The Moments That Stay With You: 2025 TNOTY Highlights: Ep 29
Highlights from the episode:
Why success can trigger imposter syndrome instead of confidence
The moments when mentorship changes everything
What high-pressure environments reveal about self-talk
The emotional cost of “making it”
Meeting the moment when opportunity shows up
Confidence as something you practice, not inherit
Podcast show notes:
Before we turn the page on the year, I wanted to pause and look back at some of the conversations from this season that lingered with me the most. This year-end highlights episode brings together some of the most memorable moments from Things No One Tells You, the ones that sparked reflection, surprise, and honest self-examination.
Across these clips, a few themes kept surfacing: confidence that wavers, pressure that doesn’t always show on the outside, and the question of who we are after the milestone moment passes or when we’re on shifting ground.
What You’ll Hear:
Losing confidence right after success (03:18, Stephanie Szostak)
Mentorship as a stabilizing force in high-pressure rooms (08:24, Kadi Lee)
The importance of relationships in high pressure situations (17:03, Daniel Jones)
The emotional reality of climbing the mountain, then staying there (22:46, Craig Melvin)
Scrappiness and meeting the moment when it matters most (26:03, Aliett Buttelman)
How faith can play out during intense moments in the NFL (35:15, Len Vanden Bos)
A powerful reminder about what our kids need from us (42:09, Bridget KerMorris)
What it looks like when you bet on yourself (47:40, Brooke Baldwin)
These conversations are a reminder that behind every highlight reel is a human story. If you’re heading into the new year with questions, hopes, or a little uncertainty, you’re not alone.
We’re looking forward to kicking off Season 2 of TNOTY in the new year! Follow Lindsay and TNOTY on Instagram to keep up with the latest.
To watch or listen to the full episode click on the blog links below
Tough Love with SOUL ON FIRE Actor Stephanie Szostak: Ep 18
Things No One Tells You About Creating a Conscious Brand with Kadi Lee: Ep 7
Staying Grounded in the NFL Spotlight with Colts QB Daniel Jones: Ep 23
Things No One Tells You About The Work Behind the Spotlight with Craig Melvin: Ep 6
Things No One Tells You About Glitter Freckles and Grit with Aliett Buttelman: Ep 8
Faith in Football with the Buffalo Bills: Ep 16
What Our Kids Need More Than Rules with Bridget KerMorris: Ep 21
The Unraveling That Changes Everything with Brooke Baldwin: Ep 5
Be sure to subscribe to Things No One Tells You—Lindsay’s podcast all about the real, unfiltered conversations we don’t always have but should. From big names to everyday voices, each episode dives into the moments that shape us. Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Follow along with Lindsay below!
Full Transcript
[00:00:00] Lindsay: Hello, everybody. Welcome to Things No One Tells You. Alright, so we're in the holiday season. The new year is right around the corner, and we thought it felt like the right time to do a little highlights of 2025 for TNOTY. So. What we wanted to do is put together some of our favorite moments here from things no one tells you.
[00:00:21] Some of the conversations that we've had that have really stuck with us, and honestly, some of these clips that we've chosen are moments that, after the episode has wrapped, after we've finished taping, we've been like, Oh my gosh, can you believe this was such an interesting thing to talk about? You get the drill.
[00:00:38] So we've compiled sort of a little thing. No one tells you a time capsule here of some of our favorite conversations. And I think when you're talking about common threads through these conversations, vulnerability and relatability are absolutely one of them. I think that's what this podcast is built on, and that's why I think, for those of you who are part of this community.
[00:00:59] Building that connection is really based on that. It's also things that we've learned from guests, like their confidence, conversations about identity, about what happens after the big moment, or when you happen to be right in the middle of it. So if you're in a season of chasing something, maybe you're landing something, or you're trying to hold onto something, these clips.
[00:01:20] Might feel just the right time. You're gonna hear about imposter syndrome on a movie set, mentorship in high-pressure work environments. The things no one tells you, perspective from the journey of a starting quarterback in the NFL. We'll talk about building a brand with. Scrappiness is what it takes; lessons learned along the way that you can certainly apply in your life.
[00:01:43] A grief to purpose pivot, parenting through the middle school years. And when I tell you that there's an episode that I have listened to several times, it is that one because I really think there are so many gems when it comes to being a middle school parent. And tho I am now feeling after leaving a dream job?
[00:02:02] So, without further ado, here are things we've learned so far that folks don't often open up about.
[00:02:14] We are beginning with an honest look at something that. I think everyone deals with it at some point, men or women, it doesn't matter. This is a look at imposter syndrome, and this was a conversation with my good friend, actress Stephanie Szostak. Stephanie has been in a ton of movies, including The Devil Wears Prada and Dinner for Schmucks.
[00:02:32] She played Delilah in a Million Little Things, but Stephanie and I were having this conversation. She has done much work with mental health, also, and has also created a book called Selfish, which is a playbook for people to help them basically have a highlight reel. Of confidence, and a way for you to work on those things daily.
[00:02:51] So this is the moment that I thought was so fascinating in our conversation because Stephanie was sharing how she had a crippling bout of imposter syndrome when she landed her first big movie, and when she is talking about the actors that she was on set with and what happened and how this created her new focus on this other area of her life.
[00:03:13] I was like, you have got to be kidding. Here is Stephanie Szostak.
[00:03:18] Stephanie: I, well, I think another thing people don't tell you is when you get to the place that you've been working for so long, that, and you've worked hard, and finally you're there at the place and now you land in that place and instead of being like, yes, okay, I'm ready.
[00:03:34] You all of a sudden lose your confidence, and you feel like, oh my gosh, I am not equipped, I am not good enough. I'm gonna be found out I'm a fraud, basically. And that happened to me, you know, as I started acting at 29. And for the first 10 years, I was just really hustling. And then after 10 years, I got a big break, and I booked my first lead role in a big studio film called Dinner for Schmucks.
[00:04:03] And I'm playing opposite. Paul Rudd, you've heard this story a lot.
[00:04:06] Lindsay: I love the story.
[00:04:08] Stephanie: Paul Rudd, Steve, it shocks me every time you say it. I'm like, what? And I really just lost my confidence. And I remember my self-talk basically after most takes was. Oh my gosh, that sucked my own performance, you know? And then I was like, oh, they're gonna think it sucked.
[00:04:27] They're gonna think I suck. I do suck. I don't belong here. I'm gonna get fired. And I didn't have anyone to get my head out of my butt on the sidelines to say, You know what? Your mom told you, you're going to be on this set, and you're grateful that you're learning, and you're all this thing that could debunk this toxic self-talk.
[00:04:49] And it just impacted not only my performance, but also how I related to other people and my well-being. Well-being happened for about two years. The good thing is it led me to seek to learn tools, like self-talk and a whole bunch of other tools that helped not only with confidence on set, but also really gave me a whole new perspective on life and more joy and more meaning, and I'm sure all your listeners.
[00:05:22] You know, listen to podcasts. They get nuggets of gold from People. And then you're like, oh, I love this. What so and so said, I'm gonna remember this, and then you forget. And so I was like that. I would read books or get an aha moment, and then I'd forget. And so that led me to create a playbook, just like.
[00:05:42] A coach, a football coach, you see them on the sidelines with their play sheet. They are not relying on memory to call the play. They're constantly looking at their play sheet. And so what if we could have our own personal playbook that we could look at in the morning before we get distracted by the news?
[00:06:03] Before we get distracted by emails, the to-do list, all of that, we would see the playbook that reminds us of all the things that help us respond when it's, you know, fourth and one in the fourth quarter of our lives.
[00:06:16] Lindsay: Something that surprised me so much from that conversation was just the thought that success doesn't always bring confidence, but sometimes it actually rattles it.
[00:06:25] And in those moments, I don't know if you've been there, but you can feel completely out of control with yourself, and I love how Stephanie has sort of given a playbook to getting yourself back under control using the self-talk or whatever your tactic becomes. Anyway, so Stephanie, put words to that, like I'm going to be found out type of spiral.
[00:06:45] Our next clip is from guest Kadi Lee, hairstylist to the stars. She owns a brand and also a salon out in California. Her clip is really the flip side because it's more like what it looks like when you do have a study voice in your ear in terms of mentorship. So from confidence wobbling. To cbecoach Stephanie asks about needing a playbook.
[00:07:08] Kadi kind of shows what it looks like when someone hands you one. So Kadi rose to hairstyling fame because she began working with high-level A-list movie stars, including Julia Roberts, and this is one of my favorite clips from our show. She talked about the first time she was invited to work on one of the most famous actresses in Hollywood's hair.
[00:07:29] Here it is from Kadi. So, when you think back to whoever it is that you're working on, maybe some of the actresses, like the ones that obviously include Meghan Markle, Julia Roberts, what is the thing that you've experienced that you would say is something that no one tells you just about doing the job, that you've learned along the way?
[00:07:53] Kadi: I have to say I was really lucky in all of the people who have come into my life to guide me, also in this career. So, once I will say I left Frédéric Fekkai after five years in their Beverly Hills location and went to work foerge Normant, who then, and you know, he is the hairdresser's hairdresser, like I had tear-outs outs his work.
[00:08:24], he was the biggest inspiration to me, and to go and work for him was first a dream, and then to become not only his mentee, but now one of his closest friends is, has been like my wildest dream come true. So Serge has really been a guiding light in my life, in my career. And so yeah, there were things no one told me, but I also had like a very great bird in my ear telling me, you know, guiding me and telling me things, and Serge has always worked with like the utmost of, discre and elegance, and I just always wanted to be like him. So I kind of emulated him, a nd when he gave me the opportunity. To first work with Julia, like well over like 15 years ago. I just followed his lead. I mean, he was there with me that day.
[00:09:25] And has really never left my side. We work as a team, so I never had to wing it, per se, in a very high-pressure situation because he taught me how to be.
[00:09:40] Lindsay: That's awesome. So he was just literally like, Do you wanna come work with me on Julia Roberts?
[00:09:45] Kadi: literally that was just,
[00:09:46] Lindsay: And with that day, what do you remember thinking?
[00:09:50] Kadi: not being able to breathe.
[00:09:51] Lindsay: Really.
[00:09:55] Kadi: Which is so funny.
[00:09:55] Lindsay: Why, but I, he obviously was like, taken with the way that you did your work. So like, why did you feel that way, do you think?
[00:10:03] Kadi: I mean. You know, I work with chemicals, so it's like no pressure. Come with me. And you have a few hours to take Julia from brunette, which she was at the time.
[00:10:15] She had just finished filming a film, and I had to make her blonde in one day for a Lancombe commercial. Oh my gosh. Yeah. And you know, it's like. She is a busy person, and with, you know, raising young children and time was of the essence,,e and it was like, you didn't get nine hours to do this. Like, I literally had, you know, perhaps a mornand, but search helped.
[00:10:46] and gosh, I just remember that day finishing and. He called, a nd did he send me a message or did he call? I know what the, but I still remember what the message was, but you know, she loved you so much, but she wants to know does she speaks because speak spoke so. Just focused and silent the entire time and working like a, like, I mean, head down like a military position that she thought I was like, mute.
[00:11:22] Oh my goodness. And now, like we just laugh about it because you know, now we just chat like old friends.
[00:11:29] Lindsay: Oh my gosh. So you, because you were so in the moment.
[00:11:32] Kadi: Yeah, I just, I was focused gon getting every single thing right. And it was almost like I was in conversation with myself, as I could, I don't know, I was telling myself like, you're gonna do a sweep of color here, and you're going to pop that little piece there.
[00:11:46] And I just like conversed with myself for hours, like almost like. Transcended to another place in time. And then I looked up, and he was drying the hair, and everything that I had coached myself through was coming to life with each piece that was being dried. And I just remember it being like the most magical moment of my career, and that maybe that's why it's still so vivid in my mind.
[00:12:14] Lindsay: Oh my. I love that. And, you know, two things. It's like, first of all, it could have been any actress, but obviously, what's the first thing everyone thinks about when you say Julia Roberts? It's her hair, right? Yeah. So it's like, well, besides the fact that she's an amazing actress. So that's funny.
[00:12:30] Just, and I think that's so awesome. 'cause you know, I, think about it like on the course of my journey or other people I talk to, and it's like, there are these moments along the way where you're just This is exactly where I either am supposed to be or like want to be in this moment where it's like the thing that you have had the passion for, it kind of gets reaffirmed.
[00:12:52] Like it sounds like that's kind of what it was, right? It's just like this, yes. Yeah. Like it's lighting you up.
[00:12:58] Kadi: Reaffirm, but also like, you couldn't make it up. You, it was just wild.
[00:13:04] Stephanie: Right?
[00:13:05] Kadi: To this day, it's still wild. To this day, I will just kind of look around and shake my head because I feel like the luckiest person on the planet, and I am very aware of that every moment of every day.
[00:13:20] Lindsay: You know what's funny is when people, that have reached such a high level of, I wanna say, I guess for lack of a better term, success, say that like you look around and you feel like the luckiest person on the planet, but it is, if you take a step back and look at the people, and especially like these guests that we're talking to and what they've accomplished.
[00:13:37] There really are common threads. You know, it's no surprise that Kadi Lee is wildly successful at what she does. She has coaching, she had a vision, and she really, though, has managed the people aspect of it. Her whole salon is built on the fact of a gathering space where people can join and talk, and community, and talk about serious stuff, or as she said, when she's actually working on hair.
[00:14:01] She doesn't love to talk at all. She just wants to be in her workspace. So. Regardless of how you work with your own talent and your own personal performance with people who are really effective in high-pressure environments, it also comes down to how they work with those around them. And that leads me perfectly into the clip from my next guest, high-pressure moment, how pros react in real time.
[00:14:26] Kadi talked about that breathless, high-stakes focus. We're gonna stay now in that pressure zone, but in a totally different setting. We're gonna take you to the grid iron, but sidebar, before we go to the grid iron, I'm gonna take you to the racetrack because last May I was at the Indy 500 and I was in a watch area in a suite and I turned around and I looked over and I saw this group of people, and Daniel Jones was like, oh, hey, because we have worked together, me covering the NFL.
[00:14:55] I connected with him. He had been in Indianapolis, not for a long time at all, because he was just brought on as the new quarterback, and he wasn't even named the official starter yet. But I remember being like, Oh my goodness. This is fascinating because. No one knew what he was going to be able to do there.
[00:15:13] I think what people knew is he started successfully with the Giants, but then things, you know, went really up and down. And he had been with a couple of different teams before landing in Indie. So what I noticed right away, though that day, was that he was there with a few of his teammates, and I thought that was really cool because they were basically hanging out, but he really had not been in indie much at all.
[00:15:34] And in fact, that was a lot of our conversation talking about. What, you know, what do you know of the 500? What do you know about just India in general as a place where you would be living? So that just struck me as like, whoa, here's this guy that kind of, at this moment in his career, does have a lot to prove based on what the fan base thinks.
[00:15:50] And he's coming in as this guy who's gonna fight for the starting job, and what's gonna happen with the Colts? What are fans thinking? And then to go from that to see what he did at the start of the season, that meteoric beginning to the season, where people were like, how could we have ever doubted this guy in the first place?
[00:16:06] I was just watching and being like, you go, you know, you build that success on what you know so well, which is just you're great at your craft. You're a constant hustler with your work ethic, but also above all, he's probably incredible with the people around him. A great connector, and he's very good at figuring out how to create, maintain, and really nurture his relationships.
[00:16:30] And the truth is, it takes that special type of leader who is going to find a way to connect with all these other people if you're going to a new situation, just like a workplace. So I loved watching what he did this season. I loved what he had to share with us, and I hope that you will take something away from this clip.
[00:16:50] From an NFL quarterback. What would you say is the thing no one tells you? What have you experienced on your journey so far that you think is valuable for other people to learn from?
[00:17:05] Daniel: I don't know. That's a good question. I think there are a lot of things. I mean, we've talked about relationships, some, I think that is, is a huge part of the NFL's success, but also just like enjoying coming to work every day and enjoying.
[00:17:20]. Playing in the NFL or the relationships you're able to build with coaches, with teammates, you know, and, how long, you know, how long that can go. How, you know, what that can do on the field and off the field, a nd, you know, fortunate in the NFL you're playing in, you know. If you think about growing up and a lot of people played sports growing up, and for me at least, you know, sports was kind of how I built relationships, how I got to know people, you know, kind of what you do in your free time with your friends and in the summer or whatever it is.
[00:17:53] and the fact that you're still, you know, I'm still able, we're still able to play football and, kind. You know, build relationships, build friendships that same way is, I think, pretty neat. So I don't know, I think that's probably something that's not covered the same in the media or isn't as public, but just kind of
[00:18:13] You know, I guess, and one way to say it is just, I just really enjoy being in a locker room and how special it is to kind of be in a locker room on a team with a group of guys.
[00:18:23] Lindsay: Well, I don't know that people really fully grasp. How much of your life is that, and I know that sounds simple, but I really believe that one of the things I always sort of marvel at is the fact that, like, not only does an NFL quarterback or really any NFL player, for that matter, have to go out and do what they do at a.
[00:18:43] Crazy level of talent every week, but also the fact that they are doing it in front of an audience of national proportion and now, you know Then, also put into the fact, I know this sounds like really deep thoughts with Lindsay, but the fact that there are fans of specific teams, so you know that people like you, you also know that people hate you.
[00:19:06] So I just sometimes, when I think about it. And when you have an opportunity to sort of spend time with a given player, and you're hearing from them about the struggle of the season because, oh my God, guys, it is such a grind for them. Not only like physically, but mentally, sometimes I just think like.
[00:19:24] Then don't even think, people don't even realize that added part, right? That's that pressure. And I think sometimes that makes the highs feel so much higher, like making an amazing play. People are going crazy, but certainly it makes the lows feel so much lower, like when you drop a pass, when you make a really boneheaded play, when you throw an interception, whatever it is.
[00:19:47] So I think that's just something I wanted to pass on, but the other piece is. That sort of leads me to this clip, which is very close to me because it is with my husband, Craig Melvin, who we were talking about the new opportunity that he landed almost a year ago now as co-anchor of the Today Show.
[00:20:07] And what Daniel Jones talked about was very similar to Melvin. It's just in terms of, okay, you've got this pressure, figuring out how to work through the pressure, but certainly figuring out. What happens when you make it? Like, how do you approach that? And people don't talk about what happens then. So I'm very interested in you hearing this clip.
[00:20:31] I also wanna share that Melvin, you know, we started this because he's discussing some of his favorite parts of his job, and I think it's very telling where he begins.
[00:20:44] Melvin: I enjoy interviewing people who have. Just ordinary people, and I hate to use that adjective, but
[00:20:52] Lindsay: Every day, like every day folks.
[00:20:55] Melvin: Famous, whatever that means now. But those people who've overcome something extraordinary or done something extraordinary, I like catching that person the day after they've had the best day of their life, and they didn't see it coming. That lights me up. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I don't enjoy being like an A-list movie star and spending time with them.
[00:21:15] I'm not saying that, but I would just rather. I would rather have the other end of the spectrum, if that makes sense.
[00:21:22] Lindsay: The unexpected. Yeah. Yeah. They're relatable. So wait, so that's the thing no one tells you..
[00:21:30].. Melvin: Professionally, no one. Also, I would add that I don't know how much time we have for this podcast.
[00:21:35] I take your time. No one tells you the sheer sacrifice that is required. To make it, I use air quotes deliberately, like I don't, I think that a lot of people don't understand how hard you have to work, how much you have to be willing to give up, how much you have to second-guess yourself and your decisions, and feel like an imposter.
[00:22:04] How much do you have to experience all of that to eventually make it, and even when you make it, whatever, that, again, whatever that means. If you're doing it right, you still don't feel comfortable. You still feel like you constantly have something to prove professionally, and I think that's, I think it's a good thing.
[00:22:26] Lindsay: Why do you think that is? Do you think it's because you're trying not to fail, a nd you obviously don't wanna get fired from the thing that you've gotten to? Or do you think it's also? A piece of human nature. You get there and then, well, what else is there? What do you think?
[00:22:40] Melvin: You climb a mountain, you get to the apex, and you look around, and you're like, wow, this view's amazing.
[00:22:46] What do I do now? Do I stay at the top of the mountain? Do I climb down? Do I go back the other way? I came up like, you don't, but no one tells you that. Like, it's like you gotta, it's like climb the mountain, you get to the top, and you're like, oh, wow, this is pretty amazing.
[00:23:02] And then you're like. Okay, well, do I go to another mountain? Like, what do you do? And so then it becomes, then the challenge becomes staying at the top of the mountain. And no one tells you that. No one tells you that you can work towards something for your entire professional career. You get it, you achieve it, and then all of a sudden, the obsession becomes keeping it.
[00:23:24] Lindsay: Well, that was very honest. That was a very honest revelation from Melvin. And you know, it's something that like, I feel like we've talked about, but hearing him say it out loud about like, you climb this mountain, you climb this mountain, and then what, you know, what's weird and I'm just gonna go ahead and say it, but like, as a wife of a person saying that is but you don't have to climb the mountain 'cause we love you.
[00:23:46] You know what I mean? But, when he says that, it sort of puts a spotlight on the fact that. All of us want to do what we do well, you know, and it just highlights for me, and really, in that moment made me think about like, oh, he feels a lot of pressure. You know, duh. But I thought it was sweet, and I thought it was real, and I was really grateful that he was so open about that.
[00:24:08] and speaking about climbing the mountain, as he said. This next conversation is also similar. It's also about chasing the summit. But really, the highlight here is kind of about when that happens overnight and is a catalyst moment, and this person's version of how they handled that is a blueprint that I have continued to share with several people that I just talked to in conversation.
[00:24:33] So this clip. It is with Aliett Buttelman, who, by the way, was just honored, along with her co-founder of the brand phase, who were honored as 40 Under 40 by Forbes. So congratulations. Aliett is a model. She was an elite model, which is, if you know anything about that business, one of the top agencies. And so she was like, seriously known for amazing work in that industry.
[00:24:58] Aliett, while she was modeling, was also focused on sort of the business behind it and how all the different things worked. So she was explaining that it's no surprise that when she was approached by her co-founder, about like, Hey, we should really start this brand together. So phase, I'd be most recognizable for, these beautiful glitter freckles, these tattoos that you put on.
[00:25:20] They also do acne patches that are in the shape of stars and all these. Different things. But when she wanted to create the phase, Aliett said, You know, they went through all these sorts of motions that you might assume that a starting business, that you would do, right? But they were hustling, they were doing all these things, and I love the way that she describes it.
[00:25:41] But this clip in particular is about this overnight. Occurrence, which happens to be Taylor Swift wearing your product, where she's going to be photographed. What I loved most and what really kind of surprised me the most, because I wasn't expecting it, was the way that Aliett and her team reacted to that moment when they knew.
[00:26:03] With not hours to spare, that moment was going to happen. I think that is a great lesson and great information for anyone out there who is starting a business or who has one already, about how to be ready, how to sort of own it, what to do when the big mo moment comes. Because one thing I've also learned in sports from a lot of different sports and people that I've talked to is, there's one thing about the moment.
[00:26:28] But the magic happens when you can meet the moment. So many moments happen, and people miss them. So anyway, this is a perfect example of them taking advantage of the amazing storm that happened for them. One of the things that Aliett touched on that I loved most was her saying scrappiness is a muscle that you build early and never lose.
[00:26:49] I think that's really important. Stick to what? Works for you early on, and I think that's so true in so many different industries. I often think about that, that the things that I found most helpful and most authentic early, like connecting with people, asking questions, those are still the things that matter most to me now.
[00:27:05] So here is Aliett Buttelman talking about what happened when Taylor Swift showed up in her freckles.
[00:27:12] Aliett: It's not about just being on the most famous person or being worn by a celebrity, but there, there was product market fit with Taylor Swift wearing our product. She was finishing the Eras torn Europe pr. Yes, it's her bedazzled, all the glitter.
[00:27:26] Our product is waterproof and long-lasting, and sweat-proof. She could marry on stage and my back to like our scrappiness of what no one tells you in the early days. No one tells you that strategy comes from. A place of not having, and because we did not, we didn't have an abundance of resources in the early days, you would go about things differently than somebody who can throw a major marketing budget at something.
[00:27:53] So, other brands, right? Maybe they could pay Taylor to wear it, or they had the resources that they know. Her publicist or manager, I was like, okay, our strategy is let's get, let's create FOMO for Taylor. Let's put it all around her. Let's send it to her. Her makeup artist might give it to her. Let's send it to Sabrina Carpenter's team, who's opening for her.
[00:28:13] Yes. Let's send it to the wives and girlfriends of the chief. So she's in the box. These tre red and gold glitter freckles because, you know, they're supporting their men, a nd maybe she wants to be a part of that. And where is it? And that was what we were gonna do. We're just gonna surround Taylor with it.
[00:28:28] And then months later, I have a feeling that her makeup artist ended up putting it on her, but she ended up wearing it to Arrowhead Stadium to a Chiefs game in October.
[00:28:37] Lindsay: And what was that moment like for you, and how did you find out?
[00:28:41] Aliett: I walked into my apartment at night. The game was already on. My husband was watching it, and I was going through phase of Beauty's Instagram account.
[00:28:50] I just like to clear out messages every night. And a content creator wrote, twisting. I think Taylor's at the game right now, wearing, I think, your glitter freckles and blackout TVs on lookup. She's doing the whole runway strut through the tunnel. And I look at my explore page on Instagram, and it's Preez Hilton, Dave Portnoy, chicks in the Office, Daily Mail, and New York Post.
[00:29:12] Everyone has a zoomed-in photo of her face. And I look at my husband, and she's like, blackout. I start crying. He starts recording me, which is like the most unlike it was such a weird dynamic. We were like, What was this interaction? He knew,w and I both knew our reactions were that this is the catalyst, this is the moment.
[00:29:34] He's recorded it for history, and I'm just knowing my life's about to change, and I didn't even watch the TV. I set up my office in my living room for the night. We stayed up all night. I had my brother-in-law over. I'm calling Nina. She's not answering the phone. No, she is not answering. She was in a meditation, and I was just like, girl, it's time to work.
[00:29:58] and that whole night we were up, I know how fast media cycles work. And we had to capitalize on this new momentum we were getting, and we just had to seize every opportunity in that short amount of time. And I really thought that if I fell asleep, the moment was over. And we just tried to unlock every possibility in those first 48 hours.
[00:30:21] Lindsay: So what, what did that look like? Like, what did you really think you needed to do in that span? That 'cause that just gave me chills. Like the moment, you're right. It's like the moment just. It can go so fast.
[00:30:32] Aliett: Yeah. First, it was, no one knew it was our product. No one knew it was Phase It. Right. So I had to contact all these journalists.
[00:30:41] I probably had a, there was probably over a hundred press outlets those first few hours that were writing about this. I mean, anything that has to do with Taylor,
[00:30:47] Lindsay: But how do you even rule that, Aliett? Like, how do you know how to get to these people? I mean, like an internet sleuth.
[00:30:53] Aliett: I'm telling you, scrappy days of not having anything, you figure out how to reach people, and it's, you're on LinkedIn?
[00:30:59] I am. I'm finding the journalist on Instagram. I'm DMing the,m saying like, you need to tag my brand and. kindly everybody did. They would re-edit their posts and
[00:31:09] Lindsay: That's amazing.
[00:31:09] Aliett: Tag Phase It as the brand. So I did that. The first few hours I wake up, I've probably slept three hours and had lucid dreams of Taylor and Travis and me, me get a call from CBS News, I don't knand ow how they found my phone number.
[00:31:24] And they're like, Can you come into the studio? Like we want you to do an on-air demo. We wanna cover this.
[00:31:29] Lindsay: And that was literally within the next 24 hours.
[00:31:32] Aliett: This was 8:00 AM the next morning.
[00:31:33] Lindsay: I loved Aliett's perspective, and her hustle mentality is incredible. But also just the way that you, you know, I think it's so cool because there are so many people that have like linear paths.
[00:31:44] It appears to be what they're doing or trying to do, and then someone like Aliett and a lot of people out there that get these seeds of a passion, and they decide that they wanna try something. And I really am a firm believer that you've got to give that time and space and go for it. And with Aliett knowing what they had the vision for, knowing that it wasn't all easy.
[00:32:07] They had wins, they had failures along the way, but at the end. I think it was really cool just the way that they've stuck to what has worked with them so far. And obviously, it takes a lot of faith and people believing in you and believing in yourself. And in terms of the topic of faith, one of my favorite episodes this year that I was really excited to do was a conversation about faith in football, specifically in the NFL, because I was covering the sport.
[00:32:36]I have seen just a lot of examples of how faith has impacted teams as well as players individually. Of course, the Buffalo Bills invited us to training camp to sit down with team Chaplain, Len Vanden Bos, and we were joined by former player, retired Buffalo Bill, Lorenzo Alexander. Because Lorenzo is someone who has had a lot of experience and is very involved with faith in the locker rooms.
[00:33:01] But Len has been a team chaplain for several years. It is his full-time job. There are only a handful of full-time NFL chaplains in the league. Most teams, in fact, have someone who's a chaplain come in, but who? Works maybe full-time somewhere else at a different church or establishment and comes in just to help during the week.
[00:33:21] So Len, this is his full-time job. He's very much a piece of the fabric of that Buffalo Bills community. So much so that they put him to work on the field during practice as well and, you know, ahead of the game. But his job really is to. Help build a connection with the players. Help of course with their walk of faith, their journey with God, but also just be someone there for them.
[00:33:45] And head coach Sean McDermott with the Buffalo Bills was very intentional in creating this as a full-time role because he believes that camaraderie and chemistry, you know, as part of his take on authenticity, is to have faith available to everybody. So we sat down for this conversation. The piece that I found, just the most fascinating at times, was talking about the tragedy that occurred to the Buffalo Bills in January 2023.
[00:34:16] So almost three years ago. When safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac event on the field, Len shared. His perspective on that day also shared how faith became such a role that it helped them pass through that tragedy. And I really learned something from this episode because Len took us back to that night on that field on Monday night Football when the event happened, and the way that he described what happened, and also how he.
[00:34:45] Was, you know, helping them, you know, using faith, navigating through that, what was really a grief situation very fast before it even got better. I just thought it was really interesting. So I hope that you'll take something from this, Len Vanden Bos and Lorenzo Alexander of the Buffalo Bills.
[00:35:02] The bills had the situation 16 years later, after Sean happenedYeahah. Damar Hamlin. Yeah. Having a cardiac event on the field. What was that like for you when that was unfolding? Wow.
[00:35:15] Len: It was, I've described it before as surreal, and then it got really real. Mm-hmm. You know, that, you know, a lot of guys go down in football games, you know, and even.
[00:35:27] Hard hits, but most of the time they get back up, you know, and those, you know, 10, 12 minutes that he was down felt like an hour. You know, because you could see, you know, the look on the doctor's faces. You could see the look on the trainer's faces that this was something different. Right? And so all of a sudden it goes from, you know, what down is it? And, to what's going on. He's not getting up. And all of a sudden, in mass, we're moving as a team, and we're starting to kneel and pray with guys. And, but you're close enough to hear, you know, what the doctors are saying and to visually see, you know, Denny Ellington doing compressions on him.
[00:36:17] And, all of a sudden, it went to, this is really real. Like we were in the middle of a first quarter of a big game, playoff implications, where we're gonna be seated on Monday night, and all of a sudden that place is quiet. I mean. Dead quiet, and you hear the com. You know the compressions and the doctors talking, and all of a sudden you're two minutes into that, and you're praying, and then you're looking over.
[00:36:43] And you're praying, and you're looking over and all of a sudden, you know, the thought creeps into your mind about five minutes into it, as he coas. Right. I had never had that thought. Right. You know, I mean, he could be hurt really bad, you know, but all of a sudden, and the emotions, if you, know, have seen any of that footage, the emotions are all over the place with our guys, you know, guys are crying, guys aren't able to look, And by this time, by we're the five, six minute mark, the Bengals team has come over, you know, and there's an ambulance coming on and you know, the, image of Denny doing those compressions for nine minutes, you know, just felt like, like I said earlier, it felt like an hour to going, you know, we're just praying, Lord, bring him back, you know?
[00:37:34] And, I remember, you know, hearing I was close enough to hear where they said we're gonna shock him. You know, and bring the paddles and, you know, so, you know, this is a serious deal. And so that was right around the nine or 10-minute mark, if I remember. And they shocked him. And, I believe they got a heartbeat on the first shock.
[00:37:56] Maybe it took two. But we heard he has a pulse, you know, and before you know it, man, he was in that ambulance and, you know, you're like, what do we, you know, what happened? What just happened? All of our minds are off of football, you know, and I remember I went over to the ambulance door to try to, you know, pray over him somehow.
[00:38:18] And then by the time that pulled away, I looked back, and Sean had gathered the whole team and was motioning me over to come and pray. And Lindsey, I can't, the only thing I could get outta my mouth was, Lord, bring him back. That's the only thing I could say. I don't think I said anything else other than, Lord, bring him back, Lord, bring him back, Lord.
[00:38:39] Bring him back begging you, Lord. Bring him back. You know? And, you know, that I, you know, there was a moment, there were moments there. We didn't know what was going on.
[00:38:51] Lindsay: I mean, his heart had stopped on that field. Yeah.
[00:38:53] Len: Yeah. His heart had, you know, and the leadership Sean showed in that, in those moments, 'cause the officials came over and it was, you have five minutes to warm up.
[00:39:04] And I remember, Siran Neal, I remember Tre'Davious White, I remember guys going, just looking at 'em like they're not gonna play a football game. Right. There is no way. They weren't warming up. You know, they were crying. Right. You know, and I remember I went over close enough where Zach Taylor came over to Sean, and the officials were there, a nd Sean said, he says, I'm gonna the hospital.
[00:39:28] He goes, if you guys play this game, whatever the league decides, so be it. But I'm going to the hospital. That's where I belong. And that's just. I was so impressed with Sean's decisiveness, you know, and that was, I thought to myself, that's exactly what we should be doing.
[00:39:46] Lindsay: I also wanted to mention that from the full podcast episode with the Buffalo Bills, I found it really eye-opening about locker rooms, and how faith
[00:39:55] plays a role in the locker rooms and how you maybe don't take the time to think about the fact that there is such a diverse group of men playing on this team, coming from so many different places, so many different backgrounds, so many different outlooks on life. And it really just kind of painted a picture too for me about like how important it is, no matter what your working environment i, or like your family group dynamic is just.
[00:40:22] finding the common ground, you know, and even though we're so different, but just, you can be so different from someone across from you, but what is your common ground? What is your connection? And speaking about connection, Bridget KerMorris is probably the one guest on things. No one tells you that if I could have just a direct line to Bridget at any time, she's the guest that I would wanna have.
[00:40:43] The direct line to that is because she is a parent coach, specifically of middle school parents. Parents of kids who are in middle school. I have a middle schooler, sixth grade, so this is my first trip into this. Bridget has been through it several times. She's got a hundred kids. Kidding. But she is so amazing in the content that she puts out, truly because she always has these very specific likes.
[00:41:09] You know, there posts she does about tech, about this and about that, but the thing that Bridget left me with was like, ugh, there's so much pressure that we put on ourselves. I don't know about you guys, but like I'm always having that little voice in my head that's like, Am I asking the right question of my son?
[00:41:28] Am I doing this enough? Should I be letting him figure this out for himself? Should I interject myself here more? But with Bridget. When she talked about the thing no one tells you, it almost just brought me to tears because I thought across the years and the decades and the generations of parents, this one thing never changed, and it still hasn't changed, and it's not going to change.
[00:41:54] So I hope you'll feel the same way. But, Bridget KerMorris, I highly recommend you go listen to the full episode, but for now, this was definitely my favorite part. Bridget, what is the thing that no one tells you about being a middle school parent?
[00:42:09] Bridget: We're not told how much our kids wanna be connected to us.
[00:42:12] I think what we're told is that it's gonna be hard to make these decisions. You're gonna be fighting them with tech every day, that they're gonna wanna just like be with their friends all the time, and that stuff can happen, but they really love us. And they really wanna be connected. And it's almost, you know, when we look at attachment science, it's, it feels like an emergency to them when they are not connected with us.
[00:42:33] And so, gosh, like what an opportunity we have here. I just look at the middle school years, and I see so much opportunity, t,y and that's the message that I want to get across. 'cause as parents. No one tells us this either, but like we can really love these years with our kids. Mm-hmm. We can. So our kids, they wanna be close with us.
[00:42:51] We are so important to them. They really like us, and they want to be with us even when things are hard, and we can love these years. So, yeah, I think that's not talked about enough, and I think that my Instagram page has grown quicker than I expected, and I think that might be the reason that parents are like.
[00:43:10] Yes, this is like a safe place to land. 'Cause I really am, I often say this, Lindsay, like, I'm like, I say to my parents like that, I coach and stuff. I'm like, I'm not worried about your kids. I'm worried, like I know they're really well taken care of. I'm worried about you, like I'm worried about you, the parent, and being able to enjoy these years, and you know, parent with integrity and feel good during these years.
[00:43:32] So that's where I'm coming from, and I think it's gotten some traction because parents are like, yeah, like, yes, you're important too as a middle school parent.
[00:43:42] Lindsay: Oh, Bridget, just so wise, right? And sometimes I'll think about that now. And I've really also taken to hear, connecting with my kids if possible, around bedtime.
[00:43:51] And that's the time that my son usually has, just a lot on his mind. But, you know, giving ourselves the permission and the grace and the leeway to just be like. Let's just give them love, you know? And I mean, hearing that from her kind of changed the way that I looked at my son. Because when I talked to Bridget for the first time and did this interview, we were in the very beginning of middle school, so we were going through all these transitions of like, okay, are you good?
[00:44:21] What's happening here? You know? And so just listening to that advice of like, they just wanna know you like them. Man, that hits hard, and I think it's awesome. Also, something that Bridget said that really pertains to this next guest is, you know, the concept of kids. Middle schoolers oftentimes are just kind of figuring out, like, who am I?
[00:44:42] Right? Like, who am I in this big world? Who am I in my family? Who am I in this social dynamic at school? And that's something that never goes away. Just ask Brooke Baldwin. Brooke Baldwin is someone I first met in broadcast journalism because we were both working in DC, but we were both at CNN for a short time.
[00:45:02] I was there for a short time. She was there for a very long time. Brooke was a well-known CNN anchor. Highly expected, you know, tons of breaking news.High. High national profile situations under her belt. Very likable and just a likable person in her delivery. And I think the way that people knew that they could rely on her and what she had to say.
[00:45:24] So Brooke basically lost the show that she was sort of most known for, and really, her connection question became. Who are you when the label comes off? And I think that is just so direct and to the point of the fact that a lot of us deal with the question of self-worth. It's just something that happens.
[00:45:45] And if you're so used to the grind or doing what you do for so long, once you don't have that thing, maybe at the end of the day, we're all just kind of worried, like. Like Bridget said, do they like me? Right? But so Brooke's whole episode to me was mind-blowing. But this clip is really about her unraveling.
[00:46:06] And for those that don't know, Brooke has now created a Substack. She has a book, and she has been on Oprah's podcast. She has really built her platform now and her brand that's very similar because it's the same authentic Brooke Baldwin that she was at CNN. But this is really the open. Honest, current version of Brooke Baldwin, on this platform that she has now, where she shares what she's gone through, what she's going through, how she's seeing things with anyone that, you know, that is willing to listen, that wants to listen.
[00:46:37] I think it's amazing. And this is Brooke being really honest about what that feeling is like. So I'm curious, like, there are all these things.
[00:46:46] Brooke: Oh, where do you wanna start?
[00:46:48] Lindsay: The thing I think we should start with. You leave CNN, and now you're in and like you're figuring out what's next so that you can bridge us to unraveling, however.
[00:46:59] Yeah, succinct. Do you wanna share that?
[00:47:01] Brooke: Yeah. I would say I remember exactly the moment when I think I was maybe not even out of CNN just yet. I left in April of 2021, and somewhere in there, I remember having a phone call with a really powerful woman, and I said to her, You know, I could have stayed in news.
[00:47:18] Lemme say that, like, yeah, I think I was, you know, I think I could have stayed in and done some sort of special correspondent work or maybe become an anchor elsewhere, and I just decided. I was like. Like, I wanna be in longer form storytelling. I've been doing this for 20 years. I've gotten to like one of the highest positions in the game.
[00:47:40] Like, I wanna try something else. And so I really totally bet on myself. But if you had told me four years ago, like how hard that road would be, you know, and just how hard it would be to like, you know, like, sort of turn, turn the ship. I'm glad I didn't know. I'm also glad that was the choice I made.
[00:48:02] and so over the course of those four years, you know, I did various things. Like I, I got a pretty cool phone call from Netflix about, you know, yeah. Hosting a social experiment show, and I've done a lot of public speaking around my book huddle. But, you know, when you are in a machine for 20 years, you know, whether it was local news or for then for CNN for me, you're just like, part of.
[00:48:22] You're used to being part of a machine, and I think the biggest adjustment in what really kicked off my unraveling was being dropped, kicked out of my dream job, but then also this like, wait, who am I if I don't have this container, this fancy container that is CNN around me? Wait, who am I if I don't, if I'm not CNN's Brooke Baldwin and I'm just Brooke.
[00:48:42] It was a lot, Lindsay, in the beginning of just like, who am I. That was like my first, you know, biggest, just working to figure that out. And then once I have figured that out, I started really writing this unraveling Substack in hopes of sharing parts of my life and my truth with others and walking this road together.
[00:49:07] Lindsay: I hope you like that little things no one tells you time capsule, but what really, what strikes me most is how different these lives of the guests that we talk to look on the outside, but how really, how similar the inner questions often are. So, you know, whether it's something like success loss, reinvention, parenting, or pressure, everyone is navigating uncertainty in the same way.
[00:49:29] So, as you're navigating the way that you want the best version of yourself to maybe look in this new year in 2026, I hope that hearing from these guests and hearing a little bit about the thing, no one told them was gonna happen on their journey. That they experienced and now want you to learn from.
[00:49:48] I hope that helps. It's why we're doing this. It's why I still would love to hear any topics that you guys are interested in. But as always, thank you so much for being here, for watching, for listening. We're so glad that you're a part of this community, and we can't wait to see you for a full slate of new episodes in season two.
[00:50:07] Much more to come, but for now, thank you. Thanks so much for joining me. I can't wait to see you back here next week. Please don't forget, follow, and subscribe to Things No One Tells You. And of course, if you're listening on Apple Podcasts, don't forget to leave a five-star review because that's really what helps people get more.
[00:50:24] Listeners, we would love to grow this community. We are so grateful that you're a part of it. See you next time.
