October 13, 2025 • 49 mins
Twin Magic is in the studio! Nikki and Brie Garcia, formerly known as the Bella Twins are more than sister, they're best friends who feel like each other's super powers. The WWE stars grew up playing soccer and were pretty serious about the sport until they were each struck by tragedy; Nikki broke her leg in half and Brie's boyfriend died unexpectedly. Together, they discuss the personal impact of changing their name and the power performing in the ring instills in them. Ashlyn asks them about what it's like raising young boys in the current political enviroment as empowered women. No Majorca for us, but we loved catching up with two our favorite women.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, everyone, This is Ashlyn Harris and welcome to Wide Open.
I had such a great time connecting and talking to
Nicki and Brie Garcia, formerly known as the Bellatwins. These
are two really, really red rad women, and they show
up fully and they represent themselves over and over and
over again in such a real and authentic way, and
(00:24):
they're so grounded. They're great moms, they're great people. I
always get geeked out because I grew up watching wrestling,
and just to see two badass women paving the way
and trailblazing for just strength and power and showing what's
possible in the ring was something I've always gravitated towards.
(00:45):
And honestly, I'm envy because I wanted to be a
professional wrestler and I ended up being a professional soccer player.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
So I get to live my life through them.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
I grew up in Florida, so everything in Florida is wrestling,
and I had an older brother and my dad and
my other watched it religiously, and I literally grew up
with the Undertaker and hul Cogan and all of these legends.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Stone called Steve Austin, and.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I just remember me and my brother just always pretending
we're professional wrestlers. And what I loved so much about
Niki and Bree is I didn't get the opportunity to
see many women, and I think what's so freaking cool
is they were the trailblazers. Like they showed how like
(01:33):
they gave women permission to be beautiful and blunt and
a badass. And I just wish I had that as
a kid, Like I've always wanted to be a wrestler,
and you know, during that time, it was like wrestling
Immortal Kombat, and I like kind of sat in the
middle of it. So it was it's such nostalgia. Yeah,
it's nostalgia for my youth. If I had, oh my gosh,
(01:56):
my wrestling name. Oh god, my first soccer team was
called the Lightning, So there would be something, you know, yeah,
there would be something in that type of world with Lightning.
Not to mention I am obsessed with the you know,
I grew up watching Gladiators, Hello, So there would be
(02:18):
you know, there would be you know, Malibu and China
and Lightning. You know, that would probably you know, she
would be something along that world that would be my
name with Briton Nikki, we really dive into who they are,
not just what they do, and how they continued to
reinvent themselves over and over and over. Their entrepreneurs, their moms.
(02:40):
They have insane creativity, and they're incredibly intelligent business women.
They've started a wine company, they've had, you know, all
these different types of genres that they've tapped into over
the years, and I think that's really setting the bar
for a lot of women who have come up in
(03:02):
the industry, whether it's entertainment or sports, that your career
doesn't die when you're you know, when you stop playing
or stop wrestling or stop acting. There's so much more
to what we do, you know, than how we show
up for our work. And I think they're really a
testament to that. They've reinvented themselves over and over. Yes, reinvention, reinvention, reinvention,
(03:27):
and they're showing like.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Their podcast is incredible. They they're everywhere.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
These women are absolutely everywhere, and they've really transcended their
sport and their entertainment piece and wrestling, and I think
I love that about them and I'm trying to do
the same thing. So it's a great it's a great
reminder that we're so much more than what we do.
All right, everyone, let's get into the show. Here's Nicki
(03:52):
and Brie Garcia.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Welcome back to Wide Open.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I'm Ashland Harris, and today I get to sit down
with two women who need little introduction, Nicki and Brie Garcia.
You probably know them as the Belatwins from their legendary
run in the WWE, but their story goes way beyond
the ring. They've become entrepreneurs, podcasters, winemakers, mothers, cultural forces
(04:26):
who continue to redefine what it looks like to build
a career and a life on their own terms. I've
had the chance to meet with them a few times
in different events, and every time what stood out to
me is how grounded, real and down to earth they are, which,
when you think about the wild ride they've been on,
it's pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Today we're going to talk about the.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Transitions they've made, the risks they've taken, and the balance
of being both business women, moms and still chasing their passions.
Welcome to the show, ladies so excited? Yes, Well, if
you didn't know, it's Libra season and your girl is
actually turning forty next week.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Show Way Happy, My Happy, birthday season, honestly, and when
welcome to the club.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
That's soays I heard, it's better. Yeah, I heard it's better.
On the other side, tell me everything. What do I
have to look forward to?
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Okay, So one thing I noticed when I got into
my forties, I didn't but I feel like you're kind
of already like this.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
But I just didn't care at all.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
It was like I was just free of like caring
about nothing, and so it was like, nof's given, I
say what I want, nothing bugs me, and so I
don't know that's what my forties have done for me.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Well, and I also feel like it's been we've all
talked about this midlife crisis, and when I've realized being
in my forties, I'm like, no, it's not a midlife crisis.
You just get to a point in your life when
you get into your forties and you go, I'm going
to do this thing I want. I don't care about
what people say, like Bresa's So when people were like
buying ferraris or like divorcing and wanting to like just
(06:08):
be with other people, it was because we realized we
have half our life left.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
And do what we want. They were gonna be birthday.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
That's our terms now, Yes, I love Yeah, it's sus
So what are you gonna do for your birthday? I
don't know. Sophia has some tricks up or sleeve, and like,
if you know anything about me, I hate surprises. I
hate feeling like I have to entertain or be the
center of attention. So kind of my worst nightmare. I'm like,
(06:38):
can we just go to like Majorca?
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I don't know alone?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, I really love a sexy vak, but it seems
that's not gonna happen.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
So County can't big.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
You can't always get what you want.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Now, But you and I, you and I did a
solo like como trip like.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Oh that was actually magical for forty.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Three, so we didn't I could do that.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
It was incredible.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
So I do want to peel back the layers a
little bit because I like, how fucking cool is it
that you two are sisters and twins and like you've
had like a homie and a sidekick your whole life
and you still like each other.
Speaker 6 (07:28):
Yeah, it's why, like how how like how did you
do it?
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And I not like because that's such a longloaded question,
but did you always knew did you always know your
star power as a young kid.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Well, you know what's interesting is Nicky and I. I mean,
I will say we've been blessed. We were born with
the best friend. We never had to experience the first
day of school alone. Even on like when we were
on the soccer team, it was like, you know, people
knew like if you take out, Breed will run up
the field and then take you out. Like so I
(08:04):
did always have this sidekick bodyguard. But I think the
one thing that Nicky and I like at a very
young age, we always had each other's back, like we're
never because some twins can get in competition with each
other and hate each other.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
It's wild. We've met twins that hate each other.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
But and I we instantly were like, Okay, my weaknesses
are Nicky's strengths and her weaknesses are my strengths. And
we were just each other's number one cheerleader. Like I
felt like you and I always pushed each other, rooted
each other on.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Totally and I what was neat too. And I've realized
this specialvity over the years. But growing up, Breen and
I really drew people in where they felt like they
can open up and like be in this safe place.
And I don't know if it's because you know, growing up,
when you have an identical twin, you just have someone
that you can say anything too, isn't going to judge you.
(08:56):
You it's this judgment free zone. They'll hit you with
the truth and all that like happened at such a
young age. But I felt like Breen, I drew in
so many different style of people in that way. What
do you say, Brien, it's kind of over the years happened.
It just made us different and stand out in that way.
And we all superpower. Yeah, and we were entertainers like
(09:16):
her and I.
Speaker 5 (09:17):
We we loved oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
We would dress up as the Spice Girls and my
parents would like throw these boxing parties and we were like, okay, intermission,
we want to perform for everyone, and my parents are
like all right, and so we would like lipsing to
all them like the Spice Girls, and we'd be all
dressed up.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
But we're performers at a young age.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
So we're athletes, but we're also performers, which is why
WW was perfect.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Oh my gosh, Okay, I have to share this story
because it's so good and I don't know if I've
ever shared this anywhere ever. So it's funny that you
both choose. You chose wrestling, and I mean, I'm from Florida,
like it was a way of life. Oh like yeah,
oh yeah, hello, that's all we watched every Halloween. I
(10:07):
was the Undertaker or I was like Hogan huol Cogan,
Oh dang stone Cold, what is it? Steve Austin, I mean,
you name it, and then mortal Combat. So we would
always put them together, right like King of the Mountain,
King of the Hill. But when we couldn't be outside,
(10:29):
that was like what we played.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Like if you could stay on the bed and you could.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Throw all your cirians and your cousin's off and your
friends like you were, you were winning the game.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
And I remember he was my teammate at the time,
Craig mcletty. I had him and he like was bullying
me a little bit and like being an asshole, and
he was like thick, so like I had his shoulders
at the This was a really fuck around and find
out moment for him, and I was.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
It was on his bed and.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
I was fucking throwing everyone off, and I was like
getting a jungle and literally threw him off and flipped
him off of the bed and he landed on a
turtle cage, sitting down. Glass everywhere, it like in him.
Nine to one one had.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
To be called. Blood was everywhere.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So pretty much what I'm saying is.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
You should have been a wrestler, should have been arrestling.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
Hey, it's never too late.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
I mean I still am in my thirties, you know
what exactly Hey, well, and this is what I love
is because you guys were literally doing the Royal Rumble
and you just in order to win sometimes you gotta
do some ugly moves to get people off.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
And that's just not.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
You know what, I am a competitor.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yeah, and really was a rich moment for my buddy
Craig that probably will never live that day down.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Oh no, you too stoned him. He got his rest
in peace. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
So as we were all performers at that a you know,
at a young age, clearly, why did we pick wrestling,
Because what I've heard is we were quite the soccer player,
I know, yeah, both of you little I.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Well, you know, yeah, it was weird because soccer, yeah,
we I mean, soccer was our lives and we were
on club and our team was doing incredible and Nicky
and I both I mean getting soccer scholarships. And it
was weird because our senior year was a really defining
moment for us. I unfortunately, my senior year, my boyfriend
(12:47):
passed away. He was killed by Yeah, he was killed
by a drink driver June. It was my senior year January,
and I kind of and now that was a big
turning point in my life. And I think, you know,
I was eighteen. You feel like you have the whole
world figured out at that time, and when something like
that happens, I just, I mean I gave up everything,
(13:08):
Like that was it for me, like kind of in
my eyes, you know, life was done. I wanted to
figure out something new, and so my my journey shifted.
And then Nikki unfortunately broke her leg in half.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Yeah literally right and in a high school game, which
you know, those not that they don't mean anything, but
for any of us who were club players and going
to college, like you had a pause it to like
be on your high school team, like at least in Arizona,
you weren't a lot of play club.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
You had to take those few.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Months off and it was in like one of our
last games and just snapped my tibia right in half.
And my god, yeah, and doing that your senior year,
a lot of things changed for me. And when I
look back, I could have fought through, but I wasn't
in the right mental place at that time. We had
a lot going on in our home, which was a
(13:58):
very broken home. Brie was going through everything with Bear.
That happened a week later, so it was like a
boom boom, Oh my god, and it just like Brie said,
there was a turning point. And when we both graduated
high school, we both just said at Arizona and we
drove to San Diego, where we were born and where
we had family, to start a new life. And then
(14:19):
soccer came back around for me, which it needed to
because I was just in a place where I had
so much trauma done beyond the soccer field, like just
stuff in my personal life that I needed that back
in my life to shape me. And that was kind
of crazy. Is then it brought in wrestling, yes, but yeah,
(14:39):
it was weird how we both had that turning point
senior year within a week of each other.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
That mean, it was like wow, yeah, I mean it
really changed everything. And I think what you know, when
Nicky and I when we graduated high school, were like,
let's get the fuck out of here. You know, we
did need a job and we were like, well, where
can we make some good money? We're eighteen, and that's
when Hooters came around, So we became Hooter girls.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Yet you love a good chicken, I mean.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Especially when you're from Florida. It's like, I gonic, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Totally iconic. And we had twin peaks.
Speaker 5 (15:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
I don't know if that.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
You know, we had it all in Florida.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
You guys did you did?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
No shame, no shame there.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I was like, dad, let's go.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
Yeah. But so what was cool is Nicky and I
being Hooter girls. You know, we always showed the wrestling
pay per views and we we watched wrestling.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
We just weren't big fans because.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
My brother was obsessed, but you know, we I saw
this thing that was on a search for female wrestlers.
It was called Diva Search and for anyone who ever
watched Glow.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (15:46):
It was kind of like that.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Where you're like, oh, okay, like yeah, I could be
a female wrestler, and you're thinking of your character and
you know her and I being athletic, where like we
just had the mentality that we can do anything. And
so that's how we stumbled across wrestling. Was wow, And
this is before social media. So this is straight up
a flyer like figuring.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Out pulled it at Hooters.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
No, it wasn't at Hooters. It was like we were
at this time. I got to say, movie. I know,
a movie. But that's what I like.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
When I look at kids nowadays, I feel like they
would even know how to function without social media and
all those things. I'm like, we all made it before
social media. Oh, thank you you can, thank God.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Thank God, thank God, Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
So grateful for that. But yeah, yeah we really did crazy,
we really died. I mean we be just so lucky.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
I college days, honey, in high school, I was.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
Like, whoa I would have Oh man, I'm very grateful.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
Yeah, what was not on record.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
So we just are like, we're going for this. We
make a group decision. Is this how you both operate
all the time. It's like you're both all in. I
assume you've never played on different teams who were always
on the same team always.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
Except I do have to say breathe though.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
When we got into San Diego and like a year later,
I started to play soccer again and she didn't. So
I was playing college ball. She would show up to
my games and like the littlest outfits making signs for me,
like with like some of our other Hooter friends and
they're all watching me play soccer. And then she came
(17:32):
to me about the devissearch and I was like, I
don't know. I'm like, they really wrestle, like it's not
like we have to wear bikinis or anything, and she's
like no, So that was like a different well and
you were.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
Thinking about playing pro soccer in Italy.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Yeah, because the women's league at that time had folded here. Yes,
I remember being talks with the Arizona heat Wave and
then when all of that went down, breaking my leg
and stuff, all that went away.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
Went to San Diego and then I went and played
a coach who knew of me.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
From Arizona was like, just come walk on, like it's
Grossmack College, like we could use your help. And so
he then was helping me find my place in Italy.
Right when she came to me about Divasearch, and I
had to make this decision do I go to Italy
and play soccer or do I.
Speaker 5 (18:21):
Go be a wrestler? And I fell in lave when
we went to that audition.
Speaker 7 (18:26):
I was like, oh, stay tuned, I'll be back in
just a moment. After this brief message from our sponsors,
do you guys like laugh.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
A little bit, like how do you take it?
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Like you have to be so, I mean, like I'm
so into it because I was raised on it, Like
are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (18:49):
It's hilarious, hilarious. How did you were?
Speaker 1 (18:53):
You were like, well, thank god I was a spice
girl all those years.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
In the morning room. Real well, and like really that helps. Yeah,
it definitely did well. And I think a diva search.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
When Nikki and I showed up, we had like ponytails,
no makeup on, and we made these tank tops. Mine
said Breezy Forsheesi and her said Nicole the show and
like when we walked in, but this is the best
we were and we're wearing like kicks and stuff. When
we walked in, everyone was dressed up as like go
go dancers and we were like, oh gosh, and she
(19:27):
was gonna kill me and I'm like, I swear this
is like all about wrestling, and she was like brief.
But then when we actually go on the audition, they
like tour us apart. They're like, your boobs aren't big enough,
You're not the look like we like walked out and
we were.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
Like what, well, no, we first kept promos on them.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
We went at them like, well you want to know
what this is what you all need to change about yourself.
And that's when we walked off. They go go get
those girls, we need them.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Oh, wait, are perfect, You're but your identity was born
in that moment.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
Yes, the guitar, we were definitely.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
But it was funny because when we had started training,
we would ree those moments of laughing when like one
would be selling like ah like doing this stuff because
in the beginning it is uncomfortable.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
You're like, can she just really hit me?
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Like I'd rather sell a real hit than like not
a real hit, for sure.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
I don't What I don't want is either one of
you hitting me. That's where I would really have to
draw the line and let alone. I saw the Ronda
Rousey moment.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I mean that chick would destroy me.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
Oh she's so crazy strong.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
So being in the industry for so long and then
when I knew I had, I was doing that story
with her. I remember the first time she gave me
a slam just like everyone else.
Speaker 5 (20:51):
I was like, oh that feels different.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
I was like, she's it was just had this power
to it where I was like, holy shit, like she's
a beast. That is a different breed of a woman
that slam any of her judo tosses she would do.
I was like, oh shit, I would never get in
an octagon against.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Her ever, No, no, thank you.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
But you've both been you've both been in the spotlight
now for so long, and I'm curious, you know, how,
how would you describe yourself today outside of you know,
the Bela Twins identity?
Speaker 2 (21:27):
What does that look like for you?
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Because you you know, I know you're back a little
dabbling back a little bit in it, but you know,
you've both been trailblazers in showing what's possible for women
in the WWE, which is a pretty male dominated sport to.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Say the least.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
But like, how do you how do you show up now?
Speaker 2 (21:50):
What does that look like?
Speaker 5 (21:52):
Well, you know, I have a question.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
It is and you know, I have to say I've
been blessed because having a twin, we've kept each other
humble our whole entire you know, time on television. So
I feel like the journey for me has been easier
for maybe people who might go in entertainment solo because we,
you know, Nicky and I've always had each other. But
I think the greatest thing for me my identity is
(22:13):
I started to really write down because Nicky and I
love journaling, but like what makes me happy and like
what really makes my heart beat. So I was always
like drawn to the environment and being you know, an
activist for you know, the planet and animals and really
what I believe, you know, the voiceless. And I started
(22:36):
to realize like anytime I'm in that world, I glow
and like I feel like me and so I you know,
coming out of being like known as the wrestler, I
you know, now I feel like kind of like I'm
the planet's champion, Like I'm kind of like that's my
new tag partner. And that's really where I feel like
(22:57):
I see myself now in that world.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Well, because no one has really recreated themselves successfully as
much as you both, and that's like that is a
special thing to do because what I have noticed more
than anyone is when you become an athlete, you live
in that identity and you don't know what it's like
(23:21):
outside of it, and you get really fucking blurred vision
and you get jaded and truthfully, and I say this
with the utmost respect, like, we didn't cure cancer.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
We were performers.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Our job was to perform for the people, to bring
them joy, to bring them a moment of happiness, which
Jesus Christ is so.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Vital more than ever right now.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
But I will say that like walking away from the
WWE in this Bela brand was such.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
A huge move.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
What gave you that courage to step into this new
era of the Garcia twins.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
Yeah. So, you know, it's funny because.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
When we've talked about growth before the past two decades,
I've realized I've had a tremendous amount of growth and
it's uncomfortable and you get to see the results and
you put in the work and you get those results.
And the one thing that I've realized they always the
fans started to call me fearless snicky. What I realized
(24:26):
is over time I finally started to walk as fearless snicky.
It was more than a character, and when that time came,
it was like you make those decisions, but you stop
and you go away. I think God he put this
in my path and I could either make a stand
for myself and for women and for my worth, knowing
(24:47):
that tomorrow I'm going to still see the sun rise.
The career might look different, but the things that truly
matter my son, my sister, my surroundings, my family, my
faith that's going to I'll be there and as long
as I know God has me, then like, I know
things are.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Going to be okay.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
And I feel like for Bree and I, we just
knew in that moment we had to stick to what
we believed in. And when we made that choice, I
started to be like, wait, I'm truly now living as
fearless Nicky. I'm finally fearless in my decisions beyond the ring,
and I'm finally I've recognized my worth and I know
that if something goes away, then it wasn't meant for
(25:26):
me now and maybe it'll come back, which it has,
because it was kind of like taking my stand of
like knowing what was right and I love that, yeah,
and standing for that and so that.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Yeah, that's actually that's a great It's such a powerful answer,
and it's it's so beautifully said. And I like when
I think about that, you know, when I think about
like even when I knew it was time to step away,
it's one thing knowing in, one thing doing right. You
(25:58):
two have done podcasting companies, wine companies, beauty companies, clothing companies.
I mean you meet reality shows like you have checked
so many boxes. My real question is when did you
When did you really realize like a wee can be
(26:19):
something so much bigger than just wrestling.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
Ah, I love that.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
I think it was honestly the reality show Total Divas,
you know what it was. It was like when we
filmed the pilot. I'll never forget all of us girls
being like, do you think the world's really going to
care about like female wrestling and let alone us female wrestlers.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
And I think when the.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Show went like it was just a huge hit, it
was almost like whoa people care? And then you all
of a sudden realized your platform and then people are
listening and like people were getting invested, and I just
remember thinking like wow, like NICKI and I knew like
all sudden, like we're something more than just in the ring,
(27:03):
people started to care who we were outside of the ring,
and that's when we finally we knew, like, okay, we
can instead of dropping, you know, drop kicks from the
top rope, our whole lives, like we can do something
more than just that.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
Right, we totally found our power and who we were
and and our worth because I feel like for so long,
and we've talked about this, it's like everyone makes you
believe like you're gonna be nothing without us. You better listen,
you better you know, follow the rules and do all
the things, and you start to believe that, like I
(27:37):
need them, I need them, And the reality show really
started to make us believe like, wait, people are interested
in us and who we are, our lives, the barriers
we've broken, our journey of you know, how tough childhood
could be, or you know, our ups and down showing
the ugly People appreciated that the bicker between sisters and
how siblings are we were very real and wrong. People
(27:59):
got it catch that, and I was like, see, no
more can they tell me that I'm you know, can
be replaced because my journey, my life, who I am,
I can't be replaced in this exactly people are now
attached to it, and now our worth is gone beyond
the ring and the turning point.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Well and I, NICKI and I are really big into affirmations,
and we're all told whether you're an athlete and an actor,
anyone who has a face on television, you're always told
you're replaceable. But her and I our affirmation was we
are not replaceable, and we always told each other that
and to this day we still feel we are not replaceable.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
We are not That's it right.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
You can fire me, but I'm not replacing at all,
that's for sure. I'm just meant to be somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
But knowing you're worth and running with it and not
running away from it because it's scary, and you know,
taking a chance on yourself, like betting on yourself is
the most beautiful gift you can give, sure, and I
don't think enough women do it. In between wine, beauty,
business media like y'all really have built an empire. Here
(29:11):
is where I'm curious, the business work life and the
family life.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
How do you both keep it together? Like it's I.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
You know, it didn't work out so well, but I
was married to my teammate and it was fucking hard
to do the family life and the business life together.
And it was like, Okay, we can try to stay
as buttoned as we can, but sometimes those lines are
blurry and are hard, and money creeps in, competitiveness creeps in.
(29:42):
How have you done this for so long and separated
the two work family life balance?
Speaker 5 (29:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
I think the biggest thing is we let go of
ego a long time ago.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
Yeah, that's been a big thing for you.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
So that part because for Nicki and I, there's gonna
be times Nicki's doing more than me, and then there's
gonna be times I'm gonna be doing stuff. And like,
you know, Nicki went through a hard divorce last year,
and I never once was like, you know, she needed
time to herself and figure herself out, and I was like,
I got everything. I'll do solo episodes on the podcast.
(30:20):
I hope they're good. I don't know, we'll see. And
even with the wine brand, I stepped in because Nicki,
you know, there was stuff and I think if I
had EGO, I would have been like counting how much
I was doing compared to her, But instead I wanted
to help and I think we that's why we've been
the greatest tag team. It's not only in the ring,
(30:40):
but I think outside the ring, we've known how to
show up and be there for each other. And I
feel like that's made me a better mom, a better wife.
Speaker 5 (30:48):
I feel like she knows.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
There's times I'm like, my husband still travels, and I'm
like he and I just need a weekend together, and
she'll get it and be like, let me take over
at the you know, tasting. So I think just her
and I being having good communication, it's made us better
moms and being able to balance personal and business.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
And I think as well as we know each other's
strengths and weaknesses, and we know each other's personal even
though we're identical twins, we understand each other's personality traits
very well. She knows things that make me grumpy. I
know things that make her grumpy and so, and we've
had a work on that that didn't just happen. We
had have a life coach, we had, we had to
(31:29):
have people help us iron out those things. I also
working doing family life and work life. We've made sure
that we do things we're passionate about so it doesn't
feel like work and we don't carry that into the
home and then also things that our children can be involved.
So we knew moving to Napa Valley we get to
be hands on in our wine brand. But then we
(31:50):
get to bring the kids out for farming, for harvesting. Yeah,
my gosh, they get to learn about things. We pop
them in into the speak easy and they're right there
with us doing things that times. And so we've made
sure to do things where we can involve them. And
I still feel like there are days that I'm trying
to figure out balance because I'm a big yes person
and I have to teach myself to say no to
(32:12):
things or I'm just always thinking ideas or how can
we do this and can do that? So I'm still
on that journey of finding the perfect balance. But because
I love being a mom and I know that's first,
and I love all the stuff we do, whether it's
our companies wrestling. At least I'm not drowning in my
unbalanced if that makes sense. Yeah, So when things don't
(32:35):
feel balanced, I'm still so happy with everything, and I'm
doing that. When you're on the lack of sleep, well
you know it's like it's fine.
Speaker 7 (32:46):
This is wide open and I'm your host Ashlyn Harris,
thanks for listening.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
You say it often though you both are very you know,
you're mindful, you do the work, you do the affirmations,
you give yourself grace, Like all of these things are
so vital and so important. I wish I was a
lot more gentle on myself as a young professional, because
no one like that was the thing for me. Like
(33:17):
I was so fucking hard on myself. Like sometimes I'm like,
let yourself off the mac dude, Like it's like it's
not life or death. And you speak about motherhoods so
beautifully and it changed my perspective on so much. But
I'm curious, like, as you know, you both are unbelievable moms,
(33:39):
Like has that changed your perspective on success and ambition?
And you talk about balance and all of these things.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Like I would have been as I would have been.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Such a good player if I could have balanced being
a mom during my whole entire career. Because my lens
completely fucking change once I started having kids.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
Oh yeah, oh my gosh, even with me.
Speaker 4 (34:05):
I mean I walked away from the ring because I
thought to myself, stability for my children, and you know,
there's some women, they do a great job of bringing
the kids on the road and handle it all. But
I realized, I'm not meant that, Like I wasn't made
that way. I'm more of a homemaker. I'm I like
my kids to have a scheduled the way I had
(34:26):
a schedule as a child, like go to school, come home,
go outside and play. I have chickens, I garden. I
make them a part of it all. And that's just
the way that motherhood works for me. And I give
credit to the women who travel, but when I say travel,
they bring their kids because I still travel as a mom.
My husband and I it's been great. We sit down
(34:46):
and we you know, really go over our schedule. Sometimes
we both look at each other like, well we ever
see each other because they like take turns, like you know,
going out and doing our work. But I think the
most important thing for one is to figure out the
mom you want to be and the life that you
want to give your kids, because there's not a wrong answer,
(35:07):
it's just figuring out that answer and then doing it.
Speaker 5 (35:10):
Because if you're kind of confused.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
On the way you want to raise your children, I
think that's when motherhood becomes tough. Like I know exactly
how I want them to be raised, and we do
it and there's no confusion.
Speaker 5 (35:23):
It's just like, this is what it is, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
It, and it has to be aligned, you know with
your partner, Oh for sure. The biggest thing, like if
you're not on the same page on how you want
to do this, oh my god's get sticky real quick.
Speaker 5 (35:36):
Oh so sticky. And you know, I was a lot
like you.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
It fully changed me becoming a mom, Like I just
became selfless, like I was just such a hustler and
so focused on the career. And it also changed me
though as a businesswoman, where I realized I'm going to
work enough to have great success, but enough to where
(36:01):
I know we'll have a good life. And I don't
need more than that. I just need enough to have
an incredible life. Make sure everything for him in the
future is great. But I want to take in every moment.
I don't want to look back and go, oh, I
miss these big moments with him. I want to be present,
and that's even in my companies. I want to be present.
But like, being present is so big for me, and
(36:23):
it's funny the goals I used to have before him
even of like certain like numbers that I wanted, whether
it was our companies or myself to get to. And
it's crazy how much that's changed because now I'm like,
this is all we need for this or that, and
then I get all this amazing time to go get
pumpkins and carve them or whatever it might be, go to.
Speaker 5 (36:43):
A fall festival. You realize that's like the real wealth.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
And absolutely for sure that Yeah, I completely agree. And
you know, I know we were talking about this earlier
with the landscape of the world and how we want
to raise these beautiful children and all of us have boys, yeah,
and we have I'm not going to say it lightly
(37:07):
a huge obligation to raise these children in this current
landscape and environment on how they choose to show up,
especially how they choose to treat women. And you two
or us three, we're powerful women who run and play
in a male dominated world in male.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
Spaces, Like how do you raise your boys? Like how
how do you like what are the greatest lessons you're
teaching them right now? Because it is so important and
I think we need to make sure we're holding ourselves
accountable as we give these young boys the tools to navigate.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
This world for sure.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
I mean the biggest thing is compassion. I think you
can teach compassion, everyone's born with it, but to still
instill it and our children is a huge thing to me.
And also manners respect even Buddy, and I always tell
him like ladies first, because I think being a gentleman
goes a long way.
Speaker 5 (38:11):
Now.
Speaker 4 (38:11):
Granted, I'll open doors up for men, and I don't
care like I don't need to always go in first,
but it's the it's teaching like our boys to be gentlemen.
To me, yes, like it's gentleness. I want them to
be gentle man like. So I'm really big with Buddy
especially My son is wild.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
He is all of these boys out here.
Speaker 5 (38:35):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
So I'm like, you know, the gentle part, I think
is very important to teach our boys to be gentle.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Yes, and I always instill kindness. I tell Mateo, we
constantly are using that word kindness. I'm saying how kind
he is when he does certain things. I'm like, that
was so kind, or when someone does something for him.
I always make sure to point that out. And I'm
going to raise him where he will be very respectful
(39:04):
with women, like he and what is so great?
Speaker 5 (39:08):
This was really cute. He said this a little bit ago.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
He asked me if I could be a Lego master
and I was like, you know, baby, mommy's just not
the greatest at building legos, but that's something new and
your daddy do. And I bet you and daddy both
can be Lego masters. I'm like, what do you think
mommy can be? Then, and he goes, Mommy, you know
you work really hard. You're a hard worker, that's what
(39:32):
you are. And like my heart, I was like, oh
my gosh.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
You know that.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
And it's just what I've realized too with these boys
because they have badass powerful moms yes watching us, so
they're already going to have an appreciation for women because
of how we are, which is amazing. You realize they
watch more than us talking to them, and so it's
always I'm always mindful about being that leader in the
(39:59):
home and what he sees for sure, and how I
am with others in my interaction. But I am going
to make sure, like I always joke, and it's funny
because people on social media like go after me because
I always a'm like, yeah, I'm raising feminist gentlemen and
people get so mad with that word feminist, and I'm like, no,
(40:20):
the thing is is my son is going to respect
and appreciate women and their hard work and know that
he's an equal with them. He's not better because he's
a man, but he could be a gentleman. But he's
just going to appreciate people for what they do. That's
It's going to be nothing with what they look like,
who they are.
Speaker 5 (40:37):
It's just going to be how they give things exactly.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
And you and Nikki, I love that you said this
because we are in the landscape of giving people permission
to be very cruel and like spiteful and hateful, and
it's I'm curious, like because I've experienced it and it penetrates,
Like you can say what you want about me as
(41:01):
a public like person and the way I move as
an athlete, and you can be an asshole all you want,
but you don't know me as a mom, Like you
don't know how I operate, how I am with my kids,
Like that's such a sacred space.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
How do you too protect your piece?
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Because people are fucking awful, awful and awful and it's
like the amount of abuse that I see and I
read I'm like, whoa, Even if I try not to
read it, it is always there. So how are you
too protecting you know, your home and your family and
your peace. When it comes to the way you're moving
(41:39):
into life as public figures.
Speaker 5 (41:41):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 4 (41:42):
My husband, he and I promised each other. We're like,
there's so much that's out of our control, and We're like,
but what we can't control is our environment with our family.
And we always say we have our positive bubble, and
like we we can. We have the control of how
our home fills, who steps into our home, what we
(42:04):
surround our kids with, and that's people, what they watch
on television, what we you know, do as a family.
And so I believe like really having that bubble. And
then when it comes to social media, I mean, I'm
gonna be forty two, so I'm just like guns ablazing
with the metal fist caution amazing.
Speaker 5 (42:22):
I like can give two shits.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
It almost makes me like giggle when people like say
shit about me because I'm like like whatever, it's like funny,
but like I've been able to really work hard on
like I don't get bothered by any of that.
Speaker 3 (42:38):
And for me, like what I've realized is I had to,
like I post Matteo way less because I don't want
to give people the opportunity. And then I got into
a place where I really wanted to protect them, and
especially how public the divorce got.
Speaker 5 (42:53):
Yeah, and just so.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
Many untrue things out there and oh yeah lies and
all that, like it made the lioness was always there,
like we're there the moment these babies come into a world, right,
But it really I grew king of the jungle, like
I protect my cub And then I started to realize
so much too, is why do I give people certain moments.
(43:20):
I did it for a decade on TV, and then
I'll share these moments with you, but you then a
second later are such a terrible human being.
Speaker 5 (43:30):
So it really made me protect it.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
And people will still say things like I got a
little triggered earlier because so because you're never with your son.
And I've had to correct people so many times, I go,
let's reword this sentence. I never post my son. There
is a difference because and my life coaches taught me, okay,
if that was triggering, why And you know today I
had to tell myself that was triggering to me because
(43:53):
I worked so hard as a mom every day that
no one sees day in and day out.
Speaker 5 (43:58):
They don't know the days.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
And that triggered me because I'm tired and I I've
had We've had a long maybe week or whatever, and
I'm not being appreciated. You know, I don't have a
sure So I was like, Okay, that was my trigger,
and now I'm good and ill appreciate yourself.
Speaker 5 (44:16):
You were such great we've been through.
Speaker 3 (44:19):
You were in a robe and drove Mantoto Sea on
air balloon Sunday morning. You were pretty much naked, but
he got to see them land and.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
You know what, I know, it's so good.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
So you know you too. You've done so much and
you've you know everyone U you know, everyone knows how
fantastic you've been with your careers and you were trailblazers
to really open the doors and show what's possible for
women to do what you do and make a great
living doing it. For two women who do so much,
(44:51):
what's next?
Speaker 2 (44:53):
What do we check? What do we check?
Speaker 1 (44:54):
I mean, you've checked almost every box. I know there's
got to be something.
Speaker 5 (44:58):
Yeah, why where we just talking?
Speaker 1 (45:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (45:01):
We were just talking about something the other day. We
wanted to put on our vision board.
Speaker 5 (45:05):
What was it?
Speaker 3 (45:06):
Was it owning a winery by fifty Well, now not
that that's one of them.
Speaker 5 (45:12):
There was something, there's something we wanted.
Speaker 4 (45:15):
I mean, you know, NICKI and I we've like, we've
always talked about a talk show because we're like, it
would be super hot. But then sometimes when I look
at the schedule and we're like, is that.
Speaker 3 (45:27):
When the kids, When the kids leave the home, that's
when we're empty nesters.
Speaker 5 (45:31):
We could go there too. Yeah, I'm like, that's way
down the road.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
I know.
Speaker 3 (45:35):
For me, I would love like just getting a taste
of being in Happy Gilmore too, And like a lot
of our storylines got cut, but I really enjoyed being
on set and what I liked about it is my
character was so different from who I am, and that's
what I love about wrestling too, when I get to
be a bad guy that I was like, I missed
(45:58):
that kind of fun play being a character. So I
would love to do more movies, but that only keep
me on set for like three weeks on and off.
I can't go do a movie for three months. I
don't know how people do that as parents And oh yep, careers.
Speaker 5 (46:11):
Do you know what I mean? That's like so right?
Oh yes, I didn't even think. Yeah, that was why
herd on me.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
That's why my fortieth birthday is in New York City.
The day after my birthday, she goes to Ottawa to
shoot a movie. So oh see, so no my Orca
for me.
Speaker 5 (46:29):
Well, well, I'll go to my YORKA.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
So this this surprise party, better be yet, be good?
Speaker 5 (46:36):
Better come to you.
Speaker 1 (46:38):
There better be a beautiful ocean views. Yeah where they
better bring sand in?
Speaker 2 (46:45):
I don't know it. Better feel like my orc.
Speaker 1 (46:48):
I love that you both, well, thank you both for
coming on the show. And I know we we we
have so much in common. I've been so grateful for
our time that we get to spend. What I love
so much is not you know, the jobs that we've
done to give us the platforms we have. It's the
way we show up for women, the ship, the way
(47:11):
we show up to advocate for women, like we really
want to change this world and make it better. And
I find that such a beautiful gift and what a
cool opportunity to leave this place better than we found it,
and you two live it. So I've been drawn to
(47:31):
you since the moment. We've met, and we've got we
got to keep we got to keep fighting like hell
and keep living our truth and being as authentic as
we can. So NICKI and Bria appreciate you both being
on the show.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
And until the next time.
Speaker 1 (47:48):
Right kick it together and have a little sippy sippy exactly.
Speaker 4 (47:52):
I would love you, you guys, and you come to us
here in Napa Valley, come to Yes, we'll get a
week because massages, wine Taste Dane will do it all.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
You had me at massage and I know me like
I need.
Speaker 2 (48:08):
I'm that kind of girly now.
Speaker 5 (48:10):
Yeah, yeah, I love it.
Speaker 3 (48:12):
And anytime you need two bad asses to show up
for some extra voices, where we got your back.
Speaker 1 (48:18):
So done done, We're here in the well.
Speaker 2 (48:21):
We roll in a deep group. I love that.
Speaker 5 (48:23):
Yeah you do?
Speaker 1 (48:24):
All right? Well, thanks everyone for tuning in for another
episode of Wide Open with Ashlin Harris, Nikki Brie. You
are a dreamboat both of you, and I know we're
going to have many more conversations to come. But until
next time, We'll see you next week.
Speaker 5 (48:38):
Yesy bye.
Speaker 7 (48:45):
Wide Open with Ashland Harris is an iHeart women's sports production.
You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts. Our producers are Carmen Borca, Coreo,
Emily Maronov, and Lucy Jones. Production assistants from Malia Aguidello.
(49:05):
Our executive producers are Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder.
Our editors are Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder and I'm
Your Host Ashlyn Harris
Hi, everyone, This is Ashlyn Harris and welcome to Wide Open.
I had such a great time connecting and talking to
Nicki and Brie Garcia, formerly known as the Bellatwins. These
are two really, really red rad women, and they show
up fully and they represent themselves over and over and
over again in such a real and authentic way, and
(00:24):
they're so grounded. They're great moms, they're great people. I
always get geeked out because I grew up watching wrestling,
and just to see two badass women paving the way
and trailblazing for just strength and power and showing what's
possible in the ring was something I've always gravitated towards.
(00:45):
And honestly, I'm envy because I wanted to be a
professional wrestler and I ended up being a professional soccer player.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
So I get to live my life through them.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
I grew up in Florida, so everything in Florida is wrestling,
and I had an older brother and my dad and
my other watched it religiously, and I literally grew up
with the Undertaker and hul Cogan and all of these legends.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Stone called Steve Austin, and.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
I just remember me and my brother just always pretending
we're professional wrestlers. And what I loved so much about
Niki and Bree is I didn't get the opportunity to
see many women, and I think what's so freaking cool
is they were the trailblazers. Like they showed how like
(01:33):
they gave women permission to be beautiful and blunt and
a badass. And I just wish I had that as
a kid, Like I've always wanted to be a wrestler,
and you know, during that time, it was like wrestling
Immortal Kombat, and I like kind of sat in the
middle of it. So it was it's such nostalgia. Yeah,
it's nostalgia for my youth. If I had, oh my gosh,
(01:56):
my wrestling name. Oh god, my first soccer team was
called the Lightning, So there would be something, you know, yeah,
there would be something in that type of world with Lightning.
Not to mention I am obsessed with the you know,
I grew up watching Gladiators, Hello, So there would be
(02:18):
you know, there would be you know, Malibu and China
and Lightning. You know, that would probably you know, she
would be something along that world that would be my
name with Briton Nikki, we really dive into who they are,
not just what they do, and how they continued to
reinvent themselves over and over and over. Their entrepreneurs, their moms.
(02:40):
They have insane creativity, and they're incredibly intelligent business women.
They've started a wine company, they've had, you know, all
these different types of genres that they've tapped into over
the years, and I think that's really setting the bar
for a lot of women who have come up in
(03:02):
the industry, whether it's entertainment or sports, that your career
doesn't die when you're you know, when you stop playing
or stop wrestling or stop acting. There's so much more
to what we do, you know, than how we show
up for our work. And I think they're really a
testament to that. They've reinvented themselves over and over. Yes, reinvention, reinvention, reinvention,
(03:27):
and they're showing like.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Their podcast is incredible. They they're everywhere.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
These women are absolutely everywhere, and they've really transcended their
sport and their entertainment piece and wrestling, and I think
I love that about them and I'm trying to do
the same thing. So it's a great it's a great
reminder that we're so much more than what we do.
All right, everyone, let's get into the show. Here's Nicki
(03:52):
and Brie Garcia.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Welcome back to Wide Open.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
I'm Ashland Harris, and today I get to sit down
with two women who need little introduction, Nicki and Brie Garcia.
You probably know them as the Belatwins from their legendary
run in the WWE, but their story goes way beyond
the ring. They've become entrepreneurs, podcasters, winemakers, mothers, cultural forces
(04:26):
who continue to redefine what it looks like to build
a career and a life on their own terms. I've
had the chance to meet with them a few times
in different events, and every time what stood out to
me is how grounded, real and down to earth they are, which,
when you think about the wild ride they've been on,
it's pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Today we're going to talk about the.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Transitions they've made, the risks they've taken, and the balance
of being both business women, moms and still chasing their passions.
Welcome to the show, ladies so excited? Yes, Well, if
you didn't know, it's Libra season and your girl is
actually turning forty next week.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Show Way Happy, My Happy, birthday season, honestly, and when
welcome to the club.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
That's soays I heard, it's better. Yeah, I heard it's better.
On the other side, tell me everything. What do I
have to look forward to?
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Okay, So one thing I noticed when I got into
my forties, I didn't but I feel like you're kind
of already like this.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
But I just didn't care at all.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
It was like I was just free of like caring
about nothing, and so it was like, nof's given, I
say what I want, nothing bugs me, and so I
don't know that's what my forties have done for me.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Well, and I also feel like it's been we've all
talked about this midlife crisis, and when I've realized being
in my forties, I'm like, no, it's not a midlife crisis.
You just get to a point in your life when
you get into your forties and you go, I'm going
to do this thing I want. I don't care about
what people say, like Bresa's So when people were like
buying ferraris or like divorcing and wanting to like just
(06:08):
be with other people, it was because we realized we
have half our life left.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
And do what we want. They were gonna be birthday.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
That's our terms now, Yes, I love Yeah, it's sus
So what are you gonna do for your birthday? I
don't know. Sophia has some tricks up or sleeve, and like,
if you know anything about me, I hate surprises. I
hate feeling like I have to entertain or be the
center of attention. So kind of my worst nightmare. I'm like,
(06:38):
can we just go to like Majorca?
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I don't know alone?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, I really love a sexy vak, but it seems
that's not gonna happen.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
So County can't big.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
You can't always get what you want.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Now, But you and I, you and I did a
solo like como trip like.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Oh that was actually magical for forty.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Three, so we didn't I could do that.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
It was incredible.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
So I do want to peel back the layers a
little bit because I like, how fucking cool is it
that you two are sisters and twins and like you've
had like a homie and a sidekick your whole life
and you still like each other.
Speaker 6 (07:28):
Yeah, it's why, like how how like how did you
do it?
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And I not like because that's such a longloaded question,
but did you always knew did you always know your
star power as a young kid.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Well, you know what's interesting is Nicky and I. I mean,
I will say we've been blessed. We were born with
the best friend. We never had to experience the first
day of school alone. Even on like when we were
on the soccer team, it was like, you know, people
knew like if you take out, Breed will run up
the field and then take you out. Like so I
(08:04):
did always have this sidekick bodyguard. But I think the
one thing that Nicky and I like at a very
young age, we always had each other's back, like we're
never because some twins can get in competition with each
other and hate each other.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
It's wild. We've met twins that hate each other.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
But and I we instantly were like, Okay, my weaknesses
are Nicky's strengths and her weaknesses are my strengths. And
we were just each other's number one cheerleader. Like I
felt like you and I always pushed each other, rooted
each other on.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Totally and I what was neat too. And I've realized
this specialvity over the years. But growing up, Breen and
I really drew people in where they felt like they
can open up and like be in this safe place.
And I don't know if it's because you know, growing up,
when you have an identical twin, you just have someone
that you can say anything too, isn't going to judge you.
(08:56):
You it's this judgment free zone. They'll hit you with
the truth and all that like happened at such a
young age. But I felt like Breen, I drew in
so many different style of people in that way. What
do you say, Brien, it's kind of over the years happened.
It just made us different and stand out in that way.
And we all superpower. Yeah, and we were entertainers like
(09:16):
her and I.
Speaker 5 (09:17):
We we loved oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
We would dress up as the Spice Girls and my
parents would like throw these boxing parties and we were like, okay, intermission,
we want to perform for everyone, and my parents are
like all right, and so we would like lipsing to
all them like the Spice Girls, and we'd be all
dressed up.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
But we're performers at a young age.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
So we're athletes, but we're also performers, which is why
WW was perfect.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Oh my gosh, Okay, I have to share this story
because it's so good and I don't know if I've
ever shared this anywhere ever. So it's funny that you
both choose. You chose wrestling, and I mean, I'm from Florida,
like it was a way of life. Oh like yeah,
oh yeah, hello, that's all we watched every Halloween. I
(10:07):
was the Undertaker or I was like Hogan huol Cogan,
Oh dang stone Cold, what is it? Steve Austin, I mean,
you name it, and then mortal Combat. So we would
always put them together, right like King of the Mountain,
King of the Hill. But when we couldn't be outside,
(10:29):
that was like what we played.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Like if you could stay on the bed and you could.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Throw all your cirians and your cousin's off and your
friends like you were, you were winning the game.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
And I remember he was my teammate at the time,
Craig mcletty. I had him and he like was bullying
me a little bit and like being an asshole, and
he was like thick, so like I had his shoulders
at the This was a really fuck around and find
out moment for him, and I was.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
It was on his bed and.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
I was fucking throwing everyone off, and I was like
getting a jungle and literally threw him off and flipped
him off of the bed and he landed on a
turtle cage, sitting down. Glass everywhere, it like in him.
Nine to one one had.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
To be called. Blood was everywhere.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So pretty much what I'm saying is.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
You should have been a wrestler, should have been arrestling.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
Hey, it's never too late.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
I mean I still am in my thirties, you know
what exactly Hey, well, and this is what I love
is because you guys were literally doing the Royal Rumble
and you just in order to win sometimes you gotta
do some ugly moves to get people off.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
And that's just not.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
You know what, I am a competitor.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yeah, and really was a rich moment for my buddy
Craig that probably will never live that day down.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Oh no, you too stoned him. He got his rest
in peace. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
So as we were all performers at that a you know,
at a young age, clearly, why did we pick wrestling,
Because what I've heard is we were quite the soccer player,
I know, yeah, both of you little I.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Well, you know, yeah, it was weird because soccer, yeah,
we I mean, soccer was our lives and we were
on club and our team was doing incredible and Nicky
and I both I mean getting soccer scholarships. And it
was weird because our senior year was a really defining
moment for us. I unfortunately, my senior year, my boyfriend
(12:47):
passed away. He was killed by Yeah, he was killed
by a drink driver June. It was my senior year January,
and I kind of and now that was a big
turning point in my life. And I think, you know,
I was eighteen. You feel like you have the whole
world figured out at that time, and when something like
that happens, I just, I mean I gave up everything,
(13:08):
Like that was it for me, like kind of in
my eyes, you know, life was done. I wanted to
figure out something new, and so my my journey shifted.
And then Nikki unfortunately broke her leg in half.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Yeah literally right and in a high school game, which
you know, those not that they don't mean anything, but
for any of us who were club players and going
to college, like you had a pause it to like
be on your high school team, like at least in Arizona,
you weren't a lot of play club.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
You had to take those few.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Months off and it was in like one of our
last games and just snapped my tibia right in half.
And my god, yeah, and doing that your senior year,
a lot of things changed for me. And when I
look back, I could have fought through, but I wasn't
in the right mental place at that time. We had
a lot going on in our home, which was a
(13:58):
very broken home. Brie was going through everything with Bear.
That happened a week later, so it was like a
boom boom, Oh my god, and it just like Brie said,
there was a turning point. And when we both graduated
high school, we both just said at Arizona and we
drove to San Diego, where we were born and where
we had family, to start a new life. And then
(14:19):
soccer came back around for me, which it needed to
because I was just in a place where I had
so much trauma done beyond the soccer field, like just
stuff in my personal life that I needed that back
in my life to shape me. And that was kind
of crazy. Is then it brought in wrestling, yes, but yeah,
(14:39):
it was weird how we both had that turning point
senior year within a week of each other.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
That mean, it was like wow, yeah, I mean it
really changed everything. And I think what you know, when
Nicky and I when we graduated high school, were like,
let's get the fuck out of here. You know, we
did need a job and we were like, well, where
can we make some good money? We're eighteen, and that's
when Hooters came around, So we became Hooter girls.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Yet you love a good chicken, I mean.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Especially when you're from Florida. It's like, I gonic, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Totally iconic. And we had twin peaks.
Speaker 5 (15:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
I don't know if that.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
You know, we had it all in Florida.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
You guys did you did?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
No shame, no shame there.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I was like, dad, let's go.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
Yeah. But so what was cool is Nicky and I
being Hooter girls. You know, we always showed the wrestling
pay per views and we we watched wrestling.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
We just weren't big fans because.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
My brother was obsessed, but you know, we I saw
this thing that was on a search for female wrestlers.
It was called Diva Search and for anyone who ever
watched Glow.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (15:46):
It was kind of like that.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Where you're like, oh, okay, like yeah, I could be
a female wrestler, and you're thinking of your character and
you know her and I being athletic, where like we
just had the mentality that we can do anything. And
so that's how we stumbled across wrestling. Was wow, And
this is before social media. So this is straight up
a flyer like figuring.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Out pulled it at Hooters.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
No, it wasn't at Hooters. It was like we were
at this time. I got to say, movie. I know,
a movie. But that's what I like.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
When I look at kids nowadays, I feel like they
would even know how to function without social media and
all those things. I'm like, we all made it before
social media. Oh, thank you you can, thank God.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Thank God, thank God, Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
So grateful for that. But yeah, yeah we really did crazy,
we really died. I mean we be just so lucky.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
I college days, honey, in high school, I was.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
Like, whoa I would have Oh man, I'm very grateful.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
Yeah, what was not on record.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
So we just are like, we're going for this. We
make a group decision. Is this how you both operate
all the time. It's like you're both all in. I
assume you've never played on different teams who were always
on the same team always.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
Except I do have to say breathe though.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
When we got into San Diego and like a year later,
I started to play soccer again and she didn't. So
I was playing college ball. She would show up to
my games and like the littlest outfits making signs for me,
like with like some of our other Hooter friends and
they're all watching me play soccer. And then she came
(17:32):
to me about the devissearch and I was like, I
don't know. I'm like, they really wrestle, like it's not
like we have to wear bikinis or anything, and she's
like no, So that was like a different well and
you were.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
Thinking about playing pro soccer in Italy.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Yeah, because the women's league at that time had folded here. Yes,
I remember being talks with the Arizona heat Wave and
then when all of that went down, breaking my leg
and stuff, all that went away.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
Went to San Diego and then I went and played
a coach who knew of me.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
From Arizona was like, just come walk on, like it's
Grossmack College, like we could use your help. And so
he then was helping me find my place in Italy.
Right when she came to me about Divasearch, and I
had to make this decision do I go to Italy
and play soccer or do I.
Speaker 5 (18:21):
Go be a wrestler? And I fell in lave when
we went to that audition.
Speaker 7 (18:26):
I was like, oh, stay tuned, I'll be back in
just a moment. After this brief message from our sponsors,
do you guys like laugh.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
A little bit, like how do you take it?
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Like you have to be so, I mean, like I'm
so into it because I was raised on it, Like
are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (18:49):
It's hilarious, hilarious. How did you were?
Speaker 1 (18:53):
You were like, well, thank god I was a spice
girl all those years.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
In the morning room. Real well, and like really that helps. Yeah,
it definitely did well. And I think a diva search.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
When Nikki and I showed up, we had like ponytails,
no makeup on, and we made these tank tops. Mine
said Breezy Forsheesi and her said Nicole the show and
like when we walked in, but this is the best
we were and we're wearing like kicks and stuff. When
we walked in, everyone was dressed up as like go
go dancers and we were like, oh gosh, and she
(19:27):
was gonna kill me and I'm like, I swear this
is like all about wrestling, and she was like brief.
But then when we actually go on the audition, they
like tour us apart. They're like, your boobs aren't big enough,
You're not the look like we like walked out and
we were.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
Like what, well, no, we first kept promos on them.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
We went at them like, well you want to know
what this is what you all need to change about yourself.
And that's when we walked off. They go go get
those girls, we need them.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Oh, wait, are perfect, You're but your identity was born
in that moment.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
Yes, the guitar, we were definitely.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
But it was funny because when we had started training,
we would ree those moments of laughing when like one
would be selling like ah like doing this stuff because
in the beginning it is uncomfortable.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
You're like, can she just really hit me?
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Like I'd rather sell a real hit than like not
a real hit, for sure.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
I don't What I don't want is either one of
you hitting me. That's where I would really have to
draw the line and let alone. I saw the Ronda
Rousey moment.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I mean that chick would destroy me.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
Oh she's so crazy strong.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
So being in the industry for so long and then
when I knew I had, I was doing that story
with her. I remember the first time she gave me
a slam just like everyone else.
Speaker 5 (20:51):
I was like, oh that feels different.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
I was like, she's it was just had this power
to it where I was like, holy shit, like she's
a beast. That is a different breed of a woman
that slam any of her judo tosses she would do.
I was like, oh shit, I would never get in
an octagon against.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Her ever, No, no, thank you.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
But you've both been you've both been in the spotlight
now for so long, and I'm curious, you know, how,
how would you describe yourself today outside of you know,
the Bela Twins identity?
Speaker 2 (21:27):
What does that look like for you?
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Because you you know, I know you're back a little
dabbling back a little bit in it, but you know,
you've both been trailblazers in showing what's possible for women
in the WWE, which is a pretty male dominated sport to.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
Say the least.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
But like, how do you how do you show up now?
Speaker 2 (21:50):
What does that look like?
Speaker 5 (21:52):
Well, you know, I have a question.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
It is and you know, I have to say I've
been blessed because having a twin, we've kept each other
humble our whole entire you know, time on television. So
I feel like the journey for me has been easier
for maybe people who might go in entertainment solo because we,
you know, Nicky and I've always had each other. But
I think the greatest thing for me my identity is
(22:13):
I started to really write down because Nicky and I
love journaling, but like what makes me happy and like
what really makes my heart beat. So I was always
like drawn to the environment and being you know, an
activist for you know, the planet and animals and really
what I believe, you know, the voiceless. And I started
(22:36):
to realize like anytime I'm in that world, I glow
and like I feel like me and so I you know,
coming out of being like known as the wrestler, I
you know, now I feel like kind of like I'm
the planet's champion, Like I'm kind of like that's my
new tag partner. And that's really where I feel like
(22:57):
I see myself now in that world.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Well, because no one has really recreated themselves successfully as
much as you both, and that's like that is a
special thing to do because what I have noticed more
than anyone is when you become an athlete, you live
in that identity and you don't know what it's like
(23:21):
outside of it, and you get really fucking blurred vision
and you get jaded and truthfully, and I say this
with the utmost respect, like, we didn't cure cancer.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
We were performers.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Our job was to perform for the people, to bring
them joy, to bring them a moment of happiness, which
Jesus Christ is so.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Vital more than ever right now.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
But I will say that like walking away from the
WWE in this Bela brand was such.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
A huge move.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
What gave you that courage to step into this new
era of the Garcia twins.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
Yeah. So, you know, it's funny because.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
When we've talked about growth before the past two decades,
I've realized I've had a tremendous amount of growth and
it's uncomfortable and you get to see the results and
you put in the work and you get those results.
And the one thing that I've realized they always the
fans started to call me fearless snicky. What I realized
(24:26):
is over time I finally started to walk as fearless snicky.
It was more than a character, and when that time came,
it was like you make those decisions, but you stop
and you go away. I think God he put this
in my path and I could either make a stand
for myself and for women and for my worth, knowing
(24:47):
that tomorrow I'm going to still see the sun rise.
The career might look different, but the things that truly
matter my son, my sister, my surroundings, my family, my
faith that's going to I'll be there and as long
as I know God has me, then like, I know
things are.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Going to be okay.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
And I feel like for Bree and I, we just
knew in that moment we had to stick to what
we believed in. And when we made that choice, I
started to be like, wait, I'm truly now living as
fearless Nicky. I'm finally fearless in my decisions beyond the ring,
and I'm finally I've recognized my worth and I know
that if something goes away, then it wasn't meant for
(25:26):
me now and maybe it'll come back, which it has,
because it was kind of like taking my stand of
like knowing what was right and I love that, yeah,
and standing for that and so that.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Yeah, that's actually that's a great It's such a powerful answer,
and it's it's so beautifully said. And I like when
I think about that, you know, when I think about
like even when I knew it was time to step away,
it's one thing knowing in, one thing doing right. You
(25:58):
two have done podcasting companies, wine companies, beauty companies, clothing companies.
I mean you meet reality shows like you have checked
so many boxes. My real question is when did you
When did you really realize like a wee can be
(26:19):
something so much bigger than just wrestling.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
Ah, I love that.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
I think it was honestly the reality show Total Divas,
you know what it was. It was like when we
filmed the pilot. I'll never forget all of us girls
being like, do you think the world's really going to
care about like female wrestling and let alone us female wrestlers.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
And I think when the.
Speaker 4 (26:42):
Show went like it was just a huge hit, it
was almost like whoa people care? And then you all
of a sudden realized your platform and then people are
listening and like people were getting invested, and I just
remember thinking like wow, like NICKI and I knew like
all sudden, like we're something more than just in the ring,
(27:03):
people started to care who we were outside of the ring,
and that's when we finally we knew, like, okay, we
can instead of dropping, you know, drop kicks from the
top rope, our whole lives, like we can do something
more than just that.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
Right, we totally found our power and who we were
and and our worth because I feel like for so long,
and we've talked about this, it's like everyone makes you
believe like you're gonna be nothing without us. You better listen,
you better you know, follow the rules and do all
the things, and you start to believe that, like I
(27:37):
need them, I need them, And the reality show really
started to make us believe like, wait, people are interested
in us and who we are, our lives, the barriers
we've broken, our journey of you know, how tough childhood
could be, or you know, our ups and down showing
the ugly People appreciated that the bicker between sisters and
how siblings are we were very real and wrong. People
(27:59):
got it catch that, and I was like, see, no
more can they tell me that I'm you know, can
be replaced because my journey, my life, who I am,
I can't be replaced in this exactly people are now
attached to it, and now our worth is gone beyond
the ring and the turning point.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Well and I, NICKI and I are really big into affirmations,
and we're all told whether you're an athlete and an actor,
anyone who has a face on television, you're always told
you're replaceable. But her and I our affirmation was we
are not replaceable, and we always told each other that
and to this day we still feel we are not replaceable.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
We are not That's it right.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
You can fire me, but I'm not replacing at all,
that's for sure. I'm just meant to be somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
But knowing you're worth and running with it and not
running away from it because it's scary, and you know,
taking a chance on yourself, like betting on yourself is
the most beautiful gift you can give, sure, and I
don't think enough women do it. In between wine, beauty,
business media like y'all really have built an empire. Here
(29:11):
is where I'm curious, the business work life and the
family life.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
How do you both keep it together? Like it's I.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
You know, it didn't work out so well, but I
was married to my teammate and it was fucking hard
to do the family life and the business life together.
And it was like, Okay, we can try to stay
as buttoned as we can, but sometimes those lines are
blurry and are hard, and money creeps in, competitiveness creeps in.
(29:42):
How have you done this for so long and separated
the two work family life balance?
Speaker 5 (29:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
I think the biggest thing is we let go of
ego a long time ago.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
Yeah, that's been a big thing for you.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
So that part because for Nicki and I, there's gonna
be times Nicki's doing more than me, and then there's
gonna be times I'm gonna be doing stuff. And like,
you know, Nicki went through a hard divorce last year,
and I never once was like, you know, she needed
time to herself and figure herself out, and I was like,
I got everything. I'll do solo episodes on the podcast.
(30:20):
I hope they're good. I don't know, we'll see. And
even with the wine brand, I stepped in because Nicki,
you know, there was stuff and I think if I
had EGO, I would have been like counting how much
I was doing compared to her, But instead I wanted
to help and I think we that's why we've been
the greatest tag team. It's not only in the ring,
(30:40):
but I think outside the ring, we've known how to
show up and be there for each other. And I
feel like that's made me a better mom, a better wife.
Speaker 5 (30:48):
I feel like she knows.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
There's times I'm like, my husband still travels, and I'm
like he and I just need a weekend together, and
she'll get it and be like, let me take over
at the you know, tasting. So I think just her
and I being having good communication, it's made us better
moms and being able to balance personal and business.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
And I think as well as we know each other's
strengths and weaknesses, and we know each other's personal even
though we're identical twins, we understand each other's personality traits
very well. She knows things that make me grumpy. I
know things that make her grumpy and so, and we've
had a work on that that didn't just happen. We
had have a life coach, we had, we had to
(31:29):
have people help us iron out those things. I also
working doing family life and work life. We've made sure
that we do things we're passionate about so it doesn't
feel like work and we don't carry that into the
home and then also things that our children can be involved.
So we knew moving to Napa Valley we get to
be hands on in our wine brand. But then we
(31:50):
get to bring the kids out for farming, for harvesting. Yeah,
my gosh, they get to learn about things. We pop
them in into the speak easy and they're right there
with us doing things that times. And so we've made
sure to do things where we can involve them. And
I still feel like there are days that I'm trying
to figure out balance because I'm a big yes person
and I have to teach myself to say no to
(32:12):
things or I'm just always thinking ideas or how can
we do this and can do that? So I'm still
on that journey of finding the perfect balance. But because
I love being a mom and I know that's first,
and I love all the stuff we do, whether it's
our companies wrestling. At least I'm not drowning in my
unbalanced if that makes sense. Yeah, So when things don't
(32:35):
feel balanced, I'm still so happy with everything, and I'm
doing that. When you're on the lack of sleep, well
you know it's like it's fine.
Speaker 7 (32:46):
This is wide open and I'm your host Ashlyn Harris,
thanks for listening.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
You say it often though you both are very you know,
you're mindful, you do the work, you do the affirmations,
you give yourself grace, Like all of these things are
so vital and so important. I wish I was a
lot more gentle on myself as a young professional, because
no one like that was the thing for me. Like
(33:17):
I was so fucking hard on myself. Like sometimes I'm like,
let yourself off the mac dude, Like it's like it's
not life or death. And you speak about motherhoods so
beautifully and it changed my perspective on so much. But
I'm curious, like, as you know, you both are unbelievable moms,
(33:39):
Like has that changed your perspective on success and ambition?
And you talk about balance and all of these things.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Like I would have been as I would have been.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
Such a good player if I could have balanced being
a mom during my whole entire career. Because my lens
completely fucking change once I started having kids.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
Oh yeah, oh my gosh, even with me.
Speaker 4 (34:05):
I mean I walked away from the ring because I
thought to myself, stability for my children, and you know,
there's some women, they do a great job of bringing
the kids on the road and handle it all. But
I realized, I'm not meant that, Like I wasn't made
that way. I'm more of a homemaker. I'm I like
my kids to have a scheduled the way I had
(34:26):
a schedule as a child, like go to school, come home,
go outside and play. I have chickens, I garden. I
make them a part of it all. And that's just
the way that motherhood works for me. And I give
credit to the women who travel, but when I say travel,
they bring their kids because I still travel as a mom.
My husband and I it's been great. We sit down
(34:46):
and we you know, really go over our schedule. Sometimes
we both look at each other like, well we ever
see each other because they like take turns, like you know,
going out and doing our work. But I think the
most important thing for one is to figure out the
mom you want to be and the life that you
want to give your kids, because there's not a wrong answer,
(35:07):
it's just figuring out that answer and then doing it.
Speaker 5 (35:10):
Because if you're kind of confused.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
On the way you want to raise your children, I
think that's when motherhood becomes tough. Like I know exactly
how I want them to be raised, and we do
it and there's no confusion.
Speaker 5 (35:23):
It's just like, this is what it is, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
It, and it has to be aligned, you know with
your partner, Oh for sure. The biggest thing, like if
you're not on the same page on how you want
to do this, oh my god's get sticky real quick.
Speaker 5 (35:36):
Oh so sticky. And you know, I was a lot
like you.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
It fully changed me becoming a mom, Like I just
became selfless, like I was just such a hustler and
so focused on the career. And it also changed me
though as a businesswoman, where I realized I'm going to
work enough to have great success, but enough to where
(36:01):
I know we'll have a good life. And I don't
need more than that. I just need enough to have
an incredible life. Make sure everything for him in the
future is great. But I want to take in every moment.
I don't want to look back and go, oh, I
miss these big moments with him. I want to be present,
and that's even in my companies. I want to be present.
But like, being present is so big for me, and
(36:23):
it's funny the goals I used to have before him
even of like certain like numbers that I wanted, whether
it was our companies or myself to get to. And
it's crazy how much that's changed because now I'm like,
this is all we need for this or that, and
then I get all this amazing time to go get
pumpkins and carve them or whatever it might be, go to.
Speaker 5 (36:43):
A fall festival. You realize that's like the real wealth.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
And absolutely for sure that Yeah, I completely agree. And
you know, I know we were talking about this earlier
with the landscape of the world and how we want
to raise these beautiful children and all of us have boys, yeah,
and we have I'm not going to say it lightly
(37:07):
a huge obligation to raise these children in this current
landscape and environment on how they choose to show up,
especially how they choose to treat women. And you two
or us three, we're powerful women who run and play
in a male dominated world in male.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
Spaces, Like how do you raise your boys? Like how
how do you like what are the greatest lessons you're
teaching them right now? Because it is so important and
I think we need to make sure we're holding ourselves
accountable as we give these young boys the tools to navigate.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
This world for sure.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
I mean the biggest thing is compassion. I think you
can teach compassion, everyone's born with it, but to still
instill it and our children is a huge thing to me.
And also manners respect even Buddy, and I always tell
him like ladies first, because I think being a gentleman
goes a long way.
Speaker 5 (38:11):
Now.
Speaker 4 (38:11):
Granted, I'll open doors up for men, and I don't
care like I don't need to always go in first,
but it's the it's teaching like our boys to be gentlemen.
To me, yes, like it's gentleness. I want them to
be gentle man like. So I'm really big with Buddy
especially My son is wild.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
He is all of these boys out here.
Speaker 5 (38:35):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
So I'm like, you know, the gentle part, I think
is very important to teach our boys to be gentle.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Yes, and I always instill kindness. I tell Mateo, we
constantly are using that word kindness. I'm saying how kind
he is when he does certain things. I'm like, that
was so kind, or when someone does something for him.
I always make sure to point that out. And I'm
going to raise him where he will be very respectful
(39:04):
with women, like he and what is so great?
Speaker 5 (39:08):
This was really cute. He said this a little bit ago.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
He asked me if I could be a Lego master
and I was like, you know, baby, mommy's just not
the greatest at building legos, but that's something new and
your daddy do. And I bet you and daddy both
can be Lego masters. I'm like, what do you think
mommy can be? Then, and he goes, Mommy, you know
you work really hard. You're a hard worker, that's what
(39:32):
you are. And like my heart, I was like, oh
my gosh.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
You know that.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
And it's just what I've realized too with these boys
because they have badass powerful moms yes watching us, so
they're already going to have an appreciation for women because
of how we are, which is amazing. You realize they
watch more than us talking to them, and so it's
always I'm always mindful about being that leader in the
(39:59):
home and what he sees for sure, and how I
am with others in my interaction. But I am going
to make sure, like I always joke, and it's funny
because people on social media like go after me because
I always a'm like, yeah, I'm raising feminist gentlemen and
people get so mad with that word feminist, and I'm like, no,
(40:20):
the thing is is my son is going to respect
and appreciate women and their hard work and know that
he's an equal with them. He's not better because he's
a man, but he could be a gentleman. But he's
just going to appreciate people for what they do. That's
It's going to be nothing with what they look like,
who they are.
Speaker 5 (40:37):
It's just going to be how they give things exactly.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
And you and Nikki, I love that you said this
because we are in the landscape of giving people permission
to be very cruel and like spiteful and hateful, and
it's I'm curious, like because I've experienced it and it penetrates,
Like you can say what you want about me as
(41:01):
a public like person and the way I move as
an athlete, and you can be an asshole all you want,
but you don't know me as a mom, Like you
don't know how I operate, how I am with my kids,
Like that's such a sacred space.
Speaker 2 (41:15):
How do you too protect your piece?
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Because people are fucking awful, awful and awful and it's
like the amount of abuse that I see and I
read I'm like, whoa, Even if I try not to
read it, it is always there. So how are you
too protecting you know, your home and your family and
your peace. When it comes to the way you're moving
(41:39):
into life as public figures.
Speaker 5 (41:41):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 4 (41:42):
My husband, he and I promised each other. We're like,
there's so much that's out of our control, and We're like,
but what we can't control is our environment with our family.
And we always say we have our positive bubble, and
like we we can. We have the control of how
our home fills, who steps into our home, what we
(42:04):
surround our kids with, and that's people, what they watch
on television, what we you know, do as a family.
And so I believe like really having that bubble. And
then when it comes to social media, I mean, I'm
gonna be forty two, so I'm just like guns ablazing
with the metal fist caution amazing.
Speaker 5 (42:22):
I like can give two shits.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
It almost makes me like giggle when people like say
shit about me because I'm like like whatever, it's like funny,
but like I've been able to really work hard on
like I don't get bothered by any of that.
Speaker 3 (42:38):
And for me, like what I've realized is I had to,
like I post Matteo way less because I don't want
to give people the opportunity. And then I got into
a place where I really wanted to protect them, and
especially how public the divorce got.
Speaker 5 (42:53):
Yeah, and just so.
Speaker 3 (42:57):
Many untrue things out there and oh yeah lies and
all that, like it made the lioness was always there,
like we're there the moment these babies come into a world, right,
But it really I grew king of the jungle, like
I protect my cub And then I started to realize
so much too, is why do I give people certain moments.
(43:20):
I did it for a decade on TV, and then
I'll share these moments with you, but you then a
second later are such a terrible human being.
Speaker 5 (43:30):
So it really made me protect it.
Speaker 3 (43:32):
And people will still say things like I got a
little triggered earlier because so because you're never with your son.
And I've had to correct people so many times, I go,
let's reword this sentence. I never post my son. There
is a difference because and my life coaches taught me, okay,
if that was triggering, why And you know today I
had to tell myself that was triggering to me because
(43:53):
I worked so hard as a mom every day that
no one sees day in and day out.
Speaker 5 (43:58):
They don't know the days.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
And that triggered me because I'm tired and I I've
had We've had a long maybe week or whatever, and
I'm not being appreciated. You know, I don't have a
sure So I was like, Okay, that was my trigger,
and now I'm good and ill appreciate yourself.
Speaker 5 (44:16):
You were such great we've been through.
Speaker 3 (44:19):
You were in a robe and drove Mantoto Sea on
air balloon Sunday morning. You were pretty much naked, but
he got to see them land and.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
You know what, I know, it's so good.
Speaker 1 (44:30):
So you know you too. You've done so much and
you've you know everyone U you know, everyone knows how
fantastic you've been with your careers and you were trailblazers
to really open the doors and show what's possible for
women to do what you do and make a great
living doing it. For two women who do so much,
(44:51):
what's next?
Speaker 2 (44:53):
What do we check? What do we check?
Speaker 1 (44:54):
I mean, you've checked almost every box. I know there's
got to be something.
Speaker 5 (44:58):
Yeah, why where we just talking?
Speaker 1 (45:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (45:01):
We were just talking about something the other day. We
wanted to put on our vision board.
Speaker 5 (45:05):
What was it?
Speaker 3 (45:06):
Was it owning a winery by fifty Well, now not
that that's one of them.
Speaker 5 (45:12):
There was something, there's something we wanted.
Speaker 4 (45:15):
I mean, you know, NICKI and I we've like, we've
always talked about a talk show because we're like, it
would be super hot. But then sometimes when I look
at the schedule and we're like, is that.
Speaker 3 (45:27):
When the kids, When the kids leave the home, that's
when we're empty nesters.
Speaker 5 (45:31):
We could go there too. Yeah, I'm like, that's way
down the road.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
I know.
Speaker 3 (45:35):
For me, I would love like just getting a taste
of being in Happy Gilmore too, And like a lot
of our storylines got cut, but I really enjoyed being
on set and what I liked about it is my
character was so different from who I am, and that's
what I love about wrestling too, when I get to
be a bad guy that I was like, I missed
(45:58):
that kind of fun play being a character. So I
would love to do more movies, but that only keep
me on set for like three weeks on and off.
I can't go do a movie for three months. I
don't know how people do that as parents And oh yep, careers.
Speaker 5 (46:11):
Do you know what I mean? That's like so right?
Oh yes, I didn't even think. Yeah, that was why
herd on me.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
That's why my fortieth birthday is in New York City.
The day after my birthday, she goes to Ottawa to
shoot a movie. So oh see, so no my Orca
for me.
Speaker 5 (46:29):
Well, well, I'll go to my YORKA.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
So this this surprise party, better be yet, be good?
Speaker 5 (46:36):
Better come to you.
Speaker 1 (46:38):
There better be a beautiful ocean views. Yeah where they
better bring sand in?
Speaker 2 (46:45):
I don't know it. Better feel like my orc.
Speaker 1 (46:48):
I love that you both, well, thank you both for
coming on the show. And I know we we we
have so much in common. I've been so grateful for
our time that we get to spend. What I love
so much is not you know, the jobs that we've
done to give us the platforms we have. It's the
way we show up for women, the ship, the way
(47:11):
we show up to advocate for women, like we really
want to change this world and make it better. And
I find that such a beautiful gift and what a
cool opportunity to leave this place better than we found it,
and you two live it. So I've been drawn to
(47:31):
you since the moment. We've met, and we've got we
got to keep we got to keep fighting like hell
and keep living our truth and being as authentic as
we can. So NICKI and Bria appreciate you both being
on the show.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
And until the next time.
Speaker 1 (47:48):
Right kick it together and have a little sippy sippy exactly.
Speaker 4 (47:52):
I would love you, you guys, and you come to us
here in Napa Valley, come to Yes, we'll get a
week because massages, wine Taste Dane will do it all.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
You had me at massage and I know me like
I need.
Speaker 2 (48:08):
I'm that kind of girly now.
Speaker 5 (48:10):
Yeah, yeah, I love it.
Speaker 3 (48:12):
And anytime you need two bad asses to show up
for some extra voices, where we got your back.
Speaker 1 (48:18):
So done done, We're here in the well.
Speaker 2 (48:21):
We roll in a deep group. I love that.
Speaker 5 (48:23):
Yeah you do?
Speaker 1 (48:24):
All right? Well, thanks everyone for tuning in for another
episode of Wide Open with Ashlin Harris, Nikki Brie. You
are a dreamboat both of you, and I know we're
going to have many more conversations to come. But until
next time, We'll see you next week.
Speaker 5 (48:38):
Yesy bye.
Speaker 7 (48:45):
Wide Open with Ashland Harris is an iHeart women's sports production.
You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts. Our producers are Carmen Borca, Coreo,
Emily Maronov, and Lucy Jones. Production assistants from Malia Aguidello.
(49:05):
Our executive producers are Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder.
Our editors are Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder and I'm
Your Host Ashlyn Harris
Host
Ashlyn Harris
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