Comedy & Courage: Breaking Stigmas with Kym Whitley

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0:44Mick:Upcoming episodes span the globe from protecting our oceans to reimagining food systems and climate justice, all told through deeply human stories that inspire action. In partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, this is Planet Visionaries. Listen or watch on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you're listening to this podcast. You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt. This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation. Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable.

1:24Mick:I'm Rudy Rush, and trust me, you're in the right place. Let's get unplugged.

1:34Mick:Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another exciting episode of Make Unplugged. And today I have a bucket list guest of bucket list guests. We're talking about someone who is a force of nature, a brilliant comedic mind who has graced our screens and stages, bringing joy and insight to millions. She is known for her undeniable presence and groundbreaking career. Join me in welcoming the vivacious, the hilarious, the absolutely unforgettable, my queen, Ms. Kim Whitley. Kim, how are you doing today, dear?

2:07Kym Whitley:I'm doing good. That was a great introduction.

2:11Mick:I will definitely send it to you because I meant every word of that. You are someone who not only has brought joy to millions of people, but you've also been a standard. And what I love about Kim Whitley, every time I talk about you, it's just that standard that you have for yourself. It's something I'm proud of for you. And just knowing that you are always who you are is so important to me. And I know that's important to you as well.

2:36Kym Whitley:Yes, absolutely. I appreciate that. When you say that and you think about this business and how quickly it goes. You know, it feels like I just started yesterday. So, you know, I just appreciate you having me on today. And I love your background. And I mean, that's just that whole little jealous. I'm like, oh my gosh, I love the lighting. That is so nice. I've been on a lot of podcasts and I will say you might be, you might be number one with the, with the look and the lighting.

3:08Mick:Hey, Kim, don't make me come find you and give you a hug. Now, don't make me do that, but I will. Oh, I love it. I will get myself together. So, Kim, I always ask my guests this one question first, and that question is, what is your because? I like to call it that thing that's deeper than your why, your true purpose, and I know that it changes over time. So if I were to say now in 2026, Kim Whitley, what is your because? What is your purpose? What is your mission?

3:37Kym Whitley:Now, when you say because and you're saying in life, just why am I here? Am I because? Because it is what? How do we say the gift that was in me that is in me? The because is because I can't do anything else. The because is because I was made to bring joy and laughter to this world from day one. I don't know why, but that would be my because. My mother said I came out laughing. Every time she looked at me, I was laughing. And I would say that's my because. My because is because that is how I was made.

4:18Mick:That is so, so beautiful. Like, I think that's the only way to say that, to respond to that, is that is just beautiful. And again, it goes to your soul. And I think anyone who's ever seen anything you've been a part of, whether it's a show, whether it's on stage, whether it's, you know, some of the shows that you've had. I think that's the definition of you is just beautiful. I truly mean that. It's just you have this calming presence. I feel like obviously, you know, I don't know you personally, but I feel like when people are around you, they feel like they are important because you give them that focus, that joy.

4:53Mick:Has that always been like something that you've paid attention to about yourself?

4:58Kym Whitley:No, no, no. I didn't know this about me. In high school, I was a class clown, you know, and just a tomboy. And, you know, I didn't realize that until I got a little older. I knew that I was funny. But there's a difference, like you said. I love the way you asked that question because you don't understand that it's a gift to give. Not a gift for you to hold on, but to share with the world. And I didn't realize that until I saw that it brought change, that I would change someone's day, that I could change someone's life, that everyone is going through different things at different times. And by me just sharing a joke or laughter, I think when I really first discovered, it's going to sound crazy, but I was in the unemployment line at the unemployment office and there was a woman and she told me this horrible, deep, dark story in the line.

5:54Kym Whitley:And, you know, I loved on her And I was pretty young, but I felt like the situation, I was like, I got to change this. I have to bring light to her. And I just remember being funny and cracking jokes with her and telling her, girl, that ain't nothing, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I saw it changed her and changed her day. And I was like, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. So I think that's definitely what happened.

6:17Mick:I love it. And that truly is you. That genuinely is you. You know, another thing when I talk to my family, my friends, and we talk about Miss Kim Whitley, we talk about just how courageous you are, not just being authentic, but, you know, in your line of work, right? Like you have to live your life publicly a lot of times. And maybe with a lot of stars, they don't talk about their parenthood. They don't talk about things that are going on personally in their lives, whether it's struggles or things that they're trying to accomplish or new goals that they set for themselves. You've been very courageous to live publicly, but also have a voice.

6:54Mick:And I want to start by just talking about motherhood and what that means to you, because you've inspired my sister to be a great mom, because she's like, what would Kim do in this situation? And so we always laugh about that. But talk to us just about motherhood and what that means to Kim.

7:12Kym Whitley:Oh, my gosh. That's a good question. Motherhood. Let me tell you something. Motherhood means you got to grow up. That was like, this is not a game. I think motherhood made me go from, oh, I'm just having fun. I'm in Hollywood. But you have a human being that you are shaping for the next generation.

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9:16Kym Whitley:Motherhood meant to me, you know, women, we complain about the men that we date. But if you have a son, are you raising that son to be the man that you would want to date? So all these things, but motherhood changed me for the better. And I hope that I lead by example that it is not easy. It is not easy. You know, the days are long, but the years are short. Yes, you look up and my son is, yeah, he's 15. And I'm like, oh my God, did I run out of time? Did I teach him everything he needs to do? Did I give him enough hugs? So if we just lead with every day, think about what you wanted as a child.

10:00Kym Whitley:I want more hugs. I want to be validated. Those are the things that make children thrive, the confidence we put in them. They feel like they can do anything. And so motherhood means like what my parents did to me. They were like, you can be anything. You can do it no matter what, no matter what size I was, no matter what nationality. They were saying, you can do it. And I think that's what motherhood is, that even though it's hard, you got to love on these kids. Just love them, love them, and tell them they can do anything. Support them.

10:37Mick:That's it. And so as busy as you are and as busy as you have been, right, not just today, but I'm talking, you know, the last several years of your career. How have you been able to balance motherhood with all the other commitments that you have, like with comedy shows and filming and everything? Because, you know, regular people like me, we feel like, oh, I'm busy, I'm busy, I'm busy. But Kim has got to go from this city to the next city and rerecord this and do that. but you still have your child with you too, right? Like how do you balance all of that?

11:10Kym Whitley:It is a balance. And I'm not saying I'm great at it, but I think as parents, we have to stop. And what my people know is that my son comes first. Everything, a lot of mothers do this, but everything decision-making, my son has to be a part of it. Does he have spring break? Well, then I can't do that. Is he doing this? Does he have a basketball game? Someone told me yesterday, which I was like, is that true? That Obama made it to dinner every night. So those are the things I was like, what if the president of the United States can make it to dinner, then truly I can make some time for my son. And that they say that if you have like a weekly dinner with your kids or you have dinner with them every night, these are the children that they were scoring like high in the SAT scores.

11:57Kym Whitley:Something crazy. But once again, that's what I said. I had to stop and was like, I have to, even though I'm like, I'm working, I'm working. I got to feed him. That's not what's important to a kid. So I try. It's not easy. I have a village. And that means not that I got, oh, I can hire all these people. I go to my friends. Hey, I need you to be the auntie. I need you to be the uncle. He's got godparents. I'm not going to make every game. I'm not going to. But he's so happy to have the people that are surrounding him in his life. So I say even if you're a busy parent, you've got to put people in their lives that can support them and that are there for them.

12:37Kym Whitley:I fail sometimes, but I try to make him make sure if I'm on the phone, Oprah told me that, honey. She's like, if you're on the phone or whatever, she's in your child comes in the room. She's like, stop. I said, OK, I'm listening. Yeah.

12:50Mick:Yeah, I believe that. And I've heard you say that not the Oprah part, but just how being present matters. And that was something for me that I had to realize as my children got older, being present matters because the worst thing you can do, especially now, you know, you can't let social media or social media topics raise your children. It's going to try. But if you're not present, it's almost the worst neglect that you can give a child. So I applaud you for being present. I also heard, you know, you talked about Obama making sure he was there for dinner every night. I thought you were going to tell the world about your private jet and how you make it home to your son every night for dinner.

13:30Mick:I thought that's where you were going.

13:32Kym Whitley:Baby, I wish I could, honey. I wish I said, yeah, I am on that private jet and I'm making it home. No, I make it home and I try to schedule things, things around it. But like I said, you're not perfect, but it will come back. One thing we have to remember is time. You cannot get time back. You can't wait until they're 20-something years old and saying, you know, I just wanted more time. You're like, oh, well, let me turn the clock back and go back to when you were 15 and give you that time. So sometimes you just got to stop and say, let me do this now.

14:05Mick:Amen to that. Amen to that. You know, Kim, you've also been, you've been public. You've been a voice of positive for all of us, and I'm including myself in this, that have struggled or gone through weight changes, right? Like, I don't even want to say anything on the negative side because it's just weight changes that we go through. And you've been a voice. You've been a partner that we've all needed because you're talking about it where a lot of us aren't. Tell us a little bit about your partnership with Lily and ZepBound and all the things that you're doing to be this beautiful queen that you are over there.

14:47Kym Whitley:Thank you so much. And you know what? I am absolutely excited about my paid partnership with ZepBound and Lily because it was the tool that I needed. And you're right. I am a person who's passionate about it. Do you know, Mick, I didn't realize that obesity is a disease? Did you know that?

15:08Mick:I did.

15:09Kym Whitley:I didn't realize it's a chronic disease, just like any other disease, until I went to my doctor. And for some reason, I know people will be like, no. Once I found out that obesity is a disease and that there was a medication, a ZepBound, that was a tool that can help me with it, you know, I really said, okay. I am excited that they found me and I found them and my doctor directed me to this. And, you know, when you become a partnership with people, you want to share it. I want, I mean, any kind of disease, but, you know, especially friends and people that I meet that are struggling with obesity.

15:48Kym Whitley:And I've struggled with obesity my entire adult life. So to find a tool, you know, to help me through this weight loss journey has definitely been incredible. and I want to live out loud. I want, if I, why would I, you know, sit back and hide that? I want to live out loud. And, you know, so people can go talk to their doctors and find out about it. Could you imagine holding this? I got a tool that'll help you with obesity, but, you know, I'm not going to share it with the world. Right, right.

16:19Mick:And I love that you call it a tool because a lot of folks think that, you know, whether it's Zepdown or whatever, that they're like a magic bullet, right? There's still things you need to do. Like you've got to be active. And I don't mean like physically active. Yes, you do. But like, you've got to be proactive with diet. You've got to be proactive with exercise. Like you still have to make those mental changes because it's not easy and it's not, well, let me do this. And all of a sudden I'm 30 pounds lighter or 50 pounds lighter. Like life doesn't work that way. I'd love for you to educate us on some of the things that you're doing as it relates to diet and exercise as well.

16:55Kym Whitley:That bound with a healthy diet and exercise, you know, is part of my weight loss journey. And I think about, you know, you know, when you think about you've been going through this, you know, I've used other products. I've been, you know, I remember I had a group of friends. We got together. We do that, you know, hey, let's all lose weight. We got to do this and that. But when I talk about the tool, is that bound? First of all, let me encourage you. I am not a medical professional, but I encourage everyone to talk to their doctor. Sometimes we're afraid to ask questions. And when I say I have to educate people, I want people to go to ZetBoundLily.com or go to your doctor.

17:38Kym Whitley:No, both. I think you've got to go to both. But I would start at ZetBoundLily.com just to read up on it and ask questions. We'll go into our doctor's office and we just might say, we won't even say, I don't think we say anything. We'll get on the scale or the doctor will say, you know, you have obesity and we feel some kind of shame. There is no shame. You know, that's what we got. We got to ruin. We got to take away this stigma that it is just like any other disease. So the first thing is to ask questions and tell your doctor how you're feeling. That's why I want to be like when you say a best friend to everyone.

18:12Kym Whitley:I want to really encourage people to sit down with their doctor and say, look, this is how I'm feeling. This is how it's been going. And can you help me out? And you could even say, hey, I heard about ZepBow. You know, point me, point me, you know, in the right direction. So that, when we say a tool, you think about, we use tools for all kinds of things. You know, I've been stuck. You know, if you felt stuck and you're like, I don't know what to do. And that has been for me and even my friends that you don't know what to do. And you've done this your whole adult life. I say, go over, talk to your doctor.

18:49Kym Whitley:And then, hey, here's this tool. For me, it got me unstuck, if that makes sense, Mick.

18:56Mick:It is definitely. It totally makes sense. And I think that's an encouraging word because, you know, there's somebody that's watching or listening to this right now that feels stuck. and they also feel some shame, right? It's like, I don't know, like, should I try this? I hear what Kim's saying, but, you know, I could do it on my own and they've been trying it on their own for 10, 15, 20 years and they know on their own, it's not there. I tell people this, this is the time that you should be selfish for yourself and not have shame and not care what anyone thinks or knows and be proud of it. You know, I have this, it's not a joke, but I tell this to my friends all the time.

19:34Mick:Like, I'm so glad that ChatGPT and AI came out because I remember what their social media posts used to look like, right? Like they couldn't type two sentences together on their social posts. Now they're writing novels when they respond to people and they start educating. And to me, that's the same thing that like Zep Bound Lily is. It's like, let it help you. Let it put you in the right direction. Like let it be a tool. And if you feel ashamed, then maybe you need to change the people that are around you then because if they're not supporting you, then they were never on your side anyway. But I'd love to hear your take on it.

20:06Kym Whitley:I love that you said that, you know, and it's not about vanity or the number on the scale. You got to make a decision that I am going to, not about anybody else, you know, I'm going to take on this journey. Think about any other disease. Why, when it comes to obesity, why is it that, oh, I can't, I'm ashamed or I can't say anything. Any other disease, you're telling everyone, you know, you're like, hey, can you help me? Get me this. What about that? It's the same thing with obesity. It just is. And so that's why a ZetBound is such a great tool because if people don't know about it, you know, I know a lot of people don't know about it and you feel like you're hiding a secret.