The Hidden Price of Going Viral in College | Kylan Darnell - Post Run High

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The population of my hometown is like fifteen hundred.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
It was so small.

Speaker 3 (00:04):
How quickly did the fame hit?

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Very quickly because at the time I was miss o
Hioten Essay, if I would have been caught on camera
taking a drink, everything would have been down the drain
for me.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
From zero to two hundred thousand photos.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
In a down Rush talk icon in miss Ohioten, USA,
twenty twenty two.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Kylon Darnell reveals the hidden pressure of going viral.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
What fame costs, how she rebuilt confidence, and the Darnell's
next surprise project.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Everybody's getting invited to date parties and all the freshmen
were excited going out. And I couldn't really do that
until after I had given up my title. I only
put out content that I thought was one hundred percent perfect.
I didn't let people see like my true personality. But
I realized it turned me into more of like a
robot and like doing exactly what I thought was perfect.

Speaker 4 (00:46):
But this is where social media was great for you,
because you started making your own money pretty quickly.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
I remember making in.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
One month of being like, holy crap, it all happened
because I got a call from You've got to walk
a certain way, You've got to talk certain way. You
have to have the perfect wardrobe, perfect hair, perfect makeup.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Play it really devastated me.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Let's talk about the yellow dress.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Oh my goodness, the hell. I'll tell you what actually happened.

Speaker 4 (01:10):
I was twenty twenty five, Bama Rush different for you
than prior years.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
We're going to get really into it.

Speaker 4 (01:20):
Hi, guys, it's Kate Max. Welcome back to Post run High.
Just give me thirty seconds of your time before we
get into today's episode with the Queen of Rush Talk
and aspiring sports broadcaster Kylin Darnell. Two things I want
to say. The first thing is a huge thank you
for listening and tuning into the show week after week.
It means the world to our team and doing the

(01:41):
show really is a dream that we could not do
without you. Secondly, it's a dream that we are only
just getting started. And if you enjoy our show, please
join the people that listen to this podcast regularly and
follow us on this app. Here's a promise I'm going
to make to you. I'm going to do everything in
my power to make this show as good as I can.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
I'm going to deliver the guests that.

Speaker 4 (02:02):
You want me to speak to and continue serving you
content that we can learn and grow from together.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Thank you, Kylon Darnell. Welcome to Post Run High.

Speaker 4 (02:19):
Hi.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
I'm so excited to be here.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
I'm so excited for you to be here.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
So, Kylon and I are currently in Los Angeles, which
is different for both of us. Yeah, Ella, is this
your first time in California?

Speaker 1 (02:30):
No? No, I've been here a couple of times, but
it's all been work trips. I've never this is the
longest amount of time I've been here. Went to the
Rose Bowl and I really this time got to experience
the city, and then I had stuff with work, So
I was glad to have like a couple of touristy
days in between and do all the fun stuff, try
all the matches.

Speaker 4 (02:46):
It's good to get an extended amount of time here.
It's also great weather you missed, like the downpour of
rain that happened last week.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
Like last week it was so rainy, it was gray
like every day outside, and now it's like perfect.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, it is funny.

Speaker 3 (02:57):
Now, Well, we just ran a mile and a half
through West Holly.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Y'all hear that I ran a mile?

Speaker 1 (03:03):
No, guys in all jokes. I've not ran since my
senior year of high school. I played soccer in sports
my whole life, but then I started doing like more
less intense workouts, so I haven't ran a mile in
a good bit. Now I'll hot girl walk a lot,
but just running and talking is a whole different thing.
So proud of myself, feel very good.

Speaker 4 (03:21):
Well, you're a senior at the University of Alabama. Do
you work out on campus or you do hot girl
walk around campus? Like?

Speaker 3 (03:28):
What is your form of activity?

Speaker 2 (03:30):
I do both. I do pilates.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
I love pilates, and I think it's because I'm somebody
I've never been able to. Like in high school, I
took weights with all the boys. I was the in
the girl in the weights class. My parents maybe do
it for sports and like to get stronger. And I
like the girly feel of pilates. I like being in
there with the big music and just the kind instructor.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
That's a lot of fun to me. But I love
to walk.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
I mean there was a time, like especially last semester,
where I was getting fifteen k steps a day, like
just making sure I hit fifteen.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
I was obsessing it, and it's a lot of fun.

Speaker 3 (04:01):
How big is the Alabama campus.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
The campus itself is not that large. It's very close together.
And that's my favorite part about it because you could go,
like I can go on a night out and then
walk back to my house and be completely safe. And
I also love walking to class. So I like how
close our campus is together. I like, I love how
I can walk five minutes to the stadium, walk ten

(04:24):
minutes to class.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
That's really nice.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yeah, that is nice. It's also nice.

Speaker 4 (04:27):
Yeah when your classes aren't like twenty minutes apart. Yeah,
mix printing when you are saying you're walking fifteen thousand steps,
like where are you walking? Are you just doing loops
around the campus.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
So I would walk around the campus, neighborhoods, I would
do the river walk, I would go walk on a treadmill.
I got a walking pad to talk shop, and I've
been That's what I've been doing in the wintertime because
I'm somebody that if it is under I will say
sixty degrees, I'm not walking outside.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
I love the.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
Warmth, and yeah, weather, it's a big factor for me.
I liked getting a walking patent. Being inside. That helped
me stay more active, and I found that the more
active I was, because I was always an active kid
growing up, always at practice, always like doing something, especially
like since I've lived on the farm, my mom would
literally walk us out of the house so she could
clean it, and always running around. But whenever I went

(05:17):
to college, there's a big switch for me. I noticed
that I wasn't as active my freshman year and it
was harder for me to go to the gym, and
I didn't know where that was coming from.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
I think it was like a thing where.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
I just started social media and a lot of students
knew who I was, and like I was getting like
some traction online.

Speaker 2 (05:34):
It was harder for.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
Me because I was very like kind of insecure at
this moment to go get in the gym and to
be more active out on campus. I kind of wanted
to hide inside. So I quit being active, and I
noticed the decline of my mental health, and so then
I picked it back up and felt so.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
Much better after like moving and staying active.

Speaker 4 (05:53):
Yeah, I feel like movement is such a big player
too for so many people when it comes to feeling
good mentally, Like it's to me, it's less about what's
happening physically to my body, And obviously that's like a
pro of working out, right you like, you know, you
work out, you look good, you feel good. But really
it's like the feel good aspect and it is so
important to move and you know, get in that routine.

(06:13):
But I can't even imagine what it was like for you,
because I remember, you know, being a freshman in college
and going to the gym and you know, feeling kind
of like a little bit of a wallflower and almost
liking it a little bit because nobody really knows you.

Speaker 3 (06:25):
You can kind of just like blend in, but you
stood out.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yeah, And like it was so it was so funny
because I remember like being a freshman and like making
Jim tiktoks and like trying to and like, mind you,
I like had lifted ways before because it did take
that ways class. And like, my dad is giant, he's buffed,
and he would always make me like lift growing up
and work out with him because he really wanted me
to learn how to like get in the routine of
being active. And my father has works out every single

(06:52):
day and probably has not missed a day since he was.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
Before I was born.

Speaker 1 (06:58):
He loves it and so he really that into me
growing up, and sports kind of took care of that
for me. But whenever I was a freshman, it was
harder for me because people take videos of me in
the gym and like posting one yekyik, and I was like,
it was just embarrassing me so bad, because whenever you're
in the gym, you don't want to have to worry
about what you look like.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yes, and so it like did mess with me a
little bit.

Speaker 1 (07:20):
And that was just kind of everywhere, Like I thought
I had to look perfect on campus at all times
because I was worried about like what people were taking
of me, like pictures, they were taking things that they
were gonna say, And so I really had to drop
that attitude because it was really crippling.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
It gave me crippling.

Speaker 1 (07:34):
Anxiety my freshman and sophomore year, and I really had
to learn how to kind of get out of that.

Speaker 3 (07:39):
Yeah, I mean, I can't even imagine.

Speaker 4 (07:40):
I mean, and there's so many factors that come into
play here, and we're going to unpack all of them.

Speaker 3 (07:44):
But it's like, you know, you were new to college, which.

Speaker 4 (07:48):
Is an anxiety inducing experience on its own. It's a
completely new experience you're making friends for the first time,
You're meeting all these new people. It's like information overload,
and also trying to figure out school and balance sority
life and social life.

Speaker 3 (07:59):
But yeah, then on top of.

Speaker 4 (08:00):
That, you were growing in eyeballs, not just on campus
but also online. And you also came from a really
tiny town in Ohio. So like all of these factors
just would I can imagine how anxiety inducing it was
being on campus with all those eyeballs.

Speaker 3 (08:14):
How quickly did the fame hit?

Speaker 2 (08:17):
Very quickly?

Speaker 1 (08:17):
I mean Alabama Rush as itself is a whole thing now.
I will say my like, the first weeks on campus
were the most exciting. Everything was new, Everything was so shiny,
you know what I'm saying, Like whenever there's like new things.
I was so excited to be out. I was so
excited to be away from my parents. Love my parents,
love your mom and dad. Like just the I felt
free and it was so much fun in the first

(08:40):
couple of weeks. And then I realized it felt like
I couldn't go out because at the time I was
been so hioed to essay and I was a pageant girl.
And if anybody knows anything about that you have to.

Speaker 2 (08:50):
Be extremely clean through.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
College, like especially like if I would have been caught
on camera taking a drink like number one that was
a lead, and like everything would have been down the
drain for me.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
And so I was really I didn't get.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
Like the first college experience because I wouldn't like whenever
I would go out, I just like stood there and
like didn't like participate in all the college things.

Speaker 2 (09:15):
At first.

Speaker 1 (09:15):
It was like freshman year, everybody was getting invited to
date parties and all the freshmen were excited going out,
and I couldn't really do that until after I had
given up my title. And I also didn't want to
be clipped online like be a big thing that I
was underage drinking.

Speaker 3 (09:29):
Wait, what do you mean given up your title?

Speaker 1 (09:31):
So whenever you are like Miss Ohio ten USA. I
went and competed for Miss teen USA that October, and
I had to be very careful like of all things
social media and like the college life of partying, because
pageants it's like a very thing, like you don't post drinking.
You don't like I could have lost my title, like

(09:52):
I'm not supposed.

Speaker 4 (09:52):
To drink, and so you're so this happened you were
Miss Tenusa. You got that title when you were a
freshman in college.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
So I won Miss Ohiotensa my senior year of high school,
and I didn't give it up until a year after.
So I came back from college and gave up my crown.

Speaker 3 (10:08):
But it's giving up the crown is like handing it
off to the girls.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
Someone else would got it.

Speaker 4 (10:12):
I need to be like updated on pageant culture because
I like don't know anything about it.

Speaker 1 (10:16):
It's very like traditional strict, Like I don't know much
about it now because I've kind of ever since I
gave away my title. I really slipped away. I was
like that was fun. Then I'm at the position now
where it wouldn't really benefit me and like I'm just
not into it as much.

Speaker 2 (10:31):
I grew up doing them.

Speaker 1 (10:32):
I kind of got burnt out, Like I to be
completely honest, once I won Miss o Hiotenia say, I
was burnt out. Like even competing for TENUSA was really
hard for me and my mom, Like it had always
been like our goal growing up because my mom was
in pageants as well and like competed a lot, and
so I was like raised, but it was like for me,
I just wanted to be Miss Ohio Tenus. I didn't

(10:52):
want to win the big one. I wanted to go
and like party and have fun with my friends. And
that's not the greatest headspace to have, and I was
extremely grateful. I was just there was a lot going
on in my life, and so I couldn't really like
buckle down and like practice for it.

Speaker 2 (11:07):
I was just kind of like woo.

Speaker 4 (11:09):
So for people that don't know a lot about pageants,
like myself, can you give us the breakdown of how
old are you when you start pageants? What is it
like actually doing a pageant, getting ready for a pageant,
and why is it so exhausting so.

Speaker 1 (11:22):
You can start pageants. I know people that started pageants
in like three months. Their moms carry them and they're
not even like they don't even know that they are
the babies. But I started Mine's actually funny. I was
very much a tomboy growing up, and I love to
follow my older brother around and I loved all of
his friends, had big crushes on all of his friends,
and my dad would make him include us, like include

(11:45):
me and my sister whenever he was outside like playing
and stuff like that. So I became very tomboyish to
the point where I was standing on the sophomall field
one day at a game and I spit on the field,
like literally hawked alugi on the field. My mother had
a heart attack. I think that was it for her.
She watched it and also like at the school dances
and I couldn't step in clap, so she put me

(12:07):
a dance class to where I can learn how to
step in clap. That was very important for her. I
have no rhythm, and now that I haven't been a
dance it's declined a lot. But it kind of like
you've got to walk a certain way, You've got to
talk a certain way. You have to have the perfect wardrobe,
perfect hair, perfect makeup. You have to have a great interview,
you have to have community volunteer experience.

Speaker 2 (12:28):
You have to be like.

Speaker 1 (12:31):
Basically like the perfect version of yourself, but also be
involved in so many act activities and be very like
multifaceted to make yourself like more interesting.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
So it's a lot.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
It's a very like props to those girls that are
still doing it. It's a lot of work. And I
feel like that life prepared me for this life.

Speaker 2 (12:52):
That's why for me, I can travel.

Speaker 1 (12:55):
All day on a plane, hop off, get ready on
the plane, go to an interview, do a podcast, than
leave the next day, and being in a different city.

Speaker 2 (13:02):
It has completely like.

Speaker 1 (13:03):
Prepared me for this aspect of my life because where
I've got experience in that, and it's made public speaking
so much easier. It's made being on stage so much
easier for me because I grew up doing that. So
I am very grateful for the experience. But I will
say I didn't notice that a point in my life.
I was very robotic, like I thought because like with pageants,

(13:24):
only there's six judges and like their opinions, they can
all have different opinions. But I realized it turned me
into more of like a robot and like doing exactly.

Speaker 2 (13:32):
What I thought was perfect.

Speaker 1 (13:33):
And I realized that my sophomore year of college because
if you guys remember, like my first couple of videos,
whenever I did go viral, I was very I'm not
the same person I am now. I was very timid online.
I only put out content that I thought was one
hundred percent perfect. I didn't let people see like my
true personality. And yes, it was great that I got
that start, but I really just wanted. I'm grateful that

(13:54):
I was able to burst that bubble and realize that
good there are great days, but then.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
Sometimes there are bad days. So then once I started.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
Being more dynamic and not just being the perfect version
that I thought people would see me as perfect and
drop that, it made my life ten times easier. And
I'm extremely grateful for like the headspace I'm in now.

Speaker 4 (14:14):
Yeah, And I also think that period of your life,
like being a freshman, being at that age, coming right
out of that mindset of the pageant world that you're describing, like,
it makes so much sense to me why you presented
yourself the way that you did.

Speaker 3 (14:25):
On social media.

Speaker 4 (14:27):
And then of course with age and time and being
in a college experience and meeting all these people, going
to parties, going out with a friend, you do slowly evolve,
and I think, what's really cool about you? And you know,
I've been following you since you were a freshman in
that era, and you've evolved a lot on social media.

Speaker 1 (14:42):
Yeah, and it's been fun every stuff of the way,
because social media for me isn't like work. It's not like,
oh I have to do this, It's actually fun for me.
I love especially from where the population of my hometown
is like fifteen one hundred. It was so small, and
I I grew up with the same kids from kindergarten,
the same graduated with them. I knew I could tell

(15:05):
you everybody in my classes, like grandma and grandpa, what
they did, what sport they were in, who their best
friend was, Like everybody knows everybody where I'm from. So
I was so used to just it being like their
traditional like movie small town in rural Ohio. And it's
been so nice for me to find my voice into also,
like it's nice to know that people are listening to

(15:27):
my voice, you know, I'm saying, like, it's just it's
so special to me because whenever I share opinions, whether
they agree or disagree, it's still nice to be able
to get my opinion out there to the public.

Speaker 2 (15:36):
And that's been really special to me.

Speaker 4 (15:38):
Definitely, You're definitely empowering like a young generation of girls,
you know, and I think a lot of people look
up to you and see you as their role model,
right And You've been dubbed by so many outlets like
the Queen of Rush Talk, which is probably so funny
for you coming from Ohio. Not having had a mom
that was in sororities.

Speaker 2 (15:54):
Right, it's honestly my family. I'm gonna be honest, y'all.

Speaker 1 (15:56):
We laugh about it every Thanksgiving because Thanksgiving for me,
I love to like sit around the table. I'm such
the person to be like, let's reflect on the what's happened, Like,
let's just talk about it. And so my brother all
the time and my dad were putting my life to
humble me. And so every time I go home they
make sure too. But it's just so funny to me
because my mother was not in a sorority. My dad

(16:18):
played college football, and I knew nothing about it. Now
I'm like this big spokesperson for Greek life, which is
like whenever I was rushing, I thought it was so
fun and I love to teach people about it because
it was so new to me. And it was basically
like a FaceTime call, Like I remember, the reason why
I started it is because I was in a different
time zone than Ohio time, so my grandma didn't wake

(16:42):
up in time to get on our FaceTime call. So
I was facetiming my mom and I was like, is
this outfit okay?

Speaker 2 (16:47):
Do I look good?

Speaker 1 (16:48):
And my mom was like, you're gonna do great, not
just good, Kylin.

Speaker 2 (16:51):
You got this go in there. You've interviewed your whole life.

Speaker 1 (16:54):
So then she was like, you should make up little TikTok,
but you're teaching people about it, like this is so
funny and it's so new and like no one's ever
seen it, and it can keep our community up on
what you're doing.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
So I did.

Speaker 1 (17:04):
And then after that, I literally like shut my phone off.
I remember, and then getting on the bus and going
into our convocation day where they teach you all about it.
I get home at six o'clock. I'm getting Chipotle in
the line. I finally opened my phone and my phone
is absolutely buzzing off the wall.

Speaker 2 (17:21):
I wake up to I think it.

Speaker 1 (17:23):
Was like two hundred k in a day. I had
like eight million views, and I.

Speaker 2 (17:27):
Was like, what the heck?

Speaker 1 (17:29):
And then people were just flooding. It was crazy. It
was absolutely crazy, scary but crazy. But I'm very extremely grateful.

Speaker 4 (17:36):
Yeah, you were kind of at the turning point of
rush Talk becoming like a social media phenomenon.

Speaker 1 (17:41):
Yeah, and it's just I did not expect it. I
was just trying to keep people that I'm close to updated.

Speaker 2 (17:47):
So it's like really.

Speaker 1 (17:48):
Fun that it turned out this way and gave me
the life it is. And I love how my mom's
on social media. I hated it at first to be
completely transparent, but and I love that my sister's on
social media because now we get to do it altogether
and it mixes so much more special to us. Like
the tart trip with my mom, she cried the whole time.

Speaker 2 (18:05):
She was like, I can't believe it. It was so fun.

Speaker 4 (18:08):
What was the transition like for you coming from a
small town in Ohio and entering into the University of
Alabama and Alabama sorority rush life.

Speaker 2 (18:18):
Oh, it was crazy.

Speaker 1 (18:19):
I think that a lot of people forget about like
how the Alabama culture is, and it really like whenever
I became more immersed in it, it was so much
fun to be a part of. And but coming from Ohio,
it was really hard for me to like understand and
I will say, what is the culture like, it's just
it's very it's really hard to describe. The girls are

(18:42):
very like traditional. Okay, it was hard for me because
I grew up in a very strict household, Like my
parents were just strict, Like I wasn't even allowed to
have the TV in my bedroom, like I was constantly
training for something.

Speaker 2 (18:55):
Neither was I.

Speaker 1 (18:56):
Yeah, that's what has made this life for me on
the outside so much easier, being so busy because I
was busy growing up, and my parents made be sure
I was busy. And it was just like so different,
like Southern culture. The girls like they dress more older,
like the big fluffy sleeves, they're not very revealing.

Speaker 2 (19:16):
It's just like so southern.

Speaker 1 (19:17):
We're like Ohio, like walking down Columbus going shopping, it's
very edgy and like there's that, and then there was
always like the yes ma'am, no ma'am. There was We're
like in Ohio. I didn't grow up. I just said like, yes,
you know what I'm saying, Like that thing I just
want to say. It's like Southern culture is very strict,
but as soon as like you're.

Speaker 2 (19:39):
Going out, everybody gets crazy. That was what I didn't expect.

Speaker 1 (19:41):
I remember the first time going out in Alabama and
I'm thinking that these girls are prim, proper Southern bell princesses,
Debia's haunts, and then we go out and all of
a sudden, they're rowdy animals and I remember being like, whoa, that's.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
What it is.

Speaker 1 (19:55):
That's like the perfect way to describe it. It's hard
for me to describe, but.

Speaker 2 (19:58):
That's a good one.

Speaker 4 (20:00):
I feel like people will really appreciate hearing that description
because there's so many people that do see these girls
and can't imagine them getting rowdy at a bar. Oh
So I like knowing that we can do both, guys,
So we can do both.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
What was the hardest thing for you that you had
to learn?

Speaker 1 (20:17):
I think that, And you know, I love my Southern bales.
I grew up going there, like I I mean, I
went to the universe of Alabama.

Speaker 2 (20:26):
So of course I love it. I'm grateful. It's very
gossipy and very chitchy. We're like New York and Ohio.

Speaker 1 (20:33):
They like Northern culture I've noticed is like mean, straight
to your face, where Southern cultures it's very like discreet,
like can bless your heart, that whole thing. And I
realized that early, and it took a while for me
to get a hangu but I kind of get it now.

Speaker 3 (20:45):
You know, after four years in it.

Speaker 4 (20:47):
What would you say you had to learn about female
friendships in a Southern sorority girl environment.

Speaker 1 (20:53):
I'm still learning to be completely transparent. I'm somebody that
I've always been so busy and like always working and
grinding for the next step of life. And so for me,
I would I'm now in the era like where I
don't really participate as much like going out and doing
like all the college stuff, because I'm trying to set

(21:14):
myself up for my New York life. And I will say, like,
it's really hard to find a good friend. And something
that I've noticed is, especially in college, it was really
hard for me to find a group of girlfriends that
supported all my dreams and didn't just want to ride

(21:37):
off my dreams. You know what I'm saying. I think
it's hard to describe because I don't want to like
shoot shots at anybody, but that's something that me and
my sister of really had to learn and go through.
Is like sometimes college girls are not genuine. Sometimes they're
just in it for what they can get. And it's
been really hard for me to learn that.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
And I think it's a good lesson to learn.

Speaker 4 (21:59):
And I think the cool thing about college is it
teaches us so much about life. We learn these lessons
over and over again in life, and I think it's
people in general might not always have the best intentions, right,
And it's like, yeah, you have to find your people
and the people that do have the best intentions for
you and want the best for you. And you know,
we were talking about this as we were walking before,
but in New York, you know, you meet a ton

(22:21):
of people always, right, you go to a bar, you
meet a bunch of girls, you go out, you know,
you meet guys and girls, and there's a rare few
of them that are like those soul connections, like those
those close close friends that you get to make and
those are really special adult relationships. But it is rare,
you know, to have like a genuine connection with somebody,
and you know, have a friend that's like so supportive, right,

(22:42):
like a best friend, like a sister.

Speaker 1 (22:44):
Yes, And that's why I'm so grateful for my sister.
And I also learned that you to be honest. This
is my mom taught me this growing up. You are,
You become who you hang around. And if somebody is
constantly like I love to speak positivetivity and positive affirmations.
I've learned that by saying genuinely have a great day,

(23:04):
not just a good day, it has given me like
a thing in my head where today is going to
be great. I'm gonna kill today like today is my day.
And I realize that that was helping me in my
everyday life. I think that whenever people ask you how
you're doing, that you should always be like, I'm doing great.
I think that speaking positively makes you act positively and

(23:27):
think positively about yourself. Where I've realized I don't get
along with people that are like, well, that was awful,
or like people that are constantly putting negative out there
because it makes you negative. I've learned that you have
to speak positive in order to be successful, like and
I know that that's like so crazy because our world
loves to like. I think that it's important to be

(23:48):
very dynamic and share both sides. But I just learned
that I was around people who were constantly complaining about this,
or talking about this or this didn't go in their favor,
or gossiping about this, and it really like turned me
in that for a little bit, and I had to
pull myself out of it because it's making me negative
and I don't want to be negative.

Speaker 4 (24:05):
No, And you're such a naturally positive person, and I
feel like we all have that, right, Like, I'm a
very positive person too, and I found myself at time
slipping into a negative mindset. And it's because of the
exact reasons that you're talking about. So yeah, it is
really important, you know, what we talk about with other
people and then also the thoughts that we share with ourselves,
because positive affirmations and positive self talk really are important

(24:26):
things to do, and they do make you feel better,
and they do lift your spirits, and they do change
who you are as a person. Would you say there's
strategy involved when you're rushing as a freshman one hundred percent.

Speaker 1 (24:46):
I want to say that my experience was easy because
I did grow up in young pageants, so I knew
how to walk in and talk about myself. I knew
how to pitch myself to these girls. I think that
it's all about just you. I think that a lot
of people get caught up on trying to be something

(25:07):
that whenever they walk into the house. These college girls,
like these freshmen, are trying to be something that they
think the sorority girls want to hear about. Honestly, they
love different. I am not your cookie cutter southern girl
that went to a high school in Alabama and knows everybody.
I went to Alabama recruitment knowing not one person. I

(25:27):
knew nobody. I didn't have any I want to go
to this house. I knew nothing about the houses I knew,
and I think that that was why I got the
best experience, because going into the houses, I didn't know like,
oh this is top house, or oh so and so's there,
I should go there.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
I got it completely.

Speaker 1 (25:46):
I didn't have any friends, factoring in like I didn't
have to go refront wind from high school. It made
my experience so original and really genuine and special because
I found a house that I like. I found a
big that I fell in love with, love her. We're
best friends to this day, talk every single day, and
she's graduated with a big girl job. And it was

(26:06):
just so genuine my experience, and I think that that
was so special, and it was all because I walked
in there being myself.

Speaker 2 (26:13):
Now, it's funny because.

Speaker 1 (26:16):
If I would have been from Alabama, I wouldn't have
known that you're not supposed to post on social media,
that sororities will drop you if you post on social media.
That it's like a no, no, big no no had
no idea. I had no idea that you needed to
dress a certain way, like look like a southern bell.
Had no idea. I walked in there in a Zara
like blazer suit that's not southern at all. Had no idea,

(26:38):
I had no wreck letters. I had went in their
clueless and it worked out absolutely perfect. And I think
that is why it worked out, was because it was
a genuine experience, and I think that people online resonated
with that. I think that sorority girls liked how I
was different and how I didn't have like that in coming. Oh,
I've got to go here because Katie May is going here,

(26:59):
you know, very special for me.

Speaker 4 (27:01):
Yeah, Honestly, there's something really nice sometimes about going into
a setting and just being a little bit naive to it, oh,
and creating your own experience.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (27:08):
It was so funny because whenever I was a sophomore
and I was on the opposite side, like trying to
recruit girls, I had no idea. I remember the first
time walking in and like being a freshman and seeing
the door song and just thinking that I didn't know
all the rehearsal. It was crazy to me being a sophomore.
Whenever I found out that we started rehearsing for Rush

(27:28):
in January. I had no idea, and I was like, wait,
we've got rest practice. They're like yeah, and then like
I remember doing recruitment, having a cute card with all
the girls' names on it, things that they liked, the
way that they pair them.

Speaker 2 (27:39):
I had no idea, and I thought it was crazy.
It was like doing Rush again on the opposite side,
because I was.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
Like, wait, it must be kind of cool to see
it from the opposite side.

Speaker 1 (27:47):
And I remember looking at my bag and being like, wait,
so everything you told me, they just paired me because
we had similar things, and she.

Speaker 2 (27:54):
Was like, I was like, it worked out for the best.

Speaker 1 (27:57):
But I genuinely thought that I was just having the
best interview of my life in Rush. I didn't know
that she was like picked to ask these questions.

Speaker 4 (28:05):
To me, Okay, but they picked you because you guys
have commonality. So yeah, I like knowing that at least
it's not like you're getting paired with a random person
you have nothing in common with. The Yeah, we're gonna
pair with this girl because they have X, Y, and
Z in common and we think they'll like each other.

Speaker 1 (28:17):
But I just thought it was funny how I thought
our I thought that she was just my yin to
my yang.

Speaker 2 (28:21):
Well she is. She was.

Speaker 1 (28:22):
She genuinely is now, Like that's why it's funny. But
like that first week, I was like I met my
girl best friend forever in there, but I didn't know that.

Speaker 2 (28:29):
She was like a sign for it to be Okay.

Speaker 4 (28:30):
Wait, so when you say that social medium posting wasn't
like a thing that you were supposed to do going
into it and it ended up working out in.

Speaker 3 (28:38):
Your favor, right, Yeah, But where they're girls on.

Speaker 4 (28:41):
Campus that were also rushing or maybe that we're at
some of the sorority houses already that were like mean
to you because of it, Like, was there any bullying
that happened because of your social media presence?

Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yes, Okay.

Speaker 1 (28:54):
I remember getting on the bus the third day and
everybody was like, oh my goshlahlah and a couple of
girls like were like, you need to stop posting on
social media. You're not gonna get the house you want,
and like it's just very much a thing where I
will admit my freshman and sophomore year of college influencing
wasn't like what it was now, Like now that I'm
about to graduate, I'm finally at the point where like I'm.

Speaker 2 (29:14):
Respected across camps. I would say, like.

Speaker 1 (29:16):
A lot of people like are more fans, But in
the beginning, a lot of people, like on students would
make fun of me for posting, and they thought I
was like cringey. Well, if you embrace the cringe, you
see what happens. That's that's all I have to say
to that.

Speaker 4 (29:29):
And now it makes more sense too, because you go
back to like what we were talking about earlier, with
like not wanting to go to the gym. It's like, well, yeah,
if you're getting looked down upon on campus for doing
what you're you're happy doing and getting a lot of
positive reinforcement doing it with online, I would feel unomfortable
to going to the campus gym and having people take
videos of me and talk about me on yek yak.

Speaker 3 (29:45):
Yeah yeah, yak was a nasty platform back in the day.

Speaker 1 (29:47):
It was still nasty. Yeah, I don't even get on it.
Don't they need taken down? That shouldn't even be an app.
But it was just crazy because it went from like
I just think it's changed so much, like the college
like whole thing about influencing, Like it was not cool
my freshman year.

Speaker 2 (30:06):
It was actually like very.

Speaker 1 (30:08):
Frowned upon, like at all, and then it really became
and I don't know like what made people switch. I
think that a lot of girls started embracing it more
and like getting more involved and wanting to be influencers.
It's funny because I did have a couple of friends
like in the beginning like be like I couldn't post that,
Like I would be so embarrassed. I couldn't do what
you do, Like I don't know how you put yourself
out there. I could never do that, like you know,
like the batcand and stuff like that. And now they're

(30:28):
like trying to do it. So I just think it's fun,
Like I'm glad that people were embracing it and trying
to put themselves more out there now because it makes
it fun for the whole community of social media.

Speaker 3 (30:37):
What was your first game day experience?

Speaker 1 (30:39):
Like, Oh, my goodness, y'all, this is hilarious.

Speaker 2 (30:42):
Because I had no idea what to expect.

Speaker 1 (30:44):
So I remember the week leading up to it, I
was with a couple of my Zeta sisters and I
was like, what do y'all wear into the game, Like
first Salibati game Day, what are y'all wear in? I
was expecting from being from Ohio. I went to a
lot of Ohio State games growing up. I was expecting
like jeans and shot and like we're like leggings and
like a jersey.

Speaker 2 (31:03):
That's what I thought it would be.

Speaker 1 (31:05):
These girls pull up like a full on Zimmerman in
a Lexus like set. They're like, no, this is what
I'm wearing. And I remember thinking, wait, you look like
you're going to Easter Sunday. Like everything was so dressy.
So I called my mom. I was like, Mom, I
don't have an outfit for game day. I'm gonna look
like an idiot. And I, of course I've got to
do on social media.

Speaker 2 (31:20):
So I was like, what am I gonna do? So
she was like all right.

Speaker 1 (31:25):
My mom came down, drove from Ohio, helped me go
into the Tuscaloosa shops and figuret an outfit for game day.
So I got my little abu fam a game day
and since I was a freshman, I had a game
day day. Now, all the freshmen boys that are in
fraternities ask a sorority girl or any girl to be
their game day date and they're all wearing suits like

(31:46):
khaki pants, suit, jacket, tie, and being a freshman, you
have to walk. You get your game day date comes
to your dorm. I was in pres one and that
was the boy and Girl dorm because I didn't decide
to go to Alabama until late July, so I couldn't get.

Speaker 2 (32:02):
Into the Augrill dorm.

Speaker 1 (32:03):
And I was actually really upset about that because I
wanted that experience. But anyway, the guy picked me up
from my dorm. We walked to his frat house at
the time was KA and we're just like in the
KA like concrete area, lawn porch, whatever you want to
call it. And you pregame there, you like stand around,

(32:23):
you eat food. Oh, these fraternities are mega mansions and
they cater every single game day, and so we had
this huge spread. We eat and then we end up
walking from KA to the game. Now, the worst part
about being a freshman is you're an Upper Bowl I
believe it's Sophomore Downs Lower Bowl, so you have to
walk up the spiral staircase all the way up to

(32:45):
the top of Brian Denny and I remember getting into
that stadium and it being e fork. I had never
been to an Alabama game, and oh, that's another thing
to include. Whenever I came to my Bamba bound at
the University of Alabama in I believe it was August,
second was.

Speaker 2 (33:00):
My Bama band.

Speaker 1 (33:00):
I'd never been to the university before freshman orientation. That's
my first time ever being at the university. I decided
to go to Alabama without actually seeing it.

Speaker 4 (33:09):
Why did you decide on Alabama? And what were the
other schools that you were considering?

Speaker 1 (33:12):
Okay, so I didn't really I like applied to a
bunch of different schools. I got into some great schools,
but I wanted Alabama from the get go. I wanted
to be far away from home. I wanted to find myself.
And I had a scholarship through pageantry, so that was like, really,
no other school was really on the radar for me
at that time.

Speaker 4 (33:31):
So because you were miss Ohio teen, is that why
you got a scholarship?

Speaker 1 (33:35):
I had done like scholarship pageants my whole life, so
I had a pretty good rack in the bank. I
had been in scholarship pageants all the way up until
high school. So it was really just like a no brainer.
And usually with pageant Girls Alabama with those scholarship, and
I was in like the miss Ohio America system for
a while and I got a scholarship, so it was

(33:56):
perfect for me. And I just wanted to be away
from home. I wanted to I was somebody. I love
my mother, I do. She was very involved in my life,
like to a point where I my mom like would
fix my hair every big event I went to. She
would do my makeup. Like it was to the point
where I don't want to say I was crippled, but

(34:18):
in like the grand scale of things, I couldn't do
a lot of things on my own. I had like
anxiety like if she wasn't around me, and like that
would be so surprising because I would be on stage
like doing stuff.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
It wasn't that.

Speaker 1 (34:29):
It was like I would always have to call her
and make sure is this outfit cute? Do I look great?
And I would always ask for her opinion on every
single thing. And I wanted my dad, Like whenever I
told him I wanted to go to a different college,
my family had a bet that I would be home
for a semester that wouldn't be able to go and
do it.

Speaker 3 (34:45):
Where did your older brother go to school.

Speaker 1 (34:47):
So my older brother was really really good at baseball,
had a scholarship and he got into a really bad
accident and he was welding like on a machine and
it smashed his fingers.

Speaker 3 (35:03):
Is he okay now?

Speaker 2 (35:04):
Yeah, No, he's fine now.

Speaker 1 (35:05):
But like he ended up taking like a year off
and like regrouping and figuring out that life.

Speaker 3 (35:11):
And so he stayed closer to home.

Speaker 1 (35:13):
Yeah, he ended up working for my dad after that,
because my dad ends a couple of businesses.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
And yeah, that was.

Speaker 1 (35:18):
A very like turning point for our family because we
were really excited for him. He was really good at
sports and it was just really hard for him.

Speaker 4 (35:26):
So yeah, but you were the first one that left
left the nest and really left and then blew up
online and your parents called like what the heck is
going on in Alabama?

Speaker 2 (35:35):
Yes, it was really hard for me. Like the first
two weeks I was like, holy crap, how am I
gonna do this?

Speaker 1 (35:40):
But then I found out about my family's bet and
I was like, you know what, I'm gonna stick through this,
and then social media everything it was.

Speaker 2 (35:45):
Perfect, Like it was.

Speaker 1 (35:47):
Such and it's like an insane path to where I've
got to where I am now, and it's been super
special and I'm really grateful. It's just really funny at
the same time, because I'm somebody like I always felt
like I can't even describe this. I always knew that
I would go away and it would be like like
people all the time, Like whenever I was graduating, they're like,

(36:10):
why are you going away? And like I didn't at
the time know how I would like pay for my
college tuition, Like I had a scholarship fund from like that,
but like I didn't know how I was going to
pay for like the everyday life.

Speaker 4 (36:19):
I mean, I mean, yeah, cause you're talking about girls
showing up to game day number one in Zimmerman and Alexis.
Let me, I tell you, like I did not buy
clothes when I was in college.

Speaker 1 (36:27):
Yeah, so that was I knew how I was going
to pay for my tuition my grandma's I got a
scholarship and my grandpa set me up a very like
great college fund. I didn't know how I was going
to pay for like outfits. I didn't know how I
was going to pay for a sorority. My dad told me.
I remember begging my dad whenever I found out. I
didn't find out what like the sorority life was until
my freshman orientation. All the girls came out to me

(36:49):
and they're like, are you going to do Bama Rush?
We know that you're impageants, we've seen you before, and
I knew a couple of girl Like it was so weird.
I remember you being at freshman orientation seeing a girl
that I used to compete against a dance competition. I
was like, I've never talked to you before, but I
know you. I know your answer, Gane. So it was
just so funny in that aspect of having no idea.
And my dad, whenever I first called him and asked him,

(37:10):
He's like, I am not paying for you to make friends.
You are the most social butterfly. I know you will
be fine. You do not need to be in a sorority, Kyle.
And that's ridiculous. And so I was like, Dad, please,
And so he paid for like my first round.

Speaker 3 (37:25):
I was like, that's a visit to pay, like to
join a sorority and be in one.

Speaker 2 (37:28):
I used to have these number ofs memorized.

Speaker 3 (37:31):
Is it like a thousand dollars?

Speaker 2 (37:33):
Is it more? Really?

Speaker 1 (37:36):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (37:36):
I mean that wouldn't have been.

Speaker 1 (37:37):
Just say, okay, I can say my sophomore year of college,
I know for a fact I paid twenty grand because
I stayed in the house and then there were dues
on top of it, I believe.

Speaker 3 (37:50):
Okay, so your your housing fee was part of that.

Speaker 2 (37:52):
Yes, so housing was part of that.

Speaker 1 (37:54):
Where if you think, like dorms is like fourteen, okay
to do like to live in the dorm.

Speaker 4 (37:58):
But this is where social media was great for you
because you started making your own money pretty quickly.

Speaker 1 (38:03):
So that was why the whole thing turned out so great,
because I was gonna have to get a job to
like pay for like the every day like the going now,
and like Alabama is so expensive and I know that
like the way I live is so like lavish compared
to the normal like college person. I really like that's
one of my goals this year is to like be
financially responsible because I have lived.

Speaker 2 (38:25):
My best life in college.

Speaker 1 (38:26):
But like it's time that I've got other goals and
I'm getting ready to move to New York. I know
New York's expensive, and I'm I've paid for everything myself,
like my car insurance, my phone bill since I was
a freshman, so as soon as I liked that. But
I'm extremely grateful because my dad, like my dad and
mom like they My dad owns like his own farm

(38:48):
and everything, and he has a couple of businesses.

Speaker 2 (38:49):
But they didn't just like hand me money growing up.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
If I wanted money, they would be like, you're gonna
go do chores out on the farm and then you
can go to the movies with your friends, and like
they paid for everything that, like all my pageants all
of that. So then whenever I was actually making good money,
it was nice for me to be financially independent, and
it taught me a lot of great lessons in life,
like doing that all by myself. Because it taught me

(39:13):
it made me hungrier for success because once I got
a taste of like I remember it was like November
of no it was October. We were going to the
LSU game and I was on my way down and
I'm not like somebody like talks price as ever, but
this was really special to me, especially like the way
I grew up. I remember making one hundred K in

(39:35):
one month and being like, holy crap, and I just
like started crying. I was like, this is insane, just
because my parents just didn't like, Yes, they paid for
my patents and like my activities, but that was their way.
They didn't just like give me everything I wanted. And
a lot of people, like online don't like didn't.

Speaker 2 (39:51):
Know that about me.

Speaker 1 (39:52):
A lot of people thought that, like I came from
like this mega millionaire family by the way I was dressing,
when they didn't know that, like my college was paid for. Yes,
I was paying for everything myself, so I was able
to throw money on like the cute outfit because I
was working so hard behind the scenes that nobody knew about.
Of course, in that aspect of it has been very
nice and very freeing that like my parents don't have

(40:15):
to like if I was to get I loved having
the freedom because like in high school, whenever I'd get
in trouble, the second I did something bad, they just
my parents would cut my phone off because they paid
for my phone, so I did not get my phone
if I was being a bad kid or if I
got a bad grade. So it's nice having like you
can't cut my phone because I paid for it.

Speaker 2 (40:33):
That was nice.

Speaker 4 (40:34):
My parents did the same thing, and I remember I
was so happy when I got off my parents' phone
bill for that exact reason.

Speaker 1 (40:39):
Yeah, No, it's so freeing and I love them that
I love like I wouldn't be here today without my parents.
But they really were great at not like making me
do things for it. So I do appreciate that because
it made me kind of appreciate it more.

Speaker 4 (41:02):
Twenty twenty five Alabama Rush was a big year for
your family. We've got Mama Darnell entering the picture, We've
got Izzy Darnell on campus.

Speaker 3 (41:12):
So let's talk about what it.

Speaker 4 (41:13):
Was like when a your mom steps onto campus, be
your sister's now there. I was twenty twenty five Bama
Rush different for you than prior years.

Speaker 2 (41:27):
I don't even have. I'm very grateful for it now.

Speaker 1 (41:30):
I think that my perspective has entirely changed, to be
completely honest on it.

Speaker 2 (41:35):
Through it, I was not a happy camper.

Speaker 4 (41:37):
I can't imagine being a senior on campus and all
of a sudden, my mom's there too.

Speaker 2 (41:42):
I was not a happy camper.

Speaker 1 (41:43):
And I haven't really said anything about this just because
I do like to put out like the most positive
thing online and always be a positive source. But we're
gonna get really into it. I hated it. To be
completely transparent. It kind of like I love my mom
and I love my sister, but it gave me a
lot of anxiety because I was somebody like especially posting online.

(42:07):
I like to put the best foot forward. I want
to be positive. I want to put out the best
image of myself, and I am one of my faults.
One of my great things, and one of my faults
is I'm a perfectionist, really bad. So it's great in
work and like trying to like turn around the content
and like do all that, but in regular life, I'm
really really hard on myself. And so then whenever my

(42:29):
sister comes into Alabama, and now I love my sister,
she's my best friend and we've really grown together.

Speaker 2 (42:33):
My college experience.

Speaker 1 (42:35):
Has completely been This has been my favorite year yet
because she's with me and it's my all time best friend.
But during Rush, she was giving me a lot of
anxiety just because that was my last time doing it.
That was like my tip the hat past the torch.
But my sister went into it and she realized quickly
that she did not want to be in authority, that

(42:55):
she did not like it, that she thought it was stupid,
and so she would go online and like she would
be like sworty girls, this sorty girl's that.

Speaker 2 (43:02):
I don't get it. I don't like it.

Speaker 1 (43:03):
And I was sitting beside her and I was like, dude,
I'm one of those like and it was hurting my
feelings a little bit and it kind of made me
feel like invalid. I want to say no, We've talked
through all of this, but it gave me a lot
of anxiety that week because then I was worried about
what house is my sister gonna get in? Is my
sorority gonna take my sister because at this point, like
sororities have been through it with influencers, and I've always

(43:26):
tried to put the best foot forward for my sorority
and be positive online, but other people haven't. So I
think it's really hard for them to sign on an
online personality with so many followers. Now, I will admit
Izzy has matured a lot sense and I think that
she's had it the tougher than I did at Alabama
because she came in with all the numbers already. I

(43:46):
think a lot of people were harder on her, and
she is so nonchalant. I don't care. Well she's opposite nonchalant.
That was a really bad word to describe her, Like,
she doesn't care about people's opinions. If it makes Izzy happy,
is he's gonna do it. She's the most outgoing, She's
the most vivacious person. Whenever you sit around her, she
makes everybody in a room.

Speaker 2 (44:05):
She's the light.

Speaker 1 (44:06):
She makes everybody in the room like better. But I
think the online from where she is very outspoken and
she's like what's up, fools, people take that as a
negative connotation towards her and don't realize how great of
a person she actually is. Now we did have like
a little bit of fun time, like rage baiting and
like her being like because I was so perfect online
and like she wasn't so like her being the villain

(44:27):
sometimes is fun. But she really is a great girl
and all of her friends love her. And I feel
like a lot of people have seen her soft, mosty
side that she doesn't let people see at Alabama. So
she's been having a really really great experience now.

Speaker 4 (44:41):
But I think your mom does a really good job
also showing that side of Izzy and that side of you,
you know. Having your mom now online too, like balances
everything out.

Speaker 1 (44:51):
Yeah, I think it started out where I was getting
to do all of like the influencer things, and my
sister had to sit at home in high schoo and
like watch all of my success. And we were always
somebody that like we competed against each.

Speaker 2 (45:04):
Other growing up.

Speaker 1 (45:05):
There were pagets where we were against each other and
I would beat my sister or she would beat me.
So we've always had a very tight knit, tight knit
relationship and we always compete against each other. So I
think it was really hard for her whenever I moved
away Number one, I got really immersed in like my friends,
and I kinda I was not the best oldest sister
to her. I did not check in on her. I
did not ask her how high school was. I was

(45:26):
so into myself and so into my own life that
I forgot to be like a good older sister. And
it really makes me upset now thinking about it. But
we've been able to mend our relationship because freshman and
sophomore year was really hard for us, going from being
best friends to word There was a point whenever Izzy
stepped online, I was so mad at her that I
unfollowed her for the things that she was saying.

Speaker 2 (45:46):
It embarrassed me. But we're great.

Speaker 3 (45:48):
Now let's talk about the yellow dress.

Speaker 1 (45:51):
Oh my goodness, the yellow dress. So as he fell
on the pool before prom, and that was real following
in the pool, Okay, I'll tell you what actually happened.
She was standing there making a TikTok and she wanted
to see which prom dress that she would like the best. Okay,
So she was spinning around by the pool figuring out

(46:13):
like what, taking pictures, and my mom was taking videos
of her. Now, her falling in the pool was legit
the very first time.

Speaker 3 (46:21):
In the yellow dress and the yellow but then we.

Speaker 1 (46:24):
Could it went viral, so of course we had to
wear it out. But I would admit whenever she fell
in the pool, it wasn't right.

Speaker 2 (46:29):
Before her prom.

Speaker 1 (46:30):
It was before her pre prompt pictures to make sure
that everything was perfect like that was one thing that
we started doing. What we learned from pageants is if
you got a big event the day before, go out
in your dress and take pictures to make sure that
you like your hair. You bike all what it Because
my mom would always do her hair and makeup, and
if you didn't like something, you could see it there
and then you could make content before, because like I
did prompt content as well, Like that was one of

(46:52):
my best viral videos whenever I was younger, was doing
prom content. So izzy of course the follow on that footsteps,
So it wasn't like the day the hours before her problem.
It was the day before, so like we were able
to like make a little storyline out of it, and
it worked.

Speaker 2 (47:05):
It did. It was very viral.

Speaker 1 (47:06):
I remember literally looking at it and like, holy crap,
my sister got eighty million views.

Speaker 2 (47:10):
That's insane.

Speaker 3 (47:11):
And when you had first seen it, what was your
initial reaction?

Speaker 1 (47:14):
I thought it was hilarious. I mean, I loved it.
I was I was kind of happy for her because
it was really hard for her to watch me beyond
social media and people always asking about me and not her,
And so it really like made our relationship better because
we were able to travel together and we were able
to do all like the share our experience together, and

(47:35):
it made it really special. Once is you started doing
social media, it was really hard and rocky at first,
but once we figured it out, it really made us
like stronger as friends and like sisters.

Speaker 4 (47:48):
And I feel like you guys, you and as he
play off each other so well on social media, and
for a while there, like maybe a year or six months,
I remember just seeing so much rage bade from the
two of you, where you were just like driving audiences crazy.

Speaker 3 (48:01):
I remember like the fake bags at Christmas.

Speaker 2 (48:04):
Was one thing?

Speaker 4 (48:04):
Right?

Speaker 3 (48:05):
Was that a planned?

Speaker 1 (48:06):
That one actually wasn't really planned. It so funny because
whenever we were through our I'm through my rage brating, guys,
I promise I'm over it.

Speaker 2 (48:15):
I'm never doing it again. I learned a lot from it.

Speaker 1 (48:17):
But we were trying to I was honestly trying to
get my sister followers. I wanted her to be at
my level at that point in time, because it's we
realized early that we would be more successful together rather
than separated.

Speaker 4 (48:31):
Was the rage bating a conscious decision, Like would you
guys be texting each other being like let's do this?

Speaker 2 (48:35):
Well, no, it.

Speaker 1 (48:36):
Would happen like we would post a video online. Then
all these people would get pissed about it, and I
would be like, wait, I would be the sister that's
sitting there crying freaking out.

Speaker 2 (48:44):
Like would we do mo?

Speaker 1 (48:46):
And that's me I don't I don't get how like
people were mad about this? And then once we realized
that the audience was mad about it, then we would
make the second video being rage baiting, but the first
one really was usually dig.

Speaker 3 (49:00):
The worst part to no. No, you guys were so
good at it.

Speaker 1 (49:04):
So then we saw like the way it was being taken,
then we would rage d off of that and it
would just keep being a thing and keep being Yeah.

Speaker 4 (49:10):
Well, I feel like Izzy coming online helped you in
so many ways too, because Izzy's like the opposite of
trying to look perfect online, Like she is just so
fully herself, right, yes, and like she looks great online.

Speaker 3 (49:19):
She's beautiful. I love her outfits. She's so fun.

Speaker 4 (49:22):
Yeah, but I feel like she did really spark something
inside of you where you were like I can show
all the sides of myself myself and I could be
more vulnerable, and I've gotten older, I'm not this, you know,
just like yeah, like perfectionist girl anymore. Like I still
have those attributes to me and I always will, but
I can be myself.

Speaker 1 (49:39):
Yeah, it brought that out because Izzy is genuinely I've
still I've met a lot of people on this earth.
I've not met anybody more authentic than Izzy. She walks
to the beaut of her own drum and is not
not sad about it.

Speaker 2 (49:53):
She loves it.

Speaker 4 (49:53):
Yeah, is Izzy still at the University of Alabama? Yes, okay,
because that's like every I know, Like.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
Yeah, a lot.

Speaker 1 (49:59):
While so she was we were doing like a little
cute interview, and she didn't say that she was trains storring.
She said that she was going online. So she's still
at Alabama. She's just online. And like whenever I moved
to New York, she's of course going to come with me,
but she's still graduating. We want to graduate from the
same university. So we graduated from the same high school.
We want to graduate from the same university.

Speaker 3 (50:17):
That's funny to know that you guys are going to
be in New York together.

Speaker 2 (50:19):
Oh, it's six I'm so excited.

Speaker 3 (50:21):
How lucky is that.

Speaker 1 (50:22):
Oh it's it's going to be amazing. I'm so excited
to start like my new life there. And having my
sister with me makes it so much more fun and
special because she's my best friend. And I also love
it because we fight all the time, but she genuinely
can never turn her back on me because my parents
would not want that happened if we ever got in
like a giant fight, but it's made life a lot

(50:44):
more fun.

Speaker 3 (50:44):
Okay, well, now let's talk about Mama Darnel, Mama tee Qalitea.

Speaker 4 (50:50):
So you went from getting out of your small hometown,
you know, feeling like yourself, being independent, being on a
college campus for the first time, loving that independence, loving
that freedom, you know, paying for yourself, and then all
of a sudden, senior year, your mom's there with you.

Speaker 3 (51:04):
She's helping you guys with your outfits.

Speaker 4 (51:07):
And I'm sure, like I can't imagine being a college
student and having my mom there. I'm sure there were
pros and I'm sure there were cons, So let's talk
about them.

Speaker 2 (51:15):
There were pros and cons.

Speaker 1 (51:18):
So well, first of all, we decided to let my
mom participate in TikTok. I always grew up like whenever
I started, I was like, do not do not because
she was like she she loves self help and she
loves teaching people's stuff. That's like her thing is like
she loves teaching sewing. She loves teaching all of that thing,
like all that stuff.

Speaker 3 (51:38):
She's so good at it.

Speaker 2 (51:39):
Oh, she's gonna all that. Like she's very artsy.

Speaker 3 (51:42):
And inherited that from her.

Speaker 1 (51:44):
Yes, yeah, yeah, where I've got more of my dad's
brain side. But anyway, I remember we had went on
a brand trip to London and me and Izzie were
like out of the country, traveling around getting to see
all the Torsi things. My mom like wanted to go.
But sometimes with brands, if you don't like have like

(52:04):
social media, I hate this part, but they won't let
you go like they like sometimes, Like that's why tart
is so amazing because they let you pick whoever in
this world you want to bring, But sometimes brands won't
let you. And my mom really, my mom's favorite place
is London. She really wanted to go, and I think
that it was hard for her to like see her

(52:25):
baby girls. Like we'd face time her through everything and
she's like getting a little bit of fun of my
almost but she's happy for us, like she was like
she was living through us. But like it really her
TikTok started because she was like, I want to be
able to go and do things with you guys number
one and then number two as soon as Izzie graduated.
The only kid that's left in the nest now is Cruise,

(52:45):
my younger brother. My mother was so empty nested, like
going crazy a little bit. There were moments like this
summer where Izzy came down to Alabama and lived with me.
Mom was calling me four times a day, like to
the point where like I would be like working out,
she'd be like, oh, I'll just sit here and like
listen to you. And it was so sweet. But I
didn't realize how empty nested she was. So she was like,

(53:07):
I need a hobby, like genuinely, like I guess. She
was talking to my dad and my dad was like,
oh god. So she was like, all right, I think
I want to start my TikTok girls.

Speaker 2 (53:16):
What do you think about that? At first, I was like, oh, yeah, girl,
do it.

Speaker 1 (53:21):
I didn't know that she was gonna like actually get
a lot of fogg wars. I didn't know that people
were gonna be seeing me like as a little like
embarrassing moments of myself. Because my mom is so good
at she videos everything everything she's on it. So then
I started to get a little bit embarrassed because there
would be videos of like her and my dad dancing.
There were videos of just her and her quirky personality

(53:42):
where I was like.

Speaker 2 (53:43):
Oh my gosh, Mom.

Speaker 1 (53:45):
But now I've learned to embrace it because we're actually
we've got a lot of things in the work.

Speaker 2 (53:50):
There's gonna be something with the Darnell's coming in soon.

Speaker 3 (53:53):
Got like a reality show with the Darnells.

Speaker 2 (53:55):
Something. I'm excited. It's being I'm teasing something with my
whole family. It'll be fun.

Speaker 3 (54:03):
Well, I'm so excited for that.

Speaker 4 (54:04):
Honestly, there's nothing better than having success which you had individually,
and then being able to bring your family along for
the ride, and having them be along for the ride,
but each in their own respects.

Speaker 3 (54:16):
And I think that's been really fun to see.

Speaker 1 (54:18):
And now I will admit it was really hard for
my dad and brothers with my mom being on TikTok
and me being on TikTok and Izzy being on TikTok.
My dad is the most Southern like ideal person. He's
very traditional. He does not like being out online. He
did not like any of that and so like my
mom would take videos of him on the beach and
include him in her tiktoks. And it turns out my

(54:41):
dad now has his own fan of page. It's called
Daddy Darnell. He is not proud of it. He is
not proud of it.

Speaker 2 (54:47):
He's very embarrassed.

Speaker 3 (54:48):
I need to look at Daddy.

Speaker 1 (54:48):
He's he's just so opposite of us with that kind
of stuff. He likes being on the farm and doing
just that. If in his perfect world social media would
even exist.

Speaker 2 (55:01):
He didn't even.

Speaker 1 (55:02):
Know about TikTok until I was on TikTok, Like he
made an Instagram to watch me and is he travel.
He's very not into media whatsoever. So it's really funny
like getting him to be in the videos because he's like,
oh my gosh, but fine, I'm like, Dad, it's for
the family business.

Speaker 4 (55:18):
And then he's like fine, well, Also, you know there
was a period during this past year's Bama Rush that
you had a hard time right where you took a
step away from being involved in Russian rush content.

Speaker 1 (55:32):
Yeah, so that actually now I can say it. It
all happened because I got a call from my like
fate of president and it was like the fourth day
of I can't remember what day of rush it was,
so don't quote me on that, but I get a
call saying like, hey, we love you, we love that
you're in our sorority, but your sister is like a
lot online and the thing with Izzy and like sororities

(55:54):
is that they want to be able to control your media.
I've had to take down so many different videos, like
even like brand deals, things I was getting paid on.
I've had to take down a lot of things.

Speaker 2 (56:04):
And I'm somebody that's willing to sacrifice that for my sorority.
I thought it was fun.

Speaker 1 (56:08):
I love to I love to get into good to
all the date parties. I love making all the friends.
But Izzy didn't see it that way. She was like,
I don't want somebody telling me that I can be
on media or not like or what I can and
can't post. She's like, that's just not me. Like and
if you knew Issy's characters, she's very much not like that.
She doesn't really like people weighing and opinions on her life.
She likes to do things the way that she likes

(56:29):
to do them. So anyway, I get a call from
my president and they were like, we just want to
let you know, like we love you, we even like Izzy,
but it's a social media thing where you we knew
that you weren't going to go online and we know
that like for example, like sports broadcasting, I want I
made sure that my image was always clean online, where
my sister's more of like the Alex Earlby beats to

(56:51):
her own drum, and so I've always made it like
a thing to be extremely clean online and tried my
absolute best being a college too, being clean but being
relatable at the same time, and that is really really
hard to do. So my storty was like, we're not
going to take Izzy, and I got that call, and
like I knew that there were very.

Speaker 2 (57:11):
Slim chances of them, just because of all.

Speaker 1 (57:13):
The drama that Zada's had to go through, and like
anytime I did something online, Zada would automatically get the
flack whenever they had nothing to do with it, and
so I would always like sometimes like I would try
to be really careful and like, no matter how many
times you watch a video when you think that it's
not going to make people upset or that it's going
to be totally fine, sometimes it just you have no
control after watching it a million times and thinking it's okay,

(57:35):
and then you have to learn from it and realize
that it wasn't okay. And so I feel like that
aspect of it, maybe a better person, maybe more understanding
in the grand scale of life.

Speaker 2 (57:46):
But it really devastated me.

Speaker 3 (57:47):
So that's why you took a step away, because you
were so upset.

Speaker 1 (57:50):
I was upset by that, and then I was upset
that Izzy wanted Like I was so excited vetting her
and like trying to get her in the houses and
then whatever it is, he was like, I don't even
want to do this.

Speaker 2 (57:58):
I'm dropping like I don't.

Speaker 1 (58:00):
And it was just a lot for me, Like I
really wanted her to be in my sisterhood. I wanted
her or not, even if she didn't choose to do
to my sorty, I wanted her to like get the
experience of it. She didn't, she didn't want anything to
do with it. And I really look back now and
I think that my mom was a little bit pushing
her into it, and is it's I think it's like
so cool though within our family, is that you've got

(58:22):
me who've like loved being in a sorority, then you got Izzy,
who did her own thing. And I think that it's
special that we were able to do both because honestly,
now that I'm a senior, a lot of girls do
drop and you don't have to be in a sorority
to be successful in college.

Speaker 2 (58:35):
Is he shows you that?

Speaker 1 (58:36):
So I think that that's also inspirational to the other side, And.

Speaker 2 (58:39):
I love that.

Speaker 4 (58:40):
Now at that time, I know your mom was like
on and off campus, like she was there sometimes helping
you guys out. She was off campus sometimes like back
at home during that period.

Speaker 3 (58:50):
Was she there?

Speaker 2 (58:50):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (58:51):
Yes, And how was that helpful for you?

Speaker 2 (58:55):
Well?

Speaker 1 (58:55):
She was there because is He decided to opt out
a freshman house. Sing she went in private seat. That
was the one thing like freshman year that I really
struggled with, being in a big dorm and not having
any privacy. So is He got her own house. And
if you know my parents, you know my mom she's
never gonna let her daughter live in something that's not
top of the tier cuteness. So my mom was repainting

(59:16):
the whole pointment that poor landlord.

Speaker 2 (59:18):
I was so scared.

Speaker 1 (59:19):
I was like, Mom, you can't just like repaint a
whole house. The landlord walked in, loved it. He was like,
I didn't even know have to pay it for this,
Oh love bit. So that was great, But she was
really like she was making it moving. Is he in
essentially to like a whole house and not just like
a dorm room. So it took a while, and then
I think that she wanted to stick around to get
some content and like show the other side. Now that
was a lot of fun, but it was it was

(59:42):
just very overwhelming. Sometimes I will look back and I wonder,
like what the experience would have been like if it
would have just been me.

Speaker 2 (59:49):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (59:50):
I guess I wished before the whole thing happened that
I would have known that my sister truly genuinely did
not want to be in a sworty. I wish I
would have known that because I didn't know she was
acting to me like oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I think
that she was scared to speak up. I think that
she honestly thought that she needed to do what I did.
And I think that like management and stuff like that

(01:00:11):
like had a big key factor in that. And I
think like she thought that if she didn't rush, then
she wouldn't follow in my footsteps, and like she wanted
to make me proud. And I didn't realize how much
I was forcing it, but I was so.

Speaker 4 (01:00:24):
And I would love to ask her too, because also
I feel like there could be a part of her
that like maybe she didn't know before trying.

Speaker 1 (01:00:31):
Yeah, we've never really talked about this part of it,
but I didn't realize. Like she was like, dude, breathe,
it's okay that I'm not a sorty. Why are you
acting like this is the end of the world. And
I was like, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:00:40):
It's just really hard, you do.

Speaker 1 (01:00:41):
It's hard when when the spokesperson to rush her sister
gets dropped from her sport.

Speaker 2 (01:00:46):
That's hard, Like I was like, a y'all.

Speaker 3 (01:00:49):
Yeah, no, no, that is hard.

Speaker 4 (01:00:51):
But also it's your expectations of like thinking that your
sister wants this, and as that older sister, like you
want the best for your younger sisters. You're like, well,
if she says she wants this, then like and she's
gonna try, then I'm going to make this the best
experience for her. So I can't even imagine getting that
phone call and then you know, everything really does happen
for a reason, because then she actually says to you,
you know what, I really actually don't want to be
in a sorority. This experience was great, but it's not

(01:01:12):
for me. Yeah, So that must have felt like a
full circle relief.

Speaker 2 (01:01:15):
It was, and it was just so like off and on.

Speaker 1 (01:01:17):
She'd tell me that she wasn't rushing then was I
should have just been able to read into it better.

Speaker 3 (01:01:31):
I'm so excited for your family show. Are your brothers
going to be in it?

Speaker 2 (01:01:35):
I think that I can't really say.

Speaker 3 (01:01:36):
Yet, Like is it going to be at the farm
or in New York City?

Speaker 2 (01:01:41):
Maybe both?

Speaker 3 (01:01:42):
Oh my god, wait.

Speaker 4 (01:01:43):
I'm so excited to see her mom help out with
decorating the apartment in New York.

Speaker 2 (01:01:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:01:48):
Me and my mom have very different design techniques. I'm
not very okay. I like for her to just go
in and do it and then it looks all pretty,
and then I walk in at the end, I'm.

Speaker 2 (01:01:58):
Like, oh, I don't really I ever.

Speaker 1 (01:02:00):
Been somebody that loves like with how much I love fashion,
It would really surprise you how much I want nothing
to do with decorating stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:02:07):
I'm just not good at it.

Speaker 3 (01:02:08):
Decorating's hard.

Speaker 2 (01:02:09):
It's hard. It's hard.

Speaker 4 (01:02:11):
I've been spending, like Jeremy knows this, but we're moving
into an apartment on the Upper West Side, and when
we get back to New York, I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
So excited about it.

Speaker 4 (01:02:18):
It's like this beautiful, like classic pre war apartment that
requires like all new furnitures. We currently live in a
loft in Brooklyn, very different vibe that's like modern and
almost like farmhouse modern.

Speaker 3 (01:02:28):
But this is going to be a whole different type
of experience.

Speaker 4 (01:02:31):
And I have been mocking up designs for like hours
a day and having so much fun with it. Yeah,
but also being like, damn, like I know nothing about
interior design.

Speaker 2 (01:02:40):
No, it's difficult.

Speaker 1 (01:02:41):
Props out to all those people that make spaces look beautiful.
But one thing that I am excited for is that
my dad and brother have never been to New York.
They have never They have lived in Ohio their whole lives,
and the only other place they've been is.

Speaker 2 (01:02:55):
Like the beach.

Speaker 3 (01:02:55):
Do you think they'll move with you?

Speaker 1 (01:02:57):
Oh goodness, No, They've never been to like a big
city though, Like I'm excited for my dad to see
that life whenever he's moving me in, Like I think
that will be like Aaron Arnell in The Big Apple.
It's gonna be hilarious, Like I honestly can't imagine it.
He is so opposite like country bumpkin man, and so
it's gonna be so funny to watch him, like see

(01:03:18):
all the lights and the tall buildings because he's never
seen anything like it.

Speaker 4 (01:03:21):
Yeah, it's also gonna be so fun for you, like
every time that he comes back to visit, especially as
you get like more immersed in the experience and then
you get to like have him experience your favorite parts
of the city. I think that's gonna be really special.
It's fun being a first time in New York for people.

Speaker 2 (01:03:36):
Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (01:03:37):
Yes, that's I feel like it's so magical. I'm definitely
gonna take him to like a coffee shop and he's
gonna buy like a fifteen dollar coffee.

Speaker 2 (01:03:43):
He's probably gonna choke on me like this, just fifteen dollars.
So that'll be so fun to watch, just like being.

Speaker 1 (01:03:49):
Around everything, just because like with pageants and dance and
everything that I did growing up, we always traveled, but
my dad didn't go to it. He was always a
homeworking because he's such a busy man, and he's honestly
not really into it. He didn't like it that much.
So I think that him in a big city is
going to be It's gonna be the biggest culture shock.

Speaker 3 (01:04:07):
I'm so excited to see you two in New York City.
We're gonna have to get together.

Speaker 2 (01:04:10):
Oh definitely.

Speaker 3 (01:04:11):
I think you guys around like push the stroller together. Yeah,
I'll be like, this is what your life will look
like in ten years.

Speaker 1 (01:04:17):
Oh my goodness, I'm so excited, Like, go there meet
people who we get like a good relationship.

Speaker 2 (01:04:25):
Yeah, yeah, I'm excited for you.

Speaker 4 (01:04:27):
We've talked a lot about social media and how you
have had obviously a very public experience with Rush talk
and being the queen of Rush Talk and on social
media sharing your experience.

Speaker 3 (01:04:36):
I know a lot of.

Speaker 4 (01:04:37):
People talk about how rush talk and social media has
changed the actual rush itself. Right, Yes, how has social
media changed Rush?

Speaker 2 (01:04:48):
Oh it's changed it so much.

Speaker 1 (01:04:52):
This is gonna sound crazy, but I have had so
many people come up to me at Alabama and be like,
I just came to Alabama because of you, and I
want to be like, y'all want to figure out how
to do Rush talk. And I feel like that is
where it changed Rush.

Speaker 2 (01:05:04):
Now. I'm very grateful for those.

Speaker 1 (01:05:06):
People that like looked up to me and like wanted
to follow with my footsteps. I think that that is
so special and it's also nice knowing that had a
big effect on it, but it made like the process
of getting into a sorty less genuine. We would have
girls that like would come and rush and then they
like would flog about it online and then whenever they
didn't get the online traction, they would just drop the

(01:05:27):
sorority after getting in or like move back home, like
they just like tried it to become famous. And so
that was where it like damp into a little bit.
And also, y'all, I'm saying this to all those bray
or rush viewers. If y'all don't chill out a little bit,
we are so grateful for you. I know, I'm grateful
for you. You guys made my life. They're gonna have
to they're gonna take away rush talk. They're not careful

(01:05:49):
like the audiences, yeah, because they attack sororities like if
a girl doesn't for example, there's been so many scenarios
where people will be in my comment like get this
girl in your sorority, like what are you doing? You're
missing the boat, And then they forget that it's not
just about looks, it's not just about outfits.

Speaker 2 (01:06:08):
It's not even.

Speaker 1 (01:06:08):
About that thirty second clip. The way they present themselves,
it's really important you got to have a good GPA.
You got to have like good volunteer work in your community.
You have to have like GPA is the number one,
like for example, to get in to say that you
have to have it's either are three point two. My
year was three point two. I believe it to three
point six now. And the reason why it's so important

(01:06:31):
is because if you didn't have a good GPN in
high school when your parent, like if you're living with
your parents and like your teachers are more devoted to
you in high school, then moving to college and being
in a sorority and doing all this sorority stuff because
at Alabama's sorority is very demanding, you're not going to
get good grades. Like it's just you can tell right
off the bat, and especially with then when every throw

(01:06:52):
in partying into the mix, You've got to be able
to balance it. That is the most important part. And
a lot of people would be in my dms like, oh.

Speaker 2 (01:06:59):
My gosh, you're so terrible.

Speaker 1 (01:07:01):
I couldn't believe, like you didn't pick her, And then
they would be going off at my sorority for not
picking a girl when they didn't even know the girl's resume.
I think that that is so important to remember it
to be just because you fall in love with the
girl online doesn't mean you can fall in love with
her own paper. And I think that that is like
sororities like went under fire, and like people would like
be giving sororities like a bad reap and like going

(01:07:23):
off on these sororities online and like being their dms
and you forget the college girl runs that accounts of course,
like we know about it all and it was just
causing like a bit of a crisis. They're for a
little bit in our sorority.

Speaker 4 (01:07:34):
And I also think that's really good advice because you know,
I think a lot of young girls in high school,
you know, are on social media and they see you guys,
and they see the outfits and they see the parties,
and you know, they see how much fun you guys
are having in the cute TikTok video trends that you're doing,
but you're not seeing the school work, yeah, you know,
and what's happening during the day when you're not out

(01:07:54):
and about doing fun things socially.

Speaker 2 (01:07:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:07:58):
And I think that during bim rush, these people like
get online and we're so thankful for the ones that
support us, just literally leave a nice comment on the
girl's stuff, like like, oh my goodness, you look so
cute today, good luck, and then scroll because then you've
got people that are you guys like I think that
they online forget that these girls are so vulnerable. They're seventeen,
they're eighteen, they're freshman in college, new place without their parents,

(01:08:20):
just got dropped off, anxieties at a all time high,
and then they've got people and they're like, honestly, this
is gonna sound like weird whenever I say this, but
the viewers should be grateful that they're getting.

Speaker 2 (01:08:30):
To see the experience because a girl could easily.

Speaker 1 (01:08:32):
Say I don't want to show it because number one,
the girl whenever they show themselves online, they're automatically down
grading their chance to get to a sorority because sorities
don't really want that anymore because it's not as genuine
as it used to be. And then you've got people
that are hating on them in the comments. That breaks
my heart the most whenever like a little cute girl's
on there like trying to like do her process and

(01:08:52):
people are just being like, you should be in this sorority,
or oh, you're not good enough to be in this sorority.

Speaker 2 (01:08:57):
Don't do that. Just be like heartheart, love your outfit
and continue on.

Speaker 1 (01:09:01):
And that would make it so much better for everybody's
mental health.

Speaker 2 (01:09:04):
I believe.

Speaker 4 (01:09:04):
Oh yeah, and I'm sure that happened to you too
when you were a young girl. I'm sure there were
negative comments that you were getting, So it makes sense
that you feel so much for those people.

Speaker 1 (01:09:12):
Yes, And it like, like, especially when my sister got it,
people would be like, Izzy does not deserve to be
in a sorority, and like, okay, you can have your opinion.
I can't control your opinion, but don't post it on
the girl's page. It's basically cyber bullying.

Speaker 2 (01:09:28):
And it's so sad.

Speaker 3 (01:09:29):
It is cyberbullying.

Speaker 4 (01:09:30):
Okay, not basically, it is cyberbullying. Anytime you leave a
hate comment, you are bullying, and you are a bully.

Speaker 1 (01:09:36):
I just think that out in our world right now,
there's a lot of hurting hearts, and I think that
a lot of people are hurting. And I think that
a lot of people compare people like to what they
see online. They compare their lives to what they see online,
and I forget that they well, I feel that they
forget that that's not always like everybody's life. It is
very upsetting, like the hate comments that like just college creators,

(01:09:59):
young girl, they're just women in general, and even guys too,
Like it's really it's really hard sometimes. But I think
that I've been able to build myself up so much
that I'm very thick skin to It doesn't bother me
as much as it used too. But there was a
time when I was a freshman that a hate comment
could put me in my bed.

Speaker 2 (01:10:17):
For a week crying.

Speaker 1 (01:10:18):
Because I was such a people pleaser. I liked everybody
thinking that I was doing it perfectly. I wanted to
make everybody around me happy, and then I finally realized
that it just wasn't obtainable.

Speaker 4 (01:10:27):
I think also when it comes to hate comments, like
you and I both deal with them, right, you.

Speaker 3 (01:10:32):
Know, but the positive so much so outweighs the bad.
Oh yeah, ten to one, ten to one.

Speaker 4 (01:10:37):
But it is so funny how like you can get
hundreds of positive comments and then those five negative comments
and they do stick with you.

Speaker 1 (01:10:44):
Yeah, and they're persistent because usually it's, like I want
to say, it's like a group of ten haters that
are on everything constantly. I do think that that's crazy,
like the people that like stalk your page and like
constantly you're commenting something negative. I wonder how I wish
that there was a way that we could go about
fixing that.

Speaker 2 (01:11:02):
I just think that everybody should get in activity. Maybe
that's like, yes, I think an activity would help. You know.

Speaker 3 (01:11:08):
What's so funny, I just talked.

Speaker 4 (01:11:09):
I had a psychologist on Jeremy's mom who's a performance psychologist,
and she works with a lot of professional athletes, and
she was she said that exact thing. Oh really, she
was like, I really think like kids that are maybe
in a negative mindset, if they just had more activities
or more passions.

Speaker 3 (01:11:26):
They wouldn't feel that way.

Speaker 4 (01:11:28):
And she's a big believer in movement and getting outside
and moving your body.

Speaker 1 (01:11:31):
Maybe that's why I'm so positive Because I grew up
I was a competitive dancer, I did pageants, I played soccer,
I ran track, I was a cheerleader, played softball, I
lived on a farm.

Speaker 2 (01:11:42):
I haven't played football at one point.

Speaker 3 (01:11:43):
One of four kids.

Speaker 1 (01:11:44):
Yeah, so I think that everybody at the New Year,
let's all do this. Everybody get an activity. Don't just
like sit in new school because I feel like that's
when it comes in. I don't know, I just wish
everybody was.

Speaker 3 (01:11:54):
Happy I did too.

Speaker 4 (01:11:56):
Okay, so A, I've loved talking to you and getting
to know you, and it's so fun just getting to
know you and hearing you know your passions as a
young kid and how that has really you know, from
growing up being a tomboy to then getting into pageants,
to then getting into so serty life at the University
of Alabama to studying sports broadcasting and liking to be
on camera, like it all just makes so much sense

(01:12:18):
and folds.

Speaker 3 (01:12:18):
Into each other so nicely.

Speaker 4 (01:12:21):
So let's talk a little bit about what it has
been like balancing your sports broadcasting and journalism degree at
the University.

Speaker 3 (01:12:28):
Of Alabama all while doing rush. You know, you've had
this other side of you going on.

Speaker 2 (01:12:32):
So I think that a lot of people.

Speaker 1 (01:12:34):
I forget sometimes myself that I need to put college first.
It's really hard for me because I've been through it. Like, honestly,
this is my last semester, y'all, I'm done after this.

Speaker 2 (01:12:43):
But thank god I graduated.

Speaker 1 (01:12:44):
There were moments where I grew up being such a
good student and always getting good grades because you know,
that's kind of comes to being a perfectionist, it really does.
But I remember about my software, I was like, all right, sees,
get degrees, you know what, because I was traveling so much,

(01:13:05):
doing so many events that it was really really hard
to balance.

Speaker 2 (01:13:09):
But the experiences that.

Speaker 1 (01:13:11):
I was kidding, like, for example, this is so funny,
but last semester, I had a professor that wouldn't let
me miss certain things. Like I was literally I remember
it was my like, I don't want to call this
teacher rock because I did end up liking him as
a professor, but I was literally working college game day
had to go to the set block that Friday.

Speaker 2 (01:13:32):
Game Day was that Saturday.

Speaker 1 (01:13:33):
I was missing that Friday class. Now remember I'm a
sports broadcasting degree, like I am a news media major
with minor in sports, So you would think that I
would get an absence for that class like that that
would be excused.

Speaker 2 (01:13:49):
Nope.

Speaker 1 (01:13:50):
That was the one thing about the University of Album
that I really struggled with was that teachers didn't understand
I don't.

Speaker 2 (01:13:56):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:13:57):
Why, and like it would keep me up and night.
I would cry about it. But I didn't understand why
I was able like doing all these worldly, great experiences
that were setting me up for my next life. It's
no different than an internship. It's basically the same thing.
It's just shorter. But I wouldn't, like my teachers wouldn't
help me around that, and so I basically like did
it all myself. I got all those opportunities, like with

(01:14:18):
my management and me and I would really have to
figure out how to time manage because my professors were like,
you're a student first, doesn't matter what else you do.
Be a student. You can do that at any time.
And it was really really hard, but I did.

Speaker 4 (01:14:32):
It because there's a lot of kids, I mean a
traditional college student. It's like college is the full time job,
and then the internships are in the summer months. I mean,
I was somebody that was like you, where I always
interned during my I mean years is a little different
because it's social media, you're on camera. But I always
intern during my college year. So I would take night
classes to make it all work. And I ended up
graduating early because I was the same as you. I
was like, I want to get out of college. I

(01:14:53):
want to start my work, you know, start my full
time job, start making money. But it is hard because
being a student is a full time job, and then
to balance that with another full time job, which is
like literally literally you making adult money doing what you
want to do post grad.

Speaker 3 (01:15:06):
It's a struggle.

Speaker 2 (01:15:07):
Oh it was. It kept me up at night.

Speaker 1 (01:15:09):
But yeah, hey, my next like this semester coming up
is going to be my easiest one.

Speaker 2 (01:15:13):
Yes, I am like extremely.

Speaker 3 (01:15:15):
What classes do you have on? Do you have like
fun classes?

Speaker 2 (01:15:19):
They're all basically electives?

Speaker 3 (01:15:20):
Okay, good? Like what's the best elective I'm coming up?

Speaker 1 (01:15:23):
I'm doing a golf elective where I have to just
go to the golf course and take a picture of
a scorecard. And I really I love golfing. I can
hit the ball in the air.

Speaker 3 (01:15:31):
Now, why do I golf coverage?

Speaker 2 (01:15:34):
Oh? I would love to do an in between the
tent section. I think that's so cute.

Speaker 3 (01:15:40):
So what are you doing post college?

Speaker 4 (01:15:42):
Because I know you've had the experience of working at
a lot of game days, you've done stuff with the
MLS right as well?

Speaker 3 (01:15:48):
What else have you done.

Speaker 2 (01:15:50):
So I've done? I'm I'm really hoping the old miss wins.

Speaker 1 (01:15:54):
And I never thought i'd say that as an Alabama
fan because I'll be working the Natty coming up, and
I'm really excited for that school, miss wins because usually,
like if an SEC wins, I get to go and
do SEC Nation. I absolutely love their crew. I mean,
they are the best people.

Speaker 2 (01:16:07):
To work with.

Speaker 1 (01:16:08):
They automatically made me feel so included and like.

Speaker 2 (01:16:11):
Am I a professional?

Speaker 1 (01:16:14):
I'm on my way there, but they were very very
kind to me and help me out or retledge.

Speaker 2 (01:16:20):
There is not enough words.

Speaker 1 (01:16:21):
On this planet that you can genuinely say about that woman.
She's the most hard working, iconic, legendary figure in sports
right now. I mean, she's just doing it. She's I
was so impressed with her.

Speaker 2 (01:16:33):
But so my goal.

Speaker 1 (01:16:35):
I love social media and I love that I get
to do social media, and I also love sports and
I love sports broadcasting. I want to be able to
merge those together and do both. I would love to
create content for a network but also get the broadcast experience.
I've been in talks and I can't really say yet,
and I hate to do that because it's I'm so

(01:16:57):
excited about it, but I am moving to New York
for a reason. Does have something to do with it,
But I've always grown up playing sports. I love talking
about sports. So my goal in the end would be
to take on a role kind of always keeping the
sports information everything first. But I also love embracing like

(01:17:18):
ever since Taylor Swift stepped into the industry, I know
a lot of people loved it.

Speaker 2 (01:17:21):
I know a lot of people hated it, but.

Speaker 1 (01:17:23):
It's made sports more immersive, more lifestyle, more traditional, more
pulp culture, and it's brought in such a demographic.

Speaker 2 (01:17:29):
Of women into the sport.

Speaker 1 (01:17:31):
And being a woman myself, I think that it's so
interesting and once you learn the baselines of sports, they're
actually so entertaining. That was why I did my batty
baller University where I was teaching girls sports, football, positions,
terms and makeup, because I think that it's really hard
for girls to get into it by just sitting down

(01:17:51):
with like a guy, a brother, their dad and just
watching it because they don't boys already know, they don't describe.

Speaker 2 (01:17:57):
It to us.

Speaker 1 (01:17:57):
But once you learn it, Jane only becomes really really,
really interesting, and then you get to get into fantasy
leagues and all of that stuff, and it's a really
really fun activity. Like I said, activities, Yeah, I just
love sports.

Speaker 2 (01:18:13):
I said, it's so fun.

Speaker 1 (01:18:14):
I would think that more people need to get involved.
I'm just trying to get like college girls my age.
I started that because I remember I was sitting on
the couch with my college friends and I like, turn
the ballgame on. They're like, oh, I don't even know,
like what's going on, and so I basically like broke
down the positions and taught them. And I have gotten
such a great review from women about like, oh, I

(01:18:36):
know how I know what this means. Now I can't
wait to share this with my husband or my significant other.
That's gonna be so exciting. And now I understand the game.
And then I've got husbands in my comments saying, well,
now I know about makeup. So I love bringing both
sides together and I think.

Speaker 2 (01:18:49):
It's a lot of fun.

Speaker 4 (01:18:50):
We talked about this on the run, But I love
that you bring a feminine touch to the world of sports.

Speaker 1 (01:18:55):
Yeah, And I think that that's so important because I mean,
as you see, like athletes even are starting to do
it with their crazy fashion. Like, I think that it's
so entertaining to just like watch all sides of it.
And I feel like if the NFL really capitalizes on
it and college sports as a whole, it is just
so entertaining. I personally love college sports more than the NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:19:15):
I just love it.

Speaker 1 (01:19:16):
I think that there's more grit, more heart, and I
love the fan bases.

Speaker 2 (01:19:20):
How devoted oh it is.

Speaker 1 (01:19:22):
And maybe it's just because I'm the college demographic right now,
but I.

Speaker 4 (01:19:25):
Feel like, no, but I think everybody a lot of
people feel that way.

Speaker 1 (01:19:27):
Yeah, And I feel like maybe I connect with it
more because like I went to the college and I'm
watching the college play.

Speaker 2 (01:19:33):
It's like, if they win, I win. You know what
I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (01:19:37):
That's what I feel like college ball feels like. But
I just love getting people included in it. And I
feel like the NFL and college football as a whole
has a great market to tap into with more lifestyle
and making it more emotional and like more trinity and
more fun. I think that it brings a lot more
people involved.

Speaker 4 (01:19:54):
Well, I am so excited to see what you continue
to do after college and even just in this final
semester of I'm sure you have so much fun stuff
coming up.

Speaker 2 (01:20:02):
Yeah, So I'm so excited.

Speaker 3 (01:20:03):
Let's do one final question.

Speaker 4 (01:20:05):
If you could go back and tell your eighteen year
old self when you were just starting now at University
of Alabama. One piece of advice, what would you tell her?

Speaker 1 (01:20:13):
Oh, my goodness, I would tell her two. That's a
really good question. I would tell her to breathe and
like be more confident in yourself. And I would tell
her to stop being a perfectionist, because I really did
have to learn that, and it was a lot of
obstacles and hoops that I had to jump through to
learn that. And it was just so funny because I

(01:20:34):
knew that whenever I went to the University of Alabama,
I was leaving my family, leaving everything that I grew
up with behind. But I somehow knew in the bottom
of my heart, I knew that like it was gonna
work out. And I know that that sounds crazy. I
knew that I would find a way to fit for
my storty. I knew that God like had my back,
and so I just like trusted it fully. But I

(01:20:55):
would tell myself to show the other side earlier. And
I would tell myself to stop being a tack on
affectionists because it really did cribple me in a lot
of things, Like I would be so anxious all the time,
and so I would tell myself to embrace cringe moore
and to just really have fun and really embrace and
say yes to everything. That is one thing that I'm
really doing in my twenty twenty six mindset is that
I want to I'm already so productive, but I just

(01:21:18):
want to keep saying yes because I know a lot
of the times you hear like in another life, we
don't have another life. This is the only life we
have to live, so I want to embrace it fully.
And I also want to remind my eighteen year old
self that, like I was, it was my first time
living too. Like I love that saying because sometimes whenever
I notice like, oh, like that person said this about me, well,

(01:21:38):
this is their first time living too. You never know
what people are going through. And to not be as
hard as on myself as I was. I was really
really hard on myself, and I ended up putting myself
into like a little hole where I could have been.

Speaker 2 (01:21:50):
More positive and drug myself out.

Speaker 1 (01:21:52):
So I'm just glad that I'm in a better mental
capacity now than I was then. And I know it's
like crazy to hear that because a lot of people
had no idea I was really really good at hiding
it online.

Speaker 4 (01:22:02):
But college is a journey and there's different eras and
it's it's interesting to go back and look on them
and say, you know, I wasn't my best self then,
but it taught me so much and it's made me
the person that I am today.

Speaker 1 (01:22:13):
Yeah, and it's just so funny because all the things
that I thought mattered my freshman year of college did
not matter whatsoever, Like they really had nothing in the
grand scale effect of my life. And so yeah, to
any girls that are going into college journey college girls,
be easy on yourself, have fun, relax, but remember to
balance school in there as well. Don't go to party

(01:22:35):
because I did that a little bit my second semester.
I was like, right up and yeah, it was a
lot of fun though.

Speaker 3 (01:22:43):
Well, Kylin, thank you so much for being on post
run high with me today.

Speaker 2 (01:22:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:22:47):
No, I do feel the post run high still. I
hope I'm not sore tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (01:22:51):
I'm excited next time we do a runt together, I
need it to be you, an Izzy, because I need
to see to get competitive with each other.

Speaker 2 (01:22:58):
Oh, we're the most competitive people in the world.

Speaker 4 (01:23:00):
Like, I need to see who will win in a
mile race, and maybe at that point I'll be so
pregnant that I'm gonna be on a bike and just
like cheering for.

Speaker 3 (01:23:07):
You guys, Oh my god.

Speaker 4 (01:23:08):
Or maybe it'll be app when you guys move New York,
New York Central Park.

Speaker 1 (01:23:13):
Mile winner gets all the ragging rights.

Speaker 2 (01:23:17):
Yeah yeah, and we'll win that. I'm calling it now
for doing it.

Speaker 4 (01:23:23):
That's a rap.

Speaker 2 (01:23:23):
Who's a red?

Speaker 4 (01:23:29):
If you made it this far into our episode, thank you,
thank you for being here, thank you for listening, thank
you for showing up. That's a wrap on our conversation
with Kylin Darnell. From the craze of sorority rush culture
to chasing Big Dreams and sports broadcasting, Kylin brought honesty, positivity,
and so much perspective into this podcast. If this episode

(01:23:50):
resonated with you, share it with a friend, leave a review,
and follow us on this app. Your support helps us
grow the show and helps us continue bringing you inspire
hiring conversations that we can learn and grow from together.
We have great episodes coming up and we are posting
every Monday, so we will see you next week.

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The Hidden Price of Going Viral in College | Kylan Darnell

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}The Hidden Price of Going Viral in College | Kylan Darnell