December 2, 2024 • 47 mins
Jackie and Jen are redefining success with Maria Menunous.
Maria has done so much over the years but what job was one of the highlights of her life?
Plus, the important lessons Maria’s health journey has taught her about life.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey everyone, Hi guys.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Jackie Goldschneider, I'm Jensler, and we're two Jersey Jays. Yeah,
we have a really really great episode today. You know
what I was thinking. You know, first of all, when
I said that, Evan always jokes whenever a show starts
and they're like, we have a really great episode today,
He's like, what are they going to say?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
I suppose we'll be fun you guys, tune out, turn
turn your radio.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
No, But it actually is a great one today because
I was thinking, like you know, when you have like
you you wake up and you have this idea and
you're like, oh, I really want to do this, and
then like an hour later you're like, nah, too much effort. Yes,
our guest today wakes up and oh my god, every
single thing you can imagine doing she has done. I
absolutely agree, and I'm I definitely forget the Oh my god,
(00:46):
I should do this, And three minutes in on my
a You're like, no, because that'll take a lot of
aff Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
No, she is especially acquire shower exactly. But this woman,
as you guys probably know, is a go getter for sure. Right,
So today we have yes on the pad. Then again, Jack,
I don't think we gave it enough of a bang.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Right, Today we have Maria Manuno's yeah, baby, yeah she
is well, first of all, she's like the most stunning
woman in the world. I always thought of her as
just like a celebrity correspondent, right right, Yeah, So when
I sat down to just like look at her bio,
(01:28):
oh my god, Like there is nothing that she hasn't done,
literally because she got.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
When you hear the name, it's like you can't even
like pinpoint though. One thing, she's just been a present.
When she's younger, well she's your age, right, she's a
little younger than me. But like I always picture her
from and I maybe I mean, you know, I know
Access Hollywood like all of those et and I know
she didn't do all those not tamous Knight and whatever.
I just always picture her.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
I picture her also as the panteine girl, yes, like
I know that with that unbelievable hair.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Yes, But she has been everything.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So she's been obviously a TV host, she was on
Access Hollywood, E Extra, she was an actress, she was
an actress, still an actress. She uh was a wrestler.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I don't even know, like we have to ask her
a little bit about that, but like kind of a
I can't even if you picture her in a ring, No.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I don't. I don't know exactly in what capacity she
has to start as a WWE, but I know.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
That she actually I know that she actually like fought
Oh really, yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I hope I'm not off there.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I don't know that, but I'm pretty right. Yes, I
am pretty sure she produced a movie.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I know that. Yeah, I know that she has won
beauty pageant, right, She's had a radio show, a podcast,
a reality show chasing Mariam Minuno right right there, like
literally there's been and she started early, like she started
in childhood. So I'm really excited to talk to her
because I only know this like little bit of fame
(03:01):
as an adult, fully formed result, so I could make
rational decisions.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I can't imagine starting so young. Yeah, and she's been
through it, you guys. I mean, I don't know listeners
what you know, but she is. She's battled, she had
she's had several battles with her family having cancer, her
mom had a brain tumor, her actually her dad had
had Type one diabetes, which is what.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
My daughter has.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
So I'm excited to kind of talk to her about that.
And now she's in her own battle with pancreatic cancer,
so you know she's been through it, and she has
a baby. She has a baby, and she has a
new movie. Yes on it's on Lifetime. M Yeah, yes
(03:47):
it is hill manor yeah, I can't imagine. No, I
feel very inadequate segment.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
She's very open about her health battle. Yeah, so we'll
talk about everything. Really excited to have her on. So
let's welcome Maria Minutos. Hi. Guys, Hi, Maria. You're just
as beautiful as I was to say.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
It's like, thank you. I was hoping my my crazy
sunlight was gonna shift just at the right time, because
see it's like right there.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
No, no, no, no, you look ethereal it's actually.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Like an angel.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yes, So it's not only what you look like, but
as we were like, as we were opening here talking
about the things that you've done, it's a little bit intimidating.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
It's bordering on annoying. But I am.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Welcoming you with open arms and a warm heart.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
We both are. I am pretty amazed, are you Right now?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
We're in Jersey, I'm in Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Actually you're in Connecticut. Okay, so yeah, so we're neighbors.
I met. We are in New Jersey. You know that
came out like where and you grew up in Boston.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
No, I grew up in Boston. Yeah, just outside of Boston, Hedford.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Oh okay, I went to Boston Universe we went to
after a couple of years. But yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't.
But anyway, that's for another episode. So Maria, welcome. Thank
you so much for being with us. We really do
appreciate it, and thanks for having no we want to
just start out, you know, when we have started out
already kind of listing your accomplishments. Your career has been huge.
(05:17):
I honestly, Jackie just said, like, you know when you like,
wake up and you think I'm going to do this today,
and then you know, five minutes in, you're like, eh,
not so much. Like we're saying that Maria Minuno's is
the one that actually does it, which is rare. So
you know, and again we started talking about all the
things that you've done, but maybe I'm sure that we're
missing a lot. I was actually saying you started out
(05:40):
as like miss teen, Were you like miss teen Massachusetts?
I was, yeah, I can't seriously, Wow, how did you
get into pageanting?
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Well, I remember I was like thirteen and I got
a card in the mail for the Miss Perfect Teen pageant,
And at that time I was like starting, like I
really wanted a model, I wanted to do stuff. And
I got the card in the mail and my parents,
my dad was like no. And then the next year
I came again. The next year, I enlisted the help
(06:11):
of my cousin Anthony. I was like, you got to
convince them to let me do this, and at that
point I was like fifteen, actually, and so I did
it and I won Miss Massachusetts perfecteen.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I can't imagine.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I imagine it putting that title on a pageant now,
I would never write no way.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, so I was perfectly.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Dad happy once he won. He's proud, of course, like
we went.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
It was the first time we won. And then we
went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the national competition.
I think I came in like third or something there.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
And then eventually I did Miss mass Teen USA and
did that, and so yeah, that was kind of the
entry point.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
And then in college, that's when your career started really
taking off in the TV world.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Right, so I feel like everything is like baby steps, right,
Like how does a Greek girl from you know, parents
who are immigrants make it? I don't know. You just
make one move after another. So the pageants were, you know,
a great entry point. Started doing some commercial work and
things like that, and then in college I was really
(07:17):
studying journalism and film and worked on a movie with
my now husband Kevin. That really was the launching pad,
like you know, when my classmates didn't want to work
for free and I did well. Then somebody I met
on the movie helped me get my big break in
LA at Channel one News.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
So I didn't finish my last year of college because
I ended up getting that job.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
And you and Kevin your husband, now I believe I
him correct, You started dating in college and your father
was not pleased. And you already said that your Greek.
You have a very strong Greek heritage background, right, Yeah,
my dad was.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
I think it was more like he was like freaked
out that it could be having sex. I don't know,
like it was just very bad. It was a very
ugly time. So it was because he was in Greek
And yes, my dad was, you know, had his dream
of you know, me marrying a Greek person and that
whole scam.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
But you love that moving, But do you love my
big fat Greek wedding? Doesn't love that doesn't but doesn't
resonate with you?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Is that, of course? With the whole world?
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Ye, that's true.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
That's true every Jewish, Yes, for sure. With all of
these jobs and all of these amazing things that you've done,
is there any one that's been your favorite? You've done,
commercial work, reality shows, radio work, all of it.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yeah. I mean, listen, I love everything, which is why
I've done so many different things. I've wrestled, and so
I love to talking about that.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Okay, we talk about that. We have to.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yeah, yeah, because jams can kind of understand what you're
saying right now.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Were you part of the WWE?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
I am fourno on the WWE? I wrestled at WrestleMania Guys.
Mark Wahlberg was sitting front row and I watched his
mouth go, what are we? I'm like, God, why'd you even?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Who said? Marie? We have an idea? It was you?
I want to be a wrestling What what are you
talking about?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Inside scoop, I watched wrestling my whole life with my dad,
and so I was a diehard wrestling fan. I met Kevin,
who's also a diehard wrestling fan. When I first met
Kevin as a chubby nineteen year old at one point
when he you know, we were working on his movie.
He lost, his movie went bankrupt. The whole world caved
in on him. He was going to go potentially work
(09:50):
with the WWE, and he was like, you could wrestle,
all right? It was like great, So he went and
he met with Shane McMahon and he met with you
know them over there. I think he even had FaceTime
Evince at the time. And my job at Channel one
came in the interim, and so that never even came
(10:10):
to fruition. So we left and we moved to LA
But then the dream to wrestle was still there, so
then let me finish. So then flash forward years later,
I was telling my publicist because they started having Monday
Night Raw guest hosts. I said, you got to get
me in. I have to do this, And so he
calls me like a month after that meeting. Meanwhile, he
(10:32):
had not made one call yet, and he's like, you're
not going to believe this. I didn't even call them.
They called us. They want you to do it. I said, great,
on one condition, I want to wrestle. They didn't take
me seriously. They thought I was you know, and by
the way, WW is such a machine, they don't have
time to worry about Maria wrestling or whatever. So I
went and I hired a coach. I started doing backyard
(10:53):
wrestling and learning. I showed up for that guest host appearance.
I'm like, I know how to wrestle, let's go, and
they created something on the fly, and from there I
knew how to taunt the audience as a fan, so
I taunted the audience. I taunted the other wrestlers and
it became a thing that led to WrestleMania, and it
(11:14):
was the first time the women got airtime on TV.
It was a big deal. And I was doing Dancing
with the Stars at the same time. So I had
cracked ribs, fractured feet. I was a hot mess. But
I had to go and I did it, and it
was one of the highlights of my life for sure.
And then the other favorite thing I've done was like
Nightly News for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Ria, but your face, I would have never if we
had been friends back then, I would have never allowed
for such a thing.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
You could really get hurt. No, right hurt. Look at
her face? Who does that?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
I'm dead? I said, okay, you know I said that
to Daria Baronatto, who's now Sonya Deville and WWE. When
she first came to After Buzz as one of our hosts.
We went to Aronda Rosie the UFC fight and we
were sitting in the booth and I go, you are
too pretty to be fighting and having people punch you
in the face. We out you and then long story short,
(12:11):
I'm in a meeting with USA Network for tough Enough,
no for something for general, and they're like, you should
do tough enough. I'm like, no, but I know who's perfect.
And then she did that and ended up launching her
whole career, which is so cool. So she made the shift. Wow.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
So dancing with them? What's easier dancing with the stars
or WWA or what's harder? I can't imagine. Both of
them are so out of my realm of what I
possibly can do.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
They're both really hard wrestlers, really have a hard life.
I mean they're traveling three hundred and sixty days a
year by rental car and you know, the whole thing.
I mean, the what they put their bodies through is
so intense. I have the utmost respect for them, which
is why I think I did so well with them,
because they knew I wasn't just, you know, there for
(12:57):
any other reason. I really respect them and their craft
and dancing.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
My god, when I.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
First started had the video, I couldn't put you know,
two steps together. Derek had, you know, a definite project
player on his hands. But you know, the cool thing
in my life is I've I love challenges. I love
living in that moment of like terror and like am
I gonna be Okay? Am I gonna be? Okay?
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
We did all right? All right?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Yeah, I'm so glad you said that.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Yeah you said someone like you that you don't get
scared of. Yeah. Well, I was going to say, like,
I don't want to be this cheesy transition, right, but like,
clearly you're a fighter, and you know, I'm sure we're
going to talk about your health challenges. But when I
was reading what I was reading about you, even going
back to your childhood, what struck me was that you
grew up with a father with Type one diabetes, and
(13:48):
I have a daughter with type one diabetes. So I
know a lot about how difficult that can be, but
I'm sure most of our listeners don't know. But type
one diabetes is way more It's still a bitch, but
it's way more manageable now. So going back that many years,
I'm there were no pumps, there were no sensors, right,
So it was life and very life and death. And
(14:12):
I was reading about how often your father would have
low blood sugar and how often he was, you know,
on the verge of death and you had to be tough.
How old were you when he first was diagnosed.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Oh, he was diagnosed when he was like twenty, way
before I wash, okaved, yeah, so it was my whole
life with him.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Yeah, okay, okay, So I mean I'm I'm thinking you
know that already. Now you have a different type of
childhood starting there, and you obviously rose to all of
these occasions. But yeah, the fighting thing, the wrestling thing. Again,
I didn't want to sound cheesy, so I'm glad you
said it, but you clearly enjoy a fight.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
So the one job aspect that we do have in
common was the reality show. Yeah, yeah, unfortunately, yes, right,
so your reality show it was called Chasing Briam and
you know, sorry, did you enjoy it? Do you like
sharing your did you have to share your whole life?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
You know that was such a tough thing because I
had no problem sharing. The problem is they were so
fake about it. They had like their agenda of what
they wanted, which was marriage and babies, and that was
my dad's dream. That's all he wanted at the time.
And I said to them at one point, I go,
if my dad is sick of this, then that means
(15:31):
the audience is going to be totally sick of this.
So instead of allowing for reality to happen, which I
think is hard with budgetary constraints, I'm like, guys, we
are definitely full of stuff. And imagine if they had
been filming these last seven years. There was so much
stuff that had gone on. But they were the I guess,
(15:52):
the plan you know, laid out was just very restrictive
and so it wasn't as fun as I thought. The
one good thing is is I do I do have
my family on camera, and it was it was fun
to be with my parents a little bit more than
I would have at that time because we had to
squeeze in filming. But but but I do think that
(16:19):
Jackie's like, I think about that for you, because you
have your kids forever, you know, right, I have toes
that I'll ever be able to watch back, you know,
for all the good and the bad.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
You don't find the time and the energy. How do
you find the time for all of for all of it?
Speaker 3 (16:39):
I mean before I was just a human doing. That's
why I said, I'm like the brain tumor came to
make me a human being. I was just a human doing.
I was just a machine NonStop. And I think when
you grow up the way I did. I just had
someone on my show on Heel Squad talking about how
we're high functioning codependence and hfc's are just really good
(17:02):
in crisis. We're really good at solving everything. And you know,
I grew up not speaking the language. I had to
be my parents interpreter. I was first gen had to
literally revive and save my dad on the regular. We
were always in fight or flight and you know, we
(17:22):
you know, had some really rough times financially as well.
So I think that when I made it in this business,
I found it to be such a blessing. I was like,
my God, I'm making more money than my parents ever
could have dreamed of. How could I say no? And
how could I not go for every opportunity and do everything?
(17:45):
And so yeah, that's what I did, and then got
through a brick at my head and then said, let's recalibrate.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
So you, guys, I just want to make sure that
our viewers understand a little bit even more about your background.
But your mom had a brain tumor. I hope it's okay.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
I'm thinking it's okay. I know you're very open about
your struggle. It is okay. So your mom had had
a malignant brain tumor. And was it a year later
that you were diagnosed as well with a brain tumor? Month?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
But a nine one months? I mean, wow, it's mind growing. Yeah,
So what was that that whole time period? Were you
working through it? Were you? Well?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
It was crazy because my mom was diagnosed beginning of
September twenty sixteen with a malignant brain tumor called glioblastoma
stage four brain cancer, one of the deadliest cancers you
can get. Oh gosh, don't ask. I have no freaking clue.
This was twenty sixteen. Someone do the mau Yeah, thirty
(19:00):
thirty eight, thirty nine something like that. Anyway, I was
working at E News at the time, and now I'm
trying to like and serious X, I'm trying to keep
all the masters happy while I'm also trying to keep
my mom alive. And I thought the headaches I was
getting and the pain I was having and the fatigue
was all due to the stress of my mom. And
(19:25):
then I started learning my speech and then I was
needing second takes and I was like one take, Maria,
Like what the heck's going on? And then I started
having really bad ear pain. And so the ear pain
took me to the doctor because I'm like, do I
have an ear infection? At thirty something like this is crazy?
And he was like, you don't have an ear infection?
What else are you feeling? Well? Once I started rattling
(19:45):
off all those symptoms, He's like, I go, oh my god,
and he's like what I go, I think I have
a brain tumor, Like my mom, isn't that crazy? Just
saying it right now, I'm reminded of how crazy that was.
And he's like, I don't think you're crazy. Let's just
get MRI to rule it out, and then the MRI
said I had a brain tumor. Now luckily mine appeared
(20:06):
to be benign, but they were like, we don't know,
but mine. Also when I talked to her the same neurosurgeon.
When I call the neurosurgeon, doctor Keith Black's office, I
was like, I need an appointment. They're like, oh, okay,
so what time can your mom came? I go, no, no, no,
it's for me and they were shook. I said, so,
surely this is going to be an easier surgery than
(20:26):
my mom's and he was like, nope, this is way
more complicated. Wow.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Is that hereditary or coincidental?
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Totally coincidental. I believe it was the IVF that did
this because when I was doing IVF. First of all,
at some point we're going to learn how dangerous IVF is.
I'm not against it obviously because I have a beautiful
baby because of it, but I do always tell people
to get a scan before you do anything, to see
(20:53):
if there's anything that will grow. The reason my neurosurgeon
wouldn't let me get pregnant is he was afraid when
you get hormones going, things grows when right, So I
unknowingly might have had the brain tumor in my head
all this time, or maybe it came out of nowhere.
I don't know, But all I know is when I
was taking those progesterone shots, I called my doctor and
(21:16):
I said, I want to drive my car through a
brick wall and I was my head was exploding, and
she was like, stop the progesterone. And that was I
think months before I finished, months before I was diagnosed,
I had finished my last IVF cycle, So I think
the hormones grew it. So I always tell my girlfriends
(21:38):
and now all of you, because it's really sketchy to
like go out in public and say this stuff. I
feel like people like get really like freaked out and upset.
But secretly, behind the scenes, I always tell my friends,
if you are going to do IVF, find a way
to get a skin and make sure that nothing's going
to grow, because these hormones have the potential to grow things.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
They say that about right now, So I'm not I'm
way past the time to get pregnant, but I'm in
that phase of menopause where you take hormones. You take
estrogen right to make you feel better with in terms
of what's going on with your body during menopause. And
then I think it's sort of the same idea, right,
Like it's a very it's a balancing act and it's
(22:22):
a risk versus reward because you know, hormones can if
I don't know what, they can actually cause cancer, but
they can grow cancer from what I understand.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
So and doctors don't tell you that I had five
rounds of IVF myself.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
They don't tell you, and you wouldn't know that metals
stuff like, you wouldn't know. And then also the other
thing that's crazy is nobody knows that you can actually
do natural realms. So it's a much less expensive thing too,
which they don't want you to really know about. But
my IVF doctor, doctor Wennie Chang, who is amazing, told
(22:57):
me that it was possible. So if you have follicle naturally,
you can just do a trigger shot and go in
for your your removal. You just have to time everything carefully.
But there is a way to do natural cycles to
avoid all of those shots.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
I hope that a lot of women are listening.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Yeah, I hope that you know. You know, I always
say that you have to advocate for yourself at these
doctors appointments, because they really some doctors do not do
a great job. But anyway, So, so you you're diagnosed
with this brain tumor, they find that it's benign, you
have surgery.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
To reveals whether it's benign or not. So yeah, so
they removed it as much as they could because there's
a tumor that's there's still tumor in there that's wrapped
around my facial nerves. So if he tried to get
rid of it, I would have been paralyzed. So he
left it alone, thank god.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
So yeah, and so do you have any remaining Yeah,
there's stuff that I fee.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
But I manage it. And I've been doing a lot
of things like lightning my mind talks and load has
been helpful. Meditation has been helpful. I'm experimenting every day
with stuff to to heal and get better.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
I am. It occurs to me that I know I
have known some people with brain tumors and malignant or not.
Brain surgery is a very very serious kind of surgery.
I don't think you know, it's not just like Okay,
we're going to go in and take it out. When
it comes to the brain, it's and you can if
(24:45):
I'm not right, but I think it's very very tricky
and very very risky, and so I just that hits
me because you've just gone through a lot of stuff.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, that was an eight hour surgery.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
No, that one.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Was six and a half I think, And then the
pancreas surgery was like eight.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
After your brain tumor comes out and you're recovering, then
you get thrown another health Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Well, I was feeling something. I was getting really bloated.
Things weren't right. I was like, something's off somehow predicted
on my own show. An audience member later was like,
you predicted this in April before you were diagnosed. I'm
like what, And I listened and looked. I was like,
oh my god. But that's not pertinent to the story.
(25:33):
But the truth is is I knew something was wrong.
I kept investigating different diagnostic tests. They kept telling me
it was fine. I went to the doctor's buckled over
and excruciating pain, like unbelievable, unbearable pain. They told me
it was fine. And it was only until I got
this pernuvo scan that they found a tumor, a large
(25:53):
tumor on the tail of my pancreas. It's called the
neuroendocrine tumor. That's what Steve Jobs had and it had
doubled in size within two months of that scan, where
I went to the doctors and I was like, I'm
in so much pain?
Speaker 1 (26:09):
And when when was this? This was last year and
it was you did the pernubo scan. Well you just
saw our listeners because I hear more and more about
people doing it. That's a full body.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
It's a full body scan. Yeah, so they listen. It's
not it's not free, and it's not perfect, but they
saved my life when you know, traditional hospitals told me
I was fine and sent me home. This thing doubled
in size. Now where would I be by June if
from November to January it doubled And my baby was
(26:44):
due in June.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
So wow, And now how old is Athena?
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Now?
Speaker 3 (26:51):
She's seventeen months next week?
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Do you call her your miracle baby?
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Right? She is?
Speaker 2 (26:58):
I think I read that as yeah, wow, So your
your health journey now, are you in the clear? Are
you still battling?
Speaker 3 (27:11):
You know, I'm in the clear in a lot of ways,
but like there's still stuff right, Like I was in
the Dominican Republic earlier this year because they thought they
found liver cancer, and I was like, I don't think
it's liver cancer. I think my body's just having a
hard time processing all these scans. People think scans are nebulous,
(27:34):
they're not. When you're getting gatolinium and you're getting CT scans,
these are very powerful, high radiation, highly toxic things. And yeah,
if you're doing one, that's fine, But I've had to
do so many and no one's really counting, and no
one's really paying attention, and so I was like, I
(27:54):
think my body's just having a hard time detoxing all
this out while I went to the dr and I
created this little health proto call of just sun and
grounding and sweating and sleeping, and they all shrunk in
two and a half weeks.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
How in the world did you know that it wasn't
your liver? How would you be that in tune?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
I am super intuitive, but I also I've learned over
these last seven years of this brain tumor experience and
stuff to listen. And I just felt I felt like
it didn't make any sense, and I didn't feel like
it was true, because yeah, I just didn't. So I
(28:36):
was like, I'm just going to go experiment, and I
know the equator is really healing from everything I've studied
and my natural path that's been on my show a
lot that's helped me through a lot, and I was
really pleased, obviously with the results. And so when you
say are you healed, I mean I still have a
brain tumor. I still have lesions on my liver, like
(28:57):
two new ones popped up, we just found, and I'm like,
I'm looking at Kevin. I'm like, but I'm not scared.
I think I'm fine. He goes, I think you're fine too,
And so I just think, again, these scans that I
got before now have accumulated. So it's it's a thing,
and so I'm constantly working on it. I'm using my
(29:18):
red light and my sauna and my sun and my
grounding and my fashion release exercises. I'm like, as as
much as I can devote each day to my healing
and my health. It's important obviously because I need to
be around for my baby. But I know I'm vibrant
and healthy. I know a lot of this doesn't make sense.
(29:41):
The diabetes actually broke my heart and threw me on
the floor because I think I have so much trauma
with that. Like the brain tumor was easy in a sense,
Like I did have moments where like the mac truck
rolled over my chest and I'm like, oh my god,
someone's gonna saw my head open. But I watched my
mom go in with a smile and I was like, Okay,
(30:02):
I'm good. I'm in great hands. There's nobody better than
doctor Black. And the diabetes killed me because I had
quit sugar two years before, and I it just didn't
make any sense all this shit.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
I was like, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
I just want everybody to understand. I don't understand it
all everything you're saying. I understand this part of it
that is type one diabetes. And I want you guys
to understand that that in itself is an every day
on your mind.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
I know this.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
I'll cry too, because it's like that in and of
itself is so hard, and then you have all of
this other stuff. You are my absolute new hero. You
have to be my friend, our friend.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
You must. You are so I'm so proud of you.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Maria.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
What's your energy level like has it affected like.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
It's been so hard at different time times like to
be honest, but right now it's been it's on the upswing,
and so that's been really exciting. I mean, doctor Allison
and I have done so much work that I feel
like I have more energy than I ever have. So
that's been really good.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
You know.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
I say, I kind of have to pitch a perfect
game with my health, like I can't. I don't have
a lot of wiggle room because I have to. I
have to really heal from all these things and they
are healable. Like even when they found the breast lesion.
I went back to doctor Funk and she goes, it's shrunk.
I was like, yes, because I focused in my meditations
on it shrinking. So I keep getting success even though
(31:42):
there's so much shit that pops up and it's felt
like whack a mole. I know how to heal, and
I believe in my healing and Saint Nctarios, our healing saint,
has been so good to me.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
So I need to write that down.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
Star Saint Niktarios Nectar Nectarios. Okay, he is the healing
saint in the Greek Orthodox Church, but he will heal
anyone who believes in him, and I've had so many
miraculous moments of healing, whether it's me, my mom, my friends.
I wear my bracelet that I got at his church
(32:15):
in Aegina, Greece, which is an island just south of Athens,
and so ever since he's come into my life, like
so much good has happened, and I know that the
it looks like so much bad has happened too. And listen,
it's not been easy, but I do believe that it's
(32:36):
happened for me, not to me. And I do believe
that it's happened to me because I can figure it
out and I can heal and I can show other
people how to do it, and I do that through
my show every day.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
So you know what a mindset. It's unbelievable. You know.
They say that like you could have a million problems
until something happens with your health and then you have
one problem. There is just no there's no way around it.
You are my hero.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
I've had people in my life that have been you know,
they've been, they've gotten sick, they've had kids. I have
friends whose kids have gotten sick.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Nobody.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
I always say this to my daughter, who has Type
one I'm like, you know, nobody gets away, and I
just I'm much talking about health issues. No one gets away.
Everyone has got their stuff, and hopefully we all deal
with the cards we are dealt with, you know, we
can actually turn them into something productive. You wanting to
inspire people, you know and say, what did you just say?
Speaker 2 (33:43):
It happened?
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Happened to me?
Speaker 1 (33:46):
I absolutely absolutely love that. But you know, tell us
something good, tell us.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
Let's tell us, let's pivot a hard pivot and talk
about this Christmas movie. Now, I'm a Jewish girl. I
love Christmas. Me friends all love it too, so I
just get this feeling. I remember sitting in the movie theater.
I was single. It was like two thousand and six.
I was like, I'm never going to meet newbody, and
I was watching that movie Love Actually yeah, my husband
(34:16):
a few months later, but I was like, I just
nothing makes me feel better than a Christmas movie, Christmas
general issues. Please.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Well, I'll tell you. The Christmas movies came at the
perfect time because it was on my bucket list to
do one, and it was because of my mom that
I got in the first one. Because I had made
this like little video on YouTube of our journey caretaking
for her in her last months. And my friend Ryan McPartland,
(34:45):
who is a Christmas movie star amongst other amazing things
like chuck and stuff, but he was making one just
down the street in Connecticut, so he connected with me
to tell me how moved he was by this peace
I put together. And then I ended up as his
sister in this, and then the director of that called
me to start in the next one, which came out
two years ago, and then he called me for this
(35:06):
one that we shot in London. So funny you talk
about love, Actually we shot ours in London, so you're
not really used to seeing, you know, these holiday movies
on Lifetime, et cetera, where they're set in London. There's
I think only two Christmas movies set there. So you're
going to get the most amazing British feels, the accents,
(35:27):
the charm.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
Are you British in it? Do you have to have
put on the absent?
Speaker 3 (35:32):
No, thank god, because that would take a little bit
of work because my accent ain't great. But but I've
worked on it the whole time there. But I play
an architect, like a New York City architect who, unknownst
to her had this great aunt that left her a
manner and she has one week she has to spend
there before she can make the decision of keeping it
(35:54):
or getting rid of it. And she's like, you know,
the super type A, it's all about her career. She
shows up there, she sees a whole other lifestyle, you know,
a life where like community and events and you know, Christmas,
you know, Carol of the Bell, events and stuff are
the main focus. And she ends up falling in love
and sees a whole other path for life. And I
(36:17):
feel like a lot of us need to to kind
of see it for a few reasons. One like, listen,
we love holiday movies, and this one I think will
make you have all the holiday feels. And I know
for me, with everything that we've gone through, these have
been great escapes. And there are hard times out there.
(36:37):
People are really suffering, and that's why we love watching these.
But the other thing is is like for all of
us kind of type A high function and independence, some kidding,
all of us Type A women who kind of sometimes
forget that there's other things that matter other than just
business and making it and succeeding and buying more things.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Like are you listening to us.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
We need us in particular, need to be hearing this. Yes, yes,
I know, but it's just it's so true because it's
so easy, especially in we were in reality television and
you forget all of a sudden, you're so caught up
in that world and all you know you need to
be reminded. But please, I'm sorry, go on.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Yeah. No, life is about more than that. And the
problem is is we've been born and bred into like achieved, succeed,
get good grades, get a huge job, make a lot
of money, and then maybe marriage and kids. Never health,
but everything's always an aside to money and success that's
(37:44):
always first. And so the great gift I think I've
gotten from all of the health crises is that there's
so much more to life. And I've been working actively
in the last seven years on redefining success from myself,
because we also define success by other people's standards, and
I caught myself doing that. I was chasing the people
(38:07):
who were working twenty four to seven and like all
this stuff, and I'm like, wait, this is so against
my nature. I don't care. Kevin's been trying to put
shows together with my name on it. This and that
I don't care. I just want to be happy. I
want to live. I want to cook something in my
kitchen with my family. I want to be present for
my baby. I want to work as little as possible,
(38:33):
but maintain as much as I can what I have now.
I don't need more. Like I remember meeting with a
friend who was, you know, really successful in business, Murray folio.
She's a business teacher, and we were talking about kind
of my next phase in life. This was two years ago,
and she's like, how much money do you want to
kind I'm like, I give her a number. It was
so low, and she goes, what I go, I don't care.
(38:56):
I just need to be healthy. That's all that matter.
But we don't ever realize it until shit hits the fans.
So I'm always I think that now more than ever,
and the millennials are doing this, the gen zers are
doing this. They're looking at our generation like we were
crazy people, workaholics, and they're going the other way. But
there's a happy medium, right.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
They're getting a lot of slack for that too. They're
called a very lazy generation, a very like coddles. Well,
I think there is a happy medium.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
Yeah, yeah, Like we don't need to be chasing a
life that we didn't even want. And I think that
a lot of us chase a life we don't even want.
We're not really happy, We're like snappy and short and miserable.
I know, I remember, and it's not worth it.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
It's just I mean, can you just change that by
changing your mindset? Because I think I have a little
of that, Like I want things so that I mean,
I'm not super in tune to what I want. I
sometimes I know that I want things that I don't
really deep down want, but I want other people to
see me doing them.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
Yeah. Yeah, And I think that it really comes down
to you having like some time with yourself to be like,
what do I really want? What do I not want?
And how do I now get time with myself to
be more introspective? Like meditation has changed everything for me.
I'm not currently meditating the way I was. I'm about
(40:21):
to get back on track because we've been doing so
much here. But but I'll tell you like it, it
really is important to find the things that are going
to give you joy and happiness that don't cost anything.
Making that list and then realizing, well, like all these
things that I'm focusing my energy and attention on are
taking away from the things I really want. I really
(40:42):
want time with my family. I don't want to be
on my phone all the time. I want to be
able to go, you know, on fun adventures with my
with my kids, or with my friends. Or I don't
really care about the stupid new.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Chanelle bag like Ammen's sister.
Speaker 3 (40:57):
I don't want to be robbed, so I don't buy
this stuff. I'm like at this point, like you're just
a target anyway, Like, let's let's put that into just
not having to work more so, less less of that stuff,
more peace.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
If you ever want a new job, you could be
my life coach. Do you write?
Speaker 1 (41:15):
Are you writing a book? I mean, I know you've
done enough and I shouldn't be pressuring you.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
But you've written a book? You have.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
I've written a few books, but but that was in
my crazy stage. You know, it's been really hard. I
had a book deal just before COVID didn't feel right,
so I passed. I do have a few in me,
but I really just want to be with Athena, and
so it's going to take a while before I have
a documentary. I've been in the middle of I'm like,
(41:44):
everything's just going to take a backseat to my health
and my baby, So you don't need.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
To actually give us what we want them, because I've
got a list of things from.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
You, I will tell you. Funny enough, I was just
on a meeting with one of my team members and
I was like, listen, and I finally think I have
the energy to put some things forward that I've wanted
to do, and I almost did last year, but then
the pancreast tumor derailed me. But one of my dreams
is to put health retreats together and take people on
(42:16):
this journey so that if you want to be healthier,
you'll learn the foundational health things that you need to learn.
But if you need to heal from something, we can
also teach you how to do that. I've also already
guinea piged myself. I've proven that the stuff works, and
doctor Allison, my partner, is the genius of all geniuses.
(42:37):
And then I want to also put a course together
for women to be able to do exactly what you
were just asking, figure out what you really want. I
got this weird downloading COVID and it was like coming
through so fast and I'm writing everything down, writing everything down,
I'm like, I need this and then I go me
(43:00):
this shit. So I was just on the phone with that.
I was like, if we can make this easy and
I can film this and it's a course and people
can just grab it and use it and do it,
I'm in. So I'm working on.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Going to pat those together. Jen and I want to
be deposit now.
Speaker 2 (43:14):
Just tell us what's your bed And I am so
excited to see your holiday movie.
Speaker 3 (43:19):
You can go to my Instagram and you'll find it
Christmas at Plumb Hill Manner. And then my podcast is
He'll Squad, so you guys can always.
Speaker 2 (43:27):
Listen to them as well be listening.
Speaker 1 (43:30):
And I hope that I don't know, I feel so
I don't want to put you on this weird pedestal
and if people do that a lot, and I don't
know if you would like that or not, but I'm
just I know, Jackie, we both are just in. Yeah,
you know, it's like we're all humans, we all struggle.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Nobody's I feel very much like my priorities get reset
when I meet someone like you and I listened to
you and you're very guyased. Yeah, and it's really been
an honor to speak to you.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
Thank you guys, thank you so much. And if I
can be helpful with your daughter with Type one. I
learned to look at the equator, my blood sugar, you're
going down. It was crazy, really, Oh my god. I
was like lighting bread without having to take insulin. People
heal from diabetes at the equator, people heal from MS Parkinson's.
It's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yeah, I don't know anything about this.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
If you wouldn't mind, then off camera we're gonna have
to have a little discussion because I would love to know.
Speaker 3 (44:22):
Well. Also, if you go to heel squad dot com,
I took because Apple Podcasts doesn't organize the episodes that also,
you can't really find what you need easily when you've
done as many episodes as I have. But there's a
column called foundational Health. There's one for autoimmune, there's one
for cancer. Foundational Health. All those episodes will teach you
(44:43):
everything that I did to heal the liver lesions and
everything about the equator and how powerful it is. So
you can deep dive on the episodes that are connected
to specifically those themes on heel Squad dot com. They're
called healthy.
Speaker 2 (44:57):
I think amazing. I was working. Yeah, thank you so much.
Wish know only good things and everything and happy holidays,
and I can't wait to watch Thanks Maria, Thank you Maria.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
That was unbelievable. I feel like so freaked out and
not freaked out in the best way.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
I like to see this woman who is again, you're
probably the same age, right, I think she's a little
bit younger. She looks so young and well.
Speaker 2 (45:28):
Her mindset is fucking amazing. I it makes me feel
nervous because I don't pay attention to my health nearly
as much.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
When she said she did that scan, I forget. I
almost don't want to know. I'm very nervous. I know
everyone else, but anyway she is and inspiration doesn't seem
like I know.
Speaker 2 (45:51):
It's amazing. I want to have that guy on. To
know yourself so well that someone could tell you that
you might have. If someone ever said the words liver
cancer to me, I would black out, and then my
entire life, every focus of every second of every day
would be about whether or not I.
Speaker 1 (46:06):
Have liver cancer.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
For her to intuitively know that it just doesn't feel
like I have that is fucking mind blowing into me.
How do you know yourself so well? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
You know, Jack, I'm a reaching hypochondriac, so I always
think I have everything, but I don't know. This woman
is amazing. I am definitely gonna watch her and Jackie Jacqueline.
Who's on Jackie Jackie? I know you got the name
of the new doctor that we want on the pod,
doctor Joe Dispensa.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
I would love that game. I need to learn how
to do the things in life that I really authentically
want to do, which a lot of them. Listen, some
of the stuff I'm doing I do want to do,
and I love every second with my family. Career wise,
I'm not so sure what I really authentically want.
Speaker 1 (46:51):
It so easy, we both struggle, we both have mental
health struggles. Yeah, and so yeah, nothing is easy. Everything
is a journey. But yeah, I mean, I hope a
ton of people listen to this.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Yeah, me too, me too. All right, guys on that note,
all right, we will see you next time.
Speaker 1 (47:10):
I love you, guys. You jack Let me go you guys. Bye.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
By
Hey everyone, Hi guys.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Jackie Goldschneider, I'm Jensler, and we're two Jersey Jays. Yeah,
we have a really really great episode today. You know
what I was thinking. You know, first of all, when
I said that, Evan always jokes whenever a show starts
and they're like, we have a really great episode today,
He's like, what are they going to say?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
I suppose we'll be fun you guys, tune out, turn
turn your radio.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
No, But it actually is a great one today because
I was thinking, like you know, when you have like
you you wake up and you have this idea and
you're like, oh, I really want to do this, and
then like an hour later you're like, nah, too much effort. Yes,
our guest today wakes up and oh my god, every
single thing you can imagine doing she has done. I
absolutely agree, and I'm I definitely forget the Oh my god,
(00:46):
I should do this, And three minutes in on my
a You're like, no, because that'll take a lot of
aff Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
No, she is especially acquire shower exactly. But this woman,
as you guys probably know, is a go getter for sure. Right,
So today we have yes on the pad. Then again, Jack,
I don't think we gave it enough of a bang.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Right, Today we have Maria Manuno's yeah, baby, yeah she
is well, first of all, she's like the most stunning
woman in the world. I always thought of her as
just like a celebrity correspondent, right right, Yeah, So when
I sat down to just like look at her bio,
(01:28):
oh my god, Like there is nothing that she hasn't done,
literally because she got.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
When you hear the name, it's like you can't even
like pinpoint though. One thing, she's just been a present.
When she's younger, well she's your age, right, she's a
little younger than me. But like I always picture her
from and I maybe I mean, you know, I know
Access Hollywood like all of those et and I know
she didn't do all those not tamous Knight and whatever.
I just always picture her.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
I picture her also as the panteine girl, yes, like
I know that with that unbelievable hair.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Yes, But she has been everything.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So she's been obviously a TV host, she was on
Access Hollywood, E Extra, she was an actress, she was
an actress, still an actress. She uh was a wrestler.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I don't even know, like we have to ask her
a little bit about that, but like kind of a
I can't even if you picture her in a ring, No.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I don't. I don't know exactly in what capacity she
has to start as a WWE, but I know.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
That she actually I know that she actually like fought
Oh really, yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I hope I'm not off there.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I don't know that, but I'm pretty right. Yes, I
am pretty sure she produced a movie.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I know that. Yeah, I know that she has won
beauty pageant, right, She's had a radio show, a podcast,
a reality show chasing Mariam Minuno right right there, like
literally there's been and she started early, like she started
in childhood. So I'm really excited to talk to her
because I only know this like little bit of fame
(03:01):
as an adult, fully formed result, so I could make
rational decisions.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I can't imagine starting so young. Yeah, and she's been
through it, you guys. I mean, I don't know listeners
what you know, but she is. She's battled, she had
she's had several battles with her family having cancer, her
mom had a brain tumor, her actually her dad had
had Type one diabetes, which is what.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
My daughter has.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
So I'm excited to kind of talk to her about that.
And now she's in her own battle with pancreatic cancer,
so you know she's been through it, and she has
a baby. She has a baby, and she has a
new movie. Yes on it's on Lifetime. M Yeah, yes
(03:47):
it is hill manor yeah, I can't imagine. No, I
feel very inadequate segment.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
She's very open about her health battle. Yeah, so we'll
talk about everything. Really excited to have her on. So
let's welcome Maria Minutos. Hi. Guys, Hi, Maria. You're just
as beautiful as I was to say.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
It's like, thank you. I was hoping my my crazy
sunlight was gonna shift just at the right time, because
see it's like right there.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
No, no, no, no, you look ethereal it's actually.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Like an angel.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yes, So it's not only what you look like, but
as we were like, as we were opening here talking
about the things that you've done, it's a little bit intimidating.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
It's bordering on annoying. But I am.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Welcoming you with open arms and a warm heart.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
We both are. I am pretty amazed, are you Right now?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
We're in Jersey, I'm in Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Actually you're in Connecticut. Okay, so yeah, so we're neighbors.
I met. We are in New Jersey. You know that
came out like where and you grew up in Boston.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
No, I grew up in Boston. Yeah, just outside of Boston, Hedford.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Oh okay, I went to Boston Universe we went to
after a couple of years. But yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't.
But anyway, that's for another episode. So Maria, welcome. Thank
you so much for being with us. We really do
appreciate it, and thanks for having no we want to
just start out, you know, when we have started out
already kind of listing your accomplishments. Your career has been huge.
(05:17):
I honestly, Jackie just said, like, you know when you like,
wake up and you think I'm going to do this today,
and then you know, five minutes in, you're like, eh,
not so much. Like we're saying that Maria Minuno's is
the one that actually does it, which is rare. So
you know, and again we started talking about all the
things that you've done, but maybe I'm sure that we're
missing a lot. I was actually saying you started out
(05:40):
as like miss teen, Were you like miss teen Massachusetts?
I was, yeah, I can't seriously, Wow, how did you
get into pageanting?
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Well, I remember I was like thirteen and I got
a card in the mail for the Miss Perfect Teen pageant,
And at that time I was like starting, like I
really wanted a model, I wanted to do stuff. And
I got the card in the mail and my parents,
my dad was like no. And then the next year
I came again. The next year, I enlisted the help
(06:11):
of my cousin Anthony. I was like, you got to
convince them to let me do this, and at that
point I was like fifteen, actually, and so I did
it and I won Miss Massachusetts perfecteen.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I can't imagine.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I imagine it putting that title on a pageant now,
I would never write no way.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, so I was perfectly.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Dad happy once he won. He's proud, of course, like
we went.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
It was the first time we won. And then we
went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the national competition.
I think I came in like third or something there.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
And then eventually I did Miss mass Teen USA and
did that, and so yeah, that was kind of the
entry point.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
And then in college, that's when your career started really
taking off in the TV world.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Right, so I feel like everything is like baby steps, right,
Like how does a Greek girl from you know, parents
who are immigrants make it? I don't know. You just
make one move after another. So the pageants were, you know,
a great entry point. Started doing some commercial work and
things like that, and then in college I was really
(07:17):
studying journalism and film and worked on a movie with
my now husband Kevin. That really was the launching pad,
like you know, when my classmates didn't want to work
for free and I did well. Then somebody I met
on the movie helped me get my big break in
LA at Channel one News.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
So I didn't finish my last year of college because
I ended up getting that job.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
And you and Kevin your husband, now I believe I
him correct, You started dating in college and your father
was not pleased. And you already said that your Greek.
You have a very strong Greek heritage background, right, Yeah,
my dad was.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
I think it was more like he was like freaked
out that it could be having sex. I don't know,
like it was just very bad. It was a very
ugly time. So it was because he was in Greek
And yes, my dad was, you know, had his dream
of you know, me marrying a Greek person and that
whole scam.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
But you love that moving, But do you love my
big fat Greek wedding? Doesn't love that doesn't but doesn't
resonate with you?
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Is that, of course? With the whole world?
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Ye, that's true.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
That's true every Jewish, Yes, for sure. With all of
these jobs and all of these amazing things that you've done,
is there any one that's been your favorite? You've done,
commercial work, reality shows, radio work, all of it.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yeah. I mean, listen, I love everything, which is why
I've done so many different things. I've wrestled, and so
I love to talking about that.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Okay, we talk about that. We have to.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yeah, yeah, because jams can kind of understand what you're
saying right now.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Were you part of the WWE?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
I am fourno on the WWE? I wrestled at WrestleMania Guys.
Mark Wahlberg was sitting front row and I watched his
mouth go, what are we? I'm like, God, why'd you even?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Who said? Marie? We have an idea? It was you?
I want to be a wrestling What what are you
talking about?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Inside scoop, I watched wrestling my whole life with my dad,
and so I was a diehard wrestling fan. I met Kevin,
who's also a diehard wrestling fan. When I first met
Kevin as a chubby nineteen year old at one point
when he you know, we were working on his movie.
He lost, his movie went bankrupt. The whole world caved
in on him. He was going to go potentially work
(09:50):
with the WWE, and he was like, you could wrestle,
all right? It was like great, So he went and
he met with Shane McMahon and he met with you
know them over there. I think he even had FaceTime
Evince at the time. And my job at Channel one
came in the interim, and so that never even came
(10:10):
to fruition. So we left and we moved to LA
But then the dream to wrestle was still there, so
then let me finish. So then flash forward years later,
I was telling my publicist because they started having Monday
Night Raw guest hosts. I said, you got to get
me in. I have to do this, And so he
calls me like a month after that meeting. Meanwhile, he
(10:32):
had not made one call yet, and he's like, you're
not going to believe this. I didn't even call them.
They called us. They want you to do it. I said, great,
on one condition, I want to wrestle. They didn't take
me seriously. They thought I was you know, and by
the way, WW is such a machine, they don't have
time to worry about Maria wrestling or whatever. So I
went and I hired a coach. I started doing backyard
(10:53):
wrestling and learning. I showed up for that guest host appearance.
I'm like, I know how to wrestle, let's go, and
they created something on the fly, and from there I
knew how to taunt the audience as a fan, so
I taunted the audience. I taunted the other wrestlers and
it became a thing that led to WrestleMania, and it
(11:14):
was the first time the women got airtime on TV.
It was a big deal. And I was doing Dancing
with the Stars at the same time. So I had
cracked ribs, fractured feet. I was a hot mess. But
I had to go and I did it, and it
was one of the highlights of my life for sure.
And then the other favorite thing I've done was like
Nightly News for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Ria, but your face, I would have never if we
had been friends back then, I would have never allowed
for such a thing.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
You could really get hurt. No, right hurt. Look at
her face? Who does that?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
I'm dead? I said, okay, you know I said that
to Daria Baronatto, who's now Sonya Deville and WWE. When
she first came to After Buzz as one of our hosts.
We went to Aronda Rosie the UFC fight and we
were sitting in the booth and I go, you are
too pretty to be fighting and having people punch you
in the face. We out you and then long story short,
(12:11):
I'm in a meeting with USA Network for tough Enough,
no for something for general, and they're like, you should
do tough enough. I'm like, no, but I know who's perfect.
And then she did that and ended up launching her
whole career, which is so cool. So she made the shift. Wow.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
So dancing with them? What's easier dancing with the stars
or WWA or what's harder? I can't imagine. Both of
them are so out of my realm of what I
possibly can do.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
They're both really hard wrestlers, really have a hard life.
I mean they're traveling three hundred and sixty days a
year by rental car and you know, the whole thing.
I mean, the what they put their bodies through is
so intense. I have the utmost respect for them, which
is why I think I did so well with them,
because they knew I wasn't just, you know, there for
(12:57):
any other reason. I really respect them and their craft
and dancing.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
My god, when I.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
First started had the video, I couldn't put you know,
two steps together. Derek had, you know, a definite project
player on his hands. But you know, the cool thing
in my life is I've I love challenges. I love
living in that moment of like terror and like am
I gonna be Okay? Am I gonna be? Okay?
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
We did all right? All right?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Yeah, I'm so glad you said that.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Yeah you said someone like you that you don't get
scared of. Yeah. Well, I was going to say, like,
I don't want to be this cheesy transition, right, but like,
clearly you're a fighter, and you know, I'm sure we're
going to talk about your health challenges. But when I
was reading what I was reading about you, even going
back to your childhood, what struck me was that you
grew up with a father with Type one diabetes, and
(13:48):
I have a daughter with type one diabetes. So I
know a lot about how difficult that can be, but
I'm sure most of our listeners don't know. But type
one diabetes is way more It's still a bitch, but
it's way more manageable now. So going back that many years,
I'm there were no pumps, there were no sensors, right,
So it was life and very life and death. And
(14:12):
I was reading about how often your father would have
low blood sugar and how often he was, you know,
on the verge of death and you had to be tough.
How old were you when he first was diagnosed.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Oh, he was diagnosed when he was like twenty, way
before I wash, okaved, yeah, so it was my whole
life with him.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
Yeah, okay, okay, So I mean I'm I'm thinking you
know that already. Now you have a different type of
childhood starting there, and you obviously rose to all of
these occasions. But yeah, the fighting thing, the wrestling thing. Again,
I didn't want to sound cheesy, so I'm glad you
said it, but you clearly enjoy a fight.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
So the one job aspect that we do have in
common was the reality show. Yeah, yeah, unfortunately, yes, right,
so your reality show it was called Chasing Briam and
you know, sorry, did you enjoy it? Do you like
sharing your did you have to share your whole life?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
You know that was such a tough thing because I
had no problem sharing. The problem is they were so
fake about it. They had like their agenda of what
they wanted, which was marriage and babies, and that was
my dad's dream. That's all he wanted at the time.
And I said to them at one point, I go,
if my dad is sick of this, then that means
(15:31):
the audience is going to be totally sick of this.
So instead of allowing for reality to happen, which I
think is hard with budgetary constraints, I'm like, guys, we
are definitely full of stuff. And imagine if they had
been filming these last seven years. There was so much
stuff that had gone on. But they were the I guess,
(15:52):
the plan you know, laid out was just very restrictive
and so it wasn't as fun as I thought. The
one good thing is is I do I do have
my family on camera, and it was it was fun
to be with my parents a little bit more than
I would have at that time because we had to
squeeze in filming. But but but I do think that
(16:19):
Jackie's like, I think about that for you, because you
have your kids forever, you know, right, I have toes
that I'll ever be able to watch back, you know,
for all the good and the bad.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
You don't find the time and the energy. How do
you find the time for all of for all of it?
Speaker 3 (16:39):
I mean before I was just a human doing. That's
why I said, I'm like the brain tumor came to
make me a human being. I was just a human doing.
I was just a machine NonStop. And I think when
you grow up the way I did. I just had
someone on my show on Heel Squad talking about how
we're high functioning codependence and hfc's are just really good
(17:02):
in crisis. We're really good at solving everything. And you know,
I grew up not speaking the language. I had to
be my parents interpreter. I was first gen had to
literally revive and save my dad on the regular. We
were always in fight or flight and you know, we
(17:22):
you know, had some really rough times financially as well.
So I think that when I made it in this business,
I found it to be such a blessing. I was like,
my God, I'm making more money than my parents ever
could have dreamed of. How could I say no? And
how could I not go for every opportunity and do everything?
(17:45):
And so yeah, that's what I did, and then got
through a brick at my head and then said, let's recalibrate.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
So you, guys, I just want to make sure that
our viewers understand a little bit even more about your background.
But your mom had a brain tumor. I hope it's okay.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
I'm thinking it's okay. I know you're very open about
your struggle. It is okay. So your mom had had
a malignant brain tumor. And was it a year later
that you were diagnosed as well with a brain tumor? Month?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
But a nine one months? I mean, wow, it's mind growing. Yeah,
So what was that that whole time period? Were you
working through it? Were you? Well?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
It was crazy because my mom was diagnosed beginning of
September twenty sixteen with a malignant brain tumor called glioblastoma
stage four brain cancer, one of the deadliest cancers you
can get. Oh gosh, don't ask. I have no freaking clue.
This was twenty sixteen. Someone do the mau Yeah, thirty
(19:00):
thirty eight, thirty nine something like that. Anyway, I was
working at E News at the time, and now I'm
trying to like and serious X, I'm trying to keep
all the masters happy while I'm also trying to keep
my mom alive. And I thought the headaches I was
getting and the pain I was having and the fatigue
was all due to the stress of my mom. And
(19:25):
then I started learning my speech and then I was
needing second takes and I was like one take, Maria,
Like what the heck's going on? And then I started
having really bad ear pain. And so the ear pain
took me to the doctor because I'm like, do I
have an ear infection? At thirty something like this is crazy?
And he was like, you don't have an ear infection?
What else are you feeling? Well? Once I started rattling
(19:45):
off all those symptoms, He's like, I go, oh my god,
and he's like what I go, I think I have
a brain tumor, Like my mom, isn't that crazy? Just
saying it right now, I'm reminded of how crazy that was.
And he's like, I don't think you're crazy. Let's just
get MRI to rule it out, and then the MRI
said I had a brain tumor. Now luckily mine appeared
(20:06):
to be benign, but they were like, we don't know,
but mine. Also when I talked to her the same neurosurgeon.
When I call the neurosurgeon, doctor Keith Black's office, I
was like, I need an appointment. They're like, oh, okay,
so what time can your mom came? I go, no, no, no,
it's for me and they were shook. I said, so,
surely this is going to be an easier surgery than
(20:26):
my mom's and he was like, nope, this is way
more complicated. Wow.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Is that hereditary or coincidental?
Speaker 3 (20:33):
Totally coincidental. I believe it was the IVF that did
this because when I was doing IVF. First of all,
at some point we're going to learn how dangerous IVF is.
I'm not against it obviously because I have a beautiful
baby because of it, but I do always tell people
to get a scan before you do anything, to see
(20:53):
if there's anything that will grow. The reason my neurosurgeon
wouldn't let me get pregnant is he was afraid when
you get hormones going, things grows when right, So I
unknowingly might have had the brain tumor in my head
all this time, or maybe it came out of nowhere.
I don't know, But all I know is when I
was taking those progesterone shots, I called my doctor and
(21:16):
I said, I want to drive my car through a
brick wall and I was my head was exploding, and
she was like, stop the progesterone. And that was I
think months before I finished, months before I was diagnosed,
I had finished my last IVF cycle, So I think
the hormones grew it. So I always tell my girlfriends
(21:38):
and now all of you, because it's really sketchy to
like go out in public and say this stuff. I
feel like people like get really like freaked out and upset.
But secretly, behind the scenes, I always tell my friends,
if you are going to do IVF, find a way
to get a skin and make sure that nothing's going
to grow, because these hormones have the potential to grow things.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
They say that about right now, So I'm not I'm
way past the time to get pregnant, but I'm in
that phase of menopause where you take hormones. You take
estrogen right to make you feel better with in terms
of what's going on with your body during menopause. And
then I think it's sort of the same idea, right,
Like it's a very it's a balancing act and it's
(22:22):
a risk versus reward because you know, hormones can if
I don't know what, they can actually cause cancer, but
they can grow cancer from what I understand.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
So and doctors don't tell you that I had five
rounds of IVF myself.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
They don't tell you, and you wouldn't know that metals
stuff like, you wouldn't know. And then also the other
thing that's crazy is nobody knows that you can actually
do natural realms. So it's a much less expensive thing too,
which they don't want you to really know about. But
my IVF doctor, doctor Wennie Chang, who is amazing, told
(22:57):
me that it was possible. So if you have follicle naturally,
you can just do a trigger shot and go in
for your your removal. You just have to time everything carefully.
But there is a way to do natural cycles to
avoid all of those shots.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
I hope that a lot of women are listening.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Yeah, I hope that you know. You know, I always
say that you have to advocate for yourself at these
doctors appointments, because they really some doctors do not do
a great job. But anyway, So, so you you're diagnosed
with this brain tumor, they find that it's benign, you
have surgery.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
To reveals whether it's benign or not. So yeah, so
they removed it as much as they could because there's
a tumor that's there's still tumor in there that's wrapped
around my facial nerves. So if he tried to get
rid of it, I would have been paralyzed. So he
left it alone, thank god.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
So yeah, and so do you have any remaining Yeah,
there's stuff that I fee.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
But I manage it. And I've been doing a lot
of things like lightning my mind talks and load has
been helpful. Meditation has been helpful. I'm experimenting every day
with stuff to to heal and get better.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
I am. It occurs to me that I know I
have known some people with brain tumors and malignant or not.
Brain surgery is a very very serious kind of surgery.
I don't think you know, it's not just like Okay,
we're going to go in and take it out. When
it comes to the brain, it's and you can if
(24:45):
I'm not right, but I think it's very very tricky
and very very risky, and so I just that hits
me because you've just gone through a lot of stuff.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, that was an eight hour surgery.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
No, that one.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Was six and a half I think, And then the
pancreas surgery was like eight.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
After your brain tumor comes out and you're recovering, then
you get thrown another health Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Well, I was feeling something. I was getting really bloated.
Things weren't right. I was like, something's off somehow predicted
on my own show. An audience member later was like,
you predicted this in April before you were diagnosed. I'm
like what, And I listened and looked. I was like,
oh my god. But that's not pertinent to the story.
(25:33):
But the truth is is I knew something was wrong.
I kept investigating different diagnostic tests. They kept telling me
it was fine. I went to the doctor's buckled over
and excruciating pain, like unbelievable, unbearable pain. They told me
it was fine. And it was only until I got
this pernuvo scan that they found a tumor, a large
(25:53):
tumor on the tail of my pancreas. It's called the
neuroendocrine tumor. That's what Steve Jobs had and it had
doubled in size within two months of that scan, where
I went to the doctors and I was like, I'm
in so much pain?
Speaker 1 (26:09):
And when when was this? This was last year and
it was you did the pernubo scan. Well you just
saw our listeners because I hear more and more about
people doing it. That's a full body.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
It's a full body scan. Yeah, so they listen. It's
not it's not free, and it's not perfect, but they
saved my life when you know, traditional hospitals told me
I was fine and sent me home. This thing doubled
in size. Now where would I be by June if
from November to January it doubled And my baby was
(26:44):
due in June.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
So wow, And now how old is Athena?
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Now?
Speaker 3 (26:51):
She's seventeen months next week?
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
Do you call her your miracle baby?
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Right? She is?
Speaker 2 (26:58):
I think I read that as yeah, wow, So your
your health journey now, are you in the clear? Are
you still battling?
Speaker 3 (27:11):
You know, I'm in the clear in a lot of ways,
but like there's still stuff right, Like I was in
the Dominican Republic earlier this year because they thought they
found liver cancer, and I was like, I don't think
it's liver cancer. I think my body's just having a
hard time processing all these scans. People think scans are nebulous,
(27:34):
they're not. When you're getting gatolinium and you're getting CT scans,
these are very powerful, high radiation, highly toxic things. And yeah,
if you're doing one, that's fine, But I've had to
do so many and no one's really counting, and no
one's really paying attention, and so I was like, I
(27:54):
think my body's just having a hard time detoxing all
this out while I went to the dr and I
created this little health proto call of just sun and
grounding and sweating and sleeping, and they all shrunk in
two and a half weeks.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
How in the world did you know that it wasn't
your liver? How would you be that in tune?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
I am super intuitive, but I also I've learned over
these last seven years of this brain tumor experience and
stuff to listen. And I just felt I felt like
it didn't make any sense, and I didn't feel like
it was true, because yeah, I just didn't. So I
(28:36):
was like, I'm just going to go experiment, and I
know the equator is really healing from everything I've studied
and my natural path that's been on my show a
lot that's helped me through a lot, and I was
really pleased, obviously with the results. And so when you
say are you healed, I mean I still have a
brain tumor. I still have lesions on my liver, like
(28:57):
two new ones popped up, we just found, and I'm like,
I'm looking at Kevin. I'm like, but I'm not scared.
I think I'm fine. He goes, I think you're fine too,
And so I just think, again, these scans that I
got before now have accumulated. So it's it's a thing,
and so I'm constantly working on it. I'm using my
(29:18):
red light and my sauna and my sun and my
grounding and my fashion release exercises. I'm like, as as
much as I can devote each day to my healing
and my health. It's important obviously because I need to
be around for my baby. But I know I'm vibrant
and healthy. I know a lot of this doesn't make sense.
(29:41):
The diabetes actually broke my heart and threw me on
the floor because I think I have so much trauma
with that. Like the brain tumor was easy in a sense,
Like I did have moments where like the mac truck
rolled over my chest and I'm like, oh my god,
someone's gonna saw my head open. But I watched my
mom go in with a smile and I was like, Okay,
(30:02):
I'm good. I'm in great hands. There's nobody better than
doctor Black. And the diabetes killed me because I had
quit sugar two years before, and I it just didn't
make any sense all this shit.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
I was like, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
I just want everybody to understand. I don't understand it
all everything you're saying. I understand this part of it
that is type one diabetes. And I want you guys
to understand that that in itself is an every day
on your mind.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
I know this.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
I'll cry too, because it's like that in and of
itself is so hard, and then you have all of
this other stuff. You are my absolute new hero. You
have to be my friend, our friend.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
You must. You are so I'm so proud of you.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Maria.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
What's your energy level like has it affected like.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
It's been so hard at different time times like to
be honest, but right now it's been it's on the upswing,
and so that's been really exciting. I mean, doctor Allison
and I have done so much work that I feel
like I have more energy than I ever have. So
that's been really good.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
You know.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
I say, I kind of have to pitch a perfect
game with my health, like I can't. I don't have
a lot of wiggle room because I have to. I
have to really heal from all these things and they
are healable. Like even when they found the breast lesion.
I went back to doctor Funk and she goes, it's shrunk.
I was like, yes, because I focused in my meditations
on it shrinking. So I keep getting success even though
(31:42):
there's so much shit that pops up and it's felt
like whack a mole. I know how to heal, and
I believe in my healing and Saint Nctarios, our healing saint,
has been so good to me.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
So I need to write that down.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
Star Saint Niktarios Nectar Nectarios. Okay, he is the healing
saint in the Greek Orthodox Church, but he will heal
anyone who believes in him, and I've had so many
miraculous moments of healing, whether it's me, my mom, my friends.
I wear my bracelet that I got at his church
(32:15):
in Aegina, Greece, which is an island just south of Athens,
and so ever since he's come into my life, like
so much good has happened, and I know that the
it looks like so much bad has happened too. And listen,
it's not been easy, but I do believe that it's
(32:36):
happened for me, not to me. And I do believe
that it's happened to me because I can figure it
out and I can heal and I can show other
people how to do it, and I do that through
my show every day.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
So you know what a mindset. It's unbelievable. You know.
They say that like you could have a million problems
until something happens with your health and then you have
one problem. There is just no there's no way around it.
You are my hero.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
I've had people in my life that have been you know,
they've been, they've gotten sick, they've had kids. I have
friends whose kids have gotten sick.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Nobody.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
I always say this to my daughter, who has Type
one I'm like, you know, nobody gets away, and I
just I'm much talking about health issues. No one gets away.
Everyone has got their stuff, and hopefully we all deal
with the cards we are dealt with, you know, we
can actually turn them into something productive. You wanting to
inspire people, you know and say, what did you just say?
Speaker 2 (33:43):
It happened?
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Happened to me?
Speaker 1 (33:46):
I absolutely absolutely love that. But you know, tell us
something good, tell us.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
Let's tell us, let's pivot a hard pivot and talk
about this Christmas movie. Now, I'm a Jewish girl. I
love Christmas. Me friends all love it too, so I
just get this feeling. I remember sitting in the movie theater.
I was single. It was like two thousand and six.
I was like, I'm never going to meet newbody, and
I was watching that movie Love Actually yeah, my husband
(34:16):
a few months later, but I was like, I just
nothing makes me feel better than a Christmas movie, Christmas
general issues. Please.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Well, I'll tell you. The Christmas movies came at the
perfect time because it was on my bucket list to
do one, and it was because of my mom that
I got in the first one. Because I had made
this like little video on YouTube of our journey caretaking
for her in her last months. And my friend Ryan McPartland,
(34:45):
who is a Christmas movie star amongst other amazing things
like chuck and stuff, but he was making one just
down the street in Connecticut, so he connected with me
to tell me how moved he was by this peace
I put together. And then I ended up as his
sister in this, and then the director of that called
me to start in the next one, which came out
two years ago, and then he called me for this
(35:06):
one that we shot in London. So funny you talk
about love, Actually we shot ours in London, so you're
not really used to seeing, you know, these holiday movies
on Lifetime, et cetera, where they're set in London. There's
I think only two Christmas movies set there. So you're
going to get the most amazing British feels, the accents,
(35:27):
the charm.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
Are you British in it? Do you have to have
put on the absent?
Speaker 3 (35:32):
No, thank god, because that would take a little bit
of work because my accent ain't great. But but I've
worked on it the whole time there. But I play
an architect, like a New York City architect who, unknownst
to her had this great aunt that left her a
manner and she has one week she has to spend
there before she can make the decision of keeping it
(35:54):
or getting rid of it. And she's like, you know,
the super type A, it's all about her career. She
shows up there, she sees a whole other lifestyle, you know,
a life where like community and events and you know, Christmas,
you know, Carol of the Bell, events and stuff are
the main focus. And she ends up falling in love
and sees a whole other path for life. And I
(36:17):
feel like a lot of us need to to kind
of see it for a few reasons. One like, listen,
we love holiday movies, and this one I think will
make you have all the holiday feels. And I know
for me, with everything that we've gone through, these have
been great escapes. And there are hard times out there.
(36:37):
People are really suffering, and that's why we love watching these.
But the other thing is is like for all of
us kind of type A high function and independence, some kidding,
all of us Type A women who kind of sometimes
forget that there's other things that matter other than just
business and making it and succeeding and buying more things.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Like are you listening to us.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
We need us in particular, need to be hearing this. Yes, yes,
I know, but it's just it's so true because it's
so easy, especially in we were in reality television and
you forget all of a sudden, you're so caught up
in that world and all you know you need to
be reminded. But please, I'm sorry, go on.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Yeah. No, life is about more than that. And the
problem is is we've been born and bred into like achieved, succeed,
get good grades, get a huge job, make a lot
of money, and then maybe marriage and kids. Never health,
but everything's always an aside to money and success that's
(37:44):
always first. And so the great gift I think I've
gotten from all of the health crises is that there's
so much more to life. And I've been working actively
in the last seven years on redefining success from myself,
because we also define success by other people's standards, and
I caught myself doing that. I was chasing the people
(38:07):
who were working twenty four to seven and like all
this stuff, and I'm like, wait, this is so against
my nature. I don't care. Kevin's been trying to put
shows together with my name on it. This and that
I don't care. I just want to be happy. I
want to live. I want to cook something in my
kitchen with my family. I want to be present for
my baby. I want to work as little as possible,
(38:33):
but maintain as much as I can what I have now.
I don't need more. Like I remember meeting with a
friend who was, you know, really successful in business, Murray folio.
She's a business teacher, and we were talking about kind
of my next phase in life. This was two years ago,
and she's like, how much money do you want to
kind I'm like, I give her a number. It was
so low, and she goes, what I go, I don't care.
(38:56):
I just need to be healthy. That's all that matter.
But we don't ever realize it until shit hits the fans.
So I'm always I think that now more than ever,
and the millennials are doing this, the gen zers are
doing this. They're looking at our generation like we were
crazy people, workaholics, and they're going the other way. But
there's a happy medium, right.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
They're getting a lot of slack for that too. They're
called a very lazy generation, a very like coddles. Well,
I think there is a happy medium.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
Yeah, yeah, Like we don't need to be chasing a
life that we didn't even want. And I think that
a lot of us chase a life we don't even want.
We're not really happy, We're like snappy and short and miserable.
I know, I remember, and it's not worth it.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
It's just I mean, can you just change that by
changing your mindset? Because I think I have a little
of that, Like I want things so that I mean,
I'm not super in tune to what I want. I
sometimes I know that I want things that I don't
really deep down want, but I want other people to
see me doing them.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
Yeah. Yeah, And I think that it really comes down
to you having like some time with yourself to be like,
what do I really want? What do I not want?
And how do I now get time with myself to
be more introspective? Like meditation has changed everything for me.
I'm not currently meditating the way I was. I'm about
(40:21):
to get back on track because we've been doing so
much here. But but I'll tell you like it, it
really is important to find the things that are going
to give you joy and happiness that don't cost anything.
Making that list and then realizing, well, like all these
things that I'm focusing my energy and attention on are
taking away from the things I really want. I really
(40:42):
want time with my family. I don't want to be
on my phone all the time. I want to be
able to go, you know, on fun adventures with my
with my kids, or with my friends. Or I don't
really care about the stupid new.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Chanelle bag like Ammen's sister.
Speaker 3 (40:57):
I don't want to be robbed, so I don't buy
this stuff. I'm like at this point, like you're just
a target anyway, Like, let's let's put that into just
not having to work more so, less less of that stuff,
more peace.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
If you ever want a new job, you could be
my life coach. Do you write?
Speaker 1 (41:15):
Are you writing a book? I mean, I know you've
done enough and I shouldn't be pressuring you.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
But you've written a book? You have.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
I've written a few books, but but that was in
my crazy stage. You know, it's been really hard. I
had a book deal just before COVID didn't feel right,
so I passed. I do have a few in me,
but I really just want to be with Athena, and
so it's going to take a while before I have
a documentary. I've been in the middle of I'm like,
(41:44):
everything's just going to take a backseat to my health
and my baby, So you don't need.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
To actually give us what we want them, because I've
got a list of things from.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
You, I will tell you. Funny enough, I was just
on a meeting with one of my team members and
I was like, listen, and I finally think I have
the energy to put some things forward that I've wanted
to do, and I almost did last year, but then
the pancreast tumor derailed me. But one of my dreams
is to put health retreats together and take people on
(42:16):
this journey so that if you want to be healthier,
you'll learn the foundational health things that you need to learn.
But if you need to heal from something, we can
also teach you how to do that. I've also already
guinea piged myself. I've proven that the stuff works, and
doctor Allison, my partner, is the genius of all geniuses.
(42:37):
And then I want to also put a course together
for women to be able to do exactly what you
were just asking, figure out what you really want. I
got this weird downloading COVID and it was like coming
through so fast and I'm writing everything down, writing everything down,
I'm like, I need this and then I go me
(43:00):
this shit. So I was just on the phone with that.
I was like, if we can make this easy and
I can film this and it's a course and people
can just grab it and use it and do it,
I'm in. So I'm working on.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Going to pat those together. Jen and I want to
be deposit now.
Speaker 2 (43:14):
Just tell us what's your bed And I am so
excited to see your holiday movie.
Speaker 3 (43:19):
You can go to my Instagram and you'll find it
Christmas at Plumb Hill Manner. And then my podcast is
He'll Squad, so you guys can always.
Speaker 2 (43:27):
Listen to them as well be listening.
Speaker 1 (43:30):
And I hope that I don't know, I feel so
I don't want to put you on this weird pedestal
and if people do that a lot, and I don't
know if you would like that or not, but I'm
just I know, Jackie, we both are just in. Yeah,
you know, it's like we're all humans, we all struggle.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Nobody's I feel very much like my priorities get reset
when I meet someone like you and I listened to
you and you're very guyased. Yeah, and it's really been
an honor to speak to you.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
Thank you guys, thank you so much. And if I
can be helpful with your daughter with Type one. I
learned to look at the equator, my blood sugar, you're
going down. It was crazy, really, Oh my god. I
was like lighting bread without having to take insulin. People
heal from diabetes at the equator, people heal from MS Parkinson's.
It's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yeah, I don't know anything about this.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
If you wouldn't mind, then off camera we're gonna have
to have a little discussion because I would love to know.
Speaker 3 (44:22):
Well. Also, if you go to heel squad dot com,
I took because Apple Podcasts doesn't organize the episodes that also,
you can't really find what you need easily when you've
done as many episodes as I have. But there's a
column called foundational Health. There's one for autoimmune, there's one
for cancer. Foundational Health. All those episodes will teach you
(44:43):
everything that I did to heal the liver lesions and
everything about the equator and how powerful it is. So
you can deep dive on the episodes that are connected
to specifically those themes on heel Squad dot com. They're
called healthy.
Speaker 2 (44:57):
I think amazing. I was working. Yeah, thank you so much.
Wish know only good things and everything and happy holidays,
and I can't wait to watch Thanks Maria, Thank you Maria.
Speaker 1 (45:15):
That was unbelievable. I feel like so freaked out and
not freaked out in the best way.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
I like to see this woman who is again, you're
probably the same age, right, I think she's a little
bit younger. She looks so young and well.
Speaker 2 (45:28):
Her mindset is fucking amazing. I it makes me feel
nervous because I don't pay attention to my health nearly
as much.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
When she said she did that scan, I forget. I
almost don't want to know. I'm very nervous. I know
everyone else, but anyway she is and inspiration doesn't seem
like I know.
Speaker 2 (45:51):
It's amazing. I want to have that guy on. To
know yourself so well that someone could tell you that
you might have. If someone ever said the words liver
cancer to me, I would black out, and then my
entire life, every focus of every second of every day
would be about whether or not I.
Speaker 1 (46:06):
Have liver cancer.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
For her to intuitively know that it just doesn't feel
like I have that is fucking mind blowing into me.
How do you know yourself so well? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
You know, Jack, I'm a reaching hypochondriac, so I always
think I have everything, but I don't know. This woman
is amazing. I am definitely gonna watch her and Jackie Jacqueline.
Who's on Jackie Jackie? I know you got the name
of the new doctor that we want on the pod,
doctor Joe Dispensa.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
I would love that game. I need to learn how
to do the things in life that I really authentically
want to do, which a lot of them. Listen, some
of the stuff I'm doing I do want to do,
and I love every second with my family. Career wise,
I'm not so sure what I really authentically want.
Speaker 1 (46:51):
It so easy, we both struggle, we both have mental
health struggles. Yeah, and so yeah, nothing is easy. Everything
is a journey. But yeah, I mean, I hope a
ton of people listen to this.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Yeah, me too, me too. All right, guys on that note,
all right, we will see you next time.
Speaker 1 (47:10):
I love you, guys. You jack Let me go you guys. Bye.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
By
Hosts And Creators
Jackie Goldschneider
Jennifer Fessler
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