August 15, 2023 • 43 mins
Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and TV host Natalie Woods Stanyer joins Jacob & Ashley to share the story of her humble beginnings, the extreme challenges, trials and victories she experienced on her rise to the top.
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LinkedIn: @NatalieWoods
Twitter: @NatalieWoods22
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to the Good Stuff. I'm Jacob Shick and I'm
joined by my co host and wife, Ashley Shick.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Jake is a third generation combat Marine and I'm a
gold Star granddaughter. And we work together to serve military veterans,
first responders, frontline healthcare workers, and their families with mental
and emotional wellness through traditional and non traditional therapy.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
At One Tribe Foundation, we.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Believe everyone has a story to tell, not only about
the peaks, but also the valleys they've been through to
get them to where they are today.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Each week, we invite a guest to tell us their story,
to share with us the lessons they've learned that shaped
who they are and what they're doing to pay it
forward and give back.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Our mission with this show is to dig deep into
our guest journeys so that we can celebrate the hope
and inspiration their story has to offer.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
We're thrilled you're joining us again.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Welcome to the Good Stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Today's episode is a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
For me and her. You both are pretty amazing, and
then you're out amazing everybody else.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Well, thank you, babe.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Well those facts. Today our guess is Natalie wood Stanier.
She's here to tell us the story of her childhood
and the hardship she faced growing up. She's someone we
definitely consider family. She's an accomplished reporter and TV producer,
Dallas Cowboys cheerleader alumni, and she's proven it doesn't matter
where you started, you can accomplish anything you put your
(01:32):
mind to. This conversation with Natalie was amazing for me
because it always is fun when the two of you
get together and I get to see how beautiful your
friendship is.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Agreed, so blest.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Very blest few Natalie's come along your life journey.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Agreed absolutely, and there's only one Natalie.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
That's the truest thing that's ever been said on this show.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
We know y'all are gonna love Natalie's story.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I'm so excited to sit down with you and have
you on the good stuff because so much of my
life has been good because of our friendship. We go
way back, way back, way back like Cadillacs. Yes, Natalie
wood Stand, You're thrilled to have you with us today.
I was actually Natalie's intern, babe. True, that's how we met.
(02:23):
Pretty much my whole life is because of her. Natalie
was this beautiful glamorous TV host in Austin, Texas, and
I needed one more internship for college. I was in
my senior year in college in Saint Marcus, and she said, well,
come be my intern.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Yes, just like that, I'm hired. Okay, cool, what does
it pay? Nothing?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
You get hired for free your experience? Yes, experience, and
I did. I gained a lot of that, and then
step into your previous role.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Well, you copied me.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
She actually got the job because I would be on
camera and she would watch me, and then I'd say,
do you want to try it?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
So she would actually make fun of me.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Way, but being able to do that making fun of someone,
you actually end up getting your own kind of developing
your own personality which is already there, but how you
portray that on camera maybe different. So anyway, she was
really just a natural from the very beginning. So when
I went to our Dallas market, she slid right on
in that position in our Austin market and she was amazing.
(03:21):
So not brown hair braces though, no, no, no we.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Inmitation is a sincereous form of flatteryentually, and I was
I was mocking her, and they had already interviewed a
lot of other potential hosts.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And with experience, and then Hazelwood, our good friend Ryan Hazelwood,
who was both of our photographer for years, said, Kmire Camrath,
show them what you got and I was like, no,
I don't want to. And they were like, he's like nope,
show him and I did and then they were like
you're hired. I was like, oh crap. But it was
a lot of fun. We did that the Hot on
Homes TV show for many moons and fortunately just remained
really good friends. And that's just grown and grown and
(03:54):
grown over the years.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
And yeah, we went through like pets, boyfriend, jobs, different
avenues of our lives together and good and the bad.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
We were able to stick together.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Like legitimate sisters. Yep. Yeah, yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Like you always say, babe, like you know, let us
thicker than water, hold my salad and watch this. Wester
Radalie is through and through one of my sisters.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah. I believe that we choose.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Our family is now she's one of your sisters too.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah. It's a blessing and a curse.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
When he and I first met, we found out how
much we had in common. It was it was crazy
good and then we have you in common, which we
both love so much well.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
And one of the things that I think so many
people are attracted to the both of you is that
you're so open to listen to people with zero judgment,
like this is in no judgment zone, and people just
know that. I've seen for both of you for twenty
years our friendship and then eight nine years our friendship
and now you know, relationship. People are drawn to your
(04:56):
energy and they feel so comfortable with you right off
the b that and it gives them the opportunity to
open up. I mean a lot of times for y'all,
it's like people are spilling their soul to you, and
you're like, whoa you know.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Also blessing and a curse exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
But you're both so gracious in listening and helping, and
I've surrounded myself with amazing people.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
It's interesting you say that, because if we could say
the same exact thing about you.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Just.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
He got jokes. He's got jokes for days.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Natalie. We wanted to have you on the good Stuff
for many reasons. You are a beautiful human inside and out,
and we are so blessed to call you friend. You're
an incredible wife, mother, and stepmother. You know, your husband
is a former black Hawk pilot Joseph Stanier, and you're
a television host, you're a producer, you're a former Dallas
(05:45):
Cowboys cheerleader. I mean, that's kind of a big deal,
especially here in Dallas, Texas.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
It's probably a big deal in your world, period, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
When it comes to the NFL.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Really, I would say the most notable team when it
comes to cheerleaders will be the Dallas Boys cheerleaders.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Fair you probably.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Can't describe a Minnesota Vikings cheerleader uniform to me, maybe
you can, but I can guarantee you people in Minnesota
probably can somewhat describe a Dallas Cowboys chrailader's uniform. And
that's just because of what they've done from a marketing standpoint,
a longevity standpoint, and they've kind of been the leader
in the industry, and I wanted to be a part
of that. So that was I started that long process
(06:23):
to trying out and making the team. And I love
the Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
It was a good fit and you were actually devoted
number thirty three hottest Dallas Cowboy cheerleader of all time.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Right it's number thirty three. There it is.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I don't really know what the source was, but it
doesn't matter because I made the.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
List that's going on the resume.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
You've accomplished so much in your short life and been
a part of so many incredible things, and your energy
it's beautiful and it brings everyone else up when they're
around you. But it didn't always go way now.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
It was rough.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
You had a rough start.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
People see you and they see this gorgeous woman who's
done so much and accomplished so much and is so
kind and so giving, but they have no idea the
path that you've walked. Tell us about your childhood.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
So my mom and dad divorced when I was an infant,
or when I was born. Actually, I don't even think
that my dad came to the hospital to see me
because he had already.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Kind of moved on.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
So my mom really was the one who was in
my life. She was a bartender my whole life, and beautiful.
My mom was so beautiful, So there's a lot that
gave her power with that behind the bar, but also
her poor decisions and life choices in men in alcohol
and drugs seeped into our lives, and that affected me
(07:47):
as a child. So I mean, I remember even in
elementary if my mom came home after working, but she
probably usually drank before she came home, And so in
the mornings, I would get myself up for school.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
I would get myself ready.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
If there was breakfast in there, I would eat breakfast,
and then I would go to her purse and I
would go get a dollar ten because that's how much
the lunch was at school. If there wasn't a dollar
ten in her purse, then I didn't eat lunch that day.
And I couldn't wake my mom up to tell her
because she was in no place physically.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, she was passed out, so there was no way.
So I remember going to school.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
I remember sitting in the third grade and somebody didn't
eat their pizza, so the teacher brought it over to me.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Where did you grow up? And tell me about your
living conditions?
Speaker 4 (08:29):
So we lived in Conroe, Texas. I love Conro, but
we moved a lot, We got evicted a lot. So
I mean, when I drive down I forty five, I
can point out minimum seven apartment complexes that I lived
in on I forty five. So forget about the places
that I lived, like within the city, so.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
That was tough.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
We lived in a few trailers, but I still had
roof over my head. Have you ever been in a trailer?
I have, Okay, So this is how it goes. It's
like a maybe a little room, and then a bathroom,
and then the washer and dryer, and then a back room,
and then on the other side there's like a master bedroom. Yeah,
mine was the back bedroom. To get to my room,
I had to jump over a rotting floor because I
(09:11):
could have fallen in fallen through the hole.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
So what kind of fifth grader were you?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
The personality you've seen, the lack of filter, the hyperactivity,
this kid full of life. That's always been me, even
despite some of the situations and the scary nights that
I was in.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
For some reason, have always been able to be.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
This outgoing, gregarious, center of attention kind of personality even
as a fifth grader.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
It's just I've always wanted to perform.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
I didn't really have a fear of getting on a stage,
even though I wasn't good.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
I don't know what I was getting on the stage four,
but I would.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
And so I have always had a very outgoing personality.
You're just sitting here putting on this good face and
being in drill team and active and putting a good
face forward, but still going home to a situation where
it wasn't a safe environment. And I also didn't know
what condition my mom would be in when I was there.
And I was a bus kid, So there's a church
(10:05):
that would always pick me up on Sundays and Wednesdays,
and I loved going to church, and I would go
there and I would see the love in this environment,
and that's what I wanted, Like, I just wanted this
stability that I felt in church every Sunday morning, and
I went to night church and then I went to
Wednesday church and I saw that and it's what I
gravitated to because I felt the love that this congregation
(10:29):
had for each other. And I also knew what condition
mentally they would be in when I was there as well,
which I feel like gave me some bit of stability.
I was in the fifth grade and at that point
we lived in a town called Willis, which is just
a little north of Conro. We were in this condo
and I came home and I remember hearing my mom.
(10:53):
She was doing lines of coke. And that's the only
time I've ever heard my mom doing cocaine. I've never
had seen it or hurt, but I knew and I
knew what it was, and I just I cried because
I wanted my mom to be what I thought was
the version of normal, a normal mom, and I just
knew she wasn't, and she's sitting there doing drugs.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
She didn't realize I was home. And it was at
that moment that.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
I prayed to the Lord and I decided, Okay, I'm
going to make a deal with God, because that's what
fifth graders do. They make a deal, like, Hey, if
I make this deal with God, then he'll help me
kind of deliver me from this because I knew that's
not where I wanted to be, and even as a
little girl, I knew I wanted to be. I didn't
want to be taken care of by a man because
I'd never seen that. I wanted to be independent, and
(11:36):
I knew, like women in the church who were independent,
I could do it. I just had to figure out
how to do it. So I prayed to God and
I said, I won't drink ever, I won't smoke or
do drugs, and I won't have sex until i'm married,
if you'll please help me not to end up like
my mom while she was doing lines of coke. And
(11:59):
that's how desperate I was. I wanted to figure it out.
I wanted to fight. I wanted to come above that,
because it's not fun when you come home from school
and you can't bring friends home, right because you don't
know what condition your mom is going to be in,
or she's going to be there, or in honestly, what
condition the house is going to be in. Clothes weren't washed,
and it just wasn't taking care of Again, when you're
(12:21):
serving a god of alcohol and drugs and sex and
center of attention, right, the children are going to pay
the price. So I knew I had to figure that out.
And I thought, if I don't drink and I don't
do drugs, and I don't smoke, and I don't center
my life around men, then maybe that's a good path
(12:41):
to have. And I think that was also being probably
taught to me in the church that I was going
to as well as far as good choice is good life,
bad choice is bad life. Here's a fifth grader now going, Okay,
I made this deal with God, and I know he'll
hold up on his end, but I got to hold
up on mine. And the men she brought home also
brought in another element concern for me. Some of the
(13:02):
men that my mom brought home took advantage of me
because she was passed out on the couch, so they
took advantage of me sexually. The first time I remember
that happening was, oh gosh, definitely happened in the third grade,
and I'm trying to remember. I think it happened probably
(13:23):
in the second grade. And then my mom dated a
man for a very long time that lived in our
house who would he never touched me. I just called
him staring at me, or he would open my blinds
just the perfect way so that when I was in
my bedroom he could come out and watch me. I mean,
he was that guy former pastor. It's interesting because you
always hear about kids not telling that stuff, and I
(13:44):
don't know that I ever told anybody because I didn't
know where I would go. You know, it was still
my mom number one, who I love so much, and
I still had her, but I didn't.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
I mean, I had I had the church, I could
have told the church, and I didn't.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Same me, I was molested when I was young, and
it was like it was just such a different time
and it's still I think it hadn't changed a whole lot,
Like who do you tell you? You just don't talk
about that stuff to me from what I remember in
the church I grew up, and even in the church,
you put on your Sonday best and you go act
(14:22):
like everything's rainbows, roses and lollipops. Like I don't remember
there being a whole lot of vulnerability. I don't remember
there being a whole lot of conviction and being authentic
and genuine. And not to say that it didn't have
its positives, because it definitely did, but I feel like
(14:44):
as far as from an emotional and psychological standpoint, it
didn't do a lot and helping me grow and looking
back on it now as an adult and having lived
a life I've lived, like it's to discuss me, Like
I think there was a bunch of cowardice and ignorance,
(15:05):
both chosen and for me. You can't be a pillar
or a leader in your community if you're one of those,
because there's kids around you. One and four is what
the statistics show, right, One in four children that are
sexually molested, sexually violated one way or the other. I'd
be willing to bet it's higher than that. I mean,
(15:26):
that's the ones that could, that were strong enough to
say something.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
I mean, Jay, there's three people in this room, and
two out of three.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Right, I believe. And I've told you this before, like
you epitomize what it means to be a warrior. You
don't have to be a gun slinger. You don't have
to be a lead slinger and wear a uniform and
do all that. I'm drawn to people that have the
the emotional scars, and I think that's my inner gladiator
(15:53):
that is drawn to those people. And even in the beginning,
from when we first met, like it was, even though
you annoyed the hell out of me, No I didn't.
You did, but I didn't.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I chose not to see that.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
You chose, you choose to never see it ever from
anyone ever. But to know now what I know. I
knew it before you told me. I knew there was
a lot more behind behind the eyes. And I feel
like that's a gift to God thing. But that's what
I'm drawn to, is I'm not I don't care about
(16:30):
the cheerleader stuff. And the accolades, like I don't care
about any of that stuff. Like, You're right, I couldn't
describe what a cheerleader outfit, costume, uniform, okay even down
to the cowboys, right, because it's not what I But
I'm also very passionate about the game of football. Well,
let me show you a picture. No, Like, I don't
(16:52):
need to because I'm kidding. Jackson has a picture signed
by you. I admire your warriorness so much because you
could have picked a lot of different paths, especially in
the industries you're in, because it was real easy in
those industries to like it wasn't hard, like you could
definitely fall in to the same thing that your mother
(17:15):
fell into. It's admirable that you were able to stay
set fast on a certain course. Not to say that
I'm sure you had horrible things happen after the fact
that we're out of your control. That to me is
what being a gladiator is all about, fighting against the odds,
even on the bad days, knowing that you are stronger
(17:35):
than any circumstance.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
It's interesting that even as a child, somehow was I
and other kids you somehow compartmentalize to be able to
push it back, not down where it's going to boil up,
because I've actually never felt that way. I've accepted what
happened to me. I compartmentalized it and said this sucks,
and I either let that bring me down or I
use it to make me stronger. I was embarrassed about,
(18:01):
you know, being in those situations and being that vulnerable
as a little girl and having a man do that,
but it empowered me. People do bad things. I don't
think God.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Puts bad the hinds the people free will.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
It happens.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
I was in college and I became a camp counselor
so that I could share possibly my story with other
teenage girls who might be battling as well. That God
could use me to share that story as well. That
was kind of my own therapy, right, finally telling somebody,
because I didn't tell anybody for a very long time
that those things had happened to me.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
It's amazing the way that lifts off the soul. It's
I mean literally, yes, I mean I just said it
a couple of years ago speaking to I was speaking
like a lot, like thousands and thousands of people, and
it just flew out of my mouth and then I
went to apologize, but then I was like, no, I
did apologize. I think, oh, you heard it, And then
but then I was like, no, I take that back.
(18:54):
I'm not sorry. I'm not sorry about that. Like, just
to be able to say that, and the weight that
was lifted off was like, goh, man, I wish I'd
had the strength or courage or permission or whatever. It
is a long time ago to do this, because I
think mentally and emotionally I would be further than where
(19:17):
I am now.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Maybe you weren't emotionally ready to do it back then.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
I look back on it, just like any of us
at the stable could look back on it, and there
was no foundation, I mean zero to talk about anything.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yeah, that was so taboo when we were growing up.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
And thinking about how it still is right. Our children
are our future. We have to empower them in healthy
ways and give them a healthy foundation and give them
permission and courage and all the other things to be
able to be open and vulnerable without judgment.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Did you ever falter on your deal with God, Ashley?
Speaker 3 (20:00):
No.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
I I still don't drink and I don't smoke, and
I don't do drugs. I do have sex, with my husband. Sorry,
Jake wants to here.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
It is here, it is you know, it's a fact.
She's just speaking the truth.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
God, does Joseph know that his one role on this
planet was to be your your husband? Patients of Joe
Chosen patience? I mean seriously, how I mean, God, bless
you Joseph.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
I know well you want to pray for him right now? Okay, okay,
good good. I was a good girl, I really I thought,
you know, their temptations are there. I certainly made out
with boys all of that, but I didn't I would
go to parties and I did not drink. That was
never a temptation for me.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Drinking, Yes, I think, because you're so repulsed. I was.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
I was repulsed by I was repulsed by that, but
I was more repulsed by the what it turned my
mom into when she.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Was liquor drunk, really, even beer drunk.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Does she get mean me?
Speaker 4 (20:57):
She got so mean, not physic with me, but the
things that would come out of her mouth. It would
have been better for her to throw a bile.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
You probably would rather probably.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
And her to still being somewhat the right mind, yes,
just because it was just it was disgusting. It was
evil and that was what made me so nervous when
I would come home from school because I didn't know
what I.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Was going to get.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
I didn't know if I was going to get beer drunk,
just sloppy liquor drunk, hateful and mean, or my mom
recovering and sober.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Hungover, hungover? Did do you ever have to clean her up?
I'm trying to think if I ever remember? I just no,
I didn't. I don't know that I would have known
how to do that.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
There was always men around, honestly, and so she was
passed out in that bed.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
So but you learned responsibility at a young age. I did.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
I did grow fast.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Yes, When did you first become involved with dance?
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Cheer?
Speaker 3 (21:58):
How do you find out?
Speaker 2 (21:59):
You?
Speaker 1 (21:59):
How a passion introduction to that world.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
I tried out for cheerleader in the seventh grade. My
mom dropped me off and I tried out and I
did not make cheerleader, and I remember running to my
mom and said they didn't think I was good enough,
and I was crying in my mom. She loved me
so much through that, you know, she was so proud
of me for trying out and that was a good time.
I mean, it was a really good time, but I
did not make it. And then I heard about a
drill team and I was like, well, there's more girls
(22:23):
on the drill team and I'm not trained, but maybe
I'll try out for drill team. And they took me,
and that was another God moment. Why why did you
try out for cheerleader? Why did you go for drill team?
I think I wanted to be a part of something
I wanted to be a part of.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
First, it was a stage.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
The field was a football stage, you know, for halftime
or for the sideline if I had made cheerleader. But
also then I got to be a part of a
community of other girls who would be sharing the same
thing that I was doing.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
And I loved it.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
I loved putting on a show, and drill team actually
was more aligned with putting on a show then even cheering, right,
So it actually worked out really well for me and
I stayed with drill team from seventh grade and my
senior year I was the major, so that drill team
that I just loved and adored, I ended up becoming
the leader, the leader my senior year.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Do you feel like the environment that you grew up in,
and it's easy for us to sit here in forty
five minutes and just glance over it and talk about, yeah,
this was your reality. But this was your reality. This
was your day in, day out, the fear of not
knowing what you're going to get when you go home.
Do you feel like that environment is what caused you
(23:36):
or drove you to take so many risks? Fast forward
into your adult life, You're now a reporter. You're on
camera on television, not an easy job, especially the live shots.
And then fast forward now I'm going to try out
for Dallas Cowboy cheerleader because that's the best. Was that
drive part of the environment that you grew up in.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
I think I always had a drive, but to figure
it out. When I made that deal with God, I thought, Okay,
I'm going to go for it because he's not going
to let me down, because I'm going to keep up
my end of the bargain. And so maybe that gave
me a little bit of confidence. Even though I had
never cheered, even though I had never danced, there was
at least a little bit of just natural talent enough
(24:16):
to make seventh grade drill team. And then making that
drill team built on that confidence, and then I became
a better dancer even college when I was doing show
choir and I was dancing there as well, not as detailed,
but we were still dancing. All of that kind of
pulled together to help me with the path that I
(24:36):
chose to take. I talk about my mom and my childhood,
and it was tough, but I didn't pick that. God did,
so I knew he had me there for a reason, and.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
I didn't like it. I didn't like a lot about it.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
But now I can look back and I can be
more open about what happened to me as a child,
and I can talk about it with a little less embarrassment.
There's still always a little bit of embarrassment for me
to admit that some grown man put his hands on
a second grader.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
He is embarrassment or you ain't a shame that's ingrained.
I don't.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
I think it's ingrained in the DNA.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
To be embarrassed her, to be to have the shame both.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Yeah, it's a part of the human words.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
Well, people look at me differently and not want to
be around me like well men not would a man
not want to date me?
Speaker 1 (25:23):
It's getting way less and less how much I care
what people think. But it's taken a long time, same
and a lot of bombs and bruises to get there.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Well, and I knew if God put me there, that
was my mom and a dad who really missed out
on a really cool girl. Be honest with you, right,
but but you know, but you are. But those were
my parents and this day my mom life has slowed
her down a lot, and my mom is in my life.
(25:53):
I'm happy to say. We don't talk a lot about this,
but I do have very honest conversations with her now.
She accepts it as much as she can. And the
way that she accepts it is by changing the subject,
not yelling at me or telling me that I was
wrong or any of that. She now just avoids she
avoids the conversation, but she knows it's there. But I
(26:14):
think her avoidance is just maybe her way of dealing
with what she knew she.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Was doing back then. I mean, she probably wasn't in
the best place to have children.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
What was the relationship like through your high school years
into adulthood.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
With my mom? She wasn't there.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
Actually, my senior year I ended up living with my
sister in her apartment and Julia just had a child.
But I lived with my sister and I finished there
in college. I didn't know where my mom.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Was all throughout college for the most part.
Speaker 4 (26:44):
Yes, toward the end, she actually moved in with her mom,
my grandmother, because life had kind of started to slow
her down. My mom came from great parents. My mom
came from my Papaul helped start Houston Lighting and Power.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
They did okay.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
They were a nice middle class, upper middle class family,
and she was blessed and had my uncle, her brothers,
you know, has his masters and centinary. I mean, she
came from this, but she just had kind of the
ingrained and party lifestyle. That's when life started to slow down.
And then I knew where my mom was.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
But where would you do like Christmas and Thanksgiving, like
when you had the big breaks and coach friends.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
And then in summers, I was a camp counselor sky
Ranch and I loved it. I mean, so I didn't
really have a home to go to, but I had
amazing friends and amazing people that if I wanted to
go with them, I could.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
So we're so blessed through that, And you talk about
your drill team coach who gave you the scholarship, and
that has been a huge theme throughout your life.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Your coaches, my coaches, Betty Buckner, Danielle Rapp, Larry Brumley,
my choir director who gave me a full ride if
I agreed to be the choreographer, Christine o'hagen who told
me about Panola, which changed my life, getting to go
to Stephen F. Austin. I love East.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
Texas and I love SFA. I love ESFA. It's a
great place. God brings somebody for everyone. There are people
in your life. God is put there, and you guys
can strengthen each other. And I don't want to say
use each other, but in a sense you are. You're
there to sharpen each other. And God gave me that.
(28:19):
It's interesting because I did get a pel grant.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
I did.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
I did have school loans, but I paid all those
off and now I'm able to donate to kids who
in this situation. Somebody did that for me, this little
girl who nobody really knew other than just being the
hyper piper running around, you know, full of life. But
mister Gibson believed in me, and hardly knew me but
(28:42):
saw something. It's just as a believer, I will never
ignore the fact that this deal as a fifth grader
that I made with God was honored by him.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
It's a testament to the perseverance and the resilience that
you've gotten you. I think that in a large part
you're born with you know. And I was on the
fence for a long time about these God gifts and
all that, all based on trauma. Right clearly lost that one,
Thank God, but you've got more than most. It's inspirational.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
You should say that. I don't tell a whole lot of.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
He really doesn't.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
I'm sitting over here and shock. You went from the
football field is your stage to getting a job on
TV and then trying out for the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders
and making it tell us about that transition.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Gosh, I really was born a ham, for sure, but
you sounds so country.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
I really was born a Ham. I was lowering.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
He didn't make me really good, like not like the
vocal talent of like Lady Gaga. He knew because he'd
be like, I can't give her that much power because
she'll abuse it. So he made me a really above
average singer and a somewhat above average dance and he's like,
I'm gonna give you a little of this and you
go with it. So that's what I had, so I did.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
So do you agree with the statement that at some
point hard work will supersede god given talent?
Speaker 4 (30:15):
I think that the god given talent, if you put
the hard work with it, can make you unstoppable. Seems dramatic,
but it can. It makes you more powerful supersede it.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
No, So think about the people that are listening that
were in your boat average, your above average singing, dancing,
what have you?
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Academically?
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Yeah, I know you knew girls who had to in
those worlds that could you show up and just be awesome?
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Oh I hated it. I didn't hate them.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
Oh, but they would show up and they'd learn eight
eighths and then they would be like here it is, yes,
but you had, but you I did.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
That's my point. Yes, for those people listening that are
like I just need to don't be afraid to put
in the sweat equity that's right, burn your pain is fuel.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
I'm glad you said that because my daughter, who has dyslexia,
I had a very honest conversation with her.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
I said, here's the deal.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
You're going to have the kid next to you that's
not going to have to study and is going to
get the A. And you are going to have to
put the work in because it didn't go into your
brain quite as easily as it went into his brain.
But that's okay. If you put the hard work in,
there's a good chance you're going to be much more
well prepared for the future because you had the discipline
to do the hard work. Now I understand what you're
(31:33):
saying now, and absolutely I do agree with that.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
You have to work hard, so you take your work
ethic and you enter the field of television. How did
that journey begin?
Speaker 4 (31:41):
So I was actually going to be a nurse. I
went to nursing school. I was in nursing school, and
I well, they started me in the nursing homes and
I thought, I don't know, like this is for me.
So I prayed about it.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
But that was greatness because jeriatrics are the ones that
threw you off on nursing. God b well, I think that.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
They did that on purpose. But I was like, I
don't think it's apposed to.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Be a nurse, And so somebody asked me when I
was thinking about geting out of nursing, what have you
always wanted to do? And I said, I really, okay,
don't laugh, but I think I want to I would
really like to stand in front of a tornado and
report on it and my hair's flying in the wind.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
They were like, then do it.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
And I'm like, but how really, how likely is it
for me that I could end up on television? And
they said, well, the good thing about news is you
don't have to know a lot about a little.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
You have to know a little about a lot.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
So that is you agagate party.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
You have to know a little about a lot, jack
of all trades, master of none.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
Okay, I went and I got a degree in communications
radio television. I interned at Channel eight in Dallas, Fort
we at WFA uh huh yep, and then land in
my first job as a reporter at kvu E ABC
in Austin, Austin, Texas. Way way in over my head,
like you shouldn't start probably in Austin, but somebody believed
in me and gave me a job.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
And they were looking for a reporter and and.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
Oh man, but one of them still my best friend.
Of this day and actually got her producing jobs. She's
one of the best reporters I've ever seen in my life.
But we've been able to actually help each other find jobs,
like like you did, for production jobs and stuff like that. Well, anyway,
so that's how I ended up on television.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
And he did that wonderfully well for over a decade,
and then at the riple age of thirty one, decided
to try out for I did.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
That's right, Yes, thirty thirty one years old. I tried
out for the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Cheerleaders against seventeen and eighteen year olds.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I think it's like the
well eighteen eighteen, Well you have school, yes, eighteen, there's
no age limit on the other side of the scale,
but you have to be eighteen and most.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Of the girls are eight yet there's not no Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
You could try out. You could try out, like could
you could try out? You can?
Speaker 4 (34:05):
They had no, They've had a lot of guys try out.
I don't know if the jump splits are going to
be in your favor.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
But you can take my should it's good?
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Yeah, I mean the you know what, let's do it.
Speaker 4 (34:16):
Okay, Okay, So anyway, I tried out for the Dallas
Cowboys Shielders, and I thought, I know, I'm only thirty one,
but some reason I think I'm cute in the stands. Maybe,
So I tried out, but I did not make it.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
My first year.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
I was the last one cut the day before squad
photo and they're like, we've put a team together. You're
not on it. But to go from a thousand applicants to.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
They only take a thousand.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
No no, no, no, no, they.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
Can they can have anyone can walk in and give anyone.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
Anyone who's eighteen can walk in and get Yeah. So
I walked in, tried out, didn't make it. So I
had to come back the next year because to get
that close and then not make it.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
And you say that nonchalantly, like that tryout process is exhausting.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
It really is the most rewarding nightmare I've ever been three.
It is because you've got a thousand cameras on you.
They had this hit television show, which didn't really bother
me as much because I come from television. But you
know the world is watching you and judging you for sure,
you know, I mean, you get comments like, oh, Natalie Woods,
she's got her sentrum silver and her locker because I
(35:22):
was older.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
I know, I hurt.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
I'm like, I know, so I cheered at thirty two
and thirty three years old.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
They took me and I made the team.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
And how many cuts like you go to your from
the very first.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
There's a thousand applicants and they cut down to probably
a little over one hundred that make it to semifinals
and then finals you get probably I don't know the
thirty thirty five girls, but you joined the veterans. At finals,
you're probably I don't know, probably about sixty seventy girls
maybe in finals.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Because they make all of the veterans try out again
correct to prevent complete take forty five.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
To training camp, and then two and a half months
training camp, blood, sweat and tears, seven to midnight every night.
Then they'll cut down to thirty six and they'll make
a squad of thirty six.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Then you get paid.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Well, then I got fifty dollars a game before Texas,
but I didn't do it.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
For the money.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
I think that's one of the brilliant things about that
squad in particular, yeah, is that if you're not passionate
about that, because you're not doing it for the paycheck.
You're not gonna make it.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
No, that's true.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
Yeah, and you're doing I mean a lot of the
girls that you're doing it for a stepping stone, because
that does open up.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
A lot of doors for them. I was at the
TV show.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
I really wasn't because I think that was one of
the director in the choreographer like, what are you really
here for?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
And I was like, this is the icing on the cake.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
For me.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
To be able to wear that uniform and to be
on that field and be a part of the best
would be amazing.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
So I didn't care where I stood in the squad photo.
I didn't care if I was in the back because
I wonder.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
How that seventh grade cheercoach feels.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
She's actually pretty awesome. I reached out and I'm like,
you know, you cut me. She's like, girls, I was
building blocks.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
You're welcome.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
But you know what, It's true.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
Because that type of cheer is very different, very Dallas couple.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
Sure is a mortial team. Yeah, it's more deals. It
actually worked out in my favor.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
And I remember the night you called me to tell
me that you made it. I remember how ecstatic you
were tell me about that moment when you found out.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
For a lot of guys, it would be like making
it into the NFL. Not very many people can say
that they've played in the NFL. It's the same thing
for a squad like this or the Rockets, to say
that you've done it and that you made it and
that your hard work paid off because it was hard work.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
That was a lot of hard work.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
I wish I could explain a moment because I gave
two years of tryouts to that, tryouts and diets. I mean,
you know, just discipline, the hard work to finally be
chosen and to know you made it.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
There really is nothing like it. You figured it out.
I figured it out, all right.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Thinking back on your life's journey, is there a particular
person or organization that's made a huge impact on your path?
Speaker 3 (38:01):
No, next question, just kidding.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
That, lie, there's a lot.
Speaker 4 (38:08):
Not only did I have the Lord above that I
could pray to, but I had kind of a Jesus
and skin. I had families who take care of me.
Even in high school. Emily Holmes's mom when my mom
couldn't take me to practice, she came and picked me
up and I had to do ten high kicks for
every minute I was late, but I didn't care. She
still came, she still took care of me. The fact
(38:29):
that I even made drill team with no training, I
think that's a god thing because that was something to
fill my time with, something productive, and so I was
able to dance on this dance team of ninety ninety
girls and it was phenomenal. But then the bills come.
My mom's not we're not going to pay that. I mean,
my dad's not my life, my mom's obviously, that's not
(38:49):
where the money's going to go if we're not even
washing clothes. So Betty Buckner, my drill team director, put
me on full scholarship because she finally came to me
and said, we really need this money. And I just
lost it because I knew right then I was going
to have to tell her I couldn't be on the
drill team anymore because I wouldn't be able to pay
for it. And when she got my whole story, she said,
that's not going to happen. You're absolutely going to be
(39:10):
on this drill team and we're going to put you
on a scholarship. Nobody knew it, but they covered my
cost and that's a public school taking care of that
for me. You know, I talked about all the organizations
that really kind of helped pave the way for me,
But I think what's more impactful were the people within
those organizations who took care of me, who loved me
and protected me, like Betty Buckner, my drill team director,
(39:32):
Daniel Rht, my drill team director Larry Brumley at Panola.
It was the people that God put in those organizations
to help guide me.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
What do you do to decompress or unwind or recharge?
Speaker 4 (39:46):
Pickleball, roller skating and watching my kids play sports they
love that pumps me up.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Last question, what feeds your soul?
Speaker 3 (40:00):
It is everyone that is in my life now, who
chooses to be in my life and who allows me
to be in their lives. That's the most important part
to me because it was people who got me here
to where I am, and till the very end, it
will be the people who are part of my tribe.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
It's people. Now.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
When I think of you, I think of beauty, yes
on the exterior, but so much on the interior. And
the word that always comes to me is grace because
of the life you've lived because of the path that
you've not only been put on, but then chose. I'm
just I'm so proud to call you friend, and I'm
so proud to see all the wonderful things that you're
(40:38):
doing and to know where you came from. You truly
epitomize grace and forgiveness and love. Hearing your story today,
you always had faith, you never lost the faith, and
I think that's just such a beautiful thing. And I'm
just so grateful to call you friend. Thank you for
being on the good stuff.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
I'm so grateful for our world's collided way back when,
and to be able to sit down and do this
with you, knowing you the way I know you now,
and knowing how close and how strong the bond is
between the two of you. It's really cool to be
a part of it. And I feel privileged to know you.
(41:17):
When I tell people you're worth fighting, bleeding, and dying for.
Couldn't possibly mean that more when I say that, but
especially to people like you that you just your existence
makes this world a better place.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Well, I love you, guys, We love you. You make
us better.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
Nally, it was an absolute pleasure to have you on
the good stuff.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
Thank you for having me. Wow. I love her energy.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
I love sitting down with her and just shooting the breeze.
It's always so uplifting. It's always so inspiring and enlightening.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Yeah. I mean because of her life's journey. She's just
a plethora of knowledge and inspiration at the life.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
Game, agreed. And you know, we talk about this all
the time.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
So many people who had a rough start in life,
they use that, they channel that and all of those experiences,
those dark times, and they use that to inspire them
to go accomplish great things in life. And I'm so
blessed that she's been my friend for so many years
because she truly inspires me.
Speaker 3 (42:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
Likewise, and I don't say that lightly. You have to
dig deep to find people that are true inspirations that
actually feed your soul. And I truly feel like NAT's
one of those people for me, and I'm grateful to
know her.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Can you imagine a child making a promise to themselves
at such a young age and then standing by that
for years.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
It goes to show you that her being so rooted
in her faith, it shows you that she was able
to feel that she had something at a very young
age that I think a lot of people don't get,
if ever until later on in life.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Right and the world is certainly a better place because
she was faithful to that promise facts.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
I mean, her conviction second to none.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
From a trailer park in Conrod, Texas, to the Cowboys
Stadium in Arlington and beyond. We're just so grateful for
Natalie all that she brings to this world and making
it a beautiful and better place. Thank you so much
for listening. If this episode touched you today, please share
it and be part of making someone else's day better.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Put on your bad ass caves and be great today.
And remember you can't do epic stuff without epic people.
Thank you for listening to the good Stuff.
Speaker 2 (43:33):
The Good Stuff is executive produced by Ashley Shick, Jacob Schick,
Leah Pictures and q Code Media, Hosted by Ashley Shick
and Jacob Schick, Produced by Nick Cassolini and Ryan Kant's
House post production supervisor Will Tindi. Music editing by Will
Haywood Smith, edited by Mike Robinson,
Welcome to the Good Stuff. I'm Jacob Shick and I'm
joined by my co host and wife, Ashley Shick.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Jake is a third generation combat Marine and I'm a
gold Star granddaughter. And we work together to serve military veterans,
first responders, frontline healthcare workers, and their families with mental
and emotional wellness through traditional and non traditional therapy.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
At One Tribe Foundation, we.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Believe everyone has a story to tell, not only about
the peaks, but also the valleys they've been through to
get them to where they are today.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Each week, we invite a guest to tell us their story,
to share with us the lessons they've learned that shaped
who they are and what they're doing to pay it
forward and give back.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Our mission with this show is to dig deep into
our guest journeys so that we can celebrate the hope
and inspiration their story has to offer.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
We're thrilled you're joining us again.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Welcome to the Good Stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Today's episode is a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
For me and her. You both are pretty amazing, and
then you're out amazing everybody else.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Well, thank you, babe.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Well those facts. Today our guess is Natalie wood Stanier.
She's here to tell us the story of her childhood
and the hardship she faced growing up. She's someone we
definitely consider family. She's an accomplished reporter and TV producer,
Dallas Cowboys cheerleader alumni, and she's proven it doesn't matter
where you started, you can accomplish anything you put your
(01:32):
mind to. This conversation with Natalie was amazing for me
because it always is fun when the two of you
get together and I get to see how beautiful your
friendship is.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Agreed, so blest.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Very blest few Natalie's come along your life journey.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Agreed absolutely, and there's only one Natalie.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
That's the truest thing that's ever been said on this show.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
We know y'all are gonna love Natalie's story.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I'm so excited to sit down with you and have
you on the good stuff because so much of my
life has been good because of our friendship. We go
way back, way back, way back like Cadillacs. Yes, Natalie
wood Stand, You're thrilled to have you with us today.
I was actually Natalie's intern, babe. True, that's how we met.
(02:23):
Pretty much my whole life is because of her. Natalie
was this beautiful glamorous TV host in Austin, Texas, and
I needed one more internship for college. I was in
my senior year in college in Saint Marcus, and she said, well,
come be my intern.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Yes, just like that, I'm hired. Okay, cool, what does
it pay? Nothing?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
You get hired for free your experience? Yes, experience, and
I did. I gained a lot of that, and then
step into your previous role.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Well, you copied me.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
She actually got the job because I would be on
camera and she would watch me, and then I'd say,
do you want to try it?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
So she would actually make fun of me.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Way, but being able to do that making fun of someone,
you actually end up getting your own kind of developing
your own personality which is already there, but how you
portray that on camera maybe different. So anyway, she was
really just a natural from the very beginning. So when
I went to our Dallas market, she slid right on
in that position in our Austin market and she was amazing.
(03:21):
So not brown hair braces though, no, no, no we.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Inmitation is a sincereous form of flatteryentually, and I was
I was mocking her, and they had already interviewed a
lot of other potential hosts.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And with experience, and then Hazelwood, our good friend Ryan Hazelwood,
who was both of our photographer for years, said, Kmire Camrath,
show them what you got and I was like, no,
I don't want to. And they were like, he's like nope,
show him and I did and then they were like
you're hired. I was like, oh crap. But it was
a lot of fun. We did that the Hot on
Homes TV show for many moons and fortunately just remained
really good friends. And that's just grown and grown and
(03:54):
grown over the years.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
And yeah, we went through like pets, boyfriend, jobs, different
avenues of our lives together and good and the bad.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
We were able to stick together.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Like legitimate sisters. Yep. Yeah, yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Like you always say, babe, like you know, let us
thicker than water, hold my salad and watch this. Wester
Radalie is through and through one of my sisters.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah. I believe that we choose.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Our family is now she's one of your sisters too.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah. It's a blessing and a curse.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
When he and I first met, we found out how
much we had in common. It was it was crazy
good and then we have you in common, which we
both love so much well.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
And one of the things that I think so many
people are attracted to the both of you is that
you're so open to listen to people with zero judgment,
like this is in no judgment zone, and people just
know that. I've seen for both of you for twenty
years our friendship and then eight nine years our friendship
and now you know, relationship. People are drawn to your
(04:56):
energy and they feel so comfortable with you right off
the b that and it gives them the opportunity to
open up. I mean a lot of times for y'all,
it's like people are spilling their soul to you, and
you're like, whoa you know.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Also blessing and a curse exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
But you're both so gracious in listening and helping, and
I've surrounded myself with amazing people.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
It's interesting you say that, because if we could say
the same exact thing about you.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Just.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
He got jokes. He's got jokes for days.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Natalie. We wanted to have you on the good Stuff
for many reasons. You are a beautiful human inside and out,
and we are so blessed to call you friend. You're
an incredible wife, mother, and stepmother. You know, your husband
is a former black Hawk pilot Joseph Stanier, and you're
a television host, you're a producer, you're a former Dallas
(05:45):
Cowboys cheerleader. I mean, that's kind of a big deal,
especially here in Dallas, Texas.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
It's probably a big deal in your world, period, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
When it comes to the NFL.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Really, I would say the most notable team when it
comes to cheerleaders will be the Dallas Boys cheerleaders.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Fair you probably.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Can't describe a Minnesota Vikings cheerleader uniform to me, maybe
you can, but I can guarantee you people in Minnesota
probably can somewhat describe a Dallas Cowboys chrailader's uniform. And
that's just because of what they've done from a marketing standpoint,
a longevity standpoint, and they've kind of been the leader
in the industry, and I wanted to be a part
of that. So that was I started that long process
(06:23):
to trying out and making the team. And I love
the Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
It was a good fit and you were actually devoted
number thirty three hottest Dallas Cowboy cheerleader of all time.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Right it's number thirty three. There it is.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I don't really know what the source was, but it
doesn't matter because I made the.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
List that's going on the resume.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
You've accomplished so much in your short life and been
a part of so many incredible things, and your energy
it's beautiful and it brings everyone else up when they're
around you. But it didn't always go way now.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
It was rough.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
You had a rough start.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
People see you and they see this gorgeous woman who's
done so much and accomplished so much and is so
kind and so giving, but they have no idea the
path that you've walked. Tell us about your childhood.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
So my mom and dad divorced when I was an infant,
or when I was born. Actually, I don't even think
that my dad came to the hospital to see me
because he had already.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Kind of moved on.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
So my mom really was the one who was in
my life. She was a bartender my whole life, and beautiful.
My mom was so beautiful, So there's a lot that
gave her power with that behind the bar, but also
her poor decisions and life choices in men in alcohol
and drugs seeped into our lives, and that affected me
(07:47):
as a child. So I mean, I remember even in
elementary if my mom came home after working, but she
probably usually drank before she came home, And so in
the mornings, I would get myself up for school.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
I would get myself ready.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
If there was breakfast in there, I would eat breakfast,
and then I would go to her purse and I
would go get a dollar ten because that's how much
the lunch was at school. If there wasn't a dollar
ten in her purse, then I didn't eat lunch that day.
And I couldn't wake my mom up to tell her
because she was in no place physically.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, she was passed out, so there was no way.
So I remember going to school.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
I remember sitting in the third grade and somebody didn't
eat their pizza, so the teacher brought it over to me.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Where did you grow up? And tell me about your
living conditions?
Speaker 4 (08:29):
So we lived in Conroe, Texas. I love Conro, but
we moved a lot, We got evicted a lot. So
I mean, when I drive down I forty five, I
can point out minimum seven apartment complexes that I lived
in on I forty five. So forget about the places
that I lived, like within the city, so.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
That was tough.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
We lived in a few trailers, but I still had
roof over my head. Have you ever been in a trailer?
I have, Okay, So this is how it goes. It's
like a maybe a little room, and then a bathroom,
and then the washer and dryer, and then a back room,
and then on the other side there's like a master bedroom. Yeah,
mine was the back bedroom. To get to my room,
I had to jump over a rotting floor because I
(09:11):
could have fallen in fallen through the hole.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
So what kind of fifth grader were you?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
The personality you've seen, the lack of filter, the hyperactivity,
this kid full of life. That's always been me, even
despite some of the situations and the scary nights that
I was in.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
For some reason, have always been able to be.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
This outgoing, gregarious, center of attention kind of personality even
as a fifth grader.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
It's just I've always wanted to perform.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
I didn't really have a fear of getting on a stage,
even though I wasn't good.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
I don't know what I was getting on the stage four,
but I would.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
And so I have always had a very outgoing personality.
You're just sitting here putting on this good face and
being in drill team and active and putting a good
face forward, but still going home to a situation where
it wasn't a safe environment. And I also didn't know
what condition my mom would be in when I was there.
And I was a bus kid, So there's a church
(10:05):
that would always pick me up on Sundays and Wednesdays,
and I loved going to church, and I would go
there and I would see the love in this environment,
and that's what I wanted, Like, I just wanted this
stability that I felt in church every Sunday morning, and
I went to night church and then I went to
Wednesday church and I saw that and it's what I
gravitated to because I felt the love that this congregation
(10:29):
had for each other. And I also knew what condition
mentally they would be in when I was there as well,
which I feel like gave me some bit of stability.
I was in the fifth grade and at that point
we lived in a town called Willis, which is just
a little north of Conro. We were in this condo
and I came home and I remember hearing my mom.
(10:53):
She was doing lines of coke. And that's the only
time I've ever heard my mom doing cocaine. I've never
had seen it or hurt, but I knew and I
knew what it was, and I just I cried because
I wanted my mom to be what I thought was
the version of normal, a normal mom, and I just
knew she wasn't, and she's sitting there doing drugs.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
She didn't realize I was home. And it was at
that moment that.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
I prayed to the Lord and I decided, Okay, I'm
going to make a deal with God, because that's what
fifth graders do. They make a deal, like, Hey, if
I make this deal with God, then he'll help me
kind of deliver me from this because I knew that's
not where I wanted to be, and even as a
little girl, I knew I wanted to be. I didn't
want to be taken care of by a man because
I'd never seen that. I wanted to be independent, and
(11:36):
I knew, like women in the church who were independent,
I could do it. I just had to figure out
how to do it. So I prayed to God and
I said, I won't drink ever, I won't smoke or
do drugs, and I won't have sex until i'm married,
if you'll please help me not to end up like
my mom while she was doing lines of coke. And
(11:59):
that's how desperate I was. I wanted to figure it out.
I wanted to fight. I wanted to come above that,
because it's not fun when you come home from school
and you can't bring friends home, right because you don't
know what condition your mom is going to be in,
or she's going to be there, or in honestly, what
condition the house is going to be in. Clothes weren't washed,
and it just wasn't taking care of Again, when you're
(12:21):
serving a god of alcohol and drugs and sex and
center of attention, right, the children are going to pay
the price. So I knew I had to figure that out.
And I thought, if I don't drink and I don't
do drugs, and I don't smoke, and I don't center
my life around men, then maybe that's a good path
(12:41):
to have. And I think that was also being probably
taught to me in the church that I was going
to as well as far as good choice is good life,
bad choice is bad life. Here's a fifth grader now going, Okay,
I made this deal with God, and I know he'll
hold up on his end, but I got to hold
up on mine. And the men she brought home also
brought in another element concern for me. Some of the
(13:02):
men that my mom brought home took advantage of me
because she was passed out on the couch, so they
took advantage of me sexually. The first time I remember
that happening was, oh gosh, definitely happened in the third grade,
and I'm trying to remember. I think it happened probably
(13:23):
in the second grade. And then my mom dated a
man for a very long time that lived in our
house who would he never touched me. I just called
him staring at me, or he would open my blinds
just the perfect way so that when I was in
my bedroom he could come out and watch me. I mean,
he was that guy former pastor. It's interesting because you
always hear about kids not telling that stuff, and I
(13:44):
don't know that I ever told anybody because I didn't
know where I would go. You know, it was still
my mom number one, who I love so much, and
I still had her, but I didn't.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
I mean, I had I had the church, I could
have told the church, and I didn't.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Same me, I was molested when I was young, and
it was like it was just such a different time
and it's still I think it hadn't changed a whole lot,
Like who do you tell you? You just don't talk
about that stuff to me from what I remember in
the church I grew up, and even in the church,
you put on your Sonday best and you go act
(14:22):
like everything's rainbows, roses and lollipops. Like I don't remember
there being a whole lot of vulnerability. I don't remember
there being a whole lot of conviction and being authentic
and genuine. And not to say that it didn't have
its positives, because it definitely did, but I feel like
(14:44):
as far as from an emotional and psychological standpoint, it
didn't do a lot and helping me grow and looking
back on it now as an adult and having lived
a life I've lived, like it's to discuss me, Like
I think there was a bunch of cowardice and ignorance,
(15:05):
both chosen and for me. You can't be a pillar
or a leader in your community if you're one of those,
because there's kids around you. One and four is what
the statistics show, right, One in four children that are
sexually molested, sexually violated one way or the other. I'd
be willing to bet it's higher than that. I mean,
(15:26):
that's the ones that could, that were strong enough to
say something.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
I mean, Jay, there's three people in this room, and
two out of three.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Right, I believe. And I've told you this before, like
you epitomize what it means to be a warrior. You
don't have to be a gun slinger. You don't have
to be a lead slinger and wear a uniform and
do all that. I'm drawn to people that have the
the emotional scars, and I think that's my inner gladiator
(15:53):
that is drawn to those people. And even in the beginning,
from when we first met, like it was, even though
you annoyed the hell out of me, No I didn't.
You did, but I didn't.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I chose not to see that.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
You chose, you choose to never see it ever from
anyone ever. But to know now what I know. I
knew it before you told me. I knew there was
a lot more behind behind the eyes. And I feel
like that's a gift to God thing. But that's what
I'm drawn to, is I'm not I don't care about
(16:30):
the cheerleader stuff. And the accolades, like I don't care
about any of that stuff. Like, You're right, I couldn't
describe what a cheerleader outfit, costume, uniform, okay even down
to the cowboys, right, because it's not what I But
I'm also very passionate about the game of football. Well,
let me show you a picture. No, Like, I don't
(16:52):
need to because I'm kidding. Jackson has a picture signed
by you. I admire your warriorness so much because you
could have picked a lot of different paths, especially in
the industries you're in, because it was real easy in
those industries to like it wasn't hard, like you could
definitely fall in to the same thing that your mother
(17:15):
fell into. It's admirable that you were able to stay
set fast on a certain course. Not to say that
I'm sure you had horrible things happen after the fact
that we're out of your control. That to me is
what being a gladiator is all about, fighting against the odds,
even on the bad days, knowing that you are stronger
(17:35):
than any circumstance.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
It's interesting that even as a child, somehow was I
and other kids you somehow compartmentalize to be able to
push it back, not down where it's going to boil up,
because I've actually never felt that way. I've accepted what
happened to me. I compartmentalized it and said this sucks,
and I either let that bring me down or I
use it to make me stronger. I was embarrassed about,
(18:01):
you know, being in those situations and being that vulnerable
as a little girl and having a man do that,
but it empowered me. People do bad things. I don't
think God.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Puts bad the hinds the people free will.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
It happens.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
I was in college and I became a camp counselor
so that I could share possibly my story with other
teenage girls who might be battling as well. That God
could use me to share that story as well. That
was kind of my own therapy, right, finally telling somebody,
because I didn't tell anybody for a very long time
that those things had happened to me.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
It's amazing the way that lifts off the soul. It's
I mean literally, yes, I mean I just said it
a couple of years ago speaking to I was speaking
like a lot, like thousands and thousands of people, and
it just flew out of my mouth and then I
went to apologize, but then I was like, no, I
did apologize. I think, oh, you heard it, And then
but then I was like, no, I take that back.
(18:54):
I'm not sorry. I'm not sorry about that. Like, just
to be able to say that, and the weight that
was lifted off was like, goh, man, I wish I'd
had the strength or courage or permission or whatever. It
is a long time ago to do this, because I
think mentally and emotionally I would be further than where
(19:17):
I am now.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Maybe you weren't emotionally ready to do it back then.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
I look back on it, just like any of us
at the stable could look back on it, and there
was no foundation, I mean zero to talk about anything.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yeah, that was so taboo when we were growing up.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
And thinking about how it still is right. Our children
are our future. We have to empower them in healthy
ways and give them a healthy foundation and give them
permission and courage and all the other things to be
able to be open and vulnerable without judgment.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Did you ever falter on your deal with God, Ashley?
Speaker 3 (20:00):
No.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
I I still don't drink and I don't smoke, and
I don't do drugs. I do have sex, with my husband. Sorry,
Jake wants to here.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
It is here, it is you know, it's a fact.
She's just speaking the truth.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
God, does Joseph know that his one role on this
planet was to be your your husband? Patients of Joe
Chosen patience? I mean seriously, how I mean, God, bless
you Joseph.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
I know well you want to pray for him right now? Okay, okay,
good good. I was a good girl, I really I thought,
you know, their temptations are there. I certainly made out
with boys all of that, but I didn't I would
go to parties and I did not drink. That was
never a temptation for me.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Drinking, Yes, I think, because you're so repulsed. I was.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
I was repulsed by I was repulsed by that, but
I was more repulsed by the what it turned my
mom into when she.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Was liquor drunk, really, even beer drunk.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
Does she get mean me?
Speaker 4 (20:57):
She got so mean, not physic with me, but the
things that would come out of her mouth. It would
have been better for her to throw a bile.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
You probably would rather probably.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
And her to still being somewhat the right mind, yes,
just because it was just it was disgusting. It was
evil and that was what made me so nervous when
I would come home from school because I didn't know
what I.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
Was going to get.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
I didn't know if I was going to get beer drunk,
just sloppy liquor drunk, hateful and mean, or my mom
recovering and sober.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Hungover, hungover? Did do you ever have to clean her up?
I'm trying to think if I ever remember? I just no,
I didn't. I don't know that I would have known
how to do that.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
There was always men around, honestly, and so she was
passed out in that bed.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
So but you learned responsibility at a young age. I did.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
I did grow fast.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Yes, When did you first become involved with dance?
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Cheer?
Speaker 3 (21:58):
How do you find out?
Speaker 2 (21:59):
You?
Speaker 1 (21:59):
How a passion introduction to that world.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
I tried out for cheerleader in the seventh grade. My
mom dropped me off and I tried out and I
did not make cheerleader, and I remember running to my
mom and said they didn't think I was good enough,
and I was crying in my mom. She loved me
so much through that, you know, she was so proud
of me for trying out and that was a good time.
I mean, it was a really good time, but I
did not make it. And then I heard about a
drill team and I was like, well, there's more girls
(22:23):
on the drill team and I'm not trained, but maybe
I'll try out for drill team. And they took me,
and that was another God moment. Why why did you
try out for cheerleader? Why did you go for drill team?
I think I wanted to be a part of something
I wanted to be a part of.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
First, it was a stage.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
The field was a football stage, you know, for halftime
or for the sideline if I had made cheerleader. But
also then I got to be a part of a
community of other girls who would be sharing the same
thing that I was doing.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
And I loved it.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
I loved putting on a show, and drill team actually
was more aligned with putting on a show then even cheering, right,
So it actually worked out really well for me and
I stayed with drill team from seventh grade and my
senior year I was the major, so that drill team
that I just loved and adored, I ended up becoming
the leader, the leader my senior year.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Do you feel like the environment that you grew up in,
and it's easy for us to sit here in forty
five minutes and just glance over it and talk about, yeah,
this was your reality. But this was your reality. This
was your day in, day out, the fear of not
knowing what you're going to get when you go home.
Do you feel like that environment is what caused you
(23:36):
or drove you to take so many risks? Fast forward
into your adult life, You're now a reporter. You're on
camera on television, not an easy job, especially the live shots.
And then fast forward now I'm going to try out
for Dallas Cowboy cheerleader because that's the best. Was that
drive part of the environment that you grew up in.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
I think I always had a drive, but to figure
it out. When I made that deal with God, I thought, Okay,
I'm going to go for it because he's not going
to let me down, because I'm going to keep up
my end of the bargain. And so maybe that gave
me a little bit of confidence. Even though I had
never cheered, even though I had never danced, there was
at least a little bit of just natural talent enough
(24:16):
to make seventh grade drill team. And then making that
drill team built on that confidence, and then I became
a better dancer even college when I was doing show
choir and I was dancing there as well, not as detailed,
but we were still dancing. All of that kind of
pulled together to help me with the path that I
(24:36):
chose to take. I talk about my mom and my childhood,
and it was tough, but I didn't pick that. God did,
so I knew he had me there for a reason, and.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
I didn't like it. I didn't like a lot about it.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
But now I can look back and I can be
more open about what happened to me as a child,
and I can talk about it with a little less embarrassment.
There's still always a little bit of embarrassment for me
to admit that some grown man put his hands on
a second grader.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
He is embarrassment or you ain't a shame that's ingrained.
I don't.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
I think it's ingrained in the DNA.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
To be embarrassed her, to be to have the shame both.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
Yeah, it's a part of the human words.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
Well, people look at me differently and not want to
be around me like well men not would a man
not want to date me?
Speaker 1 (25:23):
It's getting way less and less how much I care
what people think. But it's taken a long time, same
and a lot of bombs and bruises to get there.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
Well, and I knew if God put me there, that
was my mom and a dad who really missed out
on a really cool girl. Be honest with you, right,
but but you know, but you are. But those were
my parents and this day my mom life has slowed
her down a lot, and my mom is in my life.
(25:53):
I'm happy to say. We don't talk a lot about this,
but I do have very honest conversations with her now.
She accepts it as much as she can. And the
way that she accepts it is by changing the subject,
not yelling at me or telling me that I was
wrong or any of that. She now just avoids she
avoids the conversation, but she knows it's there. But I
(26:14):
think her avoidance is just maybe her way of dealing
with what she knew she.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
Was doing back then. I mean, she probably wasn't in
the best place to have children.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
What was the relationship like through your high school years
into adulthood.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
With my mom? She wasn't there.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
Actually, my senior year I ended up living with my
sister in her apartment and Julia just had a child.
But I lived with my sister and I finished there
in college. I didn't know where my mom.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Was all throughout college for the most part.
Speaker 4 (26:44):
Yes, toward the end, she actually moved in with her mom,
my grandmother, because life had kind of started to slow
her down. My mom came from great parents. My mom
came from my Papaul helped start Houston Lighting and Power.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
They did okay.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
They were a nice middle class, upper middle class family,
and she was blessed and had my uncle, her brothers,
you know, has his masters and centinary. I mean, she
came from this, but she just had kind of the
ingrained and party lifestyle. That's when life started to slow down.
And then I knew where my mom was.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
But where would you do like Christmas and Thanksgiving, like
when you had the big breaks and coach friends.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
And then in summers, I was a camp counselor sky
Ranch and I loved it. I mean, so I didn't
really have a home to go to, but I had
amazing friends and amazing people that if I wanted to
go with them, I could.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
So we're so blessed through that, And you talk about
your drill team coach who gave you the scholarship, and
that has been a huge theme throughout your life.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Your coaches, my coaches, Betty Buckner, Danielle Rapp, Larry Brumley,
my choir director who gave me a full ride if
I agreed to be the choreographer, Christine o'hagen who told
me about Panola, which changed my life, getting to go
to Stephen F. Austin. I love East.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
Texas and I love SFA. I love ESFA. It's a
great place. God brings somebody for everyone. There are people
in your life. God is put there, and you guys
can strengthen each other. And I don't want to say
use each other, but in a sense you are. You're
there to sharpen each other. And God gave me that.
(28:19):
It's interesting because I did get a pel grant.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
I did.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
I did have school loans, but I paid all those
off and now I'm able to donate to kids who
in this situation. Somebody did that for me, this little
girl who nobody really knew other than just being the
hyper piper running around, you know, full of life. But
mister Gibson believed in me, and hardly knew me but
(28:42):
saw something. It's just as a believer, I will never
ignore the fact that this deal as a fifth grader
that I made with God was honored by him.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
It's a testament to the perseverance and the resilience that
you've gotten you. I think that in a large part
you're born with you know. And I was on the
fence for a long time about these God gifts and
all that, all based on trauma. Right clearly lost that one,
Thank God, but you've got more than most. It's inspirational.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
You should say that. I don't tell a whole lot of.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
He really doesn't.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
I'm sitting over here and shock. You went from the
football field is your stage to getting a job on
TV and then trying out for the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders
and making it tell us about that transition.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Gosh, I really was born a ham, for sure, but
you sounds so country.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
I really was born a Ham. I was lowering.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
He didn't make me really good, like not like the
vocal talent of like Lady Gaga. He knew because he'd
be like, I can't give her that much power because
she'll abuse it. So he made me a really above
average singer and a somewhat above average dance and he's like,
I'm gonna give you a little of this and you
go with it. So that's what I had, so I did.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
So do you agree with the statement that at some
point hard work will supersede god given talent?
Speaker 4 (30:15):
I think that the god given talent, if you put
the hard work with it, can make you unstoppable. Seems dramatic,
but it can. It makes you more powerful supersede it.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
No, So think about the people that are listening that
were in your boat average, your above average singing, dancing,
what have you?
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Academically?
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Yeah, I know you knew girls who had to in
those worlds that could you show up and just be awesome?
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Oh I hated it. I didn't hate them.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
Oh, but they would show up and they'd learn eight
eighths and then they would be like here it is, yes,
but you had, but you I did.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
That's my point. Yes, for those people listening that are
like I just need to don't be afraid to put
in the sweat equity that's right, burn your pain is fuel.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
I'm glad you said that because my daughter, who has dyslexia,
I had a very honest conversation with her.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
I said, here's the deal.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
You're going to have the kid next to you that's
not going to have to study and is going to
get the A. And you are going to have to
put the work in because it didn't go into your
brain quite as easily as it went into his brain.
But that's okay. If you put the hard work in,
there's a good chance you're going to be much more
well prepared for the future because you had the discipline
to do the hard work. Now I understand what you're
(31:33):
saying now, and absolutely I do agree with that.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
You have to work hard, so you take your work
ethic and you enter the field of television. How did
that journey begin?
Speaker 4 (31:41):
So I was actually going to be a nurse. I
went to nursing school. I was in nursing school, and
I well, they started me in the nursing homes and
I thought, I don't know, like this is for me.
So I prayed about it.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
But that was greatness because jeriatrics are the ones that
threw you off on nursing. God b well, I think that.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
They did that on purpose. But I was like, I
don't think it's apposed to.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Be a nurse, And so somebody asked me when I
was thinking about geting out of nursing, what have you
always wanted to do? And I said, I really, okay,
don't laugh, but I think I want to I would
really like to stand in front of a tornado and
report on it and my hair's flying in the wind.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
They were like, then do it.
Speaker 4 (32:24):
And I'm like, but how really, how likely is it
for me that I could end up on television? And
they said, well, the good thing about news is you
don't have to know a lot about a little.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
You have to know a little about a lot.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
So that is you agagate party.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
You have to know a little about a lot, jack
of all trades, master of none.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
Okay, I went and I got a degree in communications
radio television. I interned at Channel eight in Dallas, Fort
we at WFA uh huh yep, and then land in
my first job as a reporter at kvu E ABC
in Austin, Austin, Texas. Way way in over my head,
like you shouldn't start probably in Austin, but somebody believed
in me and gave me a job.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
And they were looking for a reporter and and.
Speaker 4 (33:14):
Oh man, but one of them still my best friend.
Of this day and actually got her producing jobs. She's
one of the best reporters I've ever seen in my life.
But we've been able to actually help each other find jobs,
like like you did, for production jobs and stuff like that. Well, anyway,
so that's how I ended up on television.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
And he did that wonderfully well for over a decade,
and then at the riple age of thirty one, decided
to try out for I did.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
That's right, Yes, thirty thirty one years old. I tried
out for the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Cheerleaders against seventeen and eighteen year olds.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I think it's like the
well eighteen eighteen, Well you have school, yes, eighteen, there's
no age limit on the other side of the scale,
but you have to be eighteen and most.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Of the girls are eight yet there's not no Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
You could try out. You could try out, like could
you could try out? You can?
Speaker 4 (34:05):
They had no, They've had a lot of guys try out.
I don't know if the jump splits are going to
be in your favor.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
But you can take my should it's good?
Speaker 3 (34:13):
Yeah, I mean the you know what, let's do it.
Speaker 4 (34:16):
Okay, Okay, So anyway, I tried out for the Dallas
Cowboys Shielders, and I thought, I know, I'm only thirty one,
but some reason I think I'm cute in the stands. Maybe,
So I tried out, but I did not make it.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
My first year.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
I was the last one cut the day before squad
photo and they're like, we've put a team together. You're
not on it. But to go from a thousand applicants to.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
They only take a thousand.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
No no, no, no, no, they.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
Can they can have anyone can walk in and give anyone.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
Anyone who's eighteen can walk in and get Yeah. So
I walked in, tried out, didn't make it. So I
had to come back the next year because to get
that close and then not make it.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
And you say that nonchalantly, like that tryout process is exhausting.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
It really is the most rewarding nightmare I've ever been three.
It is because you've got a thousand cameras on you.
They had this hit television show, which didn't really bother
me as much because I come from television. But you
know the world is watching you and judging you for sure,
you know, I mean, you get comments like, oh, Natalie Woods,
she's got her sentrum silver and her locker because I
(35:22):
was older.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
I know, I hurt.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
I'm like, I know, so I cheered at thirty two
and thirty three years old.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
They took me and I made the team.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
And how many cuts like you go to your from
the very first.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
There's a thousand applicants and they cut down to probably
a little over one hundred that make it to semifinals
and then finals you get probably I don't know the
thirty thirty five girls, but you joined the veterans. At finals,
you're probably I don't know, probably about sixty seventy girls
maybe in finals.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
Because they make all of the veterans try out again
correct to prevent complete take forty five.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
To training camp, and then two and a half months
training camp, blood, sweat and tears, seven to midnight every night.
Then they'll cut down to thirty six and they'll make
a squad of thirty six.
Speaker 1 (36:08):
Then you get paid.
Speaker 4 (36:09):
Well, then I got fifty dollars a game before Texas,
but I didn't do it.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
For the money.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
I think that's one of the brilliant things about that
squad in particular, yeah, is that if you're not passionate
about that, because you're not doing it for the paycheck.
You're not gonna make it.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
No, that's true.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
Yeah, and you're doing I mean a lot of the
girls that you're doing it for a stepping stone, because
that does open up.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
A lot of doors for them. I was at the
TV show.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
I really wasn't because I think that was one of
the director in the choreographer like, what are you really
here for?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
And I was like, this is the icing on the cake.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
For me.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
To be able to wear that uniform and to be
on that field and be a part of the best
would be amazing.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
So I didn't care where I stood in the squad photo.
I didn't care if I was in the back because
I wonder.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
How that seventh grade cheercoach feels.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
She's actually pretty awesome. I reached out and I'm like,
you know, you cut me. She's like, girls, I was
building blocks.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
You're welcome.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
But you know what, It's true.
Speaker 4 (37:04):
Because that type of cheer is very different, very Dallas couple.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
Sure is a mortial team. Yeah, it's more deals. It
actually worked out in my favor.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
And I remember the night you called me to tell
me that you made it. I remember how ecstatic you
were tell me about that moment when you found out.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
For a lot of guys, it would be like making
it into the NFL. Not very many people can say
that they've played in the NFL. It's the same thing
for a squad like this or the Rockets, to say
that you've done it and that you made it and
that your hard work paid off because it was hard work.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
That was a lot of hard work.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
I wish I could explain a moment because I gave
two years of tryouts to that, tryouts and diets. I mean,
you know, just discipline, the hard work to finally be
chosen and to know you made it.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
There really is nothing like it. You figured it out.
I figured it out, all right.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Thinking back on your life's journey, is there a particular
person or organization that's made a huge impact on your path?
Speaker 3 (38:01):
No, next question, just kidding.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
That, lie, there's a lot.
Speaker 4 (38:08):
Not only did I have the Lord above that I
could pray to, but I had kind of a Jesus
and skin. I had families who take care of me.
Even in high school. Emily Holmes's mom when my mom
couldn't take me to practice, she came and picked me
up and I had to do ten high kicks for
every minute I was late, but I didn't care. She
still came, she still took care of me. The fact
(38:29):
that I even made drill team with no training, I
think that's a god thing because that was something to
fill my time with, something productive, and so I was
able to dance on this dance team of ninety ninety
girls and it was phenomenal. But then the bills come.
My mom's not we're not going to pay that. I mean,
my dad's not my life, my mom's obviously, that's not
(38:49):
where the money's going to go if we're not even
washing clothes. So Betty Buckner, my drill team director, put
me on full scholarship because she finally came to me
and said, we really need this money. And I just
lost it because I knew right then I was going
to have to tell her I couldn't be on the
drill team anymore because I wouldn't be able to pay
for it. And when she got my whole story, she said,
that's not going to happen. You're absolutely going to be
(39:10):
on this drill team and we're going to put you
on a scholarship. Nobody knew it, but they covered my
cost and that's a public school taking care of that
for me. You know, I talked about all the organizations
that really kind of helped pave the way for me,
But I think what's more impactful were the people within
those organizations who took care of me, who loved me
and protected me, like Betty Buckner, my drill team director,
(39:32):
Daniel Rht, my drill team director Larry Brumley at Panola.
It was the people that God put in those organizations
to help guide me.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
What do you do to decompress or unwind or recharge?
Speaker 4 (39:46):
Pickleball, roller skating and watching my kids play sports they
love that pumps me up.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Last question, what feeds your soul?
Speaker 3 (40:00):
It is everyone that is in my life now, who
chooses to be in my life and who allows me
to be in their lives. That's the most important part
to me because it was people who got me here
to where I am, and till the very end, it
will be the people who are part of my tribe.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
It's people. Now.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
When I think of you, I think of beauty, yes
on the exterior, but so much on the interior. And
the word that always comes to me is grace because
of the life you've lived because of the path that
you've not only been put on, but then chose. I'm
just I'm so proud to call you friend, and I'm
so proud to see all the wonderful things that you're
(40:38):
doing and to know where you came from. You truly
epitomize grace and forgiveness and love. Hearing your story today,
you always had faith, you never lost the faith, and
I think that's just such a beautiful thing. And I'm
just so grateful to call you friend. Thank you for
being on the good stuff.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
I'm so grateful for our world's collided way back when,
and to be able to sit down and do this
with you, knowing you the way I know you now,
and knowing how close and how strong the bond is
between the two of you. It's really cool to be
a part of it. And I feel privileged to know you.
(41:17):
When I tell people you're worth fighting, bleeding, and dying for.
Couldn't possibly mean that more when I say that, but
especially to people like you that you just your existence
makes this world a better place.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Well, I love you, guys, We love you. You make
us better.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
Nally, it was an absolute pleasure to have you on
the good stuff.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
Thank you for having me. Wow. I love her energy.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
I love sitting down with her and just shooting the breeze.
It's always so uplifting. It's always so inspiring and enlightening.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Yeah. I mean because of her life's journey. She's just
a plethora of knowledge and inspiration at the life.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
Game, agreed. And you know, we talk about this all
the time.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
So many people who had a rough start in life,
they use that, they channel that and all of those experiences,
those dark times, and they use that to inspire them
to go accomplish great things in life. And I'm so
blessed that she's been my friend for so many years
because she truly inspires me.
Speaker 3 (42:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
Likewise, and I don't say that lightly. You have to
dig deep to find people that are true inspirations that
actually feed your soul. And I truly feel like NAT's
one of those people for me, and I'm grateful to
know her.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Can you imagine a child making a promise to themselves
at such a young age and then standing by that
for years.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
It goes to show you that her being so rooted
in her faith, it shows you that she was able
to feel that she had something at a very young
age that I think a lot of people don't get,
if ever until later on in life.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Right and the world is certainly a better place because
she was faithful to that promise facts.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
I mean, her conviction second to none.
Speaker 2 (43:04):
From a trailer park in Conrod, Texas, to the Cowboys
Stadium in Arlington and beyond. We're just so grateful for
Natalie all that she brings to this world and making
it a beautiful and better place. Thank you so much
for listening. If this episode touched you today, please share
it and be part of making someone else's day better.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Put on your bad ass caves and be great today.
And remember you can't do epic stuff without epic people.
Thank you for listening to the good Stuff.
Speaker 2 (43:33):
The Good Stuff is executive produced by Ashley Shick, Jacob Schick,
Leah Pictures and q Code Media, Hosted by Ashley Shick
and Jacob Schick, Produced by Nick Cassolini and Ryan Kant's
House post production supervisor Will Tindi. Music editing by Will
Haywood Smith, edited by Mike Robinson,
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