In short
Simone Johnson discusses her “groovy” personal catchphrase, her drinks and hobbies, and her post-WWE career shift into film production. She also shares how she reads scripts and applies a “type A” analytical mindset, plus wrestling and pop-culture opinions (including a defense of X/Twitter-era backlash and a recommendation to watch Troy). She connects her grounding habits to caring for animals and fan interactions.
Guests
Simone Johnson is the main guest. The host is Cody Rhodes (from What Do You Want to Talk About?). Other voices are not clearly identified as additional guests; the rest are interviewers/hosts and ad reads.
Guest background
Simone Johnson is a multi-generational entertainment figure, formerly in WWE/NXT contexts (she references being NXT general manager). She now works under Seven Bucks Productions as a junior executive, reading scripts, taking notes, and sitting in on meetings with writers/producers/directors.
Key claims
She says equestrian care grounds her and helps put problems in perspective. She credits fan interactions with humbling her when she’s angry. She describes her parents as both “type A,” shaping her analytical approach to scripts.
Notable examples
Her horses include Scooby-Doo (25), Phineas, Bucky, Queso, and Kitty; she also tracks birds via a camera feeder. She names Ethan Page as her favorite NXT collaborator and says he has chemistry with everyone. She recommends Troy (and Peter O’Toole) and jokes about “period-accurate” internet cancel culture.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOIntroducing ChatGPT Work
0:00 to 0:25
Learn about how ChatGPT Work can enhance your productivity.
“Some people use ChatGPT to answer questions.”
The Meaning of 'Groovy'
3:45 to 4:52
Explore the origin and personal use of the word 'groovy'.
“Do you find that you get things like that and you rock them for a while?”
Cocktails and Conversations
4:52 to 6:00
Simone and Cody discuss their favorite cocktails and share a drink.
“So what's on the screen is what's in it, and we know Wheatley American Vodka.”
Childhood Memories and Horses
6:00 to 8:00
Simone shares her love for horses and the grounding effect it has on her.
“but it was so nice because you'd think we're going to get a lot of that.”
Caring for Animals
8:00 to 9:21
Discussing the importance of caring for animals and the lessons they teach.
“Yeah, so I'm not bird watching, but I'm keeping - But we're getting there.”
Personal Reflections on Aging
9:21 to 11:28
Simone and Cody reflect on aging and caring for older pets.
“You can't, I mean, I don't want to put you on the spot, but do you have a favorite?”
Fan Interactions and Perspective
11:28 to 12:54
Cody discusses how fan interactions help him gain perspective on challenges.
“So he's a true Brahma Bull based off dad's Brahma Bull tattoo.”
Meeting Family and Inspirations
12:54 to 14:00
Simone talks about her relationship with her mother and the inspiration she provides.
“You and I ran into each other at the Moana premiere.”
Simone's Inspiration and Role at Seven Bucks Productions
14:00 to 19:10
Simone Johnson shares her thoughts on her mother's influence and her new role at Seven Bucks Productions.
“I feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world to be her daughter.”
Simone's Inspiration and Role at Seven Bucks Productions
19:15 to 21:03
Simone Johnson shares her thoughts on her mother's influence and her new role at Seven Bucks Productions.
“Is there a moment that you are especially proud of where you fought for your people, whether it was a friend, family member, or fan?”
Show all 40 chapters
Simone's Inspiration and Role at Seven Bucks Productions
21:10 to 22:42
Simone Johnson shares her thoughts on her mother's influence and her new role at Seven Bucks Productions.
“ChatGPT can do more than answer questions.”
Simone's Inspiration and Role at Seven Bucks Productions
23:32 to 24:42
Simone Johnson shares her thoughts on her mother's influence and her new role at Seven Bucks Productions.
“I was out for a quick walk between meetings, passing the same row of shops I always do.”
Type A vs. Type B Personalities in Creative Roles
24:42 to 28:00
A discussion on personality types and their impact on creative work in the entertainment industry.
“When you read these scripts, are you yourself saying, hey, we've got something?”
Behind the Creative Curtain
28:00 to 30:59
The hosts discuss various experiences and ideas in wrestling creative storytelling.
“You know who it works for, and it's annoying, is younger talent.”
Favorite Collaborations at NXT
31:00 to 32:25
Exploration of the hosts' favorite collaborations and chemistry with wrestlers at NXT.
“It's a show sponsored by Wheatley Vodka.”
Gaming and Horses
32:26 to 33:54
A lighthearted discussion about the love for horses in video games, especially Red Dead Redemption 2.
“He's someone, Ethan's someone I had really great chemistry with.”
The Cowgirl Debate
33:55 to 35:19
The hosts discuss the distinctions between equestrianism and being a cowgirl.
“I don't think she knew how deep redhead horse love was, though.”
Thoughts on the Film 'The Odyssey'
35:20 to 36:34
Discussion about the recent film 'The Odyssey' and its cast, alongside insights into Hollywood.
“Evidence is proven that X percent is not really there anymore.”
Thoughts on the Film 'The Odyssey'
36:35 to 38:21
Discussion about the recent film 'The Odyssey' and its cast, alongside insights into Hollywood.
“I'll have those Sour Patch Kids and Gorilla.”
Thoughts on the Film 'The Odyssey'
38:27 to 39:50
Discussion about the recent film 'The Odyssey' and its cast, alongside insights into Hollywood.
“You're the best field operative I've ever had.”
Thoughts on the Film 'The Odyssey'
40:41 to 41:47
Discussion about the recent film 'The Odyssey' and its cast, alongside insights into Hollywood.
“I was out for a quick walk between meetings, passing the same row of shops I always do.”
Cultural Commentary on Casting Choices
41:48 to 42:00
Hosts critique societal reactions to modern casting choices in films and discussions around representation.
“They were trying, before the movie came out, to flat out cancel this movie for casting choices.”
Critique of Film Adaptations and Historical Accuracy
42:00 to 44:16
Explore the conversation around film adaptations and their historical accuracy, using specific examples like 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Troy'.
“And then they were saying things like, oh, it's not period accurate.”
Friendship Dynamics and Wrestling Culture
44:16 to 48:20
Discuss the dynamics of friendships within wrestling, with insights into personal experiences with fellow wrestlers and the nature of their relationships.
“I'll let you know when I watch it and then you can give me your deep.”
The Influence of Family on Wrestling Fandom
48:20 to 52:38
Delve into how family, particularly grandparents, influence the love for wrestling, highlighting personal stories from the hosts.
“Yeah, he might He might roast you Yeah, I would put I'm looking up at this book Kevin Looking up at your friends You know who would be A really good one on there?”
Reflections on Personal Experiences and Travel
54:15 to 55:38
Reflect on personal experiences and memories triggered by travel, connecting them to broader themes of nostalgia and life moments.
“You're the best field operative I've ever had.”
Simone's Family Legacy in Wrestling
57:39 to 1:00:52
Simone Johnson discusses her family tree in wrestling and its significance.
“Well, the tree, the family tree in all this and why your drink is called Fourth Generation.”
Navigating Fan Expectations
1:00:54 to 1:04:38
Simone shares her experience dealing with fan reactions and online criticism.
“I brought this up in the beginning, and I thought, I got to tell her or ask her, more ask you about it.”
Leaving WWE for Growth
1:04:39 to 1:10:01
Simone reflects on her tough decision to leave WWE in search of personal growth.
“And you reached out to me that day, and I'll never forget that.”
Simone's Transition and Growth
1:10:01 to 1:14:39
Simone discusses her decision to leave WWE and the importance of personal growth.
“And I'm incredibly grateful for my time there.”
Merchandise and Legacy
1:14:40 to 1:14:51
Simone talks about the legacy of her family in wrestling and merchandise available.
“The journey's never really been just mine.”
Character Development and Ideas
1:15:06 to 1:17:50
Discussion about character ideas in wrestling and the creative process.
“You remember when I was talking about cowboys earlier?”
Training Insights and Perspectives
1:17:50 to 1:18:38
Simone shares insights about her girlfriend's training and their dynamic.
“Her strikes are very good because she practices them on me all the time.”
Education and Career Reflections
1:18:38 to 1:20:59
Simone reflects on her education choices and how they relate to her career.
“And there's all these weird nuances and rules and performativeness.”
Dream Team in Wrestling
1:21:00 to 1:24:05
Simone shares her thoughts on her ideal wrestling team and influences.
“I mean, the higher education you're getting now is different from a school higher education.”
Drafting the Ultimate Team
1:24:05 to 1:24:48
Discussion about building an ideal wrestling team with various personalities.
“And you know who I'm putting on my team?”
Creative Tagline for Wheatley Vodka
1:24:49 to 1:25:56
A fun brainstorming session on a catchy tagline for Wheatley Vodka.
“So, Wheatly So Good I Drink It Neatly is what they're saying.”
Simone Johnson's Journey
1:25:57 to 1:26:33
Simone discusses her experiences and hopes for future conversations.
“Simone, we did a little bit of matching today with your brown shoes.”
Simone Johnson's Journey
1:26:34 to 1:27:34
Simone discusses her experiences and hopes for future conversations.
“You're the best field operative I've ever had.”
Simone Johnson's Journey
1:27:40 to 1:28:51
Simone discusses her experiences and hopes for future conversations.
“with cica and aloe for the sensitive days.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Some people use ChatGPT to answer questions. Others use it to get real work done. With ChatGPT Work, you bring the goal, plus real inputs like briefs, notes, files, feedback, data, and project plans. It can help turn them into an analysis, tracker, deck outline, prototype, or workflow you can review and keep shaping. You stay in control, giving direction and choosing the final output. Put ChatGPT to work on your most ambitious ideas and projects. Get started at ChatGPT.com by selecting work mode. Available on Plus and Pro plans. You're the best field operative I've ever had. You were born for it.
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3:05Hello, everybody. This is the American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes. Welcome to What Do You Want to Talk About? a Fanatics and WWE original production brought to us by Wheatley American Vodka. Today, I have a very special guest. Some say she is groovy. One of my buddies, also somebody that I am not sure owes me a receipt or might to a degree dislike me a great deal, and I've always wanted to get to the bottom of it. We might get to the bottom of it today. We might not. We've been well off track talking off cam. Now it's time to talk on cam, a multi-generational talent, someone I am incredibly fond of, an incredible young woman.
3:44Please welcome to What Do You Want to Talk About? Simone Johnson. Well, thanks, guys.
3:53Oh, man, some are saying you're groovy. As of today. Yeah? What defines groovy? Now you're making me think. I don't know. It's just my new vocal stim. I just started saying it. Yeah. Do you find that you get things like that and you rock them for a while? They just get stuck in my head, yeah. I'm trying to think of the last one. I had something that I was overly doing. It might have been the word juxtapose. That's a big one. Yeah, but I wasn't using it correct. No. I think I just did it in the last pod. What did you use it for? I was saying it when you juxtapose things against one another, but then I would also say things like, well, the juxtaposition here, and I wasn't talking about two separate things.
4:31It was just the same thing. So I was just saying it. I do that a lot. I'm trying to think if I've got a new one. But when you hear something and you get stuck with it, you rock it till the wheels fall off. Groovy being your word now. Word of the day. Maybe the week. Groovy Simone Johnson. Thank you. You have a cocktail from Wheatley Vodka? I do. Tell me about it. Should I try it right now? Yeah, let's try it. Okay, let's try it right now. I have my classic American Mule. Hey, cheers to you. Thank you. Groovy. Cheers. Groovy.
5:02Groovy. That is good. That hits. What do you got there? Fourth generation. It's delicious. Super on brand. Fourth generation. It is on brand. Can you tell me what's in it? Let me see if I can remember. Don't worry. We're going to put it on the screen. Beautiful. Yeah. So what's on the screen is what's in it, and we know Wheatley American Vodka. Something with Wheatley Vodka and pineapple juice. Yeah. I remember that. Ooh, pineapple juice. Here's a crazy thing about pineapple juice. Let's hear it. Old wrestlers, when they'd, and I say old wrestlers, I probably want to rephrase, but when they'd have you come out, it's always whiskey or maybe something you didn't want or maybe something you would, out of respect, I'm going to have this, but I wish I could get anything else.
5:49Randomly, if Dave Bautista ever invited you out. Okay. Right. Right, randomly. If Dave ever invited you out, which Dave was a really good locker room leader and a top star when I was coming into WWE and phenomenal human, but it was so nice because you'd think we're going to get a lot of that. It's going to be old school wrestlers kind of razzing the new guys. No, when you would go out with Dave, he would get a whole private room or he'd block a side of a club off, whatever it may be, and it was just pineapple. and Malibu. That's very like teenager at the house party type of vibe. Never would have thought that.
6:33But you wouldn't be mad at it. Right, it would be like a great surprise. Yeah. Sure. Normal, you know, or at least sugar filled. At that age, I don't think I was ready for the real hard stuff. No. Yeah. You know how old I am now? 41. I can guess. I was going to say 40. 41. You know how I really know I'm 41? A couple things. No more Malibu? No more Malibu. The thought of it. Oh, yeah. It's jarring. Oh, sugar. Two big indicators. I've started having interest in coin collecting. Yep. And so that's one that says, hey, the other is alcohol. It's prime example. I've stripped it way down. I thought you were going to say like bird watching because that would be another big money.
7:21Let me open it up then. I have a bird buddy, which is a bird watcher. Buddy is the bird person. It is a bird house, which I put in my yard. Okay. And it has a camera on it. Okay. And just now I got a notification that its battery is low. Oh, darn. All day long, it makes what's called our postcards. That's when a new bird visits. I've had northern cardinals. I've had finches. I've had squirrels. It'll let you know when a squirrel's there. I can't get myself a blue jay, but I have had, there's something, I don't want to say this inappropriate. Something with a, I think it's hitty mouse. Hit mouse.
8:05There we go. There it is. That's come to the bird feeder. Okay. Yeah, so I'm not bird watching, but I'm keeping - But we're getting there. It looks like we're getting there. That's great. I'm keeping track, though. No, this is good. This sounds fun. Well, you're an outdoorsy type. Kind of, yeah. We've talked about this. Not Dorothy, yeah. Well, an avid, would we say an avid equestrian? Yes, that's correct. Tell me about that. Tell me about your love for horses. It definitely started when I was young. My mom rode all throughout her childhood, and then she introduced me to horses, and I rode when I was a kid.
8:37Yeah. And then I stopped, and then I got back into it about six-ish years ago, and I feel like it grounds me so much. It is such a good, like, stress reliever. And I just, something that I also love is being able to, like, ride horses and then also take care of horses. I think that being able to do something for an animal and take care of them is just always very humbling to me. Where if I'm, like, ever in my head or in a bad mood, I'm like, okay, I need to go do something for someone else. I need to go realize that my problems are really not that big in the grand scheme of things. It's just a good way to clear my mind, I feel.
9:19You have multiple horses of your own? I do. I'm very lucky, yeah. What are the names? Phineas. Phineas? Phineas. Oh, Phineas sounds like a riding one. Bucky? Queso. Queso. And Kitty. And Kitty. I know, a horse named Kitty. Kind of weird. You can't, I mean, I don't want to put you on the spot, but do you have a favorite? I can't have a favorite. That's like I have a favorite kid. Well, what, are they all the same type of horse or? No, different breeds. Okay. So you have all different breeds. All right. What was the first horse you got? Oh my God. I left him out. The first horse I ever had was Scooby and I still have him.
9:50His name is Scooby-Doo. Okay. So Scooby-Doo still hanging? Still there. He's 25. What is it? Old man. What does a 25 year old horse do? Hang out, eat grass, just. Just live. Just live. Yeah. Just live out their retirement days. We were talking about, and this is Scooby, 25 years old. We were talking about, as I was getting ready, my dog, Pharaoh, who is 16. And Brandy's always like, no, he's 15. Well, at this age. Yeah, right. But this morning, old dogs, you just let them live, let them have their moment. But he had an accident, and he's an old dog, so it was a big mess, whatever it may be, in the house.
10:30And for whatever reason, Liberty decided the word she was going to use was emergency. So I'm in the bathroom behind two doors, and I just hear bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, emergency. How old is Lisa? Emergency. She's five. Okay. So I don't know where she heard. Maybe it was an emergency to her, though. I mean, it was an accident. Yeah, it was right. Maybe she was like, oh, my gosh. She was screaming emergency. So my heart, of all the things that could have been. And it was Farrow, who is fine. He was hosed off. He didn't love it. He was out. But again, eating grass, even though he's not supposed to.
11:05That's okay. Yeah. Yeah. Living his life. Same thing with horses. You just, when they get to that age, just let them hang out. Scooby's out there. He's out there. He's chilling. You sent me a picture. Of the bull. Of Soul Bully. Soul Bully. I didn't know that was his full name. That is his full name, right? I'm not wrong? I think so. Yeah. I thought his full name was just Bully. Okay. But Bully is more of a - But we can call him Soul Bully. Soul Bully. And that is, what kind of bull? I mean, just a bull? I believe he's a Brahma Bull. Oh. I believe he is properly. So he's a true Brahma Bull based off dad's Brahma Bull tattoo.
11:40Yes. Yeah. Okay. He's like a big dog though. And you said it. Our problems are maybe they're big, but they're ours. Exactly. And you get out there and an animal or a horse, you mentioned the thing you like to do is ride horses when things aren't going well or when you're in your head. I love to do it all the time, but I think especially if I'm like having a bad day or just in my head a lot. It's just so, I find it to be so grounding. Okay. I think it's such a privilege to be able to like care for animals and help them as well. Yeah. No, it certainly is. As I've tried to become, I guess, more emotionally aware as I've gotten older on when I'm up here, when it's ego thing, when it's real anger.
12:22My big one to make me feel better is fan interactions. That became my big one, is fan interactions, because I typically would find that no matter how mad I was about said finish, booking, whatever it may be, when you have that moment with a fan, it does the humbling thing. It does the grounding thing of, huh, they seem to not care about any of this. Why do I care so much? It doesn't mean I shouldn't care a little, but why do I care so much? Put it in perspective. Yeah, it's in perspective. You and I ran into each other at the Moana premiere. Yes. And do you know what the highlight of the Moana premiere at the Hollywood Bowl was for me?
13:04Is it what you told me? Yeah. Meeting my mom? Meeting your mom. Yeah. Your mom was so cool. Yeah, she's the best. And I thought, how have I not met her before? Your mom, Dani, who is just making moves. I mean, just a powerful, powerful presence. Yeah. But she said the sweetest thing to me, and I felt so lost on the carpet. Really? Because, yeah. You look like a pro. Well, you know. Chatting to everyone. Yeah, a lot of this. Yep. A lot, you know, like I was. Very presidential. Yeah, I was just trying to do yay, guys. But also I thought, this seems real family and real culturally intact, and you got white bread old me over here.
13:50Like, you know, all right. And I love Moana and my daughter as well. But meeting your mom was the most exciting part of that for me because I thought I'd met her and we hadn't met yet. Tell me a little bit about your mom. I feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world to be her daughter. She is one of my biggest inspirations. Now that I'm not at WWE, I'm actually working much more closely with her. And one of my favorite things about having this new job is that it's definitely brought me and my mom so much closer together. And I'm spending so much more time with her. And I just, I love it. My favorite thing about my mom is her point of view on anything, whether it's trying to solve a problem, just perspectives on life, et cetera, is it's so unique.
14:43and I'm always so grateful to gain her perspective on anything because it's something that makes perfect sense, but never in a million years would I have thought of it. Yeah. And I love how innovative she is. My gosh. Yeah, she brought just such an energy and I was so excited meeting her. You said you're working for her now? Yes. What do you do? I work with both my parents now. Ooh. Yeah, so I work under Seven Bucks Productions now. Okay. I think my official title is junior executive, I believe. Junior executive? A fancy way to say that I get to read scripts and take notes and sit in on so many meetings with incredible writers and producers and directors.
15:23And I feel so lucky. And there's so much that I thought I knew about the entertainment industry. And then getting to learn so much more has been so eye-opening. And they're not lying when they say making a movie is the hardest thing in the world. My gosh. Truly, yeah. So you're junior executive, but you're actually doing executive stuff. You're reading these scripts. You're sitting in, which is invaluable. Truly, yeah. So every time that I get to sit in on a meeting, whether it's an internal meeting at Seven Bucks or we're taking meetings with other directors or producers, I always feel like I learn so much.
16:01I leave those meetings and I'm like, okay, where do we go from this? Or what does this look like? Or now what does this look like? Like you said, it's invaluable. I think that's a perfect word. How many people are at$7 in terms of how big of a company is it? I think overall, including digital, 15-ish. Yeah. I think that's right. 15, and it seems like no misses in terms of what$7 does. Yeah. It executes, it delivers. From a wrestling perspective, from a WWE perspective, I feel like when we think$7, we just think your dad and Brian. Yeah. And I know there are other people. There's so much more. Yeah, there's a lot more.
16:41There's a real business hat. Yeah, but I mean both Brian and my dad are invaluable, especially Brian. And I hope he watches this, and I know he's going to be like shy away. I want you to give Brian his flowers. I will, absolutely. You love Brian Gawarts. Okay, well, I'm going to drop the needle. Is that a thing people say? No. Oh, it is? In what context? I'm about to give you my take on Brian. Okay. My take. My dad loved Brian. He used to call him a rabbit. I have no clue why. I'm going to bring this up in our next meeting. He used to call him rabbit, but I learned very quickly that Brian, I knew I wasn't my dad.
17:21I got that. But Brian did not like me like he liked my dad. And I think I made the mistake of calling him that one time. And he didn't get sharp with me. But Brian, I would say, is not a fan of mine, yet I am a fan of Brian's. I'm going to bring this up. Well, this happens to me all the time. And I don't know if this happens to you because sins of our parents in terms of how somebody feels about your mom or how somebody feels about your dad. Yes. Okay. Okay. So I think Brian respected my dad, loved him, but also knew he's not writing a format. Right. He's an idea guy. He's actually going to ruin this format I wrote by dropping an idea.
18:01And then I think he loved my brother because my brother was, yeah, I'll go into a gas station and be Darth Vader. I can see it. Yeah, I can see this. And then I think he met me and thought, this guy is such a dick. He was like, why is he not going to the gas station? Yeah, like he's so vanilla. And, you know, you want to give him, well, vanilla is a very popular flavor of rice. You know, but obviously that ain't going to land when he's the head writer. But I definitely struggled under him. I was always in a good position. So I look at the struggle and go, was I really? But yeah, I just never found a rat-a-tat.
18:36Yeah, right? We weren't groovy. You were not groovy. Maybe you can be after this episode. No, but now it's really great because everything he's done is your body work you put up in front of people. Oh, yeah. It's unmatched. Yeah. Right. Look at what he did with Seven Bucks. Look at what he did with just Monday Night Raw, you know? Yeah. Okay, so I won't call him Rabbit, but... But I will. I'm going to put on the... If he emails me, I'm going to say thank you, Rabbit. He's a... Yeah. Throw it out there. I'll never know why the old man called him that. This segment is brought to you by Morgan & Morgan, America's largest injury law firm.
19:14They've been fighting for the people for over 35 years. Is there a moment that you are especially proud of where you fought for your people, whether it was a friend, family member, or fan? Yes, actually. I feel like every time that I spoke on something, and I'm going to air quote this, controversial. Yes. Or that had somewhat of an unpopular opinion. And I felt like every time that that happened and I got my ass handed to me for it online, but there would be fans that would comment or message me and they would say, thank you for speaking up on this. It means so much to us. Anytime like that. Not to be profound.
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21:45The Fix, now playing in theaters. ChatGPT can do more than answer questions. It can help you get real work done. ChatGPT work is built for bigger projects with multiple steps. You bring the goal along with the information it needs, like briefs, notes, files, feedback, calendars, data sets, or project plans. Then ChatGPT can help turn all of that into something useful, an analysis, a tracker, a deck outline, a prototype, or a workflow you can keep shaping. It can also use approved apps, connected tools, files, and browser contexts to help move the work forward. And you stay in control. You give direction, review drafts, approve actions, redirect the work, and choose the final output.
22:31So you spend less time sorting through busy work and more time making progress on the work that matters. Put ChatGPT to work on your most ambitious ideas and projects. Get started at ChatGPT.com by selecting Work Mode. Available on Plus and Pro Plans. Hey, this is Anthony from Raiders of a Lost podcast. With movies, the actors get all the buzz, but nothing happens without the crew behind the scenes. That's how it is with Geico. They're your support system behind the scenes. From finding you savings to handling your claim quickly, and you probably don't even think about it. You know what that's called?
23:07Peace of mind. So here's to the gaffers, key grips, and yes, Geico. Behind the scenes, taking care of all the hard stuff so you have the confidence to keep moving. Learn more at GEICO.com. Want to know you're on the best path to the right car? Start at CarMax, where every car is CarMax certified and backed by a 10-day money-back guarantee at a price that's up front from the start. Visit CarMax.com for details. Want to drive? CarMax. I was out for a quick walk between meetings, passing the same row of shops I always do. The smell of fresh bread from the bakery, delivery trucks unloading boxes, when a travel magazine in a storefront window caught my eye.
23:48On the cover was a photo of a boutique hotel in Copenhagen I stayed at years ago, the one with the cozy lobby fireplace and those big windows overlooking the canal. In that moment, my head wasn't on work anymore. I went from a sidewalk full of errands to picturing myself right back in that hotel. Getting from that everyday moment to that memory didn't feel complicated. Booking.com made it easy to find that same stay again. The search, the options, the clarity around what I was booking. It reminded me how quickly a small spark can turn into a real plan when you have the right help. We all have that one place that pops up out of nowhere.
24:27The one that's been sitting quietly in the back of your mind. Once somewhere gets into your head, Booking.com is an easy way to get there. Go on. Book that trip. It's easy. Booking.com. Booking.yeah. When you read these scripts, are you yourself saying, hey, we've got something? So it's, that has been an interesting thing that I've, am still learning is like, okay, oh, sorry. When I am reading something and I'm trying to learn how to filter things from my perspective, but then also through the seven bucks perspective to be like, okay, I like this. Does the wider team like this? What are we looking for in this script?
25:10Does it have X, Y, and Z? And I feel like when I read something and the rest of the team reads something and they give their notes on it, I like looking at their notes and then going back and reading it again to be like, oh, okay, I see why they wanted to change X, Y, and Z or add this and that. Because then it helps me get a clearer vision of, okay, this is actually what we're looking for. So the funnel you've put on this and the analytics that you're giving, just to descriptor, that's such a business savvy. Thank you. And you having that business savvy is what will continue to lead you to great heights.
25:46But is it from – which side of the family is the business savvy from? Where does that come from? Because most people aren't looking at it with all the factors. I would say both, mom and dad, yeah. Both of my parents are very type A. I realized this. Yeah? Yeah. Which has then made me super-duper type A. It didn't cancel out. Well, type A is the analytical. Yes. Okay. So my mom is type A. Mm-hmm. And I try to steal as much of that as I can. Are you type B? But I don't, I think I'm. Maybe C. What's C? Tell me C. C is like a combination of both. But I kind of, and I could be totally wrong. I feel like C was kind of made up.
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26:27C is made up. All of this is kind of made up. Well, psychoanalyze me. What do you think I am, type A or B? You've got to finish your story. Okay. Well, I think I'm type A that wishes he was type B. I see that. So my dad was so just, if I like it, I like it. Right. Simple. I was entertained. And simple by choice. Like when everyone else was talking about all this thing, it was like, well, did you like it? Did you enjoy it? Right. And I crave if I had a shred of that in me. Where I could just leave something. Oh, I enjoyed this. Oh, yeah. Yeah, you know, it's always about, I got to find eight different lanes with this prime example, this promo I'm doing on TV.
27:14I got to find eight different lanes. Do I? Or do I really just need to entertain this live audience? And do I really just need to sell this one piece? Which, yeah, I crave for type B, but I'm type A. Yeah. You type A too. Very. We're in there. Yeah. All right. It's a curse. Blessing and a curse. Yeah, but I mean, type B is, I think, more of a curse when you're not analyzing anything. That's something you're asking, though. Some people are type B, and they're chilling. They love it. Who's in here type B? Any type Bers? Probably Zach. No, that's EZ. Really? You think Zach's type B? Yeah, you're doing something right out in your head, some sort of math right now.
27:53Zach's stressing out. Yeah. It's hard to work here, I think. Work for some people. You know who it works for, and it's annoying, is younger talent. Oh, yeah. But it works for them in a way where you're thinking, hey, you just got a note from Mr. Hayman, or you just got a note from Michael Hayes. Isn't that cool? And it's like, oh, yeah. Oh, man, it didn't land like it landed. Yeah. I love that you were reading the scripts and doing that. Now I know a lot more about type A, type B. So let me ask you, I'm type A, wishing it was type B. You're type A. I don't know if anyone's ever heard this. And you and I are the only people to discuss it.
28:38I did bring it up to one other person, two. Two of my friends who work in WWE creative. But when the final boss asked me for my soul, I don't know, did you ever tell him this? I never shared it with him. I don't think so. We kept it between us. We did. We kept it low. Yeah. Type A. Yeah, we kept it kayfabe. That might be the first proper use of kayfabe on the show, by the way. Points, points. Anyways, back to when he asked me for my soul, I thought, you know what would have been funny is to relent and give my soul, but not to him. And this is at the time when you were the NXT general manager to you.
29:22And I thought that's got legs. Yeah. I'll never say a word again. She'll speak. I think we would have crushed that. We would have crushed that. You know, I'm often people, oh, he doesn't want to be a bad guy. I'm open to all things. Right. Whatever is the best. Whatever works, yeah. But I thought that would have been a real good spin. I would have loved to have done that. How would he have felt? I think he would have been all for it. Yeah? Yeah, absolutely. I can't believe you never told him. I don't think it ever came up because I think he was, you know, beating you up, asking you for your soul, and then...
29:56The soul was a lot. The soul it was. Yeah, that was a lot. I don't think I knew he was coming back that day. Like I had no context of what the promo would be. And then I just saw it and I was like, soul is crazy. Soul, Astro Soul. But I think we might have had something. Who knows? We might still have something. You never know. You never know. But I thought such a fun spin. Absolutely. On, yeah, sure. I already have given up my soul and it would be to you. Surprise. And then we would have gone from there. We would have just wreaked havoc. Absolutely. Torn the place up. Torn it up. Torn it up. Sold out every night.
30:33Sold out. Unintended. It would have been very groovy. That was our idea. It never happened. I know. You know what? Here's to the ideas. The idea that did not happen. Cheers. Cheers. Bam. That would have been a great idea. It was. Who knows? Maybe it could still happen. I've got a theory. Never say never. Definitely never say never. I've got a theory about my drink right now. Okay. I'm going to put it to this room. Let's hear it. Maybe your drink, too. I've been accused of drinking too much on this show. There have been accusations. It's a show sponsored by Wheatley Vodka. Thank you, Wheatley American Vodka.
31:07We love them. A couple haven't made it. A couple haven't seen the light of day. This episode, we'll see the light of day. But they've made it so far. See, guys? See my hand? I can't get it. And I don't know if that's what we're going for here. So if I ask you a question and you see me awkwardly lean forward. No, it's okay. I'll know that you're a good agent for that. All right, so now I mentioned you at the time you were general manager, which I enjoyed greatly. Who was your favorite person at NXT to work with? Ethan Page. I knew you were going to say it. Really? Tell me why. Ethan Page, why? I felt like Ethan came to NXT at a time where we needed someone like that.
31:54We needed someone who was so unapologetic, incredibly sure of themselves, and incredibly entertaining. A little bit of an asshole, but in the best way possible on TV. And I always felt like, I felt like when I worked with Ethan, I was able to bring out a different side of Ava. And I loved going back and forth with Ethan. Off camera, incredible person, sweetest, adored working with him. But yeah, I would say Ethan was my favorite. Ethan Page, eh? Ethan Page. Your buddy, your pal. We just talked about him because I was talking to AJ Styles. He's someone, Ethan's someone I had really great chemistry with.
32:31Yeah, I agree. But I think he has great chemistry with everybody. Yes, 100%. Yeah. So I think you and I feel special. Yeah. But everyone he. I know. That's why. And in my head I was like, oh, I have great chemistry with him. And I thought about it. And I was like, he really does with everyone. With everyone, huh? Whether it's the ring and promo. Check out this segue. Ready? Ready. You ever played Red Dead Redemption 2? Sure have. Okay. Haven't finished it. Okay, but you got to love how much they love horses in that game. That's why I haven't finished the game. It's all horses. I just keep running around on the horse.
33:01All horses all the time. It's the best. And then you get to the new stable. So my dad gave me a book when I was younger of all the horses. In the world, ever. Like all the different breeds. Yes. And I didn't remember it. Dustin remembered it. Like was Dappleback a color? Dapple Bay. That's a color, right? Dapple Bay, yeah. Dapple Bay. He gave Palomino. Mm-hmm. You're good. Right. He gave me all this. You're a horse guy. He'd always ask me, because I told you this. I like to think, and I'll tell you where my cowboy run ended, but that game has reminded me. I know. I'm like, oh, it's a war horse.
33:36It's a turcoman. You know, right? Yeah, sure. Right? That's one of the... Yes. Either way, but that game has reminded me so much of the horses, and I figured if anyone appreciates horses, you need to get in on that Red Dead game. That was a crazy segue, but... Yeah, it was. It was just out of nowhere, right? Yeah. It's the question we ask horse people on this show. How many horse people have you had? We only had one. We had Fallon. Did she say yes? Fallon's a gamer girl. She knew about it. Yeah. I don't think she knew how deep redhead horse love was, though. You consider yourself a cowgirl? I mean, you're riding horses.
34:09I feel like there's a difference between equestrian and cowgirl, though. I feel like I haven't earned my stripes to be a cowgirl yet. How so? You're out there on a horse taking care of horses. I know, but I feel like cowgirls are like they ride Western and they wrangle horses. And I feel like it can be very elitist, elitist, but not in a bad way. So I don't want to be like, I'm a cowgirl and then get like smoked on the Internet for it. Oh, well, welcome. Welcome to this show. More than I already will. Yeah, everything. Right. We're getting smoked all the time. I know, but. They're going to smoke.
34:41At least I know the audience that's going to do it. Oh, yeah. I haven't opened myself up to like the. Smoke away. Cowgirl cowboy audience yet. So I don't want to get smoked by that. Getting smoked by wrestling fans is standard. Do you want to know where I found out? Okay, because I hate when people, a lot of people try to make you feel better sometimes when you're getting canceled or smoked or whatever's going on that day. And they'll say, hey, you know, they're not a real person. Or, hey, they don't know you personally. And there's always good bones in that. Right. But one of the things that I try to, I had fond memories of X.
35:14And I hang on to things I did business-wise on X. So I'd never want to just go, hey, this is clearly not a functional app anymore. Evidence is proven that X percent is not really there anymore. Maybe time to go. I can't bring myself to do it. I should. But here's where I knew it was nonsense. And this is, again, that Red Dead segue. Here we go. Was the most recent film, The Odyssey. Incredible. Incredible. Incredible. Thank you. You liked The Odyssey. Loved it. Yeah, I think Christopher Nolan is amazing. Yes. Okay, so we liked Nolan directing. Yes. Amazing. Everything he touches, awesome. Who did you like in this movie?
35:55The most? Yeah. I really like C.O.C. Yeah? I thought she was very cool. Yeah? Mm-hmm. John Luguzamo, whatever old man dude was. Oh, he was great. The whole cast was stellar. What a cast, huh? Tom Holland. Matt Damon also jacked. Yeah. Real jacked. And did you know his stunt woman, stunt devil, was a girl? No. Yeah. Shout out to her. I know. Incredible. How much was she used in there? A lot, probably. Yeah. Yeah. Because you can only stay jacked for a day or two. TV jacked. That's true, yeah. You get that one day. And then it's all goes downhill. And then you got to fall apart a little bit. Throw the sash on, you know what I mean?
36:28Wrestlers love a segment where they're wearing a T-shirt. Love it. Love it. Love a T-shirt. Oh, no, no gear. Oh, suit, full suit. Yeah. I'll have those Sour Patch Kids and Gorilla. You know, people always ask me how I keep track of money on the road. Flights, hotels, food, buying my kids stuff from different gift shops we walk past. Honestly, a lot of that comes down to trusting what's in my pocket. Cash App does more than you think when it comes to having your back and making sure your money stays your money. Cash App just released a new status program for the way people actually spend called Cash App Green.
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37:45Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partners. Prepaid debit card issued by Sudden Bank, member FDIC. Cash App Visa debit flex cards issued by Sudden Bank, member FDIC. and the Bancorp Bank N.A., pursuant to license from Visa USA, Inc., see terms and conditions for the Sudden Prepaid Card, Sudden Debit Flex Card, and Bancorp Debit Flex Card. Cash App Green features savings, direct deposit, roundups, overdraft coverage, and discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cashapp.com backslash legal backslash podcast for full disclosures.
38:27You're the best field operative I've ever had. You were born for it. In 1981, the embassy went down. We put 25 million in the wall. Where? Hotel Tehran. This is bad. Like Run for the Hills Band. Do it now. I don't have the money, but I've got something more valuable. You shall know the truth. The truth? They don't make you free. The Fix, now playing in theaters. Chat GPT can do more than answer questions. It can help you get real work done. ChatGPT work is built for bigger projects with multiple steps. You bring the goal along with the information it needs, like briefs, notes, files, feedback, calendars, data sets, or project plans.
39:15Then ChatGPT can help turn all of that into something useful. An analysis, a tracker, a deck outline, a prototype, or a workflow you can keep shaping. It can also use approved apps, connected tools, files, and browser contexts to help move the work forward. And you stay in control. You give direction, review drafts, approve actions, redirect the work, and choose the final output. So you spend less time sorting through busy work and more time making progress on the work that matters. Put ChatGPT to work on your most ambitious ideas and projects. Get started at ChatGPT.com by selecting Work Mode.
39:53Available on Plus and Pro Plans.
40:23So you have the confidence to keep moving. Learn more at Geico.com. Want to know you're on the best path to the right car? Start at CarMax where every car is CarMax certified and backed by a 10-day money-back guarantee at a price that's up front from the start. Visit CarMax.com for details. Want to drive? CarMax. I was out for a quick walk between meetings, passing the same row of shops I always do. The smell of fresh bread from the bakery, delivery trucks unloading boxes. when a travel magazine in a storefront window caught my eye. On the cover was a photo of a boutique hotel in Copenhagen I stayed at years ago, the one with the cozy lobby fireplace and those big windows overlooking the canal.
41:07In that moment, my head wasn't on work anymore. I went from a sidewalk full of errands to picturing myself right back in that hotel. Getting from that everyday moment to that memory didn't feel complicated. Booking.com made it easy to find that same stay again. The search, the options, the clarity around what I was booking. It reminded me how quickly a small spark can turn into a real plan when you have the right help. We all have that one place that pops up out of nowhere. The one that's been sitting quietly in the back of your mind. Once somewhere gets into your head, Booking.com is an easy way to get there.
41:43Go on, book that trip. It's easy. Booking.com. Booking.yeah.
41:51Okay, but this is back to X. Yes. This is where I knew. This is a nonsense app. They were trying, before the movie came out, to flat out cancel this movie for casting choices. And then they were saying things like, oh, it's not period accurate. It's not accurate to begin with. It's a made up. Look, that reminds me of when I believe it was Halle Bailey. I'm not sure if it was her or her sister who was the little mermaid. And people were up in arms because she was a little mermaid and she was black. It's a mermaid. It's a fish. Ursula's purple. What? These are made up stories. They're not Ursula's.
42:32They're made up stories. Oh, it's not period. They should be wearing the right period armor. Then, watch this too. They juxtaposed that versus Troy. Which is also not. They're making it. I'm like, no, no. Troy was, we love Troy. Right. That's apples to oranges. Yeah, don't bring Troy into this. Peter O'Toole, you know, you're my enemy tonight, but even enemies can have respect. My gosh, it's a phenomenal piece of business. That's its own thing. Don't judge. But they're trying to cancel this movie. Have you seen Troy? You have to see it. I actually think maybe I watched it when I was younger, but I don't remember.
43:07Just watch it for just Peter O'Toole. Okay. Also, if having your whole life experience with wrestling and trained as a wrestler and having had wrestling matches, you will see they are building a wrestling match. All right. I'm sat. I'll watch it. Hector versus Achilles is a less is more wrestling match. And oof. Love a less is more. Yeah. Love a less is more. Getting the most out of doing the least. Headlock story? It gets its finish established in the first scene. You guys know what I'm talking about, right? Okay. All right. Thank you, guys. But they're trying to cancel this movie over the strangest things.
43:44And I think I saw someone, we're going to have a period accurate AI version of this come out in a few years. What are we doing? What are we doing? And then anyways, right, the movie comes out. And as you said. Does crazy numbers. Incredible and does crazy numbers. That was my official going, you know what? X ain't for me. It ain't it. Nope. It ain't it. It ain't it. I am not going to get up in arms, which, you know, might still a little. but over this because what was... It's just nonsense. It's truly just nonsense, yeah. Yes, but you need to watch Troy, by the way. I will. Yeah, there's a lot of wrestling.
44:18Enjoy the wrestling. Plus also Peter O'Toole. That's a great... I got you. I'll do it. A whole beautiful moment there. I'm not going to go too deep into Troy. Okay. I'll let you know when I watch it and then you can give me your deep. Please. Gosh, now that we got off this tangent... Where were we? Red Dead? Well, we talked about Red Dead. We talked about your buddy, Ethan Page, who we've discovered has the same chemistry with everyone. Everyone, so maybe we're not special. I don't think we are. Darn, okay. Ethan to this day asks me, have I brought this up on the pod before about Ethan asking why I'm so nice to him?
44:51I think he's brought this up to me and been like, I don't know why he's so nice to me. He always asks, like, why are you so nice? Why are you so helpful? And I am a big believer in when even the smallest thing is done for you. I mean, wrestling is so performative. It's so, I don't want to use the F word, but it's fictional. And the way people help. It is a performance. Yeah, and the way they need to be seen helping and what they say to your face versus what they'll say, what they won't say when someone's speaking ill of you. It's a tricky world. Yeah. But when I met Julian, shoot name. Julian.
45:36Shoot name. Like the lemur. Yeah, yes, like the lemur. Like the lemur. Julian, I had just come off of doing, I was doing an Evolve show. And I could tell. Oh, Evolve back in the day Evolve. Back in the day. It was Gabe's Evolve. And I'll tell you about Gabe's Evolve. And me and Gabe get along great. He's come in here and done seminars. But one of the funniest things about Gabe and my relationship is he wrote me this really nice email about coming to the Indies. And on the top, I still got it. It said, welcome to the Indies. And then he talked about how I'd be riding in a car with six people, how I'd be sharing hotel rooms, all these things that would come of the ride that was going to be the Indies.
46:18None of that happened. I bet. None of it. The crowds were full. Right. There was always a car service. The promoters made money. But that mindset was different than mine. 100%. Yeah. I met Ethan at an Evolve show. So credit to Gabe for linking us up. Yeah. And he wrestled like someone who'd been trained in WWE. And he just, there was a flow. And the way we put that together and how he didn't relent and just bend over for me, how he still made it to kind of keep climbing for himself. I just left. It was La Boom in Queens, New York. And I left there thinking, I want to do everything I can for that guy for the rest of my life.
47:03He's amazing. Yeah, he didn't even do anything that great. I don't know why it's so deep. Another mutual friend we have, I like to call him Crybaby Rick. Crybaby Rick. You got a nice little bond with Ricky. Yeah, Ricky is great. Another person I loved working with as well. But he cried in front of you. He did, yeah. He's going to hate that we're bringing this up. But I can't shame him for it because I've also cried in front of Ricky. Oh, I mean, I've cried in front of the— PC makes you cry a lot. Okay. Yeah, no. And I've cried in front of the whole world. I mean, the fans are called— That's true.
47:35Your dad, Dub Dub. Oh, yes. Cry babies. Yes. So I'm allowed to call out another cry baby. That's true. I forgot about that, yeah. I mean, Ricky's the biggest. Your words. He cried in front of you? Dead. Yeah. Well, here's why I'm asking because they're asking me if I want to do an episode with all my friends. Friends. Friends. and I guess I can't totally do that because these are kind of some of the real ones. My fear is that it will just turn into a roast. But we can all roast each other. But when they're together, you know what I mean? Who would be there? Ethan, Ricky? I would put Ethan in. Yeah, Ethan, Ricky.
48:11Ricky, he is making the cut, but just barely. Yeah, Kevin's in there. Okay. Kevin's pretty rough. Yeah, he might He might roast you Yeah, I would put I'm looking up at this book Kevin Looking up at your friends You know who would be A really good one on there? Because his perspective's great And even if Even if we're not friends But I think we might be But his perspective's great Seth Yeah What about Ash? Charlotte, would you have her on here? Yeah, she'd be wonderful Yeah Again, we have gone Off the rails here We were talking about Ethan We were talking about our real friends We were talking about Evolve Yeah Who would be there Evolve I didn't know So I did, I guess, a bit of research, and I was very excited to find out your grandma got you into wrestling.
48:56She did, yeah. Yeah? I started watching wrestling when I was nine. It was when my dad first came back in, like, 2011. Okay. And then I didn't know this, but my grandma had just been waiting for me to start watching wrestling for, like, years. And her house is just, like, a museum of memorabilia. Yeah. Then finally when I was like, oh, I kind of watch wrestling, she was like, perfect. Whipped out all the DVDs, every tape ever, and I would just go to my grandma's house every weekend. Oh, I love that. And just watch wrestling. Yeah, it was great. So you were watching wrestling that preceded the time period.
49:32Yes. Same here. Yeah, I would watch older stuff and then I would tune in every – I think SmackDown was on Thursdays at that point. Thursday and Monday. I believe it was. I believe it was on UPN. Yeah. Yeah, because Pops did a crossover on Star Trek Voyager. Yes. Yeah, I do recall the network that was. Your grandmother, and you said you had, when you were watching this stuff in your nine, here's what I love. She didn't push it on you. No. She waited for you to come to it. Yes. And at nine, were you a fan of old wrestling basically at that point? Or were you catching up to it? What were you watching?
50:10Yeah, I was watching a lot of like 2006 to like 2009. So like pretty close into what had happened. I'm in there. Yeah. You, your brother, Christian, Edge, Hardee's, Kofi, all of them. You mentioned Edge. Edge is my favorite wrestler of all time. Fun fact. Edge is your favorite wrestler? Of all time. Yep. Okay. I don't know if I've ever said that publicly. Well, it's out. It's out. Are we cutting it? No. He's in. Yeah. Okay. Edge, this is a real thing, and it's amazing that you said this because it's generational, and I've had – you and I, we have mutual friend QT Marshall. Great guy. He's – the closest thing I have to a best friend.
50:56He is your best friend. Right? And then there's that weird, like, jealousy thing going on where he's best friends with Damien, but then he's your best friend. He is, but then Vachino took over for QT. Okay. So then it was like – So it's like best friend jealousy. She pushed him out. Yeah. The same way Priest was trying to push me out. Okay. But QT, what was I talking about? Okay. So we would do camps together, Nightmare Factory camps. We'd do them. And the first thing, the lesson is, hey, who's your favorite wrestler? So we'll start with Kellen. Who's your favorite wrestler? You. Okay, thank you.
51:31Aw, good answer. So the rule, when you say that, the rule is treat everyone you meet ever. The guy who is in the parking lot, the guy, everyone you meet like me. Like your favorite wrestler. Like your favorite wrestler. I like that. That's the lesson. But also we find out what are they watching. Right. There's always some nerd in there. God bless him. I love a nerd because wrestling needs its nerds and I'm a nerd who says something like, you know, Mara Fuji. Like, oh, great. You know, like, yeah, he is awesome. He is. You know, he is awesome and I love that man. But anyways, we found that so many kids said their favorite wrestlers were either Rey Mysterio, Edge, or the Hardys.
52:13Yep. And Q couldn't fathom it. Yeah. He kept being like, what do you mean? But it's like that time period. Yeah, he's like, it's not Hulk Hogan. I don't think it's like kids today or people a little bit older. Well, who are they like now? You. Yeah, well, good. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. You and – That made me feel good. Let's look at the wall. Let's see. Yeah. You. Bianca? Bianca? Yeah, Bianca. Yeah. Big one. Yeah. Mercedes slash Sasha. Big one. Rhea. Yeah, they really do. But that whole, he couldn't get it. And I started thinking, this is just generational, especially Jeff. When Jeff was doing his thing was uber.
52:51I feel like Jeff, like, transcended so much past wrestling that people don't even realize. Would you, I mean, Jeff is also, I'd say, one of wrestling's biggest heartthrobs. 100%. Yeah. The people coming for Jeff at those shows, they're screaming. They were. They ride or die. If you were to start a business right now, what would you create? Would it be that idea that you had been working towards since you were a kid? Something that came to mind when you were in college? Or perhaps a passion project that you've always wanted to put out into the world, but never quite gotten around to? Whatever your situation is, Shopify can help.
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57:34Booking.com. Booking.yeah. And your grandma got you into this. She was excited when you got into it. She couldn't wait. She's been waiting. Well, the tree, the family tree in all this and why your drink is called Fourth Generation. Thank you to Wheatley Vodka, by the way. The family tree, I once looked at it and I nearly stroked out. Oh, it's crazy. Because it was such a dis... I didn't even realize how vast it was until I literally saw the photo and I was like zooming in. Of that tree? Yes. They were basically about to do a PowerPoint presentation. They could. On that tree, and I had a really rough day that day, which I got to ask you about eventually.
58:16And I walked around, and I was doing retail therapy. Okay, yeah, let's talk about that. Just buying things left and right. Watches. All my life was over. Watches hadn't come yet. Okay. Hadn't come. I can't wait to find out why you thought your life was over. Well, my career was over, basically. Okay, yeah. But this tree, how do you consider this tree? Grandma? Grandpa? Above Grandma, because my great-grandfather. So high chief. Yes. High Chief Peter Mavia. High Chief Peter. I have – I have all my phones over there. I was going to say I could just pull up a phone. But to you, it's High Chief Peter.
58:47Yes. Grandma. Mm-hmm. Rocky Johnson. Yes, my grandpa. Soul man. Mm-hmm. And then the final boss. Yes. That alone. Then the mayor. Right? Then the mayor, yep. Yeah. That alone is – It's crazy, yeah. It's crazy and special. Very. And special. Very humbling in the best way. Yeah. I love that she waited because with my daughters, I have things I like. Particularly, I'll tell you one, I love Star Wars. Okay. And she started kind of, yeah. She's getting into it. Getting into it a little bit. Like, Grogu, you know? Like, all right, all right. Yep. But I'm not going to push. Yeah, you can't. Because I don't want to ruin it.
59:26Right, exactly. My hope is that she's nine years old one day and says, hey, let's watch it. Let's watch Star Wars. Yeah. And then I'd be fulfilled. You'll be fulfilled. I'd have all the information I could possibly. I'd have news for her. You said Edge is your favorite wrestler, which is you're not. This space, this is the Nightmare Factory. It's been said a lot in here. Well, what is your favorite match? Oh, here we go. Ever. All the time. An Edge match is not the answer. Okay, good. It is actually Charlotte versus Rhea from this WrestleMania in 2023. Okay, so for those who can't see what we're looking at.
1:00:02Oh, yeah, sorry. That was rude. We've been referencing it all the time. It's a giant WrestleMania goes Hollywood, WrestleMania 39 poster, and you were saying Rhea and Charlotte? Charlotte, yep. That's my favorite match of all time. They did it, huh? When I remember seeing it in person and as it was happening, I was just like, this is the best wrestling match I've ever watched in my life. You have two of the absolute best. Yeah. You have crafts. Forever in awe of them in that match. Artists. And I don't think, and maybe this is a secret to the success, I don't think either of them know how fulfilled, how much they've done already.
1:00:39I think so. Right? And I don't think they grasp it. And I wonder if that's because they're still very much in it, but definitely. Yeah, they are certainly in it. That's a great one. You're asking me about the time the world's ending. Oh, yes. I brought this up in the beginning, and I thought, I got to tell her or ask her, more ask you about it. WrestleMania 40 is coming along, and I got - This is Philly, correct? Philly, yeah. I got taken out of the match for five days. Let me think. What was the buildup to that? That is me and your father in Birmingham have the worst. Just beating the shit out of you.
1:01:19This is pre that. Okay. This is us shaking hands, but he turned his hand like this. Okay. So I was going like this. So we still got to Arnold, Carl, like weathers. We got to it. But then they stuck the camera on my face and my face wasn't great. Okay. But anyways, he takes the match. And then five days later, we decide everything turns back around. And it was all heading that way anyways. And it's this magical gift that was given. But for a brief moment, I thought, hey, that's it. Like, that was, we were going to wait a full year. And I'm not going to get to, you know, finish that story. I'm not going to get to, what do I do?
1:01:58And every alternative, you know, everyone's in the alternative mode. Okay, yeah, great. Oh, this was still going to be great for you. Like none of it, it just sounded. It wasn't what you wanted. Yeah. It just sounded one way. But you got a lot of flack online. Yeah, that was, okay. And we didn't know each other very well. So I do, I remember, I don't think I've, I've talked about this very much internally. I don't think I've ever publicly talked about this. So dad came back, you guys shook your hands, he took your spot. That was Friday, correct? Yes. That Sunday was an NXT pay-per-view. Yeah. It was Vengeance Day.
1:02:38And I remember it was going to be the first time that there was WWE programming since that Friday Night SmackDown. And I will never forget this. I was sitting in makeup. I want to say Kristen was actually there that day. Kristen did. Kristen did my makeup that day. I remember. There she is. I'd finished my makeup and I was, our head writer, Johnny Russo, came up to me and he was like, Like, hey, can I just talk to you for a minute? And I said, sure. So we had, I don't think I had filmed the promo that I was doing yet that day or we were about to film it. And he was like, hey, just so you know, like when we play your promo, please don't be surprised if they boo you.
1:03:18And I was like, okay. Like, yeah, like I can understand that. And then that did happen. All of the hate online happened. Yeah. And that day, it changed the way that I looked at, I think, fans overall. And it just changed the way that I looked at the wrestling business. And for a while, I thought about it in a very negative way. Sure. Because it was quite negative at the time. But then I think in a way I'm incredibly grateful that that happened because it gave me – it kind of just made me double down on like, okay, I am – it made me much more confident in what I was doing and why I was doing it.
1:04:05Yeah. And it made me just be like, all these external factors can happen and everyone can have an opinion because of like who I am or something that my dad has done or blah, blah, blah. But I was like, I need to – it made me be a little bit selfish in my journey and what I was doing, but I think it was necessary. That was a bit of a tangent and you didn't ask that. I'm sorry. No, that's exactly what – no. Okay. Because I realize I've never actually talked about that publicly. Well, no. That Vendian State pay-per-view, like it changed so much of how I thought about wrestling and my journey and my place.
1:04:35in this thing. The whole thing. And we did not know each other yet. We didn't. The fallout from that was heavy. Yeah. And you reached out to me that day, and I'll never forget that. I did, right? Thank you. Yeah. It was really kind. Was I nice? You did. All right. Whoa, I don't know why I would have been mean. No, you were very kind. You asked me if I was okay, and then you asked if it was anything you could do. Because I thought at the time when it was all happening, I'll tell you the truth from my perspective, when you see the we want Cody thing trending and then it goes, it permeates beyond just a normal, it's big.
1:05:10Yeah. That was a nice feeling, but it wasn't, it had hit so hard a few days before that I wasn't there to receive it in any way. Yeah. I didn't want to signal boost it and I didn't want, I just didn't want to touch it. I just, I think I remember it becoming so big because I want to say that that Vengeance Day, I think it was maybe one of Obafemi's like first big matches or it was the first time he went for the title. And there had been a lot of great build up to that. And I remember NXT posting about it was like, I think a shot of him walking to the ring and like every single comment was just.
1:05:50Overtook. We want Cody. Yeah. And it was for the whole duration of the show. Every match that was on that show that night, all of it was just a lot from that. Well, to give Oba his love. So fascinating, yeah. He certainly will be able to make me pay for it later. That is true. I'm not positive. Yeah, it was weird. That pay-per-view was a weird time, yeah. It certainly was, and I'm talking about a time with you as general manager. Were you general? You were. Yes, I had just started, yeah. So your general manager, you've moved on from the schism stuff. Yeah. General manager. And with all the things that you did, and we talked about Ethan Page, what do you think was the highlight of your time as general manager?
1:06:36I think there's a couple things. I think one of the biggest ones was when I got to unveil the second women's title, the women's North American title. And I felt like that whole stretch of when, and the NXT women's division is still incredible, but I felt like when that 2024, 2025 time period when every single week the women were just showing out consistently, whether it was fatal influence, Lola and Kalani or Stephanie was there at the time and Julia and Jordan and Roxanne. And, like, I loved that I got to be a part of that in the sense that I was youngest general manager in WWE history, the first female general manager in NXT.
1:07:26And I loved being a part of a women's division that I felt like we all found different ways to just continue to raise the bar and just put on the best show possible. So I don't know if it's one particular thing, but I think I feel very blessed and lucky to have been the GM during that time period. What I love about it is it's back to this thing that you've taught me, type A. Yeah. Executive vision. Type A, which I don't know how that eluded me so long, but very much. And not only an executive thing, a real thing. Yeah. You're doing something real. In the world of our performance, but this is real.
1:08:03You're unveiling something that is new and to be cherished and respected, and it's a piece of history. You're connected to a piece of history. It's actually this podcast. We were going to talk sooner than we talked today, which thank you for coming on because I know you don't do a lot of these. No, thank you. Glad to be here. I am happy to find out. I wouldn't have guessed what a big wrestling fan you were. I knew you'd be naturally a wrestling fan, but I wouldn't have guessed, and this edge knowledge is throwing me. But we were going to talk sooner, and I was going to come to NXT with the pod, and you gave me some people that you thought I would be good to talk to.
1:08:43You, obviously, but who else did you say? I said JC. I said Tatum. Ethan was on there. Yeah. Yeah, you mentioned Tatum. Yeah, Tatum, yeah, and I realized that I just left her out when I was talking about women. Her feud with Lyra and that whole thing is one of my favorite NXT feuds ever. Yeah, you mentioned Tatum and you mentioned Kalani and, yes, super talented. Tatum doing really great right now. Yeah, I'm so happy for her. I think she's amazing, and I remember she started very close to when I did, and I have always rooted for her, and I am so beyond thrilled for her. Yeah, that period of time I was going to come down, we were going to talk at NXT, and then to my shock, you were gone.
1:09:25Yes. And I've shocked people with my departure before. I understand. I was like, no, they're gone. That person is gone. That decision to leave, hard decision? Incredibly. Yeah? Yeah. It was something that I had been thinking about for, I think, about a year prior. Yeah. And I knew that my contract was up in February. And a couple of things had been happening. There's a lot of different reasons why I chose to leave. And it was incredibly hard. Yeah. But I felt like it was time I really, really wanted to grow. And I didn't feel like I was in a position at WWE to where I could grow. And I'm incredibly grateful for my time there.
1:10:09I would not change it for the world. Yeah. But I think I just, I knew. I was like, okay, I need to do something else. Yeah. I need to learn and grow and see what's on the other side. Well, only you know. Yeah. Right? And so many of our mentors, when we have family, it makes it worse. Yeah. His family is going to tell you their experience. This is your experience. Yeah. I'm going to tell you something funny based on the word grow that is directly tied to your father. Of course. Do you know this story? Did I tell you this? I blew a meeting, I'm pretty sure, based on some advice he gave me over the word grow.
1:10:45I don't know. I don't think I know this one. Oh, I have? This has been on the pod before? Okay, yes. Basically. We can cut this. No, I let it ride. I went to a pretty high-level meeting, general meeting, meaning there is no reason you're meeting other than to get to know each other and see if you can work on each other. Hey, what are you interested in? Typically, those meetings go well for me today because of WWE. Right. Oh, man, tell us about that. That's not normally what they get in their office. Right. So I typically feel like I thrive in those settings. I didn't because he told me, your father told me.
1:11:19Was he in the general or no? No. I said, I'm meeting this guy. Yeah, okay. And he said, you should, you know. He sent you a voice note and he said. He might have. Say this. He said, never tell people that you don't want to be in TV film. Don't be one of these wrestlers that's like. Oh, yeah. Hey, I love my job. Right. They know you love your job. You're not hurting a wrestling fan's feeling by telling them, yeah, I'd love to be. You'd be surprised. I feel like a lot of wrestling fans do get hurt over that. No. That's another topic for another time. If you ask a wrestler who wants to be in the Odyssey, we were talking about that earlier.
1:11:54If you find one that says no, you've found a liar. You really have. So wrestling fans, we like telling stories without falling down sometimes. And it's a similar process in a way. Very similar process. But he told me that I should just always say when that question comes up, do you want to leave? Well, I'm looking to grow. Yes. and man, I must have said grow 12 times in the first four minutes. Did it work? No. The guy was like, oh, you know, who do you know here? Well, things are going great, rest and wise, but I am looking to grow. Okay. Do you want anything to drink? Coke? Diet Coke? Oh, this was in person.
1:12:35Yes. Oh, my God. I think I told him after. I was like, hey. I blew this meeting with insert guy. After leaving, have you stayed close with some of your friends down there? I have, yeah. That's good. Yeah. Yeah. Do you think your time in the ring is done? I hope not. I was actually just thinking about this today. Right. I don't think so. I have a couple injuries that I need to sort out, and then when that is done, I think so. Do you want to know the Nightmare Factory lesson on injuries? Sure, yeah. You'll always work hurt, never work injured. I say that and then there is a giant photo of me working at an event.
1:13:13With your torn back. My completely torn back, completely injured. So it's very hypocritical, but I do mean it. But very on brand for wrestling. Yeah, in my case, it's what I did, but you shouldn't. Right. I do actually, and even just looking at the ring right now, I do genuinely miss actually wrestling because for my last, I think, two months there, I wasn't. So even when I was general manager, I was still actually training. I was still wrestling. But then for my last two months there, I wasn't so much pain that I wasn't actually wrestling. So I do miss that. For sure. For sure. And again, young, the world ahead of you, executive work ahead of you, type A maybe executive work, type A maybe wrestling work.
1:13:59The cool thing is most people would never do what you did. And I don't know if enough people tell you that. And it's maybe the one thing I can speak to you from experience on. Because I think a lot of people BS.
1:14:20And the decision to leave is sometimes impossible. It felt that way. Right. A really long time. Yeah. But when you do it, you do it. And then you go and you find who you are and who knows where it will lead you. Most people don't find the thing, and you've already found one thing. One thing. One thing. The journey's never really been just mine. A lot of you have carried it with me, and some of you are passing it down to your kids now. That's why there's an entire Cody Rhodes section on Fanatics and WWE Shop. From the easy-to-find, hard-to-beat collection to the American Nightmare and Captain Rhodes capsules, tees, windbreakers, jackets, weight belts, and collectibles, There's something for longtime fans and the next generation just getting started.
1:15:06You want to check out this segue? You ready for this? Let's do it. Three, two, one. You remember when I was talking about cowboys earlier? Yes. Okay. I didn't tell you my story, but give me your type A executive and because you have Booker Brain too. Okay. Because you've been around putting the industry together. how would you feel about my character with a cowboy hat I would think of your dad instantly yes right okay well we were really close I'm trying to imagine you on like that black hat with a cowboy hat so I was coming back it can work okay yeah so I was coming back at a show I believe it was Logan Paul and John Cena in the ring and I was jumping them after I'd been away I thought about wearing all black with a black cowboy hat.
1:15:57The hat would have gone flying. Yeah, it definitely would have just been a quick look. Right. But my logic in it was my dad quarter-horsed. They're from Austin. I read this dumb horse book as a kid. I'm from Georgia. I'm going to find this horse book. Right, I'm from Georgia. I have some ownership of it. You'd be surprised. Three out of the four guys that I speak to about everything gave me a thumbs up. It was just one who said, you know, I don't think that's going to work. I got to be honest. He said, I think that's going to be distracting. Who said this? Huh? They said, who said this? The one who told me it was going to be distracting and made the decision ultimately was Bruce Richard.
1:16:42He said, I think this is going to distract from what we're doing. I think he's right. I think in that instance, I think, like you're already coming back, you're jumping people, and you got a Callaway hat on? Yeah, that's a lot. Just the way you said it is jarring. Yeah, exactly. Oh, man. But maybe you can introduce it casually. Maybe. You can do an appearance with the hat on. You can do a podcast segment with the hat on. Well, cowboy time. Yes, this is part of the show. Cowboy time. We just discovered a new segment. Well, here's what I, like, you've heard this before. Everybody needs to be produced.
1:17:18Mm-hmm. And I'm so grateful to have the people I have in my life and in management to produce me. Because 9 out of 10 of my ideas are bad. You know, I'm good for a banger idea. But 9 out of 10 are like the cowboy hat would have been distracting. Who knows? But I'm good for an idea. We haven't talked about your girlfriend at all. You want to talk about her? Yeah. Is that okay? Absolutely. Inbounds? Inbounds. She is training. For sure. She is, yes. Tell me about it. You locking up with her? Sometimes. She loves to practice all. I will say this. Her strikes are very good because she practices them on me all the time.
1:17:57Nice. But she has never actually hit me. It is really, really impressive. I've actually never seen someone who did not come from wrestling with such good strike precision. So she's talented. Yes, very. She's talented. I think another thing that I love is it's – so she was a wrestling fan her whole life, obviously did not come from wrestling, came from a TV background. I feel like I've gained a different perspective of the business as opposed to like, I think mine is similar to yours. We've grown up in this. It's very like secular. But I think it's been very eye-opening to see her perspective coming in and how she is learning the business.
1:18:34And like she sees different things and she struggles with different things. And I'm like, oh, yes, this would make sense for someone who is coming into this world that is like so incredibly foreign and weird. And there's all these weird nuances and rules and performativeness. Yeah, there's a whole subculture, a whole language, a nomenclature. But yes, you said her strikes were really good, right? Yeah. So I don't know if you've ever heard this. Impressively good. See that, you know, you're talented. Yeah. I don't know if you've ever heard this story. Cardona is one of the Stiffest wrestlers of all time And it's from his Deep South training Where that was a thing, lay it in But not just lay it in, just Just hit him, yeah And I think Chelsea didn't know Deep into their, maybe into their Because Chelsea's not stiff at all No, and she worked him maybe to get ready For something, but she was shocked Like, what What are we doing?
1:19:31Yeah, he is a real he's a real potato real stiffer potato factory potato factory he is a total potato factory but then he's sensitive too you know how like stiff people are yeah yeah well it's good her strikes are good strikes are good yeah she's cruising through she is she's still working with QT at all yes alright I didn't lead you astray there no he didn't QT I know you found him he's been amazing yeah he's been super helpful he doesn't even have shout outs on this pod I agree yeah he doesn't yeah and now as a growing executive of seven bucks what are you What are you looking to do next? Don't say grow.
1:20:06Don't say grow. Although that's what we're both looking to do, you know? I don't know if I can pinpoint anything in particular. I'll give you another. Yeah. This is not the right use of juxtaposition, but another word similar to grow, learn. I'm about to. Yeah. There you go. Were you at NYU at one point? So I was going to go to NYU. Okay. And then I did not because I wanted to stay in Orlando and learn how to wrestle. as a classic wrestler classic wrestling in your in your blood wrestling but what were you going to pursue there i was going to study political science political science shocker yeah i said that like i know what political science is i believed you tell me what political science is i don't know i didn't study it okay yeah it's fair it's fair so you were going to study political Science.
1:20:53Do you at all, do you think about going back and getting? I do. It does cross my mind. I mean, the higher education you're getting now is different from a school higher education. This is such a random thing, but I always wish my dad had a degree because he was our junior football coach, like middle school, right? Junior high, whatever. and everyone loved him. And in this part of where we are now, where the Nightmare Factory is, most people knew him as coach. They didn't really know him as Dusty. Coach Dusty. Yeah, it was like they didn't know his wrestling career. He was their coach. He was a coach, yeah.
1:21:32And when we went to high school, the program was awful. It was awful. And all these parents were rallying to try and get a fake degree, some online degree for my dad, because that was the rules of Georgia Public School. You had to have a degree to be a coach. A head coach, too. He wasn't coming in. Yeah. But it was the whole thing, and I wish he had. But political science. Political science. Yeah. Well, you didn't study it, so. I didn't. No. Sounds good, though. Wheelie American Vodka and myself, we like to call ourselves the American Dream Team. That's who I'm taking with me. I like to ask all our guests on what do you want to talk about, who their American Dream Team is.
1:22:13And sometimes we have to make this clear. It can be whoever you want. It can be how many you want. But it might be easier just to say War Games team. Okay, like my Avengers. Oh, your Avengers is even better. Yes, yes. Who's coming with you? People in wrestling. No, anybody. We've had everybody. We had animals. Oh, my. Yeah, mine changes a lot, too, so don't feel. This is broad. The first person, because I'm looking at him right now that I'm putting on my team, is Snoop Dogg for the sole reason that Shane got hurt and he carried on with that match. and he did his thing. What a G, huh? Yeah, good fun.
1:22:51I'm putting Snoop Dogg on my team. Aside on Snoop Dogg really quick, I was on a TV show with him, a game show, and I went to his trailer one night just to spend some time with him, and I've probably never gotten better wrestling advice. That's what I mean. I'm putting him on my team. He was talking about being consistent. He was not changing throughout times that the world was changing, and then that brand was solidified. He was teaching me about marketing and brand without saying the words marketing and brand. But we love the dog father on our show. He's on your team? He's on my team. I'm going to stick to people in wrestling before it gets too broad.
1:23:29You do whoever you want. Who else am I thinking of? I'm going to put Rhea on my team. Rhea Ripley? Yeah. Okay. I'm going to put Rhea on my team. Yeah, I mean, she's a G. I'm going to put my girlfriend Tatiana on my team. Tatiana's on the team. Her striking position. I probably should have put her on before Snoop. Maria, you know. I know, I know. Who else am I putting on my team? 2009 Randy Orton. Voldemort Randy. Yep. That's what I call him. Voldemort Randy. Voldemort Randy. Voldemort Randy's going on my team. It's amazing that people are so, that have such a knowledge of 2009. 2009 Randy. Shaved head.
1:24:07All that weight he lost. 2009 Randy is going on my team. Okay. 2009 Randy. And you know who I'm putting on my team? Shayna Baszler. Shayna Baszler. Putting Shayna on my team. It's a pretty great team. I'm putting Shayna on my team. All right, so we've got Tatiana in the first spot. First spot. Okay, Tatiana's in the first spot. We've got... Snoop Dogg. Snoop Dogg. Shayna Baszler in 2009. Randy Wynne. That's my war game. I'm not at that team at all. I think Randy's in a unique setting. They'll figure it out. Especially 2009. Mine, Randy. But, yeah, that may be the best team ever listed on the show.
1:24:46This is a jingle for Wheatley Vodka. Okay, let's hear it. I'm going to ask you to replace a word.
1:25:03Very patriotic. Okay. Really patriotic, huh? Very cowboy. How do you feel about that patriotism? In this? In that, yeah. It's on brand. You're okay with it, right? It checks out. So, Wheatly So Good I Drink It Neatly is what they're saying. Yeah. If you had to take the word neatly out and put something in there, what would you do? Wheatly So Good I Drink It. Does it have to rhyme? No, it doesn't. I think sometimes people search for the rhyme. Belligerently. Wow. Belligerently. I'm trying to think of a word that was completely opposite of neatly. I'm going to be honest. Drinking Wheatly vodka, belligerently.
1:25:41Something completely opposite of neatly. Yeah, it's popping me, though. Belligerent. Yeah. So we know when you're drinking Wheatley, you're going to be belligerent. Belligerent. There you go. I'm sure they're going to love that tagline on there. Honestly, they're going to pop for it. Let them know. You know what I'm saying? If you see her with Wheatley in her hand, approach with caution. Belligerently. I like that one a lot. I'm trying to think. Yeah, a total opposite of neatly. That was a good one. Thank you. Simone, we did a little bit of matching today with your brown shoes. We did. Brown tie.
1:26:10Hey, thank you for coming. Thank you so much. I made the trip to the Nightmare Factory. Thank you. Thank you for having me. I hope we have another conversation on this pod. I'd love to. I'm excited about your type A. Thank you for teaching me that. Thank you. I'm excited about your next steps in this world. Maybe we do our angle one day. One day. Fingers crossed. Maybe. Fingers crossed. Yes. Ladies and gentlemen, what do you want to talk about? Simone Johnson. Thank you, guys.
1:26:42You're the best field operative I've ever had. You were born for it. In 81, the embassy went down. We got 25 million in the wall. Where? Hotel Tehran. This is bad. Like run for the hills, man. Do it now. I don't have the money, but I've got something more valuable. You shall know the truth. The truth? They don't make you free. The Fix, now playing in theaters. Whether you're buying, renting, or selling, Zillow can help make your someday today to help find a home that fits where you are in life or that apartment that's a little closer to where you want to be. Zillow has the right information, tools, and support to help turn your future home into a reality because someday starts today.
1:27:34Visit zillow.com slash today to get started. Hey guys, this is Gia Giudice from Casual Chaos.
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Former WWE Superstar Simone Johnson talks about her time in NXT, her hilarious backstage encounters, and her father, The Rock. A WWE and Fanatics Original Production, presented by Wheatley American Vodka, Morgan & Morgan, CashApp & Shopify.
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