Michael Strahan on How to Reinvent Yourself

My guest today is an Emmy award-winning multi-hi-finite who may actually have more jobs than I do, and one of those jobs being my former co-host on our talk show, "GMA-3." Michael Strahan is a hall of fame and Super Bowl winning football player, a TV anchor, sportscaster, game show host, entrepreneur, and somehow still one of the most dedicated fathers I know. Oh, and how could I forget? He has literally been to space, y'all. When you've lived this many chapters, the real question becomes, "How do you decide where your energy really goes and make time for what actually matters?" Today, we're getting into how our priority shift as life expands and what finding balance looks like along the way, because baby, this is Kiki Palmer. Now, Michael, we are recording this at the new ABC offices, so I just thought to myself, "There's no way that I could have a reunion with you and not bring in Sarah Haynes." "You guys!" "You're gonna put it down, please. You got to hang out with my little booty." "Guys, we have the best time with GMA-3, and it happens so organically." The clips replay in my head during the time, I watched this clip over and over when you went to do an intro, but you said, "And I go, "What did we both want to go? What did you just say? Honestly, guys, pretty much what you'll do is, you know, you dance, you get into it, but you know, this is a twerking plot, but the flirting part is like, "Hey, you know, and then you're out." I love that the not tough one is the one that's like riding your back. Guys, this was actually life before COVID, also, by the way. Oh, that's right. Remember, which feels like, you know, a whole different world. It's totally different time. I honestly cannot believe what I'm sitting here looking at. You know what? It's so weird because I feel like, maybe little babies are all grown up. I know, it's so cool. You're right, I'm at the same rate as I was. She gave me my mama. You had just had your youngest? Yeah, you just had Caleb, and I didn't even have a man then, so like then the baby came. Those are so detailed. I'm not getting into that. Was I a good coworker? Was I a good coworker, guys? You were the best. Are you kidding me Michael? Look at me. I got one fight one day. You taught me so well. You know what? No, no, no, no. She was incredible. You know what? You were incredible. Both of you were absolutely incredible. There was an OG to a young vocalist. No, you know what it was? Oh. One day, no, no, no. I was in a bad mood, which is very rare. It is very rare. And then I was just like something, and I was not willing to be patient. We kind of spat. We kind of went out a little bit. But he was right. It was one of those situations where it's like, I'm, I mean, I really do walk in your footsteps. I'm like, I know you don't like to say, you know, we, obviously I didn't do football. But like, you know, I, that's an entertaining career. I did, I do entertainment, but I want to do, I'm entrepreneur as well. Like you do so many things. So you were teaching me something about presenting myself, walking in the rooms, how to hold myself, the conversations to have, how to represent. And so it was important what you said. You know what I mean? I really always remember it. But I never, I've never forget that because I always felt bad about it. Because, yeah, we felt bad about that. It's like my, my, my family, but then I looked at it and I'm like, well, you know, siblings or whatever your family, you kind of have to, and we were together all day, every day. Yeah. I was literally coming off of super early GMA and then doubling up on that right afterwards. And all the stress of that. Yeah. That's what everyone else I think. But you, you, you're an incredible coworker. And you worked hard. You were incredibly, incredibly just like funny entertainer. You brought it every day. You were creative. And, and I know I loved it. I love working with you too. I mean, I love working with you guys as well. The laughter, the amount of like you guys, you have a job to do speeches. Wow. Shout out to Roy Albany. I mean, literally doubled over laughing behind the set before we could ever. We could ever get in there. It's so true. And we had so many diverse conversations. I remember feeling that way coming up with y'all that I was always able to bring my world. And you guys were able to bring y'all world because all of our worlds are so different. Like at that time, I, I didn't know much about as a mom. And also your background is a producer. How you taught me that. Like you guys all were teaching me and I feel really. We would learn from you too. I was learning how to dance. Dance to that. You guys, that is so pre-COVID dance. See, I was still doing it. See, I mean, hang out with you boys. You're like, you know, a free post-COVID now with something new. But all that stuff, I'll never forget all that's in like the terminology and with it. It was like you brought like a different. Oh, man. I was old. You know, then you two kind of made me younger. It made me like more. Oh, my God. I was like, what was going on in me? Like you had, you had a post on like now. And that was important. And both of you though, I will say that I'm happy that all of us have just continued to elevate. Okay. We already have it. We really have it on our game. All of us. We can't be stopped. And one thing about you, you ain't never said about giving yourself credit. Yeah, but you are a lot of guys, guys. You're a hilarious. You're creative. You're always throwing ideas in it. Yeah. And I think when you're around people that have that zest for life, because the beauty in both of you actually is it's a zest for life that shows up everywhere you're at. It wasn't just like, I'm coming to this one job. I can't imagine you guys being any different wherever you go unless it's one minute over time that Michael's been paid. Okay. Done. We are like that. We are like that. You know what it is. My mind is like, okay, I got this from this to this and that from that to that. And that and this to that. And I wake up in the morning, look at my schedule. That's me, baby. My program, my mind and my body to have all the energy I need. No. But it's like somebody unplugged the socket when I when it's. That's right. That's right. And I like quiet. Yeah. I like. That's what he got. Sorry to. We brought the quiet. But I like. I love working. I love being around people. But I need to recharge because I really I take a lot of energy for me to be around people. That's kind of actually all that I'm going to be talking to you about everything that we're talking about here. I know you got to get ready to go here. I love the work. Yeah. I know in that crazy. I love your faces so much. And by the way, y'all don't even know everybody that's listening in. We was all just together at Michael's crib. Michael's an amazing party. Oh, we was eating some catfish. What? Y'all had catfish. Oh my god. He's so good. You know, every once in a while. He also has one of the most amazing places I've ever seen. Yeah, right. But we had a good time and we had good food. You to drink too much. That's another story. And I was playing. Oh my gosh. I was playing stage with your, with your friends. Oh, yeah. And they worked my ass. I love your faces. Continue. I love you. See you later. Love you. Hey, have fun on the show today. They really worked me. I was pissed. They did that old school play a type thing on me. I heard when y'all were playing cards, but you were in the youngest somebody about knowing how, not knowing how to play spades. When you got a bad partner, you're screwed. My partner was messing me up. I had to play my part. What in your fault? It was your partner. All right. So, you know, like Trudee for that, Michael is. He didn't do my pre-show pull-up questions. So I'm just going to ask you here. I don't do pre-interviews. That is actually a thing. Okay. You're zodiac sign. You're Scorpio, right? I'm a Scorpio. Well, yeah. I'm on the cusp. I'm rising in your moon. I have no idea. And when you say you're on the cusp, you're on the cusp. Which way? I guess Scorpio's Sagittarius. Depending on what chart you're looking at. I see Sagittarius a lot. I see a lot of Scorpio, too, and it should be. That's easy. What parts of you that feel? Very Scorpio. You're really funny like a Sagittarius, though. Okay. That part could be Sagittarius. But the Scorpio part of me is, if you wrong me, oh boy, you can't believe it. That's Scorpio. Yes, but it served me well. And football, because I can switch like on the field. And I need to be mad at you. I just need a competitive side, right? So I'll switch it up on you real quick and get serious. Then I can back off and be the Sagittarius. So I think I'm on the cusp. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, on the cusp. Now, what is your love language? I think I know what your love language is. But if you've ever heard of this, it's kind of like either. It could be. It's a couple things, right? Oh, you already know. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I would probably say acts of service for sure. I already know that's number one. That's you down. Taking care of people, making sure they're good and all that stuff. I don't want anything. I would probably say like physical touch. I feel like knowing you, that is 100% true. One of the other ones. The other ones are like words of affirmations, which you're not hard to give out a compliment. I know, but I don't like compliments. Makes me uncomfortable. Oh, you're like, yeah, you don't actually, because whenever I compliment you, you're like. Yeah. You know what you're saying? When you're saying that stuff, I'm like, you're willing to. - Hey, what does it do to you? Why do you hate that? - You know what I think? When I was, I don't know, I've always just laid, I'm the youngest of six. And maybe because I, either I didn't get attention or would I get it? I was like, mom and dad were like, hell, he's the last one, I don't care about this kid. But they were fantastic. Mom and dad, I love you, so dad rest in peace. - Oh my gosh, you're hilarious. - What? - I don't know. I just never liked this. - It's not your thing. - I remember my first year ever, I played football at Fort Bragg North Carolina. I'm 78 years old. Then we moved to Germany, and I didn't play football until I was singing your high school. But seven years old, playing defensive in for the Falcons. And I was a really good player, really good. But all the parents would like, clap and they go, my God, and it made me cry, I was quite okay. - Oh my God. - And I'm not going to talk about like, no, I'm talking about like, my puppy just got lost in the woods and I can't find it, cry. - Oh god, I'm tired again. - That is so interesting. - And the coach would pull me out, I'm like, are you okay, what's wrong? - No, no, no. - And then I go right back in there and start bawling. But I just never liked that. So when people do it, I don't know, just give me a sense of, I need to talk to him more about this because my son actually does the same thing. My son, he likes being out in front, but the moment that someone is acknowledging it, he literally will cry. Or he'll be like, it's whatever this little thing is, he has that same vibe too. - Yeah, that's that, I don't know what it is. - What's a question that you wish that people ask you more in interviews? 'Cause you're always interviewing people. - I know. What's the question I wish people asked me more in interviews? I don't know, surprise me. - Okay. - Oh boy, I'm scared to ask you that. - You have to tell you that. - That's laughable. - I love you, who are you doing? - If you do it, I'll hurt you. - Last pull up question is, who's a star that made you feel star struck? - Oh man. - And you can't say me. - No, are you a number one by the way? Are you a number, absolutely number one with you? - You didn't met everybody. - Oh, yeah. And like certain people at a certain time, like Denzel, first time you meet Denzel, you're like, - Denzel. - Denzel. - Like that Denzel. - First time I met Julia Roberts. - Oh, she definitely has that vibe too. I never met her, but I feel that way about her. - I tell you, I had the most amazing experience 'cause the first time I interviewed her, the Beverly Wilson Hotel, NLA, in this pretty woman's suite on like the anniversary of pretty woman. So I'm filming it with her in the suite interview in her where she shot that movie. And then afterwards, she said, "Would you like a glass of rosé?" And I said, "In my head going, boy, hell is Julia Roberts, give me that rosé." So yeah, you right. So I got the rosé. - Oh my gosh. - We drank a bottle of rosé. - Oh my gosh. - We just sat there and talked about bottle rosé. And now her birthday is the same as my twins. October 28th. So I sent her a case of rosé. Every year. And yeah. So it was her. And then the one dude, man, I met him once after he won an Oscar backstage and I was like, "Oh, Brad Pitt." With some, man, it was-- - It was a weird vibe. - Imagine though the fall where he's tristan and he's on that horse. And if brother Sam, you'll get killed. And he goes out there and he'll be back through the camp. And you know-- - I love this before. - And I'm like, "I see why." "I see why the wife, the brother's wife, fell for him." You know what I'm saying? I'm like, "I can't excuse that relationship. "Shit in the bin, but I can't excuse it." But yeah, man, Brad Pitt was another one of those. Like, "Okay, I like this, dude, it's cool." - Yeah, some people have these vibes. Well, when you meet him, you just be completely freaking gagged. I was gagged when I met Will Smith too. I was a kid though as well. But I was like, "I know it ain't fresh, please." "I know it ain't fresh, please." We're talking about it with Sarah a little bit. But I always talk about this with you. You juggle so many different things, Michael. I mean, career, your family, all of it. At this point in your life, what has stopped mattering to you and what is more important than ever? - What stopped mattering to me would be like a little thing that used to bother me. Like I used to pay such a cute attention to everything. And it's a gift and it's a curse. The gift is that it allows me to do things really, like think quickly on the fly. And when something happened to just really quickly, without people saying in front of a camera, even noticing somebody who's watching it won't even notice. But in life, that's great, but sometimes it can be very taxing on your energy because you constantly pay an attention. If I'm in my car and my guy is driving, I'm like, dude, come on, notice the traffic pattern. I'm like looking two, three lights ahead. Move over right now so we don't get stuck behind that trunk. And then we gotta stop them, move over. Like all those little things like that, I just let bother me. All this little small detail that most people let roll off their shoulders. So I'm trying to, I didn't care about that stuff. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, nothing. And the most important thing is family, especially watching my kids grow up, young and old and out of college, in college. It's like I'm just looking at all this stuff and realizing just what really matter than life because life goes so fast. - It do. - And you look around and you're on the, somebody reminding me, a friend of mine reminding me today, like you know, black men limped in the average age of 72. And you got more time behind you than in front of you. I'm like, we're just putting in the grave already. - Yeah, like Jesus. - Come back and be going, just quit everything. - Yeah, yeah. - Just go sit in the room and dark room by myself and just be depressed. - On the island. - So just like family matters, friends matter, relationships matter, you can get a job, you can make money, you can do all those things, but you can't make more time. You can't make more love for your family and all those things, but that's what they'll remember. - Yeah. - My kids don't remember a toy that I bought them. Heck, they barely remember anything you buy. - They remember you make together. - The time together. - You've said that your model is hustle like you're broke. And in talking to you about this, it makes me think about also my life because I feel like I'm the same way. We both are like-- - You hustle. - But then now I'm asking myself the question of, you know, what is hyper functioning? I think a lot of people in our generation are asking ourselves that, you know, go on all the days where you can stick with one industry. First of all, it was a unique thing. Now it's a mandatory thing. You have to diversify. How do you find the balance, does that model still push you or has it had to change over the years? - I think it's evolved. - Yeah. - But I still think I'm driven, not so much for, hustle like you're broke, you know, I said that to one of these athletes that we manage. - Yeah. - And this was a while ago when I was still like, you know, hyper focused on Tristron at C-Work and Go. And now I hustle because I just want to see how far I'll go. I almost look and think to myself, if these people continue to trust me with these things, so I can push them, you know what I mean? - Why? Let's see what we can do. - Push, ooh, give me a little more room. So that's really what my motivation is now, just to see how far I can go and honestly to be an example for other people who come from not just sports for other industries who want to make a change into something else, to see that you're not only able to do one thing in life. - Now, if you want to change something in your life, you have the ability to change that at any point that you want. And you just don't have to stick with being a football player because at first I always felt out of the football player and then when I retired and I wanted to do other things, people were looking at me just at this football player. And it was frustrating because I knew I wanted to do so much more and I felt like I could do so much more. And I had one. - That's interesting that you always knew that. - Yeah, but I knew it, but I don't think other people saw it. And I would try to do things and try to, you know, integrate my, say, well, way into things. It was kind of like, eh, you know what, you're a football player. You had enough goodness over there. You don't need enough goodness in another industry 'cause you were successful over there. Just stay in your lane. - Yeah. - And that was always frustrating to me. But then I got very fortunate in doing several things. Of course, daytime stuff, but that started, you know, of course I went on live at the guest and that kind of got to my ball. But I would go and Ellen a lot. I went on Ellen, did you ever see that show? - And people got to see your personality. - Why the bit? People got to see my personality. A lot of people don't know. I've actually offered the opportunity to do my own show at the same time that I was kind of doing live. And it just ended up working out that I got the live job. - Stay at home with straight hand. I'm ready for that today. - It wasn't gonna be, but that was like my first time really cracking the code. And I had a friend, I have a friend of mine. And this is I get the lesson that I learned through that process. I'm a friend of mine who's a for a big job now. Like a really big job. - Good luck to them. - Yeah, thank you. In every way, and he called me yesterday and he's so nervous and in a lot of ways is going well, you know, I think I have to take it. If it doesn't work out, and it's like, it's gonna work out, dude. It's gonna work out. Well, I'm getting more responsibility. And I'm like, yeah, because that comes with growth. You get more responsibility with growth. I said, if you, if they didn't think you could do it, they wouldn't offer you the job. They would hire you. Especially without doing an extensive search, they came to you and say, you're the guy. We're not even looking at other people. So I said, you have to trust and believe in yourself the way other people believe in you. You have to, you have to see in yourself what they're seeing in you. 'Cause a lot of times, we don't see in ourselves what other people see in us. So when I was offered to do my own show before I did live, I was like, okay, I'm tripping on. You know what I'm saying? And now I look back and I'm like, why without ever doubting? I just need to trust if other people tell me that I can do something, believe in myself, that I can do it. 'Cause they may see something. that I can't see, but sometimes you're so close to the tree, you don't see you're in a forest. Yes. And it's true, the constant balance between seeing what others don't see, but then also being able to receive what people do see and being able to expand upon that. Let's take it back to the beginning. 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You should hustle like you broke, you hustle like you're broken five lifetimes, so I'm new. Oh my gosh. Gee, I'm turning, I'm watching the birds, I'm watching this show and I'm watching this show and I got this movie coming out and I got this TV show coming out and I'm figuring skating in the Olympics. What are you doing? You know, like we have the same way, like we really come from that and I feel you on the energy or the skill set can remain the same even if the reasoning has evolved, right? Like in the beginning it was definitely like a lot of survival mode, like you don't realize that I'm out of here, why do I keep running for that reason? Even though I like running, I want the reason to be different now and for me it's very similar to what you've said of well let's see how far I can take it. You know, let's see if I'm interested in that. If I feel I have a vision for that, why not let it keep going as opposed to always feeling like you're on a, you know, that you have to, it changes. So I really relate, I relate to you so much. And I'm sure a lot of what you do, you want to make people around you proud. You don't want to disappoint anybody. That's why I think everything that you do and everything that I try to do is like max effort when I'm in it, I'm in it, right? And because I'm like, I'm in it, I've got to go out here and just put it all in there because if it doesn't work, then I could, if something I've learned this too, if something doesn't work, I could take the criticism of it. If I know I did my best at it, but if I am not putting everything into it and then I get criticized for it, or if I'm trusting somebody else with something, I feel like I know it doesn't fit and it didn't write and then it doesn't work that I'm mad because I'm like, I should just trust in my gut because I could take the criticism as long as I know I'm responsible. That's right. But when I put in somebody else's hands and doesn't work and I'm getting criticized for it. That's crazy. No, that very much bothers me. But there's something that I'm picking up on that. My mom used to always say this to me, she would be like, you weren't an athlete, but you think like an athlete. She used to tell me that because I feel like it is this mindset of discipline, of max effort. Like I don't know what you call them if you want them people to have. It's the three C's or whatever it is, but what is, what do you think is the mentality that made you successful, all the flame, famer, that also makes you successful entrepreneur? But first of all, I love you mama. You're not a levy of mama, that's my mama, that's my man. You know, and I love you. You always had your family with you, which I think was one more, most impressive thing. So I always love that. The thing that I think it helped me in football to help me beyond is nothing to do with me. I think everybody has talents. Like football, I was physically, I wasn't the biggest, wasn't the strongest, wasn't the fastest guy, wasn't any of those things. I had a desire to be great and I had a desire to work. You're not going to work me, you're not, I was not going to quit. So if it's you or me in my head, it's going to be you going down to where I go down. That's just the way that I had it in my head. And that's kind of not, not saying that I have that competitive of me or you in this business, but I just have the ability to have the work ethic, I've carried the work ethic over. And I think the biggest thing in success in my life and every aspect, people, I, people can understand people like I see people, I was somebody who was moving furniture and cutting grass and doing all that stuff and people just dismiss you, washing dishes. They just dismiss you like you're not even even a part of like this is your lot in life and you're just unseen. So being in those positions has always made me feel like I need to show people who are often and most likely unseen, feel like they're seen by somebody who's in that position. And I don't dismiss and discount the value that they add because without them, none of this stuff happens, everything works together. And I think that gets missed. So I carry over being a great teammate on the football field and making people feel a certain way in understanding people to get the best side of them to television. >> That's a leader, that's a, to me, that's like a, they teach it in school, you know, that quality of what it means to be a leader and how to get people to engage, believe in a vision, but also know that it's a shared one that's like really, really remarkable. >> Well, you know, in our business, so it's like, he was a headliner and who's there. And I always looked at it and said, if you have success, there's enough credit for everybody. And they're going to be a great, you're going to have a great day, and it's going to be great about you and I'm going to have a great day. >> That's right. >> It's going to be great about me. It's going to be days you talk more than I talk because I've seen people talk about all, you know, I'm on the show and this person has count how much I talked and then they didn't talk. So they had to balance out who talks about them. >> That's crazy. >> I'm going to have this philosophy, the less I've talked, the less that I can screw it up. >> Yo. >> I want to say right here, shut up. >> But we would have so much fun on the show when we're like, I ain't got much to say. I mean, we would actually have moments doing GMA through, we would be like, look today, guys, take it. >> Yeah. >> Because I don't want much to say. And like, that was actually a relief. >> Yeah, really, really. >> You don't have to carry everything. >> Yeah. >> And then it's like, I'll be back here tomorrow and tomorrow will be better. But today, as you did, I never had that ego to be like, this is my show and you're going to do this. And if this person steps on the line, I don't care. >> That's crazy. >> I've never had that. But I think sports taught me that, that you need other people, you need to have a team. And if the team's successful, there's enough credit for everybody, man. >> Bingo. I mean, you got drafted by the New York Giants in 1993. >> Wow. >> Wow, man. >> That was the year I was born. >> [LAUGH] >> You know what? >> That is so funny. >> Thank you, Kiki. >> I appreciate this. I'll see you later. >> Okay. >> You go straight out there. >> My gosh. >> Are you serious? >> When I racked that, doing the research, I was like, my gosh, 32 years ago. >> [LAUGH] >> You were serious. >> But the real question is, what fountain of youth are you drinking from? >> Please. >> Because I felt like you damn them look younger now than you did when you was in football. >> Back then, I was carrying some baby weight. >> [LAUGH] >> So I don't a little bit have you. >> [LAUGH] >> You look so great, Michael, it's insane. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. >> Oh man, who started his professional career, and you were born. >> [LAUGH] >> Geez. >> I mean, when that happened for you in your life, somebody could say, wow, you made it. I mean, yo, but what's the difference between landing on that team and then proving that you belong there? >> No. >> I think people assume when you make it to the end of, cuz people assume it's about any entertainment. >> You made it. >> You made it. >> You made it. >> But it's like, no, no, no, there's a lot of work to sustain it. >> Yeah. for you. Work, hard work. Doing extra, showing up when other people wouldn't show up working, when people going home and you stay in that weight room and you stay in the ice tub and you stay on the treadmill and all these things. I've noticed from every guy I saw had a very successful career in all the other sports, they always work when other guys stop working. When other guys went home, when other guys said, "Oh, you know, I've made it. I've seen so many guys get a contract and go, "Oh, I'm in the league. Now, I'm good." I was never that guy. Plus, I always wanted to prove and live up to the contract. Like, I never wanted owners of the team to look at me and think, "Oh, we paid this guy his money." And this guy had to go out here and now he's just going to take our money and not give us what we believe in him. And I had parents who I never wanted to disappoint. I never wanted my parents to look at me and think. My son is just out here just going through the most of that embarrassing for them. They got friends. They go with church. They stop at the store and people tell her, "No, I can't do that to my parents." But that was always the motivating factor to me. As long as I played, I wanted to be relevant. I could have kept playing football and just been a guy on the team. But I'm no good at just a guy on the team. I have to beat a guy. I want to motivate, but it's very hard to beat on a bitch and then go tell a guy, "You need to go do this." So I realized I had to work extra staying on the field. So when I tell a guy, "We got to do this and we got to do that," it meant something. In practice, I have to practice as hard or harder than these young guys because when we get in the game and it's tough and we're tired and I'm looking at them, "Come on, let's step it up." If I didn't really put in the work during the week and they see me over there chilling on young guy, you take my repetitions and practice. I don't need to do it because I'm a vet. They're going to just look at me and go, "Why are you on here telling me this?" And he's sitting in practice and he's not doing anything. Always conscious of making sure that I did what I told other guys to do. You talk about managing other players and helping people that are in this field. What would you say is the difficult thing that people don't understand, right? Because there are a lot of things that the NFL has helped with financial literacy, helping dudes when they leave. There's stuff that's input into corporation to help. But for us on the outside looking at what are some of the biggest challenges of being in an industry like the NFL? Oh, no guaranteed deals. Now they got some of the guys that are getting deals with a lot of guaranteed money. Most of these NFL deals you see are at least back in the day as well. This guy's going to make this many millions. That's not guaranteed. You're basically year to year to year. So you have injury. You have the lack of ability that you make it cut. Maybe you have a bad year. They let you go. You don't get all that money. So we're year to year. No guarantee. So to me, that was always the motivator as well. Yeah. Yeah. And so I just think that the game had evolved in so many ways. Yeah. You know, financially, especially for a lot of guys. But I think that really what made me and kind of made me focus is that it was if I wasn't doing that, what was I going to do? When you come to the NFL and you walk into a locker room and you see the other guys, it's not college. I'm going to scholarship. Yeah. I'm going to go out here. I'm doing a little practice thing. I'm going to go over here and chill on the yard. Look at the pretty girls walk by. In the pro. If you don't make it out of the pro, you don't have a job. Again, it's grown, man. That was a big thing. I walked in that locker room 21 year old kid back when you were born back in 1993. And I was like, oh, yo, yo, hey. And then like March Taylor walks in. I'm going, oh my gosh, a legend. Phil Sam's a legend. You know, all these guys, these legends. But everybody, not those guys, but the guys who were like around my age in the league two or three years playing my position, not everybody's happy. You're there. Yes. Because you'd be in there. I mean, somebody else got to go home. That sucks, man. And then they got friends who don't want them to leave. Yeah. So as a young guy, the rookie or so, you take a lot of junk to stay in there. And you got to fight. So one thing you got to do. You never back down. Yeah. And I'm gotten to plenty of fights for every fist fight. Right. Because that's like part of the survival. But once you earn respect and once you become confident in your abilities, you know, I was always one of these guys. I never worried about them bringing in a guy to play my position because if he takes my job, I mean, I wasn't good enough at my job. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then I also think about this. And I'm curious what your thoughts about it. Because there's plan the game. There's being good at the sport. But then there's also being the face of a brand. Like at the end of the day, the NFL is a corporation. I think people don't understand that even about any entertainment industry is like, there is a whole part of it where it's this is you are the face of something. So when you're talking to these young dudes that are coming in NFL, what is the conversation around who you want to be and how you want to represent the brand? And you know, they always talk about football players with the whole helmet thing, making yourself known. You know, becoming somebody that is known into the field. How do you approach that? To me, authenticity is what sells people. You can't try to be something you're not. And then, you know, you see a lot of guys who go out of their way for attention. And a lot. No care if it's good attention or bad attention. I think a lot of guys get a contract, make some money and think I'm just going to act a fool. And I don't care because I got money. I got this. I got that. But we know. And I tell guys all the time with football is over. I was 36 when I retired with football is over. That's pretty young or is that I know. I say this. It's a long time, 15 years. It's a long time for football. But it's young in life. Sure. And I say to guys all the time, I say, you know, when it's over, they'll let you come to the game, stand on the sideline and maybe go up in a box, but they don't write your check no more. So you're acting up now. You're ruining your reputation now. Life goes on so much further than this game. You need your reputation because no one wants to be around somebody with a bad reputation. It just doesn't work because if you want to have a bad reputation, maybe a guy was your level, maybe not even on your level, but who people like to be around who brings something to the table. They'll bring him in before they even come in and sniff being around you. And so your reputation is the one thing that you have that you need to hold on to that you do not ruin. You develop relationships while you're in the game. And now it's a different thing. A lot of guys want to be businessmen on top of being an athlete and I get it 100%. I was kind of like backwards in a sense that can't say I had a plan. But football was number one for me. That was my baby. That is why I said this. I don't mess up my primary work for something secondary. So I always focus on football until it was over. And then all that focus went to something else. This is important to me with people across the board is, you know, you have this thing where everybody want to show you everything they can do. And it's like, all I ask was for you to pour the cup of tea. And it's like, you already trying to make a bad ass espresso and the tea is not important. Because people do that. I'm sorry I missed you. I want to grab this coffee shop. Kiki, now you can throw me under the bus here. That'd be the thing where it's like, you know, just do the first thing right. You know, do it at least sufficient. And then add on the news. But the problem is everybody thinks you just walked in and they gave you a job. Everybody thinks I just walked in and they gave me a job. They didn't see the failures. They didn't see the nose. They didn't see the no callbacks. They didn't see the, oh, yeah, come on. Meet with you just so we can get it back to get a picture and tell our kids we hung out with you. Did you bring your super bow ring with you? That's so true. That is that one side. Yeah, that stuff. Because it's like, oh, this is just a fan party. Yeah, that was bad. Cause nobody suspect your mind. They never think you have more to offer to the table. That one stinks for sure. I always tell these guys now. Everybody wants to do these businesses and all this stuff. And I got more businesses than basic. I can keep a stop up. But it's all fun stuff that I want to do. But I said, while you're playing, develop relationships, meet people. Be nice to people. Develop these relationships. And not you're doing it for a plan when you're retired. But when you are retired or maybe you're developing new relationships, and if some guy likes you and successful and goes, hey, I really want to teach you something. I really want to be a part of this. Maybe in an off season, because you have six months off, you say, hey, I just want to come shadow you. Go learn something. Show people you're interested in something else. That way you're fame. If I were to call somebody now and say, hey, I'd like to come in and meet. I can get in, right? You can get in the door. Yes. When you go in there, if it's something you're interested in, show that not only can you get in the room, but you deserve to stay in the room, so know your stuff. Yes. Don't just get in there and blab blab blab. That's the guy that I was playing in space with at your house that told me he, you know, played in football. I don't can't remember his name. You know his name. Oh, yeah. He was at the, and he stopped him. Yeah, Justin took him. He just took. Yeah, Justin took play with me with the giant. Then he went to the Raiders. He went to Super Bowl rings. He was my understudy. He had my ass in space. Yeah, he whipped you in the space because your partner was your partner with me. And then Justin retired and he called me. He said, Michael, they want me to go do some common football commentary stuff. I don't know if that's what I want to do and I'm thinking about going to business school. And I was like, Justin, that part will always be there. If you really think you're interested in something else, like business, go try that. I didn't know what a guy was going to go freaking graduate from Wharton Business School. And then now he run the whole big sports thing at Goldman Sachs. Exactly. He's amazing. And I'm a matter of fact, yeah, he turned 43 this year. He hits me. - Yeah. - We're on his golf trip, right? And this fool, amen. My birthday's coming up, milestone birthday, and I'm going on his golf trip. Well, I would love it if you would come. I'm like, "Absolutely, milestone birthday." He turned 43. - Oh, you know, damn milestone. - Well, I'm like 43. - Yeah. - 45, maybe even 40. - 50. - 43. - 43, in a milestone. I'll let you some going on with you. I don't know. - Okay. - But he's great, and but I love about Justin, and he's very easy to get around. - Why is this way too, shout out to her. - Oh, yeah. - She's awesome. - She's Lauren is awesome, and she does a lot of charity degree and like charitable works and all these other stuff. But he's like for the trip, back to Alabama, to play golf, and then Sunday church at the church, he grew up at, and I'm like, only go to Alabama for you. - Yeah, I've been Alabama since the senior bowl back in the day, you know? But I love him. It's great to have teammates like that, and OC's doing great in Europe and England. - Yeah. - I love going to your, to your, any of the, your parties that you host, you have such an incredible group of friends, and I soak up everything. - A mix of people in different industries. - Oh my gosh, from across the board fashion, to media, to sports. It's really- - Yeah, real estate, everything. - Yeah, real estate, no joke. Let's set the scene. Okay, 2007 Super Bowl. 45 seconds left against the undefeated pay three. It's the giants are down four points. People on the sidelines have said, "You were running up and down the field, "telling everybody, we are going to win this." - Yes. ♪ Baby is this, he keep all my yeah ♪ - There are two versions of me at any given moment. There's the version that is on the way somewhere locked in, unbothered, do not interrupt me. I have a purpose, and then there's the version that sees the Starbucks and just turns. Mischdried with absolutely no hesitation. The second one is my favorite version, especially in the summer. I'm the one who orders a tropical butterfly refresher, guava and passion fruit flavors. These mango pineapple flavored pearls that pop in your mouth, and a butterfly pea flower and fusion on top that just shifts the color of the whole drink right in front of you. And I stand there watching it happen, like it's the most important thing that happened all week, because it might be. One small choice can lead to old Jeff. Unlock your best summer memories with the tropical butterfly refresher from Starbucks. Order now on the app. - How do you think you learned to respond to adversity? How do you mean? How do you mean to situation that? - Willy, straight-hand, Sinha, my dad. - My dad was a man. - Yo, military, right? This is how you're dead. - Military, retired major, 82nd Airborne Division, commander of the first CEC, which is combat equipment company in Mannheim, Germany, and my dad was amazing. And he was just positive. And I say this all the time, but now I'll say it here again, when, not if. My dad never said if to me of the kid. He always said when. So I was like, when does that happen? When does that happen? I mean, I'm a kid growing up in Germany. I'm 13 years old. I'm a little, I'm big-bone, you know? - Yeah, I can't, we're big-bones. - My brothers and their friends, like, make it fun of me. You know what they call me Bob, right? - Oh my god. - Booty on back. - Booty on back. It's crazy. The girls are paying for that now. - Get it, get it, get it. - Just start working out. So I started doing like, Jane Fonda. I bought Jane Fonda tape. - Oh man. - That's fine. - I did. Hershey Walker was doing push-ups and sit-ups. That was a big thing back then, when he was at University of Georgia, the football player. So I started doing all those things. Start working out with my dad. And when I did, by the time I was 16, my dad was, you wanna play football? I watched it on TV at that point, hadn't played it. He's like, "Yeah, send me to Houston, live with my uncle." And he's like, "Send you back. You gonna stay with your uncle?" And you're gonna get a football scholarship. - Dad, that's crazy. - I had to play, and I'm like, okay, I was just so naive. And then when you make it to the pros, when you do this, when you do that, when you win the Super Bowl, he was always win. He never said if. So when the times running out in that game, and we go down by, you know, four points, now I literally go to Heyfellah 1714, will be the final score. Believe it, and it will happen. - Yeah! - You wanna touch down, and we are world champions. - Yes! - And it was literally channeling my father. And I didn't realize after we won the Super Bowl in a little while later, I'm sitting around and going, "How the hell did that happen?" - Yeah! - I was like, "Man, my dad, Gene, Gene was always like preaching that, and he was 100% on the mic." But I think it helps me life now. 'Cause if there's something I really wanna do, nothing, I don't believe I can't do something, I'll retell my mind to do. - But you have this power, even you just look at me reliving the moment and saying, "I believe that I could win the Super Bowl." Like that is crazy, man. - I get you try, I'm right now. - There's this, the fierceness of you saying, I can just imagine what was going to the veins of your teammates, because you're literally like, it will be. Like, that certainty is powerful. And that came for your dad, man. - Came for my dad. - That's so dope. - Came for my dad. - When you think about your pro-ball years, what parts of your character remained, remained that helped you be who you were in sport? And what things that you say, "Okay, that's gotta go." And I think about like a lot of these athletes that we see, and obviously love Tom Brady, respect to Tom Brady, but it's a different thing shifting from being someone that's playing and deciding, "I'm gonna retire everything that went along with me being somebody that was playing." What was that journey like for you? - That was tough at first, 'cause you're just so used to, that's what you did, like all those years. - Yeah. - And I was never, I learned the channel aggression, right? So we could sit here and have this conversation on the bench. And I'd be like, "Oh, Defent, hold on, KK, I'll be right back." I'd give my helmet up, and then all of a sudden pop, switch, and become like a lion in a jungle where I have no love, no concern for anybody on the other side. - My God. - He will hurt you and not feel bad about it in one second. But then come back, sit, take my helmet off, sit down, and have the most loving conversation with you. That was just that switch. - That's so cool. - So I used that switch in a different way now, but not just channel aggression or anything like that, but I used it in a different way to like, "Okay, I gotta be ready, then I can get myself to get, "Come back and be ready." So, but that, I've had to leave, I guess, the, you have to, you do have to have a certain amount of macho. Like you in that locker room, I'm in here with 60 dudes. - Yeah. - Somebody got to be an alpha. - That's a lot. That is a lot. Also, I'd love to be there. - With you. - Also, maybe you should have done this there. - That may be the funniest thing you ever said, is it? - I'd like to see it. - Oh, okay. - Oh, my gosh. - Oh, God, so, oh, yeah, you know what? You can't say that to me, stop it, stop it. So, literally, being in that locker room with 60 guys, and somebody's got to be the leader. Somebody's got to be the macho. Somebody's got to be the man. Somebody got to be the one that's like, yo, and, and I do miss that part, and I love that part. But it's really interesting because it's not always the biggest guy, you know, and maybe, yeah. - Yeah, the biggest attitude, I guess, yeah. - It's just an attitude. It's the energy that you bring. It's the fact that if somebody knows when you look at 'em, like, I'm watching my language here, but it was a different, that was a different. Like, I remember, I gave all the pre-game talks and all that stuff, and one of the networks came and said, hey, ask about PR guys. Could you, and the PR guy comes to me and say, my go, they want to air some of your pre-game speech on the network. So, could you not curse within a curse? - No. - I got 10 to 15 seconds, give them like 10 to 15 seconds of no cursing, and I was like, get the fuck out of here. I'm gonna, I just, you know what? I'm a different thing. This is not you guys that's entertainment. For me, this is life or death. - Yes. - That was the mentality. So, that I leave behind, but I do channel the switch on, switch off in order to juggle everything and to compartmentalize it and to focus. 'Cause what I, what I realized when I loved, I get to be in a stadium in 80,000 people. It's like you filming a show in front of a studio audience, right? - Yes. - 80,000 screaming, but I get out there, and I'm just so hyper-focus that it's just how focused you can really be if you really want. I don't hear 80,000 people. - I hear the linebacker changing the play for us if he needs to. I hear the quarterback over there, saying whatever they're saying. I can't even hear the guy in front of me breathing. I can't hear 80,000 people until the play is over, and then it's like they crank up the stereo and all of a sudden you hear the people. But in between those seconds that you're focusing, all that's gone. You hear any of it. It's amazing. - Oh my gosh, that seems so thrilling. I mean, how do you, obviously you've done so many different things. How did you approach defining yourself beyond football? And how much of it was intentional of rewriting the narrative or integrating the narrative? - I don't think, I don't think that it was intentional in certain ways. I knew when I was done playing football, I had a job in football, you know, working at Fox. That was already done. I actually had a contract a year before I retired. But everything else, I'd never looked that kind of defined into narrative. I just kind of felt like I wanted to do more than just talk about football for six months and then have six months of sitting at home, like wasting away. What am I gonna do? I'm gonna play so much golf. - All five of us. - Come on. - Come on. - That golfing y'all, it's so cold. - Yeah, it's still kind of got me so cold. But there's only so much of that you can do. And I feel like I still had a lot of too much energy and too much creativity to just sit in the house. - Yeah. - I mean, I just started trying different things, asking to try different things, putting myself out there, instead of worrying about being embarrassed, I would just say yes to stuff that I knew, filing what I'm gonna do, or at least I should try to say I did it. And by doing that, learned a lot of things along the way by failure. I learned a lot of things that I didn't think at the time I wanted to do, became successful, or taught me something to help me become successful in something else. So I'm getting on my own way, not knowing about being cool, failure, success, but just try different things and say yes, instead of saying no, become scared to try something new. - Yes. - And I think that that kind of rolled itself into people seeing me do things in a different way that was not what they usually saw with athletes do. So they said, huh, let's try 'em here. Let's see if we can fit here. Let's see how outside of a sports audience, do they really like about outside of sports? - Yeah. - And then it gives kind of snowball, but all from saying yes and being uncomfortable and taking chances on myself. - I love what you're saying to about trying things, 'cause I think there's something that people don't often think about when it comes to evolving as a person and evolving as in your career. Sometimes you can't overly design it. You really have to be open to it coming. That's what actually, how you find the legitimacy in it is that, you know, I didn't try to pre-program this. I found myself inside of this. And you actually have your own company, SMACC, we got SMACC, SMAC Entertainment. What made you say, okay, now it's time to actually take it one step further. Outside of now becoming this media personality, but to actually building a business. - Well, I think not playing football growing up, not thinking football was my life work, made me come into football, but also having a mind for something else in life. I just kind of felt football was what I did at the time. But after that, always wanted to do more. I always, and so when I retired, I had a manager here in New York from the football side, but then football was over. So I lived in LA, I was doing Fox, and I would go by, Condon Swarth is my business partner now, but I would always go by her office. And we had been friends with, we've been friends now with 31, 32 years. But she was at the NFL for 10 years, moved to LA to work, and we always stayed in touch. Every time I went to LA, it was wasn't very often. I would go to her offices when she was working for other companies and hang out. Well, now she has started her own company. I was show up, she'd be talking about what she'd be talking to their office, doing some work, and ask, what are you working on? She worked on this and that, and I always had opinions. Why did you try this? Maybe this and that. And she finally, after a while, 'cause I was bored. I got one of these months, and you're having a schedule, and I had nothing like what do you do with nothing. She finally said, Michael, I love you. I appreciate you coming in here. I appreciate you trying to help out. But you either got to be a part of this company or you got to stop coming in, 'cause I can't take it anymore. Basically, paraphrase it, that's what she said. So I said, okay, I'll be a part of the company. So we ended up having smack and been like 15 years now. Oh my gosh. And it's just been amazing, because I think she is so brilliant, so smart, so forth thinking, and she's a great cultivator of relationships and people. Yeah. And through that, management company, myself, Dion Sanders, Aaron Andrews, Travis Hunter, Common, Wiz Khalifa, Bella Twins. So it's just kind of keep on. The Bella Twins. I love it. We talked to them at GMA-3. I just saw them recently at this point. They're great. Yeah. They're fantastic. So just in a smorgasborg of other, Curt Menifee and DeAndre Jordan, just let's just keep on growing. So that is kind of just been something, it's kind of funny. I remember, I was like, this is really weird. Constance calls me and said, "Wiz and Snoop are going on tour." And she banished Snoop for seven years at one point. And she said, "They're going on tour. You need to come down the floor to walk the show and then I want you to give notes on the show." I'm like, "Wiz and Snoop, you want me to give notes?" So I'm going down to the show and I walk the show and then I go backstage and come basically, it's like, and I'm like, "Huh, you're managing now." I'm like, "You got it." So I'm very honest and enough, but it was interesting to see these guys go, "Okay, yeah, you're right." All right. 'Cause you know what you're talking about. And that's the thing. You know what? Sometimes because it's not something that you grew up doing or you've been in the whole time but you get into it late, you think, "Oh, I've got to sit back." But a lot of times what I know I've had to deal with in sports and in entertainment, television and in all different ways, from contract to finances to just PR, all these things. You've gained so much experience that you can use to help other people or give advice, and you got to trust yourself that you freaking know it because we come in late. - He can come in management. There you go. - That just came up. - I'm telling you. - Flip the new job. - It'll be amazing how much experience and how many things you can help people with that you may not have felt comfortable with but you've experienced so much. - Wow. - And that you just trust yourself. And I've learned in all these different businesses, finance business, I'm in a finance business now. - Real estate, you talk about so much real estate. - All these things that I knew nothing about. And I just had to go in and found out, "Hey, you know what, it's very similar to sports. It's very similar to this business." Everything's very similar. The language changes. - Yeah. - But the idea of the very similar. - Yeah. You and Constance shorts are getting ready to do y'all's podcasts together. - Yeah, we got a podcast we're working on. I don't have a name of it yet. - Yeah. - But it's going to be. - It's going to be so good. - It's going to be great. And it's going to be funny. It's going to be, we're going to talk about everything. - When you think about your top three guests that you, like what would be their type, what type of person would you be wanting to talk to? Obviously, I'm too many. Okay, me. - You'd be perfect. No, and since I'd say that in all sincerity, not because I'm just sitting in front of you, but I'm also sincerity because I think you encompass so many worlds in one. And the very few people like you, Kiki, that's what I'm saying. I'm watching on this and I'm watching on that. And I'm watching on that. And you can do everything. And it's very tough to do one thing, right? And be great at it. But you're great at all these things. So you're a perfect example of someone who doesn't limit themselves. And so I think for our podcast, it's going to be a lot of fun. Trust me, Constance and I, you know, it came about because both of us sit here, we're getting these meeting rooms and we would just kind of, we'd probably meeting with people about serious things that we kind of go at it on our own there like, this should be a show. - Yeah. - To your pond. Like we're not doing TV show, you know. But we'll get around to a podcast, maybe. But I think talking about interesting conversations, motivating conversations. - Yes. - Insightful conversations is what is really all about. - I mean, people getting a chance. I think obviously people love you and they get to see you on TV shows. But as always, when you're doing daytime in the structure that it actually is, you can only go so far. The conversations are, the segments are three minutes, five minutes. You know, there's only so much you can say. - That's about you, you're going to wrap. - You know what I mean? But you, me having had so much unlimited time with you, you're going to be able to inspire so many people because you are a wealth of knowledge and you are such a great leader. So it's like, you know, again, I just feel like people are going to love this podcast. - But I'm silly. - And you're funny. - Yeah. - That's the, that's the thing. - Crazy and funny too. - And it's funny because when I get, I go to work. - And when I'm at GMA in Fox, I am like the cut up. I'm like the, I'm like the class clown. (laughing) And then I'm also like the guy who will poke at people and like get on people. - Crazy. - And then when I go home sometimes, I'm like, man, I gotta be serious. Am I a kid probably looking at me a little bit more serious than I am half the time? But, but yeah, it's a little, it's a little weird thing, but I absolutely, like your podcast, like doing this. - Yeah. - And this is like your natural element, but it's good because you have more room to breathe. - Yes. - And TV don't have much room to breathe. - You don't. - And you can show a little hint of personality, but not all your personality. You can say it a little bit, but you can't say a lot of that. - It's true, it's true. Also, I want to talk about your men's wear collection. Obviously, you have your collection by Michael Straining. - Yeah. - But you've been doing the fashion thing for more. - Can you? - Yeah, you've always, you know, so, I mean, what are some of your favorite things that are getting ready to come out that you have on your line? But also, what made you realize that this was a lane that you also could dominate? 'Cause you have been dominating it. - Well, I think it's, when you start off in football, obviously you got to go on these road trips and stuff, you can't show up looking like a bomb, man. - Right. - You got to come right. But I gotta say, some guys think they're coming right but they ain't coming right. They got suits that weren't worth it. And suit is clean, but then they move and it's like a chameleon that changes colors with every reflection of the light on the sun. Like, dude, I don't know what fabric that is, but you need to go ahead and take that back to the lizard you got it from. - So you're not the lizard. - Well, this game was crazy. So just being in sports and being in all that stuff, you get, it's like a presentation. - Yeah. - I learned I would dress well going on the road and put on a suit 'cause you're going on a business trip. And I always love these coaches like Tom Conflin who was like, yeah, wear a suit on the road. - Mm-hmm. - It's not going in your sweats. Like, we're going on a business trip. He was teaching us more than just being an athlete. He's had to be a man when sports was over. - Mm-hmm. of being on TV. TV every day, suit, suit, suit, don't win, it's just all the time. And I was like, well, you know what, I love that. Like, I love fashion, I love the suits. Why don't I create my own, you know, instead of depending on somebody else to go in and try to create something, think it's in my style. So with that 10 years ago, we created a collection by Michael Strayhand. We've been doing well 10 years. Now we're going into 100 Belk stores. - Yeah, it's so awesome. - And Belk.com online. So the business just continues to evolve, continues to grow. We're doing home goods, we're doing all these. Yeah, all these crazy things. And it kind of blows my mind, Kiki, because here I am this kid who just was happy to have a job and not have to move back in with my parents. And I look back and I'm going, wow, life is crazy. And you never know where you're going to end up. And just how I felt like a lot of it, I could say, I would love to say I've made all the right decisions and I'm brilliant on it. No, I've been very fortunate, very lucky to make the right decisions when they were made, but more than that around the right people to help me. - Amen, 'cause it takes a team. - Yeah, it's around the people you put yourself around. - And with all that said, life can still throw so many uncontrollable things our way. And this is, it's a good thing, right? Because Isabella's now back at USC. She's feeling better, she's cancer-free. But she did have cancer. - Yeah. - So that was crazy. I mean, I remember when I saw that news, I was blown away, man. And I already know you and your character, how helpless you probably felt. What did you learn from that situation and how are you feeling now? Because I imagine the trauma of that. Even when you've moved past it, it still kind of makes hard stuff. - Oh yeah, yeah, that's hard stuff. - It makes hard stuff. - I learned that in life, sometimes you gotta let go. You gotta pray, you gotta pin on prayers, you gotta trust in doctors or whoever, to handle a situation because that's one of the things completely out of your hands. And that was the worst part was feeling helpless. I can't fix this. You know, if something goes wrong at school or I need this or that or that. All right, you know, you need to take it to this concert. You can't get them dead of health, yeah. (laughing) Yeah, you can fix whatever needs to be fixed. In this case, it was no just fixing it. And you wake up in the morning, when it first happened for the first month or so, I'd wake up and go, oh boy, I'll dream sucked. - Yeah. - And you realize, this is not a dream, this is real. And it was devastating, very devastating. Very scary because you don't know the outcome, if it's gonna be positive or not. You know what you're hoping for, you know what you're praying for. And even now she's, thank God, can't they're free? Back at school, crushing it and doing well, loving back to her, her 21 year old life. - Yep. - But at the same time, every three months, you get the scan and you still worry. - You know, you still worry. Even though the doctor feel very good about you still worry. I mean, it's never far away from your mind. And I-- - Has she changed? - I think so. Yeah. And she was always a sweet kid, but I just think that this gave her some sense of appreciation, a little bit more of her age. And I think that she really want to help people, 'cause she did the whole documentary on ABC. And she was vlogging at first about it, 'cause she couldn't find anybody about her age when she was going through this. So she just thought, "I'm gonna vlog about it." And she found one kid, Greg, who didn't hit her back when she reached out to him, 'cause she saw this young kid had it. And Greg was the captain of the LSU football team, safety. And so, but she didn't hear back from him, so she kinda said, "I'm gonna vlog," and just throw it out there. Kinda really get it off her chest. And one of the ladies that she connected to was like, oh, my grandson had it, and he had it. He had thirdary, this and that. It ended up being Greg grandmother. And the reason Greg didn't reach back to her because Greg's situation of surgery wasn't as successful in a sense that, you know, it gave him some impairment, and other issues. So he was battling back to come back from that. And, but yeah, so that was like to understand that, and you see the community that she was able to build, I think gave her a great feeling about what she was doing. And she knew she was on the right path. And I think it gave her this whole thing about giving back and really helping people. And I've never seen a documentary that she did. I mean, I've heard people say, "Michael, it's great, man, "so proud of your daughter." And I'm like, thank you. - Is it hard to think for you to work? - Yeah. - I mean, I lived it, I lived it once. I don't, I think at some point, maybe I'll go back and I'll watch it, but it would be tough to watch that because this is like real life, it's your kid, and you're watching them go through it. And to me, it brings back memories of some of the experiences that I had with her and watch out how she was in some of these situations that it would just break my heart to see it right now. - Yeah, I'm so thankful to God that she's good. - Thank you. - And that you guys have gotten through that and that they had you lean on. - Thank you. - Other exciting news is that you're grandfather. - Yeah, yeah, I'm a little man. My grandchild was born in 1993. - Uh-oh. So what do they call you? I mean, you, you was joking. - I was joking. - You was joking about them calling you big papa. - Yeah, I'm, I'm not gonna come up with a cool name. - Yeah, I was just what they called me. - My little man, Onyx. - Onyx. - Onyx. - He's the same age as Leo or older than Leo. - No, he's younger than Leo. Leo's what, three? - Three. - Well, Onyx is gonna be two. - Yeah. - He's gonna be going on two. But he, um, he's got hair cut. Like, he had a big buff, a puffy fro. And then they cut it down. And then they left it for a few weeks. And then they cut it down some more. And now he looks good. He's got a nice little favor. He looked good before. He looked good all different kind of hair. But, um, yeah. - I'm so cute when a little baby's had a little haircut. - Yeah, I love it. - I'm so cute. - I love it. But he, you know what, he's already a kid after my own heart. He loves cars. - My son loves cars too. I actually thought it was so unique. Apparently, that's what all the boys do. - Yo, well, I'm like, really? - I'm hoping. - I thought my son was like, unique. - And then every little boy is like he loves cars. - Not every little boy loves cars. I'm gonna tell you right now. Our kids, our kid, your kid and my grand kid are unique. - My son is obsessed with, and he loves Lightning McWayne. Anyway. All right, I gotta come to an end because you're a busy guy. You gotta get back to your other jobs. - Are we done? - Before we leave that. - He told me how to do it. - Already. - We're gonna play a game. Are you ready for a game? I do it with all of my guests. And, you know, pretty much-- - You're gonna ask me question on all those cards. Is this rapid fire? - This is kind of like rapid fire. - Okay. - So basically, it's time to say what we really think about each other. I'm gonna throw out a prompt. And we'll decide if it's giving Kiki, or if it's giving Michael. - Okay. - Oh, Chris, it is. - Okay. Who's more competitive, me or you? - Giving Kiki? (laughing) (laughing) - I don't believe that you're saying that. And you've played the most competitive sport. That's crazy. - Those days are longer. - That was survival, as I said. I'm trying to make a living. - Michael is so fake. Okay, who is more likely to be going off in a group chat? Me or you? - Like going off? - I think both of us are quiet. We're both watching. - Yeah, I'm kind of listening. - I'll never say much in a group chat. - Nah, that's me then. - Yeah. - Oh my God. - That's me. - That's you. - 'Cause usually I start something in a group chat and I kind of, I do like the homicensin in the bushes. I throw something out there. And that's fly back and let everybody else fight it out. - That is cool. - Funny. - Yeah. - You're crazy. Um, who is most likely to accidentally reveal a surprise? - Oh, K-Kick. Absolutely. - I get too excited. - Yeah. - I get way too excited. Okay. Who talked more in the commercial break? Me or you? Obviously me. I didn't know I asked that. Michael will be so tired of me. But can we just talk about that schedule and how it's actually the most undefeated schedule? You have to get up at like 3, 4 a.m. but you're done by noon. - Who? Me? - No. - Now? - Would GMA-3? That's how it was. - Oh, GMA-3, yeah. We were finished. What's going to be shoot there, so? No, we were finished about 11 or so? - Done. - Yeah. - I missed that life. - Yeah, no. - I mean, it was crazy to get up early and then Michael got me so on point that I would work out before I came. You hooked me up with your trainer. I would wake up at 3.30 a.m. I would go eat with your trainer. I would work out before coming to set at 5.00 a.m. Doing my glam for two hours with me. I own there at 7.00 due to two shows out at 11. That was the best. - It was the great schedule. Great work if you can get it. - Okay, last one. Hmm. Which one of us was the crew's favorite? Be honest. - You want me to be honest? (laughing) - You sure you want my honesty? - Yes. (laughing) - Honestly, I'll admit, Michael's everyone's favorite. (laughing) - He just has this body. - I did not say that. - He has this quality body. He's just so lovable. I love him. You love him. And I'm just happy. - You know what, crew is family. We get all the credit because we sit here in front of the camera or whatever the microphone is, but the crew is the family. So I always believe in taking care of the crew. I believe in springing from lunch, springing from breakfast. Doing anything, who did that just, we just had a, I just set the whole group to, I've got a box at Barclays so they can go see - Theory. - New addition, boys, the men, and Tony Braxton. And I wasn't even in town. So I was like, here, here's the box. It's food, there's drink. You go and do it yourself. Because I believe that if you give the people around, you really make it all happen, things that they appreciate outside of the job. then they'll give you everything and have it in the job. And that's important. These are the kind of people that I get to call mentors. I'm so lucky to have you to know you as a friend, as a collaborator, and happy to have you as a guest on "Baby Just Kinky Pop." And now, the grandfather, because you're born a year, I started working. [LAUGHTER] I love Kinky Pop. [CHEERING] [MUSIC PLAYING] Michael has done so much, but what stands out is how intentional he is about what actually matters. This isn't about chasing more. It's about how you spend your time. Who you show up for, and what you carry forward, because success may open doors, but your values decide which ones you walk through. I'm so glad that he showed up and showed his heart. Until next time. Baby, this is Kinky Pop. [MUSIC PLAYING]