The Visibility Room™: On-Air (and Off Script)
The Visibility Room™: On Air & Off Script is a candid, leadership-forward podcast recorded inside Detroit’s premier visibility studio. Each episode features conversations with the leaders, deal makers, advisors, and builders you want to know; people who live here, work here, or fly in just to be in the room.
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The stories are real. The insight is practical.
And while the show is born in Detroit, the perspective travels everywhere.
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The Visibility Room™: On-Air (and Off Script)
From Rejection to Redirection with Brooke Allen
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In this episode of On Air & Off Script, host Karyl Morris sits down with former broadcaster turned podcaster Brooke Allen for a deeply personal conversation about grief, rejection, and the unexpected paths life takes.
Before her long career in broadcasting, Brooke took a leap and moved to California to pursue acting, but after being told by an agent she “wasn’t pretty enough,” her plans shifted in a way she never anticipated. She eventually returned to Michigan, where she built a successful career in broadcasting, proving that sometimes the dream you end up living looks different than the one you started with.
Brooke also opens up about navigating profound grief and tragedy, sharing what it means to keep going while giving yourself grace along the way. This episode explores what it means to move forward when life doesn’t go as planned and how resilience is often built in the moments we didn’t choose.
Who’s Brooke Allen?
Brooke Allen is a journalist, media personality, and podcast host with more than a decade of experience covering stories and connecting communities across Michigan. A former anchor at WWJ Newsradio, Brooke built her career on telling meaningful local stories and helping audiences better understand the people and issues shaping their communities. Today, she is the host of Caffeinated Conversations with Brooke Allen, a weekly podcast that has surpassed 100 episodes. The show features engaging conversations with entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, community advocates, and changemakers making a difference. Through recurring segments like Women in Business, Caffeinated Kindness, Curtains Up, and Trending Topics, Brooke highlights inspiring stories while exploring issues people are talking about right now. Brooke is also a sought-after event emcee, moderator, and panel speaker, known for guiding thoughtful and authentic conversations. Her work has taken her to the Mackinac Policy Conference, where Caffeinated Conversations has been featured on Media Row interviewing leaders from across business, policy, and community sectors. In addition to hosting and speaking, Brooke recently launched a media training workshop called How to Sound Natural in Media Interviews, helping professionals communicate their expertise clearly and confidently. When she’s not behind the microphone, Brooke is a proud mom of 14-year-old twins and an active supporter of local businesses, nonprofits and community initiatives.
Keep Up With Brooke Allen:
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/brooke-allen-69143084
- Website: Helloimbrooke.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ccwba_
Who’s The Host?
Karyl Morris is the founder of The Image Impact Group and host of The Visibility Room™: On Air & Off Script, filmed exclusively in Detroit’s ONLY visibility creative studio for high-impact leaders. With every hand-selected guest, she explores the real stories behind leadership, visibility, and influence. Through candid conversations, Karyl helps listeners understand how people build credibility, navigate change, and show up with confidence — on camera and beyond.
Keep Up With Karyl Morris:
That's the one that got stolen. It was almost done. And I write everything by hand. And literally, it was in my car that got stolen in Newport Beach. Oh no. They found the car. They found my lucky shirt, ironic. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And it said lucky on it. Oh no, that's it.
SPEAKER_03And the police was like, You're not so lucky, Ari. I'm like, no, do you think?
SPEAKER_01Welcome to the visibility room on air and off script. Hey everybody, it's Carol Morris from the Image Impact Group and the Visibility Room on Air and Offscript. And I have with me the mood ring connoisseurs. Brooke Allen. Hi.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, so thank you so much. It's blue right now. Okay. I know you're gonna ask me what that means. I don't know. That's the funniest thing because it turns all different colors. And I'm like, I don't know. All I know is that it has never turned red. And I do know that red means passion.
SPEAKER_01Oh, well, I mean, we're not going for red today.
SPEAKER_03No, it's gonna happen, but if it ever turns red on me, I'll be like, that's the one.
SPEAKER_01That's the one, right? And I'll know. We're all good. Oh my God. Well, Brooke, you have a long-storied career here in the city. Thank you. And congratulations on everything you've done and everything you're about to do. Thank you. Appreciate it. Walk us through a little bit of who Brooke Allen is.
SPEAKER_03Okay, well, let's see. Uh, Brooke Allen is a former broadcaster. I wanted to be an actor uh since I was a little girl. I saw my uncle in Oliver. He was in high school. Yeah. And all the lights and the camera, you know, and I was like, I want people to clap for me. Yeah. Uh the funny thing was I had a speech impediment. Uh yeah. So I could not really talk very well. Okay. I stuttered when I got nervous. And I, you know, people would say, What do you want to be when you grow up? And I'd be like, oh, I wabby and that. And they'd be like, What did she say? Oh no. And my mom would say, an actress. And they'd be like, oh, okay. Okay. Good luck with that. Yeah. Went into speech therapy and managed to get through it. And uh then I, you know, in high school and college, I was, it was acting, communications. And then I moved to California to pursue acting. And uh my agent was very kind and said, Well, you know what? You're just not pretty enough. Oh, alrighty then. So what is somebody? They go into broadcasting because the face for radio, right?
SPEAKER_01Wow. Well, he is a darn liar, first of all. Let me tell you that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I appreciate that because I'm always like, you know, I should probably not tell that story, but it's it's legit what happened. Yeah. And it just shows you the climate of stuff, right? Right. So I mean, out in California, I lived in Southern California. And you, if you're not the beach babe or the surfer type, then maybe you're not gonna make it, right? But I I never regretted my decision because I still act, right? So I'm able to have the best of both worlds.
SPEAKER_01I love that. So we're gonna dig into your story in a little bit, but I'm gonna give you some rapid fire questions. Are you ready? I thought there was like at the end. Oh no, we're gonna start it. Yeah, we're doing it. Okay, hold on. Let me take a drink of coffee. Okay, glug, glug, glug, glug, glug. All right, you ready? I'm ready. Okay. What first impression do you want people to have of you? Grace. Oh, okay. I can't just go on. I need to know what know more.
SPEAKER_03Um, I think that we're always in situations where uh you can be upset, you can be mad, you can be offended. Yeah. And no matter what that feeling is, I always want people to not really know what I'm feeling and just be like, wow, you know what? She was so so graceful or so full of grace in that moment, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it's a gift that you can give to others. I think so. Yeah, right. And I I try to give that to my kids. So here's my question for you. Here we go. Do you give grace to yourself?
SPEAKER_03I think since I left major broadcasting, um, you know, uh anchor on WWJ for years, and then I actually host a morning edition at WKAR for a couple years. And I think when you're in that hot seat of just, you know, just get it out, get it out. And you've got deadlines and everything, it was very hard, right? Um, but now I think and that I'm more laid back, clearly, I would never sit like this on the air. Um, but I I think now maybe a little bit more, maybe not as much as is needed sometimes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, we're always hardest on ourselves, right? Yeah. But I'm glad that you are giving yourself some grace. It's hard, it is a hard thing to learn. It is absolutely a hard thing to learn. And I don't think I learned it until about three years ago. But anyway, we'll see you then. We're uh right on track. Cheers to that. Slow learners, but whatever. We pride ourselves on that. All right, I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this. But what's your favorite way to communicate with people, digitally or in person?
SPEAKER_03Oh, um, in person. Yeah. Yes. I don't like Zoom. And well, and the background to that is, you know, everyone always says, Well, everyone was on Zoom during COVID. No, not everyone. I was actually in the studio every day, running my own board, doing middays on Jay. And and I never had to do it. I never had to do Zoom. So because I was adapt to that part.
SPEAKER_01Oh, very interesting.
SPEAKER_03So I don't like it at all.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's it is interesting whenever I asked this question. I would say a hundred percent of people have said in person. Really? But I know that there are some of them that when uh COVID happened and you were forced to be on Zoom, they were like, Oh, this is the greatest thing, but it's taxing, right? It just like it starts sucking the life out of you.
SPEAKER_03Well, plus, do you really want to look at yourself all day long? I mean, in a little square like the Brady Bunch. I don't.
SPEAKER_01No, not at all. Okay, what builds credibility faster? Expertise, presence, or consistency?
SPEAKER_03Oh gosh. I can't say all three. Yeah, you can. Okay, okay. I'm gonna say all three. Okay. Um, because I was just somewhere this morning actually, and somebody said, you know what? I never knew what that person was talking about, but wow, did they have presence? And I thought, huh, interesting. So you can kind of fake your way through something if you have enough charisma.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then the important thing is to build the foundation so that the trust. Yeah, because when they start looking into you, what do they find? Right? That's where charisma only gets you so far. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02Like the whole people who are faking resumes. Yeah. It's like, what are you doing? Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Cause now I found out. Yes, exactly. All right, this is a great segue. So, what's a what's a trust killer that you often see? Hmm. Can you explain that? Yeah, what is something that people do or you've experienced that you say, Oh, I'm out now. Like that's it. So, for instance, resume. Resume is a good one, right?
SPEAKER_03Um, I think for me, as this journey that I've been on, you know, since I left WWJ, I think it's been somebody saying that they'll do something and they don't do it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And they may not be relying on that, but I am.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And so I think that's and I've learned to um really show up when I say I'm gonna show up. Today I showed up late, but I showed up. Oh no, you were right on time.
SPEAKER_01All right, what's the number one leadership lesson that you've taken with you over the years? Persistence.
SPEAKER_03Um, I think no matter what's going on, you've got to be persistent. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Can you share a time when, you know, and I know like early in your career, going to California and then, you know, not having it go your way, having the persistence and the fortitude to come back and and do your own thing. What else have you had to really dig in and use that? The persistence? Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um, I think in life in general, is that a pop-out? I you know, I mean, we've all experienced tragedy, grief. We've talked about that before. And I think that, you know, when you're going through something so devastating that you you have to keep being persistent. And honest, in all honesty, when my previous husband got killed, um, I was not persistent. I fell flat on my face because I just didn't know how to handle it. Yeah. Um but since then, I have learned and I had one person say to me, What are you gonna do now? What is the first thing that you want to do? And I said, I want to go back into broadcasting. And he was like, then do it. Yeah. So since then, that moment, I was on Leto Island, never forget, walking, and and thought, okay, and I'll do it. And I've done it ever since.
SPEAKER_01I love that. So that brings us, you know, from the personal point of view to the professional point of view. How have you balanced business and motherhood? Because you are the mom of twins. Yes. That is no easy feat. They're 14.
SPEAKER_03They're 14. Uh, they're very sweet kids, but I I've told you, um, one is a Democrat, one is a Republican. I don't talk about news or policy, you know, I don't talk about uh religion or politics ever. And so they just sit there at the at dinner when we're having dinner and I'm divorced. So it's the three of us. And uh I just sit back and listen to them talk, and then they'll look at me to try to gauge something, and I'm like, hmm. And they're like, you need to tell us. And I'm like, I'm not telling you anything. You have to form your own opinions, right? Right? Um, and there's been challenges. I mean, there's been bullying, there's been the whole, you know, I mean, there's the things, there's all the things. I mean, we remember the things notes.
SPEAKER_01Remember notes? She wrote a note about me.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yes, do you like me?
SPEAKER_01Passed a note on here.
SPEAKER_02The teacher, what is that? Read it right now out loud to the class.
unknownLike, oh no.
SPEAKER_01Oh, the good old days. I know, we miss those, right? Now it's just like texting or yeah, well, the note goes everywhere instead of staying between you know, four people.
SPEAKER_03And therein lies the struggle. Yeah. Right? Because um, you have to be very careful, and especially at this age, and I worry so much about um them being bullied or someone being nice, and this might be the cynic in me. But you know, when one of my kids says, Oh, I think so-and-so likes me, I my first reaction is uh Do they really? Oh and I don't mean it because I but do you know what I mean? Because you we hear all these stories of uh of click, you know, just the catfishy and all of that. Like, okay, I want you to really make sure that they like you and that you're not gonna send a text that's gonna go all over the school, I guess. Which it did happen when I talk about it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and that's I mean, that's it's it's gotta be incredibly hard as a kid and incredibly hard as a parent to try and navigate it because one of the things that we're charged with as a parent is to give our kids the ability to be on their own and to be successful on their own. And it's so hard because our our tendency is to try and protect.
SPEAKER_03Are you a helicopter mom? I'm totally.
SPEAKER_01I am not a helicopter mom, no, but I will tell you that I think I kind of learned it and I I watched my sister. So her kids are enough older that I watched what she did. And um, oh God, you know, that's such a hard question. Because my well, my kids are older too, right? They're 25 and 26. So that was a little bit of a different time, too. Oh, for sure. They remember getting the cell phone, right? Not always having the cell phone. Exactly. So it was a big deal, but they were old enough to understand a little bit of it. Yeah, individual, right? Yeah. Oh my god, don't send that taxes 10 cents. Exactly. Crazy. Oh, that's ridiculous. Yeah, but it is hard. I think it's hard to navigate. I I do know that there was a time uh for my younger son who was compl I mean, unbelievably competitive. And I stopped him from trying out for something because I was told he probably wouldn't make it. And I regret every moment of that because it wasn't up for me to decide that. So you kind of protected him. I protected him by saying, I don't think we're gonna do that. And in retrospect, he needed to figure that out. And if he didn't make it, he needed to figure out why he didn't make it so that he could make some adjustments and we could help him as parents to do that. So that is that is a big regret.
SPEAKER_02I might have just done something similar last week. Oh gosh. It's hard not to do it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you because you want to protect. So give yourself grace. Okay, I will.
SPEAKER_03Wait for that dog. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_01Well, the good news is he's never really brought it up. It's so it's something that I think, right? Yeah, and and maybe it doesn't make any difference to him, but I just feel like uh, you know, hindsight, right? Hindsight, yeah. Yeah, for sure. Well, I know that you are writing a book. Yes. And what has that process been like?
SPEAKER_03So long, yeah, long the manuscript actually stolen in my car in California. So it's been very long. Oh, wow.
SPEAKER_01Okay. So what can you tell what the book is about?
SPEAKER_03Um, so there's actually been two of them. Okay. Okay, so the one that got stolen was called Letters to My Lovers and Other Unsavory Characters. Ooh. You know, right? People were like, that title's so long. I'm like, but it says it all. Yeah. Right? Um, that's the one that got stolen. It was almost done. And I write everything by hand. And literally, it was in my car that got stolen in Newport Beach. Oh no. They found the car, they found my lucky shirt, ironic. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oh no, that's true.
SPEAKER_03And the police was like, You're not so lucky, Ariel. I'm like, no, do you think? And yeah, and but it was always gone. Have you tried to recreate it? I have, and it just it just didn't gel right anymore. You know, I mean, that's a loss. Yeah. I mean, you work so hard and you're dedicated, and then it's gone, and you feel stupid because why didn't I have that on a computer somewhere?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but you're doing it from, you know, like I I'm with you, like I'm pen to paper. I love the feeling of that.
SPEAKER_03I want to I think you're more creative.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I do too. I do too. But then to have that disappear and with no ramifications, there's nothing you can do. Well, I'm sorry to hear that.
SPEAKER_03Thank you. So then it evolved into the dogs in my life. Okay. Okay, so for I finally figured out that every period of my life for every important man, yeah, there was a specific dog in my life. Oh, how funny. Yeah. So my God. Yeah. So that is uh almost done. Okay. Almost, but yeah, but I'm I'm getting the pictures of the real dogs. And I mean, they it's it's kind of all true. So I don't know whether to change the dog's name or the man's name. Were they your dogs or just dogs that you came across? Some were mine. My very first one, though, the very first dog was my grandfather's, and I adored my grandfather. I called him dad. Um, so that dog's name was Barney, and so it starts with Barney.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh. I think that's so amazing. It's funny because I almost brought Finnegan my dog today, and I was like, I don't know if it's just gonna like him. No, not everybody likes Finnegan, let me tell you.
SPEAKER_02Okay, big dog, little dog.
SPEAKER_01He's big, he's 110 pounds.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, oh see, yeah. My little, well, my dog, he's like 55 pounds. Okay. Uh, he's from Thailand. He was saved from the meat market. I oh wow. I always joke and say, you know, my dog has a passport, but I don't. True story. Yes. Um, but he, you know, I've had him for like what, eight, nine years now. Okay. And he never lived in a house, so he'd run away every day for a year. Oh my god. Every day. Literally, it was like, just open the door and let him out because you know he's gonna go. No matter what. He just had to go. He just had to go because he never lived in a home in a home. Well, and he's never been to the US before. He had to go check it out.
SPEAKER_02He was like, hey, what's this all? What's this coffee?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm here. I need to sightsee, lady.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. And he did, and he did, but now he's old and rickety. Oh my gosh. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh, dogs bring so much joy and so many stories. And I think that's really clever what you're doing is is tying those two things in because it is, it's right, it's a part of your life. Exactly. And it's um, I don't know if this is how you're doing it, but it'd be funny to see like through the dog's eyes. A relationship. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Through a dog, what they think of me, maybe?
SPEAKER_01Because I'll you can add that like the little perception part at the back.
SPEAKER_03I'll have a little window. I'll dedicate it to you.
SPEAKER_02Every chapter will end with that. I love it. What my dog thinks of me.
SPEAKER_01I love it. That's so funny. So the process, I mean, how how have you found the time to do it? Because here you are doing many other things in the community and you know, for your own business. How are you finding the time to actually get that done? What is your process?
SPEAKER_03Um, my process is when I can't sleep.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_03Or very early in the morning. Yeah. Uh, I don't have the kids all the time, right? So that gives me a little bit more time. Yeah. So it's not been dedicated, like you know, you hear some writers who are like, oh, I write for three hours every day from this time to that time. It's just not, it's not possible.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So it's it's when I can. So this has taken a while too. Yeah. But I uh it's on a computer.
SPEAKER_02So it's so it's not getting stolen from my car.
SPEAKER_01Did you save it to a car driver? Is it in the cloud? I hope so. Where are all these things? Do you um when you look at the book, do you find yourself? I know you you just said like early in the morning or can't sleep or what have you. Is there a section in your house that you like to go to, or will you just grab pen and paper and just start writing or computer?
SPEAKER_03Well, so here's the funny thing. So I do write it on a Lego pad. I love yellow Lego pads. Okay. My favorite thing in the world. And then I do type it and I put it in the computer.
SPEAKER_01Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_03Because, like I said, the creativity, I just really believe that there's so many notepads in my house, it's crazy. That's funny.
SPEAKER_01So, do you have like a favorite chair and a desk? Are you just wherever you are is where it can be?
SPEAKER_03You know, I think it's kind of wherever I'm feeling it. Yeah. I have a desk, I have a you know, the table or my bedroom and stuff. But it's kind of like if I get hit with it, it'll be like, oh, I'll write that on a napkin and then take it and then write it down on the Lego pad, and then it's a process.
SPEAKER_01You've got but you know what? That if that's the process you have to have to get that creativity to happen, I mean, who's to say that it's right or wrong, right? Exactly, right? Yeah, it's just your process.
SPEAKER_02It is my process, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. Giving grace. Yeah, you're thank you. All right, tell us about your recent bucket list interview. What happened there?
SPEAKER_03Oh, this one yes, when it was right before I was leaving WWJ. I love Barry Manilow. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'm a fan of him since I was 10 years old. I love him so much. Um, so you know, I've seen him in concert, and I was, I knew I was leaving Jay, and I knew he was coming in concert. And I'd walked in the one day and they said, Hey, check the crystal ball. And I'm like, Oh, it's probably, you know, something stupid. Well, it was that he was, of course, coming to town and he has a foundation that he selects a teacher from the local area and awards them money and instruments and stuff. Um and the press release was so long, and I was getting ready to go on the air and I'm like reading, reading, reading. But at the very bottom it said, Oh, for interviews with Mr. Manilo email PR person, blah, blah, blah. And I sat there and I was like, Oh, do I do this? I mean, I was like literally like, oh my gosh, what I and yeah, um, I thought, you know what? I'm just gonna do it. And I did it, and I never checked my email when I'm on the air. So I, you know, I was on the air for two hours at that time, and then I go off the air for an hour and come back.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um, so by the time I I got back two hours later, there was a reply, When do you want to do it? And I was like, Are you kidding me? Right now. Yes. Yeah. So I took some phenagling, we managed it. He was in Palm Springs and the time difference and everything. Um, and so she said, you know, specifically, listen, he does not like people fawning over him. Just do the interview. Do not let him know that you're such a big fan. Okay. And I was like, okay, you know, that's fair. I get that. Yeah. Um, so he came on the phone, they connected the call, and uh, she said, you know, oh, you're connected to Mr. Manilo. And I said, Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Manilo, for take, you know, for taking this interview. And he's like, Oh, do not call me that. Call me Barry. And right then I was like, game on. I'm like, guess what? And I'm like, and so I just told him everything how many times uh when I saw him in concert for the first time. So you tell, oh, I told him everything. I totally I can't believe you didn't hang up. But he um, so the first time I saw him was at Joe Lewis Arena. That tells you how, you know, how long ago. Uh they told me I was going to see Camelot. I was turning 13, I think. Oh, have fun. And we walk in, and I'm like, why how are the actors gonna get around that piano? Had no idea. And um, he came out the spotlight, and I'm gonna cry. Think of it now. I just started crying. Oh, and so when I'm telling him this story, he's like, What 13-year-old cries over me? Um, but we had such a lovely conversation, and so cool. At the very end, I said, I wish, you know, I was a music teacher. He said, Why? I said, because uh then I would get to meet you. And he said, Well, how about this? How about I uh meet you when I'm in Detroit? I'll give you a couple tickets, I'll meet you. Yeah. Uh so that's amazing. So a couple months went by and uh the big day came. Yeah. I had my tickets, so excited. They say call when you're there. And they were like, We don't have you on the list. I was on the Cleveland list. Oh no. Yeah. But they did, I I was set to interview the teacher that won, Mike Steele. Um, and so I was able to be in the same room with him. So he did walk by me. Um, but I couldn't, I couldn't talk to him or anything. But you know what? It was good enough. Right. Some moments I think are good enough.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I mean, just for him to make that offer to you and to listen to your story when, you know, he's usually not a fan of that. Exactly. But had the great. Yes. To make you feel really special.
SPEAKER_03And the thing that happened too was so we hung up, the interview was over. I had to run to get on the air. And my news director is like holding the phone, like, get over here. Yeah. And so I run over there and I'm like, he's like, I don't know. I think it's a CR person. I'm like, she's gonna yell at me. And so I'm like, hi. And she's like, listen, I never in all my years with him have heard anyone charm him like you charmed him. And I was like, oh see, thank you. So I think when I didn't actually meet him or get a picture with him, I was like, you know, it's okay.
SPEAKER_01Because Well, he probably still remembers you. Yeah, we had we had a moment, right? Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So yeah. So that was yes, that was my bucket list interview. Uh Joe Montana was up there too, but oh yeah, that would be good. It's not hotter.
SPEAKER_01Totally different people, totally different people. All right, you want to go to my magic bowl? Sure. All right, so the magic bowls are questions that might be about Detroit. So Detroit-centric. It might be a question where we dig a little deep. And some are just completely irrelevant. Okay, all right. Just fun. All right, so and I will take it from you because I have chicken scrambles. Okay. All right, here we go. Oh gosh. Oh, a Detroit moment. You'll never forget. Does my Baron Matilou concert coach? It does, but now we need a new one. Oh gosh. Um I mean, you were in radio for all those years. There has to be something else.
SPEAKER_03You know what? I guess, I guess being at the um the charity preview, you know, uh broadcasting from the being at the charity preview. Um, actually Jeff Gilbert and I won an award for when uh President Biden at the time came in. And so we had won an award for that coverage. Very cool. So I think just because that's the heart of Detroit, right? Yeah, it's all autos. Yeah. So I think I think that was probably, yeah. I think that's amazing.
SPEAKER_01So in when you were doing your broadcast, where were you, where were you guys sitting? What always by the very cold door.
SPEAKER_03It was always, it was always like right by that door where people come in and out and you're always freezing. Yeah. No, oh, it wasn't glamorous at all where we were, but it was it was good enough.
SPEAKER_01That's awesome. Let's do another one. All right. Uh, let's see. Set up your mic, and we've got your arm trapped over there. That's all right. All right. Ooh, ah, what's a rule that you have broken, and you're glad that you did. I might not be able to answer that.
SPEAKER_03Now you have to answer it because I know it's a good story. Uh, what is a rule you've broken that you're glad you did? Oh gosh. Okay. Um when I was 15, I fell madly in love with a cinematographer on vacation the summer before. And I hopped on a plane to go see him. When you were 15? Did your mom know you were doing this? Uh she found out a year later, and then I got grounded. But it was where did she think you were? At my best friend's two blocks away.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh. Yeah, it was crazy. But you know what?
SPEAKER_03I never um I never regretted it.
SPEAKER_01Wow. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I don't know.
SPEAKER_01That's an awesome story. That would never hold in these days.
SPEAKER_03Oh gosh, no, no. Oh no. And and honestly, I think that that now that I look back at it, I mean, like, if my 14-year-old. Oh yeah, that would, yeah. Yeah. But it for some reason I was just like, I'm doing it.
SPEAKER_01Isn't that funny how things that we did back then, and you know, we we all have stories, would absolutely would not hold today. Absolutely. People would be uh just outraged. It was they should be. It would be breaking news, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03It was, yeah, it was not good.
SPEAKER_01But I never regretted it. Oh my gosh, so crazy. I'm gonna pick one for you. Okay, okay. Um she's like, I don't like this one. I want one that I really want to know. Oh, I like this one. What's a risk that paid off?
SPEAKER_03A risk that paid off. Yeah, I guess doing the pivot, right? From acting, swallowing my pride, yeah, and going into broadcasting.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Because it just changed the whole trajectory of my life. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01Well, that is a full circle moment, is it not? It is. Thank you. It is, yes. Well, thank you so much for hanging out with us. So much fun. Thank you. Thank you.
SPEAKER_02These chairs, I'm kind of loving these chairs. They're so gumphy.
SPEAKER_01Can I take it with me? You may not, but you may come back and sit in my chair anytime you want.
SPEAKER_03I'll be looking forward to that. No, seriously. Thank you so much. And then I expect you to come on Caffeinated Conversations. Well, okay, you heard that, everybody.
SPEAKER_02Of course, yes. I'm gonna get it in the cafe. We'll get in the coffee. I would love to do that. And thank you for that. Of course, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And thank you for this. Well, cheers, my new friend. Cheers. All right so much. Yes. All right. All right, everybody. Well, thank you for coming and stopping by to our conversation. Make sure to like and follow us here on YouTube or whatever platform you are watching this on. And we will see you another time. Take care.