It took me an entire week to be able to share my experience! I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been running my brains out or if I have just been on a cloud still!
I had such an awesome time, not just being on the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda but also being in NYC with my little ‘ole country momma.
I was a bit worried for her since she LOVES to talk to EVERYONE but I’m proud of her.
I told her, “Mom, this is NYC—you can’t be your southern—talk to everyone. It’s NOT Kansas anymore!”
Her response: “I’m not changing who I am!”
So needless to say, I feared for our lives. But she put me in my place.
She talked to folks and they talked kindly back to her. She made friends with police officers, random people on the streets, you name it.
She didn’t freak out in cabs which TOTALLY surprised me cause she freaks out when ANYONE is driving!!!
I’m proud of my mom. Even though she drives me bonkers sometimes. But don’t all moms do that?
Now onto my Today Show experience
I started the morning meeting a PR person at my hotel that was across the street from Rockefeller Center. We walked across the street and headed inside. We hit the green room (which my mom was sure to point out—it wasn’t a green room). After talking to an NBC Page they took me downstairs to another green room for hair and make-up.
I gotta tell ya. I wasn’t impressed with their green room! I mean it was a typical room with lots of food and drinks but for some weird reason I expected it to be grandiose with chandeliers. You know, like the ones you see on TV! lol. Instead, it was in a dark room with a few separate dressing rooms connected to one large room.
I wanted to take a picture—but figured it wouldn’t be good to get in trouble BEFORE I did my segment. lol. But the three dressing rooms had the names Sally Fields, Juliana Rancic and Kathie Lee on them. Cool eh?
So as I’m sitting in my chair getting my hair done—I snapped a pic of my hair and after looking at the image, I realized-holy crap! That’s Kathie Lee in her dressing room!!! She was actually talking to her producer or assistant. That was VERY cool.
Getting my hair and makeup done was lovely. It always is. I got up and started to put my jacket back on and Kathie Lee walking behind me helped me slide in on—I TOTALLY didn’t realize it ’till she walked in front of me! I was baffled a bit.
Then it was time for me to head back upstairs. My mom and the PR person stayed in the green room as I went onto the set.
They mic’d me up real quick while Kathie Lee and Hoda finished up an entertainment news segment before mine and then they came over to greet me.
The nicest ladies EVER.
Here we go in 3-2-1 —-> and then we did the segment.
I had no idea what the final video looked like. I also had no idea what questions they were going to ask me.
But…after 15 years of doing spontaneous, mostly unprepared radio and TV myself—I think I carried myself ok! haha.
I got to glance at their cards before our segment—but they didn’t ask any of the questions that were on the cards. That’s how I roll anyway!
Then as they were heading off to the next segment I got some of the sweetest compliments from the producer. So kind that I walked out of there with butterflies in my stomach.
I wasn’t nervous before—but they all made me feel so comfortable…that I felt like I belonged there. Like it was just another day on the set.
Here’s the video from the show. I’m proud of it. I’m proud of myself.
Not to mention… I’m REALLY proud of my momma.
This post originally appeared on Real Mom Media.
