Yes. In June, June of 2024.
Can you tell us more about the book that’s coming out?
Yeah. So it’s coauthored with Devin and I, and it’s really taking the five pillar philosophy that we have within our gyms and how we built from bootcamp.
And it’s putting that into a book. So our goal is that this will reach, you know, more people to get started in their health journey, or maybe they are just, you know, needing some motivation. And it’s again, not just focused on fitness. It’s also nutrition.
It’s also your mindset. It’s also your emotional health.
It’s your community that you surround yourself with. So it’s really a how-to guide to start to think about things differently and then give you some practical tips to implement into your daily life.
All right, Steph. Final fun fact. There is now a burn bootcamp gym here in the
Strategic Gym Locations and Real Estate Selection[28:02] New Albany, Gahanna area of Columbus.
Really? It’s off Hamilton and Thompson Road, right beside of Donna’s Donuts.
[28:11] Okay do you intentionally put gyms beside of donut shops or fast food places because that actually sounds like a good idea it is but no that’s not quite the strategy you know my first gym that i actually ran was next to a um a chinese restaurant and i gotta tell you it didn’t smell good it didn’t smell like donuts you know it smells a lot like grease and things like that so no i mean when we’re looking at real estate we obviously want to be in a really good shopping shopping center where people are going to frequent and typically, you know, our demographic.
So finding the right real estate at a good price is a challenge.
All right. Well, friends, for more information about Morgan, you can go to her social media page on Instagram. It’s at Morgan dot a dot Klein.
Her website is burn bootcamp.com. Their YouTube channel is burn bootcamp and check out their podcast, the burn bootcamp podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts.
But we’ll put all of this in our show notes so people can just click on it and go right to it. But thank you for coming on here.
You are fantastic and so excited for what the company’s doing.
Yes, it’s amazing, Morgan.
Thank you, guys. I appreciate you letting me tell my story.
[29:25] Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcasts app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free.
And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
The post Episode 209: Morgan Kline appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Today we talk to retired NHL player and former head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Coach Brad Larsen.
Kevin + Steph had so many hockey questions for Coach Larsen. What happens when you lose your teeth during a game on the ice? How do you know when someone wants to fight you in hockey? And why was he drafted TWICE in the NHL draft…by the same team?! Other stories include:
– Playing in his first NHL hockey game and then immediately being told he was going back down to the minor leagues.
– As a rookie, trying to start a fight with his childhood hero, Mark Messier.
– How the Civil War cannon at the CBJ games not only startles the fans but also scares the coaches AND players.
Coach Larsen also shares some touching personal stories such as surviving two bouts with cancer and why he considers May 22, 2011, to be the greatest day of his life.
We can’t wait for you to hear this fun and uplifting conversation with Coach Brad Larsen.
Guest Details
Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript HereEP208 – Coach Brad Larsen
Retired NHL player Brad Larson discusses hockey experiences, physicality, fighting culture, and coaching journey, highlighting themes of faith and family.
2024, Team Mason
Tell Us A Good StoryProduced by Clawson Solutions Group, LLC https://csolgroup.com
Generated Shownotes
Chapters
0:00:00 Introduction to Coach Brad Larson
0:00:56 Kevin and Stephanie’s Personal Journey
0:01:24 Reminder and Appreciation for Subscribers
0:01:57 Excitement to Interview Coach Brad Larson
0:02:38 Gratitude for Coach Brad Larson’s Participation
0:03:15 Are Your Teeth Real?
0:04:48 The Intensity of Hockey Fights
0:10:15 The Evolution of Fighting in Hockey
0:11:51 The Consequences of Picking Up Gloves
0:13:58 The Startling Columbus Blue Jackets Cannon
0:15:51 Coach Brad Larson’s Wake-Up Call
0:18:26 Fun Fact: Coach Brad Larson’s NHL Draft Experience
0:27:33 Finding Incredible Guests
0:33:12 Life Lessons and Baptism
0:33:37 End of Playing Career
0:38:27 Coaching Youth Hockey
0:41:32 Pressure as the Coach’s Son
0:42:35 Journey from High School to Pros
0:44:04 Perspective on Past Achievements
Long Summary
In this episode, the host introduces retired NHL player and former head coach, Coach Brad Larson, as they dive into a captivating conversation about his experiences in hockey. Coach Larson shares compelling stories, from fights and missing teeth to encounters with his childhood hero, Mark Messier. He opens up about personal challenges, including overcoming cancer and finding faith, adding depth to the discussion. The conversation delves into the physical grit of hockey, touching on injuries like losing teeth and breaking bones, giving listeners a glimpse into the toughness required in the sport.
The lively exchange between the host, Stephanie, and Coach Larson explores the culture of fighting in hockey, with Coach Larson recounting intense games with multiple fights and line brawls. The trio delves into the peculiarities of the sport, including the impact of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Civil War cannon on players and spectators. Humor and curiosity infuse the interview, creating an engaging atmosphere that keeps listeners entertained throughout. The blend of hockey anecdotes, personal triumphs, and shared passion for the sport makes for a dynamic and memorable episode.
As the interview progresses, Coach Larson shares humorous tales, such as pranking new players on the ice, before delving into significant life events like discovering melanoma and undergoing surgery. The conversation meanders through Coach Brad’s draft experiences, brief NHL stint, minor league adventures, and playing for his country, offering listeners a comprehensive look at his hockey career. The episode is interspersed with humor and candid reflections, providing engaging stories and insights into the world of professional hockey.
Reflecting on his coaching career, Coach Larson highlights key moments like his first head coach win and beating Tampa Bay in a series, showcasing his coaching prowess. He opens up about personal challenges, including battling testicular cancer and finding solace through faith, emphasizing the importance of family and faith in his life. The conversation touches on his transition from playing to coaching, coaching his son’s team, and the impact of faith on his journey. The hosts express admiration for Coach Larson’s coaching style, commitment to family, and interactions with hockey legends, wrapping up the episode with well-wishes for his future endeavors.
Brief Summary
Retired NHL player and former head coach, Coach Brad Larson, joins the host in a captivating conversation about his hockey experiences. Coach Larson shares stories ranging from fights and encounters with Mark Messier to overcoming cancer and finding faith. The discussion delves into the physical aspect of hockey, discussing injuries and the toughness required in the sport. They explore the culture of fighting in hockey and peculiarities like the impact of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Civil War cannon. The lively exchange is infused with humor and curiosity, offering engaging anecdotes and insights into Coach Larson’s career and coaching journey. His personal challenges, coaching highlights, and the role of faith and family are key themes throughout the dynamic and memorable episode.
Tags
Retired NHL player, former head coach, Brad Larson, hockey experiences, fights, Mark Messier, overcoming cancer, faith, physical aspect, injuries, toughness, culture of fighting, Columbus Blue Jackets, Civil War cannon, coaching journey, personal challenges, coaching highlights, faith, family
Transcript
Introduction to Coach Brad Larson
[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story.
Today, we get to talk to a retired NHL player and former head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Coach Brad Larson.
You guys, this conversation was so much fun. I had so many questions to ask him about hockey, such as, are his teeth real?
Nope. And how does fighting work in hockey? Does he have any good fight stories? Yep.
Such as this story about his first professional hockey game when there were 33 fights, you guys.
And the story about him being a rookie in the NHL and trying Trying to start a fight with his childhood hero, Mark Messier. So funny.
But also, Coach Larson shares some incredible personal stories, such as his two bouts with cancer and how May 22, 2011 is what he calls the greatest day of his life.
That was the day he was baptized and gave his life to Christ, and his life has never been the same.
You guys, this was such a fun conversation, and we can’t wait for you to hear this episode with our new friend, Coach Brad Larson.
Kevin and Stephanie’s Personal Journey[0:56] I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery.
Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis.
However, today, we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.
And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day.
Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.
Reminder and Appreciation for Subscribers[1:25] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review five stars, please.
In our world, this is super, super important, because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us.
And thank you for sharing our posts across your social media that really helps with engagement and with us getting guests.
Yes. So hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna.
Yes! Please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
Excitement to Interview Coach Brad Larson[1:58] Steph, this is going to be so much fun. You love his voice. I love his voice.
Well, friends, our next guest is a professional hockey coach and former player who most recently served as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
And before coaching, he played over eight seasons in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche and the Atlanta Thrashers.
Ladies and gentlemen, and please welcome to Tell Us Good Story, Coach Brad Larson. Coach Brad Larson!
We’re so excited! Thanks for having me, guys. I appreciate it.
You ready for this? Oh, I’m ready. I’ve heard about you. I’m ready. Really?
All in a good way. Oh, Coach, I’m so freaking excited about this.
Gratitude for Coach Brad Larson’s Participation[2:38] So, first off, Coach, thank you for saying yes to Steph and I.
I’d like to share how I actually… Are you Canadian?
Oh, yeah. Of course. I can hear it. I’m like, oh, my gosh, he’s Canadian.
All I want to do is hear him talk.
Well, I’ve lived here now for, yeah, I moved here when I was 19.
I’m 46. So it’s been a while.
But you still have it. Yeah, it’s funny because my parents will come and visit.
And wow, are they Canadian. Everything’s like right on A for sure.
It’s hilarious. I know why they make fun of us. I get it.
Are Your Teeth Real?[3:15] Wait, can I ask him my question again? Yes, go ahead. Steph’s dying to ask you this, Coach. Okay. Go for it. You are a former hockey player.
So tell me, are your teeth real?
No, no, of course not. Really? Not if you’re a true hockey player.
These front four, I lost. Well, you can’t see it because I got a beard going, but I have a scar here.
And it was, I believe, my second year pro. I was playing in the minors in the American League in Hershey.
And we were on the road in Philly, and I was chasing down this defenseman.
And he swung a stick back.
It ramped up my stick, hit me right in the mouth, split my lip open.
I lost all these four teeth.
And the fun about the American League is that you don’t get to see a dentist for a little bit. It takes a little bit. We’re on the road.
So I lost these four teeth, and my four roots are hanging out.
And there’s bits of teeth in my mouth for the next couple days.[4:04] So because we had three games in three days, so all I did was I would chew gum, and I would pack the gum over the roots and the teeth, And that’s how I live for the next two, three days.
Because, I mean, if you’ve ever had an exposure, the sensitivity is torture. So…
We could barely drink water. Like when I was drinking water, it had to be kind of through the side or through a straw.
So, yeah. So these four. And the good news was they were actually crooked.
And this one was tucked in behind. So now they’re all straight.
So, you know, something good came out of it. Okay. So when that happens, afterwards, is everyone on their hands looking for teeth?
Go search for them. Yes. How does that work?
These were shattered. There was no searching for them. When it hit.[4:47] I mean, they were more concerned.
The Intensity of Hockey Fights[4:49] There was so much blood from the from the lip that got so they were sewing that up and then when i opened up it was just i mean they were gone and not in like nice pieces they were shattered yeah so so it literally was like there was pieces of tooth that you’re spitting out all the rest of the game that night like kind of rinsing out your mouth constantly for the next two days is that the rite of passage for a true hockey player to lose teeth i don’t know if it’s a to write a passage but it happens i mean this is back you know i’m a little older i’m 46 so we didn’t wear mouth guards and i didn’t wear a visor or anything like that this was just full frontal you know it’s exposed all the time so back then it was very common occurrence lose teeth and and you know face scars all that stuff right that just kind of comes with the territory if you.[5:37] Go far enough but steph how would you sleep for the next three days being that much there’s no way there was lots of medication just to just to dull the pain and you you’ve broken fingers and toes and and and had all that stuff and surgeries but there’s something about an yes nerves and teeth and if anybody’s ever had it they understand how bad that is like it you know a tooth takes one thing but when roots are exposed it’s like that’s another level steph i i couldn’t to wait wait 33 days no way I’d like okay I quit get me to a hospital like you gotta fix this now when you don’t have a choice that’s what it is is that your worst injury that you had.[6:18] Pain-wise well I mean there’s several times broken feet you know but you played through that as long as it wouldn’t get displaced you could play through that and broken fingers, again back then you kind of just taped them together and they would cut your glove and maneuver that so you know I broke my jaw I took a flap shot to the face it it hit me hit me here this isn’t practice actually hit me I didn’t see it coming hit me inside and I dropped and and got got up, and I was spitting blood, obviously, and the poor guy who did it, he was so apologetic, and I could barely talk, and I went off the ice immediately, went, got x-rays, and they said, you know, you’re fine.
It hit me here, and he said, you’re going to be okay, so I went the next week.[7:02] Thinking I just, my teeth had shifted and just was very sore from the impact.
Well, my jaw here and my gum line started to swell so bad and bleed, like I couldn’t, all I could eat was mashed potatoes and milkshakes and if i chewed i could actually feel my jaw shift and my assistant coach at the time said look you you better go get looked at again so i went back and they x-rayed here and it had cracked all the way down um here so i have a i have a scar you can’t see it there’s a scar here i actually have a plate and four screws in my jaw um they did surgery that next day but for a week i’m practicing and and thinking oh my god got soreness oh that that was painful that was one of the worst by far because i didn’t know and i didn’t want to say anything and say right but once they found the crack they they x-rayed the impact but not where it because of the impact it broke here okay and so they there was the next day was surgery and screws and plates and all that fun stuff okay so you mentioned other people hurting you with your teeth with a slap shot have you knocked anybody else’s teeth out oh it’s possible by accident you don’t really No, it happened so quick.
And yeah, you know, sticks are flying. You shoot pucks, they get deflected.
Like, I mean, that’s just part of hockey.
Yeah. And so I’m sure it’s happened by accident and it certainly wasn’t on purpose.
Certainly. Certainly wasn’t on purpose. No, it couldn’t have been. It couldn’t have been.[8:24] I’m a different man now. Maybe back then some of it was. Yes, that’s a good point.
BC days, right? Before Christ. Amen. Amen.[8:34] All right, Steph, I’ve got a question for you. What’s your favorite book of all time? Obviously, You Met Her Where.
Oh, I thought you were going to say the Bible. Oh, oops.
What’s your second favorite book of all time? You Met Her Where?[8:53] A distant second totally distant it’s pretty good book sorry god it’s still a pretty good book but we’re so excited where can people get our book okay i know this uh amazon.com yes barnes and noble yes and and our website kevinstuff.com and what happens if they buy it off our website what do they get uh an autograph from us yes who wouldn’t want that so listeners if you’ve You’ve already read the book.
Thank you so much. We’ve had such good feedback.
One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.[9:32] Okay. So Steph and I do want to ask about another part of hockey. Yes.
Fighting. All right. So I’ll tell you a quick story. So the first hockey game I ever went to, I was in high school and our church youth group took us to the old Columbus chill.
All right. which was like a minor league hockey team here in Columbus.
This was actually right before the Blue Jackets came into town.
Coach, there were so many fights in that minor league hockey game.
That’s the only thing I remember. But I remember just cheering them on.
We’re screaming. And our youth leader is like, whose idea was this?
Why did we bring these teenage boys to see all these guys fight?
So how does fighting work?[10:12] Is it you look at somebody else? Is it you say something?
The Evolution of Fighting in Hockey[10:16] Thing how do you know if somebody wants to fight you well i i think things have changed quite a bit from even when i came in the league and beforehand there was um like teams were built much differently they they had guys specifically that’s all they did and oh really yeah they they wouldn’t play much but they were really good at their craft let’s put it that way and and that was fighting so everybody kind of gets on fighting and i and i understand it because the dangers of it i truly do do now um but how many times have you been in an arena and seen people sitting on their hands when there’s a fight it just doesn’t happen people get very very excited so there was times when you’d be down two or three nothing that somebody may go initiate and and let the other guy know that hey we need to do this and if whether he obliged or not that guy was going to be in a fight so there there’s many different uh formats of how it would occur and and gosh before my time there There were so many tough guys.
It was almost terrifying when you walk in there.[11:15] Yeah, and you knew. You would be looking at the stats and looking at the penalty minutes and going, okay, this guy.
You didn’t have YouTube back then and could pre-sculpt their fights and see what they did.
I’ll share one story. My first ever pro game, this was an exhibition game.
So I was in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
So I was with Colorado Avalanche Organization, and they had a doubleheader.
So it was the minor league team playing Philadelphia and then it was the NHL team playing after us playing their NHL team. This is kind of the old Hershey park arena.
So this is my first pro game. I remember the coach coming and going, Hey, you know, like.
The Consequences of Picking Up Gloves[11:52] Make sure you keep your head up this could be a rough game there’s a big rivalry between the philadelphia phantoms and the hershey bears and i’m like all right whatever right and none of the real veterans that were there last year playing just a bunch of young guys and they give us a little bit of a heads up and some of the guys that are playing on the other team and i’m looking at warm-up and i’m going who are these guys like they’re really they’re yeah they’re let’s just say they’re intimidating so the game starts i won’t bore you with the details but in that game there was 33 fights and three line brawls and there was only i think there was only four or five guys left on the bench on each side at the end of the game it took about four and a half hours to play that game they had to delay it because it was just fight after fight oh my gosh 33 yeah the score was four three um i got in two fights had two goals one assist and i was like wow this is gonna be this is my first pro game and i’m thinking this is gonna be a long year the next the next game we played the next night against syracuse there was eight fights so and i wasn’t used to this and junior the western league was a pretty tough league but i was more of a score and i’d done some things so i didn’t really have to do much of that but i found it real quickly that this is going to have to be part of your game a little bit if you’re going to be in this league oh my gosh i didn’t realize there were that many fights in three full team on fights okay so yeah this this was egregious this was way way out of the norm, Okay, so if I’m on the ice with you, Coach, you drop your gloves.
What happens if I pick them up and hand them back to you?[13:16] That won’t happen. As you’re picking them up, you might be taking punches.[13:24] Okay, so what happens if once you fall, it fights over, right?
The ref stops it. I’d be laying down. Like you just drop on the ice? I’d just drop in.[13:31] Yeah. Yeah, well, yeah. They probably pick you back up.
You really don’t want to punch guys when they’re down. And there’s some unwritten rules that you tend to follow. But again, sometimes there’s anger.
They’re truly just, they don’t like each other. And maybe they fought several times. Maybe something dirty happened where they will.
And this is where I feel for the linesmen. Because back then, I mean, they’re jumping on guys trying to hold their arms.
But if they’re still swinging away, I’ve seen linesmen get hit with punches.
The Startling Columbus Blue Jackets Cannon[13:59] I mean, it’s not a fun job. Oh, so one of the things I want to ask you about is the Columbus Blue Jackets Civil War cannon that they have in the arena.
OK, so every game I’ve been to coach that darn cannon scares me every single time.
Like I jump out of my seat. You’re not alone.
Oh, my God. So listeners, if you’ve never been to a Columbus Blue Jackets game, they and I think 2007 put this civil war replica cannon in one of the corners of the arena and they shoot it off and it is i mean incredibly loud where i know it’s even coming and i’m still jumping every single time so did it still startle you and how do the players feel about that thing going off because it is loud yeah you yeah i mean certainly jarzy the first few times when you’re not ready for it i remember coming in as the visiting team when i was with colorado and kind of just you know it It shocks you.
It’s intense. You feel it.[14:55] My favorite stories are I used to watch the warm-ups as an assistant coach all the time, and when they made it come on the ice, you know, it would be dark and they wouldn’t be ready for it, and you’d see guys jumping.
And the best is when, you know, Torch took over in Columbus, and I bet you the first four or five home games, He was never ready for it. He’d get on the ice. We’d walk on the bench.
He’d be standing there, and it would go off.
And he’d be like, and Torch, use some choice words. That? Cannon. You know?[15:24] And I’m like, it’ll get you. And so it got him four or five times straight, I think, his first four. It was pretty funny to watch.
Oh, it’s so long. Is it fun for you to watch the new guys who are not expecting it? Or the visiting team. Yes.
Yeah. You know, you get so used to it. But you forget when new guys come or you watch the visitors, if you’re kind of you’re glaring over the other side or looking and you see them jump and you just you giggle because you’ve all been there a little bit. Yeah.
Coach Brad Larson’s Wake-Up Call[15:51] OK, coach, can you share the story with Steph of back in 2007 when you were playing for the Atlanta Thrashers in the NHL and you were going through the medical evaluation?
Right. What happened? Because this I mean, this started quite the journey for you. Can you share that story with Steph? How old were you when you went through this?
Oh, gosh. I think I saw 29.
That’d be about right. Yeah, I would have been late 20s. Yeah, so just ordinary physicals, doing that with camp.[16:22] And first time it’s ever happened. I’ve been a part of since I was 15 with junior teams all the way to 13 years of playing pro.[16:32] Medicals are very normal. You have ortho. You have dental, of course, right? right? You have all these things that you do.[16:39] But this is the first time they had a dermatologist there. And it was completely voluntary and random.
So there was a line for ortho. So I saw the dermatologist there and I was like, you know what? Why not?
Nobody’s going to this guy and I might as well get checked out.
So sure enough, he checks me out. And so I go home and go through the day.
And two days later, I get a call from my trainer and he says, I need to talk talk to you get down here right away so I’m like all right what’s going on and he basically said listen the dermatologist called he’s got a major concern on one of the moles that they removed it was right in my upper back so it’s not a place that I would ever see and he’s like you need to see him right away so it was about a three-hour wait before my call so of course all the scenarios were running through head but I went down there after he called he showed me on a chart and you you know, and there was a melanoma, pretty serious one.
And I had surgery right there. He just put me on the, on the table and had surgery right there and cut it out.
And by God’s grace, I was, I was fine after that. It’s, it’s a pretty good scar.
It’s a big Z and they had to go pretty deep.
But I mean, that was by the grace of God, because that never should have happened.
And I certainly wasn’t going to go on my own.
And, you know, who knows, I go on another year. I, you know, I was, there’s different stages and I was teetering right on the borderline of stage stage three, where he’s like, this is where you’re at.
And he’s like, that’s why we’re doing surgery now, not tomorrow.
And I said, okay, you know, whatever you gotta do.[18:06] So that was, uh, that was pretty big wake up call and.[18:10] And yeah, that was certainly part of my journey. I’m not in a place of fear or scared of death, of more of just, is that a normal occurrence?
You know, and that kind of set the wheels in motion a little bit in my life.
Fun Fact: Coach Brad Larson’s NHL Draft Experience[18:26] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it.
Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where.
But it’s still a really good book. book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas.
Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com.
And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want.
And as always, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.[18:57] Fun facts. All right, coach. For all of our guests, I like to give a list of fun facts to let listeners know what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished.
And Steph is not aware of any of these. Okay, So you’re going to see her genuine reaction, Coach, to these.
I might be reacting genuinely, too. You never know.
And if I’m wrong on any of these, please correct me. Let me know.
All right, Steph, ready? Yeah. Fun fact number one.
Coach Brad here apparently was drafted twice in the NHL draft.
He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators round three, number 53 overall in the 1995 NHL draft.
And then he was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 1997 in round four.
So coach what is the draft experience like as an athlete are you watching tv the whole time is it stressful are you excited do you get ticked off when somebody thinks you’re better than gets drafted ahead of you how’s that experience like it’s different i mean um you know the first time i went to the draft my in 95 and and you know i had an idea of where i could get drafted it could be like first round it could all be slip all the way to third there was less teams back then too so So you’re watching guys go ahead of you.
And of course, when you’re young, you’re like, wow, I was as good as that guy.
I’m better than that. You know, you have no idea. You think you’re much better than you are, probably a very inflated view of yourself.[20:15] So it’s hard, like, especially the first round is very dragged out and I never went in the first round and then day two starts.
And so obviously getting your name called, it’s a thrill.
My parents were there and it was a big day and you’re part of an organization.
And so how that happened transpires. I got traded.
It was a year and a half later. I was at World Junior. So I was playing for Team Canada.
We had won gold medal and that was an awesome experience. Came back and I got traded to Colorado. Colorado.
So at the end of the season, they flew me into Detroit with my parents and my agent to watch a game because that was a big rivalry. So they did this kind of presentation.
And I left there going, gosh, I don’t think I’m ever going to make this team. They were so good.
And, you know, the Joe Sackix and Peter Forsberg and all these young players that maybe you may or may not have heard of, but they’re Hall of Famers, All-Stars. I just didn’t see it fit.
And I talked with my agent. So we respectfully declined their offer.
And it wasn’t a money thing. It wasn’t there was no animosity I just said I don’t see me playing so I decided to go back and not sign and go back in the draft well okay they left a little caveat with me and said hey listen if you’re available where we think we can get you we will draft you again and I’m like there’s no chance they’re gonna do that right so I didn’t go to that draft I actually was on a trip to Mexico.[21:29] And I landed called my parents I’m like hey so what happened they’re like well you’re not going to believe it but they redrafted you and I’m going oh my god I didn’t know that it was the same team Yeah, same team. They redrafted me. So it turned out great.
I’m so, so thankful I got to be part of that organization and that team.
But at the time, I’m going, what just happened? I’m thinking, it’s devastating, right? You know, a young guy, you have no idea.
So that’s how it happened.
They used me as an example when guys wouldn’t sign.
I found out later on, if you don’t want to sign, we may draft you again.
You know, we did it with Brad Larson.
And so I was kind of the poster child of, you may not get away free.
That’s wild. But it’s also really cool because it just shows you how much they did want you. You know? So that’s pretty awesome.
Yeah. That’s how I took it, I’m sure. Yeah. They just really, really wanted me. Yeah. Yeah.[22:22] All right, Steph. Fun fact number two. During his playing career, Brad played for the Hershey Bears, Chicago Wolves, and Portland Pirates in the AHL, which is the minor league for the NHL.
Okay. Before going on to play for both the Avalanche and the Atlanta Thrashers in the NHL.
So, Coach, one of my old bosses at JPMorgan Chase, he played hockey for Ohio State.
And apparently he was like the enforcer for the Ohio State hockey team.
Got kicked out of the Big Ten tournament for a cheap shot on one of the other teams.
But during a conversation with him, he told me, behind the scenes, most hockey players are a little nuts, a little crazy.
So, you played a lot of games in the minor leagues. What’s one of the crazier things you saw and you actually kind of you may have mentioned it earlier with that with that 33 fight Game, but what’s one of the things you saw with the teammate or something behind the scenes coach? Oh Yeah, I think that’s definitely up there because that experience, that shocked me.
I was expecting it to be rough, but not 33 fights in three line brawls rough.
So that was like, wow, what did I get myself into a little bit?[23:28] I guess one other experience we had was one time we were getting ready to play.
This was in the morning. We’re getting to play and I can’t remember the team. So pardon me on that.
But there was a trade and it was a guy off that team and he brought his bag, walked across the hall, got in there.
Our room and he played that night against his former team really no yeah no joke yeah that was it he brought his suitcase he brought his uh his bag over and he ended up playing that night it was a defenseman playing against the team that he had traveled there with we played against him that night so that was a welcome welcome to the league kid and this guy wow like now you’re playing against all your friends like hey hey bill yeah tim you showed up you showed up that that morning thinking we’re playing the bears and all of a sudden you’re with the bears playing your your team and like gosh i can’t remember who it was or who the team was but uh-huh because yeah he would walk across the ice he would have had all of his old old team’s hockey gear yeah right to get get all his clubs yeah he came over and they gave him all the gear this was a new bag obviously late late morning yeah the whole thing just a strange circumstance that that doesn’t happen often obviously but that was a very strange circumstance that’s crazy all right All right, Steph, according to HockeyDB.com and HockeyReference.com, because I had to double check this stat, Coach Brad here played one game for the Colorado Avalanche during the 1997-98 NHL hockey season.[24:49] How do you play one game, Coach? You played six minutes, I believe, this game.
They call you up and then after the game, like, hey, thank you for your service.
You can go back now. How does that work?[25:01] So that was my first NHL game ever. I’ll never forget it.
I was it was an off day in Hershey okay I was actually at the gym there’s a local gym there that we used uh and so I was just having a light workout I get a an announcement over the PA system I if this is back you’re not carrying cell phones around and doing all that right you know I’m aging myself but so hey would Brad Larson come to the front desk and I’m like oh what’s going on I’m thinking something bad right you know did somebody die or so I get on the phone and it’s my head head coach and he’s like, Lars, you just got called up.
I’m like, Whoa, I mean, my heart just dropped. And he’s like, your flight leaves in 90 minutes. You got to hurry.
So, I mean, I raced home, grabbed a couple of suits rate to the rink, off to the airport, luckily made my flight.
So my first game was in San Jose and I had to fly. So you’re going Percy, Pennsylvania, across the country. Yes. All the way to San Jose.
And it was a, I think it was a noon or one o’clock game the next day.
I didn’t care. I mean, I could have played with no sleep. It wouldn’t have mattered.
And so I got there and got dressed. And as I’m, this is great.
So I brought, I wore a suit, of course, to travel in. And then I had a suit with me. This is a brand new suit, a pinstripe suit.
I just bought it in Philly. We had, there’s a King of Pressure Mall.
And so I’d spent a bunch of money on the suit.
Well, in all my excitement, I left it on the plane.[26:20] And I never recovered that suit, never got it back. I went to the game, played a game, and it was just a one-game thing.
Obviously, you don’t know at the time how it’s going to be, but somebody, I think, became ill or got injured in practice. So that was my first NHL game.
And Mark Crawford was the head coach. I will never forget him putting me on the ice.
There was like two minutes left for up by goal, and I’m going, what am I doing out here right now?
You know, just terrified. But, but I got that first one in, I remember I got to call my parents and go, look, no one can ever take that away from me.
I’ve made it. I played my first NHL game and it took a while to get back, but to see your name and being in the lineup and get an NHL game, that was, you know, that was something that I’ll never forget.
Okay, so when did they tell you then, Coach? All right, hey, thank you for coming to San Jose.
Go ahead and jump on the flight back. Yeah, right after the game.
As soon as the game’s over. Yeah, I was right over. Yeah, it was done.
And hey, your flight leaves tomorrow.
I’m like, I didn’t honestly, I didn’t even care. I was like, I just played a game in the NHL and we won and it was thrilling.
So I’m like, no problem. I was more worried about just brand new suit. I never got to wear.
I actually went back to that same store the next week and bought the same suit. Steph.
Finding Incredible Guests[27:33] What is one of the most asked questions we get about Tell Us a Good Story?
Do I really get that excited?
Besides that one. Oh, how do we get all these incredible guests? Correct.
And some of our best conversations have been with guests who our listeners have reached out to us and said, you should talk to this person.
To name just a few, Nick Vujicic, Coach Tom Ryan, Carol Matico were all recommendations from our listeners.
So if there’s someone you would like us to interview and think they might be a great fit for Tell Us A Good Story, please let us know at kevinandsteph.com.
You don’t even have to personally know them. True, but do me a favor.
Before you submit their names, please make sure they are still alive.
That has actually happened, and it is super hard for me to find their contact information. But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us A Good Story.
Okay, you have mentioned so many amazing moments in your hockey career, from the 33 fights to playing your first NHL hockey game to winning gold with Team Canada.
What’s been your most amazing memory as a hockey player?
It’s hard to narrow it to one. It really is because I was 13 years pro hockey as a player, minors in NHL.
I was 13 years as a coach too. And there’s a lot of.[28:48] Different moments and obviously different places in your life when you’re in one sport like this is the first year I haven’t been in pro hockey in 26 years so wow six straight years I was in pro hockey and so what we just talked about that first game that was a highlight because coming from you’re a small kid hometown kid in Armstrong British Columbia this tiny place in the middle of nowhere and you actually made it you’re going wow I made it you know and so that was thrilling my first goal ironically was in San Jose years later I hadn’t scored in the first like 50 games this is how bad i was i never scored a goal it took me 52 games i think to score my first inning till i finally scored that was in san jose um so i i was fortunate to play for my country three times wow i i played for team canada under 18 team we won a gold medal uh i was captain of that team so that was a big honor and then the next year won world juniors uh won gold medal then the next year played world juniors again for team canada and i was captain that one won a gold medal So anytime you can play for your country, that was amazing.[29:48] And, and, and we were spoiled. We, we won all three times. So my memories are great from that experience. Right. So, but that was great.
Um, I would say like my first head coach win in the American league was, was awesome.
Just to, you know, you’re, you’re switching gears and I knew I wanted to retire and I was ready to, uh, actually my last, my last year pro and, and, and, you know, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer, believe it or not.
I didn’t share that with anybody. So we lost in the first round and, and I was still playing.
So we ended up, I went through radiation and surgery, all that stuff.
And then I was ready to retire. I wanted to quit. I was so excited about coaching, but I really wanted to quit.
And I was forced to get the job. So I got Columbus hired me as assistant coach in the minors. And so that was a big moment just being their first time at coach.
And then coming to the NHL.[30:34] I’ll never forget this moment with Torts and our coaching staff when we beat Tampa Bay in that first round.
In most hockey circles, it wouldn’t be a big deal. You’re like, gosh, it’s round one.
Just get over it. But just the idea that Tampa Bay, they just set records.
They destroyed the league.
We had played them four games in the regular season. I think they outscored us 21-3.[31:00] We were supposed to get swept and swept bad. it wasn’t the other way around and and we just built momentum every game in that series and and the guys were just galvanized it was awesome to watch and and the real joy was game four in nationwide nobody sat the whole game my dad was at the game he couldn’t see it to watch on the jumbo trunk because he had heart issues and he has to sit and watch he couldn’t stand the whole game but the energy was just and i’ve been to some big games i was in game seven in colorado when we won the stanley cup and and uh ray bork won his first cup that energy was special this was right up there so we we score an empty net goal then another empty net goal so as a coach you can actually enjoy the moment you’re not terrified they’re going to come back i think we’re up by three or four at that point with only two minutes left and to watch the fans to watch the crowd like people were crying people were hugging like it literally felt like we won the stanley cup that’s what it was like so i’ll never forget that moment and and just sitting in in the room with the coaches and torts and and our group sitting there and torts looking over he’s like what did we just do and i’m like i don’t know like we just we couldn’t you’re in the series and it’s intense and we know every game as we win like we can’t let them win because they could get back in the series in a heartbeat right they’re that good and we just never gave them any life and and it was was over and you’re going, wow, did that just happen?[32:25] You know, so that, that was pretty special. And then getting named to head coach myself, you know, and, um.[32:32] On a personal level, you know, to climb the mountain twice is how I put it.
You know, I made it as a small kid in the NHL and was fortunate enough to carve a little career and then retired and built it again and was able to get to the top again.
And really, there’s only at that time, it’s only 31 head jobs in the world. Right.
It’s not like there’s 700 jobs as a player. So it even got harder.
And obviously, it never ends how you want it to end. And not many guys do.
But that’s the business. But to get there twice and to do that, those moments are all special to me. I love that.
Okay. So with your dad having a heart issue, please tell me he’s not sitting near that cannon.
Life Lessons and Baptism[33:12] I warned him. I warned him. Yes. And he knew. So yeah, it’s definitely a risk.
All right. Like he just said, on June 10th, 2021, Coach Larson was named the eighth head coach in Columbus Blue Jackets history. However, after just two seasons, the Blue Jackets made the decision to move on after the regular season ended.
So 26 years, 13 playing, 13 coaching.
End of Playing Career[33:38] So 2009, 2010 hockey season was coach Brad’s last as a professional hockey player.
He played in 294 games over eight seasons in the NHL.
So during your playing career, coach, you were not known as a man of faith. No.
After after playing, what led you to Christ?
You know, everyone always points to the cancer, to bouts with cancer, and honestly, that wasn’t really it.
I remember sitting in my apartment in Colorado, and this was in the summer, and finally it kind of made the NHL, and you have a nice car, you got some things, you got a little bit of money.
I wasn’t making millions of dollars by any means, I was making bare league minimum, but for a young guy, I didn’t have a family, it’s plenty of money, right?[34:19] You go home and everyone’s telling you how great you are. But it was like I’m sitting there going, something’s missing.
And I know what it is now. I just didn’t have peace. I didn’t have God in the middle of it.
And so it put me on that journey of just searching.
Okay, well, what is this religion thing? Or what does that look like?
And you start to invite God in. God’s always there. But all of a sudden, he starts to reveal some things.[34:42] And, you know, I was fortunate enough to meet my wife in Atlanta.
And she was a Christian. And she had a major influence in that.
My last year pro i played with a guy who was a christian and he i remember him standing up and he was like hey hockey ministries will be here every thursday if you guys want to start coming to chapel you can go and i was like yeah i remember i went to one chapel i was terrified because i didn’t understand what they’re talking about and they’re talking about the bible and like you know all these the gospels i had no clue what any of this stuff was so i didn’t go for a week or two and then i went back and i went back and then i went back again so between my wife joe depenta who was my teammate at the point um really helped me in that and then and the journey just kind of i didn’t hit rock bottom i didn’t have anything like tragic i wasn’t you know nothing crazy happened my wife here i remember i believe it was her birthday i remember waking up and and saying like i’m ready i’m ready to give myself to christ and she’s like really are you sure like yeah i’m ready and there was a lot of events in there and again yeah i’m sure so i did that but But then May 22nd, 2011, that’s the date I have in my head. And that’s when I got baptized.
And I had her father baptize me in a pool in Georgia in front of all her family.
And, you know, I cried and was all emotional. And I remember waking up the next day just completely terrified.[35:56] Going, what have I done? You know, what have I done? You know, I knew what I’d done, but what have you done?
You know, you have this image and this persona. Like you said, I was not a Christian for much of my career.
So you can imagine, you know, my thought process and my goals and values.
And so the scary part was going, okay, how do I associate with my teammates?
How do I tell them? How do I, you know, it was all this stuff.
I remember my wife gifted me a Bible and I’m staring at it going, what do I do with that?
What is that? It was like a giant coaster to me.
So I just put my coffee on it.
But her dad was great. He’s like, you know, read the Gospels.
And I’m like, okay, well, tell me what the Gospels are. You know, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And then he’s like, well, just start in John.
His best advice, I’ll never forget it, was just get to know Jesus.
He’s like, don’t worry about understanding everything.
Don’t worry about, you know, there’s going to be lots you won’t.
But just get to know who Jesus was.
And so I started coming through John. And that kind of started the journey.
And that journey still goes today. day if you like what you hear please tell someone about us as soon as this episode is over go tell your spouse your closest friend a parent a co-worker or share one of our posts on social media however if you don’t like what you’re hearing please do not don’t tell anyone don’t tell anyone don’t tell anybody just disregard this message don’t worry about it about us yeah go on with your merry day and to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes be sure to check us out at kevin and steph.com thank you for listening to tell tell us a good story.[37:23] All right, Steph, final fun fact. Coach Larson is married to his wife, Hannah. They have two children.
He now coaches his son’s youth hockey team. Yeah.
Okay. So coach, first off, I think you’re the world’s most overqualified youth hockey coach. Overpaid too.[37:41] But if I’m on the other team, right, this feels a little bit like Mighty Ducks versus the Hawks. Yes. Right.
So how are the other teams coaches? Are they Are they trying to impress you?
Are they going over the top? What? Are they getting your autograph?
Yes. Like, how does that work with the other youth parents with you?
No, it’s certainly not like that. I certainly won’t speak for other coaches and what they’re doing.
But first of all, let’s get it clear. I’m one of the assistant coaches. I am not the head.[38:08] And he asked me to do it, so we’re doing it together. It’s been a thrill. It’s been amazing.
And, yeah, I just really enjoyed the opportunity to coach my son and be with him every day.[38:19] And we’ve got to go to tournaments, stuff that you never get to do because you’re so busy, right?[38:24] Like in the years, I might catch four or five games if I’m lucky, you know.
Coaching Youth Hockey[38:28] And I’ve been to every game and we’ve been to all the tournaments and and you get this incredible quality time and and you know my wife and my daughter stay back because we have we have a little farm and we got we rescue horses so we have horses and we got dogs and cats so somebody has to be around so they’re doing all the work but it’s just been it’s been awesome I mean people have been very respectful and the kids have been awesome and and I it crazy as it sounds I had never coached that level so I’ve only coached pro hockey so it took me a while to figure out what can we do here because and in our league here we only get half-ice practices too like you only you share the ice right right you get 50 minutes and I’m going what what are our capabilities like what do you actually teach an 11 year old 12 year old why can’t these kids skate backwards yeah the skill is it’s this thing like I it was it’s a whole new world that I’ve been introduced used to and you know i’ve been learning on the fly from my other coaches from the kids so there’s lots to learn here are you strapping on your skates and like oh you have to with the kids not competing all skates are on every practice i enjoy i get that i get to get on the ice and again everyone’s like how do you miss playing i’m like not one bit i mean i was when i left the game i was done i my body had been three or four or five surgeries whatever it was and i and it was enough but just to get on the ice i still love the game and just to you know shoot a puck here year-and-a-half pass, converse with the kids. That part of it I really enjoy.[39:53] Well, Steph, anything else you want to ask before we let Coach go here?
I would love to ask so many things, but I don’t want to annoy him.
We would respect all of his time here. Yes, yes. Go for it. I’m here.
Do you have anything else, Steph? Did you ever play against Wayne Gretzky?
Oh. I don’t think I ever. I tried. My son was asking because he retired in 99.
And I don’t think I ever got the chance. I was mostly in the minors from 98 to 2001.
2001 so we never crossed paths which uh which is unfortunate because my favorite team growing up was the Oilers Edmonton Oilers I bet but my favorite player ironically was Mark Messier and Wendell Clark but I remember I had that kind of aha moment my first year first full year in the NHL and I was skating around in Madison Square Gardens and I’m stretching at the red line I look over and it’s Mark Messier doing the same stretch and I’m like oh my lord there he is I just it was like he’s like he was I I was actually starstruck I tried to fight him actually to the third period. You did?
Yeah. And he kind of just looked at me and he had me around my throat.
And I’m like, you want to go? And I didn’t really want to, Because I knew I was going to lose, but I’m like, man, what a story if I fought him. And he didn’t even say a word. He just kind of stared at me like, you don’t want any of this?
And that was it. And I’m like, I was kind of thankful he didn’t.
You don’t want this smoke, punk man. No, and I would have got smoked.
I mean, he had a grip on me, and I’m like, wow, he’s got me strong.
But I was like, you want to go? And he’s like, no, kid.[41:20] I’ve won five Stanley Cups, and you’re some punk trying to make a name.
So I was very thankful he didn’t, actually. does your son feel hey wait i thought we didn’t have any more questions.
Pressure as the Coach’s Son[41:32] You’re right we got some time so does your son feel pressured being your son oh yeah no i i don’t think so i think he’s he handles it really well and with him i was very intentional not to coach him uh-huh like i i didn’t want him to play hockey because i didn’t he started about four or five years old he really started to i guess connect with the players and And, you know, I’d have him to rink a little bit.
But as far as coaching, like we go on the ice, there was no coaching.
He was that kid when he first joined a team two, three years ago.
He had no clue what to do on the ice. He had no clue drills.
I remember talking to the coach going, listen, I have intentionally not coached him. So he’s raw.
He is raw. But you know what? He’s actually a pretty good little player.[42:16] But what I love about him, he just enjoys playing. He loves to come to the rink and play.
And, you know, if God pulls him towards that way, that’s fine.
You know, part of me doesn’t even want him to go that route because I know all the hardship that comes with it. Yeah.
I lived it. But then, you know, at the end of the day, that’s not my decision and I’ll support him any way he wants. Yeah.
Journey from High School to Pros[42:36] We’ll let God kind of make those deciding factors for him. I forget already. Did you go to college?[42:42] No, no. You went from high school to? Yeah, so a little different back then.
So I got drafted when I was 18, and then I played one more year, and then I turned pro at 19 and started playing in the minors, yeah.
So you went right to the minors. Yep. Can you imagine that schedule, just traveling nonstop?
Yeah. I left home at 15 to pursue hockey. For the juniors? Yeah.
Yeah, I was playing the leagues really.
I was one of the better players younger, obviously, like most guys in the NHL, and kind of outgrew that quickly.
And so there was a junior team, and I went and played junior.
I was about four or five hours from home, lived with a billet family at 15 years old. Yeah, crazy.
Playing against 21-year-olds. Was that a hard decision to make for not only you but your parents?
Well, see, you don’t know any better. As a 15-year-old, I’m like, yeah, let’s do it. Why not?
Why wouldn’t I? you know and but now being a parent my daughter’s 14 i’m like no chance you’re yeah yeah there’s there’s no way i i asked i told my parents like what were you thinking as you walk out the door are you crazy do you understand how messed up i am because of that you know so it’s kind of ironic as you get older and you look at your own kids i’m like no chance there’s no way just knowing what the world’s about and knowing what my values are and and our values as a family it’s totally different now it’s not you know my goal as a kid i want to play in the nhl that was it yeah.
Perspective on Past Achievements[44:04] That’s not my goal for my son that’s not my goal for my daughter it’s like okay i want you to be grounded in your faith and that’s yeah then whatever you do whatever so hey i was gonna ask you earlier coach where do you keep your gold medals at i gave them to my dad so we got i got three gold medals and three rings and but i gifted them all to my dad years ago that stuff now Now, it doesn’t mean much. It doesn’t matter, right?
No, it doesn’t. And it’s not because they weren’t fun. They were great.
I mean, I would look at them again and probably my son would get a kick out of them, you know, and the rings.
But it’s more about that team coming together and doing it as a group and what they went through and how challenging that is.
Well, Coach, thank you so much for coming on here with us. Tell us a good story.
God bless you, sir. And I’m excited to see just the next steps, right, that God has for you and your family. And we’ll be keeping your family, your wife in our prayers. Absolutely.
Thank you so much. Yeah, no, this is kind of the exciting time is what’s in store. And so we’ll see.
Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free.
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Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.The post Episode 208: Brad Larsen appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Imagine being 15 years old, and getting signed by a record label in Nashville. And then you begin touring as a professional artist before even graduating high school. That’s what happened to our next guest, Riley Clemmons.
By the age of 23, Riley accumulated over half a billion global streams and 85 MILLION YouTube views. Riley has now toured with artists such as Tauren Wells, Mandisa, Danny Gokey, Crowder, and Zach Williams. Stories include…
– Where she gets her wardrobes for award shows.
– What award shows are actually like in person.
– How a fan proposed to her at a concert.
– Touring with Zach Williams.
– Wanting to meet her childhood idol, Dolly Parton.
– Performing at the Grand Ole Opry.
We can’t wait for you to hear this fun conversation with a very talented musician, singer, and songwriter…Riley Clemmons.
Guest DetailsInstagram: @rileyclemmons
Website: rileyclemmons.com
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
Facebook
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript HereTell Us A Good Story EP207Singer-songwriter Riley Clemons shares her industry journey, touring experiences, award wins, album insights, and focus on mental health and fan connections, exuding authentic charm and passion for her music career.2024, Team Mason
Tell Us A Good Story
Produced by Clawson Solutions Group, LLC https://csolgroup.com
Generated ShownotesChapters0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:19 Setting the Stage
0:01:23 Pre-Episode Reminder
0:01:57 Nashville Roots
0:08:52 Book Recommendation Banter
0:09:11 Book Promotion Banter
0:09:31 Book Promotion Continues
0:15:13 Book Banter Round Two
0:20:51 Accolades Overview
0:24:33 Closing Remarks
0:27:04 Tour Announcement
0:28:53 Social Media Info
0:29:28 Call to Action
Long SummaryRiley Clemons, a talented singer-songwriter, shares her journey from being discovered at a school play in Nashville to touring professionally at a young age. She discusses her experiences in the music industry, including touring with notable artists and the thrill of hitting milestones like a million views on her music videos. Riley also talks about her approach to performing live, interacting with fans, and navigating the pressures of award shows. She shares funny and heartwarming moments from her tours and the honor of being named Christian Artist of the Year in Australia.
Riley opens up about the making of her album “Church Pew” and the personal challenges she faced that influenced her music. She emphasizes the importance of mental health and finding value beyond her career in music. Throughout the interview, Riley’s genuine personality shines as she discusses her fondness for theater, experiences touring internationally, and memorable interactions with fans. The conversation ends with a preview of Riley’s upcoming performances and a reminder for listeners to support her music and upcoming shows.
Brief SummaryRiley Clemons, a rising singer-songwriter, shares her journey from being discovered in Nashville to touring professionally. She discusses her experiences touring with renowned artists, hitting milestones, and navigating the music industry. Riley opens up about her approach to performing live, fan interactions, and handling award show pressures. She highlights moments from her tours and the honor of being named Christian Artist of the Year in Australia. Riley delves into the making of her album “Church Pew,” discussing personal challenges and emphasizing mental health and life beyond music. Throughout the interview, Riley’s authentic charm shines as she shares anecdotes from international tours and connections with fans. The conversation concludes with insights into her upcoming performances and a call to support her music and shows.
TagsRiley Clemons, singer-songwriter, discovered, Nashville, touring, experiences, performing live, fan interactions, award show pressures, Christian Artist of the Year, album “Church Pew”, mental health
TranscriptIntroduction[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story.
Imagine being 15 years old and getting signed to be the youngest artist for a record label in Nashville.
And then you start touring professionally as a singer-songwriter before even graduating high school.
Well, that’s exactly what happened with our next guest, Riley Clemons.
You guys, this beautiful, talented young woman was actually discovered at her school play in Nashville.
And by the time she was 18 years old, she was on the road touring without her parents or her family.
Gosh, talk about having to grow up fast. But now, Kevin, at the age of 24, she’s considered a veteran in the music industry and has over a half a billion global streams from her music.
And she has some fun stories to share, including what it’s like to tour with Zach Williams, singing at the Grand Ole Opry, and the time she was proposed to at a concert by a fan.
You guys, we can’t wait for you to hear this episode with Nashville recording artist Riley Clements.
I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery.
Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis.
However, today, we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.
And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day.
Setting the Stage[1:19] Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.
Pre-Episode Reminder[1:24] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please.
In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us.
And thank you for sharing our post across your social media.
That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests.
Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, Joanna, please share us with your friends.
But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
Nashville Roots[1:57] She’s so cute. She’s so freaking cute, Kevin. We’ve been excited about this. I’m excited.
Absolutely. Well, friends, our next guest is a musician, singer, and songwriter from Nashville who first entered the music industry at the age of 15.
By age 23, she accumulated over half a billion global streams, 85 million YouTube views, and last year released her third studio album titled Church Pew.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us a Good Story, Miss Riley Clemons. Riley Clemons!
Hi, guys! I’m so excited to be here. Thanks for the intro, y’all. That’s neat.
Y’all, she’s Nashville, isn’t she?
[2:35] Every now and then it pops out. It’s always on certain words.
It’s because I grew up in the city.
Because Nashville is a big city. Yeah. And lots of people in Nashville are not from here.
So it’s like this weird hybrid mix of accent.
[2:51] Well, thank you for saying yes to us. And the first thing is, when you release a song, an album, are you constantly on your phone just hitting refresh, refresh, refresh?
Because that’s what I would do. Oh, my gosh, yes. I know how I am with fantasy football and having to update my points.
So how is it opening weekend for you, Riley? Is it constantly on your phone?
Yeah, I mean, it is. I’m on my phone a lot when I release music.
But with that being said, I’ve also dialed it back the longer that I’ve done this.
I would say the whole goal of being in this weird career space is finding healthy boundaries. Okay.
So, you know, being able to look and read the comments, but no one to stop.
[3:35] But I’ve gotten a lot better at, hey, mom, dad, brother, sister, send me the good stuff.
And if there’s anything bad, don’t send it.
When you hit your first like million views, what was going through your mind?
Oh, I don’t even remember.
I think looking back at hitting that first million views, at least for me, there was a bit of this imposter syndrome. Like, why? How?
A million people. I think hitting that mile mark, there’s this certain feeling of that’s a million people. If there were a million people in this room staring at me, I would be so overwhelmed.
So being able to view it like, oh, it’s actually pretty cool.
I can celebrate that win. For sure.
Okay, you go to an awards ceremony.
[4:26] Do you have a stylist? Are you looking on Amazon at their dresses?
Are you going to a store to find your dresses? It has to be tough. How are you doing this?
Oh, good question. I have an incredible, well, it’s been a mixture.
My first ever awards anything.
[4:42] I went in Forever 21 and I, you know, grabbed whatever I could find.
[4:48] And now I have the opportunity to work with my stylist, who’s also one of my best friends in the world, which makes it so much more fun.
But I love putting together looks. I really enjoy the process.
So normally it’s my stylist pulling things or me pulling things or my mom screenshotting me things and sending them or my sister. It’s very collaborative.
It’s really fun. I’ve leaned into it for sure. That first award show that you showed up in like your Forever 21 dress, were you intimidated when all these other women are in these like expensive gowns?
You know i was a teenager at the time so i think it was one of those things where i was just like be cool be cool and i also grew up in a household where we would pop over to tj max and try to find the cheapest thing we could find that was good so it was in the wheelhouse right it was nothing outside of my comfort zone so i was fine okay so when you go to your first award show and like you you said maybe have imposter syndrome.
What is it like? Are you meeting your celebrity heroes?
How does that work when you’re there in person? Rightly?
Oh, we’re going to have some family talk and family talk is my way of saying this is just real talk.
Okay. Um, award shows make me a nervous wreck.
I bet. Um, I have always had an interesting relationship with award shows.
[6:16] They’ve been known to give me a lot of anxiety. Um, I think the honest way to say it is you’re in a space and, you know, celebrating your peers, which is a beautiful thing.
But the human in you is also there wanting to win, you know, wanting to have friends just like you’re in high school, you know.
So my relationship with the Warchose has changed over the past couple of years to become a bit healthier and be able to really look at them as what they are and not celebrating peers and celebrating music.
But, yeah, they’re very nerve wracking.
Lots of anxiety lots of social anxiety it’s a lot it’s a lot of stimulus lots of things to look at and see and yeah it’s hard to relax it really is so you’ve mentioned high school a couple of times i’m curious high school in nashville are you guys doing math science and songwriting songwriting yes your curriculum what are you guys doing or it’s like so many of your like classmates classmates, songwriters, and singers.
You’re all performers. Yes. How does that work?
Oh, man. Well, I went to a super sports-heavy school. So there were a lot of people doing sports and a lot of people doing academics as well.
[7:27] No, there was not a songwriting class per se, but I was really involved in the arts throughout high school.
And one of my best experiences in high school was the vocal group I was in.
So lots of acapella stuff, vocal things, And I would learn a ton in that class about reading music and singing with proper pitch and intonation and singing in a group and singing harmonies.
And I was also doing theater and dance. So I was doing a lot of normal high school arts things.
But I was also after school in the studio all the time learning how to write, learning how to co-write. I would just sneak off in my uniform after school and go to the studio, which is a very unique experience.
With her talking about being like a sports school. Yeah. Can you imagine going to watch a game there in Nashville? Yeah.
And Riley comes out with a friend or two to sing the national anthem.
Yeah. And you’re just like, what is this? You can tell we’re in Nashville.
Is that Carrie Underwood who just sung that? No. It’s seen.
I’m wondering, when you watch Pitch Perfect, you’re like, that was me in school.
That was me in high school. Were you? Because you’ve been in Pitch Perfect.
Oh, I loved it. We watched the movies in high school. I loved that. I love music.
I love the camaraderie of it. And I love the connectivity of it.
I think that’s the initial pull, right? And so, yeah, I’m really passionate about that.
Book Recommendation Banter[8:53] All right, Steph, I’ve got a question for you. What’s your favorite book of all time? Obviously, You Met Her Where.
Oh, I thought you were going to say the Bible. Oh, oops.
What’s your second favorite book of all time? You Met Her Where?
Book Promotion Banter[9:11] A distant second. Totally distant. It’s a pretty good book. Sorry, God. It’s still a pretty good book.
But we’re so excited. Where can people get our book? Okay, I know this.
Amazon.com. Yes. Barnes & Noble. Yes. And? And our website, KevinAndSteph.com.
And what happens if they buy it off our website? What do they get?
Book Promotion Continues[9:31] An autograph from us. Yes. Who wouldn’t want that?
So listeners, if you’ve already read the book, thank you so much.
We’ve had such good feedback.
One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on Amazon.com, We would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.
So Riley, can you share this story with stuff? I saw this online on your Instagram from recently when I believe you’re in Rochester, New York.
And made a mistake. Can you share that with Steph? Because I think this is very, very funny.
Yeah, this is a good, this is a really good story. So glad you asked.
[10:09] Adrenaline is a weird thing. Keep in mind, this is important backstory.
I’m a theater kid. I love to do an accent.
I like to have fun. And when my adrenaline kicks in, that’s like an overdrive.
So we’re playing a show in Rochester, New York.
I get out there, do my first song in my set. It’s high energy, lights, all the works.
And after I do this song in the break, I say, Rochester, in the nitty grittiest New Yorker accent you’ve ever heard in your life.
And as soon as it happened i was like that was kind of weird like that came out intensely and then after the show my entire band roasted me they made so much fun of me in love in love right of course my drummer comes to me and he says i was recording my drums during the set had a little camera set up and had the audio recording and he had the audio of me going one.
[11:14] So there’s video evidence.
Did you get any weird looks from the audience or do you not even pay attention to the audience?
No, I pay a lot of attention to the audience. I mean, they probably thought it was cute, right? That’s what I’ve told myself.
They probably thought it was endearing that this little Southern girl is up there.
They give me a cup of coffee, right? Like they probably think that’s funny. I would hope.
And not as embarrassing as it was for me.
So when you’re singing, are you paying attention to the audience?
Are you reading the signs?
Are you, you know, trying to interact? Are you so in tune with your singing that you don’t even pay attention to the audience? Yes.
[11:51] No, I’m constantly watching the audience. Maybe to a fault. Maybe I pay too much attention.
I think something that you can’t really experience until you’re doing it is the energy from an audience and how that affects you as a performer.
[12:06] You know, sometimes you’ll have really low energy crowds who genuinely just want to come and sit and watch the show. And that’s not a bad thing.
You know, everybody enjoys music.
Everybody enjoys a show differently. So I that’s always the thing.
I’m such a when I watch a show. I’m singing along my hands are up in the air I’m partying but my sister she’s loving the show She’s gonna tell me after how much she loved the show, but she’s gonna sit and watch it and witness it And so as an artist if something happens at random, that’s really funny It’s how do we make that more of a moment?
How do I go tease that person in the audience who just yelled out something goofy.
[12:45] You know, you’re constantly constantly pivoting and reacting and that’s the beauty of live entertainment it’s you are having those once in a lifetime never before had moments because each audience is unique okay so any interesting situations then at a live performance where something happens in the audience you’re like is anybody else saying this besides me like any interesting experiences oh man there there are are so many occasionally we’ll see somebody just dancing okay just absolutely in their own world just going for it that’s always fun and then i had i was playing a show a couple weeks ago and it was a bigger crowd it was nighttime outside and i was sitting down to play the piano tell the story behind a song and a girl on the front row screamed out a song title of mine yelled it out.
She needed to hear the song. It was not in the set list.
[13:45] And it was the most beautiful moment because we pivoted and just her and I had this moment. I sang an acapella.
She sang it with me. It was so special.
So yeah, that’s one of my favorites. I thought you were going to say you had a marriage proposal, like to you, you know, via a sign or within the crowd or something.
That’s what I was expecting you to say. quite honestly it’s happened before in a signing line somebody has asked me to marry them really finally said no oh yeah oh yeah it’s great i was in denmark that adds that makes it even a cooler story like he didn’t have a ring did he no he did not have okay okay because that might have been really pretty it would have been like okay well all right well let’s think about let me think about it let’s talk about this okay so then that leads to the question then what’s the most interesting fan interaction then?
Have you had any stalkers or anything like that then, Riley?
Now that I’m thinking about marriage proposals. Ooh!
It’s a weird thing to have people that want to take a picture with you or meet you or come listen to your show. It’s such an honor. It really is.
Occasionally, you’ll get the few who are like, well, maybe that’s crossing the line a little bit.
But for the most part, it’s just funny and sweet.
And it’s cool to see people so passionate about my music. But, yeah, there have been some times lines have been crossed and you have to get security involved.
Oh, really? wouldn’t recommend that. But for the most part, we don’t have that happen, which is great.
Book Banter Round Two[15:14] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it.
Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where.
But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas.
Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com.
And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want.
And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
So Riley, for all of our guests, I like to give a list of fun facts to let listeners know what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished, and Steph’s not aware of any of these.
So you’re going to see her genuine reaction to these, and this should spurn some good stories.
Okay. And if I’m wrong on any of these, Riley, please let me know.
I’ll call you out. Please do.
Don’t hesitate. All right, Steph, are you ready? Yeah. Okay.
Fun fact number one about Riley.
She was born and raised in Nashville, and this might be the most Nashville thing I’ve ever heard.
Riley began writing songs at the age of 13 after being discovered at her school choir concert by her manager.
[16:23] So Riley, are you telling me at your school plays, school concerts, there’s talent agents, there’s scouts going to these middle school choirs and plays to see if you can find the next Carrie Underwood is that is that what happens oh no no it’s not that person at the time was there to see his daughter happened to see me and that’s that connector right there so no that’s just a piece of the puzzle right that’s just a part of my story right there at the beginning yeah it was choir concert I had a little solo I took it to town if I do say so myself I took it the town um had a great time but uh yeah that’s how i started writing with adults who wrote songs for a living wow that’s awesome all right step fun fact number two riley was the youngest artist signed to the music label max recordings she signed her first publishing deal at age 15 first record deal at 17 and then played the role of annie in her high school theater production which sounds very unfair to me, Riley, because I can’t imagine someone auditioning for this play, and seeing you up on stage and you’re just killing it and then be like, okay, I gotta follow that. How crazy is that?
[17:40] How good you are in a high school theater production. That’s insane. Oh man, that is so kind.
I was a freshman in high school when we did Annie, which was really funny.
You know, I am and was really short. So it worked out really well.
But no, I mean, there was so much talent.
There were so many talented people in that group. And I love theater.
I want to find a way to circle back to theater in some shape and some form soon.
I would love that. I’d love to end up on Broadway. But Steph, can you imagine going to this play and seeing Riley and her castmates being like, I just spent $7 for this off-Broadway play. That’s true.
That is some high production value for the high school play. I got my money’s worth.
No kidding. It was a lot of fun. We try. We try. We try. That’s really good.
All right. Fun fact number three.
[18:29] Riley has toured with artists such as Torrin Wells, Mandisa, Danny Gokey, Crowder, and now Zach Williams.
So oh my goodness Riley what happens when someone like Zach Williams comes to you and asks for you to open for them perform with them is this like you tell them I gotta think about it I gotta pray about it do you get in the car and just scream please tell us there’s a story with that oh yeah I mean it’s it’s so exciting I I’m a fan of everybody I’ve toured with which is a really really special thing.
I think that there are a couple things you go through in your brain.
It’s one, I’m going to go tour my music on the road across the country.
And then I’m going to get to do that alongside an artist I admire and look up to.
Touring is a big part of, you know, the business of being an artist.
So it’s a it’s a really surreal experience. I still every time I I get booked on another tour, it’s like, it’s so exciting.
What’s been your favorite touring memory?
[19:35] Oh, man, that’s so hard. And you know what? They all start running together, too.
Oh, I bet. Some really special ones.
I’ll say on this past Christmas tour with Zach, I was out with Zach and we were doing Christmas shows and so much fun.
But the bus was so decked out for Christmas.
So every every bunk had a stocking, Christmas lights everywhere.
And every night after the show, the crew would just sit around and take turns picking out Christmas movies, which is so special.
Special oh I’m such a Christmas girl so that was a really special moment how old were you when you started to tour when I started to tour I was finishing my senior year of high school so I I finished senior year on the back of a tour bus I remember after shows writing a psychology paper on the back of the bus so yeah I mean to be 24 I’ve been at this my entire adult life and it’s been full of ups and downs, like anything in life.
So did your parents have to come with you to tour?
No, I was 18. I was, I was on the road.
If I never went to college, but I’m sure that’s what going to college feels like. I’m really out here on my own.
Accolades Overview[20:52] Right. All right, Steph, next fun fact. In 2021, Riley cemented her place as an artist when she was named 2021 Christian Artist of the the Year in Australia, one of People Magazine’s emerging artists in the US, and was nominated as Female Artist of the Year at the 9th Annual K-Love Fan Awards, making her the youngest nominee in the show’s history.
So what has been one of your pinch me moments, Raleigh? Was it presenting an award?
Was it maybe meeting an idol of yours, whether it’s Dolly Parton or whomever?
What’s been one of your pinch me moments?
There are a lot. I mean, there are so many.
I look back and I could name a variety, but I think the one that sticks out the most to me would be having the opportunity to have played the Grand Ole Opry multiple times.
As a Nashville kid, I grew up at the Grand Ole Opry.
I grew up knowing what the venue is and respecting the venue and respecting the culture of what that building represents, what the circle represents.
And so it was really, really a special experience to be invited by the Opry to sing and to play my music and to have that special moment.
My first, my Opry debut, one of the coolest things that’s ever happened. It was such a fun night.
We got two standing ovations, which was absolutely insane.
Yeah, that’s one of the highlights. It was really special.
[22:18] Okay. So actually performing after you’ve been there as a fan, anything surprise you about the experience of behind the scenes at the Grindelwald Rave?
Yeah. You know what actually did really surprise me is how true to the culture it is.
So you go go back there and it’s like you’re hanging out in your living room really to be as famous and wonderful and respected as the Opry is you go backstage and nobody’s making a big deal of anybody you could be the biggest name there and it’s there’s this understanding we’re there for the music we’re there for the connection between humans that happens when live music is in the the place.
And so the people who work at the Opry, the security cards to the people who show you to your room are wonderfully, beautifully kind people.
[23:10] And so I think that was the best experience ever.
It was so low anxiety, so low pressure because of the atmosphere they’ve created there.
Is it true you’ve met Dolly Parton? I wish I met Dolly. Well, OK, so here’s the story.
My My mom’s met Dolly Parton. They were at the same restaurant.
Dolly was there. They were in an elevator together.
Dolly was really sweet. It was my parents’ anniversary. She ended up wishing them an anniversary on her way out. All the whole nine.
I did the Dixie Stampede when I was a kid. I did the chicken race. Okay.
Which is a really Southern thing to say out loud is that I did a chicken race in Gatlinburg, Tennessee at the Dixie Stampede. And it was a lot of fun.
I don’t think Dolly was there, but it is her Dixie Stampede.
Yes. So I want to meet Dolly.
Oh, don’t. That would be amazing, wouldn’t it? I love Dolly.
I love her. Love Dolly. Yes.
She’s a queen and an icon and a philanthropist.
All of the above. Beloved. Yeah. Great. Everywhere, actually.
[24:14] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us.
As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a co-worker, or share one of our posts on social media.
However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not. Don’t tell anyone.
Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody. Just disregard this message.
Don’t worry about it. Forget about us. Yep. Go on with your merry day.
Closing Remarks[24:34] And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
[24:44] All right, final fun fact. Last year, after headlining a series of concerts in Australia, Riley celebrated the release of her third studio album titled Church Pew with performance like she just mentioned at the Grand Old Opry, which was then followed by an opening slot on Zach Williams’ 100 Highways Tour this fall.
So can you tell us more about that album, Church Pew, and then of course, what you’re doing on tour with the Zach Williams band?
Well, thanks for the list of accolades. That’s really nice. Thanks for sharing all that.
I don’t even know where to begin. This album has been such a pivotal moment for me, not only as an artist, but as a person.
I mean, I’ve gotten to share a bit of my story now. So you know, I’ve been, I grew up writing music.
I grew up in front of people. And there’s so much life that happens between the age of 15.
When I signed my first publishing deal to now being 24 years old, and having those years under my belt.
[25:41] And it’s been this continual journey of being a sponge and learning and soaking up the advice and wisdom of veteran songwriters and veteran creatives and people who’ve been in the industry for a long time.
And also the journey of what it means to find my individual voice as an artist, as somebody who wants to make music because she has something to say.
And Church Pew is the culmination of all of that.
There was something really special that happened when we made this record.
I took off almost a whole year from writing, from creating, to get my brain healthy again.
Prior to writing this record, I was in a really bad place with my mental health.
I was really depressed, and I didn’t know if I wanted to continue doing music because it beat me down.
The industry had been really tough on my brain. That’s the honest answer.
And so taking that year.
[26:39] Reconnecting with my faith and with God and finding that my value doesn’t come from the songs I write or the music that I make, but my value comes from being loved by the creator of the universe and being here for a purpose and a reason.
And that being said, Church Pew was very fulfilling and I love every single song on it and still connect to those songs every single day.
Tour Announcement[27:04] Well, Steph, she’ll actually be in Ohio in March. March on the Zach Graham store here in Ohio. Come on out. Y’all come hang.
Akron Civic Center. Very cool. Civic Theater. I’m sorry. Yes.
So that’s two hours away. We’re here in Columbus, Ohio. So that’s only two hours away for us. I love Columbus. I love Columbus.
You’ve been here? Yeah, of course. What led you to Columbus?
Touring. Being on the road, visiting different cities. But I really do.
I love Columbus. Lots of good food.
Such good food here. I’m surprised you say that because I’m just thinking when you’re on tour, you don’t actually get to see the city.
Because it’s like, basically you see the tour bus and the venue.
Yeah, you have to be intentional.
If you wanna get out, find a good cup of coffee, have a good meal.
That’s kind of our go-to. What’s the point in touring if you don’t get to see the places, the cultures, all the things? So yeah, I love getting out.
What’s been your favorite place to tour that you didn’t think you would enjoy it as much?
[28:00] Ooh, that’s a really good question.
Outside of the country, Slovakia. I really enjoyed Slovakia.
That was a really fun trip.
It was a really fun show.
And I learned so much about their culture.
It’s not that I didn’t expect to like it. I just knew nothing about Slovakia.
And I mean, within the states, there are so many hidden gems.
The smaller towns, the smaller cities that aren’t necessarily New York or L.A. or whatever.
Like Columbus. this. I feel like Columbus is one that you stumble upon and you’re like, wait, I didn’t know all this was here.
I didn’t know the food was so good. I didn’t know the coffee was so good.
I didn’t know it was so beautiful. So that happens all the time.
I would not have guessed Slovakia. I would not have guessed Slovakia either.
That would not have been on my top probably 100 list. Yeah, same. Same.
Social Media Info[28:54] Well, listeners, for more information about Riley, you can go to her social media pages on Instagram. It’s at Riley Clemens.
Her website is RileyClemens.com.
And like I just mentioned, she’s currently on the Zach Williams, a hundred highways tour. So please go check her out.
Well, Riley, you are fantastic.
Thank you so much for saying yes to Steph and I, we greatly appreciate this.
Of course. I am so excited to get to speak to you too.
And thanks for asking good, thoughtful questions and doing the research is always so pleasant. And yeah, thank you for taking the time.
Call to Action[29:29] Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcasts app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free.
And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
The post Episode 207: Riley Clemmons appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Mack Brock is a singer, songwriter, and the co-founder of Elevation Worship. If you attend a church with contemporary worship, you have probably been singing multiple songs that were written by this man.
Some stories include…
– What it was like to perform at Madison Square Garden.
– Meeting Pastor Steven Furtick for the first time.
– The tough decision to leave Elevation Church.
– What happened when he requested something to be stocked in his green room at an event.
– A funny fan interaction while touring with Phil Wickham.
– Growing up as a preacher’s kid and now having tattoos!
AND Kevin plays a hilarious joke on Steph during this conversation. Can’t wait for you to hear this interview with worship leader, Mack Brock.
Guest DetailsWebsite: mackbrock.com
Instagram: @MackBrock
Facebook: @MackBrockMusic
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
Facebook
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript HereTell Us A Good Story EP206Mack Brock from Elevation Worship discussed his career, songwriting, recent release, and upcoming performance with Tim Tebow on Tell Us a Good Story.2024, Team Mason
Tell Us A Good Story
Produced by Clawson Solutions Group, LLC https://csolgroup.com
Generated ShownotesChapters0:00:00 Introduction
0:01:18 Welcome to Tell Us a Good Story
0:01:56 Excitement Builds
0:08:13 Profound God Moment
0:10:08 Heartfelt Revelation
0:13:34 Hilarious Touring Tales
0:20:55 Award Show Mishap
0:22:45 Shameless Book Plug
0:24:11 Pre-Stage Rituals
0:26:09 Green Room Mishap
0:27:47 Closing Remarks
Long SummaryToday on Tell Us a Good Story, we had the pleasure of interviewing singer, songwriter, and co-founder of Elevation Worship, Mack Brock. Mack shared insights into his life, experiences, and career, including his journey as a worship leader and songwriter. He spoke about growing up as a pastor’s kid, his experiences leading worship at various venues, including Madison Square Garden, and touring with other notable artists. Mack also shared humorous anecdotes, like the time he mistakenly requested “ricotta” instead of “Ricola” in his green room.
Mack discussed his songwriting process, drawing inspiration from his life experiences as a parent, husband, and worship leader. He also shared memorable moments from his career, including recording “Here As In Heaven” in front of a crowd of 16,000. Mack mentioned his recent single release, “Just Like You’ve Always Done,” and his upcoming performance in Canton, Ohio with Tim Tebow.
Listeners were encouraged to check out Mack’s music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and his website. The interview showcased Mack’s authenticity, positive energy, and gratitude for his journey in music. The hosts, Kevin and Stephanie, shared their enthusiasm and engaged in light-hearted banter with Mack throughout the conversation, creating an infectious and joyful atmosphere.
Brief SummaryToday on Tell Us a Good Story, singer, songwriter, and Elevation Worship co-founder Mack Brock joined us, sharing insights into his life, career, and experiences. Mack discussed his journey as a worship leader, recalling moments from leading worship at Madison Square Garden and touring with renowned artists. He also delved into his songwriting process, drawing inspiration from personal experiences. Mack highlighted memorable career moments, like recording “Here As In Heaven” before a massive crowd. Additionally, he talked about his recent single release, “Just Like You’ve Always Done,” and an upcoming performance in Canton, Ohio with Tim Tebow. Mack’s authenticity, positivity, and gratitude shone through, creating a joyful atmosphere in the interview with hosts Kevin and Stephanie.
TagsTell Us a Good Story, Mack Brock, singer, songwriter, Elevation Worship, worship leader, Madison Square Garden, touring, songwriting process, career highlights, “Here As In Heaven”, single release, “Just Like You’ve Always Done”, performance, Canton Ohio, Tim Tebow, authenticity, positivity, gratitude, interview
TranscriptIntroduction[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story.
Today, we get to talk to a singer, songwriter, and co-founder of Elevation Worship, Mack Brock.
You guys, we actually got to meet Mack in person last week when he was at an event in Canton, Ohio.
We did, and thankfully, I don’t think you scared him too much with your bear hug. Oh, he was fine.
However, I was shocked to find out the number of songs this man has written that we actually sing in our own church.
I also found out that one of his songs now now has over 130 million views on YouTube, which is just insane, Kevin.
Plus, Mac shares a very funny story of what happened at an event when he requested to have something stocked in the green room.
And I pulled a joke on Steph during this conversation.
Which was awful. Which was hilarious. And I think listeners will love it.
You guys, we can’t wait for you to hear this episode with one of the best worship leaders in America, Mac Brock.
I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery.
Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis.
However, today we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.
And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day.
Welcome to Tell Us a Good Story[1:18] Welcome to Tell Us a Good Story.
[1:23] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please.
In our world, this is super, super important because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us.
And thank you for sharing our post across your social media.
That really helps with engagement and with us getting guests.
Yes. So, hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
Excitement Builds[1:56] This next guest. I’m so freaking excited. Incredibly talented.
Oh, you guys are so good. This is going to be great. Well, friends, our next guest is a singer, songwriter, and worship leader.
He’s widely known as one of the founding members of Elevation Worship before launching his own solo career back in 2018 with his debut album, Greater Things.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us a Good Story, Mr. Mack Brock. Oh, Mack Brock. Hey, hey.
What’s up? Thank you for joining us, sir. We are very, very excited to talk to you, as you can tell.
This is awesome. I’m super stoked to be talking with y’all as well.
Oh, good. Okay, so first off, I want to ask you, as a kid 30 years ago, what would your dad have said?
Of course, he’s a Baptist minister. What would he have said, Mac, if you had gone and said, Dad, someday I’m going to lead worship, up and I’m just going to do it in a t-shirt and hat.
And I’m going to have some Jordans on with tattoos.
What would he have said to you? He would have said, all right, as long as you don’t, like if I was a kid and said that he was like, as long as you don’t have tattoos, you’ll be good.
Then after the tattoos, he would have been like, okay, well, as long as you’re not wearing a hat, you’ll be good.
[3:09] So he would have gone down the list, but you know, my dad has come around.
We’ve had a lot of conversations over the years about all that stuff and my dad is fully supportive now.
Oh, that’s good. I can say my dad would have said, well, it sounds like you’re going to be part of the prison ministry if you’ve got tattoos.
[3:28] Exactly. Exactly. Now my mom has tattoos. I don’t know if that’s like public knowledge.
But yeah, she even came around and she has tattoos of like all the grandkids’ names. Aww.
Yeah, it’s kind of sweet. Look at Mac influencing his parents.
The influence he’s having. Hey, can you imagine if his dad shows up with a tattoo?
Hey, that’s not far. I don’t think, you know, maybe one day. We’ll see.
[3:51] Oh, that’s awesome. Hey, I want to know how many guitars you have.
Oh, yeah. Oh, most of them are back there. I’ve got a lot.
I don’t know what the exact number is. Maybe like a dozen.
Is your wife ever like, Mac, you got to stop? That’s enough.
Like you have a problem. You got this.
The biggest problem you don’t think about when you’re buying guitars is the cases are the things that take up the most space.
So in our garage i have like a full cabinet just of guitar cases that’s collecting dust because i just kind of like leave them out of their case the whole time but you know she’s she’s very supportive of me as well do you name your guitars good question oh no i don’t maybe i should i’ve never thought about that like people name their cars and stuff yeah it’s true i should have like my daughter my daughter’s good at naming things i should get her to name my guitar she would love that job.
That’s awesome. Okay. So I’ve seen pictures of you like performing on stage in front of thousands of people.
I think the one I saw Mac was Madison square garden.
[4:54] So what’s one of the coolest venues you’ve ever performed at on stage?
I mean, honestly, Madison Square Garden was probably one of the most surreal experiences just because, I mean, that venue is so iconic.
But then more so than that, not to like hyper-spiritualize it, but just to be in that venue with thousands of people like singing about Jesus was just really unique and special and such.
That wasn’t even like on my bucket list as like an option of my life like that.
You know, like bucket list things of like things that you might experience in your life. Like that wasn’t even on there because it wasn’t on my mind as an option.
So to experience that was like pretty surreal and special. What was your reaction when you found out you were booked from Madison Square Garden? Oh, gosh.
I think I texted the guys in the band and I was just like, this is pretty wild.
Like, you know, that whole tour, we just kind of felt like we were just along for the ride and got to experience so many cool things.
Okay. Have you ever Googled? Why did Mac Brock leave Elevation?
[5:58] Have you ever Googled that? Because that popped up when I was researching you, Mac.
I don’t think I’ve personally ever Googled that, but I get asked that a lot.
And I get a lot of people being like, hey, I know I’ve heard what you said, but what’s the real reason?
What’s the, you know, behind the scenes? Is it your wife?
Is that what it is, right? Yeah, they just always assume that I’m lying when I say, like, this is what the Lord felt like.
You know, this is what we felt like the Lord was calling us to do.
In other words, that’s it, right? Yeah. I mean, that’s it in the sense of it was like a wrestling match of us.
[6:37] When the Lord tells you to do something, a lot of times at first you’re like, is that God?
Is that really him? Or is that just a thought that pops in my head or something that I hate?
[6:48] And for the longest time, I was like, I don’t know if this is really what God wants us to do because we’re in a good place. And we like living in Charlotte and we like our community.
And so there was a lot of kind of wrestling back and forth.
And then ultimately, he gave us a lot of peace and felt like very clearly like, nope, this is what you’re supposed to do. And so we try to be obedient to that.
Was there any fear once you made that decision and you went on your own?
Like, did we make the right decision? God, I’m not hearing you right now. Don’t look back.
Yes, constant. I mean, I just had a conversation with a podcast called Faith Over Fear, and it was all about what you’re talking about, where there is so much fear.
I think any big decision that we make, you’re wondering, is this the right path for me? This is going to be like a life-changing decision. Is this, am I making a mistake?
[7:40] That’s a natural thing that comes along with it. But I will say when the Lord gives you peace and gives you like that transcendent peace in your spirit of like, this is where I have you, whatever decision you make, like I’ve got you, I’m taking care of you.
I’m ordering the steps in front of you.
Then there does come with a lot of like, okay, I might be nervous.
I might be stressed. I might have anxiety about this, but overall, I just have like a calmness in my spirit.
That’s what we felt like we’ve had for several years.
Profound God Moment[8:13] Out of all the times you’ve sang at big venues, small venues, what’s been your most memorable God moment?
[8:24] I actually have a very specific answer for this. Oh, good.
We were leading, this is when I was at Elevation, I was leading worship for one of our albums.
We were at, it’s called Spectrum Arena now, where the Hornets play.
And it was for this album called Wake Up the Wonder. And it was for a song called The King is Among Us.
Yes. Which I haven’t even led that song in years. But we’re leading that song.
And after the song, we just kind of had like a moment where we were just going to kind of see where the lord took it and and what happened in the room and and we didn’t even like do a lot of that stuff back then a lot of times i was producing the album so i was very much like here’s how the song goes we’ll start we’ll end and we’ll go on to the next song and we just had like this moment of like hey for this one song we’re just gonna see what happens and i was leading the song and just really had just a profound interaction with the holy spirit in that moment as like a worship leader, like leading that room.
And it really changed even just the trajectory of my life in the sense of I’ve been a worship leader for years and years and years, grew up leading worship.
[9:33] But leading worship was always like, that was always the path to be able to write songs or produce songs or make albums.
And worship leading kind of just like came with the territory.
It wasn’t the forefront of like what I was passionate about.
And in that moment, just the Lord really like changed my heart.
And since that moment, leading worship and being a worship leader has been like the highest calling that I’ve like gravitated towards and have been so grateful for. And it’s my favorite thing to do.
But it all kind of started with that moment and that experience that I had with him leading that song.
Heartfelt Revelation[10:08] All right, Steph, I’ve got a question for you.
What’s your favorite book of all time? Obviously, You Met Her Where?
Oh, I thought you were going to say the Bible. Oh, oops.
What’s your second favorite book of all time? You Met Her Where?
[10:27] A distant second. Totally distant. It’s a pretty good book. Sorry, God. It’s still a pretty good book.
But we’re so excited. Where can people get our book, honey? Okay, I know this.
Amazon.com. Yes. Barnes & Noble. Yes. And our website, kevinandsteph.com.
And what happens if they buy it off our website? What do they get?
An autograph from us. Yes. Who wouldn’t want that?
So listeners, if you’ve already read the book, thank you so much.
We’ve had such good feedback.
One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.
[11:06] Thing when you’re singing on these tours and you’ve sang the same song like 50 times every night are you just like oh i have to sing it again are you able to feel anything or is it almost you’re going through the motions do you have to jedi mind trick yourself like okay this is the first time i’ve ever sang this song right right well i mean i think that’s one of the things that i love about worship and that i’m so grateful that i get to lead worship songs because i do feel I feel like it is a new experience every time I lead it.
I’ve let the song do it again, I mean, thousands of times.
And I still get chill bumps when I lead it.
And I still feel like, man, something’s happening in this room, like in this song.
And so it doesn’t get old in that sense. I mean, there’s definitely times where you’re like tired or you’re kind of worn out. And you’re like, OK, I got to rally then.
I got to give myself a pep talk to do it.
[12:04] That’s one of the awesome things about worship music is that I do feel there’s just power in those experiences.
And when you’re interacting with the Holy Spirit in that way, it’s just going to be fresh every time, no matter how many times you’ve sang it. And so I am grateful for that.
Okay, Mac. So you don’t see this, but Steph and I, when we want to talk, we kick each other here underneath the table. All right.
[12:29] Steph is not letting me talk. All right. So we’re kicking each other right now, back and forth.
Like i would like to ask him something too like i would like to be part of this conversation too stuff you’re always telling me talk more i have so many questions for him okay so i love that so follow up to what you just said i grew up in a pentecostal church mac okay so they would sing the same song like time after time after time and he’s like oh okay like i guess we’re singing one song today at church right so right what is the longest you think you sang one song like at least 20 minutes probably right man yeah there there is a season just even when i was at elevation that we would live in a song and we would just like stay in it for what seemed like forever but again like it felt like i could live in this song for forever in this moment like i feel like this is like what we’re supposed to do but i mean yeah there’s definitely i’m sure that there are people in the congregation that were like all right let’s wrap Let’s wrap it up. Let’s wrap it up.
Hilarious Touring Tales[13:35] It’s time. It’s time. People are pointing to their watch and to the stage.
Like, let’s do this, Matt. You guys only practiced one song this morning?
I received what I was going to receive from the Lord 15 minutes ago. 10 minutes ago.
Yeah, let’s go. Let’s move on. Yeah.
Speaking of songs, where does your inspiration come from songwriting?
Are you in the shower? Are you working out?
Like, when do songs hit you? Are you just singing into your phone nonstop to record random ideas you’ve got?
There is a lot of that. There’s a lot of like, thank goodness for iPhones that you can sing into.
You get a melody and you can sing into it and then forget about it.
[14:14] I mean, I think a lot of times for me, life is the biggest thing, you know, that I’m writing about is what I feel like the Lord is teaching me in my life as a parent, as a dad, as a husband, as someone that’s trying to navigate the world.
I tried to disconnect and not view everything through the lens of like, that’ll make a great song.
Or that, you know, what he’s trying to teach me, I tried to just like receive it as this is what he’s trying to teach me now for like my life.
But inevitably, there are things that he’ll deposit into me that I’ll have to tuck away and be like, Oh, I should write about that or I should, you know, I should kind of put that to the side and a song will come out of it.
I’m so glad, Steph, you’re not a songwriter because every conversation we’d have, you’d be like, oh, you know what?
That would make a good song. One thousand percent. What you just did, that dumb idea.
Yeah, that’s going to be a great song. One thousand percent.
I’ve never used that as like in an argument with my wife.
I’m writing this down. Yeah, I’m writing this down. I haven’t used that yet.
[15:18] All right, Mac. Mac. So for all of our guests, I like to give a list of fun facts to let listeners know what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished.
Okay. And Steph is not aware of any of these.
So you’re going to see her genuine reaction on these.
So keep me honest. If any of these are off, correct me, let me know.
Okay. But this is going to spurn some conversation, some good stories.
Okay. So Steph, you ready for this? Yep.
All right. Fun fact number one, like myself, himself mac grew up a pastor’s kid as his dad was a pastor of gateway baptist church he’s been there for over 30 years now in south carolina he was a fellow pk so mac any good church camp stories from your childhood being a kid growing up in the church did y’all have ras ras was royal ambassadors.
[16:06] Uh yeah oh don’t get my wife started mac don’t get me started on this yeah so it was that was That was the thing that I grew up going to.
That was almost like Boy Scouts for Christian kids. Christian kids, yes. For church kids.
Yes. And so, yeah, I grew up going to Camp McCall.
[16:22] The big thing that we did every year was have like a derby car race.
That was like the blocks of wood that you cut to make a derby car.
And so I was so bad at building those cars.
But I was an artist. And so I would just try to always win the coolest looking car.
But it always wrecked and it always was the slowest one and i never won anything well kevin won camp king at his okay okay two times well that’s like prom king but it’s exactly my husband was so proud of this no i know no i was a pack rat he’s so proud of this crown we are literally married and i dig out a box he has his camp crown i still have it i still have the king so yeah that got pitched like right after we got married along with along with all my rocky posters and stuff and yeah that went out the dumpster i wasn’t i wasn’t like an athletic kid i didn’t have any trophies growing up but i i won a couple of church camp trophies when i was in first and second grade that I swear like I kept those in my room all growing up.
Those are the only trophies I had to look forward to.
[17:39] All right, Steph. Fun fact number two.
As one of the founding members of Elevation Worship, Mac and his wife, Meredith, who they’ve now been married for over 17 years, moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to help start the worship team at Elevation Church.
Before that, Mac spent a year studying music at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Shut up!
No! Wait, here in Ohio?
Hold on. Mac, seriously? Wait, are you, wait, is this not a fun fact?
Is that not real? Is this real?
Is this real? Okay, I just made that up. Oh! That part is not real.
I was trying to figure out, like, hold on. Is he playing a trick or is he just having fun?
Kevin, are you serious right now? Mac, I was expecting a reaction from my wife, but. You got it. You got it.
I’m so mad right now. Is that where you went to school? Yes.
So you were very close to being Steph’s new best friend right there.
Hey, we can still be best friends. I could have hugged you. It was going to happen.
Are you serious? That was so natural. He did not go there. I’m sorry.
I’m sorry. Sorry, but I’m not, you know, I might not talk the rest of the time.
So you turn off your microphone.
[18:46] No more kicking. Exactly. I’m still staying here. Okay. Before you move there, what were you doing?
So I was going to school at University of South Carolina. Okay.
And so funny looking back when me and my wife first got married, I was in school.
She was working at my dad’s church. church but almost as soon as we got married i moved to california to do an internship for school, because i wanted to do like uh music for tvs and movies and so i moved we got married and then three months later i moved across the country she stayed in south carolina oh my gosh and i went to california for this internship and so the first like six months of our marriage we were living on opposite sides of the country.
And then I came back and I was going to go finish school. And then our goal was like to move to LA.
And instead we moved to Charlotte and the Lord just kept us here.
Wow. Okay. So how did you end up meeting Pastor Stephen Furtick then when he invites you to work there?
Yeah, I was. So when I was living in South Carolina, I was still like leading worship.
I was in school, but I would lead worship at events or conferences and stuff and just happened to be leading worship at an event that he was preaching at.
He had just started the church, and we were talking a lot about it.
And shortly after that, I would start driving up to Charlotte on the weekends because they didn’t have a worship leader on staff and lead there occasionally.
And then we moved up there.
[20:14] I just realized I totally ruined this because I could say Mac is running for president of the United States, and you’re not going to give the same reaction.
No, you’re not. You totally ruined it.
Oh my God, that’s cool too.
So sorry. So down here. Right. Sorry. Like that’s as good as you’re going to get.
[20:37] All right, Steph. For 10 years, Mac was on staff at the megachurch led by Pastor Stephen Furtick.
During that time, Mac co-penned some of Elevation’s earliest hits like Oh Come to the Older, Resurrecting, and Do It Again, which, by the way, as of yesterday, had over 131 million views on YouTube.
Award Show Mishap[20:56] Oh, man. So many questions here. First off, when you have that many people that you know are watching your videos, are you ever like, man, I wish I would have wore something else?
[21:08] Oh, yeah. I don’t know if I’ve ever really even thought about it.
That is a lot of people. That’s a lot of views. Did you know that?
That’s just on one video. No, I didn’t. Mac? Yeah, I didn’t know it was that many.
I haven’t watched that video in so long. Like, it’s been forever.
Yeah. Any of those videos. And so I’m sure if I went back and watched them now, I might cringe a little bit or be like, man, I wish I had done that.
I wish I had more than that.
But yeah, I haven’t thought about it in a long time. You know what’s funny?
When Kevin was researching you and we were talking about you this morning, we were playing your music. He’s like, we do this at Praise and Worship.
I didn’t know this was you.
We’ve done all the Praise and Worship. I didn’t know that was you either.
That’s awesome. I love that. So his song, O Come to the Altar, received multiple nominations for Billboard Music Award and GMA Dove Award for Song of the Year.
So did you go to any award shows back then?
Yes. Yeah, we went to some of the Dove Award shows. But I think every time that I was there, we lost. Okay. So you jinxed yourself.
Yes. Okay. Are you self-aware? Like, hey, the camera’s probably on us right now. Do not act furious if they do not call our name.
How does that work? I think that we genuinely, we were like, this is just fine.
We’re grateful to be here. That was our mentality.
[22:28] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it.
Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where.
But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas.
Shameless Book Plug[22:46] Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com.
And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want.
And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
All right, Steph, next fun fact. In addition to touring with Elevation Worship, Mac has toured with other artists like Cody Karnes, Phil Wickham, Josh Baldwin, For King & Country, Brandon Lake, and Hillsong United. What?
[23:14] So, I’m sure I’m missing several, okay? But, Mac, do you have any good touring stories from going on the road with those guys? any weird, interesting fan interactions?
I mean, touring is such an interesting thing because you’re just living on a bus and you’re going from city to city and it’s just a weird pace of life.
Your schedule’s all off.
I do remember vividly for some reason being in a Q and A situation, where it’s before the concert.
[23:44] And this one person was very locked in on what our thoughts were about Kanye West releasing a Christian album.
And he was almost like, I couldn’t even tell if he was offended by Kanye or what, or if he was, y’all should be offended by him.
So what are your thoughts on this? It was just like, it was with me and Phil Wick and we were in that thing.
And I think we were both just like, hey, I don’t know what you want from us right now.
Pre-Stage Rituals[24:11] But don’t we don’t really have like a super strong opinion yeah what would you like me to say right now go ahead yeah you tell me what you want me to say okay before you guys take the stage do you or anybody you twerk with have something like weird that they have to do before they take the stage i like to kind of just like be by myself right beforehand you know and just kind of like either have my airpods in or just kind of getting a little bit of like a zone but it’s nothing i’m I’m not eating any sort of like crazy meal or I’m not doing any sort of like jumping jacks, but yeah, it’s kind of boring stuff.
Okay, okay, okay, okay. You said something about eating. Do you have a specific card or something where the venue has to have like certain fruit available to you? Peanut M&Ms. Yes, a certain candy available.
Like what’s your like card that they have for you?
The only thing that I ask for is like cough drops.
[25:08] Like literally, like that’s like the biggest thing. this is actually kind of a funny story i was leading worship for this event they texted me and said hey is there anything specifically that you could you want in your green room and i just said some ricola like the ricola coffee the cough drop yep and so i was like just as long as y’all have ricola i’ll be good so i get to the event and they have ricotta cheese homemade ricotta cheese And I went back and looked that my iPhone had auto-corrected Ricola to Ricotta.
Oh, no. So it was definitely on me still.
[25:47] And they were just like, yeah, we know you like Ricotta. And you had it handmade.
One of the ladies from the church makes it. And I was just like, oh, my gosh.
It was just like a – but they had so much of it. And they were like, yeah, we thought that was a weird request, but we didn’t want to question it.
Oh, you’re like, thank you so much. God bless you. Thank you so much.
This is exactly what I needed.
Green Room Mishap[26:10] This is what my voice needs, what my throat needs before I perform.
Absolutely. I’ll take something to go on this tour bus.
Yeah, because there’s plenty of places to store it on the bus. Right.
All right, Steph. In 2016, Here As In Heaven was recorded at a worship event in Charlotte that drew a capacity crowd of over 16,000 people.
So I’ve seen a picture of you on stage, right? Like I said, Madison Square Garden, all that. But let’s do the opposite.
What is a random place that you’ve gone, whether it’s like a county fair or a community event, you’re just like, how did I get here?
I mean, especially like starting out, like I’ve led worship on so many like truck beds.
Oh, really? You know, like just out in the middle of nowhere where it’s just like, let’s set up a couple of speakers and do your thing.
I lead worship at my kid’s chapel a lot. Oh, nice. which is always fun and humbling when you’re staring at a bunch of middle schoolers that are not interested in singing along.
Max, like, what do you mean you guys don’t have a smoke machine here?
[27:14] Where are the lasers at? How are we going to keep these kids’ attention? Yes.
[27:21] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a coworker, or share one of our posts on social media.
However, if you don’t like what you’re hearing, please do not.
Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anybody.
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Yep. Go on with your merry day.
And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com.
Closing Remarks[27:47] Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
All right, final fun fact. Mac recently released his newest single titled Just Like You’ve Always Done, which is a first with Centricity Music.
And next month, Mac will be performing in Canton, Ohio.
We’re here in Columbus, by the way. So that’s like an hour and a half from us, Mac.
So he’ll be performing at the Center for Performance at Hall of Fame Village with Tim Tebow. Yeah.
No way! How do you know Tim Tebow? I mean, we’ve done a handful of events together.
And I should know what this event is for.
But I just know that it’s an event that he’s putting on.
Back of a truck bed. It’s on the back of a truck, Brad. Yep, yep. In the middle of the afternoon.
[28:33] No, yeah. I’m very excited about it. I love, like, anytime I get to do anything with him, like, I’m grateful for it.
Are you ever just like, God, how did my life get here?
Like I’m touring with King & Country. I’m with Phil Wickham. I’m now with Tim Tebow.
Like, are you just like, God, how did this happen? Thank you for my bodyguard of Tim Tebow here in front of me.
I mean, like I said earlier, like so much of my life, I feel like I’m just along for the ride.
Like I’m like so grateful for it and just one step in front of the other.
And when me and my wife, we often like look back and we’ll list out all the things like positive things that might have happened throughout the year.
We’ll just kind of list it out so we have it on record.
And there’s so many things that we’re just like, man, oh yeah, I forgot that that happened. I forgot that this happened. What a blessing.
And we’re very grateful.
Okay. So tell listeners then more about what you’re currently doing and where they can get your music.
So I’m actually in the middle of recording an album right now.
I’m releasing singles along the way. I’ve got a new song called Magnify that’s out right now.
And so, I mean, You can find me all the normal places for music, Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, all that stuff.
And then I’m on Instagram and TikTok and all that stuff too.
Most of the time, my Instagram is just pictures of my kids though.
[29:53] Well, listeners, like he said, for more information about Mac, you can go to social media pages. Instagram is at Mac Brock.
Facebook is at Mac Brock Music. And then his website is MacBrock.com.
And we’ll put links to those in our show notes on our website.
So you can click on it and go right to it.
Well, Mac, you are fantastic. Thank you so much for coming on here with Steph and I on Tell Us Good Story. Thank you for doing this.
This is so fun. Like y’all’s energy is awesome. I love, I just love getting to hang with y’all for a bit.
It’s rare that it’s like the energy level is infectious like y’all.
So thank y’all for being that.
Friends we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this whether it’s on the apple podcast app iheart radio spotify or one of the other platforms you guys it’s completely free and while you’re there feel free to give us a rating or a nice review thank you for listening to tell us a good story.
The post Episode 206: Mack Brock appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Like every fifth episode, Kevin + Steph share their own personal stories with you, and this week they are joined by Tell Us A Good Story’s very first guest, Joe Muck!
Four years ago, Joe had no idea what he was getting himself into when he agreed to record a conversation with Kevin + Steph. However since that episode aired, Joe has been approached by multiple 6th grade students and parents asking him if he used to be a professional wrestler named “Fu-Manchu-Man”! It’s a great story that will not go away!
And Joe’s son, Zeke, is getting married in a few weeks, so what a perfect time to teach Zeke what NOT to do when you get married. Also, Kevin shares what NOT to ever…never EVER…say to your spouse.
Also, Kevin + Steph give an update on some of the exciting guests coming up on Tell Us a Good Story PLUS what one of the guests invited them to do.
We can’t wait for you to hear this week’s episode with their good friend, Joe Muck.
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
Access the Show Transcript HereTell Us A Good Story EP2052024, Team Mason
Tell Us A Good Story
Produced by Clawson Solutions Group, LLC https://csolgroup.com
Transcript[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story.
Today, like every fifth episode, it’s Steph and I sharing our own stories with you. And today we’re telling stories with our good friend, Mr.
Joe Muck. You guys, Joe was actually the very first guest of Tell Us a Good Story four years ago.
And it’s hilarious what has happened since we recorded that very first episode with him. I think he thought there might only be three people who would ever listen to that episode.
Well, little did he know, a bunch of his sixth grade students each year listen to that episode and ask him if he was actually a professional wrestler during college.
Also, Joe Sunzik is getting married here soon, and we’re so excited.
And in honor of him, we’re going to share some stories about what not to do when you get married.
And what not to say to your wife when you get married. Exactly.
Friends, we can’t wait for you to hear all of these stories with our friend, Joe Muck.
I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery.
Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis.
However, today, we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.
And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day.
Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.
[1:24] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review five stars, please.
In our world, this is super, super important, because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us.
And thank you for sharing our post across your social media that really helps with engagement and with us getting guests.
Yes. So hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna. Yes!
Please share us with your friends. But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
[1:56] Steph? Oh my gosh! It’s happening! The OG is back, baby!
Okay, she just lit up like a Christmas tree right there, Joe.
I was not expecting that. I was not either. That was an elevated energy right there.
Even for stuff. When I said we’re recording, it was like… I’m ready.
You’re ready to do this. I’m so freaking excited. It’s been a while. He’s back.
[2:19] Episode 205. And tonight we have our good friend, Mr. Joe Muck. Joe Muck’s here. Yes.
Thank you. All right. So you were, I think, our very first guest on Tell Us a Good Story. I think you were episode three.
And on that, one of the stories you had was a food man, chew man, where we talked about how Steph and I made up a lie for you and you told us how gullible your students are and you’re a sixth grade math teacher right and you said hey make up a lie and I guarantee you I can convince my kids of whatever and so we came up with that you’re a professional wrestler getting through college called Fu Manchu man we recorded it and since then you’ve had a ton of people ask if you were a professional wrestler so since last time you’re mostly 12 year year olds so since you’re on with us say a year ago have you had any more situations oh yeah so every year my students will try to find info about me online okay like just google search but i’m very very careful so it’s very difficult to find any of my address or anything like that criminal mugshots and stuff yeah that all yeah yeah that’s all been erased.
[3:30] So the only thing that usually always the first thing that pops up is an image from that episode of me that you know the picture you guys used to promote that episode and so they see that they they start reading about it a bunch of them have listened to the episode then and then they’ll come in and ask me about it and yeah that’s even though in the story i think we’ve talked about this one other time maybe but you know the end of the story is me revealing of course He was lying to children.
Yeah, it’s all made up. And again, most of them still come back in.
Like, were you really a wrestler?
To put yourself through college?
[4:05] After they’ve listened to the story. So, do you say, yes, I was?
Sometimes, yeah. I’ll totally just play it off.
That’s way more fun. I love it. So, yeah. You guys have a lot of young fans. Apparently.
So, the other day, Emmy, just this past week, came home and said that one of her teachers had said that episode 80 had popped up on her phone and so she listened to episode 80 was with you and our buddy adam and it was the one where it was going through your accident you would you had fallen you were on stilts you’re working construction in college yeah and you’d hit your head you messed up your leg and when they were willing you know i guess in the surgery every 30 seconds you would you hop up and be like oh my gosh my leg right yeah and then you had short short-term memory loss so that you would pass out after you saw your leg, then 30 seconds later you’d wake up forgetting what just happened, Oh my gosh, my leg. Yeah, same thing. Like dozens of times.
[5:02] So Emmy’s teacher literally went to her and said, I was laughing and ha-ha-ing out loud at your parents and their friends, episode 80, talking about that.
You know what’s cool? I was at the school last week and another person came up to me.
She’s like, I’m starting to work out and I’m listening to your guys’ podcast while I’m working out. I’m like, oh, that’s amazing.
Which one did you listen to? And she’s like, the one from Myrtle Beach when you and your husband got in a fight with him not tailing your parents close enough.
And I’m like, I love it. I’m like, but you agree he was in the wrong.
We all know that. She agreed.
[5:39] She did it because I had to go. Okay. There we go. I felt that she agreed with me. Okay.
So, Jo, since the food man, shoe man, have you told any big lies to your kids?
Any other, I guess, fictitious tales you’ve had for your sixth grade math kids?
Okay, so we did the story challenge that you guys came up with.
Yes. I think three times, if I remember right. Yes. And it’s been a long time ago.
Like all those kids are in college. Adults now, right? Adults, yeah. So the first one was Fu Manchu Man.
Yep. Where we said, you’re a professional wrestler, like in the minor leagues, and your name is Fu Manchu Man because you had a yellow mustache, right? Yeah.
Second one was what you… Plane crash survivor.
Plane crash survivor, yes. And the third one was you were in a hunting accident.
In a bear trap. Yeah, you got your leg caught in a bear trap.
Right. Yeah, so since then, I haven’t intentionally told any stories where it was all just made up.
Okay. Just see how gullible the kids are. But sometimes situations just present themselves.
[6:36] You can’t help yourself. I mean, I like my job a lot, and this is one of the things that can make it fun. Lying to kids. Yeah, lying to children.
[6:45] It’s very entertaining. I mean, it is for me. It’s one of the perks of the job.
So the other day, I had to go down to the office right at the beginning of the day, like right when we would be taking attendance to relay a message to our secretary and, And as I’m passing another co-worker’s room, I hear him talking to a kid.
And he says these words, which every teacher knows what this means.
Do you need to take the trash can with you?
So this kid is sick. He’s about to throw up maybe.
So I was already going that way. And so I said, hey, I’ll carry the trash can for him. And you could tell, I mean, this kid looked really miserable. Yes.
So we’re going down the hallway. I’m checking on him. He’s like, I think I’m going to make it. We get all the way down. I hand him off to the nurse.
Did your job. You’re done. I did my job. I relayed my message to the secretary.
I’m going back. Take the trash can back to the other classroom.
And I walk in. And the teacher of that class looks at me and he was like, did he make it? And I was like, he didn’t make it. Oh.
And all the kids are like, oh, like a low grumbling noise. And I’m standing there with the trash can.
And a couple of them noticed this. Okay. Most of them aren’t paying much attention at this point.
And then you could hear a few of them. And I saw them looking at me.
And I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I just go and I put the trash can down in the corner.
And that teacher wasn’t sure if I was messing or not.
[8:02] And we’re good buddies. We joke a lot. But he wasn’t sure himself.
Well, on my way down, this was, again, early in the morning.
So there were only like two, three pieces of paper in the bottom of this trash bag.
And there was an almost empty juice container from breakfast from the cafeteria with a little bit of grape juice on it.
Okay. So as I saw that, thoughts started thundering around in my head.
And I decided to pour the remnants of this little grape juice across those pieces of paper to get them wet and of course it looked kind of reddish okay so after having the trash can I was like look down in the trash can all the kids are like oh just that I’m looking in there I grabbed that paper oh no like literally some of the liquid is like running down the paper and it’s red and they’re like oh.
[8:48] And I’m like, yeah, don’t worry about it. Don’t worry. I’m like not actually touching it. You know, I’m just touching the paper, whatever.
And they’re just losing it. And the teacher’s over there looking at me like, what are you doing, Mr. Buck? Right.
[9:00] And another like 30 seconds or whatever goes by. Some of the kids are like staring at me.
What’s going on? Why is he still in here? And then I kind of hold my hand up towards my face and I start sniffing my fingers. Oh, no.
I said, I think he had strawberries for breakfast.
And then you have kids that are like holding their stomachs and just grossing everybody oh they’re so freaking out about this totally grossed out and i was like don’t worry about it it’ll be okay so then i finally like yeah hey i’m gonna take off and leave so i knew as soon as i left they were all going to be like talking about it everything yes which was fantastic so a couple periods later uh it was my free period and i was relaying this little story to another teacher in the hallway and she walked back to get her class started and i thought well here’s another little opportunity because some of those kids were in that first class okay now they’re in this other class a couple periods later so i go in there i said hey kids listen uh i’m not feeling the greatest i think i’m gonna go home at lunchtime but your math test for today is still on like in the afternoon and like as soon as i finish this one kid’s like well it’s probably because you You reached your hand into the trash can, and you pulled out the vomit-covered paper, and then you were, like, smelling your hand.
And then all the kids, of course, that didn’t know the story are, like, incredulous. You know, they’re kind of like, what did he do?
[10:24] So, you know, we had some fun with it. Again, when that opportunity presented itself to me, and I just had that weird random thought hit my head, And I was like, eh, sure, we’re going to just pretend this kid vomited and pour some grape juice onto the papers to make it work.
So, again, fun job.
All right, Steph, I’ve got a question for you. What’s your favorite book of all time? Obviously, You Met Her Where.
Oh, I thought you were going to say the Bible. Oh, oops.
What’s your second favorite book of all time? You Met Her Where?
[11:04] Thank you.
A distant second totally distant it’s pretty good book sorry god it’s still a pretty good book but we’re so excited where can people get our book okay i know this uh amazon.com yes barnes noble yes and and our website kevinsteff.com and what happens if they buy it off our website what do they get uh an autograph from us yes who wouldn’t want that so listeners if you’ve already read the book thank you so much we’ve had such good feedback one thing that helps us if you can give us a review on amazon.com we would greatly appreciate it thank you so much and thank you for listening so joe i’ve got a couple stories to share tonight one is i want to share what happened when your daughter zayler came over to our house at christmas two months ago okay so your daughter zayler is 19 is that right yeah 19 years old she’s a freshman at high high university right and we loved it that she wanted to hang out with us so she spent the night uh one weekend with us when she was home for christmas break kids are super excited to spend time with zayler so when they got here our five-year-old son tate went to zayler and started telling her.
[12:15] The house rules of the mason household here but it was like his rules right okay so he goes over to zayler and i just happened to walk in the room he’s like listen when you’re watching tv here do not and i repeat like do not buy anything you will get in so much trouble like he was he was very concerned like like look at me like i think he grabbed her face like listen do not buy anything on the tv you will get in so much trouble you don’t even want to know, Then he goes, listen, Zayler, when you go potty, when you’re done, just yell for my mommy and daddy, and they’ll come wipe you.
[12:57] She was like, excuse me? That is like full service. We still do that at our house.
[13:06] It’s better than a hotel. Here at the Mason house. So it was so funny.
He was going through all the house rules for Zayler, and she was very kind just to listen and laugh along. Oh, yeah.
So your son Zeke is here.
And his fiancee, Lauren. And they’re getting married here in about six weeks.
51 days. 51 days. Let us know. 51 days.
So Zeke was our ring bearer. Yes. Almost 20 years ago, Steph, in our wedding.
And it’s so sweet because now Lauren and Zeke asked Tate Mann to be their ring bearer. So I’m just like, oh, it just blessed my heart so much.
We actually were talking about that on the way up.
Were you? Just what a cool, yeah, full circle experience that has turned out to be. Very amazing. It’s so cool.
And it’s so nice. So in honor of Zeke, let’s talk about, Steph, what not to do when we get married. Love this. You love these stories.
Love this. Okay. So what story pops to your mind when it talks about what not to do when we get married?
[14:07] Probably one of them would be my hair. Okay. So we had just gotten married.
This is the first month of our marriage, Joe. First month. First month.
Yep. and I had been blonde forever and I’m like, let me like change it up and go dark.
It’s going to be healthier for my hair. I want it to be shiny.
And when you say forever, forever as long as I had known you for two and a half years, you had been a blonde. Yes.
I was used to blonde. I love blonde. I fell in love with a blonde. You did. You did.
You didn’t fall in love with a person? You fell in love with my hair?
So let’s change it as soon as you get married.
Yes. I just wanted to switch it up. I’m like, this will be fun.
[14:44] And I went to my hairdresser. She’s amazing. She did it.
And she’s like, oh, this looks really good. Brings out your eyes because I have blue eyes.
And I’m like, oh, I can’t wait to show Kevin. And I was a little nervous that I was going to show Kevin.
Apparently, Kevin loved me for my hair is what I realized when I showed him.
No. she came home and was like surprise and here’s what is not the proper response the proper response is not who did this to you that is not the proper response joe and here’s the context before we’d gotten married i had a friend say hey listen just so you know when when you get married things are going to change like what do you mean right he’s like it’s just much different he’s like first thing is your wife’s probably gonna want to be changing a lot of stuff about you and about the the house.
He’s like, you’re probably going to be so busy. You’re not going to be working out anymore. Kevin, you’re probably gonna get weight. Just expect you’re going to turn into a big fat guy. Right.
That’s basically what he was telling me. He’s like, also your wife, she’s going to change her hair. She’s going to change her hairstyle.
She’s going to have one of those mom cuts.
And I’m like, no, no, no, that’s not going to happen. So first month into our marriage, Steph comes home, has completely different hairstyle, different hair color.
And that’s what kind of set me off. Yeah. It freaked me out.
Like, oh my gosh, he was right.
Everything is changing now. And you didn’t have a heads up. You didn’t tell them. No. Oh, okay. Surprise. Oh, boy.
[16:08] She just came home like, who did this to you?
That was not a good. That was not the proper response. That was not the proper response.
No. That’s not how we should do that. I think I cried and called Michelle to have her talk me down.
Stephanie actually made the exact same mistake, except I just went bald.
[16:26] But when I first got married, I had a nice head of hair. Did you?
Yes. Oh, yeah. Yeah, gorgeous. Sort of curly, yeah.
You didn’t know this stuff? I had no clue. We’re going to have to find some pictures. You know he had a full head of hair? No. Oh, yeah.
Like, I would love to see that. Oh, we’ll do that. We can pull up some pictures.
Interesting. But in the end, that’s a shock to the system. The first time I shaved my head, you know what I’m saying?
Yeah. You don’t know what yourself, like, what you’re going to look like. So that’s scary enough.
What made you shave your head? I was going bald.
You’re like, we’re not having… Oh, yeah. I was not a hanger on her.
No. As soon as it was thinning… You’re done. You did it. Yeah.
Okay. Did you tell your wife? My sister at the time. Did you surprise her?
Yeah. No, she knew. Okay. She knew it was coming. Right.
[17:12] So my birthday from our first year of marriage is another thing that still stands out because I love birthdays. I love Christmas. I love birthdays.
They just make me happy. And I didn’t realize how important birthdays were to you at the time.
So important. I didn’t realize your parents had just what they had done for your birthdays.
They made it a big deal for your kids. Mom and dad made it such a big deal.
Like my birthday is literally five days after Christmas.
And mom was so conscious of that. Like she didn’t want it to be like, oh, we just had Christmas.
Here’s a birthday party, which it was nothing. No, she made it super special.
So I’m assuming the very first year of marriage, my husband’s going to make it super special. It’s going to be amazing.
[17:53] Because that’s how my parents did it for me, Joe. I mean, yes, they made a big deal out of our birthdays. Did they?
No. No? Just like, you’re 10, 13, 16.
Really? 18, yeah. But not like, I’m turning 20.
No. But as an adult, your parents made you feel very, very special. Yes.
Because of my birthday. Yes. Yes. I mean, once I got 18, it’s like…
You’re done. I wouldn’t say you’re done, but I mean, it’s different.
[18:18] It’s different. Well, my parents made it special. Your mama still makes you a pie. She does. And it’s delicious. I love your birthday pie.
So anyways, I’m expecting… Like, he never asked me what I want for dinner, what I want for my birthday cake, what I want for my birthday.
I’m like, oh, he’s going to surprise me. And it is going to be amazing.
I surprised you. Oh, you sure did. It is now six or seven o’clock at night.
I haven’t had anything special. There’s no cake involved.
[18:48] And I’m not going to mention it because now I am being, what’s the word?
Dramatic. I’m not dramatic.
Maybe a little bit. But I was like, I’m going to prove a point.
Like, this is my birthday. And I was like, no, he’s going to surprise me.
First year of marriage. He’s going to surprise me at the very end where I’m getting ready for bed.
And you were one of those people who didn’t think you should work on your birthday.
No. Either. No, you don’t work on your birthday. That’s not me. Wow. That is not me.
But to be fair, I’m a nurse.
At that point, I was in the hospital. So I worked three days a week.
So I had the option of not working on my birthday. In my world, that’s never an option.
Yeah. That I’m working on my birthday. Unless it falls on a weekend.
Totally. I’m working. But as a nurse, it’s a perk.
I don’t work on my birthday. so it’s like six seven o’clock at night and Kevin’s like oh gotta get home from work yes at six or seven o’clock at night it was a weekend it was on like a Saturday or a Friday do you want to validate that because I will look up right now if that was on a weekend yeah all right let’s check December 30th 2004.
[19:51] It was a Thursday. Okay. So I get home. No, no, no. So here’s the thing.
I guarantee you probably took a half a day. No. Because that week after Christmas to New Year’s, you didn’t work that much.
Right? I don’t know. Back then, early in my career, I probably did.
You might have. You might have.
So I guarantee I got home. All right. I had it planned with Steph.
But Joe, I forgot to wrap her gift.
Big no-no. I found out with Steph, it is, you’ve got to wrap the gift.
It can’t be in. It cannot be in Christmas wrapping paper. Yes.
That has since changed. Has to be in birthday wrapping paper. At that time, yes.
And at that time, don’t put it in like a bag and just hand it to her. No.
[20:29] So I didn’t do any of that. No, no. You know what he did? I still had it in the store bag.
He still had it in the store bag. He swung it in a circle like a lasso and threw it. And I was like, seriously?
She caught it across the room. Wait, obviously I caught it. So that didn’t impress her.
That was not impressive. Second thing is, Joe, I got her a ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. In a bag?
Not in a bag, but for her dessert. Yes. Okay, so I didn’t get birthday cake.
I got her an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen because I love ice cream cake from Dairy Queen.
And I had never met anybody in my life who did not like ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. So I’m like, she’s going to love this.
So I bought this sheet cake from the freezer and that is not what she wanted.
And I was totally confused. So here’s the deal.
He basically got me a birthday of everything he wanted.
Right. So he got me a bag. Inside the bag was a Buckeye shirt, which he loves. That’s what I was going to ask.
Then he got himself an ice cream cake. So that was where the confusion came.
We were going to share the ice cream cake.
Like, it’s going to be an amazing birthday. Yes. And I was confused because how do you not like this ice cream cake?
Everybody loves Dairy Queen ice cream. Everyone loves it. But it wasn’t your favorite dessert. It wasn’t what you were expecting.
Yes. I was coming at it from my perspective of, hey i love yeah i love this so i know my wife is going to love this.
[21:50] So that’s what I was thinking in my mind, because I love this. You’re going to love it.
Guarantee. And that’s not it. But you know what’s interesting now?
Being married almost 20 years, I could not care less if you got me a cake.
But in fact, this year, let me talk about what you did this year for my birthday.
This year, Kevin, as you all know, loves to shop for himself at Christmas.
So he’s been buying stuff on an L.L. Bean credit card so he gets points so he can get free things.
It’s very smart. It’s Kevin. And L.L. Bean’s credit card gives humongous bonuses.
They do. So that’s why. So he’s like, Seth, for your birthday, I have all of this money.
You pick something from the catalog that you want for your birthday.
So I did, and I showed him. And on my birthday, I got nothing that I picked out. From L.L. Bean. From L.L. Bean.
So when I told you, I was like, wait. You were confused. I was so confused.
I got you stuff, but you said, I thought you were going to get me something from L.L. Bean. I thought it was a done deal. Yeah. And I said, why would you think that?
And then you refresh my memory. Hey, remember that time you came to me with a catalog and I picked out a handful of things?
Yep. It was like, that was the first time I’d ever heard of this.
Like, what are you talking about? And then later on, I realized, yes, that’s exactly what I did.
So I totally messed that up. Totally fine. My bad.
[23:09] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it.
Very good. Good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where.
But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas.
Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com.
And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want.
And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
How about this? Let’s talk about things not to say to your spouse after you get married. Joe, what’s one thing you shouldn’t say to a spouse?
Oh, my goodness. I mean, I’ve been told many times I’m pretty much the perfect husband.
[23:56] So this is going to be a tough one for you. I’ve been married for almost 24 years with a four-year break in between.
So that’s literally half of my life.
24 years of marriage is half of my life. so yeah.
[24:10] I don’t i’m pretty sure i’ve never messed you got it figured out so things not to say yes to your spouse one don’t ever ever no say relax or calm down no i found that out you never say that it is like pouring gasoline on a fire 1000 it is the opposite of relax and calm down yes it would have been better for me to say hey why don’t you freak out on me right now that would have that would actually calm the situation down more and say calm down or relax why is that a universal thing with women’s stuff you just you just can’t say it no like i i don’t know what it is but we try to have conversations with men and i think we’re coming from a spot like we want to get along with you we love you so if we’re getting fired up it’s probably because y’all aren’t listening to us and we’re getting more and more fired up and you’re like i don’t want to talk about this right now we’re like no we’re not done talking about this right now and then if you like start to walk away then that fires us up and then it bends when the moment when you’re like you just need to calm down and then i’ve i’ve hit the point i am mount vesuvius i’m erupting because you just told me to calm down all i wanted to do is have.
[25:23] A conversation i think that’s what it is but it’s universal so if i could give your son some advice don’t ever tell your wife relax or calm down never ever does that help the situation no it would be like for us like you and i kevin sometimes are let’s say a lack of temper control self-control especially if like we’re doing one of those really fun like house projects or something like that yeah you start perfect you start to throw the hammer across.
[25:49] The workshop or something you know if stephanie were to come in right at that same time like you need to relax okay that would not go over well speaking of that here’s what steph has done, drives me crazy in that same exact context joe steph will come out like oh this is all you got done yeah and it is like are you kidding me do you realize the five things that just went wrong over the past two hours so when you come in like oh i thought you had more done by now like that drives me nuts that sets me off okay so in that context your building is amazing like the stuff Stuff that you were able to create, absolutely amazing.
[26:34] However, when I am exhausted, stressed, dealing with crying babies, and you’ve been outside and I’m like, this is all you have done, I now see how that is like burning gasoline on you.
But I didn’t know. Okay. What do you do? But now.
Okay, I would ask you two, because you both do have bad tempers at times.
Like you don’t just like stay quiet and be like, take a deep breath. It’s going to be fine.
What is one of the worst things you guys think you’ve done to let your aggression out? I’d rather not disclose that on this podcast.
Yeah, I’d have to check statute of limitations with local law enforcement, probably.
Of course. I mean, the thing that comes to mind, again, I’m not proud of this, but when we were at our old house, I was trying to install a ceiling fan. Yeah.
And I couldn’t get it. And I ripped it out of the wall, walked it downstairs, and threw it out in the front yard.
[27:30] Okay i’ve never heard that story over that oh i chucked it in the front yard i was so mad like done it was like the griswold’s christmas vacation where he took that chainsaw to the post he’s like post is fixed that’s how i was yeah like i was i was so mad i remember walking out from the house again you’re doing something outside i come out to check on you to see how how you’re doing and all of a sudden i see it was a shovel just go flying like end over end across the yard and i’m like okay and i walked right back in the house i’m like and it’s not going well we’re not we’re not even talking at this point now it’s not a good time to check on you probably not good to say hey is this all you’ve got done okay another thing i’ve said that is not good when you’re giving me an earful in the past I have said are you done now are you finished oh that’s not good let me know you’re done I’m almost positive I’ve never said that my wife.
[28:40] Seriously man that’s you’re taking your life in your hands that he is wow that was not good not good another thing i’ve said is when stepho asked me a question do you like the way this looks anything like this and this happened it did you came home with your eyebrows done and joe okay at the place where you work yes they will test things on each other steph comes home and it It looked like they had drawn with a Sharpie new eyebrows on my wife.
It was awful. It was awful.
Same thing. Walks in and is like, who did this to you? Like that bad.
[29:19] We’ve been married over 10 years at this point. Yeah. So here’s the thing.
It was a brand new thing back in the day or when it first started.
So ladies, it’s called microblading.
And it’s basically like a semi tattoo.
So it makes your brows look fuller. All right. So our esthetician was getting trained by this woman who was supposed to be like the brow guru of this.
Y’all, she almost waxed my entire brows off. They were so swollen.
Then she did this like microblading technique. I was bleeding down my face.
My eyes were almost swollen because of how swollen my brow bone had been.
And then Kevin’s right. It looked like I had marker all over Sharpie.
And I look like Spock. Groucho Marx. Groucho Marx.
Yes, that’s who I look like. So I was freaking out. I’m like, Kevin’s not going to be happy.
He’s not going to be happy. Maybe he won’t notice. What do I tell you when people ask you, hey, can I try this on you?
Say no, you should not be the first one that they’re trying this on.
Do not be the first guinea pig. But that’s my job. No.
Yes, it is. Have someone else come. No, I really wanted it. Have someone else come and do it. I know, but I really wanted it. You should not be the first one.
I know, but I really wanted it. Should not be the first one.
So I had to go tell Kevin. So I remember being in the car and like…
Praying on the way home to see how you’re going to handle this.
So Groucho Marx walks in the kitchen.
[30:43] And I ask, what happened? Who did this to you? And you’re like, how does it look?
And I go on a scale of one to ten, how honest do you want me to be right now?
And that was not the answer. And you’re like, you just told me.
I didn’t tell you crap. and i’ve i’ve made that comment multiple times now and every time you do not like it when i say on a scale of one to ten how honest do you want me to be with you right now because i know then right that’s all he has to say yeah there’s no disclaimer there unless it’s bad exactly yeah.
[31:19] Exactly kevin you should have given her the the tommy boy you know not here not down here right right here that reminds me of the joke my buddy micah told me one time where a wife was getting ready in the bathroom looking in the mirror and she’s like oh my gosh i feel awful i feel like i look like a fat cow husband can you please give me a compliment and he goes well your eyesight’s perfect yeah if you like what you hear please tell someone about us as soon as this episode is over go tell your spouse your closest friend a parent a co-worker or share one of our posts on social media however if you don’t like what you’re hearing please do not don’t tell anyone don’t tell anyone don’t tell anybody just disregard this message don’t worry about it about us yeah go on with your merry day and to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com thank you for listening to tell us a good story.
[32:22] All right, Steph. As I was editing this episode, I quickly realized we did not really end the conversation that we were having the other night with Jill.
We really didn’t. We kind of just stopped.
Like, just stopped talking. I tried to pivot the conversation to what is coming up on Tell Us a Good Story, and you weren’t having it. I was so tired. You were tired.
I think you were over my jokes and my stories.
I said, I remember saying, Steph, is there anything else you would like to share with our listeners? And you were like, nope.
[32:53] That’s it. We’re done. And so later we just ended it. Yeah. We didn’t wrap up the conversation at all.
We didn’t even say goodbye to Joe. Oh, we didn’t. But I quickly went and got my jammies on and went to bed.
And I was very happy about that. And you’re like, I’m done. I’m so tired.
We literally just ended it. And so as I was editing this, I realized we need to wrap this up somehow.
Yeah. So next week, Steph, I’m excited because it marks four years ago that we started Tell Us a Good Story.
Very first episode posted February 28th, 2020.
What’s crazy to think, and we’ve mentioned this before, it was literally right before things got shut down with COVID. Yeah, it was. Isn’t that crazy?
Four years ago, that’s happened.
Yeah. And people ask us all the time, hey, did you ever see this happening?
No. No. We didn’t see any of this. I didn’t know what the runway was going to be, how long we were going to be doing this.
The average podcast lasts, I believe it’s seven episodes.
So for this to be episode 205.
[33:52] A God thing. It’s kind of a rare area. Because Lord knows you and I couldn’t be doing this. Four years later, we’re doing this.
And Steph, the people we’re talking to is just incredible. Oh my gosh.
Unbelievable. You guys, some of the guests that we have coming up is just incredible.
And we’ve actually recorded the next four episodes already.
Which you know makes me happy. So we did a lot of episodes the last, what, three weeks, I would say. We’ve recorded a lot and just kind of banked them.
So next week’s episode is with Mac Brock.
Mac Brock is the co-founder.
[34:26] Elevation Worship with Pastor Stephen Furtick. So he was part of Elevation Worship for 10 years.
And now he records solo and he does a lot of music producing and writing.
Yeah, it was a really fun conversation.
But not only that, he is going to be in Ohio this weekend. Yes.
And what happened? He invited us to be his guest.
Yes, at the concert. I thought it was a concert. Yeah. But it is some type of festival.
And so we looked it up. We’re actually leaving tomorrow for this in Canton, Ohio.
And he’s leading worship, but it’s Craig Groeschel and Tim Tebow is speaking at this.
And Steph, he sent us tickets today.
And he said, hey, I’ll get you a note. We’ll call, whatever. Like very, very kind.
So nice of him. And we’re like, I don’t know what row we’re in, but we’re pretty darn close.
I’m so excited. We won’t be needing binoculars to watch this.
Well, obviously, I can tell that you did not pay for these tickets.
Or we would have needed binoculars.
[35:31] So that’s exciting. We’re going to get to meet him in person.
He said, hey, just text me when you get here. I want to meet you two.
And what are the odds that we could meet Craig Rochelle or Tim Tebow?
Yeah, I’m praying for that to happen. That would be amazing, you guys. Y’all, if that happens, you know, you’re going to hear all about it on the next podcast.
And Steph is going to give one of those humongous bear hugs.
Oh, you know, it’s happening.
Thankfully, those two dudes are muscular. Yeah. So they would be able to handle a bear hug from you.
Just you might have security step in and like, hey, lady, you can let go of them now.
I won’t even get to watch the show because I’ll be escorted out of the venue.
[36:08] Here’s this weirdo. But I got my hug in. It’s all that matters.
And I’ll tell you guys all about it. So, Mac Brock is next week. He is great.
Then we’ve got Riley Clemens.
Who is an just outstanding Nashville artist.
And she has been opening on the Zach Williams tour. And she has opened for a lot of different people.
And so she has some good stories as well. She’s down there in Nashville. And it was interesting.
She was discovered at a high school musical. A middle school musical.
Oh, this was a middle school? Yes, because she signed. She was the youngest to sign with this recording company at age like 14.
That’s crazy. Insane. So just like the most Nashville thing you would think of, right? It was Nashville.
And we joke with her like they teach math, science, and songwriting in their schools, right?
It was just very Nashville, but incredibly talented young artist.
I think she’s 23 or 24 now.
Then the following week, we have coach Brad Larson, the former head coach for the NHL hockey team here in Columbus, the Columbus Blue Jackets.
And he had some phenomenal stories, including, I think the first thing you asked him was, do you have your real teeth? Yes. Don’t tell him.
Don’t tell me. You can guess what the answer is. I mean, this dude is old school, but he played 13 seasons, professional hockey, and then he coached in professional hockey for 13 years as well.
[37:37] So then we have Morgan Klein, who’s the the founder of Burn Boot Camp, which has, I think, over 500 locations now in the United States and just growing.
She was awesome. And she talked about how, you know, just even the pressure of when you own a health and fitness type company to make sure you don’t get pictures taken of you and your car going through McDonald’s.
[38:03] Which is really funny. Yeah. Really funny. Especially when her husband’s got like their vehicle wrapped in.
Burboo camp. Burboo camp stuff. Yeah. So she had some good stories.
And then we haven’t had this conversation yet, but we’re scheduled to next week.
And it’s with another Ramsey personality, Dave Ramsey’s daughter, Rachel Cruz, who I believe, Steph, is getting ready to take over the company is what I have read.
I guess we’ll ask her about that. We will definitely ask her about that.
And what was it like being Dave Ramsey’s daughter? growing up.
Like what age did you start budgeting?
So she will be fantastic to talk to.
But Steph, anything else you would like to share with listeners here as we wrap up episode 205?
[38:45] Just y’all again, thank you for being on this journey.
We’re starting our fourth season. Starting our fifth season.
We’re starting our fifth season.
And we couldn’t do that without all you loyal listeners hanging in there, sharing us on social media and with your friends.
And we are just so thankful and grateful. And thank you for listeners as well, who have been sending me messages via social media or a website saying, hey, here would be somebody that would be good to talk to. So I’ve got a nice laundry list of people.
We’re booked out. Yes, we’re booked out about two months right now in advance, which is amazing.
But I have a nice laundry list of people to reach out to.
And a lot lot of it is from you listeners sharing names with me of somebody you just saw on TV, someone you heard speak at your corporation, someone you heard speak at your church.
So thank you for sending those in to us. And folks, keep us in prayer as we continue on Tell Us a Good Story and continue to find the right guests to talk to. I’m so excited.
[39:48] Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcasts app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms. You guys, it’s completely free.
And while you’re there, feel free to give us a rating or a nice review.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
The post Episode 205: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In March 2008, Jason Koger lost both his hands after he ran into a downed power line while driving a four-wheeler. He is now the first bilateral upper arm amputee to be fitted with TWO bionic arms. Jason is also a record-setting hunter, a highly sought-after speaker, and the most proficient bionic hand-user in the world.
In this conversation with Kevin + Steph, he shares the story of how his life changed on March 1, 2008. Thankfully, the accident did not take away Jason’s sense of humor. From what kids say to him in public when they see his robotic arms to the looks he got when he was buying hand sanitizer at the store for his wife, Jason has some great stories to share. PLUS, he shares the hilarious story of being cast in the TV show, Hawaii Five-O on CBS as the “hookman”.
Hope you enjoy this great conversation with our new friend, Jason Koger.
Guest DetailsFacebook: @JasonKogerOfficial
Instagram: @jkoger84
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/book
Access the Show Transcript HereTell Us A Good Story EP204Jason Koger shares his inspiring journey as the leading bionic hand user post-amputation, highlighting his resilience and determination. From favorite books to adventures on “Hawaii Five-0,” his story is truly uplifting.2024, Team Mason
Tell Us A Good Story
Produced by Clawson Solutions Group, LLC https://csolgroup.com
Generated ShownotesChapters0:00:00 Welcome to Tell Us A Good Story
0:01:25 Friendly reminders and engagement
0:01:58 Excitement for a new guest
0:02:12 Introducing the record-setting hunter
0:08:48 Light-hearted book banter
0:09:07 Book promotion and autographs
0:09:47 Detailed account of the accident
0:16:01 Reflecting on the accident aftermath
0:19:38 Awakening to a new reality
0:22:35 Phantom Pain and Weather Sensitivity
0:23:22 Hospital Stay and Determination
0:28:13 Life After the Accident and Support System
0:30:27 Bionic Arms and Functionalities
0:33:00 Guest Appearance on Hawaii Five-0
0:38:49 Audience Engagement and Conclusion of Episode
0:39:19 Unexpected Visit and Impact on Others
Long SummaryIn this episode of Tell Us A Good Story, we delve into the awe-inspiring journey of Jason Koger, the world’s most proficient bionic hand user. Following a tragic accident in 2008 that led to the loss of both his arms, Jason’s resilience and humor shine through as he navigates life with his robotic arms, sharing endearing anecdotes of interactions with children and the public. The hosts, Kevin and Stephanie, open up about their own struggles, setting the stage for a heartfelt conversation with Jason. Jason recounts the life-altering moment of the accident, where a fateful encounter with a downed power line while on a four-wheeler resulted in severe burns and the amputation of both arms to save his life. Despite the challenges, Jason finds solace in holding his children post-surgery, exuding a sense of tranquility amidst the turmoil.
As the conversation unfolds, the focus shifts to a light-hearted moment as the main speaker quizzes Steph on her favorite book, unveiling the Bible as her choice. The speaker and Steph discuss their book, “You Met Her Where,” highlighting its appeal as a thoughtful gift for loved ones. Delving into a personal narrative on phantom pain and the speaker’s own experiences post-amputation, he shares the unwavering determination that drove him to resume hunting, recounting the poignant moment of shooting his first turkey merely a month after the accident. Reflecting on his journey with bionic hands and his stint as a hand double for actor Peter Weller on “Hawaii Five-0,” the speaker narrates heartwarming tales of camaraderie and philanthropic endeavors. Providing insights into his book, “Handed: A Greater Purpose,” and where to acquire it, the speaker extends an invitation to connect in person while encouraging listeners to engage with their podcast, “Tell Us a Good Story.”
Brief SummaryIn this episode of Tell Us A Good Story, we follow the remarkable journey of Jason Koger, the world’s leading bionic hand user, as he shares poignant experiences post-amputation, including heartwarming moments with his children and the public. Jason’s resilience shines through as he recounts the life-altering accident in 2008 that led to the loss of both his arms, showcasing his unwavering spirit and determination. The conversation takes a lighter turn as the main speaker discusses Steph’s favorite book, “You Met Her Where,” emphasizing its value as a thoughtful gift. From overcoming phantom pain to resuming hunting shortly after the accident, Jason’s story is both inspiring and uplifting. As he delves into his adventures with bionic hands and his role on “Hawaii Five-0,” listeners are invited to explore his book, “Handed: A Greater Purpose,” and connect on a personal level.
TagsJason Koger, bionic hand, amputation, resilience, accident, children, determination, phantom pain, hunting, Hawaii Five-0
TranscriptWelcome to Tell Us A Good Story[0:00] Hello friends, welcome to another episode of Tell Us A Good Story.
Today we get to talk to the most proficient bionic hand user in the world.
This man is the first bilateral upper arm amputee to be fitted with not one, but two bionic arms. Mr.
Jason Koger. You guys, this man’s story is so inspirational.
As you will hear, Jason had a horrific accident back in March 2008 that resulted in both of his arms being amputated.
You have to hear the story and how he turned a terrible, terrible accident into doing something to help and inspire others.
His accident certainly didn’t take away from his sense of humor, from what kids say to him in public when they see his robotic arms, to the looks he got when he was buying hand sanitizer for his wife at the store.
And I love the story he shared about appearing on the TV show Hawaii Five-O.
You guys, we can’t wait for you to hear this episode with our new friend, Jason Coker.
I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery.
Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis.
However, today, we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.
And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day.
Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.
Friendly reminders and engagement[1:26] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review five stars, please.
In our world, this is super, super important, because it will help with the algorithm to make it easier for people to find us.
And thank you for sharing our posts across your social media that really helps with engagement and with us getting guests.
Yes. So hey, if you want us to keep working our way up to talking to Chip and Joanna, please share us with your friends.
But regardless, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
Excitement for a new guest[1:59] Steph. It’s going to be great. This next guest is going to be amazing.
Like, I am so excited to talk to this man. He is so original.
Like, we’ve never had a guest like this and I’m super excited to talk to him.
Introducing the record-setting hunter[2:12] Well, friends, our next guest is a record-setting hunter, a highly sought-after speaker speaker and the most proficient bionic hand user in the world.
He’s the first bilateral upper arm amputee to be fitted with two bionic arms.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to tell us a good story.
Mr. Jason Cogar, Jason Cogar.
Thank you. Thank you here, Jason. Oh, my gosh.
[2:35] Thank you so much for saying yes to us, sir. Thank you for asking.
I am so excited to talk to you and actually get to see you now via Zoom.
We’ve talked a couple times, right, over the phone.
And you sent us your book, which is fantastic, by the way. It is so well put together. I’m so impressed with it.
But first off, let me share how we actually connected with you.
So, listeners, we have been very blessed to interview a handful of the Ramsey Solutions, Ramsey personalities.
Personalities okay and so at the end of one of our conversations i had asked like hey who do you know who might be a good fit for tell us a good story and so the pr person for ramsey solutions reached out to me afterwards and said hey we just had an individual here speak at our chapel maybe two three weeks ago his name is jason koger you need to talk to him and that’s all he said basically and so he sent me a link to your website i clicked on it looked you up and immediately jason i’m like Like, yes, we want to talk to that guy.
[3:36] Absolutely. And then he connected us. I gave you a phone call.
And just immediately, like Jason, I was just blown away, brother.
And very honored that Dave Ramsey’s organization connected us because they were highly, highly complimentary of you. Thank you. I appreciate that.
Hey, okay, I’ve got a question. Okay. Whenever I see an amputee, I always want to say, oh, my gosh, what happened? Because obviously he and Kevin and I love hearing people’s stories.
But I want to ask you, is that insensitive of me to ask you that question? Or just be staring.
[4:12] So I’m going to give you my opinion.
I feel like I love people to ask me questions because I know I’m different.
And I think all amputees know that they’re different.
I think that there are amputees out there that really are angry, whether they’re angry at God or angry at the situation that might get offended.
But I would rather somebody talk to me than just look at me. Right.
You know, I mean, I wear shirts all the time. that says i got one shirt that says look ma no hands i got one that says don’t shoot i’m unarmed so like i think people see it and they’re like oh i’m gonna talk to that dude so i would much rather talk to people for sure how are kids just ask you random things or they just stare the whole time no kids usually talk but their parents grab them like no no no no yes i could see that yeah Yeah, I could see that.
Some kids aren’t scared.
Some are. So yeah, you have two bionic arms here.
And we’re going to have so many questions, Jason. So if you don’t mind, can you share the story of what happened in the moment that changed your life back in 2008, I believe?
So we’re talking almost 16 years ago. Yeah, March 1st, 2016.
I mean, 2008 is whenever I was hurt.
And I try to go back to my growing up, you know, the way I was raised.
My dad was a drill sergeant in the Army. me. So we never had that.
You cannot do something. My dad was raised up pretty poor.
[5:37] He was raised up with his dad drinking a lot, him being a self-provider at the age of 14.
[5:44] So in 1984 is when my dad started his company.
And all he had was $1,500 to his name. So I watched my dad start a company.
And granted, I was born in 79. So I was five, six years old when he started it.
[5:58] And I watched my dad grow this company from $1,500, which I didn’t know what $1,500 was then, to a really big construction company.
We were doing $20, $30 million worth of work.
Wow. Holy Hannah. Closer to my accident.
So I didn’t have a rough life at all. My dad always provided for us.
And I think that’s why I am who I am today is because of him.
You’re never going to give up. We were raised up in church.
I’ve always gone to church. And that’s the next part. I’m sure we’ll get in all this kind of stuff. But when you’re raised in church, you know, God’s real.
A lot of people go through an accident like I do. And that’s when they figure out, hey, there is a God.
[6:39] I always knew there was a God. Right. So I didn’t have that worry.
I didn’t have that. Is he real? Is he going to help me?
What’s my life going to be like? but that whole year before i probably was working six seven days a week 12 hour days and march 1st was one of the first days i was off work uh me and my wife jenny we had two daughters at the time billy grace was 21 months old campbell was three months old uh right before campbell was born we lived in owensboro kentucky’s where i live and i always wanted to raise my family where my my mom mom, dad raised me.
So I basically kicked my mom and dad out of their house. When they had to leave, I bought the house that I was raised up in and we brought our kids out here and that’s what we wanted.
So on March 1st was the first day that I was off work and we had took the girls to Owensboro to the mall and they had this little train set inside the mall and took them on a little ride and came home.
I was just trying to do stuff with them, you know, because I’d been working a bunch.
I told my wife, I said, hey, I’m going to put the girls down for a nap. I put them down for a nap.
I was doing a lot of honeydew chores around the house. My wife, her brother was about to get married.
[7:50] So our sister-in-law now had came over to do wedding invitations because my wife was a graphic design major.
So when she walked in, she walked in, she had her brother and a couple of friends.
She was like, hey, can you do something with the boys? And I love kids.
And at the time they were probably, you know, 11, 12 years old. I don’t know.
And so I said, yeah, we’ll go outside and play some basketball.
So I put my kids down for a nap, went outside playing basketball.
And then one of them said, let’s ride around around your grandfather’s farm.
I said, okay, let’s do it.
So where my house is, right next door is my uncle.
Right next door to my uncle was my grandfather’s house. Right next to my grandfather is my other uncle, and there’s 2,300 acres of corn and soybeans at my family farm.
So I was like, well, we’ll be gone for five, ten minutes, and that’s it.
Went on this quick four-wheeled ride. The second turn, there was a downed power line, and I ran into it. Took 7,200 volts of electricity.
Basically what happened to me.
Light-hearted book banter[8:49] All right, Steph, I’ve got a question for you. What’s your favorite book of all time? Obviously, You Met Her Where?
Oh, I thought you were going to say the Bible. Oh, oops.
What’s your second favorite book of all time? You Met Her Where?
Book promotion and autographs[9:08] It’s just the second. Totally distant. It’s a pretty good book.
Sorry, God. It’s still a pretty good book.
But we’re so excited. Where can people get our book? Okay, I know this.
Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and our website, KevinandSteph.com.
And what happens if they buy it off our website? What do they get?
An autograph from us. Yes. Who wouldn’t want that?
So listeners, if you’ve already read the book, thank you so much.
We’ve had such good feedback.
One thing that helps us, if you can give us a review on Amazon.com, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much. And thank you for listening.
Detailed account of the accident[9:47] So the the power line’s down are you running over it or you run right into it and it’s like on your arms yeah so it was about 30 inches off the ground okay so whenever i hit it it hit the front rack of my four-wheeler and it bounced up and hit me in the chest and landed on my gas tank and it didn’t do anything no it didn’t do anything at that time and uh this all seems so fast when i I tell my story seems so slow, you know, but when I hit, whenever I hit the line and it landed in between my gas tank, I sat there for a minute and I was like, what do you do?
You know, I’ve always been told that you cannot get electrocuted on rubber tires.
So I tell the kids, don’t touch me. Don’t get off the four wheeler.
And I’m thinking the same thing.
So I have no other option except pick it up to get off of it.
I’d looked up across the field and I seen my cousin was outside.
So I I was like, all right, I’m going to go to my cousin’s house.
I had to pick it up. I had to do something.
So I picked it up, got through it, went to my cousin’s house.
And I told him, I said, Travis, I don’t know why, but there’s a power line down.
This is the first warm day of the year. There’s going to be kids in this neighborhood ride four-wheelers around here. I was scared to death that somebody would hit it.
So I tell my cousin, I said, let’s go down there. I want to show you where it is.
So we go down and I’m standing or I’m on the four-wheeler still, but like right in front of the line.
And I tell him, I said, you know, the guy, I figured out a guy where it broke. So the pole was leaning.
[11:17] And I said, man, it’s 30 inches off the ground. I said, if a kid in a neighborhood rides a dirt bike and they’re running wide open, at that point, I was starting to think about decapitation. You know, somebody hitting that line.
And I was like, I don’t know what to do. Like, do we try to prop it up? Do we call somebody now?
Do we stay here till somebody gets here? Like, what do we do?
And at that time, I was looking at him. And I said, man, if that line was this high, and I just kind of put my hand out to say if it was this high, it would be okay.
And when I did that, I just felt that vibration going through my body.
And I don’t know if I touched it. I don’t know if the electricity jumped.
I have no idea. I just remember the vibration going through my body.
Like, were you knocked out unconscious?
For 30 seconds, I was. Your heart could have stopped. Yeah. It did stop. Okay.
So I found that out later in the hospital. When I took 7200, it did stop my heart, which they said was probably the best thing that could happen.
And the reason it was the best thing to happen is your body knows that your heart needs to start back up.
So it’s trying to say, hey, you got to fire back up.
If your heart goes into like a flutter, your body doesn’t know.
It knows it’s working. It doesn’t know it’s working all the way.
That’s how it was explained to me.
[12:36] That’s when people die with electricity because their heart’s not going it’s not pumping enough blood so when mine stopped and then I took electricity for 30 seconds and it threw me off the back of the four-wheeler and when I hit the ground I either hit the ground hard enough to start it back up or it was enough power right at the end to just kind of same thing as putting your paddles on you know what I mean and shocking your heart one of the other started my heart back up and I immediately woke up.
What did your cousin say was happening when you were out of it?
So he said I looked like Fourth of July was coming off of me. Oh, really?
Yeah, he said there were sparks flying and I think his first thought was he’s dead.
Like there’s nothing that I’m going to be able to do. And I mean, he don’t talk about it a lot.
So I’m assuming that it was not a very good scene, you know?
So Jason, are you locked on it then? you’re locked on it for 30 seconds? Yep.
Oh my goodness. Okay, so this happens, you come to, now what?
[13:41] So as soon as I wake up, I feel like I’m on fire because electricity burns you from the inside out.
And I know a lot more about it now than I did. But I felt like I was literally on fire.
So I was trying to climb down into a ditch to cool off with water.
And my cousin was grabbing me and pulling me out.
[14:00] He had already called 911. He’d already called his dad.
[14:04] So my uncle came down. My uncle was holding me. I remember him holding me in his lap, just like keeping me from getting in the ditch.
I mean, I remember the ambulance coming down. I remember getting loaded up in the ambulance and my wife was at home.
And I tell people like, you know, sometimes when you’re working on something just like today, we had problems getting on Zoom because of the weather. Right. Right.
And you’re sitting there thinking, why? Why is this not working for me?
My wife was making this wedding invitation. Our power at our house went out.
Right. Right. Like it shut my whole neighborhood down.
So can you imagine my wife doing all this stuff?
Maybe she was halfway done and then boom, everything shuts off.
And her first thought is, well, crap, I just lost the last 10 minutes of what I was doing. Right. Right.
[14:55] And not knowing at that second that the reason that power went off is because her husband is back in the back of the place that’s fixing to change her entire life. You know what I mean?
And I think about it it like that and it’s like man you know and that’s why i tell my story is like the things that we complain about is not worth complaining about you know what i mean but anyway she came down to the scene of the accident and uh when she got down there she got in the ambulance with me and and i told her i said it’s going to be okay and i looked i was already wrapped up by the time she got down there but my left thumb was basically barely hanging on so i knew i was going to lose my left thumb.
[15:35] So my grandfather passed away about three months before I got hurt.
And he was a single arm amputee. He lost his in a corn picker.
So when I was in that ambulance, I told my wife, I said, you know, Papa lost his entire arm.
And I’m just going to lose my thumb. Like, it’s really not that big of a deal.
And I kept on like over and over in my head thinking about Papa and the things that he could do as a single arm amputee.
Reflecting on the accident aftermath[16:01] There’s no reason for me to complain about a thumb. and and i didn’t know anything else until after my surgery once i got into owensboro hospital yeah doctors running in and out and and then they come in and they say hey we have a helicopter coming to get you you’re going to go to either nashville or louisville to a burn unit and i was like it’s just my thumb like it’s really not that big of a deal i remember a helicopter coming i remember getting inside the helicopter i remember getting the air i end up going to nashville Tennessee and I remember going from where our hospital was to Nashville is south and my house is south and I remember going right over where I was hurt and my left shoulder was touching the window and I remember looking down and still seeing people here like working on stuff wow and I remember the nurse saying that she was going to calf me in a helicopter and she did she calfed me me.
I remember seeing my urine bag and it looked like Dr. Pepper.
I didn’t know what it was at the time.
I found out later on that my urine looked like Dr.
Pepper because when you get electrocuted, it burns you from the inside out and it causes poisonous toxins inside your body, which is released somewhere and it goes through your body. And the only place it can go is through your kidneys.
So that the darkness of my urine was blood and poison going through my body.
[17:25] Didn’t know it at the time, but they didn’t care about my hands or my legs or whatever. I was about to die because my kidneys were shutting down.
[17:34] So I get to Vanderbilt. I remember…
Getting off the helicopter i remember going down the hallway i remember going into a room that looked like a morgue everything was stainless steel and at that moment it’s like you know is this what you see when you die i you know i was kind of coherent i i don’t know i didn’t know where i was you know what i mean like i remember all this stuff but i don’t really know where i am, and um that room was called hydro okay hydro is where they take a pressure washer and they They wash your dead skin off of you.
So my whole right arm was third-degree burns.
So they had to wash all that off. They had to wait on my wife to get there to sign release forms to basically go to surgery.
And she signed release forms as soon as she got there.
And immediately they amputated both arms. And I had no clue that was going to happen. I mean, no idea.
When Jenny signed the consent, did she know what was going to happen?
Yes. She did. Okay. And, you know, later on, just for you all, if you go on YouTube, you can find a lot of stuff, you know, on YouTube about me and my wife.
And there’s one video, it’s called the Jason Cobra Testimony.
And that was right after I got home.
And Jenny just remembers that, you know, Jason here without arms, I can live with. Jason dead, I cannot.
And at that moment, it didn’t matter what they had to do in order to save my life. It was, let’s do it. Let’s try it. So, yeah. Yeah.
How were your feet? Were your feet okay?
[19:03] So electricity came on my right foot. Okay. And it blew my tennis shoe.
They found my shoe at 30 feet from where I was. 30 feet?
Yeah. But they didn’t do anything. There was no damage in my legs.
When the electricity came out, it cauterized itself up. So there was no exit wounds.
I still have a scar. It looks like a check mark, which is the same shape as my brake pedal on my my four wheeler is what it looks like.
So at what point on your arm did they amputate? Is it below your elbow?
Is it above your elbow? It’s below your elbow on both.
Awakening to a new reality[19:38] Oh, my God. How was it when you woke up? Right. So when I woke up, I didn’t know that I was an amputee, obviously.
And I was strapped to a bed because it broke or I had a small fracture in my neck and back, too. It was enough power to do that.
And I remember seeing my nurse and I just remember asking her is like, I want to see my dad.
Like I told you earlier, it’s like my dad always was that person that if you can get through it or we will get through it. Yeah. However, however it is.
So my mom and dad walk in a room and I’m laying there and I still got feeding tubes and all that kind of stuff.
And I’m like, how bad is it? And my dad said, we will get through this one way or another. We’ve always had faith.
God has a plan, but they had to amputate both the arms.
And I don’t even remember like right then when he told me that, I think I just kind of went back to sleep or, you know what I mean?
And then like really the next thing I remember is being in a real room.
[20:34] I remember my doctor. The first doctor I met was Dr. Jeffrey Guy.
I still talk to Dr. Guy all the time. He’s so close to me.
He walks in the room with me, and I’m 29 years old, two daughters at home, wife.
My wife’s 27 at the time, and he looks down at me.
He says, hey, before you get out of this hospital, I want to make sure that you reach one go.
I want you to set a go for yourself, and I want to help you.
He said, you’re going to be in this hospital but for at least two months.
And I was like, dude, I’m not gonna be in here for two months.
Like I don’t have time to be in here for two months.
And I remember telling him that, you know, if I can hold my girls again, it’s really all I cared about.
[21:13] I remember him like that’ll happen. You know, I think it was a couple of days after I woke up, Dr.
Guy comes in the room and, you know, I told him what I wanted.
And I mean, we both cried. You know what I mean? Like it was hard.
But anyway, a few days later, Dr. Guy walks in the room. He says, hey, Jason, your kids are here to see you.
I’m going to bring them into your room. And I said, no, you’re not.
I said, I want to go to the waiting room. That’s what I want to do.
And he said, bud, you can’t. Like you got feeding tubes.
You got catheters. I mean, you got all this heart monitors. You got hoses hanging out of your arms.
It’s not going to work. And I said, well, you put it in. You can take it out.
And I sat there and argued with him for a long time and talked him into taking my stuff out because I wanted to go to the waiting room.
And I went to the waiting room, held my kids for the first time.
And I think that was the first day that I had that peace that literally everything’s going to be OK.
[22:05] All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here. What is your favorite book of all time? Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it.
Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where.
But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas.
Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com.
And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want.
And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
Phantom Pain and Weather Sensitivity[22:36] How hard was phantom pain for you? It still hurts. Does it?
Yeah. Depends on weather most of the time. Like if weather will stay still, I’m okay.
It’s the barometric pressure is what they say. That’s when it hurts mostly.
That’s what I was going to ask. Do you still feel like you have your fingers, your hands? I do.
Yep. My hands feel like they’re right here.
Okay. Like they don’t feel like they’re in space. When you say right here for listeners, it’s literally like. Mid forearm.
Yes, your forearm. Where you’re amputated. Yep. That’s where you feel that amputation.
I guess the best way to describe it is if you take your hand off wherever you’re amputated, they stuck your hand right back inside and sewed it up.
You know what I mean? So it’s like right on the end. Okay.
Hospital Stay and Determination[23:23] Interesting. So how long were you in the hospital then?
12 days. Shut up.
[23:28] Are you freaking kidding me? Okay.
So same thing. You’re probably talking to the doctor. Like, no, go ahead and take all this stuff out of me. I’m going home. Absolutely. Wow.
Okay. Jason, that’s what I told him. You’re an avid hunter you love to hunt this happened on March 1st right your accident is it true in April you were out hunting I did yeah But it was funny because I had to ask I called dr.
Guy, okay, and I asked him I said hey I got a question for you. So what’s that?
I said because I’m still talking to him all time So anyway, I called him and I said hey my buddy wants me go turkey hunt canna and.
[24:09] And at this time, I was doing stuff that he couldn’t believe.
I mean, I drove my pickup truck the day I got home. What? 13 days.
Yes, 13 days after losing my hands, I figured out how to start my truck, and I drove my truck around my grandfather’s farm.
I was very determined to get back.
So I called him and asked him about going turkey hunting, and he said, I mean, I guess.
Like, why do you think you can’t do it? Like, I don’t even know what to tell you.
[24:34] And I said, well, I’m afraid a tick’s going to get inside my open wound, and they’ll have to amputate again more you know and i said i don’t want that so he said no as long as you spray off really good you’ll be fine you know everything will be fine i was like cool so um that’s what i did i went and uh i told my buddy i stayed at my buddy’s house that night i told him i said man if we can figure out kind of how to navigate the gun like i’m gonna just sit next to you i’m gonna try to figure out how you do what you do i don’t care if i kill a turkey like i’m in the woods you know what i mean like it’s all that matters and i said but i want to spend the night with you i want to uh get up in the morning with you and i said but you’re gonna take care of me like i still can’t use the bathroom on my own you know and so my buddy sam was like hey you’re like a brother to me so don’t worry about it we’re gonna we got it and uh at his house that night we were sitting there and he walks in and he hands this gun and lays it in my lap, and he said i’m not hunting tomorrow you are i was like ain’t no way i have no arms no no prosthetics, you know?
And he said, I think I got it figured out. So he took the two screws out of the brother shotgun.
[25:43] He put a ratchet strap on it and he strapped it to my shoulder. Yes.
And he, he put a tripod on the front with a radiator hose clamp and a stream from the trigger to my mouth.
And I was like, dude, we’re going to end up in Vanderbilt. Again, this, this friend of yours sounds like MacGyver. He is. Jeez.
[26:04] So, um, We went hunting the next morning, and man, I’ll never forget hearing that gobble.
And I knew that the turkey had to come in front of me because I had to turn my shoulders.
I couldn’t spin to the right as much as I could to the left.
So I said, if a turkey comes from my left, I got it. If it comes from the right, I don’t.
And I’ll never forget hearing that gobble out of my left ear and thinking, he’s on that side. Yeah.
And I remember watching him coming down the logging road.
And I waited until he got in front of the gun and pulled the trigger and shot my first turkey a month after my accident.
Did you tell the doctor? Was he freaking out? He loved it. Yeah.
[26:45] So you didn’t even take any practice shots? I didn’t. Not one?
I mean, I dry fired it in the living room without a shell in it.
Just pulling it and you could hear it click. Then all that was the first shot.
Wow. Okay. Okay, I can only imagine the reaction of your buddy.
You and your buddy out there, probably in a tree stand.
No, sitting on the ground. Sitting on the ground, okay. Yep.
The reaction of when you hit the turkey.
Oh, I bet. Was there tears? Oh, had to be. Oh, yeah. Totally.
Screaming and tears, the best part. What a good friend, Jason.
Seriously. Absolutely. You know, I tell people all the time, like, my community and my family, my friends, like, Like, I had everything going correctly.
And honestly, I heard somebody say the other day is like, you cannot mess up God’s plan.
You know what I mean? Like, he had all this figured out way before March 1st, 2008.
You know, he had the right people in my life. He had the right things in my life.
And I think, unfortunately, I went through a lot of pain and a lot of trials.
And I know that some people go through stuff like that and are like why why would God even do this to me?
You know what I mean? And and I really truly believe that he’s done more for me since 2008 than he did before 2008 I feel like this is my calling.
I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and that’s what I love.
Life After the Accident and Support System[28:13] So how was your wife through all of this I.
[28:17] Um, she’s got her own story. I don’t even know if she could tell you what the first year was like, because I mean, she’s still with me.
You know what I mean? And that’s at 2728.
All she had to do was leave and say, I don’t want this life.
She could have packed up the kids and said, I’m done.
But instead, she became a nurse for a year and a half. She wasn’t my wife, really.
You know what I mean? Like, obviously, we talked a little bit, but it was more about the rehab part of me getting back back to living.
She would have to help me to go to the bathroom. But she got to the point where she would give my oldest a bath, then my second daughter a bath.
Then she’d give me a bath. Well, then she didn’t want to take a bath because she was too tired. Or she would feed my oldest. She would feed my youngest.
She would feed me. My food was cold. And then she’d feed herself.
Hers was colder than mine.
So, I mean, it’s a lot of stress. I mean, don’t get me wrong.
It was hard, word, but we made it work.
Yeah. So how many surgeries have you had at this point then, Jason?
Oh, I had multiple surgeries the first three days. So I was in a induced coma for the first three days of amputations every day.
And then I had skin grafts and then they cut me open and they put Integra in and then they did another skin graft.
And then I had a wound back for six months and And then I had to get the wound back removed and all that kind of stuff.
And then my last skin graft was on December the 5th.
So I got hurt March 1st, 2008.
[29:46] December the 5th was my last surgery. And my daughter’s first birthday was December the 6th.
And I told Dr. Guy, I said, if you’re going to do the surgery on the 5th, I’m not staying in the hospital. I’m going home.
And I said, if you cannot promise me that, I’m not going to have the surgery until after her birthday. I’m going to be home on her birthday.
And I was. I mean, he told me, he said, I usually don’t do this, but I will.
[30:11] Jason, you sound like a great patient at the hospital.
A nurse’s dream, right? A doctor’s dream, like, hey, who wants to take care of this? He doesn’t listen to anything you say.
Bionic Arms and Functionalities[30:27] Do you have any amnesia like it doesn’t sound like from the accident but maybe like post like do you remember your wedding do you remember you as a senior in high school anything like that i do um but i forget a lot a little bit of stuff and they told me that i could but i do have all my memory of the big things that’s happened in my life you know okay so let’s talk talking about your arms okay because looking at these listeners if you’re not viewing this he’s got two bionic arms here and you have pictures of your family it looks like actually on these arms and what looks like a like a yes a collage of your family that’s fantastic and it looks like and then on your left arm you’ve got a hook on your right arm you’ve got a What looks like a robotic hand.
Uh-huh. Yep. Okay, so how did it end up where you have these two arms?
So the hand came out in 2008. Okay. Oh. It was made by Touch Bionics.
It was really a timing thing.
Not that I was the first in the world just because I was me.
I was the first in the world because I tried to get the hands.
I was denied multiple times by insurance. insurance. I was told by doctors that it wasn’t medically necessary.
They had never seen me in their life. And I fought that all the time.
And really how I got them, in my opinion, is I found out about the person that said that it wasn’t medically necessary for me to have prosthetics or the hands or whatever.
[31:55] And I remember finding out who that person was and I called him and I said, even if the only thing that I can do with these hands would be hold my kids hands to walk across the street.
I deserve that. Like I’m a dad. I deserve the little stuff in life.
I deserve the big stuff in life. And I want these hands.
And I think that that hit hit his heart.
And I became the first person in the world with two of the bionic hands.
[32:20] So I’ve decided to wear a hand on the right hook on the left.
Also i got a little boy now he just turned 12 if he’s listening to me i grab him with the hand if he don’t i grab him with the hook so okay is it true you can your hand will like spin around it can so it can spin all the way around look at that stuff how do you do that so if you’re watching it you’ll be able to see what i’m doing but when you feel like you raise your wrist in in the air like this, like I’m just pushing it up.
So when you feel like that, if you’ll put your other hand like right below your elbow, now raise it up, you feel a muscle go up in the air. Yeah. Yeah.
Guest Appearance on Hawaii Five-0[33:01] So then when you lower your wrist, there’s a muscle down here.
So whenever you lower, you’ll feel a muscle.
Totally. So it goes back to the question you asked me a minute ago, can I feel my hands? I can.
So when I raise my wrist, it opens. When I lower my wrist, it closes because I have sensors laying on those two muscles.
Okay. And then once it opens up, if I put my hand in the area, it won’t go into a grip because it has to be parallel to the ground.
Then I’m back in open and closed. Then I can also stall fingers out.
If I shake somebody’s hand, it will form the grip of their hand. Big, small, whatever.
[33:33] It’s just like if I grab a ball or just whatever because these two are hitting something these two didn’t, so the two shut.
It’s not like I’m going to shake your hand and it’s just going to be open.
You’re going to crush my hand when I shake it.
It’s funny you brought up RoboCop. So, did you know I did an episode on Hawaii Five-0?
I only know that from talking to you and looking at your book.
But yes, please tell us the story of how that happened. Okay.
So, when I first got hurt, Hawaii Five-0 was remaking an episode from the 70s called the Hookman episode.
[34:05] Well, the Hookman episode was a guy that had lost two arms, but he had two hooks.
And he was a bad guy, killed a bunch of people, and they couldn’t find his fingerprints.
They wanted to remake that episode with a guy that had bionic hands.
Well, they didn’t think they could find it. It’s like, all right, we’re going to make this. It’s going to be fake.
So they hired RoboCop, Peter Weller, and he was going to be the bionic hand guy in this show.
[34:29] Well, they tried to make it work, and they couldn’t make it look like he had fake hands. So then they got to Googling. They found me.
And it was funny because at this time, I was on CNN. I had been on several different news things.
And people, amputees or prosthetists or therapists were reaching out to me.
How are you doing what you’re doing? Like, how do you tie your shoes?
How do you dress? How do you feed yourself? I mean, all this stuff.
So this girl calls me from Hawaii. And she’s like, hey, I got some questions for you. I was like, okay. Can you show us your hand? I was like, yeah.
How’s it work? And I told her, she said, can you hold a coffee cup?
And I was like, yeah, that’s kind of an odd question, you know, and can you write your name? Yep. Can you hold a gun? Yes.
So then she was like, all right, can we zoom tomorrow? Can we talk, you know, and I’ve never zoomed anybody in my life at this time.
I said, yeah, we can talk tomorrow. Cause I’m really quick about sharing my story. So I’ll talk to anybody.
[35:20] So, uh, I tell my wife at night, I was like, Hey, there’s a girl want to talk to me and I really don’t know what she wants.
And it’s gonna be we’re gonna be talking on the screen so i don’t know what she’s gonna be wearing i mean i have no clue so yes first time on a video chat yeah the next day i get on zoom, and there’s this conference room full of people i was like all right this is weird so they get to hey can you show me how you hold a coffee cup so you know i mean i’m sitting there i’m like yeah grab a drink put a drink in my hand and and then uh can you show me how you hold a gun i do that that by the time this guy gets in front of the camera and he goes, hey Jason, my name’s Peter Linkoff.
I’m the senior producer for Y5O.
We’re doing this episode called the Hoopman episode. We want a guy that has two bonnet cans. You’re the only dude in the world that’s got them. Like we need you.
[36:08] I was like, well, good thing, but I’m not an actor. So I don’t know how to do this stuff.
It don’t matter. We got an actor. You’re just going to be a body double.
We only need you in Hawaii for two or three days.
Fly back home. Okay. So I go to Hawaii.
Never been around an actor in my entire life. We go on set. Never been in front of cameras like this.
I mean, I’ve been on the CNN stuff, but this is like a whole group of people, right? Like a movie set.
Yeah. Yes. So I get there and there’s this guy laying on the ground and he’s got the same looking and clothes i got on and they said you see that guy right there and i said yeah he goes well that’s robocop from the 80s peter weller i said well that’s cool yeah i mean obviously big fan of the 80s robocop i mean i was a kid when that happened and they said he is the amputee in the show so we need your hand and his face so can you go over and lay on top of him put your arm underneath his armpit and pull the trigger and i was like are y’all serious i mean i just got on and they said yeah i mean just go lay on top of him okay so i go over and i go to lay on top of him and and i’m i’m almost like hesitant like do i stop they’re making they’re gonna make a joke about something like this really is not what i’m supposed to do and i’m halfway down and they don’t say anything i’m like okay so i’ll go and lay on top of him so at this time i’m spooning robocop I got my arm underneath his armpit and I get to laughing and I’ll never forget him looking up at me.
He’s like, dude, what are you laughing about?
[37:36] I said, man, I’m from Kentucky, and you’re the first dude I ever laid on top of. And I said, maybe it wouldn’t be so weird if I at least knew your name or said hello or something first.
[37:45] And he’s like, yeah, I mean, I’ve just never had anybody just lay on top of me either.
And he and I became so close, man. Like, we still talk.
You know, not every week, but once a month at least, you know, we’ll text or call or catch up or whatever.
And we’ve done that since probably 2012, I guess, when it was.
And another quick story about RoboCop in general.
I mean, I became really good friends with all the actors. I had a blast.
I spent two and a half weeks on that set because I did more than they could even imagine that I could do.
I was doing stuff I couldn’t believe I could do. Like, wait, wait, wait. Like what? Like what?
Like building sniper rifles. And they didn’t think I could put it all together.
And it was a lot more than just writing your name and holding a coffee cup.
You know what I mean? And if you watch that episode, just called the Hookman episode.
Okay. It was season three, episode 15 on YouTube.
And when you see the hand, it’s all me.
And then they put a cameo of me in afterwards. They put a cameo at the very end just so that my face is in there, just so I can prove to people I was there. RoboCop did that.
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And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
Unexpected Visit and Impact on Others[39:20] He called me. It was the following March.
And he called me. He said, hey, I want to come to your house and see you.
And I was like, you want to come to Owensboro, Kentucky for what?
And he said, man, I’ve thought about it for a long time, and I’ve never been around somebody so inspiring as you.
And he said, I want to surround myself with people that you surround yourself with.
I was like, wow, that’s pretty impactful. You know, a kid from Kentucky that lives in the middle of nothing can inspire somebody that everybody knows.
You know what I mean? Like, there’s not a person in this world.
They might not know who Peter Weller is.
There’s not a person in this world that knows who Robocop or the movie Robocop. Yeah.
And I called him a few days before he came in. I said, what are we going to do? He said, whatever you want.
I said, well, people from my hometown has never met an actor before.
So can we do something, have a party? He’s like, I’ll do whatever.
So I set up a party. And the day before I picked him up, I climbed up in the attic to get this toy box that I had.
And when I opened it up, the first thing on top was a poster of RoboCop. Oh, wow.
Like, I saved that poster from the 80s. And now he’s coming to my house.
So he comes to my house and he walks in. I was like, dude, I’ve never asked you for an autograph. But I said, I found this in the attic yesterday.
[40:39] Showed it to him. He’s like, man, that came out of a Nintendo magazine. And I do that.
And he was like, heck yeah. So he signed it. But then I had this party.
I was like, I’m going to charge $10 per person to get in.
Don’t know what I do with the money. Don’t know how much money it’d be anyway.
[40:54] So charged $10 per person to get in. Had this big party called Handing Back.
I wanted to give back to my community. The next day, me and RoboCop’s in my house just counting money, $18,000.
No. That’s a big party. So I gave $18,000 to seven different local charities in my hometown.
I did that show the next year. RoboCop came back. It was $21,000 the second time I did it.
And I gave it to all the elementary schools for Christmas Wish that year. And then COVID hit.
And I haven’t done it since. That’s amazing.
When you said he asked, you asked him, like, hey, what do you want to do?
I thought you were going to say, hey, do you want a spoon again? Like, you know.
[41:39] We made a video and he talked about it at the concert. Well, listeners, his book is titled Handed, A Greater Purpose. It’s fantastic.
Great looking book. I’ve gone through it. There’s a lot of great pictures in there, which I appreciated, Jason, in regards to sharing the story.
And listeners, for more information about Jason, you can go to his social media pages. On Instagram, it’s at jkoger84.
On Facebook, it’s jasonkogerofficial.
And then his website is jasonkoger.com.
And where can folks get your book, Jason?
So it is on Amazon, but I try to tell people go to my website because if you email my website, it goes straight to me.
You know, I do have a publishing place that the books come out of.
But if anybody wants to get a hold of me, I’m really easy to get a hold of because I I want to share my story.
So you can go to my website, buy the book, Amazon, buy the book, email me, just whatever. It’s super easy.
[42:35] Well, thank you for doing this. And apparently your hands are in Columbus a lot. It sounds like. They’re there right now.
Are they really? Okay. Well, Steph and I need to meet you in person.
We would love to take you out for lunch or something.
So next time you’re in Columbus, please let us know because we absolutely want to meet you in person, Jason.
Wait, just to clarify, is it the doctor or the companies here in Columbus that does your arms or hands?
So the engineers are in Scotland. The home office is called Oster. Oster is in California.
And then they have an upper limb division that is in Columbus, Ohio.
Okay. Wow. And that’s why I go to Columbus all the time is because that’s the upper limb facility for them. So the pictures you see, I get these made in Texas at a place called Arm Dynamics.
And then the hand comes from Oster, which is in the Columbus office.
[43:32] Fantastic. Well, can’t wait to meet you, sir. Thank you for doing this, Jason. Thanks, Jason.
Friends, we want to encourage you to please follow us wherever you listen to this, whether it’s on the Apple Podcast app, iHeartRadio, Spotify, or one of the other platforms.
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The post Episode 204: Jason Koger appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Ken Coleman is known as “America’s Career Coach” and is co-host of the Dave Ramsey Show. However, did Kevin + Steph want to talk about finances? Nope!!! Ken shares the story of when he was in his 30s and felt he needed to make a career change into broadcasting. However, at that stage of his...
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Victoria Jackson is an actress, comedienne, and Saturday Night Live alum. If you were a fan of SNL back in the late 80s or early 90s, her distinctive voice will bring back memories! She recently released her first music-comedy album, When I Get to Nashville, which features a cameo from fellow SNL star Rob Schneider....
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We are back! After a short break, we kick off our FIFTH season of Tell Us a Good Story with our new friend, George Kamel. George Kamel is a Ramsey Personality, financial expert, and author of the new book titled ‘Breaking Free From Broke: The Ultimate Guide to More Money and Less Stress’. He also...
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We get to celebrate 200 episodes of Tell Us A Good Story! Like every fifth episode, it’s just Kevin + Steph telling their own stories – and this week they are joined by Craig Clawson, who has worked as their show producer from the very beginning. What is it really like to work with Kevin...
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Kevin + Steph are honored to have a conversation with Bishop Courtney McBath. In 1990, Bishop McBath moved his family to Norfolk, Virginia to start Calvary Revival Church. The church grew from 21 people at their first service to over 7,000 members today. Shortly before starting the church, Bishop McBath met a 12-year-old, naive, white...
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This week, Kevin + Steph are back with one of their dream guests, John Cooper of the band Skillet. John Cooper is the lead singer and one of the founders of Skillet, which is one of the best-selling rock bands of this century. The two-time Grammy-award nominated and 17X platinum band was recently inducted to...
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(Editor’s Note: This week, Mr. Steve Keller, who appears in this show, and is the father of Stephanie, passed away at the age of 77. Kevin + Steph will be taking some time away this week to grieve and cherish Mr. Keller’s memories. Please keep Kevin + Steph, and their entire family in your prayers,...
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Today, Kevin + Steph talks with a listener of the show, Duane Abel. Duane reached out via their website kevinandsteph.com. Duane’s story sounds like a Hallmark movie. During Covid, Duane wrote a romantic comedy called The Green Oak Guardian, which was turned into a feature film, and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. For most...
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Like every fifth episode, it’s just Kevin + Steph telling their own stories – and this week, they are joined by Jeremy Hartman and Adam Bennett! Stories include…what’s it like to be “Tate Man’s” gym teacher? And why is he so aggressive? Why did Kevin + Steph allow Tate to play a sport they know...
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To hear part 1 of our conversation with Diamond Dallas Page, click HERE. Diamond Dallas Page is an actor, yoga instructor, and retired professional wrestler. DDP has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, is a 3-time world champion, a published author, and the founder of DDPYoga. This conversation is NOT just about wrestling,...
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Diamond Dallas Page is an actor, yoga instructor, and retired professional wrestler. But not just any professional wrestler. DDP has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, is a 3-time world champion, a published author, and the founder of DDPYoga. AND he’s joining Kevin + Steph this week (and next!) to answer some of...
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Jeff Allen is considered to be one of the funniest, most inspirational, and clean comedians working today. Most of his humor centers on marriage and living with teenagers, which most people can relate to. Jeff has appeared on Dry Bar Comedy, Netflix, Amazon, Huckabee, Pureflix, Showtime, Comedy Central, VH1, and more. He is the most...
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Jade Warshaw is working in her dream job as a radio personality at Ramsey Solutions. Ever since paying off over $460,000 in debt with her husband, Sam, she has been sharing their story and coaching others on how to pay off their own mountain of debt. Jade and Sam got married one week after college...
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Like every fifth episode, it’s Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. In this conversation, they are joined by Kevin’s college roommate, Dr. John Stauffer, who you might remember from way back in episode 15. For years, Dr. John had invited Kevin + Steph to his home in Jacksonville. And FINALLY…last weekend, Kevin...
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Coach Dot Richardson is the head softball coach at Liberty University and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Dot was voted by the NCAA as the Player of the Decade for the 1980s and was a pioneer in the sport of softball. However, when Dot was growing up she faced many obstacles and discrimination for being...
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He’s back! Jim Comer returns to Tell Us A Good Story. You can hear his previous interview on Episode 116. The story that Jim tells on today’s episode sounds like something straight out of a Hallmark Movie! Just imagine…you have a career in Los Angeles, but you live over 1,000 miles away from your elderly...
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Kevin + Steph have the honor of talking with a best-selling author and a co-host of The Dave Ramsey Show, Dr. John Delony. Dr. John is a mental health expert and hosts his own show called The Dr. John Delony Show. Kevin + Steph drill him with their own personal questions including “Can husbands read...
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Even though it’s not a fifth episode, Kevin + Steph just couldn’t wait to share their latest stories with you!
In this episode, Kevin + Steph talk with their friend, Adam Bennett, about their recent trip to Colorado Springs to visit Victor & Eileen Marx. Over the course of two days, Victor and his team taught Kevin + Steph about self-defense, firearms, and knife combat. As you will hear, this was a trip of a lifetime!
Kevin also shares an epic story about having survived a potential attack by Victor’s killer dogs. AND make sure to listen to the end to hear some big news about their book “You Met Her WHERE?!”.
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder for life.
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
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This episode is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you…and Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer! Kevin + Steph are back from vacation, and have invited Katie to be, once again, part of the show! Kevin + Steph share with Katie great stories about their trip to Myrtle Beach, including what happened when the...
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This episode is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you…and Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer! Have you ever been scared while on vacation? Ever gone on an excursion that looked like fun but then got dangerous real fast? That is EXACTLY what happened last summer! Katie and her family took a trip to...
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D.J. Vanas is a best-selling author and international speaker who has spoken to Fortune 500 companies, tribal nations, and over 7,000 audiences (including at the White House). In this episode, D.J. introduces Kevin + Steph to the Native American warrior spirit, the tribal principles that led the first cultures in America. An enrolled member of...
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Rudy Ruettiger’s life story inspired the major motion picture RUDY. After struggling to finally get accepted as a student into Notre Dame University, against all odds, Rudy made the Notre Dame football team as an undersized walk-on. However, on the only play of the only game he ever played in, Rudy sacked the quarterback and...
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Bob Burg is a best-selling author and a member of the National Speaker’s Association Hall of Fame. When it comes to public speaking, this man is one of the all-time greats. Not only has Bob sold over 2,000,000 books, with titles such as The Go-Giver, Endless Referrals, It’s Not About You: A Little Story About...
The post Episode 181: Bob Burg appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
For the first time in 180 episodes, Kevin + Steph talk to the man who introduced them…Kevin’s father, Ron Mason! As Kevin’s wingman (literally), Ron tells the story of how he first met Steph and then forced his son to meet her a few days later. If you personally know Kevin or Steph, this story...
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This week, Kevin + Steph are on vacation! That means it’s a great time to share a conversation they had last year with Kevin’s hilarious friend, Adam Bennett. This episode focuses on stories about family vacations. Adam shares what it’s like when his family heads out West to South Dakota to visit relatives AND how...
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This week Kevin + Steph get to talk to a Philadelphia Eagles NFL Football legend – Vince Papale. In 2006, Vince was the inspiration for a Disney movie called Invincible. Why? Vince was a school teacher and part time bartender and a huge Eagles fan, with the season tickets to match. But, in 1976, the Eagles front...
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Leah Amico is a three-time Olympic gold medalist with USA Softball, a National Softball Hall of Fame Inductee in 2009, and a three-time national champion at The University of Arizona. Known for being one of the most clutch hitters of all time, Leah still holds the record for the highest batting average in the Women’s...
The post Episode 177: Leah Amico appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Ruben Gonzalez is a four-time Olympian who has competed in the luge in four different decades! As a child, Ruben was not a gifted athlete and did not take up the sport of luge until he was 21. Against all odds, four years later he was competing at the Winter Olympics in Calgary. At the...
The post Episode 175: Ruben Gonzalez appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
This is the Father’s Day edition of Tell Us a Good Story. As a way to honor her dad, Kevin + Steph have a conversation with Steph’s father, Mr. Steve Keller (and her sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer, too). It took some convincing to get Mr. Keller to record this conversation. However, he finally agreed after...
The post Episode 175: Father’s Day appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Devon Harris is a three-time Olympian and one of the original members of the Jamaican Bobsled Team. In 1993, Disney released the movie Cool Runnings about the Olympic Bobsled team from Jamaica, with John Candy as the coach. Devon was on the team depicted in that movie. How much of the movie is true? Who played...
The post Episode 174: Devon Harris appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Victor Marx is the founder of All Things Possible Ministries and a Turning Point USA Faith contributor. This man is also a former Marine, master of mixed martial arts, and a 7-time black belt. He travels to Iraq and Syria to rescue women and children from ISIS, while also putting teams together to fight against...
The post Episode 173: Victor Marx appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
This week’s guest is another dream interview for Kevin + Steph. They had the opportunity to talk to the brand new head coach of the North Carolina women’s field hockey team, Erin Matson.
For those not familiar with the sport, Erin is known as “The Michael Jordan of College Field Hockey”. After winning FOUR national championships at North Carolina, her legendary coach, Karen Shelton, retired and UNC named Erin as her replacement…at the age of 22!
Does she have the team address her as “Coach”? What about the players who are also her roommates? When traveling on recruiting trips, can she even rent her own car? And has she ever met Michael Jordan?
A special thanks to Dana Gelin and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Athletic Communications Department for approving and coordinating this interview with Coach Matson.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder for life.
Guest Contact Info:Website: erinmatsonone.comInstagram: @erin_matson and @uncfieldhockey
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 172: Coach Erin Matson appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
For the first time in Tell Us A Good Story history, Kevin + Steph are dropping two episodes at the same time with episodes 170 and 171. Here is part 2 of their conversation with Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer, and Mr. Jeremy Hartman. You can find Part 1 HERE.
Stories include:
– Emme playing on the middle-school tennis team, and Steph not being able to follow the tennis etiquette of parents being quiet!
– Katie’s six-year-old son wrestling for the first time and her going crazy during the matches.
– Will Steph and Katie be invited back next year to the school Mother-Son Dodgeball Event?
We can’t wait for you to hear these additional stories from Kevin + Steph, along with Katie and Jeremy.
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 171: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, it’s Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And in this episode, they are joined by Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer, and Mr. Jeremy “The Big H” Hartman.
This episode was so much fun, that they are dropping a DOUBLE EPISODE.
In this part 1, the conversation is focused on Steph and Katie’s favorite night of the school year…The Mother-Son Dodgeball event! If you are not familiar with this event, all the moms get to take out their frustrations on their kids (and not worry about getting arrested) by teaming up to play dodgeball against their children. And this year, Kevin volunteered to help out. However, will anyone be allowed to attend next year’s event?
After you finish this episode, make sure to download and listen to Part 2 (episode 171)!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
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This is part 2 of our new Heaven & Hell series with Captain Dale Black!
Captain Dale is a former airline pilot instructor and commercial airline pilot, who has flown all over the world. At the age of 19 years old, Captain Dale was in a horrific airplane crash during a training session. His plane struck a 75-foot-tall building at 135 mph and disintegrated. He was the only survivor.
Following the crash, he experienced an incredible journey to heaven and back. Even today, Captain Dale gets very emotional when discussing the accident and getting a second chance at life. Wait until you hear him tell the story of meeting Jesus!
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
Guest Contact Info:Website: Dale Black MinistriesBook: Flight to Heaven
INSERT GUEST SOCIALS HERE.
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
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This is part 1 of our new Heaven & Hell series with Pastor Gerald Johnson!
Pastor Gerald went viral earlier this year after releasing a series of videos on TikTok and YouTube, which currently has over 3.5 million views. In the videos, Pastor Gerald described his near-death experience that led him to actually going to hell. His personal story is like nothing you have ever heard!
In 2016, Pastor Gerald suffered what felt like a heart attack. All of a sudden while resting in bed, his spirit left his body, and he started to plummet down through the center of the Earth…to hell. What did he see? What did he feel? He is a PASTOR…why did he go to hell instead of heaven?
Also, his story led to many twisted headlines in the national media. For example, Entertainment Weekly claimed, “TikTok Pastor Says He Went to Hell and Heard Demons Torturing Sinners With Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella“. Due to multiple media outlets’ “lack of journalistic integrity”, Pastor Gerald was very excited to share his story with Kevin + Steph. He even gave details about his experience that he has never shared publicly before.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
Guest Contact Info:
faithculturechurch.org
geraldajohnson.org
Instagram: @geraldajohnson
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 168: Pastor Gerald Johnson appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
This week is a dream guest – Mark Victor Hansen + Crystal Dwyer Hansen!
Both Mark and Crystal are best-selling authors, international speakers and have co-authored the book, ASK!: The Bridge from Your Dreams to Your Destiny.
Mark has been described as the world’s greatest-selling author and in 1993 co-authored the book, Chicken Soup for the Soul, with Jack Canfield. Since then, they have sold over 500 million copies worldwide!
In this episode, both Mark and Crystal share stories of perseverance, how Mark went from bankruptcy to best-selling author, how they came up with the name Chicken Soup for the Soul, and the process of writing a book with your spouse.
You can find Mark Victor Hansen’s website HERE and get the book Ask! HERE.
Facebook: Mark Victor Hansen
Twitter: @MarkVHansen
Instagram: @markvictorhansen
LinkedIn: markvhansen
YouTube: @MarkVictorHansen101
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 167: Mark Victor & Crystal Dwyer Hansen appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
This week’s episode is a fun conversation with…Kevin + Steph!
Randall Kenneth Jones, host of the popular podcast called Jones.Show, recently asked Kevin + Steph to be guests on his show. This was a huge honor, as Randall typically only interviews celebrities. Erin Brockovich, Hoda Kotb, Suzanne Somers, Stedman Graham, Vanna White, and Kevin + Steph Mason. WHAT?!
This conversation includes:
– Randall Kenneth Jones joking with Kevin about how shocked he is that Steph married him
– Kevin and Steph’s personal story of overcoming multiple life-threatening events from getting electrocuted to dealing with cancer
– Randall Kenneth Jones personal review of their book, You Met Her WHERE?!
We hope you enjoy this interview of Kevin + Steph with the always entertaining Randall Kenneth Jones. And a HUGE thank you to the Jones.Show team for allowing us to replay this conversation.
Randall Kenneth Jones Website: HERE
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 166: Jones.Show appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, it’s Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And in this episode, they are joined by Kevin’s good buddy and frequent guest on the show, Adam Bennett. Stories in this episode include:
– Kevin + Steph’s new bad habit of lying to their kids
– The funny things that have happened recently in their family
– How Steph gave Kevin someone to reach out to as a potential guest…only to find out he was actually dead
– AND updates on what’s coming up on future episodes of the show
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 165: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Sean Magennis is the CEO of Mutual Capital Alliance in Dallas Texas, and a native of South Africa. Even though Sean is a corporate executive, Steph can’t stop asking him questions about safaris, how to fight off monkeys, and what to do if an elephant charges you! Aside from Steph asking about wildlife, Sean tells the story about having dinner with George W. Bush, including the handwritten note he received afterward.
Also, Sean shares a very heartwarming story about his best friend, who suffered a severe injury while playing polo in South Africa. Although this man’s life changed forever, he had a profound impact on Sean and everyone around him. This very personal story has many great lessons and shows how the hand of God will guide you through the most difficult times in life.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
Guest Bio:
Sean Magennis is the immediate past Global President and COO of YPO (Young President’s Organization). He is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Lumini Network, a membership community for highly skilled executive assistants. Sean sits on two Boards, MDB Capital Holdings and The Young Catholic Professionals’ Organization, YCP.
Sean and his wife, Maria Cintron, are active in the Dallas community.
Guest Information:
seanmagennis.com
mutualcapitalalliance.com
LinkedIn
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 164: Sean Magennis appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Here is part 2 of an INCREDIBLE conversation with Damon West, co-author with Jon Gordon of the Wall Street Journal best-selling book, The Coffee Bean: A simple Lesson to Create Positive Change.
At 20 years old, Damon West was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career-ending injury. Unfortunately, Damon turned to hard-core drugs to cope with life’s disappointments. After graduation, he worked in Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign, and eventually trained to be a stockbroker for UBS. One day at UBS, he was introduced to meth and was instantly hooked.
Damon’s drug addiction led him to a life sentence in prison.
How did he get out of prison early? What did it feel like to walk out as a free man? What new technology blew his mind? And how did he become best friends will all these famous people like Ed Mylett, Jon Gordon, and Dabo Sweeney?
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
Guest Contact Information:
Facebook: @damonjosephwest
Instagram: @damonwest7
Website: damonwest.org
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 163: Damon West (Part II) appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Here is part 1 of an INCREDIBLE conversation with Damon West, co-author with Jon Gordon of the Wall Street Journal best-selling book, The Coffee Bean: A simple Lesson to Create Positive Change.
At 20 years old, Damon West was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career-ending injury. Unfortunately, Damon turned to hard-core drugs to cope with life’s disappointments. After graduation, he worked in Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign, and eventually trained to be a stockbroker for UBS. One day at UBS, he was introduced to meth and was instantly hooked.
Damon’s drug addiction led him to a life sentence in prison.
What was prison like on day 1? How does someone survive prison? How did he get caught by the SWAT team? And, on a lighter side, which prison movie got it right?
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
Guest Contact Information:
Facebook: @damonjosephwest
Instagram: @damonwest7
Website: damonwest.org
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 162: Damon West (Part I) appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
This week, Kevin + Steph have the privilege of speaking with Renee Bruns, who currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most countries visited – in a wheelchair!
Where is the best place she has visited? What’s the craziest thing she has seen on an airport, and what’s been her favorite trip so far? These questions and more are answered.
And, speaking of small world, It turns out that Stephanie and Renee both grew up in Northwest Ohio – JUST MILES AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!!
You won’t want to miss this episode!
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
Guest Contact Information:
Facebook: @Terry.Dismore
Terry’s Show: Fight Flight Radio on live365.com
Website: snackswithatwist.com
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 161: Renee Bruns appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, this conversation is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And on this episode, they share stories with their friend, Terry Dismore, who has worked in the radio industry for over four decades. Some of the stories include:
– Terry filling in for the morning traffic guy on the radio…in a helicopter…with no doors
– LIVE radio gone wrong
– Terry’s radio voice and Kevin’s non-radio voice that cracked for an entire decade
– How Steph got electrocuted
– Why Kevin + Steph started Tell Us a Good Story
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
Guest Contact Information:
Facebook: @Terry.Dismore
Terry’s Show: Fight Flight Radio on live365.com
Website: snackswithatwist.com
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 160: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Sports Illustrated named Bob Beaudine as the “most influential man in sports you’ve never heard of.” He is the President and CEO of Eastman & Beaudine, which The Wall Street Journal labeled the “top recruiting firm in college sports.” Bob is also a highly sought-after speaker and the bestselling author of The Power of WHO! and 2 Chairs.
Bob is now only the second repeat guest on Tell Us a Good Story and has become an ambassador for the show. How many friends has he introduced to Kevin + Steph? And how does he pitch them to his friends? In this episode, Bob also shares stories about meeting Jamie Foxx, placing Deion Sanders (Coach Prime) at Colorado, and his interactions with Dabo Sweeney and Mike Krzyzewski.
However, you MUST hear the second half of this conversation as Bob details for the first time a very personal story about his family and how to overcome tragedy. Absolutely amazing!
Bob Beaudine is the President and CEO of Eastman & Beaudine. He is one of the nation’s most respected search executives having conducted 100’s of searches for Fortune 500 companies, entertainment entities, professional sports organizations, non-profits, Olympic bodies, and universities, among many others. Celebrating over 50 years in business, Eastman & Beaudine has been named by The Wall Street Journal as the “top recruiting firm in college sports.” These accolades come as a result of Bob helping shape the leadership teams of NBA, MLB, NFL, and NHL franchises and league offices, in addition to university athletic departments and conferences across the nation.
Bob’s experience extends to the PGA TOUR, USTA, PBR, U.S. Olympics, NASCAR, UFC, and sports-related non-profits among others. Bob is the bestselling author of The Power of WHO! and 2 Chairs. He is a frequent speaker at universities, corporations, conventions, conferences, and workshops. He headlined the Texas Conference for Women as well as the Sports Business Journal Motorsports Marketing Forum and has spoken at AIG, Exxon-Mobile, Nike, Advocare, Cessna, MSG Sports, La Madeleine, Sabre, Learfield, and dozens of other major corporations. He has appeared on The Today Show, Fox Business Network, Canada’s Business News Network, ABC Good Morning Texas, Fox Good Day, CBN News, and has appeared on CNBC as an expert on intercollegiate athletics.
Bob’s leadership also extends into the community as he is a former Chairman of the Doak Walker National Running Back Award, and a former Board of Director of the two-time American League Champions Texas Rangers.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder, for life.
Guest Contact Information:
Facebook: @BobBeaudine.WHO
Instagram: @thebobbeaudine
Website: bobbeaudine.com
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 159: Bob Beaudine appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Debbie Turner was a famous child actor who was cast as “Marta” in the iconic film, The Sound of Music.
Imagine being six years old and competing against thousands of other kids to become one of the seven von Trapp children. Then, like something out of a movie, that film goes on to become one of the top three highest-grossing films of all time. Well, this is exactly what happened to Debbie Turner.
Debbie has a wonderful conversation with Kevin + Steph about the movie and what her personal life was like after the film’s release. Some of her stories include meeting Julie Andrews for the first time (who had just completed another movie called Mary Poppins), the casting process for the film, and what she did once she left Hollywood.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Guest Contact Information:
Website: debbieturneroriginals.com
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 158: Debbie Turner appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Lizzie Post continues on the legacy of Etiquette.
Have you ever heard of the name Emily Post? Or the saying “According to Emily Post”? That’s because she was a world-famous author in the 20th century after writing the book titled “Etiquette”. Kevin + Steph have the privilege of talking to her great-great-granddaughter, Lizzie Post, who is co-president of the Emily Post Institute.
Lizzie is the first 5th generation Post to join the family business and is an expert on etiquette. What was it was like to grow up in her family? Does everything always have to be very formal and proper? Did she have a BUTLER?!
Kevin + Steph also ask her to clarify a few things when it comes to their own etiquette. For example, is it appropriate for Steph to give everyone a bear hug the very first time they meet? [Hint: Steph does not like her answer.]
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 157: Lizzie Post appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Rita Rudner is a comedy legend!
Before becoming the top female comedian in Las Vegas, Rita became a star in the 80s as a regular guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. She also acted in several Broadway plays and TV shows…and tells a great story about her cameo appearance on the show Tales From the Crypt! What did her script have her do on the show? Also, how did she get on the Johnny Carson show?
In addition to her standup career, Rita shares stories about the people she has worked with, including Betty White, Bob Hope, Mary Tyler Moore, and Steve Martin. And what was it like to write for the Oscars?
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 156: Rita Rudner appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
After taking 6 weeks off, Kevin + Steph return to the podcast. And, like every fifth episode, today it’s Kevin and Steph sharing their own stories with you. This time they are joined by Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer.
Tune in to hear about the practical joke that Kevin’s coworkers played on him, how Kevin likes to shop for himself at Christmas, AND how Steph threatened their 4-year-old about calling Santa to put him on the naughty list.
Not to be outdone, Katie tells a story about how her kid watched Home Alone this year and then booby-trapped the entire house!
Welcome to the new year! We look forward to sharing even more great stories with you.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 155: Kevin + Steph Mason appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
BONUS EPISODE. In this conversation, Kevin + Steph give listeners a quick life update, share why they have taken some time off from the podcast, AND as always…tell you a good story!
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post BONUS Episode: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this very special episode, you get to meet Steph’s godfather, Ray Etzler, and his son Doug Etzler. If you are not familiar with the Etzler family, they are considered basketball royalty in northwest Ohio. Steph had been wanting to have a conversation with this family for a long time and as you will hear, it was an absolute honor for Kevin + Steph to have this opportunity.
Stories include…what Steph was actually like as a kid, the miracle that happened to Doug as a child, Ray’s coaching stories, Doug’s Ohio State basketball experience, and some hilarious fun facts!
Doug Etzler became a basketball legend at Convoy Crestview High School while playing for his father. Doug went on to play point guard for The Ohio State University from 1991-1995, serving as the team captain his senior year when he averaged 16.3 points per game. Doug still holds multiple Ohio State basketball records to this day.
Ray Etzler is a retired school educator and basketball coach, who was inducted into the Ohio High School basketball coaches Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2010, the Crestview Local Schools honored Ray by naming their high school gym the “Ray Etzler Gymnasium”. (For further proof of this basketball family, two of Ray’s grandchildren currently play basketball at Miami University and Ohio State.)
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
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Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 154: Ray & Doug Etzler appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
This conversation with Santa and Mrs. Claus is guaranteed to put you in the Christmas spirit. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be Santa or Mrs. Claus for a day? What do you think kids would say to you? How do you think adults would act around you? (Apparently, you do NOT want to go visit the retirement home!)
Thanks to “Lali and Pop Claus” (cousins of the real Santa Claus), you will find out these answers and more. From hilarious to heartbreaking, this husband and wife have seen a lot while serving their community to bring joy to hundreds of children each year. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
(BTW…Santa and Mrs. Claus will do a Zoom meeting with your family! See their information below.)
Hope you enjoy this episode of Tell Us a Good Story!
Brought to you by Luebbe Companies. Let them be your builder for life.
Santa’s Facebook: @scott.bailey.9235
Santa Zoom Meetings -> $25 per 10 minutes
Call 806-445-6894 or DM Scott Bailey on Facebook
Podcast Website: kevinandsteph.com
Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @KevinStephMason
Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 153: Santa + Mrs. Claus appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Nick Vujicic is an Australian-American born without arms or legs who has become a world-renowned speaker, New York Times best-selling author, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of the non-profit ministry Life Without Limbs.
You may be familiar with Nick, as he has been featured on BBC, 60 Minutes Australia, CBS Sunday Morning, Oprah’s LifeClass, USA Today, People Magazine, and ABC News, to name just a few.
Some of his stories include how his parents found out their child did not have limbs, being bullied in school, and some of his greatest experiences in life such as meeting his wife and what it was like to speak to an international audience of 800,000 people in person!
Nick is also the father of four children, with his beautiful wife Kanae.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story. Head over to our website here for video clips, more episodes, and information about Kevin + Steph. And don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts!
Guest Contact Information:
Giving Campaign: GiveSendGo – Nick Vujicic
Instagram: @nickvujicic
Facebook: @NickVujicic
To connect with Kevin + Steph:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Their book titled ‘You Met Her WHERE?!’ can be ordered here: kevinandsteph.com/shop/
The post Episode 152: Nick Vujicic appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Martin Mongiello (pronounced MAWN-JELLO) is a former executive chef to the President of the United States at both the White House and Camp David. While working at the White House, taking care of foreign diplomats and celebrities became his specialty. In addition to serving and cooking for SIX Presidents, Marty has served the likes of...
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As with every fifth episode, this conversation is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And this episode celebrates 150 episodes with Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer, and Kevin’s college buddy, Adam Bennett. Some of the stories include Kevin’s hilarious notes on what it’s like to live life with Steph, their recent trip to...
The post Episode 150: Kevin + Steph Mason appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
General John Borling is a retired Major General and Air Force Academy graduate, who survived six years and eight months as a Prisoner of War with John McCain during the Vietnam War. In 1966, after 97 combat missions as a fighter pilot, General Borling was shot down by ground fire northeast of Hanoi, North Vietnam....
The post Episode 149: Major General John Borling appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Howard Behar is a renowned business leader, author, speaker, and mentor who has influenced the lives of numerous men and women at all stages of their careers and at all levels and roles. Shaped by his experiences working in his parents Seattle market, schooled in operations and management in consumer-oriented retail business, and part of...
The post Episode 148: Howard Behar appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Joel Relampagos is an Emmy-nominated executive producer for hit TV shows such as The Biggest Loser, Recipe For Change, and the student debt show Going From Broke alongside Ashton Kutcher. Joel has also worked on other TV shows such as Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsey, Going From Broke, and Pimp My Ride. Some of his...
The post Episode 147: Joel Relampagos appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Marty Ray is an independent music artist, actor, and founder of his band called Marty Ray Project. He is considered an influencer with over one million followers across all social media platforms. However, Marty is a good ol’ country boy from Arkansas with a big beard and an even bigger personality. As you will hear,...
The post Episode 146: Marty Ray Project appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, this conversation is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And this episode includes a conversation with their new friend, Mr. Jeremy Hartman. Mr. Hartman is the gym teacher and athletic director at Grace Christian School, where the Mason children attend. He gives some insight into his first...
The post Episode 145: Kevin + Steph Mason appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Coach Tom Ryan is the head wrestling coach at the Ohio State University and in 2015 captured the program’s first national championship. His career as both a coach and wrestler is elite. He was part of two NCAA national championship teams at Iowa as a wrestler and has coached six different Buckeyes to 12 individual...
The post Episode 144: Coach Tom Ryan appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Do dating websites work? How about CHRISTIAN dating websites? Do those even exist? Apparently, they do because Robert and Kay Lee Fukui have a HILARIOUS story to share! From finding each other on a Christian dating website to starting a business to touring the country promoting their new book called “Tandem”, their story is fun...
The post Episode 143: Robert & Kay Lee Fukui appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Dropping your firstborn child off to college can be scary. But what happens when she comes home for the summer after her freshman year and tells you…she’s pregnant?! How do you handle the news? And your husband is the senior pastor of a large church in Connecticut. How do you tell your congregation? This is...
The post Episode 142: Rivers Teske appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
September 11 is a day of shock and mourning for the US, and for Joe Dittmar it’s a day marked not only by loss but by his survival. Over twenty years ago, the two towers in New York City fell in one of the most tragic events in American history with almost three thousand people...
The post Episode 141: Joe Dittmar appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, this conversation is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And this episode includes Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer. Have you ever been scared while on vacation? Ever gone on an excursion that looked like fun but then got dangerous real fast? That is EXACTLY what happened this...
The post Episode 140: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Koren Furrey is the wife of former NFL player and coach, Mike Furrey. She has a very unique perspective on life as an NFL wife after watching her husband play for 8 years in the NFL and then coach another 4 seasons with the Chicago Bears. Stories include what gamedays are like for an NFL...
The post Episode 139: Koren Furrey appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Here is PART #2 of our conversation with former NFL player and coach, Mike Furrey. Some of his incredible stories include what it was like to make an NFL roster for the first time, how he met his wife after leaving training camp with the New York Jets, and the time his wife informed him...
The post Episode 138: Mike Furrey – part 2 appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Here is PART #1 of our conversation with former NFL player and coach, Mike Furrey. This man has lived a life overcoming obstacle after obstacle to fulfill his dreams. After finishing runner-up in Ohio’s Mr. Football award, Mike received zero scholarship offers to play in college. So he decided to become a walk-on wide receiver...
The post Episode 137: Mike Furrey appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Ken Gober has been in the music industry most of his adult life as a professional musician, singer, and songwriter. In 2008, his debut solo album “Soul of a Man: The Journey” won him Best New Male Gospel Artist at the Black Music Awards in Las Vegas. As you will hear, Ken has some great...
The post Episode 136: Ken Gober appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, this conversation is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And this episode is with Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer. In this episode, Kevin + Steph share some of their favorite family vacation stories. From Steph’s mom mistakenly yelling “SHARK” from the shores of Myrtle Beach to Steph’s...
The post Episode 135: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Randall Kenneth Jones is the host of the popular weekly podcast called JONES.SHOW with Susan Bennett (the original voice of Siri) as the announcer. He is a comic actor, author, and fellow podcaster who is all about bringing the best out of people. Randy’s expertise is in the art of storytelling…and the stories don’t stop!...
The post Episode 134: Randall Kenneth Jones appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Whitney Miller was the season 1 winner of FOX’s reality cooking show, Masterchef with Gordon Ramsey. She is a chef, cookbook author, recipe and menu developer, food stylist, and food judge. Whitney has had the privilege to cook for celebrities such as Fixer Upper’s Chip and Joanna Gaines, Duck Dynasty’s Jase and Missy Robertson, Tim...
The post Episode 133: Whitney Miller appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Chad Hennings has been a US Air Force fighter pilot, 3-time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, author, professional speaker, and a successful businessman in commercial real estate. From flying forty-five successful combat missions and serving in the Gulf War to playing in 3 Super Bowls, Chad has a lot of stories to tell! ...
The post Episode 132: Chad Hennings appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Ricardo Martinez II is the founder of the #IAM911 movement and host of the podcast, Within the Trenches. After working 13 years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, this man has some stories to share! What is the craziest 9-1-1 call he ever took? What is it like when you look at the incoming call…and it’s your...
The post Episode 131: Ricardo Martinez II appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, this conversation is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And this episode includes one of their closest friends, Adam Bennett, who is hysterically funny. This episode focuses on stories about family vacations. Adam shares what it’s like when his family heads out West to South Dakota to...
The post Episode 130: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Pastor Cal Roberson is co-host of Lifetime Channel’s #1 hit show called Married At First Sight. As expected, Pastor Cal has some great stories to share! Also, here are a few questions that get answered during Kevin + Steph’s conversation with Pastor Cal. Through 14 seasons, how many people have applied to have an arranged...
The post Episode 129: Pastor Cal Roberson appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Susan Bennett is the original voice of “Siri” and her story is INCREDIBLE! In July 2005, Susan recorded everything for Siri at her house for a text-to-speech company called Nuance, which does a lot of GPS voices. As a voice actor, Susan did not know exactly how her voice would be used but assumed it...
The post Episode 128: Susan Bennett appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
John Schneider has had an incredible career in entertainment that spans over 4 decades. He is an actor, director, filmmaker, country music artist, and now owns his own movie production studio called John Schneider Studios in Holden, Louisiana. In this episode, John Schneider shares some amazing stories with Kevin + Steph, including how he lied...
The post Episode 127: John Schneider appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Justin Batt is the founder of the Daddy Saturday Foundation, aimed at fighting the fatherless epidemic. He founded Daddy Saturday in his backyard with his four children, and it’s grown into a national movement, including stadium events like the Fatherhood Festival at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio. Justin has a...
The post Episode 126: Justin Batt appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, this conversation is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And this episode includes two of their closest friends, Joe Muck and Adam Bennett. As you will hear, their friends are absolutely hilarious and have great stories to tell. Why did Joe give Kevin + Steph’s 3-year-old son...
The post Episode 125: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In January 2022, Shaylyn Ford won the title of “Mrs. World” at the annual Mrs. World pageant in Las Vegas. She was invited to compete in the prestigious beauty pageant after being crowned “Mrs. American” at the national competition in November 2021. As you will hear, Shaylyn is incredibly humble and has an amazing perspective...
The post Episode 124: Shaylyn Ford appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Joe Serio lived in Russia during the Cold War and became an expert on the Russian mafia and organized crime. He is a full-time professional speaker, trainer, and author. This past year, he was featured on an episode of 48 Hours on CBS and recently spoke at the South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas....
The post Episode 123: Joe Serio appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Jim Tressel is “legendary” in the state of Ohio. He won 5 national championships as a head football coach before becoming the 9th President at Youngstown State University. As big Ohio State football fans, this was a bucket list-like conversation for both Kevin + Steph. As expected, President Tressel has some GREAT stories to share....
The post Episode 122: President Jim Tressel appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Rowland Hanson is a former executive at Microsoft who is best known for being the person who convinced Bill Gates to name their operating system “Windows”. There have been several books published on the history of Microsoft that document the strategies Rowland executed that led to the dominance of the Microsoft and Windows brands. He...
The post Episode 121: Rowland Hanson appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, this conversation is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And this episode includes Steph’s favorite guest…her sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer, who tells the story of why their family actually thought Steph had been kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel during their recent trip to Texas. Also, how...
The post Episode 120: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Izabela Lundberg escaped Yugoslavia as a teenager during the Balkan Wars and survived genocide, torture, and war trauma. She journeyed across 5 countries as a refugee with her sister before eventually arriving in the United States. What Izabela experienced in her home country is eerily similar to the current war taking place in Ukraine. How...
The post Episode 119: Izabela Lundberg appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Here is PART 2 of our conversation with Andy Erwin. Andy is one-half of the award-winning filmmaking team known as the Erwin Brothers. In 2019, Andy, his brother Jon, and their two business partners created Kingdom Story Company, which is the Christian version of Pixar. Recently, Andy directed the film American Underdog, which moviegoers gave...
The post Episode 118: Andy Erwin appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Here is PART 1 of our conversation with Andy Erwin. Andy is one-half of the award-winning filmmaking team known as the Erwin Brothers. In 2019, Andy, his brother Jon, and their two business partners created Kingdom Story Company, which is the Christian version of Pixar. Recently, Andy directed the film American Underdog, which moviegoers gave...
The post Episode 117: Andy Erwin appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Jim Comer is one of the most fun and unique guests to have been interviewed on Tell Us a Good Story. This man moved to NYC in his mid-20s with the goal of becoming rich and famous. So he became an actor and comedian…and then became broke! To earn extra income to help pay off...
The post Episode 116: Jim Comer appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, this conversation is Kevin + Steph sharing their own stories with you. And this episode includes Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer, as they celebrate two years of Tell Us a Good Story. Kevin + Steph talk about the marriage conference they recently spoke at and the EPIC trip they took...
The post Episode 115: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
On today’s episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph are joined by special guest, Pastor Paul Teske, who served 20 years in the US Navy as a commander and chaplain. He then went on to serve as Senior Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Westport, CT before retiring in 2017. This...
The post Episode 114: Paul Teske appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Does anyone have a challenging kid…or two? If so, you are going to LOVE this conversation with Shelia Erwin. She is author of the book “Raising Up Dreamers” and mother of the award-winning filmmakers, The Erwin Brothers. Her sons have made multiple major motion pictures such as American Underdog, I Still Believe, I Can Only...
The post Episode 113: Shelia Erwin appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Are you resilient? Are you teaching your children how to become resilient? As a 4-time cancer survivor and brain aneurysm survivor, Courtney Clark is the definition of resilience. At age 26, she was diagnosed with cancer. Then five years later, doctors told her a routine scan of her brain showed an aneurysm that was about...
The post Episode 112: Courtney Clark appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Kenny Mayne is a broadcasting legend and former ESPN SportsCenter anchor known for his dry wit and sense of humor. After 27 years at ESPN, Kenny has a ton of stories to share including how he got to ESPN, what was his favorite “This Is SportsCenter” commercial, and being on Dancing with the Stars. Also,...
The post Episode 111: Kenny Mayne appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
As with every fifth episode, this conversation is Kevin + Steph sharing their own personal stories with you. This conversation with their hilarious friend, Adam Bennett, includes Steph laughing hysterically about their most recent book review that posted on Amazon and they all share stories about embarrassing their children in some way. Plus Kevin tells...
The post Episode 110: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
James Miller is a licensed psychotherapist and host of the nationally syndicated radio show James Miller LIFEOLOGY®. After 14 years in Washington DC, James decided to close his clinical practice and move to sunny Miami, Florida. He then started posting daily YouTube episodes, which evolved into a podcast and later a nationally broadcasted radio show...
The post Episode 109: James Miller appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Dr. Harry Croft is a world-renowned psychiatrist and expert on PTSD. He is documented as having helped over 7,000 military veterans during his career. However, will he be able to help Kevin with a “Jedi mind trick” to make Steph think he is funny? Also, Kevin tries out a few of his psychiatry jokes on...
The post Episode 108: Dr. Harry Croft appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Tom Ziglar is the proud son of Zig Ziglar, and in charge of carrying on his father’s legacy. He is an accomplished public speaker, sales trainer, business coach, and CEO of Ziglar, Inc. Tom shares some incredible stories about his dad, including the dinner party he had with Colin Powell, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Margaret Thatcher....
The post Episode 107: Tom Ziglar appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In the ’80’s, Dave Stevens became the first “legless” athlete in NCAA history and in the ’90’s became the first “legless” athlete in pro baseball history. How is this even possible? How could you play baseball without legs? How could you become a 2-time state wrestling champion without legs? Since birth, the odds have been...
The post Episode 106: Dave Stevens appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In our final episode of the year, here is our gift to you! This conversation with Santa and Mrs. Claus is guaranteed to put you in the Christmas spirit. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be Santa or Mrs. Claus for a day? What do you think kids would say to...
The post Episode 105: Santa + Mrs. Claus appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Jenna Fesemyer was born without a left leg and hip socket because of a rare congenital disease called proximal femoral focal deficiency. Doctors told her parents their daughters’ case was so extreme that she would never be able to walk with a prosthetic leg. Not only has this young woman walked with a prosthetic her...
The post Episode 104: Jenna Fesemyer appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Kymberli Speight is a graduate of the United State Air Force Academy, author, and award-winning professional speaker. She shares some hilarious stories from her time at the Air Force academy, including the first time she jumped out of an airplane. Also, Kymberli tells a story that required her to get clearance from the Academy to...
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Dr. Dan Ross is very well known around the state of Ohio. In the summer of 2018, he retired as only the 9th commissioner of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), which is the fourth-largest in the United States. This man has seen and experienced it all concerning youth sports. From dealing with crazy...
The post Episode 102: Dr. Dan Ross appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Since 2002, internationally recognized illusionists David and Teesha Laflin have entertained and inspired audiences all over the world. From small crowds to performing for over 40,000 people, their programs have been featured at the NCAA Women’s Final Four, numerous TV events, conferences, and conventions, in addition to a recent TED Talk. More than simply entertainers,...
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In this very special episode, Kevin and Steph get to celebrate Tell Us a Good Story turns 100! Like with every fifth episode, it’s just Kevin and Steph sharing their own personal stories with you. DID YOU KNOW. When Kevin and Steph were preparing for episode #1, their goal was to somehow talk to each...
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Bob Beaudine is someone who Kevin + Steph would label as a “dream guest”. Sports Illustrated named Bob as the “most influential man in sports you’ve never heard of.” He is the President and CEO of Eastman & Beaudine, which was labeled by The Wall Street Journal as the “top recruiting firm in college sports.”...
The post Episode 99: Bob Beaudine appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Here is PART 2 of the incredible conversation with the radio superstar Sonny Melendrez. This episode is full of even more stories such as the time he was cast in the movie Rocky II, meeting Pope John Paul II, working with Nancy Reagan, and THEN…sharing possibly the best marriage proposal story you will ever hear! ...
The post Episode 98: Sonny Melendrez appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Twice named Billboard Magazine‘s “National Radio Personality of the Year,” Sonny Melendrez is a radio legend. He is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as one of the Top 100 Radio Personalities of All-Time and was chosen to be one of the very first TV hosts on the Disney Channel. From his very...
The post Episode 97: Sonny Melendrez appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Yolanda Harris co-anchors the 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts at WBNS-10TV after spending over 20 years at WSYX-ABC 6 and WTTE-Fox 28. During her career, she has won an Emmy award for “Best Entertainment Program” in 2005, been voted “Favorite News Personality” and “Best Female Anchor” in Columbus. On a smaller scale, she’s also...
The post Episode 96: Yolanda Harris appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
“Steph was like I did not send my child to school looking like that.” Our hosts spend the hour talking family stories and playing catch up with Steph’s sister, Katie. Like every fifth episode in the show, Kevin and Steph spend the episode sharing their own personal stories. Talking about their kids’ school pictures and their...
The post Episode 95: Kevin, Steph and Katie appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this episode, Kevin and Steph interview Jack Johnson, a coach who has dedicated his life to helping kids play football the best they can. Coach Jack Johnson is committed to his players and the community. Coach Jack Johnson has been one of Ohio’s most prominent and successful high school football coaches as far as the...
The post Episode 94: Coach Jack Johnson appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Being an executive at a Fortune 100 company isn’t easy and it’s even harder to have a life outside of it, as this weeks guest, Fred Sievert will tell you in this episode. Sievert was the president of New York Life Insurance Company before he retired and in this episode, he exposes his personal struggle...
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Anthony Chan came up from very humble beginnings, growing up in poverty in New York City, his father was a waiter and his mother cleaned office buildings to make ends meet. After his father passed, Chan got a job at the age of thirteen to help his mom put food on the table. Chan goes...
The post Episode 92: Dr. Anthony Chan appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
September 11 is a day of shock and mourning for the US, and for Joe Dittmar it’s a day marked not only by loss, but by his survival. Over twenty years ago, the two towers in New York City fell in one of the most tragic events in American history with almost three thousand people...
The post Episode 91: Joe Dittmar appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this episode, Kevin and Steph take a step away from their regular duties of hosting the podcast in order to let a few of their closest friends take over. Enjoy this conversation between Craig Clawson, Michelle Garinger and her husband Paul, and the always hilarious Adam Bennett as they shine a light on the Kevin...
The post Episode 90: Kevin + Steph’s Friends appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Singer-songwriter, Dennis Welch finally hits it big. Having written over five hundred songs across four decades, Welch is a country music singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas. Welch also started Articulate, a public relations company for the book industry in 2012. But his love of music finally paid off when Welch’s hit song “Why Not Me” recently hit...
The post Episode 89: Dennis Welch appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
From the Editor: Kevin and Stephanie are not feeling their best this week and need time to get better, and are taking the week off from the podcast. So, please, enjoy this episode from March 2020 with John Stauffer, and keep the Mason’s in your prayers In this episode of Tell Us a Good Story,...
The post Episode 88: Dr. John Stauffer appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
On annual, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Colorectal cancer is a disease where cells grow out of control in the colon or rectum, sometimes called colon cancer or rectal cancer depending on where it starts. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the survival rate can...
The post Episode 87: Carole Motycka appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Despite passing away more than twenty six years ago, Bob Ross has continued to grow in popularity until his acclaim is higher today than ever before. Ross was a painter, art instructor and a television host to his own show – The Joy of Painting. But what makes Bob Ross one of the most famous...
The post Episode 86: Bob Ross Inc. appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this episode, like every fifth episode in the show, Kevin and Steph don’t just interview a special guest but also spend the time sharing personal stories and anecdotes about their life, family, friends and children! Out of curiosity, here’s two quick questions for our audience. If you were about to leave your spouse for...
The post Episode 85: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this episode, Kevin and Steph interview businessman Derrick Mains. Mains is the President of Phat Scooters in Phoenix, Arizona. A company founded in 2017 for customizable electric scooters that anyone can purchase – from every day people to brands to celebrities. Mains will also be starring in a new reality tv series called Riding Phat –...
The post Episode 84: Derrick Mains appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In 1989 a little show called American Gladiators took off, it was a competitive television show that lasted for seven seasons and the premise was quite simple. They would pit amateur athletes against one another and against professional gladiators in competitions of agility and strength. At the end of each season there would be a...
The post Episode 83: Lori Fetrick appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
“Big” James Henderson is a powerlifting champion. Henderson won his first powerlifting championship in 1994. He competed in the International Powerlifting Federation, was a five time Super Heavyweight World Bench Press Champion securing himself five consecutive wins between 1994 and 1998 and set a world record when he bench pressed 711 pounds RAW in 1997....
The post Episode 82: “Big” James Henderson appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Make sure you did not miss part one of Kevin and Steph’s conversation with close friends Adam Bennett and Joe Muck or you’ll miss out on half the fun! So here is part two of their conversation! In this episode, their stories focus mainly on the road trip that Kevin and his three closest friends try...
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Like every fifth episode, episode eighty consists of not only Kevin and Steph sharing personal stories of their lives, family, friends and children but some friends who join the fun! Not only that but this episode makes Kevin’s dream of having two of his closest friends as his co-anchors come true! Kevin’s college friend, Adam...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph interview retired Ohio State football coach, the charming Bill Conley. Before turning to coaching football, Conley played for Woody Hayes and coached under Earle Bruce, John Cooper and Jim Tressel. With over four decades of coaching experience, Conley has some amazing stories to share with Kevin and Steph about...
The post Episode 79: Coach Bill Conley appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In today’s episode, Kevin and Steph sit down to talk with Shawn Harper, a former professional football player who can not only play a good game of ball but also rip a telephone book in half and roll a frying pan with his bare hands! And Kevin, for one, is VERY thankful to Shawn for NOT...
The post Episode 78: Shawn Harper appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this episode, Kevin and Steph hear the inspirational story of Crystal Harris and her husband, Bryce, and the way they began their family. Bryce and Crystal Harris had been told by professionals that if crystal were to get pregnant, there was a good chance she would die trying to have a baby. And, in...
The post Episode 77: Bryce + Crystal Harris appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
On the show today is Joe Serio, author of the critically acclaimed book ‘Investigating the Russian Mafia’ and a new book titled ‘Vodka, Hookers, and the Russian Mafia’. But what makes Joe Serio the perfect person to continue discussing this topic and lead our conversation about Russian culture and history in today’s episode? Serio has...
The post Episode 76: Joe Serio appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
Episode seventy five sees Kevin and Steph once again sharing their personal stories of their life, family, friends and children! Including stories about trying to coach a kids t-ball team, what happens when Steph attends their daughters’ third grade basketball games and why she has to yell so much when she’s there! And why she...
The post Episode 75: Kevin + Steph appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this episode, Kevin and Steph talk with Hall of Fame basketball player, Melvin Adams. After retiring in 2000’s, the former Harlem Globetrotter dedicated his life to a professional speaking career focused on helping America’s youth. Since he started, Adams has spoken to thousands of kids in school assemblies and events all over the United States!...
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From personal tragedy as a child to working with Nobel Peace Prize Winners, Kemy Joseph has some incredible stories to share with us. Along with setting up multiple non-profit organizations and becoming a nationally known professional speaker, Joseph might be one of the “nicest guys in the world”. After receiving a full-ride scholarship to the...
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We know what you’re thinking, but no, this isn’t an actual dog strutting around bringing bad people to justice. Despite how cool you know that would have been, Duane “Dog” Chapman is just as cool, if only human (don’t hold that against him!). Chapman is known as the world’s greatest bounty hunter – catching criminals...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph meet Amy Siewe or, as she’s better known down in the Florida Everglades, the famous “python huntress”. Back in 2019, when the Burmese Pythons (one of the biggest snakes) population was at a high in Florida and they were killing off all species in the Everglades (a wetlands preserve...
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What self respecting podcast host doesn’t have a good April Fools story to share in the middle of April? Well, don’t you worry, Kevin and Steph have plenty! In this episode, Kevin and Steph are joined by their close friend and occasional special guest, Adam Bennett, as they share some of the best jokes and...
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In today’s episode, Kevin and Steph talk with Leland Klassen, one of our funniest guests. Which is a great thing for someone who has been a professional comedian for over twenty four years. In those years Klassen has done both a Netflix and an Amazon Prime comedy special, he also wrote and starred in the...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph interview Dan Smith, the Associate Director of The Ohio State Reformatory…better known around the world as “Shawshank Prison”. If you haven’t heard of it, Shawshank Prison is famous for being the setting of the classic 1994 movie “Shawshank Redemption”. Tune into this episode to hear as Dan Smith tells Kevin...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph speak with the infamous Coach Greg Schiano, the head football coach at Rutgers University, a position he has returned to in the last year since his decade of service for the school in the early 2010’s before he was officially fired from the position in 2012. Schiano has over thirty...
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There’s nothing better than a good conversation with an interesting person with a story about a pizzeria. Listen in and find out the whole thing! Have you ever ordered a pizza and then had to wait about six months to go pick it up and actually eat it? If your answer is yes, then you...
The post Episode 66: Spencer Saylor appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
If you need a good dose of laughter, watch today’s episode! Where Kevin and Steph keep the tradition of sharing personal stories of their friends and family on every fifth episode. Not to mention Kevin managed to get Steph laughing before the cameras even start rolling. After gaining their composure (which doesn’t last for long,...
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In today’s episode, Kevin and Steph have a fun conversation with entrepreneur Lisa Bradley, the chief executive officer and co – founder of the company R. Riveter. What a lot of military families go through financially is brushed under aside and the families grin and bear it, but Bradley and her partner, Cameron Cruse, wanted...
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In today’s episode, Steph freaks out when she hears that she and our special guest actually went to the same college and Steph missed it! Listen in as Kevin and Steph interview Columbus radio host royalty, award winning radio personality with Sunny 95, Stacy McKay in the flesh! Don’t be fooled by the bubbly and...
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Here is the second part of our conversation with Phillip Hall, a former enforcer with the Italian Mafia and author of the book, From the Bullet to the Bible. Make sure you have listened to the first part of our interview with Hall before watching the second part (this one!) so you do not miss...
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This episode is the first part of a two part interview with Phillip Hall, a former enforcer with the Italian Mafia and author of the book, From the Bullet to the Bible. Make sure you have listened to the second part of our interview with Hall so you do not miss anything interesting from his story!...
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In this episode, like every fifth episode on the show, it is just Kevin and Steph and the occasional guest caller talking about their friends, family and personal life. In today’s episode, we are joined by Kevin and Steph’s longtime close friend, Adam Bennett. Listen in as Kevin, Steph and Adam give the an entertaining rundown...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph have a very heartwarming conversation with one of the kindest people who have ever been on the show, Rose Mauck, who at seventy years old was recently featured in The Columbus Dispatch for her card project. Rose Mauck is known as the “card angel” to everyone who knows her....
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In today’s episode, Steph’s worst podcast nightmare comes true…no guest for the third episode in a row! And while it’s disappointing we don’t get to hear someone new on the show and their interesting stories, it’s not a total let down for us. All this means is that it is time for Kevin and Steph...
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This episode is the second part of a two part special, where we get to hear Kevin and Steph say their goodbyes to 2020, a year that’s been by every definition of the word – eventful. It only seems fitting for Kevin and Steph to ring in the new year with a podcast episode about how...
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This episode is the first part of a two part special, where we get to hear Kevin and Steph say their goodbyes to 2020, a year that’s been by every definition of the word – eventful. It only seems fitting for Kevin and Steph to ring in the new year with a podcast episode about how...
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On today’s episode of our podcast, we continue the pattern of Kevin and Steph personal story time episodes on every fifth episode. As a bonus, Kevin and Steph are joined by Steph’s sister and occasional special guest, Katie Keller Schnetzer. Together our three hosts talk about their annual family vacation to Myrtle Beach with the “in...
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On today’s episode, Kevin and Steph are once again joined by Steph’s sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer as the three of them share some insight into their personal life outside the recording room – their friends, family and a constant stream of stories you did not think you would get to hear about our hosts. Today...
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On todays episode, Kevin and Steph talk with Jeni Britton Bauer – a woman who has had a hard start at adult life but eventually made it to a point where she can inspire and help others with her story. Bauer’s life goes from dropping out of college and having to live in her car...
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In todays episode, Kevin and Steph touch on the delicate subject of adoption, a very complicated process that is actually misrepresented in media constantly but when it works out, it is a heartwarming and wholesome story for us to hear. Courtney Simmons is one person who beat the adoption hurdles. Courtney Simmons is the proud...
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Religion is a very complicated and personal experience for people, for some it’s a way to pass a Sunday afternoon and for others it’s a of life. For no one is that more true than it is for Amy Freudiger. In todays episode, Kevin and Steph talk with Amy about her experience with faith. Listen...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph celebrate the one year anniversary of the Tell Us a Good Story podcast! After fifty episodes and dozens of special guests from every walk of life, it only seems fitting to make the one year of the show by having a fun conversation with the “man behind the curtain”,...
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In todays episode, Kevin and Steph take a dive into the world of organized crime by bringing in Joe Serio, author of the critically acclaimed book, Investigating the Russian Mafia to share his experience in the underground world of business and politics and exposing the underbelly of the Russian mafia. Not only is Joe Serio...
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In todays episode, Kevin and Steph talk to Rodney Smith Jr. who founded the Raising Men & Women Lawn Care Service, is a man who leads by example. He aims to give back to the community by helping those less able than him, with dozens of volunteers to help his cause. His organizations were created...
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In todays episode of the podcast, Kevin and Steph dive into the world of movie magic while having an amazing conversation with American writer and television and movie producer, Phil Cooke. But Phil Cooke isn’t just any ordinary guest, outside of his mundane job as a film producer, he has had many adventures in the...
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In today’s episode of the Tell Us a Good Story podcast, Kevin and Steph are joined by special guest and friend Pastor Greg Ford. He is the founding and lead pastor of One Church in Gahanna, Ohio. Ford also serves as Moen Chair for Pentecostal Preaching for the spring 2020 semester at North Central University. Two...
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Like every fifth episode in the podcast, Kevin and Steph share personal experiences and stories with all of us and their special guest, Micah Pelkey. But this episode is very special for Kevin and Steph and they have chosen to share it with all of us. You might ask ‘why is this episode so special?’...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph have an interesting and eye opening conversation with a 911 emergency dispatcher. Joe McCarville has over twenty years of experience in 911 emergency communications. In all those years of service, he has collected some incredible stories – from helping expecting mothers deliver their babies over the phone to taking...
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On today’s episode, Kevin and Steph invite eight time American Ninja Warrior, Michelle Warnky as a special guest. Not only was she an eight time competitor but she made history by being one of the first women to actually clear the qualifying course and then again in the sixth season when she became only the second...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph invite special guest, Vanessa Oswalt on the podcast to talk about her experience and career in the world of female wrestling – all the way to getting girls wrestling recognized. Oswalt is currently the girls wrestling representative for Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association, has won several wrestling national championships,...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph have an INCREDIBLE conversation with Sheriff Chris Swanson from the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office in Flint, Michigan. This is the man who took off his riot gear to join demonstrators in a peaceful protest that went viral. This is also the man leading a law enforcement team to protect...
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On today’s episode, Kevin and Steph celebrate hitting forty episodes of the Tell Us a Good Story podcast, the two of them welcome Steph’s sister Katie Keller Schnetzer to once again join them on the show! Some of the challenges they talk about today include the mundane predicament Kevin has as he tries to figure out...
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September 11 is a day of shock and mourning for the US, and for Joe Dittmar it’s a day marked not only by loss, but by his survival. Over twenty years ago, the two towers in New York City fell in one of the most tragic events in American history with almost three thousand people...
The post Episode 39: Joe Dittmar appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this episode, Kevin helps make Steph’s dreams come true by having a conversation with our favorite CrossFit athlete, Kari Pearce. Kari is a five-time CrossFit Games athlete and three-time Fittest American Female. She is currently the 5th fittest woman on earth as she prepares for the next CrossFit Games in September 2020. We hope...
The post Episode 38: Kari Pearce appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this episode, Kevin and Steph have an unbelievable conversation with Ironman (no, not the marvel superhero but from the stories he tells, we can see why everyone would think otherwise!), Will Turner. In December of 2019, at the age of sixty one, this man finished his 105th Ironman – distance triathlon (a race including...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph invite special guest Josh Mathews to have an amazing conversation with him about his experiences and career in the world of professional wrestling. Mathews is a former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) professional wrestler and currently signed with Impact Wrestling as a play by play commentator. Josh Mathews talks about having...
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Welcome to the thirty fifth episode of the Tell Us a Good Story podcast with Kevin and Steph! As it has become a tradition for every fifth episode to be personal stories, for this episode, the special guests are our very own hosts! In this episode we get to hear stories about their lives outside...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph invite special guest Madison Rayne to join them in an amazing two episode conversation about the world of professional wrestling. Today’s episode is the second time Kevin and Steph are joined by Rayne, a five time Knockouts Champion at Impact Wresting and today she talks more about her career...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph invite special guest Madison Rayne to join them in an amazing two episode conversation about the world of professional wrestling. Today’s episode is the first time Kevin and Steph are joined by Rayne, a five time Knockouts Champion at Impact Wresting and today she talks more about her career...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph just wanted to enjoy a good laugh. And when they need to have a good time, they either go to The Funny Bone or they hang out with their good friend and engaging storyteller, Adam Bennett. Guess today was our lucky day and they went with the latter! Adam Bennett...
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In this episode, Kevin and Steph are joined by Traci Kelly-Brake to have a very serious conversation about mental health. This year, the United States alone, over one million people attempted suicide and over fifty thousand managed to take their own lives. That’s an average of one hundred and thirty people a day. The subject...
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In the thirtieth episode of the Tell Us a Good Story podcast, Kevin and Steph are the center of attention as they celebrate the occasion of reaching thirty episodes of a podcast that began as nothing more than a passion project and has now evolved into something else entirely. On today’s episode, we get to hear...
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On today’s episode of the podcast, Kevin and Steph have a conversation with Paul Rankin, the owner and operator of the Chick-Fil-A at Easton in Columbus, Ohio. Chick-Fil-A is one of the most popular fast food restaurants in the United States so you could imagine what an achievement it is to be an owner! Paul...
The post Episode 29: Paul Rankin appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this episode, Kevin and Steph have athlete Brannon Kidder on the show. Kidder is a very special guest on the podcast because he is part of the world record 4xMile relay team, he also won the gold medal in the men’s 4 x 800 meters relay in 2017 and is hoping to be a part...
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This is the second part of the special podcast episode, Kevin and Steph have a conversation with Lisa McCubbin. McCubbin is an award-winning journalist and the author of four New York Times bestselling books. Her first book, The Kennedy Detail: JFK’s Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence (published in 2010), was the basis for the...
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In this two part special podcast episode, Kevin and Steph have a conversation with Lisa McCubbin. McCubbin is an award-winning journalist and the author of four New York Times bestselling books. Her first book, The Kennedy Detail: JFK’s Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence (published in 2010), was the basis for the Emmy nominated Discovery...
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In this episode of the Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph celebrate their twenty fifth episodes of their passion project. With so many special guests having already made appearances – including some family members, good friends and local celebrities, it is hard to imagine this production going anywhere but up! But on today’s...
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In this two part podcast episode, Kevin and Steph are joined by retired Big Ten football official, Dan Capron. He worked in the Big Ten for over twenty years and has been the head football official for the Big Ten Championship, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, College Football Playoff National Semi-Final, and College Football Playoff National...
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In this two part podcast episode, Kevin and Steph are joined by retired Big Ten football official, Dan Capron. He worked in the Big Ten for over twenty years and has been the head football official for the Big Ten Championship, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, College Football Playoff National Semi-Final, and College Football Playoff National...
The post Episode 23: Dan Capron (part 1) appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In today’s episode, Kevin and Steph speak with Julie Deal about the struggles of the world of addiction. In the United States alone there’s almost twenty million people who suffer from some type of substance addiction and only about 14% of those people are actively seeking out professional help. But what is it like on...
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In this episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph have their friend Joe Muck as their special guest on the podcast. Outside of being friends for so long, Joe and Kevin have a special connection and they decided to commit to annual trips together, but today they share some of Steph’s favorite stories...
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In the twentieth episode of the Tell Us a Good Story podcast, Kevin and Steph are their own special guests. With mandatory quarantine being implemented across the United States, Kevin and Steph have been locked up inside their home with their kids. Today, Kevin and Steph share how things have been going at their house...
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In this episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph have an amazing conversation with special guest, doctor Christina Murphy. Murphy has won two Columbus marathons, qualified for two US Olympic Trials, while also being a wife, mom, and chiropractor. Doctor Christina discusses what it was like to hear doctors tell her she...
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In this episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph invite the amazing Mike Owens to have a fun and enlightening conversation with them. Owen’s has had a very successful career in animation, recently winning an Oscar to sit alongside his Emmy award for his work as an animator. Owens shares what it felt...
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In this episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph talk to today’s special guest JD Bergman. He is a former Team USA wrestler and three time All – American at the Ohio State University. Bergman shares some incredible stories with Kevin and Steph on the podcast today. What it was like being...
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In this episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph take the listeners behind the scenes of the podcast to answer as many listeners questions as they can. You have a chance to find out anything you have wanted to know about the behind the scenes world of Tell Us a Good Story....
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In this episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph introduce the listeners to Kevin’s old college roommate and longtime friend, John Stauffer. In the years since living with Kevin, Stauffer has become a doctor and traveled over the world helping people. Today he shares some of his amazing medical stories with the podcast....
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On today’s episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph have invited the legendary Jack Park on the podcast. Park shares some personal stories about his life and career, including the first time he ever met the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, Woody Hayes, the greatest Ohio State football team Park has...
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In today’s episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph speak with Keith Deal about the struggles of the world of addiction. In the United States alone there’s almost twenty million people who suffer from some type of substance addiction and only about 14% of those people are actively seeking out professional help. And...
The post Episode 12: Pastor Keith Deal appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
On today’s episode of the Tell Us a Good Story podcast, Kevin and Steph welcome special guest, Coach Jeff Hartings. Before he was a coach, Hartings used to play in both college football at Pen State University and professional football as a center in the National Football League for almost a full dozen seasons, where he...
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In today’s episode of the Tell Us a Good Story podcast, Kevin and Steph are joined by the fantastic composer and performer, Dave Powers. Powers has worked in the music industry, traveling all over the United States and throughout varies other countries to create and share his music, for as long as he can remember,...
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On this episode of the Tell Us a Good Story podcast, Kevin and Steph are joined by an impressively accomplished man – retired Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer, Police Sergeant, and Author Aaron Ward. Ward has over two decades of dedicated service in the United States armed forces and law enforcement under his belt, Ward...
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On this episode of the Tell Us a Good Story podcast, Kevin and Steph are joined by Kevin’s good friend, Nick Kleinhenz. Kevin and Kleinhenz have been friends since college and you know what that means…hilariously insightful stories about what Kevin was like before we got to meet him in episode one. Nick Kleinhenz has...
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In today’s episode of Tell Us a Good Story, we get the first two part episode of the podcast! And it is even more special because Kevin and Steph’s guest of the day is Steph’s beloved sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer. And like any family get together, some family dirty comes out! Which is great for...
The post Episode 7: Katie Keller Schnetzer (Part 2) appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In today’s episode of Tell Us a Good Story, we get the first two part episode of the podcast! And it is even more special because Kevin and Steph’s guest of the day is Steph’s beloved sister, Katie Keller Schnetzer. And like any family get together, some family dirty comes out! Which is great for...
The post Episode 6: Katie Keller Schnetzer (Part 1) appeared first on Kevin + Steph.
In this episode, Kevin and Steph talk with Hall of Fame basketball player, Melvin Adams. After retiring in 2000’s, the former Harlem Globetrotter dedicated his life to a professional speaking career focused on helping America’s youth. Since he started, Adams has spoken to thousands of kids in school assemblies and events all over the United States!...
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On today’s episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph welcome special guest Michelle Garinger to the podcast. For those of you who do not know, Garinger is a regular school teacher (and has plenty of stories about the antics she has seen in her years working with children) by day and German...
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Have you ever wondered what teachers are like outside of school? Joe Muck will answer any of the questions you might have! In this episode of Tell Us a Good Story, Kevin and Steph have their friend, middle school teacher, Joe “Fu-Manchu-Man” Muck as their special guest on the podcast. Outside of being friends for...
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On today’s episode of Tell Us a Good Story, we get to know our hosts, Kevin and Steph, better. Because how are we all supposed to follow the journey of this podcast and all the special guests to come if we do not know the hosts well? And what is a better way to get...
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It’s the first episode, and Kevin and Stephanie are discussing some Epic Husband Fails. Laugh along with Kevin and Stephanie as they discuss some of the challenges they faced during their first few months of marriage. They share some funny stories of Kevin’s bad sleeping habits, informing the family about the new show and book,...
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Our inaugural episode. In this brief introduction to the show we discuss why we created Tell Us A Good Story, what listeners can expect, and how you can be part of the show.
The post Episode 0 – Introduction appeared first on Kevin + Steph.