Gayle Guyardo: Breaking Norms After 33 Years | Authenticity & Career Pivots

26:19What do we know here? And so I always try to do that with my kids because I think we've lost the art of this. I love that. And because what you've done for your children, all four, all four of your daughters is give them a framework of what family time truly is. So, cause, cause I mean, I grew up, you know, I'm 47 years old. And when I was a child, every Sunday night, we would be at my grandma's house for family dinner. Right. And we're all at the dinner table and we're having conversations and we would sit there for hours. And now, now, like even with my wife's family, they're Ecuadorian, you know, a hundred percent.

26:55And I'm absolutely in love with every one of my in-laws because when I go there, it reminds me of my childhood. There's no drama. There's no, you know, anything. Everybody's in a house and we're having this meal and then we'll sit at the table until midnight and we're having having real conversation. And to your point about having the rule of the dinner table. Oh boy. As we all know, starting something new isn't just hard. It's absolutely terrifying. So much work goes into the thing that you're not entirely sure will work out. And it can be hard to make that leap of faith. Trust me, I know this feeling.

27:38And you may be thinking like I did, what if no one buys my products? Don't worry. Shopify is on your side to help. Get started with your own design studio. With hundreds of ready-to-use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store that matches your brand style. So you can get the word out like you have a full marketing team behind you. Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or even strolling. Best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world-class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping down to processing returns and beyond.

28:16It's time to turn those what ifs into Shopify today. Sign up for your$1 per month trial at shopify.com slash TDS. Go to shopify.com slash TDS. That's shopify.com slash TDS. It's very simple in my house. Breakfast is at the island. my kids will sit there all three of them i make their breakfast every single morning every single morning without fail there's no shortcuts nothing i'm making their damn breakfast so they can go to school and feed their brain and feed their bodies and it'd be something good and i talk to them i sit on the other side of the counter and maybe i'm doing the dishes and i'm talking to them i'm interacting but that's time weekends lunch we're at the table dinner no matter what everybody's at the table and dinner time is a little more formal i'm not and for the audience like don't worry i'm not talking about you know would you please pass the potatoes no no no no no it is a formal situation in a sense that it is sacred time there are no interruptions unless there's an emergency and we are not allowed to lecture or correct our children at the dinner table.

29:36We don't do that there. We leave the dinner table an opportunity for just love. What are we grateful for? What can we get better at today? Who did you help? We want to create this safe space at the dinner table so they know, like no matter what's going on in their life, the moment they sit down there, they're safe. Yeah, it's like a sacred time. At 1000%. Yeah, and you know, as I look back retrospectively, you don't get those moments back. And, you know, then everybody scatters and everyone's doing their thing. And now I feel like I'm chasing kids around just to borrow some time with them. You know, and hopefully that changes once they come back home.

30:17I hope they're like me that loves to be right there on the apron with my folks. I love spending time with them. So I hope it comes full circle. But I think that you give them that gift and you give them a huge advantage in life because so many kids don't get that. And maybe they're overly involved in sports and that's all cool too. There's a lot to be learned about that. But, you know, with daughters, I encourage them to do theater, you know, because I think that's really helps. That's really cool. Whether you're in a boardroom or an attorney, whatever you choose to do in life, being able to communicate and being able to have that confidence to stand out and do things is helpful.

30:55And then I think the art of communication is dead and it's important as parents to keep it alive. You know, parents, being a parent is hard. You know, it is very difficult. But the one thing I do know is your hope that your daughters will wanna be in the apron next to you. It's all about modeling and scaffolding behavior. You know, these lessons are always caught. They're not taught. So whatever you gave them, they will most likely adopt and then bring it to their children and then so on and so forth. And then we have these generation after generation of positive experiences within the home, within the kitchen, where people feel safe and then not perpetuating bad things like those, those family curses that everybody thinks are things like, dude, you can stop it.

31:43You just gotta make the choice. Yeah. That generational trauma is very, very real. But to your point, you gotta be the one to pivot. Yeah, you do. All right. So your career, you've, you've reported on a number of things and I do want to bring this up because we talked about it a little bit before, if you're okay with it, is you've done a lot of volunteering and a lot of things with human trafficking here in, you know, in the area and, and probably nationwide. But, you know, I think it's something that, especially in today's climate, we're all talking about the Epstein files. We're talking about all these children, but yet we're so concerned about, you know, someone that speaks Spanish that is singing at the Superbowl and there's all this other crap going on.

32:21The leaders of the world and in our country are participating and potentially, potentially participating in these acts. And it's like, why are we being lied to? Like, why aren't, why isn't this such a focus for people like yourself, like you've done and, and our government officials to clean this up and save the children? Well, I can speak for what's going on in the Tampa Bay area. And it's really tremendous of the strides that are happening to help a problem that is way bigger than anyone could ever imagine. And I know the Epstein issue has been going on for many, many, many years, and that dates far back.

33:05But human trafficking in general is not just a third world country problem. It's been very prevalent on our land for a very long time. And when I first started doing these stories and shining a light on this problem. I went to my news director so frustrated one day and I'm like, why is it that we put a dog that's been beaten and battered on the news and everybody's up in arms, but we talk about a child that has been molested or trafficked. Where's the outcry? Why isn't anybody stepping forward? And what he said surprised me. He said, you know, Gail, people know what to do about the dog. You know, they know what, how they can go, they can donate food, they can adopt the dog.

33:57Helping the dog is easier than helping the child. And, you know, I also would talk to, you know, forensic interviewers that would talk to these children and they would say, Gail, if you hear what they say, you can't even sleep at night. So party wants to run from the job, but the other part wants to stay because what these kids go through is so horrific. So I think the big problem and why a lot of people, and I'm so grateful because I've been volunteering for these human trafficking foundations for quite some time. And I just went to another one, Lotus in the Tampa Bay area doing, they're building infrastructures to take survivors out, give them the therapy that they need, keep them for two to three years.

34:44That's not trauma that you just get away with. And then we have law enforcement in our area that doesn't blame the victim. We just started making laws where the John gets away with it and the victim gets put in jail. And there's somebody pulling the strings with that. And that just changed, you know, in our state, maybe what in the last six years, um, whenever Pam Bondi was our state attorney, she did make major strides to stop that and turn the narrative on the predator, not the victim. It's just, it's so counterintuitive to me. I'm sorry. I'm having a hard time with that. Right. It's like, of course it should be on the person that's committing the act.

35:28The victim's the victim. Oh, they just get a little slap on the hand and off they go to their family or to whatever they do. And then you have these, yes, victims come in all shapes and sizes, but a lot are young girls and they just get caught falling through the cracks. It's really, really, really sad. But having said that, there are some organizations, but there needs to be so much more support and awareness. It's, I can appreciate though, the ideal that you said earlier about everybody knows what to do about the dog. You know, a human life, a child is so hard to wrap your mind around. And for most people, I think it's like hard to even fathom thinking about it and having a conversation about it because it's so triggering, right?

36:17Because it's like, if you have children, like I was talking to my wife about it last night and she was, I, okay, okay, let's just talk in general terms because I can't. And I think there's a lot of people out there that are just so scared of the conversation because they probably feel powerless over this whole thing. And everybody's doing their best just to survive in this climate right now. But I can appreciate that. Like I get that. But you know what's interesting and bringing it back to our children and how much we love them and how much we covet them. I went in with a group called Created and I remember my husband and my kids were freaking out.

36:58They're like, why are you leaving the house at 11 p.m. to follow a bunch of volunteers into seedy strip clubs? And what it is, is they bring them gifts and they have information tucked under there where if these girls and it takes a lot of touch points to get these girls to trust that if they walk away from a situation that they're actually going to be saved and not thrown back into the fire. And so I went into the back dressing rooms of these places and these young girls would, I was shocked. They would run up to us so excited that we were there. And it made, it gives me goosebumps to tell you the story because it's like, I tell my kids every day in my life how much I love them.

37:42They are my everything, my four daughters, but nobody tells these girls that they love them and nobody says, I'm going to take care of you. And what a sad existence that is. So it's, it's a tough situation. And I, I don't know if there's a way out. I don't know either. It's funny. You mentioned about your kids. I can't make it through 30 minutes without telling my son or my two daughters that I love them. Yeah. It's probably, I mean, I probably say it so much. It probably annoys the shit out of them. You know what I mean? But like, I mean, I don't know any other way to be. Me either. You know, I always wanted to be a father.

38:17I wanted to be a husband. It's not, I mean, sometimes it can be inconvenient, right? I mean, let's be honest, like life is hard and it gets, it gets very busy. And sometimes you have to shift your focus multiple times per day, but that's just low level annoyance, right? I was like, oh, I'm annoyed right now. I got to go do this thing and I really need to be doing this. But this is what I asked for. Yeah. You know, and my job is to protect them and provide for them. And, you know, those types of pressures for a man, women have a lot of pressure. I mean, I don't want anybody to think that, you know, I don't believe that.

38:53I think men and women deal with the pressures a little bit differently and they have different pressures and it impacts them in different ways. You know, being a man with two daughters is very heavy. Oh, God. I mean, I can't even, I mean, Mark has four. Yeah. I mean, you know, like it's a very hard thing to deal with. It is a pressure filled situation because in today's world, right? Like we'd go out and play. You're probably, you know, from the same generation. You go out and you play, you're gone. Like if my kids are outside, you guys can call me helicopter parent all you want. But I got people in my HOA that are driving 50 miles an hour down my goddamn street.

39:32So I'm going to be out there. Right. But I don't let them just go. No, you can't. You can't. You can't. And here's the other thing that's really sad. At a restaurant, do you think for one second I let my kids go to the bathroom alone? You can't. Zero chance. Yeah. Zero. I'm, if I'm close enough, I'm watching. And at times still, I will let them walk while I'm watching them. And then when I, and then I'll trail them and I'll stand out right there because you never know. And we live in that world, man. Yeah. And you think about it. Not only do we live in the real world like that, but then they also are in this digital platform where there's so many sickos out there.

40:10Dude. And these kids are sharing their locations, like checking in on Facebook or even having their location services on, on Instagram. And if you post something and you put it right there and it's real time, people can see where you're at. Right. No, I have my location services off. I will. I won't even check into the gym. Really? No, no. Like I'll check in like the protocol. All right, right, right. But like, you know, people are always like, oh, I'm at the gym. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, no, yeah. Like, you know, I'm not to the point where I think people would just show up and stalk me, but I've been recording places and people have said like, I heard Sean was here and I'm here.

40:46And they're like, no, you can't. And it's starting to happen a little bit, right? But that's some scary stuff. Very scary. You know? People are wackadoos. Dude, it's crazy, man. I mean, I love the fact that if someone, you know, appreciates what I do. but to just storm in like, Hey, I'm here. I'm like, Whoa, this is weird. Right. But anyway, we're getting off track. You know, it's interesting because, you know, life throws a lot of different things at us. And, you know, I truly believe that you need to be a lifelong learner. Um, there's always identity shifts or identity crisis. However you want to frame it.

41:23For me, my first Ted talk I did was identity crisis. Now I would shift. I'd be like identity shift. And for me, it was massive when I was getting out of baseball. You know, after I was done at LSU, I didn't know who I was. I was Sean, the baseball player. I didn't know who Sean was. So I went through like this destruction era and, you know, here you are, you've had this professional identity for over 30 years. And now as of, you know, February 6th, you're not doing that anymore. How are you choosing to, I guess, filter through and manage your identity shift now that you're not doing something that you used to do for every day for 30 years?

42:04You know, that's a great question. And I appreciate you asking. I, the way I handled it, because I knew it was going to be a tough shift is instead of looking at my contract and saying, okay, I have to give them 60 days notice that that would just be a dirty move, especially with my team is so small. So I went to the management team a year ago and I said, Hey, you know, I promised my husband that after 26 years of walking into this particular television station, which has been so good to me and especially the viewers that I would step away from it. So I gave myself a year of the roller coaster ride.

42:42Then they did a national search for my replacement. And then they asked me to train my replacement. And I think part of it was looking at the departure as, man, I love this team. I love these people. I want them to succeed. It took a lot to build a show that started with two men, two women and a cell phone. It's like two men in a truck. And, um, you know, we built that show from the ground up into a globally syndicated show that's in millions of households and platforms, Hulu, Apple, all the things I built bloom health club, the podcast streaming show portion of it. And so I really got into the giving them what they needed to stay afloat.

43:28Like that meant a lot to me. And I feel like if you do constant good and you're constantly feeding, no matter how scared you are, it, it, it comes back. And I, I'm heavy into my faith. Like I don't worry about things. And I got to tell you, I was so excited about coming here today, you know, and I know like, I'm just waiting for wins that come my way. I know they will. I already have irons in the fire helping, you know, companies stand out and get their messaging out. So, I mean, I have, I have things on the horizon, but this is the very first time that I have let go of a vine without having a stronghold of what's next.

44:10Yeah. And it's hard because everything you're saying is resonating, right? First of all, I was extremely excited for you to come here. Thank you. And, you know, there was no shortage of text messages and, you know, things back and forth. I'm excited. I'm excited. You know, but, you know, the one thing that I always look at, and it's crazy because, you know, I left corporate America to do this. You know, I had my other hand on something. It wasn't, I wasn't very good at it, but I knew that I could develop. And it's just so hard for that trust fall, you know, to, you know, I'm deep in my faith too, you know, and, and I do worry about things, but what I'm starting to do is just understand there's certain things that I can control.

44:53And there's certain things that I can't, I cannot control the overall outcome. I can control how I operate within the process. What is my standard? How do I carry myself? How do I take care of myself? and what am I bringing as far as value to my guests and the audience? And eventually something will happen. You know, you can't do something over and over again for five to 10 years and not have any success. That's true. You can't. You've got to plant those seeds. And I think that's a lesson that I used to be back in the day worried about what's ahead of me and maybe worry about what I did behind me, but it's the planting of those seeds and constantly planting them and then you wake up and, and I do, and I am a big believer.

45:36I was talking to my, um, executive producer who also took another job, Elizabeth on the way down here. And, and, you know, she would always say, you know, you'd come in and you're like, we're going to go on the major platform. We're going to win this. We're going to do this. I never knew whether that was true or not. But I think when you put yourself in that mindset that I'm going to be back on the WFLA platform, You know, they made us build it on a smaller platform, WTTA, Great 38. And then and so then they finally shifted us over to the major platform. But I just think you have to believe in yourself and plant those seeds and keep planting and planting and planting.

46:12And that was another reason I was excited to be here, not only because your show is such a mega success, but because when you're shifting in life, you want to be around the energy of other people who have done it, taking the risk, you know, that have just to absorb it. Like I'm a big energy person too. And I think that when you sense somebody else has that positive energy and they're trying to build something, just being in your presence is going to help me do that. Just watching you in action. And likewise. Well, thank you. No, likewise. I mean, you know, it's the thing where, you know, I look at the determined society.

46:48I think we're just getting started, you know, But if you asked me and still ask me, what's your end game? I'll give you the same answer today as I did five years ago. I believe it the same. It's this feeling. It's this gravitational pull to what I feel this is going to be. And when you feel that and you embody it, it's very hard not to believe it. And what's even harder is quitting. You just can't quit. You know, and it's, you know, every single time you put something out there, you can't look at it. Like, what is it going to do? Right. That's hard. That's hard not to do. Isn't it though? Yes.

47:27Because we're all, I mean, listen, we do this because we love it, but also there is a financial aspect of it. Right. And oh boy, as we all know, starting something new isn't just hard. It's absolutely terrifying. So much work goes into the thing that you're not entirely sure will work out. and it can be hard to make that leap of faith. Trust me, I know this feeling and you may be thinking like I did, what if no one buys my products? Don't worry, Shopify is on your side to help. Get started with your own design studio. With hundreds of ready to use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store that matches your brand style.

48:03So you can get the word out like you have a full marketing team behind you. Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or even strolling. Best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world-class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping down to processing returns and beyond. It's time to turn those what-ifs into Shopify today. Sign up for your$1 per month trial at shopify.com slash TDS. Go to shopify.com slash TDS. That's shopify.com slash TDS. this is my only job. This is how I feed my family. And we're doing that. We're good.

48:49But do I want more? Absolutely. Right. Because if I have more than my team has more, then my guests have better things. Right. My production has better things like we're all growing together. And it's this massive dream of mine to be the biggest media company on the planet. and I'm not going to stop until I get there. But the main ingredient is, is I've already seen it. I've already pictured it. I already know what it's going to feel like. So when people say like, that's impossible, you have Joe Rogan, you have all these other guys. I'm like, yeah, those are the goats. Like that's who I'm chasing.

49:31Like if I can just get halfway there, then my children's children's children's children have nothing to ever worry about ever again. Exactly. Like there's nothing to worry about. Everything is taken care of. So how do you get past the mindset part of it? The, the, I'm not going to listen to the naysayers. I'm not going to worry about the obstacles. How do you do it? I, you know, it's hard because you always listen to it. I think when people say they don't listen to it, they're full of shit. I agree. I listen to it and I, I, I chew on it. I feel it. I taste it and I digest it. And then I ask myself, is it the truth?

50:09Only if I let it be. So for me, it's like, I'm never going to run from these weird feelings of inadequacy, insecurities. I'm going to put my face in it and I'm going to work through it. And I'm going to do whatever I can personally to build myself so strong from an emotional, from a faith and a physical standpoint that I can't lose. I love that. I just, you know what I mean? It's like to sit there and say like, yeah, what that person said about me over there didn't bother me. We're human beings with emotions. Of course it bothered me. Am I going to give it power for more than 20 to 30 minutes?

50:53Probably not. But if it's something that's valid and they said something to me and I asked myself, is it true? And if it's true, I have to fix it. Exactly. Exactly. And that's okay. And that goes right back to where we started of being coachable, being authentic, true to yourself and not, and not giving up and having grit. Yeah. I mean, it is, it is a real thing, right? Like, and that is such a great question. That's why I love talking to people like you is like, cause you're going to hit me back with something massive, like something really good. Like, how do you deal with this? Because, you know, when, when, when people ask me that, and there's a bunch of people that I work with, like, how do we work through this?

51:34It's like, well, you just got to build that tough skin. You got to be okay absorbing that and then getting rid of it and asking yourself, is it reality? And then control what you can. And I think too, what I really admire about you is that you both, you and I both, and you left way sooner than I did, but in the corporate world, that's an easy place to live. Yes. Things can get annoying. You don't always get the autonomy that you want. And you know, you're not always running things according to how you would like to do it because you're answering to someone and someone, but it is easy when something breaks.

52:08It's like, Hey Gary, can you come fix my computer? You know, or I can't get this printer to work. Those people don't exist anymore. You are your own island. And I think that for a lot of people is the most daunting part of becoming independent. It's so scary. It's so scary. Cause you talk about corporate, there's so many challenges with it, but it taught me so much. I'm grateful for my time there, but yes, you know, corporate has certain ways to like, you know, how can I put this? Okay. So anytime a company says, Hey, we're going to use this app to authenticate you. and you know, it's going to have X, Y, Z on it.

52:57Um, they're freaking tracking you. Really? Yes. They're tracking you. Um, I, you know, my, my, my last company, um, in the human resource payroll, um, I love that company. I was there, I was there for a very long time, but like anytime someone asked me to download Moss 360, like I know they're tracking my every move. And so I would turn location off and then it would be like, Hey, why is your location turned off? I go, because I'm a grown ass man. And am I performing? Right. Like, am I performing? Right. Like, because if my numbers aren't there, then let me know. But, but like, it's always funny because they always, they always, that you talk about autonomy and that's what triggered that rant for me.

53:41It's like, you don't have any, you know, you, you have someone watching your every move. Where are you at? What did you do today? Hey, give me a call real quick. Let's catch up. It's like, oh boy. Then you're like, I'm about to get the third degree here. I'm gonna get the Spanish Inquisition. And I'm like, dude, I'm just trying to do my damn job. But here's what it also gave me. It gave me a six figure income. It gave me so much experience of how to talk to people and learn about finding out what's truly bothering a company or a doctor. And when I was in medical, what is the pain point? And if I could find a solution for it, then I could help them instead of pushing my own agenda and trying to sell, sell, sell.

54:25But it made me better here because I understand people. I understand people so much better because I did that part of my life. And so while the thought of being in corporate America right now makes me just like, sorry, no offense guys, it makes me sick. It, it taught me so much and I'm so grateful for my time in it. Me too. I am too. I, and I always will be appreciative of, of the channel eight management team for believing in for me, but to your point, I delivered too. And we had ratings. It was like a report card every single day and the pressure of keeping those numbers up. And you were in a numbers world too, just different numbers are on the board for everybody to see.

55:08Exactly. It's, it's sales, it's revenue, it's advertising, it's all the things. And it's like, I better do really, really well and push myself and kick butt. Cause I don't want to be, I didn't want to be past number three on the list. Right. It's like, no, no, no, you're going to see my name up there. And that's kind of how I run this. Yeah. It's like, yeah, that's right. I remember you were looking at, you could see the algorithms, the numbers of where you stand and it went from top 1 % to half percent. Yeah. And it's, it's, it's funny because like that one there is cool, but like I really look at, you know, Apple is so big, right.

55:43And there's so many shows. I think there's like six, 7 million in America and all the categories. So what I really pay attention to, and this is something that I'm okay talking about because sometimes I'll put it out there and, you know, for the audience, I want them to understand how my mind works because I think that they get a great subject from my guests, but they don't ever really get to know me fully. um so we're trying to change that but i look at where do we stack up in in rankings in all categories and where do we stack up in our categorically right and the other day you know someone sent me something like dude you're number 21 i'm like looked at it and i'm like yeah we are and they're like that's awesome and i'm like thank you it is in my mind though i'm like you gotta go up i got 20 people to get to and so but you know that is impressive that when you when you put it in perspective how many shows are out there if you're 21 i love your drive but you got to celebrate that a little too it's hard you know like i do and then i look at categorically and we were number three yesterday.

56:55I'm like, what the heck? Like three, like I'll get to one and then like, you know, two hours later, I'm back to three. And that's just kind of the volatile, you know, aspect of these rankings, but it's the only way I can judge. I, you know, it's the only way I can see like, is this working? You know? And if something drops completely, like I fall out of the top 50, like to panic about that, it's kind of ridiculous. Right. When you think about how many shows are, but I look at it like, okay, well, what was the guest lineup? Yeah. I'm like, what didn't resonate? You know, it all, it's interesting that you would say that because as I shift into my new career or my new path in life, a lot of it is helping people, coaching them how to get their messaging out.

57:43And you'd be interested because I wasn't just the host of Bloom, I would conceptualize, build, stack, look at where the guests, like you come on Bloom, you're right at the top. Like you have, you, you check all the boxes of what we need to draw our audience in. And then we have seven guests per show, you know, and then some pre-tapes, but it is about, you got to look at those numbers and see what do people want and what's going to spark their interests and how do you present that? How do you not bury the lead? Yeah. It's so funny because like you're, you're, I want to talk about, because we've touched on it a couple of different times about what you're going to be doing.

58:24I want to go deeper into that. But when you were talking, I'm like, wait a second. One of the biggest things that, that I feel that the show is struggling with is we're lost in the white noise of the internet. And I'm thinking, and I talk to my team about all the time, 2026 is a year of visibility. How do we get, you know, the show in my face on everybody's phone? So that way they become familiar with it and then they run to it when they want value. And so I think there's going to be an, an, an definite off air conversation because I know what you've done. And I, and I know the amount of people, you know, and I know your contacts and I know what you built, you know, so people that are listening, if you guys are looking to grow something, she'll be linked in this whole thing.

59:21You need to reach out to her. If something she's about to say resonates with you and you feel she can help you jump on board because she built something very, very massive. Thank you. Very big. And that's what we're looking to do. So. Well, you've done it. I mean, it's incredible. Yeah. You know what you've done. And I think you are a go-to because you're filling a void that a lot of people have. And that kind of goes back to no one's really having conversations. Nobody's really having give and take anymore. So, I mean, you're, you're doing that time and time again for us, you know, in, in, in a world where nobody's picking up their clicker and turning on a TV anymore.

1:00:00Everything is on demand. I want what I want when I want it, that kind of thing. To create appointment TV where people are like, hey, I'm gonna go turn on this show and I'm gonna learn something today. And it's gonna be something that makes my life a better life to live, which is what you already do. I mean, that's the whole thing. Like, where are people's pain points And how are you there to help them? And I just think having honest conversations, not a lot of people are doing that. You know, it's fun. I appreciate that. And I agree a billion percent. It was funny because one of my partners, Marina, she sent me a text the other day.

1:00:39And we had a very long conversation about it. And it was a good one. It was such an amazing question she sent me. She sent me a picture of Netflix with all the new podcasts on it. She goes, um, why are we not on here? And how do we get on here? And I'm like, don't know, no clue. And what I realized is I looked at and I, and I told her, I was like, listen, you know, that's a big distribution deal. That's what that is. And if that ever happens, then we're going to be doing pretty darn good. Because I think a couple of people would give it a shot to be curious. I'm like, what is this? because what I'm seeing is true crime and sports shows and in, in big, like, um, like Pete Davidson's he's in his garage and he's speaking to machine gun Kelly.

1:01:27I'm not gonna watch it. Right. Cause I, I don't, I don't know what value it's going to give me, but, but like to be on something like that. So for me, it's like, we're doing it, but I'm like, we, we should be there. Like I want to be there because i i want more of a i want more distribution because i think that's the name of the game in media right is distribution without a doubt if you can push that and that's a tough one but they're you know they're there are all these new apps that like when we would produce bloom it would go out it would be distributed because of the power of next star nation our media conglomerate the largest in the country they had they could open those doors but you'd be surprised about getting in different CTV apps or different places that you can, that everyday people can place themselves to be a player in the game, which is what's so interesting about, you know, streaming platforms and podcasts is you had to put your resume out there and beg and beg and beg and beg to get onto one of these giant platforms.

1:02:34Well, now there's so many pieces of the pie. It's just, how do you find your niche and get people, you know, you don't need all the viewers, but you need, you need a good portion of them to come and hear what you've got to say. My question to you is like with these things like the network you were talking about in Hulu and Apple TV, you know, there was this channel, I don't know, a while ago. And they're like, Hey, come on. And you're going to be on Roku. You're going to be on Apple TV. And then I did it. And then I put my stuff on there and then people were like, Hey, I can't find you on Apple TV.

1:03:10Right. You see my point? So how, how does that work? Right. Cause if you're on Hulu, you're on Apple TV, you want people to be able to see it. So like, how do you lead them to that? And how does that actually work? Yeah. You know, that's interesting. And that's kind of new territory for me. And it's interesting because I was talking to somebody that's really excels at it that I met that lives on the East coast of Florida. And again, I'm like, I just met you. I loved your energy. I think you're an incredible talent. I love what you're doing here? And I'm like, you guys should meet. I think networking with people that are doing it and doing it the right way.

1:03:45And they're already a proven commodity. There is a lot of people that can put you, cause I told my cousin who lives in South Carolina, I'm like, yeah, I'm on Hulu. I'm on, you know, all these different platforms. She's like, I can't find you. So part of it's a bit of a gimmick of getting people on these platforms, but others are really placing people on a platform and getting them the traction that they need. But I mean, your social media blows up every time you post something. Well, you know how social media is, right? I mean, it's just one of those things that if you, if things look good or you post at the right time, which I don't know how much is there with that, but you know, there's a big network within social media that if you play it the right way and you give to people and you comment, you end up in dms with people like in groups of people and every time you post people run to it but you do the same thing for them yes here's the trick with the social media you can't send the link oh boy as we all know starting something new isn't just hard it's absolutely terrifying so much work goes into the thing that you're not entirely sure will work out and it can be hard to make that leap of faith.

1:04:57Trust me, I know this feeling. And you may be thinking like I did, what if no one buys my products? Don't worry, Shopify is on your side to help. Get started with your own design studio. With hundreds of ready to use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store that matches your brand style. So you can get the word out like you have a full marketing team behind you. Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or even strolling. Best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world-class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping down to processing returns and beyond.

1:05:36It's time to turn those what-ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your$1 per month trial at shopify.com slash TDS. Go to shopify.com slash TDS. That's shopify.com slash TDS. oh can't send the link that's tough you i mean you you you can to a point but like you have to be very careful with engagement groups because if you send the link then instagram knows that you're part of an engagement group wow but here's a hack here's a hack if you're in a big group i'm in one it's an amazing one my friend megan created it and um like it it's nuts the support in that, but you have to be caught up every 24 hours before you can post and, you know, tell people that you have a new post up.

1:06:27It's three emojis, not pinned. And then people go straight to your profile and they engage and they leave meaningful comments. Like these are real people. These are real people, but you're forming alliances because if you don't, your posts don't blow up because organically now it's very, very difficult. Oh, it's impossible. So many people out there trying to sell you some bullshit about views, likes, comments. And, and you can tell the ones that are not doing it right, because you can be said, you know, it's been five days since my, so my dog has died and it's the worst time of my life. Keep going.

1:07:14That's awesome. It's like, dude, I just said my dog died. Like people, you see what I'm saying? Right, right, right. You know, social media is, is just like anything, you know, you're going to be successful if you can network in person, but if you can network online, you can also be very popular and very successful because there's people that I've never even met in person on Instagram that I know will have my back quicker than a lot of people in town. Wow. Yeah. I mean, look, we, we, we had, you know, we were introduced by Matt. Right. And he probably sent you my, my numbers. He probably sent you my profile.

1:07:57No, not to me. No. Okay. Yeah. I met you like right out of the gate. I love this guy. Yeah. I didn't have like. But, but my point is, is like, you know, people, people see things from you. Right. And then like, oh, okay. I want to talk to that person. They seem pretty neat. Yeah. And then you build this thing. So it's like, I just want to do that on a bigger scale. You know what I mean? Like I really, I really want to do that because I truly feel, and we were talking about it before, is I feel like people in this world are living in two different places right now. And the present isn't one of them.

1:08:30You talked about worrying in the past and looking to the future. Like you're stretching anxiety and depression at the same time. Dude, that's a prison. It is. That's so hard. It's a crazy space to live in your head too. Oh my God. Yeah. And, and, and I do it periodically, obviously. Right. Cause we're human. Like we'll get caught in that, but it's like, I don't know. It's scary. So what, so your plan, right. You're going to be helping people. What, what is the demographic you're looking for? Are you looking for media professionals? Are you looking for journalists? Are you looking at authors? Like, what are you looking to do?

1:09:05So I'm looking to keep the health narrative alive. I know that, you know, there's, I feel like right now we're on the precipice of something really big when it comes to turning people's health around in this country. And I don't think that a lot of people realize that if they're sick and tired and overweight and they don't feel good, it is certainly not their fault. There used to be a time where it was accountability. You, you had to, you know, stop eating the donuts or whatnot. But now it's almost like the, even if you're eating good food, you're set up for fail here. Like you have to spend your whole time researching what to feed your family and, you know, what to do because the cards are stacked against us.

1:09:48So I've met like some incredible people in the health and wellness space, like JJ Virgin, all these cool people. So I am going to be coaching companies and people of how to get their messaging and branding out. And then I'm going to do what you're doing. I'm going to keep the conversation alive. I figured if I could build it with just one person and a cell phone, I can do it again. And, you know, it's because back in the day, there was a weatherman, a sportsman, a co-anchor, a meteorologist. You almost like, well, is it my team? Is it them? Is it me? This last five and a half years of my life was the test of true grit of, no, I got this.

1:10:23I love that. Anything I'm scared of, I've done this before and I'm going to do it again. I think you'll do it even bigger because you don't have the framework of corporate. Yeah. You get to, you get to fully. And say what you want to say. Believe what you want to believe. That's it. That is, that's the hard part. Yeah, it is the hard part, especially when you're under a big umbrella, right? Yeah. And that's kind of the downside. So I don't think you'll just do it again. I think you'll do it bigger because you get to be fully you. Yeah. That's exciting though. Thank you. This has been such a fun conversation.

1:10:51I've so enjoyed it. And back to our buddy, Matt, I'm so grateful that he introduced us. My team saw your numbers. I just saw the perfection before me and you really are, you're amazing. And I know that I'm, I hope you still talk to me when you're the number one show. Well, I mean, like, I just think that I don't think there's a way around that. I think that I have too much love for you. Likewise. And I see us figuring a way to do something together. You know, we'll let, we're going to go to lunch with Matt. We're going to go to lunch with Matt after this. We're going to figure something out because I don't have any issues with side projects or another project.

1:11:28I would love that. Like another project. I love it. We, you know, because there's multiple levels to me. And I think that's what is, you know, was so hard for people to grasp at first because, you know, I am very dynamic. I know a little bit about a lot and I can wear very many different hats. And so at the beginning, I think it was a confusing for people, but then I started to be able to tie it in better. So yeah, like I really want to explore that. And I definitely want to meet the person that you said that I should meet, like 1000%. So what else is coming up? Like anything? Well, I mean, the people that I want to introduce you to, and again, I have no skin in the game.

1:12:09I told them the same about you. I'm like, this is just a dynamic person that I met. But they're building a health news network. That's cool. And that, and, you know, I was talking about, they were researching you and looking you up and they're like, you know, mindset is about longevity and your grit is about longevity and how you live your life and how you think, which is what you do. And so, and I still want to be, you know, a health and wellness journalist and host and all of those things and get, bring people, there are amazing people doing amazing work that can change your life and my life.

1:12:43And I'm a living testimony of it. I told you that when I started Bloom, I was going through menopause. I was 25 pounds overweight. I was depressed, not because anything was going wrong in my life, but just because my hormones were shot. Yeah, of course. And so, you know, why, why does our health have to be directly linked to our zip code? So, you know, it's like, what can we do to help everybody feel better? Like, I wish everybody, I feel better today than I did when I was 28 years old. You know, it's so funny because, um, I just got my blood work done, right? Because I go, you know, I do TRT.

1:13:17So every four to six months I have to get new blood work. And it's the same story every effing time. High cholesterol, high liver enzymes, my testosterone levels too high. I, I, I can't make this up. And, and, and I look at it and my point is I'm really interested in, in exploring things, you know, you know, off camera with you about the real health industry. It's like, okay, well, um, my liver enzymes have been high for 10 years. I've gotten CAT scans, MRIs, CAT scans, MRIs with contrast and without contrast. I've done ultrasounds and I did a trans juggler liver biopsy and nothing is wrong. So maybe it's just your makeup.

1:14:02I mean, maybe that's just your DNA. Yeah. I mean, but, but you know, the thing is what's scary is that's what my wife called for it before. Cause she saw my, she has, she's logged into all my emails. She, and that's the level of trust we have. It's like, yeah, go ahead. Like, I don't, I don't care. Same with me and my husband. Cause, cause I'm going to miss something. I'm going to miss something for, you know, the kids school. Right. Cause I'm always busy doing this. And so, you know, she was like, Hey, your cholesterol. And she goes, I don't know what's going on with your testosterone. I'm like, it's good.

1:14:30And she goes, it's way too high. I'm like, says you, like I, you know, in the industry, but, you know, I look at, you know, the liver enzymes, the cholesterol, my chloride's high, my sodium's high. Those are, those are the things that are red, right? But if you asked me how I felt, I feel bulletproof. I feel amazing. I don't have any aches and pains. I'm not mentally foggy right I'm physically strong I'm getting leaner and leaner by the minute but my blood works back it's just like you know are you with a functional health doctor no I need to be that's the number one thing there are people like I I'm with one and I mean just one glance of looking at numbers the real way everything was balanced I mean my hair was falling out to the point I had to wear a wig.

1:15:29Oh yeah. For years. And they ain't cheap. I'm just saying, um, I had to wear a wig and my hair was falling out. It was terrible. I felt terrible. I was waited eight months for a doctor on my plan to tell me I needed cognitive behavioral therapy. I said, thank you for gaslighting me, but I'm pretty sure something's wrong with my thyroid. I know. And so I found this woman in a week. She had the puzzle figured out. She started the medication. She said, give me, I don't know, Gil, 30 days, 60 days max. You're going to be a new woman. And man, am I ever. Well, introduce me to that person because, you know, I want the full story, meaning I want my blood work to reflect how I feel.

1:16:18Right. Because whatever it is, it's not making me feel bad. Like I don't feel extra tired. You know, I don't have any aches and pains, like I said. Like I don't have any gut issues. I don't, I'm not bloated. I'm not lethargic. Yeah, you look great. You have all kinds of energy. Yeah. So it's like, how can this be? So I want to get it, I want to get it looked at, you know, I want to really figure out what the hell's going on. And it really only takes one visit, by the way. You don't have to keep going, but yeah. Let's, let's get that done. All right. We got a lot on our to-do list. Well, we do.

1:16:49And I just, I just want to thank you again, you know, um, you're an amazing human being. I'm so blessed to have this close relationship with you. And I would, I'm just ecstatic that you came down and I got to share your story and, you know, and really just really cool. I think dialogue for, because like a lot of times I forgot I was actually in front of a camera and we were just bullshit. And I think that's what people really enjoy. And I really appreciate that. And, you know, like all the good stuff to you and whatever I can always do to help you. Likewise. I'm here. I'm here. So for the audience, please go check her out.

1:17:28Her Instagram handle will be in the show notes and anything she does, I will always support. So please, guys, go look into her. And if she is doing something that resonates with you in the next part of her journey and impact in this world, give her a shout. You won't regret it. And until next time, guys, stay determined.