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Welcome to Founders and Fortitude, the podcast where passion meets perseverance. Hosted by Audrie Dollins — a marketing strategist, retired professional photographer, visionary entrepreneur, and founder of AD Media Group, a renowned influencer and brand marketing firm — this podcast uncovers the stories behind extraordinary lives and thriving businesses.
Through authentic conversations and impactful storytelling, each episode explores the entrepreneurial journey, sharing the highs, lows, and actionable strategies for success. Gain expert advice, business insights, and inspiration from trailblazers who have turned aspirations into reality.
Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or taking the first step, Founders and Fortitude offers the tools, motivation, and community you need to build, grow, and thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape.
Tune in weekly to discover the grit, grace, and fortitude it takes to succeed and leave a lasting impact.
Welcome to Founders and Fortitude. I'm your host, Audrey Dahlin. This is a show where we dive into the world of entrepreneurship and the fortitude that keeps us going with the twists and turns and the wonderful people and teams that support us. Let's get into it. Friends, I am so excited to have our guests on today, Matt and Samantha Reynolds.
Speaker 1:Samantha has played such a key role in helping me begin Adey Media Group. Samantha was a model, a cycle bar instructor, and she is the foundation of her family, a mother of two, and a supporting wife of a Major League Baseball player, now retired, Matt Reynolds. Matt has been known to play with the New York Mets, Washington Nationals, and had experiences with many other teams. So let's give them a big welcome and get into it. Samantha, you and I met because you were modeling for Landry Kate.
Speaker 1:Yes. An online boutique as well as they're located in McKinney. And we just I feel like I don't know if it was because I'm old, so I don't know if I can say, like, age will. It was age will. Yeah.
Speaker 1:But your sense of humor, I think we both, like, kind of let him do, like, yeah, this shit's hilarious. Yeah. Like, we didn't take ourselves too serious. Yeah. And then we were either really cold shooting Yes.
Speaker 1:Really hot. And then just the funny times that we had.
Speaker 2:I feel like I thrived with you as the photographer because I I borderline felt uncomfortable in front of the camera at first because Landry Kate was like, I really didn't model for anyone before that. And so you brought humor. And so I was like, oh, I can do a pose like this or a pose like this because you're just, like, cracking jokes. And I don't know. I like you made it so that I didn't care as much about, like, what I was doing.
Speaker 2:And I feel like that's I don't know. We connected that way because it was it was just easy.
Speaker 1:Yeah. It was fun. And we had a we had a really good time. And then just watching the dynamics of you two, and you were kind of you were wanting to support him as well as kinda do things for yourself. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then we just kinda and not, you know, I don't I think you said I don't want to not that you would bug him because he's Yeah. You're not not thinking. But you're like, I wanna do something for myself, but I don't want it to overtake where I can't support him. Yeah. And, you were doing that and then we kinda started talking about AD Media Group and that's why, like, you're so special to me because you helped me.
Speaker 1:I learned so much from you. And, and I think that's why I love social media too is because you can learn from people no matter their age. For sure. You guys with like, you guys work out, your health. You impacted me with your health of, like, pushing through, waking up every day, and I'll see some, like, I'll be literally, like, in my slobby pajamas, and you're, like, didn't wanna do it, but doing it.
Speaker 1:And I'm like, Sam can do this. No. I can do this. And so, I love that about you. And you were an instructor at Cycle Bar.
Speaker 1:Like, that's epic. Like, I Feels like so long ago. I would break an ankle. I would be scared. Like, I wanted to do it, but I've hit the age where, like, I'm scared Yeah.
Speaker 1:Of my body of, like
Speaker 2:Well, now I feel like that. Yeah. I guess I don't know if I could go back and teach it again.
Speaker 1:But you're doing great things now. Yeah. And, like, all the workout and this the I I see you do it. I is it bad that I'm watching you and not working it out?
Speaker 2:No. I mean, I feel like I post about it to, like, hold myself accountable of, like because I think it's such a compliment when people are like, I do see how much you're working out. And I'm like, that makes me feel good that, like, it's being recognized, I guess, that, like, I am showing up every day or five times a week. Like, I don't know. I feel like that's kinda what drives me, which seems silly.
Speaker 2:But I'm like, I don't know. I I still love social media, and so I feel like that's kinda where I take it sometimes is the fitness and the working out and the recipes and stuff like that. So
Speaker 1:And that's what connected us so well. And you helped Ad Media Group so much because not a lot of people understood or and still don't understand being online Yeah. And being an influencer and an a creator or someone that connects with substance. Yeah. And it's not posting for, you know, sometimes it's like, oh, they just want attention.
Speaker 1:No. It's if you look at it, it's kinda your own mental state on how you approach social media. Yeah. And I look at that as you motivate me. I never look at social media, I mean, of course I want a, I want it all the, you know, financial freedoms of the web, that's why I drive myself.
Speaker 1:But I look at that to go like, oh, she's inspiring me. Oh, you're inspiring me. And then seeing all of that, I'm like, oh, okay. I I can believe in myself too. And if she did okay.
Speaker 1:She didn't wanna show up. Well, I damn sure don't wanna show up. So I'm gonna show up. And I get so proud when I do and, you know, all of that. And so with you doing that, we kinda made this connection.
Speaker 1:And you knew how to do all of these processes that a lot of people didn't know how to do. Yeah. And so we get to work and we still work with clients that you helped us. We still work with the recruiter mom Yeah. Tiffany Black, all those ones that we started Yeah.
Speaker 2:With. And, and you helped kick that off. But you showed me so much too. Like, I feel like I know things about social media that I didn't know before you. And so now I feel like if I ever wanted to really get back into it again, I do have the tools and the things.
Speaker 2:Like, literally walking in here, I can, like, see girls working, and I'm like, oh, I did that. Like, a long time ago, but I did that. Yikes. Just I don't know. I've learned a lot from you too.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you. Well, I'm glad. Yeah. And we shed some tears Yeah. And some ass.
Speaker 1:We did. And with that, you were able to travel with Matt. And Yes. Matt, tell us a little bit about your as you both were athletes, and I think it's so important. And I was talking to you about this when y'all both walked in.
Speaker 1:The parallels of, you know, professional athletes and athletes, you are an athlete, alongside business because I I love sports. You I was not a professional athlete, but I love sports growing up. And the drive and the things that the coaches instilled in me that they were pulling out greatness, I didn't really like them. Like, I didn't particularly just love my coaches, but they instilled hard work and to expect out of myself that I see that in both of you. So when I met you and I heard about you and just how you supported and how you supported each other with sports that parallel in your relationship.
Speaker 1:Say where you said being a baseball player is business?
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, it
Speaker 1:is Is a business.
Speaker 3:You look at college sports now. It's with the NIL, it's it's a business. You're a brand. Yeah. Your yourself is a brand.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, it's sports and business are are correlated perfectly.
Speaker 1:And with you and both of you, like so when you started kinda give me a little bio about yourself when you went into the draft and was gonna become a Major League Baseball player. Were you two together at that time? No. No. Okay.
Speaker 3:No. She wasn't around. She was she wasn't ready for that life. I was. No.
Speaker 3:I was I was at Arkansas. We had never met at Arkansas, and, I was drafted.
Speaker 1:But he both went to Arkansas. Yes.
Speaker 2:But that's the saying until after he was drafted. Okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah. She was she was two years two years younger than me. Right?
Speaker 1:Two years. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Okay. Just I'll do the math.
Speaker 1:And how does that make you feel like? Were you did you always envision being a baseball player like
Speaker 3:No. I honestly didn't. I out of high school, I wanna play basketball.
Speaker 1:Oh, cool. That's I love basketball.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I I had offers to play, division one basketball, and I was seriously considering it. And then I was that was my junior year of high school, and then, I kinda realized that my my path would be a little bit better if I went went on and did baseball. I started seeing, like, getting bigger schools recruit me for baseball instead of basketball, and so I I decided to go that path. I love them both the same, but basketball kinda had a special, like, spot in my heart.
Speaker 3:And then went to Arkansas, played there for three years, got drafted in 02/2012 after my junior year, in the second round, Was with the Mets until February what was that? 02/2018. I got traded to the Nationals, was with them for two years, then on to the Royals, then White Sox, and then back to the Mets, and then, Reds for two years, and then Japan the following year.
Speaker 1:So I was gonna say, I wanna I can't wait to talk about
Speaker 3:The amount of cities we've lived in is I mean
Speaker 1:But that's so cool, though.
Speaker 3:It is.
Speaker 1:Would you rather do anything else? I mean, now that you Yep. On
Speaker 3:There's so many cities that we lived in. Like like, one of my favorite places to play in when, was in, Charlotte. I love Charlotte, North Carolina. It was it was beautiful. She she was pregnant.
Speaker 3:We live right downtown. I rode my scooter to the field. Like, it was it was great. For for a AAA team, like, that was that was awesome. Yeah.
Speaker 3:It was so much fun.
Speaker 1:That's so cool. I know that you and I would talk when y'all were there. You would tell me at that.
Speaker 2:That's when I was very pregnant and hormonal. Yeah. She broke. So I don't know if our conversations are great, but
Speaker 3:Big girl. I was
Speaker 1:like, I don't put that. My best.
Speaker 2:But I would, emotionally and physically.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. I love it. But yeah. So tell me about the conversation of Japan. I am in awe of it.
Speaker 1:I love it. I text Sam and, I mean, I know that it took a lot. What made you go, like, okay, we're doing this? Like, when it came to the the table, what was your first thought?
Speaker 3:Well, in so '20 what was it? Twenty twenty three. I was having a really good year in triple a. Really didn't get an opportunity in the big leagues other than, like, a couple weeks. And I had been talking to my agent, that I wanted to pursue overseas, whether it's Korea or Japan.
Speaker 3:And he was pretty much telling me, like, teams are interested. We just won't really know anything till the end of the year.
Speaker 1:Did you ask Sam before you said that that? I'm like, I'm totally getting personal. Like, did you know he wanted to do that? Yeah. We Yeah.
Speaker 1:We we had talked. Okay.
Speaker 3:I I told her I told her I was kinda at the point in my career where it was like, the writing's on the wall over here. Like, I'm gonna be, kind of a bench guy in the big leagues, which is fine. But I wanted to play, and I wanted to make as much money as possible before my career was over. And, going over to overseas, you can make some good money as an American player. So, I was talking to her about it, and I was like, would you actually do this with, you know, two kids because you
Speaker 2:I had a had a holiday. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3:You're pregnant with Holly.
Speaker 2:Very pregnant. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I was like, would you wanna do this the next year? And she was like, well, the money's right. Like, we kinda got to. And I was like, alright. So at the end of the year, we had, like, couple weeks left in the season, and my agent text me and was like, hey.
Speaker 3:The Hiroshima carp, we're gonna make you an offer in the off season. And I was like, that's awesome. And the day I became a free agent, they had an offer on the table. We negotiated for, like, a week. And then, talked to her, talked to her parents because her mom was out there with us, the whole time we're there.
Speaker 1:And Your mom's the sweetest thing.
Speaker 3:You
Speaker 2:would not have survived. It would have been a totally different Yeah. Experience.
Speaker 1:And now is she was she retired at the time? I remember thinking that I'm so nosy. No. No.
Speaker 2:No. You're buying out. You know it.
Speaker 1:But because she She's such a fabulous, fabulous human being. Was she retired at the time?
Speaker 2:She was not in busy season. So she basically ends busy season in December, like, after Christmas, and she's she works, like, probably three, four times a week up until, like, decorating people's homes for Christmas and stuff. And so once Christmas was over, she was like, So
Speaker 1:your mom is my vision of why I work so hard. So I wanna be that for my kids. Yeah. So when I saw that for your mom Yeah. Like, with my son and my daughter, like, when you said in ten years, that is my vision.
Speaker 1:I want financial freedom so that when my kids decide to go to this time in their lives, that is what I that that's what I'll do. I'll move anywhere. I'll you know, Jason and I talk about all the time, like, I want to get, an apartment for six months here. And then Yeah. If Scarlet's here, we'll get one there.
Speaker 1:And we'll just have a little storage for the our that is the vision for me. I wanna be free to support then. And when I saw that your mom was able to join you guys, I was like, that is such that is such a blessing.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It would've seriously not. I don't know if that would've been possible.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It would've been a lot harder. That's for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah. That was that was so me. And your I'm gonna tell you a secret. Your mom, actually told me that you got hurt. I knew from your mom.
Speaker 3:My
Speaker 1:Your mom, when you would come to Costa Rica. Yay. I know from your mom that you're you were hurt in coming back.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And she said, have you talked to Sam?
Speaker 2:And I
Speaker 1:was like, no. Like
Speaker 2:and then I was like, oh, they're coming back.
Speaker 1:Oh, they're oh, like, it was like that, oh, I'm sorry you've got hurt. But I was also like, oh, but they're coming back.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It was, it was, like, kind of a bittersweet deal because it didn't go how we had planned and how I envisioned, but it was nice to come home and, you know, get get into our new house and do my rehab here and see family that you know, I didn't see anybody for seven seven, eight months. So it was it was tough.
Speaker 2:And you can't talk to anyone. So, like,
Speaker 1:the hours are so different there. Like Yeah.
Speaker 2:If you want to talk to someone, you're talking to them at, like it was our witching hour with the kids would be, like, morning time. Right? With
Speaker 3:Yeah. So it would be with your friend.
Speaker 1:Yeah. It was, like, completely switched.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So, like, you really had to make an effort.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I I would wake up when she was here, I would wake up in the morning, and it would just be complete chaos because she's, like, trying to get the kids, like, kinda ready for bed. It's kinda that hour where they're going crazy, and I'm, like, just waking up and, like Yeah. Yeah. I can't help at all.
Speaker 3:So it's it was it was weird.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And then talk about the atmosphere in Japan. Like, the players, the coaches, what was that like?
Speaker 3:Honestly, they were I love the players. I love the coaches. They were awesome. Everyone was super welcoming. Yeah.
Speaker 3:The the atmosphere in the games, it it's not even remotely close to a big league game here. There, it's like they have the home and the way team each have, bands. So there's like
Speaker 1:That's cool.
Speaker 3:Their songs going gone all day or all game. Like, when I come up to bat, they would have, like, a special song for me playing pretty much the hole at bat.
Speaker 2:Oh, like the hole
Speaker 1:at bat. Like, when you're
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:They're like they are just yes.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And, like, all this all the fans know I mean, there's, you know, 50,000 fans and they all have these little bats that they clank together.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And, like, they're going to the beat of the song. So, like, the whole stadium's doing that, which is awesome. So it's like Wow. Like, I got to play in, two two of our regular season games before before my my shoulder, I had to have surgery on my shoulder. And, I mean, they were wild.
Speaker 3:They were so much fun. I wish she got to experience me playing in them because, I mean, it was great. He would have loved it. He would have gone crazy.
Speaker 2:We've been to one game. Yeah. There. And I have, like, feel like that's the one part that I, like, I wish we could have at least been there for, like, even, like, two weeks of just seeing games and going to them and seeing him playing in them because I felt like we were we just missed out on that part, which is a bummer, but it was
Speaker 3:Yeah. She didn't get to see all the cities that I got to see. I got to explore Japan a little bit in in pre season and everything. So
Speaker 1:What's the life like there? Like, how are the people in March? You were talking about the food. Like, how's the food?
Speaker 3:I mean, Wagyu beef every day.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's
Speaker 3:And groceries. Like, here, we get we go to we go to Kroger. We spend $300 for, like, four days. There, we would spend, like, $75, and you'd have we'd have food for, like, ten days.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Like, right. So moving to Japan. Literally life was
Speaker 3:It was it was a reality check coming back, like, and looking at our credit card bill. I'm like, oh my gosh. We need
Speaker 2:So before we left, he was like, this is the cheapest our credit card bill has ever been. Yeah. And we were out. Me and my mom were out every day with the kids, like, buying things.
Speaker 1:Oh, I was a lot of the adventures y'all would go on. Yeah. Because I would watch and then neat like, the the play areas that they would have Yeah. Head up for the kids. Ah.
Speaker 2:That's crazy. Yeah. Those were in, we me and my mom and the kids did venture out. We went to Osaka and Kyoto. Kyoto.
Speaker 2:And, like, had to take the bullet train and do all the things. But I was gonna say that the shopping there
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Is amazing because you don't pay like, Amazon, you're buying a sweater or something from China or Japan, and you're paying for, like, the fees to get it over. And so when you're there, you're paying, like
Speaker 1:I bought jeans for, like, $12 Yeah. That I would pay here for, like 40.
Speaker 2:50 bucks. And so people are like, where'd you get that in, like, Japan. I'm saying. Like, I want a flight to go back just to just shop.
Speaker 1:It would save us money.
Speaker 3:Mom her mom had to buy two new suitcases because she bought so many clothes that he had.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I love that. Yeah.
Speaker 2:It was amazing. I love that.
Speaker 1:It was well and I called Sam too because my son was going into the military at the same time, and they were telling him the options. Everyone was Japan.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:And it gave me comfort. I'm like, I don't know. As a mom, when you're sending your kids off, I'm like, okay. If he goes to Japan, I know Matt and Sam are there. Like, y'all are gonna save him or somebody.
Speaker 1:They, like, even know him. But, like person that, like, knows. Yes.
Speaker 3:Was it Okinawa?
Speaker 1:He didn't go. He ended up they he's so disappointed. He he wanted to go out of the country and it's put in so many times. But he's he ended up in North Carolina near Raleigh. So, yeah, he's there.
Speaker 1:But when he told me where he could go, and he keeps doing it. He keeps putting in. He wants to go to England. Yeah. He wants to go, and I'm just like, no.
Speaker 1:God says you stay here and embody us. But now if I'm like, it's cheaper in Japan, go, my boy.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But it was so cool. Yeah. And the people were amazing. Like, I would talk to strangers on the street with my phone when, obviously, they can't speak Japanese. But, like, you just talk to them and they'll do anything for you.
Speaker 2:Like, because we stuck out too. So people would be like and he or she was so small that, like, tourists weren't as I don't feel like there were a ton of tourists.
Speaker 3:No. I mean, there's a good amount by the by the bombing memorial, but
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. But, like, other than that, if they see us walking down the street, they'd be like, what can I help you?
Speaker 1:They were like, dang and cut. That's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And so with, baseball season, baseball live coming to a close, how does it feel?
Speaker 3:Awesome. Honestly, I'm excited about the next chapter. It's it's, it's nice to, you know, be be in our house year round and, you know, kinda live a normal life and not have to I I always tell Sam, this is, like, the first Thanksgiving and Christmas that I can actually enjoy because, normally, it's like, once Christmas is over, it's, like, go time. Like, I I leave in a month. You know, I can't miss workouts.
Speaker 3:I'm hitting every day. So it's like it's, like, it's kinda nice to I can sit back and have a few extra cocktails.
Speaker 1:Any coach, is he gonna do broadcasting?
Speaker 3:As of right now, no. My agent asked me if I'd be interested in both those, and I kinda point blank told him no. Yeah. Because I it's pretty much living the same lifestyle, and I don't I don't wanna do that. I wanna be home, and I wanna be, like Grady's gonna be playing T ball and basketball and football here in, you know, three or four years.
Speaker 3:So it's like, I wanna be a part of that. I don't want we're done having kids, so I only have one son. So it's like, I wanna make sure that I experience it all, and I'm I'm there for him just like my dad was. So that that's out of that's not even an option really right now unless it gets to a point where I'm like, alright. I need a job.
Speaker 3:Like, I I need to make some money. Then we'll talk. But I I have a couple opportunities, that would keep me here year round. So we're right now, I'm just honestly enjoying being home. And then at the at the start of the new year, that's when I'll start figuring out what I'm gonna do.
Speaker 1:Am I into do? Or
Speaker 2:Yeah. I think we've had lots of conversations of, like, what's your interests or use I don't know. It's just different when, like, he hasn't been in the real world. He's been in a totally different world for Yeah. So I'm like, what do you like to do?
Speaker 2:Like, this is a totally different I'm gonna
Speaker 3:be I'm gonna be a DJ.
Speaker 2:Right now, I'm making up for lost time too of, like, he he missed, what, the first how many months of Holly's life.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, when she got to Japan, I barely even knew my daughter, which which was how old was she then? She was
Speaker 2:She was born in November and
Speaker 3:probably in March.
Speaker 2:Six months? January, March. She was four months.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I I knew her for I knew her for a month and a half of her six month life.
Speaker 2:And then with Grady, it was like, we saw him, but he we were
Speaker 3:Well, he wasn't even, like, speaking sentences when I left, and then he gets there and he's, like, talking to me. I'm like
Speaker 1:So just crazy.
Speaker 2:And not even not if, like, before even Japan, like, baseball life, you just there's lots of visiting, but, like, we weren't there full time, especially when Hallie was
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Born. And I don't know. It was just or when I was pregnant with Hallie. But I feel like now that he's home, it's like we actually get to enjoy being parents together instead of which came with an adjustment in itself because it was like I was doing all of the parenting when he was completely gone.
Speaker 3:Yeah. It was a bad day.
Speaker 2:But do you feel like you? You're like, do you have to be bat
Speaker 1:and be like, do you feel like, you run a tighter ship? I feel like that. I think my kids learned respect and a kind of a type of routine or a chill routine. So, like, I would say, some different things. Like, we would run a tight ship, but then, like, when that one song came on, I would put the kids on the kid, like, on the table, and we'd be dancing around the table.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Whereas, like, if dad was there, maybe we wouldn't be dancing on the coffee table or something. I or sleeping together as much. Like, we would have little cuddle times that
Speaker 2:I feel like I actually was the opposite, which is so weird to say because it was, like, I had to have routine and, like, I had to everything had to be at okay. Dinner starts at this time. I bathe Halle while Grady eats dinner. And, like, I feel like now, because he's home, he can do things with Grady or with Halle while I do something with the opposite kid. And it, like, it just I'm more relaxed now that he's home.
Speaker 2:And Yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm base basically a stay at home dad slash, like, maid right now. That's all I do.
Speaker 2:You do
Speaker 3:all the dishes for Tiffany. And I'll never wanna see a dish again.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I mean, I feel like that's how Jason is. Yeah. I mean I mean, it's great. Like, he'll plan things.
Speaker 1:He's making things for Scarlett sixteenth buffet. We're having a pre ski 16. Let's and so he's making, like, all these pros with fake snow. So And so he's, like, the stay at home dad mom. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. All the things. And then he's, like, this is what we're having for dinner and we're going to see the Christmas lights. I'm, like, perfect. I love them.
Speaker 1:You know? So it's great. Like,
Speaker 2:you guys And it gets him to he steps into a role. I feel like I've seen him step into a a different role than when he was put in football because it was like, that's his job. He's bringing home the money. And I feel like the way I looked at it was like, I we never had that conversation. But it was like, I felt like my job was, okay.
Speaker 2:I cook. I clean. I take care of the kids, and that's just kind of how I saw it. But now it's like, no. We actually we have a life together, and, like Yeah.
Speaker 2:We can do all the things together now. It's just a totally different, like, mindset.
Speaker 3:Well, to my defense, I was playing games at night during dinner time, so I couldn't do the dishes or so told me I
Speaker 2:should have repped for your job. Wear a sweat. It's not
Speaker 3:like I was just sitting there at the house and not doing anything.
Speaker 1:Yes. No. I mean, but it was like you
Speaker 2:had to sleep because it's part of your job is to be, like, recovered. And so it was like now I'm like
Speaker 1:And the games, the amount of games that y'all play out is insane. Yep. The amount of games, whether I mean, it's Don't shoot.
Speaker 3:She didn't she didn't fully understand, like, what a baseball season was like until she came on the road, or, like, came full season with me. Even my parents don't, like, fully understand because you don't you don't get it until you, like, experience, like, you know, you're in town for three days and then you leave after the game at one in the morning and you're not getting to the hotel until four in the morning and then you sleep and you play that night. And then three days later, you do the same thing over again. You fly back home. You see your family for, like, a week, and then you're back on the road again.
Speaker 3:And then then you get an off day. And then that's your only off day for three weeks. And it's like just being able to find, like, family time and, like, like, honestly, just spending quality time together, it's, like, tough because most of the time, I'm exhausted from all the travel and playing. She's exhausted from taking care of two kids, so it's like you it's it's a grind. It's it's tough.
Speaker 1:And then what push you know, that's why the title of, you know, the podcast is Founders and Fortitude. And Fortitude, it just constantly like, with all the hustle and bustle off of that word always comes up, like, every day in my life. Like, just push through it. What is it that you know, I know that it's mental. I know that it's family that keeps us going.
Speaker 1:But what is it like that you just what's a thought or a process that you think about that helps you push? Is it a song that helps you push through? Is it
Speaker 3:Just want a good life for my family. So when I think things are, like, getting tough and I don't wanna keep going, I kinda think about, like, my kids and her and think about, like, alright. Ten years down the road, like, are we are we gonna be grinding, or are we gonna be, like, thriving and, like, living a good life and enjoying, like, you know, Gray hopefully playing sports and Halle doing whatever the hell she wants to do.
Speaker 1:She's gonna be running the show. Yeah.
Speaker 3:I don't know. Right now, I think she she might be like a professional eater. I know she's but
Speaker 1:Butcher being a shed. Probably.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I mean But, yeah,
Speaker 3:that that's kinda what keeps me going is just thinking about the family and and what kind of life we want in in the coming years.
Speaker 2:I feel like with both kids, like, sometimes, like, at night, that's I feel like just your witching hour with children is like, okay. We got two hours to bedtime.
Speaker 3:I think that it works a little bit longer sometimes.
Speaker 2:Yeah. But I feel like you you just do it. Like Yeah. It's like that's the athlete mentality of, like, it's sometimes it it really does just suck. Like, yeah, the kids are cranky or you can't figure out what Grady wants or what Hallie wants, and you just have to get through it.
Speaker 2:Like, there's no other choice. And whether you feel whether I feel good or you you feel good or I'm sick or you're sick, like, you still have to just show up and get it done. And then I also feel like we are a family, especially with Grady. He, like, has to be out and about. Like, I thrive with getting the kids out of the house.
Speaker 2:So, like, I will do it nine times out of 10 if I'm like, this isn't working at home or gonna go do something. Whether it's go to a park, go to the farm, go to an indoor play place, like, if it's raining, go to my parents' house. It's literally just getting the kids out of the house, and, like, that is truly what gets me through as a mom.
Speaker 1:So fitness is clearly, like, the foundation of you both. I talked about seeing how you work out, and then you were a cycle bar instructor, and then, of course, your career path. How do you keep that up now, or do you keep it up now? We do.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, honestly, I make a joke all the time. I said, the only reason I work out now is so I can look at Nick as good. That's the that's the only reason.
Speaker 1:I mean, I won't buy. I mean, I don't think I I look great naked, so there is a motivation. I'm like, well, he may not stay around, so I don't at least put the carbs down and walk a little.
Speaker 3:No. Honestly, we we do a good good job of, like, kinda pushing each other because honestly, I see her working out waking up at five in the morning to go to burn or to work out in the gym, and I'm like, crap. If she's she's she's gonna leave me, if I get all this, I gotta I gotta keep it up. But, honestly, that I still I still have that, like, athlete mentality where I'm like, if I don't work out one day, I'm like, oh, shit. Someone just, like, passed me.
Speaker 3:So I'm like, I I don't know. I'm, that's just the way my mind's kind of wired is, like, I always feel like I need to be doing something, and I love working out. So I just I I feel like we just kinda push each other.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's been ten years since I was a soccer player, and I still feel like I think that way of, like, if I don't work out today, I'm gonna get out of shape, which is not true. And I don't know if that's healthy. But I'm like I feel like it's also a mental health thing where I feel like I have to have it to
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Be a good parent and a good wife. And
Speaker 3:No. That's kind of our little our little, getaway is like Yeah. I don't know. Some days I'm, like, kinda in my own head and I'm, like, I'm gonna go work out for an hour. And I get done with it and do a sauna and I'm, like, alright.
Speaker 3:I feel like a new person. So it kinda gets that
Speaker 1:You burn that energy and anxiety out of you, like, that natural and I don't I don't think it's not just by what we it's our mental. It's like the desire to achieve, and I had that too. And I recently just now I always wanted to work out, but I'm just now, like, letting my business fly because I think it's in seasons. Like, you're talking about, you know, seasons when your kids are this young and when you're playing this and you're doing that. And now my company's got to where I can let her fly and I can take this time.
Speaker 1:I don't have to worry about, you know, because at the beginning, every email and every move forward in a business matters, and I couldn't let that go. But now it's like, okay. I'm finding that routine, and I'm finding when I approach things, like, my anxiety isn't there because I burnt all that anxiety out because I was trying to breathe. Yeah. I'm like, I'm dying, but it really is mental clarity that you get to burn that, and then you feel great about yourself.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I feel like that's probably one of our, like, biggest priorities for each other is, like, I'll never be like, no. You can't work out. Like Yeah. I'll give them a hard time, but, like, I've done it.
Speaker 2:I think I did it last week. I was like, oh, Bry now. Bry when the kids wake up. But then I'm like, no. Go.
Speaker 2:Like, truly go work out. Get it done, and then come back to it all. And I've it's very much an equal. You do the same for me.
Speaker 3:Yeah. No. You, you let me most of the time.
Speaker 1:And I think it sets a prime, like, a great example for our kids. Totally. I mean, you can tell by my voice, I grew up very Southern. So it was like, clean your pit plate, mashed potatoes, scrape, you know, like, all the good things. And so Chicken fried chicken
Speaker 3:at home.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I like chicken fried chicken. Oh, good. Like, that was my thing. And I I just loved it.
Speaker 1:But I think that sets such an example for your kids because, their habits are healthy habits. Mhmm. And they they put that in a routine where it's kind of, you know, you you act as what you see. Yeah. And I think that's such a great example, and it's supportive, for you both.
Speaker 1:And you see each other do that, then they'll they'll kinda go into that routine with themselves. So how would you feel if your kids wanted to play professional sports?
Speaker 3:I mean, I'd be on the table jumping up and down. I mean, I would be I'd be pumped. But at the same time, if they don't wanna pursue that, I'm not gonna force them to. Like, I I hope Grady wants to play every single sport, and then I'm gonna be there to support him no matter what. If he doesn't, then that's fine.
Speaker 3:Like, I'll whatever he wants to do, a musician, you know, wants to just focus on school. I'm all for that. But, yeah, I'd be I'd be ecstatic if he if he wanted to play a sport. And same with Hallie. Like, I mean, whether it's dance softball, volleyball, basketball, I mean, we'll see.
Speaker 3:That's gonna be that's gonna be my fault.
Speaker 2:But I feel like like, it keeps kids so grounded. But also, like you were saying, it keeps it teaches them life lessons where, like, I would be so annoyed that my soccer coach was like, tuck your shirt in. And I'm like, I don't wanna tuck my shirt in. But at the same time, I'm like, no. You're showing up basically for a job.
Speaker 2:Like, be on time. Look the part. Like, I don't know. It teaches them lessons that, at the time, you're annoyed by. But in the long run, I'm like, being on time is something that I feel like I don't always do with two kids.
Speaker 2:But I'm fairly good at doing it because of practices and things. Like, if you're on time, you're late. So it's, like, be a little bit early. And you're, like, twenty minutes early.
Speaker 1:I would say ten minutes early is on time.
Speaker 2:Oh, he's, like Yeah. Twenty, thirty. Yeah. He's, like, my appointment's up. Oh, you grew up with
Speaker 3:my dad. You'll understand why.
Speaker 1:Well, my daughter's the same way, though. Oh, my god. I mean and what my son went to the military my you could walk in our house. We wake up. We make our beds.
Speaker 1:It's insane. Like, I didn't force them. It's just they get in that routine. And I a % agree because I was gonna ask what y'all thought about select sports because we live in an area in North Texas where I mean, we're literally located between FC Dallas, the star, and then we have all of these select teams where these kids and my daughter including, like, they play nonstop constantly. It is weekend tournaments.
Speaker 1:She plays six tournaments. I mean, we she's on a new team where, like, can she not catch every game? Yeah. I mean, her body and her back like, it's her knees and her back, and I'm like, she's literally 15 year old years old, and she's icing her knees and her shoulders. And what are your thoughts on select teens right now?
Speaker 1:Is it do you think I think it's
Speaker 3:out of control.
Speaker 1:I think it is.
Speaker 3:I mean, you got parents who are making their kids choose a sport at nine years old
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And focus on that the rest of their lives. Like, they're gonna get burned out. And, I mean, I know I have a bunch of buddies that are in, like, youth sports coaching and baseball, and, I mean, they have, like, nine year old teams that are playing, like, almost a hundred games in the spring and fall. And I'm like, what are you doing? Like, take your kids to the lake.
Speaker 3:Go on vacation. Like, they yeah. Sports is important, but it's not everything. Like, I Grady will not be doing that. He will live a life.
Speaker 3:He's gonna play every sport that he wants to. Like, I'm
Speaker 2:I love to hear that.
Speaker 1:So I'll just wait. I can't wait for that. I'm like, talk about no. But now I agree. I'm guilty of it.
Speaker 1:Like, my daughter said something because she was playing volleyball, and I was like, oh, like, she's not really talented at volleyball. You're gonna hurt yourself and not get to play softball. And I kinda strayed her away from it, and I hate that I did that now. But I was like, it's a guilty thing of, like, oh, she's not gonna be the all star if she does that. She's not gonna be the best player.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, it's okay that she's not the best player. She just had a blast with all of her friends. Yeah. You know? And so I love your approach to that because I see that often, like, kids are burnt out.
Speaker 1:And it's actually now that she's going to high school, her high school coaches are like, you can't play spring select. Yep. You're gonna play for us. So Where is he? But it is crazy how many games that they play and do.
Speaker 1:It's way too much. But you are right though. The the routine of it and the expectations, it has instilled in her the respect that she has.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think that we have done great as parents, but as the different coaching styles and expectations have really, you know, impacted her to be how to act, you know, when she goes in for a job. She wants a job. With our son, he, you know, he was a littler guy. We moved her to moved him to Prosper, and he didn't make the baseball team for the first time in his whole life. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And he was like, well, I'm not gonna do that. We're like, well, you have to get a job now. Because you have to be moving forward in our minds as a parent. You're you're not gonna sit at home Yeah. And not achieve the next thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah. And so at, like, 16, he went and got fifteen going on sixteen, he went and got a job.
Speaker 2:Oh, Oh, I remember seeing him for the first house.
Speaker 1:Yeah. You went to the and yeah. Yes. That's right. He's right where I'm at.
Speaker 3:Oh, really?
Speaker 1:Yeah. We made him get a job. We didn't he didn't need a job. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:We we knew that, but we still wanted we expected, you know, some type of responsibility out. Maybe we were hard parents. Now that I'm telling you, I'm like, I'm an apple.
Speaker 3:No. I don't I
Speaker 2:Did you have a job
Speaker 1:in high school?
Speaker 3:I mean, my job was mowing the yard. That was Not
Speaker 2:a job job.
Speaker 3:No. No. I hell no, I didn't have time. I was playing basketball, baseball, and football, and I was on two baseball teams and two basketball teams. There's there's times where I had two tournaments going on in Tulsa where I'd play a basketball game, drive, go play baseball game.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Sometimes. And then go play another basketball game and then go play a baseball game.
Speaker 2:Did you have a job? I did. What did you do? You worked at SportClips. Oh.
Speaker 2:I was the receptionist. Oh, really? Yeah. Because we have, some good friends that own some in the area, and, like, all my friends worked there. So I was like, well, if you guys are working there it was during soccer in the wintertime.
Speaker 2:It'd, like, go to practice and then leave and go work. And let me tell you, the price of a dollar, I literally would work all week to just pay for my gas. Yeah. Like, to fill up my little tiny car.
Speaker 1:I'm I'm trying to teach my daughter, like, this is how much you make an hour. You'll be able to buy like, give her an example of how much the actual I'm like, was that one hour you can buy bread and milk? Yep. That's that one hour you're working in.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Even that. No. It exists.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I'm like, that's all you can buy with that. Like, now look at how when you oh, mom, you don't have this or whatever. Like, no. We're not having steak tonight, guys.
Speaker 2:Like
Speaker 3:Hey. You go buy it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. You go do it. Let me look at our notes. So what so what does it look like now moving forward in this part of y'all's lives? Kids, family, being able to be home.
Speaker 3:Family's done. I'll tell you
Speaker 2:that. Okay.
Speaker 1:Part growing babies.
Speaker 2:Yeah. But it it feels good to know, like, now we get to just raise them.
Speaker 3:Yeah. No. We're we're excited to have two beautiful, healthy kids. And then, yeah, as far as working, hopefully, get a job here in the next few months. I've been taking the last, like, five or six months just to kinda enjoy being home.
Speaker 3:She wants to start doing something eventually once once Hallie's into school and kinda has her routine because she's I want her to have something for herself that, not because we she needs a job, but because she wants to do something.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And you're great. Yeah. Like, you have more to put into the world. I think that's the thing about being a a mom.
Speaker 1:It's like and I loved your approach when he was playing ball.
Speaker 2:It's like, I don't
Speaker 1:need to do this. I want to do something.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I still feel like I have that little voice in my head, like, there's something else
Speaker 3:to do. She she's obviously she's really good with social media. She loves the fitness world. She was a cycle bar instructor. Yeah.
Speaker 3:What was the the nutrition?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah. I'm, like, totally certified. Yeah.
Speaker 1:So she weight of fat lot. Yeah. Oh my gosh. I used to do these funny Snapchats to Sam called faster way to fat ass. And I would get, like, the freezer
Speaker 2:food and, like, like, oh, like those tortilla's rolls or something like that. And I'm like,
Speaker 1:we may need to cut out the Tortino's rolls so they don't sue me.
Speaker 2:Asteroid a fan, I guess.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Big date. But, yeah, you do have you you know what? Stay at home dad. You go.
Speaker 1:Country club dad. There you go. Country club dad. Are y'all in the towns where, like, you yeah. You drive the golf cart.
Speaker 1:We we have side by side
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Where, like, we're in the country, so we have the side by side to get around.
Speaker 3:That's one of our next big purchases as I keep looking at them online, and I would love to have one of those side by sides. Get a camp cam.
Speaker 1:So yeah. We've got one. Yeah. And it was, like, the first day we went down to the river, and Jason's family looked at him and, like, hey. They're stuck.
Speaker 1:You're about to get that pretty thing all dirty. And so but it's fun. Yeah. It's fun. It taught our kids how to drive.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know? Smart.
Speaker 3:Yep. I know.
Speaker 1:That's so cool. And then, if there is one piece of advice that you could give to aspiring athletes or those who support athletes, you know, what would that be?
Speaker 2:We talked about this the other night. I feel like the biggest thing that comes to my mind is, like, just show up. Like, there's gonna be days and I feel like that same with motherhood and fatherhood. Just being a parent is, like, you have to show up on days that are really hard, and then you get to show up. Like, you have the opportunity.
Speaker 2:You there's people who would kill to literally just be able to be an athlete or go running or do something athletic that they can't do. I'm like, it's such a blessing to be able to be an athlete, to have the opportunity to play a sport. And I don't know. That that was what came to my mind when we talked about it.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Anyone can show up on the days that you feel good, you're healthy, you know, wanna do this. It's the days that, you know, you're kinda like, oh, man. It's cold outside. I don't wanna go work.
Speaker 3:Like, those are the days that you're gonna separate yourself from the pack. And,
Speaker 2:What did you say? Hard work beats talent any day. Yeah. That's what he says. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Hard work beats talent.
Speaker 1:Any day. I believe it. We talk about that all of the time in our family. I I wasn't you know, we weren't born in a certain type of, you know, we were born humble beginnings. We have to work to for everything we have in our in our house.
Speaker 1:You know? Yeah. And some people, you know, are born in different beginnings. Yeah. And they they build it on to something else.
Speaker 1:I feel like there's it's what you do with where you are. Toilet.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I agree. It's, like, pushing through. It's, like, with our company here, we don't do brain surgery. Like, it's okay. Everybody breathe.
Speaker 1:Yeah. We're not gonna be perfect every day and to not be so hard on ourselves. I wish that came more easier, though.
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 2:I said that too. Like, I just feel like my time in college, I wish I had done that exactly. It's just take a breath and enjoyed being with the people that I got to be with every single day, not taken so seriously what the coaches thought of me as a player. And I feel like that would have gotten me further in soccer if I had maybe kinda, like, brushed that under the rug and kept going.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, you're playing a sport. Yeah. It fits it's a game. It doesn't define you whether you go four for four or o for four.
Speaker 3:Like, that's not who you are as a human being. And, honestly, that was one of the things that was really tough for me was if I went o for four, I would think everyone was like, oh, they I hate him. He sucks. Like, that's that's kinda how my brain worked. And I as the older I got, I kinda learned to have the, like, kinda don't give a shit attitude where it's like, I don't really give a crap if you if you if you think I'm a good player or not.
Speaker 3:I I know what I am, and, like, this one day doesn't define me. So it's like, just go out there, have fun, and, you know, play your hardest, and whatever happens, happens. And you you can you can address it at the end.
Speaker 1:Because the people that love you I mean, like, your mom's like, oh,
Speaker 2:you went o for four? Great. How are you? How are
Speaker 1:you kid? Yeah. Or you went for nobody Yeah. The people that matter in your life. I think I saw a golfer.
Speaker 1:Like, he won the championship, and they're like, what is your family and friends saying? And he's like, I don't know. I'm just so big. They don't care. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like, because they don't care.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And we talk about, you know, we don't show up at our friend's job, you know, that has, like, an office job. That's all I'm trying to, like, yes.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Why is
Speaker 2:your right. I swear to type that. You know? You're the highlight.
Speaker 1:They said, oh, if you're ripped in, like, they don't care. Yeah. As much as you love them and that they have a great job, you ultimately, like, don't give a shit that you diked that really well, dude. Damn.
Speaker 3:Well, the sports world is so, like, results based that you kinda get wrapped up in it where it's like, that's all you focus on is, like, the result. And in baseball, it's it's a a failure sport. Like, you you fail or you succeed three times out of 10, and you're gonna be a hall of famer. So you're you're you're failing seven times. Like, it's if you can learn to fail and handle it and adjust, like, you're you're gonna take off.
Speaker 3:Like, that's the that's the biggest advice I can give is learn how to fail, and then you'll succeed.
Speaker 1:I think that's the best advice ever. Because if you look at anyone in business, I think we always think, like, oh, if I have this business and I get this and I do this, like, oh, I'm I can just no. There's always something that you have to fix, change, learn from every single day in business and in sports and in life. Like, it is such it is that. It is being okay with failure and learning to just be okay fit.
Speaker 1:Right? And being good from it.
Speaker 2:And I think there's also something to be said for you're not going to be every coach's cup of tea, and that's something I also learned in college of, like, he didn't like me as a player. And I can confidently say that because I I know that, and that's okay. Like, I wish you kind of take a step back and realize, like, I can be a good player even though he doesn't. I can still show up. I can still work my butt off on the field, and it may not matter to him, but I can at least hang my hat on the fact that, like, every single day I chose to show up and be there.
Speaker 2:When I could've quit, when people did quit, it was like, no. I chose chose to be an athlete. I'm gonna choose to stay and, like, power through even if he doesn't like me.
Speaker 1:Because it's for yourself, not for him.
Speaker 2:You didn't
Speaker 1:need his approval. You need your own approval. I think that's a attack like, I had it's okay that someone doesn't like our company or how we do it. Yeah. I like it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I I
Speaker 1:know it's Orif that we couldn't. You know? Like, nope. We aren't like that company. You know?
Speaker 1:Like, that's okay. So I love it. I think the great thing is you'll see when your kids get older, and I see that now, you know, the conversations that we had with our own parents when they're like, don't do this or something happens, we you're being equipped to support your kids.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And when she faces that or he faces that and those things with coaches and teachers and friends and I think right now with my kids, like, Scarlett being 16, it's really hyper focused on friends Yeah. When we think, like, the end, our lives are over in high school. Yeah. Yeah. And how we support them.
Speaker 1:And the conversations that we had, everything that y'all are gonna that y'all are going through right now within sports, you'll be able to support them in a way and talk them through it. Yeah. To make them make a, make your own choices, but kinda lead them in a in a Oh, yeah. Path that maybe we weren't equipped for, and now we can can them. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. To lighten it up a little bit, who's the most competitive? What do you guys what's a thing that y'all do? Like, do y'all have family game? What is it that is a funny thing about you guys?
Speaker 3:I don't know. We're I don't I don't think we're allowed to play games together. Yeah. I think if we played, like, had weekly game nights, I think we might be divorced. Yeah.
Speaker 3:We could ask when we Every time she gets she gets sassy, I'm perfect and
Speaker 2:I'm perfect. I'm
Speaker 1:sassy, but I
Speaker 2:just don't like to lose.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Honestly, she she's she's pretty damn competitive, which is I like it. I like I like that she's competitive, but so am I. Oh,
Speaker 2:keep that in mind.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you golf?
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I this is the worst sport ever. I have never coached so much in my life.
Speaker 2:I don't like it because I'm not good at it. Alright? You go do your thing. I'll sit in the cart and have a beer.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Well, I would I told someone because they had this big, foundation and, Do It For Durit, and they were doing, like, this golf tournament. Mhmm. And, oh my god, we need to do this next year. Because I always do, like, a sponsorship or whatever.
Speaker 1:Yep. And they're like, well, you could have, the a four man team. I don't know what golf
Speaker 3:Four man four man scramble.
Speaker 1:There you go. And I was like, well, I can drive. Well, my friend thought I was at like, I can drive. No. I'm at check the golf cart.
Speaker 1:Well, y'all do Good. What? No. They actually gave us, like, different tickets, and we went to the concert part instead. But next year, I wanna do it.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 2:We could I'll play what's the ladies
Speaker 1:tee ball?
Speaker 2:I'll play at the one above that. So I'll just start
Speaker 3:She could be good if she wanted if she wanted to play.
Speaker 1:Well, the thing about this tournament is you do, like, ski shots at each hole. What does that mean?
Speaker 2:Like, you get The ski shots.
Speaker 1:The ski shots where they put tequila shots in the ski old. And all of like, your four man scramble people, like, take a shot per hole.
Speaker 2:I could play golf. Yeah.
Speaker 3:My game my game gets better after shots.
Speaker 1:I would I mean, mine.
Speaker 2:I don't know. My my I have better of your flying after.
Speaker 1:So that's what I'm marking out towards. So maybe we can Yeah. Do that. That'll be so fun. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I'll do. If y'all wanna laugh at somebody. Both could relive something and your experiences together, whether it be personal baseball, what would it be? So I I feel like your baseball experience,
Speaker 2:I don't wanna relive it with you. Yeah. That
Speaker 1:was the best year ever. Were you all together with his with this? You were with him? We were together. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. What
Speaker 2:We're, like, getting the with the Mets.
Speaker 3:Oh, yes. Yeah. So my my, like, first taste of or not professional baseball, big league, the MLB was, playoffs. So it was 02/2015. I was in triple a all year.
Speaker 2:I just graduated college.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. And I was going home for the off season. I get a call from our, farm director, and he's like, hey. As you know, the team's making the playoffs.
Speaker 3:We want you to be on the taxi squad, so we want you to come to Florida. Stay ready. If Someone gets hurt, like, there's a chance that you'll get called up. I'm like, alright. No one's gonna get hurt.
Speaker 3:Like, I'm just gonna go down there. Ruben de Hata ends up breaking his leg. I get called, the next day, didn't sleep at all that night. The next I
Speaker 1:was just saying, is that why that's saying I was at the bars. I seriously was out at the bars all day. What are those things where
Speaker 2:you're, like, oh, that sucks for you. Oh, shit.
Speaker 3:We're in
Speaker 1:Oh, shit.
Speaker 3:There was
Speaker 2:I was literally There
Speaker 3:was five of us six of us on the taxi squad, and we're just we're sitting in the lobby of the hotel watching the gang, drinking beers, and we see Reuben break his leg. And everyone's like, oh my gosh. Like, hope I hope he's okay. And then my buddy Logan, he looks at me and he's like, dude, you Mhmm. You're going to the big leagues.
Speaker 3:And I was like, oh, shit. I got sober up.
Speaker 2:I was seriously I will never forget. I was walking from a bar to a different bar down in Dallas. And you were texting me like, I think I'm gonna get called up. And I was like, what?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But what do I do with my hands?
Speaker 2:Do I need to sober up? I don't know what to do.
Speaker 3:So I I went back to my hotel room. Didn't sleep that whole night because I I didn't know when they're gonna call. We We get a call at, like, 9AM, and they're like, hey. You're coming to New York. You'll be activated for the playoffs against the Dodgers.
Speaker 3:So I hop on a flight that night. I'm in New York. Yeah. We end up going to the World Series that year. So my first taste was was NLDS, NLCS World Series.
Speaker 1:And That's epic. I
Speaker 3:made it to the playoffs one more time in the rest of my career, and we only made it to the wild card game. So I was like, at that point, I was like, oh, man. World Series is cool. Like, gonna do this every year. And then you look back and you're like
Speaker 1:Rare it was.
Speaker 3:Wow. This is something, like, extremely special. Like, there's players that, you know, have fifteen year big league careers who, you know, never made it to a World Series, and I got to experience in my first month in the big leagues. So
Speaker 1:And who is there anyone that like, who is the most impactful? Who did you meet that is, like or, like, anybody, like, is it Spurs in the big leagues that you met that was everything you wanted them to be or maybe not?
Speaker 2:Who? I'm not doing it.
Speaker 1:I say, don't put on and then it goes viral. Don't put anybody on blast, but
Speaker 2:There was you know, they
Speaker 1:say never meet your heroes.
Speaker 3:I mean, I I think it depends on who your hero is. I mean,
Speaker 2:Oh, you really liked, how what's his name treated everyone. He, like, bought you a really nice truck.
Speaker 3:Jay Jay Bruce was
Speaker 2:Yeah. You really talked
Speaker 3:I mean, he was he was awesome. That guy that guy's an unbelievable player, and, like, I I still talk to him to this day. And, like, he I was a rookie. He he takes me shopping. Like, he took me out to dinner.
Speaker 3:We'd hang out. Like, he was he had no reason talking to me because I was a rookie, but he, like, instilled this friendship. And he was he was when, like, when I was hanging out with him the whole time, I'd be like, man, if I ever get lucky enough to be in, like, his position, this is how I wanna act and treat, you know, the young guys. And, he was one of the guys another guy was Curtis Granderson. Like, he you would never know if that guy hit four home runs or struck out four times.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And, like, just his attitude towards life, baseball, I mean, the happiest guy you'd ever meet. And I'm like like, how the hell the
Speaker 1:hell is he How
Speaker 2:y'all do
Speaker 3:How is he like this?
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:I was like I always ask him. I was like, were you like this before, like, you signed your big contract? And he was like, yeah. I've always been like this. Like, just playing baseball.
Speaker 3:I'm like, wow.
Speaker 1:How do they get their minds at that? Yeah. Yeah. That's so crazy. Were you was anybody as far as, like, the wives and all that, did they impact you?
Speaker 1:Did you learn on how they kinda navigated it? Yeah. I've I've met
Speaker 2:one of my best friends was his teammate's wife, and she basically lived with them for
Speaker 3:So pretty much, he was, the Pulecki's. Kevin Pulecki was my best man and was a a She
Speaker 2:was a bridesmaid in one of in one of my weddings.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean I I mean It's such a water.
Speaker 2:Cheers to the ice water. She was a bridesmaid. Bridesmaid. She was a bridesmaid, but I feel like she I was just a girlfriend, and she was a fiance, which I look back now, and it's like, that was the goal. It was like you wanted to be married to the guy you were dating, to the player you were dating, but she was just so kind and not only, like, took me in and just was such a good friend.
Speaker 2:Like, she just understood the life. She understood the heartache of it, the challenges, but also, like, the really exciting and awesome things that some people don't get as, like they just don't understand. Like, you can't call one of my best friends and be like, oh, Matt got called up when, like, they don't know anything about baseball. Yeah. Whereas, like, with her, she understood.
Speaker 2:Or, oh, Matt went o for four and, like, it's been a tough night. And just I get it. Like, give him his like, she just give advice about things that other Your average person doesn't understand that. Yes. And she is, just, like, the most nonjudgmental person I feel like I've ever met.
Speaker 2:So I could always go with things that I'm like, this is probably so dumb, or you're gonna judge me for this. And she just never did. And
Speaker 3:I mean, tell her your perspective of Taylor. She we're in Binghamton, New York. It's double a. We're living in a two bedroom apartment with four guys, and she's living with us full time. And Well,
Speaker 1:she's tough and yeah. Could I take a hit say he took care of
Speaker 2:me, but also, like, took care of Penny?
Speaker 1:He knew that he was okay because of her. It gave you peace.
Speaker 3:And that was kinda when we first started talking. Yeah. Yeah. So it was yeah. Taylor's, like, one of one of my, like, best girlfriends.
Speaker 3:So it's like,
Speaker 2:And she set a precedent for, like, how you should treat your anyone, like, especially in baseball because it's, like, girls would come and go. Like, that's kinda part of it. Yeah. Not in a
Speaker 1:Bad bye way. Like, they would.
Speaker 2:They'd come and go. And I feel like I just always treated everyone like you're new here. That it can suck to be new. Welcome.
Speaker 3:Honestly, I I would when I would go to a new team, I'd honestly stress out more about her and hoping she, like, got along with the girls more than, like, I would stress out about me playing well. Yeah. Right? Because it just it eases your mind when, you know, you're at the game and you're like, alright. Sam's got her friends up there.
Speaker 3:She she's happy. Or, like, we've had some teams where it's, like, not we didn't have very many, like, Americans on the team. They're most mostly Latin players, and she would have, like
Speaker 2:Really speak English.
Speaker 3:They don't speak English. So so she'd be kinda sitting up there by herself, and I'm like, oh, man. Like, probably need to get out of here instead instead of having this, you know, third beer in the locker
Speaker 2:But I
Speaker 1:think that's so important, and that's why I wanted you guys here because it's that foundational piece of no matter what career you have or it's really supporting each other. And I think it's important to see, like, their seasons. There's, you know if if she wasn't grounded, you you know, like you said, your mind would go there.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know? And if she wasn't grounded, your mind would always be there. No. He things were, you know and then same with him and then having friends that support you and your parents that support you. It's that, you know, it takes a village.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. And I think it's so important to highlight of, you know, finding those right people and and sticking with each other in those seasons because now, like you said, you're soaking it all up. All the hard work that you've done paid off, and now there comes a a new tag I keep saying new season. You're like, what? I've already finished this.
Speaker 1:But, like What? I think it's so so great to see you guys, you know, take that next part. Yeah. And and I appreciate you opening up and sharing those things that I know it's not always easy to share, but out there, it will help and impact someone that's going through that season and and experiencing what you guys have experienced. So thank you for sharing.
Speaker 3:Of course. Thanks for having us. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Thanks for
Speaker 1:having me.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you. Well, cheers to our water.
Speaker 1:Maybe we'll have real drinks
Speaker 2:today. Cheers.
Speaker 1:K. Give us some spicy margs. Our favorite quote this week is sponsored by Adi Media Group, a monetized marketing firm that helps enhance your online presence. And if you stop, your business doesn't. You can find Adey Media Group online at adeymediagroupllc.com.
Speaker 1:Our favorite quote for this week is and I think aligns so well with our conversation that we had with Samantha and Matt is from Derek Jeter. There may be people have that who oh, there may be people who have more talent than you, but there's no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do. This quote to me embodies the drive dedication required both on and off the field in building a successful business. I have never come by things easy, whether it's my my body, my health, financially. I've always had to work hard, and I feel like that's what sports does for me.
Speaker 1:I feel like sports has given me the foundation, the drive. And if you can kind of remember the quote from last episode, we spoke about it's easy to like someone that makes life easy, but it's hard to have respect and like the people that pull the best out of you. And I think that's what coaches do. So I'll say it one more time. In the words of Derek Jeter, there may be people who have more talent than you, but there's no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.
Speaker 1:Sometimes, friends, it doesn't come easy. You if you want it, you've got to have the fortitude and the drive to keep going even when it's not sunshine and rainbows. You got this. Now we're at the segment of going over to our three from me, and I got three things from Samantha. As you guys know, she was talking about health and fitness, and she was a cycle bar coach.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna share with you, and you can find these things from our founders favorites, to our sponsors, and to the three for me. You can find all of this in our show notes and it'll be linked for you. But every week we're going to bring to you on every podcast, three for me that can help you in your business or your everyday life. And Sam was sharing with me that they use their at home and it's called Asana box. And so it's really, really neat.
Speaker 1:We'll have that link for you. And then she does, burn boot camp. I need to look into that. And she said if she can't do burn boot camp, her last one would be, she uses Madeline Moods to work out at home. So we'll link that for you.
Speaker 1:And then she said, as far as, like, recipes, she's a huge believer in Pinterest and TikTok recipes, and those are her. That's, like, her her time where she pulls some great recipes. But SonneBox, Fern Bootcamp, and Madeline moves, we will put those, in our three for me this week and make sure that you check those out. Again, you guys, I cannot thank you enough joining us today, listening to this conversation. Please give us a fabulous five star review and tell us what you are loving, what you use.
Speaker 1:I hope you are finding and connecting with us. Follow at audreydollins.com or on Instagram, audreydollins, and all the social media outlets. And then, of course, you can follow AD Media Group at a d m e d I g r p on Instagram and you will find our latest episodes there. And as always, you got this. Keep going.
Speaker 1:Capture, brand, and engage and let's do big thanks.