November 6, 2025 • 34 mins
Jana’s friend and The Christmas Ring co-star Jessie James Decker is here! Hear the story of how she manifested acting alongside Jana in The Christmas Ring, and how Jana helped put together her audition tape!
Jessie reveals she’s ready to move on from the serious roles she’s had in the past, and find out which Sex and the City character is most aligned with what Jessie is looking for in her next part.
Plus, we discover the power of a daily bubble bath.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Wind Down with Janet Kramer, an Imheart Radio podcast. Okay,
I am so excited because we have just got you
on a proper intro. I mean, I just it's you know,
she deserves a proper interest.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
She does.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
You know, I'm going to say that she is just
one of those girls that when she comes into a room,
she's I mean, truly, she just lights it up. Thank you,
and always stunning. Always, but not naturally pretty. You're naturally pretty.
You're not made up stunning, Yes you, I really mean that.
Let's welcome Jesse James Ducker to the Wine Down Studio.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Welcome our friend. Hello, Hello.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
You know what, I truly always say that about you.
I will never forget one night we went out and
I was feeling, you know, kind of low, and you
are just always so positive. You're like, girl, put this
red lipstigun, let's go like it just like slaps.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
My back, and I'm like, you're just such a girl's girl.
You know, truly, thank you. I don't know that I
ever told you this in person. Okay, here we go,
you did an interview. This is like actually awesome. Everything
is really weaving its way together today. Everything in life
is threaded and threaded. Well today it's often threaded for me,
but it's a big DVD.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
So you did an interview a long time ago, was
when you had viv I think, okay, and I was
postpartum with love and love is almost ten double digits
are coming from me in Jenna, and you mentioned that
in postpartum you that women should do. Your one piece
of advice was to always do something that makes you
feel good every day. So you're one thing. So like
(01:32):
you said, for you it was lipstick, and you said
every day, just put on the lipstick. And so for
me it was curling my hair. Yes, and I think
that that was a slice of saving me.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Well, thank you for bringing that. I can I didn't
even remember that happened till just now.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
You know, I think I said it because you know,
when you have a baby, you are so selfless, and
we're meant to be selfless.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
That's the way it goes. You're caring for your cub.
This is your baby.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
It's not about you anymore. But we still have to
maintain who we are and what makes us feel amazing
every single day. So if you can do that one
little thing, and for me it was always overlining my
lips like I have today. It just makes me feel
cute you are and just do it. You know, you
got to do something for yourself. I take a bubble
bath every day. It's my time to just take care
of me, take care of myself, and I feel more
(02:20):
sane after if I've had like a chaotic day. But yeah,
I think again, being mothers, you're selfless, but you still
have to have that thing that's for you. Okay, Can
I go with another question? I go yeah, because this
leads into it. So a bubble bath every day.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yes, you have a lot of babies, you do, and
you maintain yourself well, and you have like a thousand businesses.
You're in shape, stunning, You're running a lot of things.
So two questions, Okay, how much help do we have?
Is husband part of that help? I'm assuming yes, Eric's
(02:58):
is such a good dude. And and how much time
a day do you think you get just for you
uninterrupted or is that bubba bah usually interrupted with several
of your clients.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Okay, So early on, when Eric was playing in the NFL,
and he played for eight years, I met him in
his after his rookie year. We got pregnant right after
we got married, and we did not have help at all,
but I wasn't working the way that I'm working now,
so it was just me and Vivi. Eric was obviously
(03:29):
full time, but then as soon as I had well,
my mom helped obviously, I don't mean I mean I
didn't have hired help, but like my mass helped me
quite a bit, and my sister because my sister was
younger and wasn't married yet. And then we had Bubby
seventeen months later, and again no hired help yet, but
my mom and.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Sister were super helpful. We're just like a trio, as
you know.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
And then as soon as Eric retired, he was able
to help as much as we needed. So I don't
I do not have a nanny per se, but I
do have a housekeeper, someone that helps keep our house
in order. And for me, it's like you need to
pick the things that are important to you. I want
someone to help keep my house in order because if
(04:13):
I don't have someone, I'm having to keep the house
in order, and then it's taking time away from me
spending time with my kids. So if I can have
someone help me keep the house together, it gives me
the time to hang out with my kids as much
as I want to. So I do think that if
you can, it takes a village. You should pick that
thing that helps you go throughout your day as smoothly
and with as much sanity as possible. And my husband
(04:35):
is a clean preak, so he wants to have the
house as tidy as possible.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I'm like, you get three.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
You get two out of the three, which is I'm
gonna look good, cook well, or clean.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
You pick two. I'm not doing all three. You pick
two hard.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
I'm good for you and I'm gonna make the food
real good too, but I'm not cleaning.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I'm not great at it.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
You know what I love about you guys too, is
just the spiciness and the love that you have for
each other. And one of my favorite questions that came
through and I said, you know, what do you want
to ask Jesse was about special forces? And someone asked
did she? I will say, did you and Eric have
a quickie special Force? And I laughed at because I'm like, listen,
I wouldn't put it past her, because you guys are
(05:17):
spicy and I love that about you guys, So I
will tell you going it's like impossible.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
There's just no way that that could have happened at all.
They're they're correct to act ask that question. I'm certainly
a horn dog. I'm just gonna say it.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
I just am.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
I've built that way. I've had my blood tested. I
have more testosterone than your average woman.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
I just do.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
But it would have been impossible, Like you just you know,
I can't say that I didn't see him with his
shirt off and his like cargo army pants, looking like
a soldier, like Dusty's child.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
But it just is not It was not possible.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
I'm already be trapped in caves, and you know it
was impossible.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
But I will tell you, when we were done with
the sho show, did you make him put on his
army gear?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Well?
Speaker 4 (06:03):
No, but it was like probably one of the most
passion nights we'd ever had because we just like couldn't
be with each other for so long, and we'd gone
through just hell.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Back then We're like we need to hold each other.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
There's also a lot of vulnerability in special Forces. I
saw a clip and I was like, my girl.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
JJD, I've been watching it.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I told her, I've been watching it when I'm running
on the treadmill, you know, and I'm just I'm like
voice memitor. I think I voice mementy of being like
I don't know how you did this, and just the
strength that you were able to walk through those really
scary things for you. What was the thing that you
learned about yourself going through it? I think, and maybe
with Eric too, like together as a couple as well.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
So I think that we listen, we're a couple. Obviously,
we're married, we love each other. There's a romance element
to it. But we almost became like teammates on the
show that kind of like, yes, we would like nurture
each other in the evenings or something, or if he
was hurting, I'd like rub his back as his back
(07:05):
was so messed up the whole time. But we became teammates,
like we became like we were on I didn't really
do team sports growing up, I did. I mean, I
was a cheerleader. I guess I did track, but it
was like always music. Never been I was never like
on a major you know, I wasn't on football team
or a soccer team. So I got to experience what
it was like to have Eric as a teammate. And
I can see why he was such a good teammate
(07:26):
when he played football, because he was just it was amazing.
It was amazing to see what a team player he
was in the camaraderie you build. But something I learned
about myself was, uh, I still had it in me
when I left the house, when I left Georgia. Growing up,
I was I was a feisty little girl, you know,
(07:47):
And it was you know, I've lived a very comfortable
life now and I know that, and I didn't know
that I still had that in me, and I feel
like I can walk away going I.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Still have that.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
I still have that grit, that grit that I grew
up with.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
You know, you have, in my opinion, really worked your
ass off. So when you say you live a comfortable life,
if you could tell younger Jesse one thing, what.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Would it be?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Because you have done it all and you're still doing
it all. We have cookbooks, we have a brand. Kittnish
is thriving. You have brick and mortars, which is nearly
impossible in a retail space. Most people just go online
only because to get the kind of foot traffic you
need to sustain even one location, let alone two is
really epic.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
So what would you tell Jesse Hustler Jesse young Hustler, Jesse.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Oh, I think that success comes in many different forms
and packages. So I may have been set on one
specific thing and that means that's successful. What I would
tell younger Jess is success doesn't just come in one form.
To embrace what happens, Embrace the change, Embrace what the
(09:10):
What the wind blows doesn't mean you sit back, You
bust your ass, you work hard. If you want something,
you go get it. But embrace what comes your way.
Just because it's not.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
What you thought.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
Specifically, this exact color, this exact shape, doesn't mean that
it's not successful. Successful Successful means what you what, what
you make of it. So am I playing one hundred
thousand people arenas like I thought was going to be happening?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
No, it's not. But other dreams have happened where I
have to stop and smell the roses and go.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
You did it like you worked hard and you and
you made these things happen for yourself. I came from nothing,
so for me, it's like any form of something happening
or any dream coming true. I will tell you I
walk through every single day with gratitude.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I do. There are moments where I sit outside of
the air, gonna go look look at how hell they are.
Our children are, Oh blessed?
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Are we a bless her that we don't have to
count pennies and the McDonald's line like my mom used
to do and decide if she was going to feed
herself tonight.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Like every little thing to me is like, what a blessing.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
We're here, we have healthy kids, Like life is good.
And I think if you can stop and have those moments,
it will ground you and stop worrying about what you
don't have, stop worrying about what is not working, focus
on what you do have because God is good and
there's so many I think. What's interesting is we get older.
That's why I asked you that question, because there are
(10:35):
a lot of young wind down listeners and it's fune
because we're big Sisterly I would never make us their
mom because we couldn't we couldn't possibly be old.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Enough for that.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
But we're getting close. Nope, nope, nope, we are as
young as we think we are.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
So I you know, I've come to learn, like in
my forties specifically that the success piece is often you know,
just it's so different, right successful to be able to
be able to do a job where you get to
be with your kids, and you know, if we were
doing if you were not my one hundred thousand people
arenas you miss time out with your babies.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I couldn't be the mom that I know how to be.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
And everything you've built is around these children and around
a healthy marriage and an industry that's almost impossible. To
keep a healthy marriage one percent doesn't mean it's perfect.
None of us are perfect. But to keep healthy marriages
like and to keep each other in time with each other,
that's really outstanding.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Well, thank you, And.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
I will say this, it doesn't go against the other
entertainers that do have families and are doing it. Maybe
they have figured out the secret sauce for them. I
just know myself, I can't personally, I can't be the
mother that I want to be living that lifestyle.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
It's just not possible. I felt it.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
I felt it in twenty twenty two when I was
on tour, off and on all year doing Dancing with
the Stars.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
I was constant I had a book come out.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
I was just constantly gone constantly working that was out
of the norm for me. And although I was having success,
I was having a great year, I still felt this
like I'm missing too.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
I can't do this, this is not like me.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
And for me, if I can't be the mother I
want to be, then this is not successful.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
But I think what I love that you're doing too,
and that piece is instead of listening to because where
I look at it, I'm like, all right, I'm not yes,
am I at the pinnacle goal of where I want
to be? No, But where you go is the finding.
But I have also done the same thing of finding
gratefulness of everything that I that I have built and
that there is growth to go to and where I
(12:50):
always kind of grade myself at a B because I'm like,
there's always room.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
To cures, there's a room to grow.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
You know, and there's like and I'm excited to you know,
because when you're at the place that you're at, you
always you know you want the next roller, you want
the next thing, and when you hear other people's opinions
sometimes that can creep in. But what I love about
you so much is the you exude such positivity, such gratitude,
you bring your faith into that as well, and I
(13:17):
think that's such a beautiful piece of who you are
and how you have been able to build everything because
you sit in that and it's your truth. And I
love that and I've always just taken that piece of
you know with you to model that, and you've been
truly a role model to me just to stay on
path and focus on that, you know, the positivity and
(13:38):
the gratitude.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
So I love that. I also think surrounding yourself too,
with really great people is so important.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
And we've all had the people we've had to like
weed out, We've had to like we've had to grow
maybe that we outgrew certain people that just weren't good
for our our hearts anymore. You know, I think that
surrounding yourself with good quality people. Think about that circle
right now in your head. Does everyone in that circle
like bring joy? Ask yourself that and if they do,
(14:08):
then then rock on. But if not, Like you know,
I think that if whatever's not serving you, you've got
to let it go. And that is something I was
my New Year's resolution this past year. I was like,
whatever is not serving me, I have to just let
it go and move on. Yeah, part of that was
cleaning out my closet.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Well told a nondo stuff that doesn't that doesn't literally
fit you anymore. I can't suit you anymore. And to
have that weighing you down, it's not You're not gonna
be the best wife, mom, actor, person, you know, entrepreneur
if you have that weight, you know, and so shutting
that is beautiful.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
So on the list of achievements for Jesse James Decker
is now actress in a movie, The Christmas Ring.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Not thanks to me, thanks to you.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
You are the best and you'll never She is the
most In We're flying back from Boston one time after
wind Down podcast tour, she's like, all right, I gotta
talk to you about something. I was like, oh, that
was the last tour. You're gonna fire me? And she's like,
and she said, no, I'll talk to you about stand up.
You need to figure this out. Do you want to
open it?
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Like?
Speaker 2 (15:12):
She just is the most, Like, I'll plug you in.
What else do you want to do? What's the dream?
I love that. I love it about her. She truly
all the time, She truly is.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
I feel like having that goes back to your circle
and your support system of having women that support you
lift you like, cut out all the weird like competitive stuff.
There's enough pie to go around for everybody. And if
we can all sit there at the table and eat
it together, it'll be even better.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
And if you've got the recipe out of just feed me,
well then Jesse James Ducker thanks you. By the way,
my daughter grabbed it from our shop the other day
and she's been putting sticky notes. She said, can we
make this? I'm like, Mommy, can't cook, baby, girl.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Oh my god, it's fun to do that though. I'll
do that with the kids. Cook, but like, pick out
what you like, let's fold it, and let's make it.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I need you to do a vegetarian version. Girl, you're
so meaty. Damn it.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I do take, I substitute and I edit. Okay, good, yeah,
because you have some great stuff in there. I love everything.
If it's if there's no meat involved, it's not a
meal to me. I know it's weird. I like cheese
or butter. I need cheese. And this one comes over.
It brings her man who doesn't eat cheese or butter.
I'm like, I want to kick him out, but he's
so cute.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
I'm gonna let him stay back what he's saying at
the time. But he's saying he doesn't eat cheese, he
doesn't eat butter, and my mouth's on the ground. I'm like,
what's wrong with you?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
She's like, how'd you pick it? What'd you do?
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Like?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
I get it? I get it all right, I'll slip
it in there.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Is it a taste thing or is it is tummy both? Okay,
you had a really hard time adjustine when he came over.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
I don't blame him. It is hard to adjust.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
It was a lot, it is. We just add a
lot of things back to Jesse. Okay, so we got
to go back back to the Christmas rink.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Well I got because of you. Okay. We were talking
about how much we love you. No, no, I want to.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Go because I want to mirror it back to her.
Because here's here's the deal. There's only so much that
I can do. That's correct, I will say, agreed.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Yeah, So, and you won't open the door if you
don't think people are capable.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
True, well, you know you'll you'll connect.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
But also, b F, like you are really good, like
your name has value, so you're not going to just
put yourself out there if you don't think someone can deliver.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Was it like a year or two ago that you
told me that you a little over a year, I
get a conversation about she wanted. She's like, put me
in a Christmas movie. And this is what I also
love about you. You're as bold as I am when
it comes to asking for what you want.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
You know, don't care like I'm texting you know.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
That's what I love like and that's me too, Like
I'm like, hey, I haven't been in your movie this year.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
What's going on?
Speaker 4 (17:33):
You know?
Speaker 1 (17:33):
And my people might take that as a little too aggressive,
but I'm like, I'm going to stay top of your
mind until I get back in one of your movies.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
I would not be sitting in this chair if I
lived my life like but true, Like I'm just.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Saying, but I would have never have known that you
would have wanted to act, you know, I wouldn't have
known that. And so she's like, put me in a
Christmas movie. And she didn't ask once, she didn't asks
like twice she's like, what movie you're doing.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I'm like, oh, actually I'm not doing.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
One this year?
Speaker 4 (17:56):
All right?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
What about this year? And so you know, and she yeah,
she did.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
She didn't up, but I wanted us to make a
Halloween movie, like a witchy I love, I love like
the witchy thing.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
So I was like, let's be witches. Let's a movie.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
And so we tried to kind of like dreaming up things.
But it's, you know, it's this industry is tough right
at this moment. So it's it has to come to
right at this moment. So I get this offer. I'm
reading the script and I'm like, man, there's two best
friend roles in here, and and I think about Jesse,
and I'm like, Jesse, could you know this is this
is a great starting, you know, role for her. And
(18:30):
so I reach out to you and say, hey, you
know there's a best friend role. We have the same agent,
so you know, get her on it as well. And
you then there was two roles. Obviously I wasn't you
know which which one, but the one that you chose,
we I came over, helped you put it on tape
(18:52):
and re scared a little bit.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
At first when I was auditioning. Okay, tell us the
pageant mom, how did it feel to see.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
I know she can do it? But she needed to
believe she can do it. Because she's like, how would
you say it? I was like, no, how would you
say it?
Speaker 4 (19:08):
But but that, But I think she learned very quickly
the way that I'm really great at emulating. I can
do any accent. I can sing, well, not that one.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
None of us got Jamaican. That's great.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
My accents are pretty great. But my point is I
can emulate. If I can hear it, I can give
it back to you. I can sound like certain artists
like sound just like them.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Brittany Spears go, I'm kidding. I'm not going to do
that press.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
I'll do it later for you, But for me, my,
I think Janna learned in that moment the way that
I know how to learn. It wasn't because I didn't believe.
It's because I need you to show me. If you
can show me, I watch by listening. I watch by
it by watching. And so she showed me a few
different ways that she would do it, and then it's
(20:02):
like a light bulb went off. I was like, oh, okay,
you're right, that is the way that I should that
I should do this, and so yeah, she she had
me put it on tape.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
We did it like a hundred times.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Yep, came over her house, put it on the dog
cap Barkin. She's like, shut up, oh my god.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Yeah, it was luck and so but she was great.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
And you got more comfortable with it, and I saw
you getting, you know, flustered. I'm like, you got this
like this, this is this, you got this like you're
perfect for it, and you sent it off to the director.
The director had a meeting with you, right, So.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
They wanted to talk to me. So they set up
a call. What did they say, Jess. They said, we
think you've got potential. Yeah, they had We had a
call and they called me the following week and yeah
they I was like, I think I got this because
the way that they were talking, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
So that's the thing. It's not me. She did it,
her work, We did that. But the the opportunity would
have never come without channel. That's what I'm saying. She
put me up for that.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
And because she's not doling out like all of these
connections all of the time, you still carry a value
and there's a credit to your name, which is.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Important, and there needs to be casting Danna Kramer and
then put yahneath it on the phone.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
But I gotta say watching you.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
I'm so excited for people to see you in this
movie because I told Jesse, like she is she brings
such like the light that she has in this room
and whatever wherever she goes, like she brings that on screen.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
And you were so good.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
And I watched you kind of watching and each take
just like getting better and just like really living in
the moment and just bringing your your light and your
sparkle and your energy and all of it. And it
just was like, yes, girl, Like I was so proud
of watching I was proud of you, and I was
watching you.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Thank you. It was so much fun. I walked away
from it all.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
We chatted after the movie had wrapped, and I was like,
I see why you do this so much.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
This is so much fun.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
I'd never been on a movie step before, never acted
in my life, and I'm like, I get it. I
get why you do so many movies because it's so fun.
It's fun playing a different character. They're like, can you
do a big Southern accent? Like, of course, I was
raised by like a big Southern accent. I like I
honed in my mother in the way that she spoke.
I thought about, you know, how would Reese Withers been
(22:16):
do this? How would Julia robertson Pretty Woman? Like I've
thought about all these things of like, Okay, how can
I make this great?
Speaker 2 (22:22):
And I don't know.
Speaker 4 (22:24):
I can see why people love it so much. It's
it's a different kind of high. It's a different kind
of excitement. You know.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
We get to ask you something that we get to
ask our actor friends and they come on Okay to
be interviewed, and this is fun.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Do I do it or do you do it? Before it?
What do you love?
Speaker 3 (22:39):
What do you connect with most about the role that
you played? Probably that she was just super positive and
spoke her mind. For sure, I speak my mind.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
I like to be as positive as possible, and she
just felt like on paper she felt like such a
girl's girl, and I just loved that.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
What didn't you like about the movie life that you go?
I think I didn't know.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
I know what it is, but I want to say
the waiting around and me not understanding the schedules, Like
I would look at paper and be like, why would
you have me here for a background scene at nine
am and then not need me until seven pm?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
And I'm just sitting around all day eating catering.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Why wouldn't y'all just put that little scene right before
so you don't have to pay me all day long?
Like these are the things I didn't understand of like efficiency, Yes,
the efficiency.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
And I actually look at her and smile and like
laugh and be like, oh Jess, like look at it.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
To me, it's like, this doesn't feel strategic to have
me here all day when I like, but it's not
for me to understand. It's just the way that it's
set up. But I didn't understand that part.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I was like sweating bringing my two extras to the set,
like we got to be there, and are we gonna
get there? We're gonna be there in time. I had
my paperwork off and then get there and we just chilled, chilling.
It was a big, fun, cozy day.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
But it's different because you could get there like I did,
on time and then wouldn't shoot till three hours later.
You could get there and they're like you ready, it's time?
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Yeah, Like where have you been?
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
What were you most nervous about? Being on set?
Speaker 1 (24:25):
And then when people watch the movie, are you like yeah,
what are what are what are you kind of feeling
about the world about to see this your first acting debut.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
I think that the world when they see my acting debut,
they're probably I think I did a good job, for sure,
But I think they're gonna watch it and be like
Jesse just playing Jesse, She just playing herself.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
It may not.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
Totally feel like acting, because it really feels like my energy. Yeah,
you know, that will be maybe the only thing. But
I think the part it was nervous about I was
remembering the lines. I didn't think I had it in
me to remember. I can remember a song immediately. You
could play me a song twice and I'll tell you
the whole thing. Yeah, but I've never had to memorize
(25:10):
lines like this. I'm super add I can just like
space out and I can tell you. I don't know
that maybe I fumbled my lines. Maybe once I was
shocked by the memory that I had. I was shocked
that I was able to remember all of these lines
because I didn't. I had that fear of like what
if I go on here and I messed it up
for everybody and we got to take a bunch of takes.
Like I hate disappointing people. I hate having to make
(25:32):
people wait for me. And I was so proud of
myself that I was like, I remembered that a girl.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
And I'm proud of you too. I'm again you did.
You did brilliant work, like seriously, like you're such a
good character actress too. You really bring a lot of
you know again, like just that that energy that we
need because I I kind of play you know the that's.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
Not true, you are you, it's not true. But with
this role and with this movie, I love that they
allowed us to bring a little extra to it. I
don't know how it is with other movies, but they
allowed me to play with it and do extra things,
be silly, add things to it. I think I added
a couple of lines at one point. It was like
(26:13):
the tomato tomato line. They kept it in there, like
they let like, you know, I love the freedom of it,
feeling like we were jointly being creative.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
And I feel like you were able to do that
with this. Yeah, I was. It was great.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you.
You did amazing truly, Well, thank you for giving me
the opportunity.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Truly. Well there'll be more. Can I do some more? Yeah?
Of course those others we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
I know if Jesse she's trust me, she's on it,
you know, and we're let's go. Is thattly your next thing?
Would you want to get on a show or a
movie or like if you could or cast your acting career,
what would you want?
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Well, something I've learned too is I've been auditioning for
the wrong things because I've been auditioning for years off
and on, not consistently, maybe like two or three a
year if they feel right, but they've all been like
serious or playing the sexy girl.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Well, like I sent you my audition for the last
one that we both auditioned for us and you're like, wait,
like this made no.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Sense for me, and you played it, so you should
have had that role. I'm still pissed about it for you.
That was a close one. That was so good.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Should we tell them what it was?
Speaker 4 (27:17):
No? Okay, all right, we can't do day. Yeah, yeah, okay,
it was good. Her audition was fire. I believe I
was just staring incredible. I know I was staring at
this audition.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Was like, oh my gosh, you're really going to get
bitten by that snake. Believe it. I believed it but no.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
Watching it back, I watched mine, I just started laughing
and I'm like, oh, lightly, But but from this, I'm like, no,
you are like you are the energy character because you
need that.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
I'm saying, like I do. I play the the middle
of the ground because you have to have the characters
around you that bring the light and.
Speaker 4 (27:53):
Judge depth though, and you have so much You're able
to play something like so serious and you're able to cry.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
It's just that's so beautiful.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
I but those were the same things I was auditioning for,
and I finally it gave me. You allowing me to
have this opportunity, gave me the confidence of you know what,
I'm never going to be a Meryl Streep, you know, like,
I'm not going to play seventeen different vibes, seventeen different characters.
But I know now I've been auditioning for the wrong things.
(28:22):
I should be doing comedy. My dreamer would be like
a Rachel Green on Friends or a Phoebe on Friend.
Like I'm good at being silly and my timing like
that is where I would have more success. I should
not be auditioning for these sexy girl roles. I like,
I'm too silly, like I remember auditioning for something once
(28:42):
and I had to talk about getting it all with
some guy behind the dunes, and I had to be serious,
and I just kept laughing because I'm like that, feel ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Who would do this? Maybe would do this?
Speaker 5 (28:52):
Maybe you would, Maybe.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
You would behind the dinner.
Speaker 5 (28:56):
Maybe I play the friend you call after you did
it behind them, oh my god, or Samantha Jones.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I would love, Oh my god, I would love to
play Samantha Jones. You would have rocked a Samantha Jones.
I'm the carry. Oh my god, I would love that.
You're both carries. I feel it. Yeah yeah, oh honey,
oh honey.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Listener questions really fast lightning speed, biggest pet peeve.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Slow drivers? Oh yeah, we are inundated here.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Something people misunderstand about her.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Oh no, this one's sad. I'm not going to say it.
You have to say that. I know, and it's sad.
People are so mean to be on Instagram because a
chew with my mouth full, like so full like a chipmunk.
What what I know? I get?
Speaker 4 (29:54):
I get like hated on no, but I learned very quickly,
very early on. Like I said, they're like I did
like sort of like storing food because I didn't.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Know because it was a scarcity mindset.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Yes, so I would just what I could plate.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
We always talk about the scarcity mindset where I hoard
money because I'm afraid to not have it again, and
so and mine.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Was food, and y'all know I love food, so I would,
I would.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
And you know what's funny is like my my stepdad
was the one that like pointed that out to me.
I would like put my arm around my plate and
cover my body with it and put as much food
in my mouth as possible because I was afraid. And
so I Later on, when my mom and my stepdad
got married, that's when things changed, like you know what
I mean. And so I remember him seeing us do
(30:45):
that and him being like, I think I figured out
why you're doing this.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
You know what I mean. But I still like Tailor's
in here. It works.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
I fill my cheeks up with food, like I take
too many bites too quickly, and it looks like I'm
just being sl but like I don't know how to.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
I don't know how to not do that.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
You know, It's just like it's part of who you are. Yes,
that's not very cute. Hey, it's not about being cute,
it's about being honest. That's what we appreciate. And then
to that any other lightnings, No, that was.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
That was my with the two on the cheeks. I
want to do another one.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
Any more babies none, Eric is snipped, No, But I
always do have this like fear that will be like
that one percent that like I get knocked up at
forty five.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
I'm like, I do have a question.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
M hm.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Social media and your kids? Yeah, are you going to
allow it or not? Because I know Viv has her
social but you run it or her gymnastics.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
What what are you going to do because we're you know,
our kids are on the same age, and I think
you know, I've had multiple conversations like my kids don't
have iPads?
Speaker 2 (31:47):
They you know, they've we didn't do.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
It the last time on the airplane E there, I
was like their first one with yeah that's usually when
we only had topad. But what are you doing around
social media and your kids? So for me, it depends
on what they're doing. Okay, if it's mindless rolling, I
don't it's not allowed. But to me it's like I
(32:10):
can't fight them having this is this generation. We are
the first generation that hasn't had it and now has it.
So for us, we always have this internal battle every
single day, like it's this just terrible thing. It's terrible,
it's terrible, and we feel guilty because we didn't have it.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Now we do.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
And it's These kids are born with it there, so
they don't think of it any.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Other way except well, this is just here.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
They have iPads assigned to them when they get to
middle school, and Vivie has an iPad.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
She also has a computer.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
They have these things that are as signed and this
is the way of the world. But for me, Forrest
does have his iPad. He's seven years old. But you
know what Forest is doing. He's playing on garage band.
He's creating beats, he's creating music, He's creating dances. That
is his creative outlet.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
I love it. He's using his mind to feel inspired.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Or little Eric, he is watching highlight reels of football
players because he wants to be NFL receiver one day.
And he's watching these things and then getting in the
mirror and trying.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
That route out.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Or Vivian, she's watching the girl watches so many gymnastics
Olympic videos to feel inspired. So it makes me feel
no different than sitting in front of the TV watching
CMT music videos and practicing in the mirror.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
I love that outline, so thank you for that.
Speaker 4 (33:19):
Am I gonna let them sit there and scroll and
just watch garbage? No, if it's not allowed, they're not allowed.
We get notifications if they watch something they're not supposed to,
which they don't because they know I've scared them enough.
I'm like, there's terrible things out there. Yeah, boys in
your brain.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Yeah, that's why. I'm like.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
They used to they used to play read blocks and
I was like, no, oh, that's never allowed. And I
saw the difference of my son and then like what
happened like and then when he stopped, you know, it
was it's such a change.
Speaker 4 (33:45):
Yeah, yeah, I no, no to any of those things.
But if they're going to use it in a way
to feel creative, heck yeah, I absolutely use the tool.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
You've got the tool. Write a song.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
He's writing music, he's creating, you know, songs on garage
love that for him, but anything else, no way, just
doing garage band two.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
And then he puts it, he mirrors it on the
living room, like calls us in for the show.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yeah, oh my god. Forrest does that too, and it's
like epic, Like I'm like, this is actually really good.
I love it. It's remarked. Yeah. I have to limit
that though too, because then he just live on it.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
But Jesse, thank you for coming on the show. Thank
you for just again being the light. And I'm so
excited for everyone to see the Christmas Ring November six,
Jesse is debut acting. I'm really excited for you. It's
going to be so much on I love you guys.
The next one okay, bye bye,
Wind Down with Janet Kramer, an Imheart Radio podcast. Okay,
I am so excited because we have just got you
on a proper intro. I mean, I just it's you know,
she deserves a proper interest.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
She does.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
You know, I'm going to say that she is just
one of those girls that when she comes into a room,
she's I mean, truly, she just lights it up. Thank you,
and always stunning. Always, but not naturally pretty. You're naturally pretty.
You're not made up stunning, Yes you, I really mean that.
Let's welcome Jesse James Ducker to the Wine Down Studio.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Welcome our friend. Hello, Hello.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
You know what, I truly always say that about you.
I will never forget one night we went out and
I was feeling, you know, kind of low, and you
are just always so positive. You're like, girl, put this
red lipstigun, let's go like it just like slaps.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
My back, and I'm like, you're just such a girl's girl.
You know, truly, thank you. I don't know that I
ever told you this in person. Okay, here we go,
you did an interview. This is like actually awesome. Everything
is really weaving its way together today. Everything in life
is threaded and threaded. Well today it's often threaded for me,
but it's a big DVD.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
So you did an interview a long time ago, was
when you had viv I think, okay, and I was
postpartum with love and love is almost ten double digits
are coming from me in Jenna, and you mentioned that
in postpartum you that women should do. Your one piece
of advice was to always do something that makes you
feel good every day. So you're one thing. So like
(01:32):
you said, for you it was lipstick, and you said
every day, just put on the lipstick. And so for
me it was curling my hair. Yes, and I think
that that was a slice of saving me.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Well, thank you for bringing that. I can I didn't
even remember that happened till just now.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
You know, I think I said it because you know,
when you have a baby, you are so selfless, and
we're meant to be selfless.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
That's the way it goes. You're caring for your cub.
This is your baby.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
It's not about you anymore. But we still have to
maintain who we are and what makes us feel amazing
every single day. So if you can do that one
little thing, and for me it was always overlining my
lips like I have today. It just makes me feel
cute you are and just do it. You know, you
got to do something for yourself. I take a bubble
bath every day. It's my time to just take care
of me, take care of myself, and I feel more
(02:20):
sane after if I've had like a chaotic day. But yeah,
I think again, being mothers, you're selfless, but you still
have to have that thing that's for you. Okay, Can
I go with another question? I go yeah, because this
leads into it. So a bubble bath every day.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yes, you have a lot of babies, you do, and
you maintain yourself well, and you have like a thousand businesses.
You're in shape, stunning, You're running a lot of things.
So two questions, Okay, how much help do we have?
Is husband part of that help? I'm assuming yes, Eric's
(02:58):
is such a good dude. And and how much time
a day do you think you get just for you
uninterrupted or is that bubba bah usually interrupted with several
of your clients.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Okay, So early on, when Eric was playing in the NFL,
and he played for eight years, I met him in
his after his rookie year. We got pregnant right after
we got married, and we did not have help at all,
but I wasn't working the way that I'm working now,
so it was just me and Vivi. Eric was obviously
(03:29):
full time, but then as soon as I had well,
my mom helped obviously, I don't mean I mean I
didn't have hired help, but like my mass helped me
quite a bit, and my sister because my sister was
younger and wasn't married yet. And then we had Bubby
seventeen months later, and again no hired help yet, but
my mom and.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Sister were super helpful. We're just like a trio, as
you know.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
And then as soon as Eric retired, he was able
to help as much as we needed. So I don't
I do not have a nanny per se, but I
do have a housekeeper, someone that helps keep our house
in order. And for me, it's like you need to
pick the things that are important to you. I want
someone to help keep my house in order because if
(04:13):
I don't have someone, I'm having to keep the house
in order, and then it's taking time away from me
spending time with my kids. So if I can have
someone help me keep the house together, it gives me
the time to hang out with my kids as much
as I want to. So I do think that if
you can, it takes a village. You should pick that
thing that helps you go throughout your day as smoothly
and with as much sanity as possible. And my husband
(04:35):
is a clean preak, so he wants to have the
house as tidy as possible.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I'm like, you get three.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
You get two out of the three, which is I'm
gonna look good, cook well, or clean.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
You pick two. I'm not doing all three. You pick
two hard.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
I'm good for you and I'm gonna make the food
real good too, but I'm not cleaning.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
I'm not great at it.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
You know what I love about you guys too, is
just the spiciness and the love that you have for
each other. And one of my favorite questions that came
through and I said, you know, what do you want
to ask Jesse was about special forces? And someone asked
did she? I will say, did you and Eric have
a quickie special Force? And I laughed at because I'm like, listen,
I wouldn't put it past her, because you guys are
(05:17):
spicy and I love that about you guys, So I
will tell you going it's like impossible.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
There's just no way that that could have happened at all.
They're they're correct to act ask that question. I'm certainly
a horn dog. I'm just gonna say it.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
I just am.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
I've built that way. I've had my blood tested. I
have more testosterone than your average woman.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
I just do.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
But it would have been impossible, Like you just you know,
I can't say that I didn't see him with his
shirt off and his like cargo army pants, looking like
a soldier, like Dusty's child.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
But it just is not It was not possible.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
I'm already be trapped in caves, and you know it
was impossible.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
But I will tell you, when we were done with
the sho show, did you make him put on his
army gear?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Well?
Speaker 4 (06:03):
No, but it was like probably one of the most
passion nights we'd ever had because we just like couldn't
be with each other for so long, and we'd gone
through just hell.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Back then We're like we need to hold each other.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
There's also a lot of vulnerability in special Forces. I
saw a clip and I was like, my girl.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
JJD, I've been watching it.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I told her, I've been watching it when I'm running
on the treadmill, you know, and I'm just I'm like
voice memitor. I think I voice mementy of being like
I don't know how you did this, and just the
strength that you were able to walk through those really
scary things for you. What was the thing that you
learned about yourself going through it? I think, and maybe
with Eric too, like together as a couple as well.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
So I think that we listen, we're a couple. Obviously,
we're married, we love each other. There's a romance element
to it. But we almost became like teammates on the
show that kind of like, yes, we would like nurture
each other in the evenings or something, or if he
was hurting, I'd like rub his back as his back
(07:05):
was so messed up the whole time. But we became teammates,
like we became like we were on I didn't really
do team sports growing up, I did. I mean, I
was a cheerleader. I guess I did track, but it
was like always music. Never been I was never like
on a major you know, I wasn't on football team
or a soccer team. So I got to experience what
it was like to have Eric as a teammate. And
I can see why he was such a good teammate
(07:26):
when he played football, because he was just it was amazing.
It was amazing to see what a team player he
was in the camaraderie you build. But something I learned
about myself was, uh, I still had it in me
when I left the house, when I left Georgia. Growing up,
I was I was a feisty little girl, you know,
(07:47):
And it was you know, I've lived a very comfortable
life now and I know that, and I didn't know
that I still had that in me, and I feel
like I can walk away going I.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Still have that.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
I still have that grit, that grit that I grew
up with.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
You know, you have, in my opinion, really worked your
ass off. So when you say you live a comfortable life,
if you could tell younger Jesse one thing, what.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Would it be?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Because you have done it all and you're still doing
it all. We have cookbooks, we have a brand. Kittnish
is thriving. You have brick and mortars, which is nearly
impossible in a retail space. Most people just go online
only because to get the kind of foot traffic you
need to sustain even one location, let alone two is
really epic.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
So what would you tell Jesse Hustler Jesse young Hustler, Jesse.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Oh, I think that success comes in many different forms
and packages. So I may have been set on one
specific thing and that means that's successful. What I would
tell younger Jess is success doesn't just come in one form.
To embrace what happens, Embrace the change, Embrace what the
(09:10):
What the wind blows doesn't mean you sit back, You
bust your ass, you work hard. If you want something,
you go get it. But embrace what comes your way.
Just because it's not.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
What you thought.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
Specifically, this exact color, this exact shape, doesn't mean that
it's not successful. Successful Successful means what you what, what
you make of it. So am I playing one hundred
thousand people arenas like I thought was going to be happening?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
No, it's not. But other dreams have happened where I
have to stop and smell the roses and go.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
You did it like you worked hard and you and
you made these things happen for yourself. I came from nothing,
so for me, it's like any form of something happening
or any dream coming true. I will tell you I
walk through every single day with gratitude.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I do. There are moments where I sit outside of
the air, gonna go look look at how hell they are.
Our children are, Oh blessed?
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Are we a bless her that we don't have to
count pennies and the McDonald's line like my mom used
to do and decide if she was going to feed
herself tonight.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Like every little thing to me is like, what a blessing.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
We're here, we have healthy kids, Like life is good.
And I think if you can stop and have those moments,
it will ground you and stop worrying about what you
don't have, stop worrying about what is not working, focus
on what you do have because God is good and
there's so many I think. What's interesting is we get older.
That's why I asked you that question, because there are
(10:35):
a lot of young wind down listeners and it's fune
because we're big Sisterly I would never make us their
mom because we couldn't we couldn't possibly be old.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Enough for that.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
But we're getting close. Nope, nope, nope, we are as
young as we think we are.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
So I you know, I've come to learn, like in
my forties specifically that the success piece is often you know,
just it's so different, right successful to be able to
be able to do a job where you get to
be with your kids, and you know, if we were
doing if you were not my one hundred thousand people
arenas you miss time out with your babies.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I couldn't be the mom that I know how to be.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
And everything you've built is around these children and around
a healthy marriage and an industry that's almost impossible. To
keep a healthy marriage one percent doesn't mean it's perfect.
None of us are perfect. But to keep healthy marriages
like and to keep each other in time with each other,
that's really outstanding.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Well, thank you, And.
Speaker 4 (11:32):
I will say this, it doesn't go against the other
entertainers that do have families and are doing it. Maybe
they have figured out the secret sauce for them. I
just know myself, I can't personally, I can't be the
mother that I want to be living that lifestyle.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
It's just not possible. I felt it.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
I felt it in twenty twenty two when I was
on tour, off and on all year doing Dancing with
the Stars.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
I was constant I had a book come out.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
I was just constantly gone constantly working that was out
of the norm for me. And although I was having success,
I was having a great year, I still felt this
like I'm missing too.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
I can't do this, this is not like me.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
And for me, if I can't be the mother I
want to be, then this is not successful.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
But I think what I love that you're doing too,
and that piece is instead of listening to because where
I look at it, I'm like, all right, I'm not yes,
am I at the pinnacle goal of where I want
to be? No, But where you go is the finding.
But I have also done the same thing of finding
gratefulness of everything that I that I have built and
that there is growth to go to and where I
(12:50):
always kind of grade myself at a B because I'm like,
there's always room.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
To cures, there's a room to grow.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
You know, and there's like and I'm excited to you know,
because when you're at the place that you're at, you
always you know you want the next roller, you want
the next thing, and when you hear other people's opinions
sometimes that can creep in. But what I love about
you so much is the you exude such positivity, such gratitude,
you bring your faith into that as well, and I
(13:17):
think that's such a beautiful piece of who you are
and how you have been able to build everything because
you sit in that and it's your truth. And I
love that and I've always just taken that piece of
you know with you to model that, and you've been
truly a role model to me just to stay on
path and focus on that, you know, the positivity and
(13:38):
the gratitude.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
So I love that. I also think surrounding yourself too,
with really great people is so important.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
And we've all had the people we've had to like
weed out, We've had to like we've had to grow
maybe that we outgrew certain people that just weren't good
for our our hearts anymore. You know, I think that
surrounding yourself with good quality people. Think about that circle
right now in your head. Does everyone in that circle
like bring joy? Ask yourself that and if they do,
(14:08):
then then rock on. But if not, Like you know,
I think that if whatever's not serving you, you've got
to let it go. And that is something I was
my New Year's resolution this past year. I was like,
whatever is not serving me, I have to just let
it go and move on. Yeah, part of that was
cleaning out my closet.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Well told a nondo stuff that doesn't that doesn't literally
fit you anymore. I can't suit you anymore. And to
have that weighing you down, it's not You're not gonna
be the best wife, mom, actor, person, you know, entrepreneur
if you have that weight, you know, and so shutting
that is beautiful.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
So on the list of achievements for Jesse James Decker
is now actress in a movie, The Christmas Ring.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Not thanks to me, thanks to you.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
You are the best and you'll never She is the
most In We're flying back from Boston one time after
wind Down podcast tour, she's like, all right, I gotta
talk to you about something. I was like, oh, that
was the last tour. You're gonna fire me? And she's like,
and she said, no, I'll talk to you about stand up.
You need to figure this out. Do you want to
open it?
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Like?
Speaker 2 (15:12):
She just is the most, Like, I'll plug you in.
What else do you want to do? What's the dream?
I love that. I love it about her. She truly
all the time, She truly is.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
I feel like having that goes back to your circle
and your support system of having women that support you
lift you like, cut out all the weird like competitive stuff.
There's enough pie to go around for everybody. And if
we can all sit there at the table and eat
it together, it'll be even better.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
And if you've got the recipe out of just feed me,
well then Jesse James Ducker thanks you. By the way,
my daughter grabbed it from our shop the other day
and she's been putting sticky notes. She said, can we
make this? I'm like, Mommy, can't cook, baby, girl.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Oh my god, it's fun to do that though. I'll
do that with the kids. Cook, but like, pick out
what you like, let's fold it, and let's make it.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I need you to do a vegetarian version. Girl, you're
so meaty. Damn it.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I do take, I substitute and I edit. Okay, good, yeah,
because you have some great stuff in there. I love everything.
If it's if there's no meat involved, it's not a
meal to me. I know it's weird. I like cheese
or butter. I need cheese. And this one comes over.
It brings her man who doesn't eat cheese or butter.
I'm like, I want to kick him out, but he's
so cute.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
I'm gonna let him stay back what he's saying at
the time. But he's saying he doesn't eat cheese, he
doesn't eat butter, and my mouth's on the ground. I'm like,
what's wrong with you?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
She's like, how'd you pick it? What'd you do?
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Like?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
I get it? I get it all right, I'll slip
it in there.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Is it a taste thing or is it is tummy both? Okay,
you had a really hard time adjustine when he came over.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
I don't blame him. It is hard to adjust.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
It was a lot, it is. We just add a
lot of things back to Jesse. Okay, so we got
to go back back to the Christmas rink.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Well I got because of you. Okay. We were talking
about how much we love you. No, no, I want to.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Go because I want to mirror it back to her.
Because here's here's the deal. There's only so much that
I can do. That's correct, I will say, agreed.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Yeah, So, and you won't open the door if you
don't think people are capable.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
True, well, you know you'll you'll connect.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
But also, b F, like you are really good, like
your name has value, so you're not going to just
put yourself out there if you don't think someone can deliver.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Was it like a year or two ago that you
told me that you a little over a year, I
get a conversation about she wanted. She's like, put me
in a Christmas movie. And this is what I also
love about you. You're as bold as I am when
it comes to asking for what you want.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
You know, don't care like I'm texting you know.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
That's what I love like and that's me too, Like
I'm like, hey, I haven't been in your movie this year.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
What's going on?
Speaker 4 (17:33):
You know?
Speaker 1 (17:33):
And my people might take that as a little too aggressive,
but I'm like, I'm going to stay top of your
mind until I get back in one of your movies.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
I would not be sitting in this chair if I
lived my life like but true, Like I'm just.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Saying, but I would have never have known that you
would have wanted to act, you know, I wouldn't have
known that. And so she's like, put me in a
Christmas movie. And she didn't ask once, she didn't asks
like twice she's like, what movie you're doing.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I'm like, oh, actually I'm not doing.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
One this year?
Speaker 4 (17:56):
All right?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
What about this year? And so you know, and she yeah,
she did.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
She didn't up, but I wanted us to make a
Halloween movie, like a witchy I love, I love like
the witchy thing.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
So I was like, let's be witches. Let's a movie.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
And so we tried to kind of like dreaming up things.
But it's, you know, it's this industry is tough right
at this moment. So it's it has to come to
right at this moment. So I get this offer. I'm
reading the script and I'm like, man, there's two best
friend roles in here, and and I think about Jesse,
and I'm like, Jesse, could you know this is this
is a great starting, you know, role for her. And
(18:30):
so I reach out to you and say, hey, you
know there's a best friend role. We have the same agent,
so you know, get her on it as well. And
you then there was two roles. Obviously I wasn't you
know which which one, but the one that you chose,
we I came over, helped you put it on tape
(18:52):
and re scared a little bit.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
At first when I was auditioning. Okay, tell us the
pageant mom, how did it feel to see.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
I know she can do it? But she needed to
believe she can do it. Because she's like, how would
you say it? I was like, no, how would you
say it?
Speaker 4 (19:08):
But but that, But I think she learned very quickly
the way that I'm really great at emulating. I can
do any accent. I can sing, well, not that one.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
None of us got Jamaican. That's great.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
My accents are pretty great. But my point is I
can emulate. If I can hear it, I can give
it back to you. I can sound like certain artists
like sound just like them.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Brittany Spears go, I'm kidding. I'm not going to do
that press.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
I'll do it later for you, But for me, my,
I think Janna learned in that moment the way that
I know how to learn. It wasn't because I didn't believe.
It's because I need you to show me. If you
can show me, I watch by listening. I watch by
it by watching. And so she showed me a few
different ways that she would do it, and then it's
(20:02):
like a light bulb went off. I was like, oh, okay,
you're right, that is the way that I should that
I should do this, and so yeah, she she had
me put it on tape.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
We did it like a hundred times.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Yep, came over her house, put it on the dog
cap Barkin. She's like, shut up, oh my god.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Yeah, it was luck and so but she was great.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
And you got more comfortable with it, and I saw
you getting, you know, flustered. I'm like, you got this
like this, this is this, you got this like you're
perfect for it, and you sent it off to the director.
The director had a meeting with you, right, So.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
They wanted to talk to me. So they set up
a call. What did they say, Jess. They said, we
think you've got potential. Yeah, they had We had a
call and they called me the following week and yeah
they I was like, I think I got this because
the way that they were talking, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
So that's the thing. It's not me. She did it,
her work, We did that. But the the opportunity would
have never come without channel. That's what I'm saying. She
put me up for that.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
And because she's not doling out like all of these
connections all of the time, you still carry a value
and there's a credit to your name, which is.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
Important, and there needs to be casting Danna Kramer and
then put yahneath it on the phone.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
But I gotta say watching you.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
I'm so excited for people to see you in this
movie because I told Jesse, like she is she brings
such like the light that she has in this room
and whatever wherever she goes, like she brings that on screen.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
And you were so good.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
And I watched you kind of watching and each take
just like getting better and just like really living in
the moment and just bringing your your light and your
sparkle and your energy and all of it. And it
just was like, yes, girl, Like I was so proud
of watching I was proud of you, and I was
watching you.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Thank you. It was so much fun. I walked away
from it all.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
We chatted after the movie had wrapped, and I was like,
I see why you do this so much.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
This is so much fun.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
I'd never been on a movie step before, never acted
in my life, and I'm like, I get it. I
get why you do so many movies because it's so fun.
It's fun playing a different character. They're like, can you
do a big Southern accent? Like, of course, I was
raised by like a big Southern accent. I like I
honed in my mother in the way that she spoke.
I thought about, you know, how would Reese Withers been
(22:16):
do this? How would Julia robertson Pretty Woman? Like I've
thought about all these things of like, Okay, how can
I make this great?
Speaker 2 (22:22):
And I don't know.
Speaker 4 (22:24):
I can see why people love it so much. It's
it's a different kind of high. It's a different kind
of excitement. You know.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
We get to ask you something that we get to
ask our actor friends and they come on Okay to
be interviewed, and this is fun.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Do I do it or do you do it? Before it?
What do you love?
Speaker 3 (22:39):
What do you connect with most about the role that
you played? Probably that she was just super positive and
spoke her mind. For sure, I speak my mind.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
I like to be as positive as possible, and she
just felt like on paper she felt like such a
girl's girl, and I just loved that.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
What didn't you like about the movie life that you go?
I think I didn't know.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
I know what it is, but I want to say
the waiting around and me not understanding the schedules, Like
I would look at paper and be like, why would
you have me here for a background scene at nine
am and then not need me until seven pm?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
And I'm just sitting around all day eating catering.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Why wouldn't y'all just put that little scene right before
so you don't have to pay me all day long?
Like these are the things I didn't understand of like efficiency, Yes,
the efficiency.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
And I actually look at her and smile and like
laugh and be like, oh Jess, like look at it.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
To me, it's like, this doesn't feel strategic to have
me here all day when I like, but it's not
for me to understand. It's just the way that it's
set up. But I didn't understand that part.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I was like sweating bringing my two extras to the set,
like we got to be there, and are we gonna
get there? We're gonna be there in time. I had
my paperwork off and then get there and we just chilled, chilling.
It was a big, fun, cozy day.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
But it's different because you could get there like I did,
on time and then wouldn't shoot till three hours later.
You could get there and they're like you ready, it's time?
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Yeah, Like where have you been?
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
What were you most nervous about? Being on set?
Speaker 1 (24:25):
And then when people watch the movie, are you like yeah,
what are what are what are you kind of feeling
about the world about to see this your first acting debut.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
I think that the world when they see my acting debut,
they're probably I think I did a good job, for sure,
But I think they're gonna watch it and be like
Jesse just playing Jesse, She just playing herself.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
It may not.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
Totally feel like acting, because it really feels like my energy. Yeah,
you know, that will be maybe the only thing. But
I think the part it was nervous about I was
remembering the lines. I didn't think I had it in
me to remember. I can remember a song immediately. You
could play me a song twice and I'll tell you
the whole thing. Yeah, but I've never had to memorize
(25:10):
lines like this. I'm super add I can just like
space out and I can tell you. I don't know
that maybe I fumbled my lines. Maybe once I was
shocked by the memory that I had. I was shocked
that I was able to remember all of these lines
because I didn't. I had that fear of like what
if I go on here and I messed it up
for everybody and we got to take a bunch of takes.
Like I hate disappointing people. I hate having to make
(25:32):
people wait for me. And I was so proud of
myself that I was like, I remembered that a girl.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
And I'm proud of you too. I'm again you did.
You did brilliant work, like seriously, like you're such a
good character actress too. You really bring a lot of
you know again, like just that that energy that we
need because I I kind of play you know the that's.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
Not true, you are you, it's not true. But with
this role and with this movie, I love that they
allowed us to bring a little extra to it. I
don't know how it is with other movies, but they
allowed me to play with it and do extra things,
be silly, add things to it. I think I added
a couple of lines at one point. It was like
(26:13):
the tomato tomato line. They kept it in there, like
they let like, you know, I love the freedom of it,
feeling like we were jointly being creative.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
And I feel like you were able to do that
with this. Yeah, I was. It was great.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you.
You did amazing truly, Well, thank you for giving me
the opportunity.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Truly. Well there'll be more. Can I do some more? Yeah?
Of course those others we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
I know if Jesse she's trust me, she's on it,
you know, and we're let's go. Is thattly your next thing?
Would you want to get on a show or a
movie or like if you could or cast your acting career,
what would you want?
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Well, something I've learned too is I've been auditioning for
the wrong things because I've been auditioning for years off
and on, not consistently, maybe like two or three a
year if they feel right, but they've all been like
serious or playing the sexy girl.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Well, like I sent you my audition for the last
one that we both auditioned for us and you're like, wait,
like this made no.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Sense for me, and you played it, so you should
have had that role. I'm still pissed about it for you.
That was a close one. That was so good.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Should we tell them what it was?
Speaker 4 (27:17):
No? Okay, all right, we can't do day. Yeah, yeah, okay,
it was good. Her audition was fire. I believe I
was just staring incredible. I know I was staring at
this audition.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Was like, oh my gosh, you're really going to get
bitten by that snake. Believe it. I believed it but no.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
Watching it back, I watched mine, I just started laughing
and I'm like, oh, lightly, But but from this, I'm like, no,
you are like you are the energy character because you
need that.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
I'm saying, like I do. I play the the middle
of the ground because you have to have the characters
around you that bring the light and.
Speaker 4 (27:53):
Judge depth though, and you have so much You're able
to play something like so serious and you're able to cry.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
It's just that's so beautiful.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
I but those were the same things I was auditioning for,
and I finally it gave me. You allowing me to
have this opportunity, gave me the confidence of you know what,
I'm never going to be a Meryl Streep, you know, like,
I'm not going to play seventeen different vibes, seventeen different characters.
But I know now I've been auditioning for the wrong things.
(28:22):
I should be doing comedy. My dreamer would be like
a Rachel Green on Friends or a Phoebe on Friend.
Like I'm good at being silly and my timing like
that is where I would have more success. I should
not be auditioning for these sexy girl roles. I like,
I'm too silly, like I remember auditioning for something once
(28:42):
and I had to talk about getting it all with
some guy behind the dunes, and I had to be serious,
and I just kept laughing because I'm like that, feel ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Who would do this? Maybe would do this?
Speaker 5 (28:52):
Maybe you would, Maybe.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
You would behind the dinner.
Speaker 5 (28:56):
Maybe I play the friend you call after you did
it behind them, oh my god, or Samantha Jones.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I would love, Oh my god, I would love to
play Samantha Jones. You would have rocked a Samantha Jones.
I'm the carry. Oh my god, I would love that.
You're both carries. I feel it. Yeah yeah, oh honey,
oh honey.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Listener questions really fast lightning speed, biggest pet peeve.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Slow drivers? Oh yeah, we are inundated here.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Something people misunderstand about her.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Oh no, this one's sad. I'm not going to say it.
You have to say that. I know, and it's sad.
People are so mean to be on Instagram because a
chew with my mouth full, like so full like a chipmunk.
What what I know? I get?
Speaker 4 (29:54):
I get like hated on no, but I learned very quickly,
very early on. Like I said, they're like I did
like sort of like storing food because I didn't.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Know because it was a scarcity mindset.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Yes, so I would just what I could plate.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
We always talk about the scarcity mindset where I hoard
money because I'm afraid to not have it again, and
so and mine.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Was food, and y'all know I love food, so I would,
I would.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
And you know what's funny is like my my stepdad
was the one that like pointed that out to me.
I would like put my arm around my plate and
cover my body with it and put as much food
in my mouth as possible because I was afraid. And
so I Later on, when my mom and my stepdad
got married, that's when things changed, like you know what
I mean. And so I remember him seeing us do
(30:45):
that and him being like, I think I figured out
why you're doing this.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
You know what I mean. But I still like Tailor's
in here. It works.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
I fill my cheeks up with food, like I take
too many bites too quickly, and it looks like I'm
just being sl but like I don't know how to.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
I don't know how to not do that.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
You know, It's just like it's part of who you are. Yes,
that's not very cute. Hey, it's not about being cute,
it's about being honest. That's what we appreciate. And then
to that any other lightnings, No, that was.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
That was my with the two on the cheeks. I
want to do another one.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
Any more babies none, Eric is snipped, No, But I
always do have this like fear that will be like
that one percent that like I get knocked up at
forty five.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
I'm like, I do have a question.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
M hm.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Social media and your kids? Yeah, are you going to
allow it or not? Because I know Viv has her
social but you run it or her gymnastics.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
What what are you going to do because we're you know,
our kids are on the same age, and I think
you know, I've had multiple conversations like my kids don't
have iPads?
Speaker 2 (31:47):
They you know, they've we didn't do.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
It the last time on the airplane E there, I
was like their first one with yeah that's usually when
we only had topad. But what are you doing around
social media and your kids? So for me, it depends
on what they're doing. Okay, if it's mindless rolling, I
don't it's not allowed. But to me it's like I
(32:10):
can't fight them having this is this generation. We are
the first generation that hasn't had it and now has it.
So for us, we always have this internal battle every
single day, like it's this just terrible thing. It's terrible,
it's terrible, and we feel guilty because we didn't have it.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Now we do.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
And it's These kids are born with it there, so
they don't think of it any.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Other way except well, this is just here.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
They have iPads assigned to them when they get to
middle school, and Vivie has an iPad.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
She also has a computer.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
They have these things that are as signed and this
is the way of the world. But for me, Forrest
does have his iPad. He's seven years old. But you
know what Forest is doing. He's playing on garage band.
He's creating beats, he's creating music, He's creating dances. That
is his creative outlet.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
I love it. He's using his mind to feel inspired.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Or little Eric, he is watching highlight reels of football
players because he wants to be NFL receiver one day.
And he's watching these things and then getting in the
mirror and trying.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
That route out.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Or Vivian, she's watching the girl watches so many gymnastics
Olympic videos to feel inspired. So it makes me feel
no different than sitting in front of the TV watching
CMT music videos and practicing in the mirror.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
I love that outline, so thank you for that.
Speaker 4 (33:19):
Am I gonna let them sit there and scroll and
just watch garbage? No, if it's not allowed, they're not allowed.
We get notifications if they watch something they're not supposed to,
which they don't because they know I've scared them enough.
I'm like, there's terrible things out there. Yeah, boys in
your brain.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Yeah, that's why. I'm like.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
They used to they used to play read blocks and
I was like, no, oh, that's never allowed. And I
saw the difference of my son and then like what
happened like and then when he stopped, you know, it
was it's such a change.
Speaker 4 (33:45):
Yeah, yeah, I no, no to any of those things.
But if they're going to use it in a way
to feel creative, heck yeah, I absolutely use the tool.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
You've got the tool. Write a song.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
He's writing music, he's creating, you know, songs on garage
love that for him, but anything else, no way, just
doing garage band two.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
And then he puts it, he mirrors it on the
living room, like calls us in for the show.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yeah, oh my god. Forrest does that too, and it's
like epic, Like I'm like, this is actually really good.
I love it. It's remarked. Yeah. I have to limit
that though too, because then he just live on it.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
But Jesse, thank you for coming on the show. Thank
you for just again being the light. And I'm so
excited for everyone to see the Christmas Ring November six,
Jesse is debut acting. I'm really excited for you. It's
going to be so much on I love you guys.
The next one okay, bye bye,
Host
Jana Kramer
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