October 1, 2025 • 50 mins
What happens when the world knows your name… and you refuse to be defined by just one thing?
In this episode, I'm joined by Drew Lachey — singer, Broadway performer, and co-founder of Lachey Arts. From topping charts with 98° to raising a family while running a community arts program, Drew shares the mindset shifts, personal lessons, and surprising pivots that shaped his journey.
👉 What You'll Discover:
• How years of creative collaboration shaped his approach to partnership and success
• Why Cincinnati and family remain his foundation and keep him grounded
• The unexpected joy he discovered in elevating others, from building Lachey Arts to empowering DIYers on HGTV
This isn't just a look back at pop stardom — it's a reminder that true breakthrough is about building something meaningful when you step out of the spotlight.
✨Connect with Drew:
Instagram + Facebook: @TheDrewLachey
TikTok: @DrewLachey
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Discover which hidden block is holding you back and get your personalized breakthrough action plan.
👉 https://offers.thisistbc.com/block-quiz-lp
📖 The Story Reset Method Workbook
Rewrite the stories holding you back and design your next chapter.
👉 https://offers.thisistbc.com/the-story-reset-method
💛 Follow Traci & The Breakthrough Collective:
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🌐 Website: ThisIsTBC.com
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...Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
For us, it was very important that we that we had a
way that we could give back uhsimilar to how people invested
in us when we were kids.
At this point, I don't have theenergy to try and to try and be
something I'm not.
SPEAKER_01 (00:13):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (00:14):
I feel like dance with the stars was very
important in my in my maturationas a as an artist.
Did you know you were gonna win,or did you think you were gonna
win, or did you feel it in yourbones?
SPEAKER_02 (00:27):
It's me too.
And when I get on the mic, youknow we're about to have a good
time tonight.
Real growth.
Real growth, that's a fact.
So go ahead now, sit back andfollow a thought.
You'll see that nothing isimpossible because together we
become unstoppable.
We know that taking action isthe objective.
So get ready for thebreakthrough collective.
(00:49):
This is the BreakthroughCollective where your story
matters, your courage counts,and your next chapter starts
now.
I am sitting down with DrewLachey from 98 Degrees to
Dancing with the Stars winner toHDTV host.
He has mastered the art ofreinvention while staying true
to his Cincinnati roots,building a life and career with
(01:11):
his high school sweetheart,Leah, and using his platform to
champion arts education.
Drew understands that a truebreakthrough isn't just about
reaching new heights, it's aboutlifting others up along the way.
So let's dive in.
SPEAKER_00 (01:27):
Hello.
SPEAKER_02 (01:28):
What's going on?
SPEAKER_00 (01:29):
Make me sound like I did something special.
Like I got like a loftyexpectations to live up to.
SPEAKER_02 (01:35):
He paid me for that.
So um so we have known eachother when we met through Leah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:41):
A million years.
SPEAKER_02 (01:42):
A million and one years.
Um, and I was one of the dancerson uh the 98 degrees tour, the
revelation tour.
SPEAKER_00 (01:49):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (01:50):
So is there anything you want to say to our
listeners?
SPEAKER_00 (01:54):
I'm just very happy to be here.
Um very excited to be here.
I'm I'm so happy for you in thischapter and and excited to be a
small part of it.
And and uh I'm I'm loving whatyou're doing.
SPEAKER_02 (02:03):
So and we're happy to have you here as well.
So should we just dive in?
SPEAKER_00 (02:06):
We can dive in.
SPEAKER_02 (02:07):
I mean I can have my questions here.
Okay, so you and Leah have beencreative collaborators.
SPEAKER_00 (02:15):
Why we gotta start with the question that with I
mean, I am my own person.
Can I not have my own No, youcannot.
Okay, I get it.
So you guys have beencollaborators for 25 years and
Yeah, we've collaborated with 98Degree stuff, her as our
choreographer.
Uh, and then that's kind of youknow transitioned into uh us
(02:35):
creating a nonprofit togetherand producing shows together and
and all these things that we'vebeen doing for the past you know
15 years.
So um, yeah, it's been it's beena lot of collaboration.
SPEAKER_02 (02:46):
Yes.
As someone who's used to beingpart of a group dynamic, because
you know, you're used to beingin 98 degrees.
So obviously when you're withLeah, it's it's different.
SPEAKER_00 (02:57):
No, it's a different dynamic, yeah.
Yeah, it's it's it's differentbecause you know the the the
group dynamic is you know, it'sthe four of us and we we vote on
everything, and you know, andthen our manager is usually the
tiebreaker, and not thatanything usually gets to that
point, but it's uh you know, itvery much is just a a pure like
numbers vote goes.
(03:19):
You know, Lee and I, we're quitedifferent with the Yeah, it's
it's it's it's different becauseyou know it's just the two of
us.
There is no tiebreaker, usuallylike you'd be the tiebreaker,
probably.
Yeah, um, but it's also there'sa lot more, you know, going back
and forth and dialogue about thechoices.
And um it it it definitely ismore of a um I would say more of
a collaborative effort um asopposed to four guys who all
(03:42):
like kind of have their theirown opinion and yeah um you know
so I I think it it's just adifferent dynamic and you know I
can't ever I can't ever escapeher, you know.
She's she's you know with me allthe time.
So um, you know, it's it's notlike I can be like, all right,
I'm going home, forget you guys.
You know, be like, all right,honey, I'm going to the other
(04:02):
room of the house and you know,getting away.
Um, but I think there's also a Imean not there's not respect
between the guys, but I thinkthere there's a different level
of respect between between us.
SPEAKER_02 (04:13):
Yeah, plus you don't want to go to bed mad.
SPEAKER_00 (04:16):
Yeah, plus, you know, it's there's that I don't
want this being held over myhead for like the next 40 years,
you know.
Like exactly that one time youdidn't agree with me.
Um yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (04:25):
Yeah, he's talking about you.
She's here, so okay.
So your show, Date My House, isabout helping people fall back
in love with their homes.
Yeah, right.
What's the most surprising thingyou've learned about how our
physical spaces reflect oureternal emotional?
SPEAKER_00 (04:46):
Oh, I I think there's a a direct a direct
correlation.
I feel like if people aren'tcomfortable, aren't, aren't, you
know, feeling secure in theirown space, they're never gonna
be able to feel you know free tobecome who they're their best
version of themselves.
So um, you know, my myperspective on on like DIY and
and renovation is more like yourhouse is gonna be one of your
(05:08):
longest relationships thatyou're ever in.
So, you know, get to know eachother, you know, get to know
what makes each other tick.
You get to know what makes eachother mad, you know.
Um, don't put wipes down thetoilet, you know, it's it's
things like that.
Gonna make your house mad atyou.
Um, and I feel like there usedto be a a um a focus on, you
know, home economics and shopand and and and classes in
(05:31):
school that taught you aboutsome of these things.
They don't have that anymore.
No, they don't have themanymore.
So people literally go into homeownership or or off into
adulthood knowing nothing aboutyou know any tools to use or how
your house works at all.
So, you know, my my kind ofideology on that is let me tell
you a little bit about how yourhouse works, yeah.
(05:52):
So that you feel a little bitmore comfortable making the
choices, deciding what you'regonna do and change.
And uh and I feel like that kindof that strength and
independence in in your spacecarries over into your into your
daily life as well.
SPEAKER_02 (06:05):
So is that where you learned um how to fix things
from a s your class in school?
SPEAKER_00 (06:11):
No, I I I was part of like a scenic shop class,
which you know taught me how touse power tools.
So I wasn't like scared of like,oh, here's the miter saw and and
those kind of things.
But for me, I got I got takenadvantage of by a contractor
when I was you know 23 yearsold.
You know, I had somebody come into do drywall and you know they
didn't do it, uh didn't do itright.
And I brought the painters inand they were like, the drywall
(06:33):
is not done.
And I was like, no, I paid him.
They're like, oh, it's not done.
So um from that point on, I waslike, Exactly.
He couldn't get him back on thephone.
Really?
Um yeah, so the paintersfinished it, but at that point
on, I was like, I'm not gonna, Ineed to know these things so I
don't get taken advantage ofagain.
Um, and so that was kind ofwhere where my journey into So
(06:54):
your high school teacher can'ttake credit for the pace.
SPEAKER_02 (06:57):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (06:57):
I mean, they can.
I don't know how much of it'strue, but yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (07:00):
Okay, I got it.
You've gone from being the oneperforming for audiences to
helping homeowners and musicaltheater creators find their
voice.
What's different about theenergy you get from elevating
others uh versus being in thespotlight yourself?
SPEAKER_00 (07:17):
It's gonna sound weird, but I I I think of myself
more as an introvert than anextrovert.
SPEAKER_02 (07:23):
Well, um, I know explain, do explain.
SPEAKER_00 (07:26):
So, like my job, my job is that I have to be
extroverted.
I have to be, you know, putmyself out there and and be, you
know, as charismatic aspossible, and and some might
even say charming.
Um at times.
What's going on?
I know, but no, no, no.
Um, but I feel like when I'm notin that world, I am I'm more
(07:46):
comfortable not being the centerof attention of of kind of being
in in the background and andhelping other people, you know,
kind of see their visionsthrough.
So um I don't need to be theloudest voice in the room, I
don't need the one drawing allthe attention.
Um, you know, I feel morecomfortable sometimes just kind
of sitting back in the cut andbeing like, hey, you know,
(08:08):
seeing what's going on.
And yeah.
And I feel like when you dospeak then, yeah, your words are
more powerful than if you'retalking all the time.
Correct.
Um yeah.
So the the for me being ablethen to sit back and see what
other people want to have, youknow, as their dream, yeah, and
and help, you know, guide themor or lead them or just give
(08:32):
them advice on on you knowwhat's worked for me um is a
very rewarding place to be.
SPEAKER_02 (08:38):
Yeah.
And I've watched you because II'm always telling you and Leah
that you guys are changing livesbecause you have these, they
were students before, and I knowwe've known them since they were
like 12 or whatever.
And I'm always like thestudents, but now they're grown
up and they're cast members.
SPEAKER_00 (08:53):
Yeah.
And yeah, no, it's it's um, soour nonprofit, Lachey Arts, and
and you know, the shows thatwe've created have they become
extended families.
You know, they become part ofyour life.
You you are invested in theirsuccesses, you are you are
heartbroken at their failures,but you see their failures as
growing moments, and you'rethere to try and be that that
(09:15):
voice of reason, be like, allright, what can we learn from
this?
How oh great, you didn't getthat audition, but what did you
learn in that audition that youcan apply to the next one and
and trying to be that that voiceof reason or that that um that
sounding board for them to togrow and achieve their dreams
and and reach their fullestpotential, uh whether it's in
the arts or whether it's financeor education or whatever,
(09:36):
whatever it is they want to do.
Um, you know, just trying to bethat that person that can that
can help um you know be positiveand and you know re reaffirm
that that they're on the rightpath.
SPEAKER_02 (09:47):
Yeah.
You've stayed rooted in uhCincinnati and you have on your
Cincy Shirts hat, youre-representing and stuff,
always um, and you've been therethrough various career changes.
SPEAKER_03 (10:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (10:02):
In an industry that often demands you move to LA or
New York, and you you have livedin New York and you have lived
in LA.
Um, what has staying home taughtyou about success and that you
might have missed beingsomewhere else?
I mean, you could talk about NewYork.
SPEAKER_00 (10:20):
Yeah, no, so um I moved to New York when I was 18,
not because I had theseaspirations of doing theater or
anything like that, but this iswhere Leah moved when you were
following your love.
Yeah, basically, yeah.
So I went I went a differentpath.
You know, I went into the I wentto the military and then you
know, I came here because shewas here.
And then um, so that was my howmy journey in New York started.
(10:41):
And, you know, I drove anambulance in New York, I worked
at a houseware store.
I wasn't like living someshowbiz lifestyle, you know.
I was, you know, eating ramenlike every other, you know,
18-year-old in New York was andand trying to to go there.
And then I I think, you know, mymove to LA initially was for 98
degrees and to get signed andthings like that.
(11:01):
So um, you know, for me, NewYork and LA were always somewhat
attached to uh to work or somesort of job or things like that.
But even when I lived in NewYork and LA, it was always, all
right, we're gonna go home toCincinnati.
It was always home toCincinnati, where they were
going just to visit, it wasalways home.
Um, and then once Leah and Istarted a family, we started it
(11:24):
in LA.
We lived there for a decade.
So, I mean, it wasn't like wewere just passing through.
Uh, we had set up routes, but itit never felt it never felt like
home.
Like home.
Um, and then when we thoughtabout how we want to raise our
kids, it was always, you know,with the the kind of childhood
that we had both had, you know,the being able to ride your bike
and you know, go out and play inthe woods and have that kind of
(11:46):
more carefree lifestyle and umbeing close to grandparents.
And I think I think for me, likewhen you say success, like what
is success?
To me, success is the fact thatyou're able to give your child
that that childhood.
All right.
And you're able to give themthat family, that that support,
that that carefree, if there issuch a thing, carefree life that
(12:10):
isn't quite as hectic or asmaterialistic or as whatever
adjective you want to throw inthere as some of the the the
major cities, you know.
Um there's not as much of akeeping up with the Joneses in
Cincinnati.
There is a a normalcy to it.
While we still have great artsand sports and you know
everything that that a big citymight have, um there is a there
(12:35):
is a grounded nature to being inCincinnati.
And to me, that is success.
Like being able to give that tomy kids, um, regardless of you
know how many records you sellor whatever TV shows you do,
that's that's success.
SPEAKER_02 (12:47):
I love Cincinnati.
It has changed because when wewere first on tour, wee bit
ghetto.
But the downtown area.
I'm from the South probably, soI can say that.
SPEAKER_00 (12:57):
Yes, the downtown area.
SPEAKER_02 (12:59):
But now it's like the culture is like it's feared.
SPEAKER_00 (13:04):
Yeah, so Cincinnati's always had a really
you know rich, you know, artshistory.
You know, it's you know, a lotof artists came from the whether
it's music or whether it'svisual arts or you know, you
know, whether it's the you know,the design for the Brooklyn
Bridge was tested in Cincinnatiwith our our bridge.
SPEAKER_02 (13:20):
Oh, he's showing out now.
SPEAKER_00 (13:22):
He's like, we represent and and you know, if
everybody's like, oh,Cincinnati, it's it's
Midwestern, but you know It's abig city, it's Midwestern, but
it's either like a big, smalltown or a small, big town, which
whichever way you want to lookat it.
But um the food is good.
It is good.
What do you think about SkylineChili?
SPEAKER_02 (13:39):
Okay, so Skyline, when I first had it, I was like,
I don't really like this.
But then I got used to it, andthen um I what do I always get?
The burrito?
SPEAKER_00 (13:52):
Yeah, yeah, you get the burrito.
SPEAKER_02 (13:53):
And then this great is but what I really enjoy is
when Leah cooks um the uh it'sthe sausage thingy.
SPEAKER_00 (14:02):
The sausage thingy.
It's a the big beanie?
SPEAKER_02 (14:05):
Like no, it's it's something that has to do Leah
getta.
SPEAKER_00 (14:10):
Oh, getta.
SPEAKER_02 (14:10):
How do you not know that?
SPEAKER_00 (14:11):
I mean, he's well the sa I don't I don't consider
that sausage.
SPEAKER_02 (14:14):
I mean it's it's that's isn't that like it's
pork, but it's not sausage.
SPEAKER_00 (14:19):
I mean it's bake is b is is bacon sausage?
No.
Is that you know pork choppedsausage?
This is what it has to gothrough.
It's pork.
SPEAKER_02 (14:27):
Okay, getta.
Yeah, get it.
SPEAKER_00 (14:29):
Yeah, yeah.
And for people that don't walkno don't know what Getta is.
Getta is um it comes in a a law,kind of like a us like sausage
patties do, and you cut it up.
Um but it's a mixture betweenpork and and pinnoats.
Um and it's it's German.
SPEAKER_02 (14:43):
Guten Tag.
SPEAKER_00 (14:44):
Yeah.
Okay, yeah, um Sausages,kindergarten.
SPEAKER_02 (14:51):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (14:53):
Um, so you know it's it's uh part of our our German,
our German roots and Germanheritage and society.
SPEAKER_02 (14:58):
I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (14:58):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:59):
Okay, so you guys opened a bar, Lache Arts.
SPEAKER_00 (15:04):
The bar was Lache Arts.
SPEAKER_02 (15:06):
Sorry.
SPEAKER_00 (15:09):
Yes, we're bringing your 12-year-old to the bar.
Yes.
You have a baby in a bar.
SPEAKER_02 (15:16):
You guys opened a bar, Lachey bar.
SPEAKER_00 (15:19):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (15:19):
You know what I meant.
SPEAKER_00 (15:20):
Yes, I didn't know I do know what you meant.
Yeah, so uh we did we did open abar uh in Cincinnati called
Lachaise.
Um, and it was a moment in time.
Yes, it was a moment that Inever need to live again.
Okay.
Um, you know, it was fun.
It was fun at at moments, youknow, having having that, you
know, that staff, and they wehad got along great, and it was
(15:43):
great for our our customers.
It was just it was a lot a lotof work, a lot more.
I mean, the fact that we hadlike a full kitchen and it was a
scratch kitchen, it was just itwas it was a lot, a lot more
than than you know we we everanticipated it would be.
SPEAKER_01 (15:57):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:58):
Um, you know, so when it when it closed, it was
it was sad, but there was like alevel of stress stress that was
just lifted off of me that I waslike, ah you were able to
exhale.
Now I don't have to be scaredevery morning when I open my
emails and see what you know theprofit loss margin was the day
before.
Um, but you know, it wassomething creative that we were
able to do.
I mean, we designed it from theground up and we had a great
(16:20):
partners and great architect.
And um, but it was uh it was aneducational process, um, and it
was fun, but I'm not sad thatit's it's right no longer
exists.
SPEAKER_02 (16:33):
It closed after a few years, right?
SPEAKER_00 (16:35):
Yeah, yeah, I think we were open for four or five
years.
SPEAKER_02 (16:36):
Um so what did that experience teach you about
taking risks in business thatyou've applied to your current
ventures?
SPEAKER_00 (16:47):
Um, so I I think you know, I was always very, very
adamant, you know.
So Nick always has alwaysdreamed of like the sports bar
thing, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (16:58):
Uh because he Well you guys are really interested
in the world.
SPEAKER_00 (17:00):
Yeah, we're we're big sports fans.
SPEAKER_02 (17:02):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (17:02):
Um, and but it was always like his dream.
No bangles.
Yeah, go hood.
Um but but you know, I wasalways like, you know what, it's
a really risky business, youknow.
The you know, I quote all thethings about more restaurants
fail than succeed and blah,blah, blah, blah.
And I've never actually said Itold you so to him.
Uh but he knows.
SPEAKER_02 (17:20):
Are you saying it now?
No, I'm not gonna do that.
SPEAKER_00 (17:23):
I'm gonna say it because he knows.
Um but uh but I think it wasmore of a it doesn't matter how
much how much effort you putinto it, how much blood, sweat,
and tears, how great the ideamight be.
Yeah, some things just aren'tgoing to work.
Um, you know, there there werecertain signs that we had along
the way that could have beenlike, all right, maybe we maybe
(17:45):
we pull back, maybe this isn'tthe right location, maybe, maybe
this isn't the right time, maybewe need to move it somewhere
else.
Um, but we we were like so, no,this is what we're gonna do,
we're gonna do, we're gonna do.
Yeah, that we just kind of triedto fit a square peg into a round
hole a little bit.
Um, you know, so you know, I Idon't want to say that I I don't
(18:07):
regret doing it.
SPEAKER_01 (18:08):
No.
SPEAKER_00 (18:09):
Um, but it it definitely did teach me a little
bit more about all right, read,read, read the leaves a little
bit more.
Like if the world is telling youand and the universe is telling
you that might not be the rightthing, just take a step back,
regardless of your ego and howmuch you think you can you can
shape it, take a step back,reevaluate, look at it again
(18:30):
from every direction, uh, beforeyou really kind of pull the
trigger.
SPEAKER_02 (18:34):
But I'm sure with even the craziness, it was
probably fun to do somethingwith your brother.
And then also I'm sure he was heappreciated your support as
well.
SPEAKER_00 (18:42):
Oh, no, I mean, and I yeah, I it was a blast to do.
I mean, everything from you knowpicking out the the menu to the
you know your signaturecocktails to which beers you
were gonna have on tap.
I mean, uh yeah, then my myfavorite beers are are usually a
little more obscure.
Um, so it was nice to be able tohave my play around my favorite,
(19:03):
my favorite beer on tap.
I walk in.
There's one just literally sliddown the bar to me real quick.
Yeah, he I always joke it likein Cincinnati, I'm Norm from
Chicago.
Like I walk in, people are like,Drew.
I'm like, yay, yeah.
Um, and so I really felt likethat there, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (19:19):
That feels good though.
SPEAKER_00 (19:20):
Yeah, I had my I had my spot, I had my my place to
go, and you know, um, it felt itfelt good to be contributing
back to the city of Cincinnati.
Um but yeah, I mean Nick and Ihave worked together for five
thousand years, 30 years.
Um, you know, so it's it's ourour dynamic uh in in the group
is very similar to our dynamicin life uh and and in in the bar
(19:44):
and probably any venture that wewould go into.
Uh I'm the smart one and he'sthe dumb one.
No, okay.
SPEAKER_02 (19:49):
Okay, we'll see what he says.
SPEAKER_00 (19:53):
Have him have him uh you know his side of it, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (19:57):
Uh a little different.
Um you're investing in the nextgeneration through Lache Arts.
Yes.
Um was there a moment in yourown artistic journey that made
you realize that every childdeserves access to creative
expression?
SPEAKER_00 (20:13):
Oh, absolutely.
Um, yeah, so Lachey Arts wasformed because um Lee and I both
grew to the grew, went to theschool for creative performing
arts in Cincinnati, which was apublic school, part of the
public school system.
You cost you nothing to gothere.
And for us, that was ourexposure to the arts.
You know, she started there inthe fourth grade, I started in
the fifth grade, and we wentthere all the way through high
(20:35):
school.
Uh Nick, Justin, they they alsowent there.
Um, you know, so for us, we comefrom fairly modest backgrounds.
Right.
Um, and we wouldn't have hadaccess to private voice lessons
or theater or or you know, fouror five hours of dance a day,
you know.
Though that just wasn't in thecards for us.
(20:56):
So had we not had um a a way todo that through through the
arts, um, through the performingarts, we we wouldn't have had
that education and we wouldn'thave had the lives that we've
had.
Right.
Um, so for us it was veryimportant that when we um
started, you know, thinkingabout a nonprofit and what it
would look like, that it wasaccessible to everyone.
(21:19):
Um, you know, our our missionand our our mission statement is
that, you know, the arts shouldbe accessible to everyone, not
just those that can afford it.
Um, and and there's so manystudies about, you know, how the
arts impact kids and theireducation and and how they view
themselves and how they see theworld and and work ethic and
discipline, all these things.
(21:39):
Um, but it also is just you knowthe the sense of pride that uh a
child or a teenager can get fromyou know having a goal and
achieving that goal or having afear and overcoming it or you
know failing and failing andfailing.
But then after you know, tryingto hit that double pirouette
multiple, multiple, multipletimes, but and then once they
(22:01):
get it and you see their faceand you see the the pride that
they had and and the the factthat they realize I kept working
at it and then I was successfulat it, those are lessons that
that lead forward and intoadulthood and and the rest of
your lives, regardless ofwhether you're a performer or
not.
Yes.
Um, and so for us, it was veryimportant that we that we had a
(22:21):
way that we could give back uhsimilar to how people invested
in us when we were kids.
SPEAKER_02 (22:26):
I always say that educators don't get enough
credit.
Uh who is a mentor during yourchildhood or high school that um
stands out that you'd like to belike give a shout out or oh I
mean I I think for me there werethere were a lot of so I'll I'll
just put this out there.
SPEAKER_00 (22:45):
I was not a good student.
I was not, I was a I was a I wasa I was a teenage boy.
SPEAKER_01 (22:52):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (22:53):
So I for anybody that I was a douchebag.
I I was So what's the differencenow?
SPEAKER_02 (22:59):
Between then and now more gray hair.
SPEAKER_00 (23:02):
That's that's the only difference.
Um no, I I think for me, youknow, my I didn't understand the
gift that I was being given atthat point, so I didn't take
full advantage of it.
SPEAKER_02 (23:14):
Leah, on the other hand, I think she was like five,
six seven and eight.
SPEAKER_00 (23:18):
Well, this is this is what I want.
She she just kind of stoked itup like a sponge.
I was kind of there because yourmom told you to go.
No.
Well, no, I I was I was youknow, I was a kind of a class.
Did you go because Nick wasthere?
No, Nick went there because Iwas there.
SPEAKER_02 (23:34):
Okay, we can he's filling the T.
SPEAKER_00 (23:36):
No, I I auditioned first.
Yeah, I got in.
People were like, Oh mygoodness, you know, you're going
to the performing art school.
And then Nick was like, oh, waita second.
I can do this too.
And so you can picture that.
Yeah, he uh he auditioned andthen got in and then he was
like, move out the way.
Yeah.
Um so I think birthday, too.
Oh, yeah.
I think that was what you mighthave.
(23:57):
I don't know, my country tis ofthee, something.
Um but then for me, it it kindof um you know started to take
shape as I as I you know got outof the military and got a little
discipline and got a littlefocus.
But um my private voice teacherum who actually has worked with
Lachey Arts for since we startedit, uh Lori Wyatt was probably
(24:19):
one of the the biggest umadvocates for for me.
Um, you know, finding confidenceand finding a voice and finding
um you know the the you know thethe drive uh to to kind of keep
singing and and you know foranybody that's an artist,
there's there's always a levelof insecurity when you go into
(24:42):
and you you do something.
So I still when I hear myselfplay back in a recording session
or something, I'm still like, ohman, oh um Do you still get
nervous when you're right beforeyou go on stage to perform?
No, on stage I feel very I feelvery at home.
I feel very comfortable, I feelvery at home.
I don't care if there's fivepeople in the audience or 500
(25:03):
people or 5,000.
I feel comfortable there.
Um, and which kind of goesagainst the introvert thing that
I said before.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But it it and maybe it's becauseI have you know, you have a
social battery.
So I give so much of my socialbattery in those moments that I
have to like sit back and likerecharge.
I don't know.
I'm sure, I'm sure there's sometherapist listening that's gonna
(25:23):
be like, oh what there's a lotto unpack here.
Um, but for me, that's yeah, Ifeel I feel very comfortable, I
feel happy, I feel natural onstage.
Um, yeah, there's not reallynervousness at all.
I feel like, hey, this is thisis what I do.
SPEAKER_02 (25:41):
Performing with 98 degrees is about the group.
SPEAKER_00 (25:45):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (25:46):
But with dancing with the stars, it put you in
the spotlight alone.
SPEAKER_00 (25:50):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (25:51):
Um you were judged week after week.
How did stepping into thatvulnerable vulnerability shape
your approach to taking creativerisks?
SPEAKER_00 (26:02):
Um, honestly, I think so.
For everything I had done up tothat point, uh, like you said,
it was group.
It was group, group, group.
So there's strength in there'sstrength in numbers.
SPEAKER_02 (26:11):
Yes.
Um and confidence too, right?
You have more fun in that sense.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:15):
Yeah.
So you have somebody that'sthere.
If if you're having a bad day,there's somebody to pick you up.
And there's a little bit of thaton dance with the stars with
your with your pro partner, butit was everything.
I mean, it was completely it wascompletely foreign to to me.
Like I had done, you know, ourboy band steps.
SPEAKER_01 (26:32):
Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_00 (26:33):
Very different than the waltz or you know, the cha
cha or whatever dance you weredoing that week.
Um, so for me, I feel like dancewith the stars was very
important in my in my maturationas a as an artist because it
gave me a platform to be like,you know what?
You really don't look foolishwhen you're trying 100%, but
(26:56):
when you feel like you'reguarded, that's when you look
foolish.
When you're not invested 100% insomething, that is when you you
you have a risk of lookingfoolish.
If you go 100%, you try hard,you try hard, and you try hard,
at the very least, you gave iteverything you had.
So I feel like for me, you know,whether it was wearing a
sequined shirt or you know,something like that.
SPEAKER_02 (27:17):
Sometimes it wasn't like, you know how some people
are like, oh, it's not thatmasculine, ballroom dancing
isn't for that.
It's like some people feel thatway, but you're you know, it's
you're pushing through.
SPEAKER_00 (27:27):
Yeah, and I feel I feel like they're like it
changed the that show has kindof changed that stigma a little
bit.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Like there is something verymasculine about being able to
partner.
And um, you know, so I feel likeit helped me grow a lot as a as
an individual performer.
Um, you know, it it it pushedme, it challenged me.
(27:49):
It was one of those things thatwe were talking about about you
fail, you fail, you fail, youfail, but then you succeed, and
that kind of gives you theconfidence to go and do more and
more.
Um, and that's kind of what thatshow was for me as well.
Um, you know, and I had no ideawhat I was signing up for
either, you know.
I signed up for that was stillrelatively it was the second
season, but it was the first, itwas the first season that was
(28:10):
that format.
Um so it was kind of like theyhad a pilot season that like
John O'Hurley and Kelly Monacoand Joe Mack were on.
Um, and and I didn't watch itthe first season.
Leah did.
Right.
Um, but then once it camearound, she was like, Oh yeah, I
remember that show.
And I was like, Well, maybeit'll pay for our our nursery
because Leah was pregnant.
(28:31):
Yeah.
Um, and then next thing youknow, I'm rehearsing eight hours
a day, six days a week, youknow, pulling muscles, and you
know, and then it just keepsgoing and keep going and keep
going.
And it kind of helped shape whoI was.
You know, I had done I had donerent before that, but um Mike
Nichols, who, you know, is afamous, famous, famous director,
(28:54):
uh, was directing Spam a lot,and he after Dancing with the
Stars, he reached out to meabout being at Spam a lot and
opportunities.
Yeah, I mean, so it it it reallydid kind of change not only how
I saw myself as a performer, butalso the the the platform and
how other people saw me as aperformer as well.
SPEAKER_02 (29:10):
So did you did you know you were gonna win or did
you think you were gonna win, ordid you feel it in your bones?
SPEAKER_00 (29:17):
I didn't I didn't know.
Um, you know, was I the bestdancer on the show?
No.
Um but did I I feel like Ioutworked everybody, and that's
always kind of been part of mymo is like no one's gonna no
one's gonna out hustle me.
You know, no one's gonna outworkme.
(29:38):
Yeah, I mean, I'm not gonna ifI'm gonna if I'm gonna fail, I'm
gonna fail giving it 100%.
Yeah.
Um, you know, so for me, youknow, once it got down to me and
and Jerry Rice as as as thefinals, I was like, all right,
this this might be this mighthappen.
Yeah, yeah.
This might happen.
Um But you know, up to thatpoint, I was like, I'd stay.
(30:00):
Casey Keebler, you know, who wasyou know legs for days, like
high kicking next to me, and I'mlike pulling muscles and um but
yeah, it was uh it was it was ait was a great learning uh
learning situation for me.
SPEAKER_02 (30:14):
It was fun to watch you do your thing and
congratulations on that.
SPEAKER_00 (30:18):
Yeah, it was only 19 years ago now.
SPEAKER_02 (30:19):
Okay, see, and and does Leah take full credit for
you winning?
SPEAKER_00 (30:25):
Uh yes and no.
Um she so I would go, shewouldn't be a part of like the
rehearsals up until our ourfreestyle.
Um but after the show, like whenthe judges would give their
critique, and I'd of course getall upset about it and take it
personally, she'd be like,they're right.
(30:45):
She'd be like, Yeah, your turnsdo stink, yes, your shoulders do
go up.
Yes, you do need to learn how toembarrass me.
SPEAKER_02 (30:52):
Yeah, basically she's like, get it together.
I had a reputation top playing.
SPEAKER_00 (30:56):
So um, and then with our freestyle, um, she
definitely contributed to thatas far as like yeah helping,
because that's that wasn't therewasn't a stitch of ballroom in
that, right?
Um, but yeah, it was it wassomething that you know it was
my whole family was basicallyinvolved, you know.
Yeah, she was always in theaudience, Nick was in the
audience, you know.
I had people rooting for it.
SPEAKER_01 (31:15):
Yeah, to give me credit.
SPEAKER_02 (31:16):
I was nice.
SPEAKER_00 (31:17):
Like, you were, you know, you, Harold, Angie,
everybody was there, you know,cheering beyond.
SPEAKER_02 (31:21):
See what happened?
SPEAKER_00 (31:22):
I don't know.
SPEAKER_02 (31:24):
Okay, so we both have older siblings, right?
And I think that two people cangrow up in the same household
and have like different takes onthings, right?
So, what's your favorite memoryabout growing up and what was
your biggest challenge as beingthe younger brother?
SPEAKER_00 (31:44):
Well, I think I think there's one thing like
growing up as siblings, yeah,you know, but it's another thing
growing up as siblings being,you know, either having older,
like for me, having an olderbrother, you're like the same
gender gender.
Yes, yeah, it is different.
You know, so it was like I go inmy third grade class and uh Mrs.
DeGraffin Reed would, or I guessthat was my fourth grade, she'd
be like, Nick, Drew, you know,like it's like you're like, all
(32:08):
right, I get it, I get it, I getit.
And and we we we don't look liketwins, but there's there's
definitely a resemblance.
SPEAKER_02 (32:14):
So um parents do that too.
Yes, like my mother would callme Rotten.
I'm a I'm a girl.
SPEAKER_00 (32:19):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, my granny would go throughliterally every one of the
cousins before she gets tosomebody's name.
Yeah, yeah.
Nick, Buck, Jared, you know,yes, you and the blue shirt.
Yes, you.
Um, you know, so I feel likethere there is there is always a
little bit of a um anexpectation of who you are based
on the older sibling.
(32:39):
Um, you know, for better or forworse.
I mean, if your older sibling isa troublemaker, people are
automatically is gonna assumethat you're gonna be a
troublemaker.
Um, you know, in my case, Nickwas like like straight A
student, like always wanted tomake sure he was doing the right
thing.
I was and then there was you.
Yeah.
And I was I was more of the theclass clown.
(33:00):
Like all my teachers liked me.
Yeah.
Um, and I think it was more of anow Drew.
SPEAKER_01 (33:06):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (33:07):
You know you can get you can do better than you can
get straight A's.
SPEAKER_03 (33:10):
Do better.
SPEAKER_00 (33:10):
Yeah.
But I just didn't, I didn't, Ididn't care.
That wasn't what I was therefor.
I was there for like hanging outwith my friends and because I
had to, you know.
Um, you know, so for me it wasalways kind of like, and I don't
know if that was partiallybecause like I was trying to
separate myself and and be myown person, and like, yeah, I
don't need to get straight A.
(33:30):
See, that that's him.
SPEAKER_01 (33:31):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (33:32):
I'm somebody different.
Um, but I I mean I I definitelydo, you know, we're we're a lot
alike in a lot of ways, youknow, because we grew up with
the same um, you know, kind ofupbringing, the same, you know,
moral compass, the same, youknow, going to church and the
same the same things we grew upwith.
SPEAKER_02 (33:51):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (33:51):
Um, but it's amazing how two people that grow up in
the same environment can alsoYeah, have a different take on
things have different takes onthings.
SPEAKER_02 (33:59):
Um and did you I don't you may I don't think you
said your fate do you have afake memory?
SPEAKER_00 (34:03):
Oh like um I mean uh yeah I I mean we we would go
camping a lot, um, you know, andthere was there was one time
that we were Nick and I wereexploring in the woods on a
camping trip, and he went tojump out onto what would look
like an island, like out in thepond, and we were gonna go
exploring further out into theinto the pond.
And it wasn't actually anisland, it was just a pile of
(34:26):
dry leaves sitting on top of thewater.
So he went.
So he went and he went through,and the leaves kind of were like
sucking him down a little bitinto the water.
Um, and so I just sat there andI laughed at him and watched him
dry.
No, I didn't um, you know, I Iwent and got a stick and like
you know, reached out for himand and you know, he would grab
(34:49):
the stick and came over backover to the land.
Um, but it was like things likethat.
But then it was also like I rodemy bike into a lake at one
point, you know, and then himlaughing at me or or you know,
yeah, so much of my my mymemories, my core memories
clearly are my childhood, butthey involve him.
I mean, our parents divorcedwhen we were when I was three.
(35:12):
Um, and while my dad was alwaysaround, um, you know, it was him
and I.
Yeah.
So um, you know, whether it washim breaking my collarbone or,
you know, whether it was, youknow, him rooting for me and
dancing with the stars.
So many of my my my memories areare with Nick.
(35:32):
Yeah, with him.
SPEAKER_02 (35:33):
I love it.
Um, you just reminded me ofwhen, so like I said, uh I was
one of the dancers with 98Degrees.
And so at the time that we wereon tour, it was 98 degrees,
InSync, Backstreet Boys, severalother groups.
Janet was on tour.
Um, but and I we had friendsthat were other dancers in the
other uh groups, but they whenwe I would explain us hanging
(35:57):
out all the time, they'd belike, we're not doing that with
with them.
So we went whitewater rafting.
SPEAKER_00 (36:03):
Oh, it's a good thing.
SPEAKER_02 (36:04):
And so it was it was uh it's so it's the crew, it's
the band, the drummers, and thenit's the band, the singers, and
then it's the dancers, so it'severybody, and you know, because
especially you guys arecompetitive, and so we were
trying to beat them and makesure that because I think some
of them were like a level fiveand all this stuff.
SPEAKER_00 (36:23):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (36:24):
And then um we were doing well, and then I don't
know how is it cap we capsize?
Like we went, but like in anumber five, yeah, and then like
rope was around Leah's neck, andI'm like, oh god.
SPEAKER_00 (36:38):
See, I there there's multiple versions of this story
floating around.
But you know, we we go over theyou know, there's a drop and we
go over the drop, and then weare the back of our our raft
gets stuck back under thewaterfall.
Yes, so we fill up and then itgets literally flipped and we
get spit out and it getscapsized, and then they were
(37:01):
laughing.
Yeah, you you go out one side ofthe raft.
I think you and I were on wentout the same side of the raft.
Leah went out the other side ofthe raft.
SPEAKER_02 (37:10):
Something was like wrapped around her neck, you had
to go save her, and then youcame back.
I don't remember that part.
Yeah, and then how how good of aswimmer are you?
No, okay, and then I don't knowhow all of them managed to get
into other boats, and somehowI'm on top of the big caps I
drink.
Look at like a homeless person.
(37:30):
And then all of a sudden thelady comes over and she's like,
you know, you have to get backin the water.
And I was like, because youknow, Jaws just comes to mind.
SPEAKER_00 (37:37):
I'm getting the river.
SPEAKER_02 (37:39):
Listen, that's how it came about, the movie.
SPEAKER_00 (37:41):
And there are a lot of great whites in the rivers in
West Fort.
SPEAKER_02 (37:45):
Which darks can get in water that they're not
supposed to be in, yes.
Uh-huh.
And anyway, it was crazy.
That's what you remember.
SPEAKER_00 (37:53):
No, and and I actually have a VHS tape of our
rafting trip of that trip.
Um, so we have to pull that out.
I have to find a VCR first.
SPEAKER_02 (38:03):
Okay, yeah, I know.
SPEAKER_00 (38:04):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (38:05):
But we're gonna transfer, we're gonna transfer
it.
Okay, so between music,television, theater, and now
home renovation, you'reessentially a storyteller across
different platforms.
What's the common thread in howyou approach narrative
regardless of the media?
SPEAKER_00 (38:21):
I think it's authenticity.
Yeah.
You know, um, and I'm not a bigfan of that that word because I
feel like it's over it'soverused.
Oh, it needs to be authentic andorganic.
And but it's true.
It's it's a lot of what I do isbased on who I authentically am.
Um you know, who I am on stagewith 98 degrees and the way I
(38:44):
talk to our audiences and andour fan base, and it's me.
I'm uh I'm a smart ass.
I I don't hide it.
I'm sarcastic.
I am, I am just a little bit.
Um, you know, so I don't try andbe something I'm not.
Um and I think that that hastaken time to get to the point
where, you know, we started out.
I was 19, 20, 20, 21 years old.
(39:07):
And it was there was a lot ofthis is the way you're supposed
to behave.
This is you can't say you have agirlfriend.
You I can't do this, you gotta,you gotta have this kind of
swagger.
Oh, when you know, you guys, wewant you guys to be the white
Joe to see.
And like we were like, whoa.
I mean, there are like lots oflike trying to figure out who
you are.
Yeah.
Yeah.
At this point in my life, I amwho I am.
(39:30):
And I'm um fairly unapologeticabout it at this point, too.
Yeah.
Um, so that's who I am when I gointo a rehearsal process for a
show.
Uh whether it's live theater,I'm I try and be, I try and be a
generous, you know, cast memberwith my fellow actors and try
and be there and be supportiveand and uh you know the work
(39:53):
ethic, uh that's always gonna bea part of it.
Um, but I feel like you know,I'm I'm almost 50 years old and
I at this point.
Oh, you both gramps over here atthis point get your cane out.
At this point, I don't have theenergy to try and to try and be
something I'm not.
SPEAKER_01 (40:10):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (40:11):
Um and so I it's it's just trying to be authentic
as as who you are and how youapproach the story that you're
trying to tell.
And and so I feel like that'sthat's probably the biggest
thing, just being authentic.
SPEAKER_02 (40:22):
Yeah.
You have been with Leah sincehigh school.
Actually, you kind of met youknow a little bit before that,
but we met in the fifth grade.
SPEAKER_00 (40:31):
But yes, yeah, since high school.
SPEAKER_02 (40:34):
Since high school.
Um you've both evolved and asartists and individuals.
How do you balance staying trueto who you were when you first
met versus becoming who you'remeant to be?
Um like your purpose.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (40:52):
Well, I didn't know who I was when we first met.
I mean, I think that's that's uhthat's true for most, you know,
uh teenagers.
Yeah, I mean, and uh and thepressure that they feel now to
have to have it all figured outand pick the right college major
or you know, put the right thingup on social media.
I for the I'm not a fan ofsocial media.
(41:13):
It's a beast.
I I I don't think it's I don'tthink it's helpful in in most in
most uses and for most people.
Uh I think it's actuallydetrimental.
Um so you know, for me at 16when we started dating, I didn't
know who I was.
Um and I feel like that is a bigpart of why we've been able to
(41:34):
stay together is because wefigured out who we were together
and we were supportive of who wewere becoming uh at the same
time.
And and neither of us neither ofus put what we wanted to
accomplish or what we wanted todo ahead of somebody else.
We we were both able to ventureoff on our own paths and find
success on our own, having thesupport of the other person.
(41:57):
Right.
Not being like, oh well, youwhat what what am I gonna do if
you go out on the road?
Or what are you gonna do if Ibook this show?
It was like, go get it, dude.
Live live your life to thefullest, and and I'll be here
for you.
SPEAKER_02 (42:10):
Like, and that's a true partnership, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (42:12):
And we're as we're each other's biggest
cheerleaders to this day.
Um, you know, I think we have amutual lever of artistic
respect, but also just likehuman life respect, um, which I
think is is key to any any goodrelationship, but especially a
happy marriage.
SPEAKER_02 (42:29):
Yeah.
You have two beautiful kids.
If Izzy and Huddy, um who isyour godson?
My godson.
Oh, he doesn't care that he's mygodson.
He's like, hi on Tracy.
SPEAKER_03 (42:44):
He does.
He does.
He does.
SPEAKER_02 (42:45):
I love him.
Um if Izzy and Huddy remembernothing else about your career,
what's the one lesson from yourjourney, the successes and the
setbacks that you hope theycarry forward?
SPEAKER_00 (42:58):
Honestly, I don't I don't care if they remember
anything about my career.
Um I just want them to rememberwho I was when I approached
anything.
Right.
And how I how I try to treat anyproject I worked on, whether I'm
building a a table or whetherI'm going on Broadway.
(43:20):
I I approach any project withthe same work ethic.
Like I want to figure it out.
I want to I want to do I want todo this project with with as
much respect as I can for whatit needs to be.
Um I want to challenge myself.
Um, you know, so it's a it's ait's a very I try to approach
everything with a veryblue-collar work ethic.
(43:41):
Yeah.
Like I will grind and grind andgrind and grind until I till I
figure it out, until I get goodat it.
Um and that's kind of what whatI want them to to remember about
me.
I don't I don't need them toremember dancing with the stars
or that I wanted or you knowrecords or shows or whatever.
I just want them to remember howI approach everything that I did
(44:02):
with a with a appreciation and astrong work ethic.
SPEAKER_02 (44:06):
I love it.
You are expanding into a new umHGTV role.
SPEAKER_00 (44:14):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (44:15):
Um you return to HGTV more than once, you know,
helping people transform theirspace.
What keeps pulling you back tothat work and what can you share
about this new chapter?
SPEAKER_00 (44:28):
Um, so there's I I can't I can't tell a ton yet.
I haven't gotten I haven'tgotten the clearance yet to to
talk too much about it.
Um but I think for me, like thehome design, the home
renovation, there is a there isa a sense of pride that I found
that I got from from doing thatfor our for our homes.
(44:50):
Um that I want to I want to helpshare with other people.
I want other people to be ableto feel that same thing.
And and also it's expensive.
Um not not not everybody cantear down a load-bearing wall
and put in a support beam and doall this thing.
So finding ways that I can helpencourage people um to to
challenge themselves to not bedaunted or intimidated by you
(45:11):
know projects.
Right.
Um, you know, so for me, thereis a a chapter of or or a part
of who I am that feels the mostcomfortable doing those things.
SPEAKER_03 (45:23):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (45:24):
Um, you know, I love working with my hands.
I love seeing the before andafter.
I love having a problem andfixing it.
Um it's rewarding.
Yeah, it is very rewarding.
Um, you know, so for me, youknow, as I go into more of like
the the DIY space and as I'm asI'm venturing more into that
space, that's kind of what Iwant other people to feel is
(45:45):
that sense of accomplishment andpride for tackling a project um
and and just teaching everybodythat they too can drew it
themselves.
SPEAKER_02 (45:54):
Yes.
I love it, I love it, I love it.
You know that we end eachepisode with a quote.
Is there a particular quote thathas helped guide you through
your career or your life ingeneral that you'd like to
share?
SPEAKER_00 (46:08):
Um, so there was a quote that that I had from for
it was on my it was my seniorquote.
SPEAKER_02 (46:13):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (46:13):
Um like on your yearbook?
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
And it's one that that I don'talways live, but it's one that I
try and remind myself uh fairlyregularly of.
And it's um man does not ceaseto play because he grows old.
He grows old because he ceasesto play.
So what I take that to mean isfind the joy and the happiness
(46:38):
in you know, everything that youcan.
Yes.
You know, because the more youdo that, the more you, you know,
more joy you find, the youngeryou're gonna stay, the younger
you're gonna feel, the, themore, the more childish
exuberance and enthusiasm thatyou approach things with, yeah,
it's it's just going to keep youyounger at heart.
Um, and as somebody that canfeel very serious at times and
(47:00):
very, you know, goal-oriented.
And um, you know, I I feel likethat to me, that quote is a good
reminder of how I want to livemy life.
I want to live my life withchildish enthusiasm and the joy
that that you know a little kidhas.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (47:16):
I love it.
Is there anything that I didn'task that you want to share?
SPEAKER_00 (47:22):
I think I I I have a question for you.
SPEAKER_02 (47:24):
Oh.
SPEAKER_00 (47:26):
So as you venture into these different chapters of
your life, yes, and you trythese new things as you know,
someone who has written booksand a creative director and
producer and all these things,what is it that you find that is
the common thread that links allof your different chapters?
SPEAKER_02 (47:44):
You know, and it's funny because I do, I have so
many different things thatexcite me um that I get excited
about.
Uh I I want to say that my withanything that I do, I always
give 110%.
And it reminds me of the uh theadvice and the support that my
(48:08):
mom always gives me.
Um and so that's what I think isthe okay, don't make me cry.
SPEAKER_00 (48:15):
Mama swing was always gonna come up at some
point.
SPEAKER_02 (48:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (48:19):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (48:21):
Wait, God, no.
SPEAKER_00 (48:23):
No, this is you know, there there's like we were
talking about how you're you'reyou're shaped by people, you
know, and how some siblings canhave the same environment, but
you know, they take differentthings out of it.
You know?
So Mama Swain, she yeah, she wasalways she was always around.
She would come to our concerts,she would be there cheering.
(48:46):
She's still there cheering.
Yeah.
You know it.
SPEAKER_02 (48:50):
And see, now I'm mad at him for me.
But um yeah, I think that that'slike the the through line that's
always there, like always give110%.
Um, I remember all the thingsthat she says, like even things
that don't have to do withbusiness, like you choose your
friends, you don't let themchoose you.
(49:11):
And so I just try to, whatever Ido, whether I'm working for
someone else or a project formyself, I always want to give
110%.
So anyway, this is crazy.
Um, so anywho, thank you so muchfor hanging out with me.
SPEAKER_00 (49:33):
My pleasure.
SPEAKER_02 (49:34):
And thank you for being here.
And keep breaking throughbecause we are just getting
started.
And so now I gotta go away mytears.
SPEAKER_00 (49:44):
Wear them with pride, babe.
Wear them with pride.
For us, it was very important that we that we had a
way that we could give back uhsimilar to how people invested
in us when we were kids.
At this point, I don't have theenergy to try and to try and be
something I'm not.
SPEAKER_01 (00:13):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (00:14):
I feel like dance with the stars was very
important in my in my maturationas a as an artist.
Did you know you were gonna win,or did you think you were gonna
win, or did you feel it in yourbones?
SPEAKER_02 (00:27):
It's me too.
And when I get on the mic, youknow we're about to have a good
time tonight.
Real growth.
Real growth, that's a fact.
So go ahead now, sit back andfollow a thought.
You'll see that nothing isimpossible because together we
become unstoppable.
We know that taking action isthe objective.
So get ready for thebreakthrough collective.
(00:49):
This is the BreakthroughCollective where your story
matters, your courage counts,and your next chapter starts
now.
I am sitting down with DrewLachey from 98 Degrees to
Dancing with the Stars winner toHDTV host.
He has mastered the art ofreinvention while staying true
to his Cincinnati roots,building a life and career with
(01:11):
his high school sweetheart,Leah, and using his platform to
champion arts education.
Drew understands that a truebreakthrough isn't just about
reaching new heights, it's aboutlifting others up along the way.
So let's dive in.
SPEAKER_00 (01:27):
Hello.
SPEAKER_02 (01:28):
What's going on?
SPEAKER_00 (01:29):
Make me sound like I did something special.
Like I got like a loftyexpectations to live up to.
SPEAKER_02 (01:35):
He paid me for that.
So um so we have known eachother when we met through Leah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:41):
A million years.
SPEAKER_02 (01:42):
A million and one years.
Um, and I was one of the dancerson uh the 98 degrees tour, the
revelation tour.
SPEAKER_00 (01:49):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (01:50):
So is there anything you want to say to our
listeners?
SPEAKER_00 (01:54):
I'm just very happy to be here.
Um very excited to be here.
I'm I'm so happy for you in thischapter and and excited to be a
small part of it.
And and uh I'm I'm loving whatyou're doing.
SPEAKER_02 (02:03):
So and we're happy to have you here as well.
So should we just dive in?
SPEAKER_00 (02:06):
We can dive in.
SPEAKER_02 (02:07):
I mean I can have my questions here.
Okay, so you and Leah have beencreative collaborators.
SPEAKER_00 (02:15):
Why we gotta start with the question that with I
mean, I am my own person.
Can I not have my own No, youcannot.
Okay, I get it.
So you guys have beencollaborators for 25 years and
Yeah, we've collaborated with 98Degree stuff, her as our
choreographer.
Uh, and then that's kind of youknow transitioned into uh us
(02:35):
creating a nonprofit togetherand producing shows together and
and all these things that we'vebeen doing for the past you know
15 years.
So um, yeah, it's been it's beena lot of collaboration.
SPEAKER_02 (02:46):
Yes.
As someone who's used to beingpart of a group dynamic, because
you know, you're used to beingin 98 degrees.
So obviously when you're withLeah, it's it's different.
SPEAKER_00 (02:57):
No, it's a different dynamic, yeah.
Yeah, it's it's it's differentbecause you know the the the
group dynamic is you know, it'sthe four of us and we we vote on
everything, and you know, andthen our manager is usually the
tiebreaker, and not thatanything usually gets to that
point, but it's uh you know, itvery much is just a a pure like
numbers vote goes.
(03:19):
You know, Lee and I, we're quitedifferent with the Yeah, it's
it's it's it's different becauseyou know it's just the two of
us.
There is no tiebreaker, usuallylike you'd be the tiebreaker,
probably.
Yeah, um, but it's also there'sa lot more, you know, going back
and forth and dialogue about thechoices.
And um it it it definitely ismore of a um I would say more of
a collaborative effort um asopposed to four guys who all
(03:42):
like kind of have their theirown opinion and yeah um you know
so I I think it it's just adifferent dynamic and you know I
can't ever I can't ever escapeher, you know.
She's she's you know with me allthe time.
So um, you know, it's it's notlike I can be like, all right,
I'm going home, forget you guys.
You know, be like, all right,honey, I'm going to the other
(04:02):
room of the house and you know,getting away.
Um, but I think there's also a Imean not there's not respect
between the guys, but I thinkthere there's a different level
of respect between between us.
SPEAKER_02 (04:13):
Yeah, plus you don't want to go to bed mad.
SPEAKER_00 (04:16):
Yeah, plus, you know, it's there's that I don't
want this being held over myhead for like the next 40 years,
you know.
Like exactly that one time youdidn't agree with me.
Um yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (04:25):
Yeah, he's talking about you.
She's here, so okay.
So your show, Date My House, isabout helping people fall back
in love with their homes.
Yeah, right.
What's the most surprising thingyou've learned about how our
physical spaces reflect oureternal emotional?
SPEAKER_00 (04:46):
Oh, I I think there's a a direct a direct
correlation.
I feel like if people aren'tcomfortable, aren't, aren't, you
know, feeling secure in theirown space, they're never gonna
be able to feel you know free tobecome who they're their best
version of themselves.
So um, you know, my myperspective on on like DIY and
and renovation is more like yourhouse is gonna be one of your
(05:08):
longest relationships thatyou're ever in.
So, you know, get to know eachother, you know, get to know
what makes each other tick.
You get to know what makes eachother mad, you know.
Um, don't put wipes down thetoilet, you know, it's it's
things like that.
Gonna make your house mad atyou.
Um, and I feel like there usedto be a a um a focus on, you
know, home economics and shopand and and and classes in
(05:31):
school that taught you aboutsome of these things.
They don't have that anymore.
No, they don't have themanymore.
So people literally go into homeownership or or off into
adulthood knowing nothing aboutyou know any tools to use or how
your house works at all.
So, you know, my my kind ofideology on that is let me tell
you a little bit about how yourhouse works, yeah.
(05:52):
So that you feel a little bitmore comfortable making the
choices, deciding what you'regonna do and change.
And uh and I feel like that kindof that strength and
independence in in your spacecarries over into your into your
daily life as well.
SPEAKER_02 (06:05):
So is that where you learned um how to fix things
from a s your class in school?
SPEAKER_00 (06:11):
No, I I I was part of like a scenic shop class,
which you know taught me how touse power tools.
So I wasn't like scared of like,oh, here's the miter saw and and
those kind of things.
But for me, I got I got takenadvantage of by a contractor
when I was you know 23 yearsold.
You know, I had somebody come into do drywall and you know they
didn't do it, uh didn't do itright.
And I brought the painters inand they were like, the drywall
(06:33):
is not done.
And I was like, no, I paid him.
They're like, oh, it's not done.
So um from that point on, I waslike, Exactly.
He couldn't get him back on thephone.
Really?
Um yeah, so the paintersfinished it, but at that point
on, I was like, I'm not gonna, Ineed to know these things so I
don't get taken advantage ofagain.
Um, and so that was kind ofwhere where my journey into So
(06:54):
your high school teacher can'ttake credit for the pace.
SPEAKER_02 (06:57):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (06:57):
I mean, they can.
I don't know how much of it'strue, but yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (07:00):
Okay, I got it.
You've gone from being the oneperforming for audiences to
helping homeowners and musicaltheater creators find their
voice.
What's different about theenergy you get from elevating
others uh versus being in thespotlight yourself?
SPEAKER_00 (07:17):
It's gonna sound weird, but I I I think of myself
more as an introvert than anextrovert.
SPEAKER_02 (07:23):
Well, um, I know explain, do explain.
SPEAKER_00 (07:26):
So, like my job, my job is that I have to be
extroverted.
I have to be, you know, putmyself out there and and be, you
know, as charismatic aspossible, and and some might
even say charming.
Um at times.
What's going on?
I know, but no, no, no.
Um, but I feel like when I'm notin that world, I am I'm more
(07:46):
comfortable not being the centerof attention of of kind of being
in in the background and andhelping other people, you know,
kind of see their visionsthrough.
So um I don't need to be theloudest voice in the room, I
don't need the one drawing allthe attention.
Um, you know, I feel morecomfortable sometimes just kind
of sitting back in the cut andbeing like, hey, you know,
(08:08):
seeing what's going on.
And yeah.
And I feel like when you dospeak then, yeah, your words are
more powerful than if you'retalking all the time.
Correct.
Um yeah.
So the the for me being ablethen to sit back and see what
other people want to have, youknow, as their dream, yeah, and
and help, you know, guide themor or lead them or just give
(08:32):
them advice on on you knowwhat's worked for me um is a
very rewarding place to be.
SPEAKER_02 (08:38):
Yeah.
And I've watched you because II'm always telling you and Leah
that you guys are changing livesbecause you have these, they
were students before, and I knowwe've known them since they were
like 12 or whatever.
And I'm always like thestudents, but now they're grown
up and they're cast members.
SPEAKER_00 (08:53):
Yeah.
And yeah, no, it's it's um, soour nonprofit, Lachey Arts, and
and you know, the shows thatwe've created have they become
extended families.
You know, they become part ofyour life.
You you are invested in theirsuccesses, you are you are
heartbroken at their failures,but you see their failures as
growing moments, and you'rethere to try and be that that
(09:15):
voice of reason, be like, allright, what can we learn from
this?
How oh great, you didn't getthat audition, but what did you
learn in that audition that youcan apply to the next one and
and trying to be that that voiceof reason or that that um that
sounding board for them to togrow and achieve their dreams
and and reach their fullestpotential, uh whether it's in
the arts or whether it's financeor education or whatever,
(09:36):
whatever it is they want to do.
Um, you know, just trying to bethat that person that can that
can help um you know be positiveand and you know re reaffirm
that that they're on the rightpath.
SPEAKER_02 (09:47):
Yeah.
You've stayed rooted in uhCincinnati and you have on your
Cincy Shirts hat, youre-representing and stuff,
always um, and you've been therethrough various career changes.
SPEAKER_03 (10:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (10:02):
In an industry that often demands you move to LA or
New York, and you you have livedin New York and you have lived
in LA.
Um, what has staying home taughtyou about success and that you
might have missed beingsomewhere else?
I mean, you could talk about NewYork.
SPEAKER_00 (10:20):
Yeah, no, so um I moved to New York when I was 18,
not because I had theseaspirations of doing theater or
anything like that, but this iswhere Leah moved when you were
following your love.
Yeah, basically, yeah.
So I went I went a differentpath.
You know, I went into the I wentto the military and then you
know, I came here because shewas here.
And then um, so that was my howmy journey in New York started.
(10:41):
And, you know, I drove anambulance in New York, I worked
at a houseware store.
I wasn't like living someshowbiz lifestyle, you know.
I was, you know, eating ramenlike every other, you know,
18-year-old in New York was andand trying to to go there.
And then I I think, you know, mymove to LA initially was for 98
degrees and to get signed andthings like that.
(11:01):
So um, you know, for me, NewYork and LA were always somewhat
attached to uh to work or somesort of job or things like that.
But even when I lived in NewYork and LA, it was always, all
right, we're gonna go home toCincinnati.
It was always home toCincinnati, where they were
going just to visit, it wasalways home.
Um, and then once Leah and Istarted a family, we started it
(11:24):
in LA.
We lived there for a decade.
So, I mean, it wasn't like wewere just passing through.
Uh, we had set up routes, but itit never felt it never felt like
home.
Like home.
Um, and then when we thoughtabout how we want to raise our
kids, it was always, you know,with the the kind of childhood
that we had both had, you know,the being able to ride your bike
and you know, go out and play inthe woods and have that kind of
(11:46):
more carefree lifestyle and umbeing close to grandparents.
And I think I think for me, likewhen you say success, like what
is success?
To me, success is the fact thatyou're able to give your child
that that childhood.
All right.
And you're able to give themthat family, that that support,
that that carefree, if there issuch a thing, carefree life that
(12:10):
isn't quite as hectic or asmaterialistic or as whatever
adjective you want to throw inthere as some of the the the
major cities, you know.
Um there's not as much of akeeping up with the Joneses in
Cincinnati.
There is a a normalcy to it.
While we still have great artsand sports and you know
everything that that a big citymight have, um there is a there
(12:35):
is a grounded nature to being inCincinnati.
And to me, that is success.
Like being able to give that tomy kids, um, regardless of you
know how many records you sellor whatever TV shows you do,
that's that's success.
SPEAKER_02 (12:47):
I love Cincinnati.
It has changed because when wewere first on tour, wee bit
ghetto.
But the downtown area.
I'm from the South probably, soI can say that.
SPEAKER_00 (12:57):
Yes, the downtown area.
SPEAKER_02 (12:59):
But now it's like the culture is like it's feared.
SPEAKER_00 (13:04):
Yeah, so Cincinnati's always had a really
you know rich, you know, artshistory.
You know, it's you know, a lotof artists came from the whether
it's music or whether it'svisual arts or you know, you
know, whether it's the you know,the design for the Brooklyn
Bridge was tested in Cincinnatiwith our our bridge.
SPEAKER_02 (13:20):
Oh, he's showing out now.
SPEAKER_00 (13:22):
He's like, we represent and and you know, if
everybody's like, oh,Cincinnati, it's it's
Midwestern, but you know It's abig city, it's Midwestern, but
it's either like a big, smalltown or a small, big town, which
whichever way you want to lookat it.
But um the food is good.
It is good.
What do you think about SkylineChili?
SPEAKER_02 (13:39):
Okay, so Skyline, when I first had it, I was like,
I don't really like this.
But then I got used to it, andthen um I what do I always get?
The burrito?
SPEAKER_00 (13:52):
Yeah, yeah, you get the burrito.
SPEAKER_02 (13:53):
And then this great is but what I really enjoy is
when Leah cooks um the uh it'sthe sausage thingy.
SPEAKER_00 (14:02):
The sausage thingy.
It's a the big beanie?
SPEAKER_02 (14:05):
Like no, it's it's something that has to do Leah
getta.
SPEAKER_00 (14:10):
Oh, getta.
SPEAKER_02 (14:10):
How do you not know that?
SPEAKER_00 (14:11):
I mean, he's well the sa I don't I don't consider
that sausage.
SPEAKER_02 (14:14):
I mean it's it's that's isn't that like it's
pork, but it's not sausage.
SPEAKER_00 (14:19):
I mean it's bake is b is is bacon sausage?
No.
Is that you know pork choppedsausage?
This is what it has to gothrough.
It's pork.
SPEAKER_02 (14:27):
Okay, getta.
Yeah, get it.
SPEAKER_00 (14:29):
Yeah, yeah.
And for people that don't walkno don't know what Getta is.
Getta is um it comes in a a law,kind of like a us like sausage
patties do, and you cut it up.
Um but it's a mixture betweenpork and and pinnoats.
Um and it's it's German.
SPEAKER_02 (14:43):
Guten Tag.
SPEAKER_00 (14:44):
Yeah.
Okay, yeah, um Sausages,kindergarten.
SPEAKER_02 (14:51):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (14:53):
Um, so you know it's it's uh part of our our German,
our German roots and Germanheritage and society.
SPEAKER_02 (14:58):
I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (14:58):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (14:59):
Okay, so you guys opened a bar, Lache Arts.
SPEAKER_00 (15:04):
The bar was Lache Arts.
SPEAKER_02 (15:06):
Sorry.
SPEAKER_00 (15:09):
Yes, we're bringing your 12-year-old to the bar.
Yes.
You have a baby in a bar.
SPEAKER_02 (15:16):
You guys opened a bar, Lachey bar.
SPEAKER_00 (15:19):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (15:19):
You know what I meant.
SPEAKER_00 (15:20):
Yes, I didn't know I do know what you meant.
Yeah, so uh we did we did open abar uh in Cincinnati called
Lachaise.
Um, and it was a moment in time.
Yes, it was a moment that Inever need to live again.
Okay.
Um, you know, it was fun.
It was fun at at moments, youknow, having having that, you
know, that staff, and they wehad got along great, and it was
(15:43):
great for our our customers.
It was just it was a lot a lotof work, a lot more.
I mean, the fact that we hadlike a full kitchen and it was a
scratch kitchen, it was just itwas it was a lot, a lot more
than than you know we we everanticipated it would be.
SPEAKER_01 (15:57):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (15:58):
Um, you know, so when it when it closed, it was
it was sad, but there was like alevel of stress stress that was
just lifted off of me that I waslike, ah you were able to
exhale.
Now I don't have to be scaredevery morning when I open my
emails and see what you know theprofit loss margin was the day
before.
Um, but you know, it wassomething creative that we were
able to do.
I mean, we designed it from theground up and we had a great
(16:20):
partners and great architect.
And um, but it was uh it was aneducational process, um, and it
was fun, but I'm not sad thatit's it's right no longer
exists.
SPEAKER_02 (16:33):
It closed after a few years, right?
SPEAKER_00 (16:35):
Yeah, yeah, I think we were open for four or five
years.
SPEAKER_02 (16:36):
Um so what did that experience teach you about
taking risks in business thatyou've applied to your current
ventures?
SPEAKER_00 (16:47):
Um, so I I think you know, I was always very, very
adamant, you know.
So Nick always has alwaysdreamed of like the sports bar
thing, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (16:58):
Uh because he Well you guys are really interested
in the world.
SPEAKER_00 (17:00):
Yeah, we're we're big sports fans.
SPEAKER_02 (17:02):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (17:02):
Um, and but it was always like his dream.
No bangles.
Yeah, go hood.
Um but but you know, I wasalways like, you know what, it's
a really risky business, youknow.
The you know, I quote all thethings about more restaurants
fail than succeed and blah,blah, blah, blah.
And I've never actually said Itold you so to him.
Uh but he knows.
SPEAKER_02 (17:20):
Are you saying it now?
No, I'm not gonna do that.
SPEAKER_00 (17:23):
I'm gonna say it because he knows.
Um but uh but I think it wasmore of a it doesn't matter how
much how much effort you putinto it, how much blood, sweat,
and tears, how great the ideamight be.
Yeah, some things just aren'tgoing to work.
Um, you know, there there werecertain signs that we had along
the way that could have beenlike, all right, maybe we maybe
(17:45):
we pull back, maybe this isn'tthe right location, maybe, maybe
this isn't the right time, maybewe need to move it somewhere
else.
Um, but we we were like so, no,this is what we're gonna do,
we're gonna do, we're gonna do.
Yeah, that we just kind of triedto fit a square peg into a round
hole a little bit.
Um, you know, so you know, I Idon't want to say that I I don't
(18:07):
regret doing it.
SPEAKER_01 (18:08):
No.
SPEAKER_00 (18:09):
Um, but it it definitely did teach me a little
bit more about all right, read,read, read the leaves a little
bit more.
Like if the world is telling youand and the universe is telling
you that might not be the rightthing, just take a step back,
regardless of your ego and howmuch you think you can you can
shape it, take a step back,reevaluate, look at it again
(18:30):
from every direction, uh, beforeyou really kind of pull the
trigger.
SPEAKER_02 (18:34):
But I'm sure with even the craziness, it was
probably fun to do somethingwith your brother.
And then also I'm sure he was heappreciated your support as
well.
SPEAKER_00 (18:42):
Oh, no, I mean, and I yeah, I it was a blast to do.
I mean, everything from you knowpicking out the the menu to the
you know your signaturecocktails to which beers you
were gonna have on tap.
I mean, uh yeah, then my myfavorite beers are are usually a
little more obscure.
Um, so it was nice to be able tohave my play around my favorite,
(19:03):
my favorite beer on tap.
I walk in.
There's one just literally sliddown the bar to me real quick.
Yeah, he I always joke it likein Cincinnati, I'm Norm from
Chicago.
Like I walk in, people are like,Drew.
I'm like, yay, yeah.
Um, and so I really felt likethat there, you know.
SPEAKER_02 (19:19):
That feels good though.
SPEAKER_00 (19:20):
Yeah, I had my I had my spot, I had my my place to
go, and you know, um, it felt itfelt good to be contributing
back to the city of Cincinnati.
Um but yeah, I mean Nick and Ihave worked together for five
thousand years, 30 years.
Um, you know, so it's it's ourour dynamic uh in in the group
is very similar to our dynamicin life uh and and in in the bar
(19:44):
and probably any venture that wewould go into.
Uh I'm the smart one and he'sthe dumb one.
No, okay.
SPEAKER_02 (19:49):
Okay, we'll see what he says.
SPEAKER_00 (19:53):
Have him have him uh you know his side of it, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (19:57):
Uh a little different.
Um you're investing in the nextgeneration through Lache Arts.
Yes.
Um was there a moment in yourown artistic journey that made
you realize that every childdeserves access to creative
expression?
SPEAKER_00 (20:13):
Oh, absolutely.
Um, yeah, so Lachey Arts wasformed because um Lee and I both
grew to the grew, went to theschool for creative performing
arts in Cincinnati, which was apublic school, part of the
public school system.
You cost you nothing to gothere.
And for us, that was ourexposure to the arts.
You know, she started there inthe fourth grade, I started in
the fifth grade, and we wentthere all the way through high
(20:35):
school.
Uh Nick, Justin, they they alsowent there.
Um, you know, so for us, we comefrom fairly modest backgrounds.
Right.
Um, and we wouldn't have hadaccess to private voice lessons
or theater or or you know, fouror five hours of dance a day,
you know.
Though that just wasn't in thecards for us.
(20:56):
So had we not had um a a way todo that through through the
arts, um, through the performingarts, we we wouldn't have had
that education and we wouldn'thave had the lives that we've
had.
Right.
Um, so for us it was veryimportant that when we um
started, you know, thinkingabout a nonprofit and what it
would look like, that it wasaccessible to everyone.
(21:19):
Um, you know, our our missionand our our mission statement is
that, you know, the arts shouldbe accessible to everyone, not
just those that can afford it.
Um, and and there's so manystudies about, you know, how the
arts impact kids and theireducation and and how they view
themselves and how they see theworld and and work ethic and
discipline, all these things.
(21:39):
Um, but it also is just you knowthe the sense of pride that uh a
child or a teenager can get fromyou know having a goal and
achieving that goal or having afear and overcoming it or you
know failing and failing andfailing.
But then after you know, tryingto hit that double pirouette
multiple, multiple, multipletimes, but and then once they
(22:01):
get it and you see their faceand you see the the pride that
they had and and the the factthat they realize I kept working
at it and then I was successfulat it, those are lessons that
that lead forward and intoadulthood and and the rest of
your lives, regardless ofwhether you're a performer or
not.
Yes.
Um, and so for us, it was veryimportant that we that we had a
(22:21):
way that we could give back uhsimilar to how people invested
in us when we were kids.
SPEAKER_02 (22:26):
I always say that educators don't get enough
credit.
Uh who is a mentor during yourchildhood or high school that um
stands out that you'd like to belike give a shout out or oh I
mean I I think for me there werethere were a lot of so I'll I'll
just put this out there.
SPEAKER_00 (22:45):
I was not a good student.
I was not, I was a I was a I wasa I was a teenage boy.
SPEAKER_01 (22:52):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (22:53):
So I for anybody that I was a douchebag.
I I was So what's the differencenow?
SPEAKER_02 (22:59):
Between then and now more gray hair.
SPEAKER_00 (23:02):
That's that's the only difference.
Um no, I I think for me, youknow, my I didn't understand the
gift that I was being given atthat point, so I didn't take
full advantage of it.
SPEAKER_02 (23:14):
Leah, on the other hand, I think she was like five,
six seven and eight.
SPEAKER_00 (23:18):
Well, this is this is what I want.
She she just kind of stoked itup like a sponge.
I was kind of there because yourmom told you to go.
No.
Well, no, I I was I was youknow, I was a kind of a class.
Did you go because Nick wasthere?
No, Nick went there because Iwas there.
SPEAKER_02 (23:34):
Okay, we can he's filling the T.
SPEAKER_00 (23:36):
No, I I auditioned first.
Yeah, I got in.
People were like, Oh mygoodness, you know, you're going
to the performing art school.
And then Nick was like, oh, waita second.
I can do this too.
And so you can picture that.
Yeah, he uh he auditioned andthen got in and then he was
like, move out the way.
Yeah.
Um so I think birthday, too.
Oh, yeah.
I think that was what you mighthave.
(23:57):
I don't know, my country tis ofthee, something.
Um but then for me, it it kindof um you know started to take
shape as I as I you know got outof the military and got a little
discipline and got a littlefocus.
But um my private voice teacherum who actually has worked with
Lachey Arts for since we startedit, uh Lori Wyatt was probably
(24:19):
one of the the biggest umadvocates for for me.
Um, you know, finding confidenceand finding a voice and finding
um you know the the you know thethe drive uh to to kind of keep
singing and and you know foranybody that's an artist,
there's there's always a levelof insecurity when you go into
(24:42):
and you you do something.
So I still when I hear myselfplay back in a recording session
or something, I'm still like, ohman, oh um Do you still get
nervous when you're right beforeyou go on stage to perform?
No, on stage I feel very I feelvery at home.
I feel very comfortable, I feelvery at home.
I don't care if there's fivepeople in the audience or 500
(25:03):
people or 5,000.
I feel comfortable there.
Um, and which kind of goesagainst the introvert thing that
I said before.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But it it and maybe it's becauseI have you know, you have a
social battery.
So I give so much of my socialbattery in those moments that I
have to like sit back and likerecharge.
I don't know.
I'm sure, I'm sure there's sometherapist listening that's gonna
(25:23):
be like, oh what there's a lotto unpack here.
Um, but for me, that's yeah, Ifeel I feel very comfortable, I
feel happy, I feel natural onstage.
Um, yeah, there's not reallynervousness at all.
I feel like, hey, this is thisis what I do.
SPEAKER_02 (25:41):
Performing with 98 degrees is about the group.
SPEAKER_00 (25:45):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (25:46):
But with dancing with the stars, it put you in
the spotlight alone.
SPEAKER_00 (25:50):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (25:51):
Um you were judged week after week.
How did stepping into thatvulnerable vulnerability shape
your approach to taking creativerisks?
SPEAKER_00 (26:02):
Um, honestly, I think so.
For everything I had done up tothat point, uh, like you said,
it was group.
It was group, group, group.
So there's strength in there'sstrength in numbers.
SPEAKER_02 (26:11):
Yes.
Um and confidence too, right?
You have more fun in that sense.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (26:15):
Yeah.
So you have somebody that'sthere.
If if you're having a bad day,there's somebody to pick you up.
And there's a little bit of thaton dance with the stars with
your with your pro partner, butit was everything.
I mean, it was completely it wascompletely foreign to to me.
Like I had done, you know, ourboy band steps.
SPEAKER_01 (26:32):
Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_00 (26:33):
Very different than the waltz or you know, the cha
cha or whatever dance you weredoing that week.
Um, so for me, I feel like dancewith the stars was very
important in my in my maturationas a as an artist because it
gave me a platform to be like,you know what?
You really don't look foolishwhen you're trying 100%, but
(26:56):
when you feel like you'reguarded, that's when you look
foolish.
When you're not invested 100% insomething, that is when you you
you have a risk of lookingfoolish.
If you go 100%, you try hard,you try hard, and you try hard,
at the very least, you gave iteverything you had.
So I feel like for me, you know,whether it was wearing a
sequined shirt or you know,something like that.
SPEAKER_02 (27:17):
Sometimes it wasn't like, you know how some people
are like, oh, it's not thatmasculine, ballroom dancing
isn't for that.
It's like some people feel thatway, but you're you know, it's
you're pushing through.
SPEAKER_00 (27:27):
Yeah, and I feel I feel like they're like it
changed the that show has kindof changed that stigma a little
bit.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Like there is something verymasculine about being able to
partner.
And um, you know, so I feel likeit helped me grow a lot as a as
an individual performer.
Um, you know, it it it pushedme, it challenged me.
(27:49):
It was one of those things thatwe were talking about about you
fail, you fail, you fail, youfail, but then you succeed, and
that kind of gives you theconfidence to go and do more and
more.
Um, and that's kind of what thatshow was for me as well.
Um, you know, and I had no ideawhat I was signing up for
either, you know.
I signed up for that was stillrelatively it was the second
season, but it was the first, itwas the first season that was
(28:10):
that format.
Um so it was kind of like theyhad a pilot season that like
John O'Hurley and Kelly Monacoand Joe Mack were on.
Um, and and I didn't watch itthe first season.
Leah did.
Right.
Um, but then once it camearound, she was like, Oh yeah, I
remember that show.
And I was like, Well, maybeit'll pay for our our nursery
because Leah was pregnant.
(28:31):
Yeah.
Um, and then next thing youknow, I'm rehearsing eight hours
a day, six days a week, youknow, pulling muscles, and you
know, and then it just keepsgoing and keep going and keep
going.
And it kind of helped shape whoI was.
You know, I had done I had donerent before that, but um Mike
Nichols, who, you know, is afamous, famous, famous director,
(28:54):
uh, was directing Spam a lot,and he after Dancing with the
Stars, he reached out to meabout being at Spam a lot and
opportunities.
Yeah, I mean, so it it it reallydid kind of change not only how
I saw myself as a performer, butalso the the the platform and
how other people saw me as aperformer as well.
SPEAKER_02 (29:10):
So did you did you know you were gonna win or did
you think you were gonna win, ordid you feel it in your bones?
SPEAKER_00 (29:17):
I didn't I didn't know.
Um, you know, was I the bestdancer on the show?
No.
Um but did I I feel like Ioutworked everybody, and that's
always kind of been part of mymo is like no one's gonna no
one's gonna out hustle me.
You know, no one's gonna outworkme.
(29:38):
Yeah, I mean, I'm not gonna ifI'm gonna if I'm gonna fail, I'm
gonna fail giving it 100%.
Yeah.
Um, you know, so for me, youknow, once it got down to me and
and Jerry Rice as as as thefinals, I was like, all right,
this this might be this mighthappen.
Yeah, yeah.
This might happen.
Um But you know, up to thatpoint, I was like, I'd stay.
(30:00):
Casey Keebler, you know, who wasyou know legs for days, like
high kicking next to me, and I'mlike pulling muscles and um but
yeah, it was uh it was it was ait was a great learning uh
learning situation for me.
SPEAKER_02 (30:14):
It was fun to watch you do your thing and
congratulations on that.
SPEAKER_00 (30:18):
Yeah, it was only 19 years ago now.
SPEAKER_02 (30:19):
Okay, see, and and does Leah take full credit for
you winning?
SPEAKER_00 (30:25):
Uh yes and no.
Um she so I would go, shewouldn't be a part of like the
rehearsals up until our ourfreestyle.
Um but after the show, like whenthe judges would give their
critique, and I'd of course getall upset about it and take it
personally, she'd be like,they're right.
(30:45):
She'd be like, Yeah, your turnsdo stink, yes, your shoulders do
go up.
Yes, you do need to learn how toembarrass me.
SPEAKER_02 (30:52):
Yeah, basically she's like, get it together.
I had a reputation top playing.
SPEAKER_00 (30:56):
So um, and then with our freestyle, um, she
definitely contributed to thatas far as like yeah helping,
because that's that wasn't therewasn't a stitch of ballroom in
that, right?
Um, but yeah, it was it wassomething that you know it was
my whole family was basicallyinvolved, you know.
Yeah, she was always in theaudience, Nick was in the
audience, you know.
I had people rooting for it.
SPEAKER_01 (31:15):
Yeah, to give me credit.
SPEAKER_02 (31:16):
I was nice.
SPEAKER_00 (31:17):
Like, you were, you know, you, Harold, Angie,
everybody was there, you know,cheering beyond.
SPEAKER_02 (31:21):
See what happened?
SPEAKER_00 (31:22):
I don't know.
SPEAKER_02 (31:24):
Okay, so we both have older siblings, right?
And I think that two people cangrow up in the same household
and have like different takes onthings, right?
So, what's your favorite memoryabout growing up and what was
your biggest challenge as beingthe younger brother?
SPEAKER_00 (31:44):
Well, I think I think there's one thing like
growing up as siblings, yeah,you know, but it's another thing
growing up as siblings being,you know, either having older,
like for me, having an olderbrother, you're like the same
gender gender.
Yes, yeah, it is different.
You know, so it was like I go inmy third grade class and uh Mrs.
DeGraffin Reed would, or I guessthat was my fourth grade, she'd
be like, Nick, Drew, you know,like it's like you're like, all
(32:08):
right, I get it, I get it, I getit.
And and we we we don't look liketwins, but there's there's
definitely a resemblance.
SPEAKER_02 (32:14):
So um parents do that too.
Yes, like my mother would callme Rotten.
I'm a I'm a girl.
SPEAKER_00 (32:19):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, my granny would go throughliterally every one of the
cousins before she gets tosomebody's name.
Yeah, yeah.
Nick, Buck, Jared, you know,yes, you and the blue shirt.
Yes, you.
Um, you know, so I feel likethere there is there is always a
little bit of a um anexpectation of who you are based
on the older sibling.
(32:39):
Um, you know, for better or forworse.
I mean, if your older sibling isa troublemaker, people are
automatically is gonna assumethat you're gonna be a
troublemaker.
Um, you know, in my case, Nickwas like like straight A
student, like always wanted tomake sure he was doing the right
thing.
I was and then there was you.
Yeah.
And I was I was more of the theclass clown.
(33:00):
Like all my teachers liked me.
Yeah.
Um, and I think it was more of anow Drew.
SPEAKER_01 (33:06):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (33:07):
You know you can get you can do better than you can
get straight A's.
SPEAKER_03 (33:10):
Do better.
SPEAKER_00 (33:10):
Yeah.
But I just didn't, I didn't, Ididn't care.
That wasn't what I was therefor.
I was there for like hanging outwith my friends and because I
had to, you know.
Um, you know, so for me it wasalways kind of like, and I don't
know if that was partiallybecause like I was trying to
separate myself and and be myown person, and like, yeah, I
don't need to get straight A.
(33:30):
See, that that's him.
SPEAKER_01 (33:31):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (33:32):
I'm somebody different.
Um, but I I mean I I definitelydo, you know, we're we're a lot
alike in a lot of ways, youknow, because we grew up with
the same um, you know, kind ofupbringing, the same, you know,
moral compass, the same, youknow, going to church and the
same the same things we grew upwith.
SPEAKER_02 (33:51):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (33:51):
Um, but it's amazing how two people that grow up in
the same environment can alsoYeah, have a different take on
things have different takes onthings.
SPEAKER_02 (33:59):
Um and did you I don't you may I don't think you
said your fate do you have afake memory?
SPEAKER_00 (34:03):
Oh like um I mean uh yeah I I mean we we would go
camping a lot, um, you know, andthere was there was one time
that we were Nick and I wereexploring in the woods on a
camping trip, and he went tojump out onto what would look
like an island, like out in thepond, and we were gonna go
exploring further out into theinto the pond.
And it wasn't actually anisland, it was just a pile of
(34:26):
dry leaves sitting on top of thewater.
So he went.
So he went and he went through,and the leaves kind of were like
sucking him down a little bitinto the water.
Um, and so I just sat there andI laughed at him and watched him
dry.
No, I didn't um, you know, I Iwent and got a stick and like
you know, reached out for himand and you know, he would grab
(34:49):
the stick and came over backover to the land.
Um, but it was like things likethat.
But then it was also like I rodemy bike into a lake at one
point, you know, and then himlaughing at me or or you know,
yeah, so much of my my mymemories, my core memories
clearly are my childhood, butthey involve him.
I mean, our parents divorcedwhen we were when I was three.
(35:12):
Um, and while my dad was alwaysaround, um, you know, it was him
and I.
Yeah.
So um, you know, whether it washim breaking my collarbone or,
you know, whether it was, youknow, him rooting for me and
dancing with the stars.
So many of my my my memories areare with Nick.
(35:32):
Yeah, with him.
SPEAKER_02 (35:33):
I love it.
Um, you just reminded me ofwhen, so like I said, uh I was
one of the dancers with 98Degrees.
And so at the time that we wereon tour, it was 98 degrees,
InSync, Backstreet Boys, severalother groups.
Janet was on tour.
Um, but and I we had friendsthat were other dancers in the
other uh groups, but they whenwe I would explain us hanging
(35:57):
out all the time, they'd belike, we're not doing that with
with them.
So we went whitewater rafting.
SPEAKER_00 (36:03):
Oh, it's a good thing.
SPEAKER_02 (36:04):
And so it was it was uh it's so it's the crew, it's
the band, the drummers, and thenit's the band, the singers, and
then it's the dancers, so it'severybody, and you know, because
especially you guys arecompetitive, and so we were
trying to beat them and makesure that because I think some
of them were like a level fiveand all this stuff.
SPEAKER_00 (36:23):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (36:24):
And then um we were doing well, and then I don't
know how is it cap we capsize?
Like we went, but like in anumber five, yeah, and then like
rope was around Leah's neck, andI'm like, oh god.
SPEAKER_00 (36:38):
See, I there there's multiple versions of this story
floating around.
But you know, we we go over theyou know, there's a drop and we
go over the drop, and then weare the back of our our raft
gets stuck back under thewaterfall.
Yes, so we fill up and then itgets literally flipped and we
get spit out and it getscapsized, and then they were
(37:01):
laughing.
Yeah, you you go out one side ofthe raft.
I think you and I were on wentout the same side of the raft.
Leah went out the other side ofthe raft.
SPEAKER_02 (37:10):
Something was like wrapped around her neck, you had
to go save her, and then youcame back.
I don't remember that part.
Yeah, and then how how good of aswimmer are you?
No, okay, and then I don't knowhow all of them managed to get
into other boats, and somehowI'm on top of the big caps I
drink.
Look at like a homeless person.
(37:30):
And then all of a sudden thelady comes over and she's like,
you know, you have to get backin the water.
And I was like, because youknow, Jaws just comes to mind.
SPEAKER_00 (37:37):
I'm getting the river.
SPEAKER_02 (37:39):
Listen, that's how it came about, the movie.
SPEAKER_00 (37:41):
And there are a lot of great whites in the rivers in
West Fort.
SPEAKER_02 (37:45):
Which darks can get in water that they're not
supposed to be in, yes.
Uh-huh.
And anyway, it was crazy.
That's what you remember.
SPEAKER_00 (37:53):
No, and and I actually have a VHS tape of our
rafting trip of that trip.
Um, so we have to pull that out.
I have to find a VCR first.
SPEAKER_02 (38:03):
Okay, yeah, I know.
SPEAKER_00 (38:04):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (38:05):
But we're gonna transfer, we're gonna transfer
it.
Okay, so between music,television, theater, and now
home renovation, you'reessentially a storyteller across
different platforms.
What's the common thread in howyou approach narrative
regardless of the media?
SPEAKER_00 (38:21):
I think it's authenticity.
Yeah.
You know, um, and I'm not a bigfan of that that word because I
feel like it's over it'soverused.
Oh, it needs to be authentic andorganic.
And but it's true.
It's it's a lot of what I do isbased on who I authentically am.
Um you know, who I am on stagewith 98 degrees and the way I
(38:44):
talk to our audiences and andour fan base, and it's me.
I'm uh I'm a smart ass.
I I don't hide it.
I'm sarcastic.
I am, I am just a little bit.
Um, you know, so I don't try andbe something I'm not.
Um and I think that that hastaken time to get to the point
where, you know, we started out.
I was 19, 20, 20, 21 years old.
(39:07):
And it was there was a lot ofthis is the way you're supposed
to behave.
This is you can't say you have agirlfriend.
You I can't do this, you gotta,you gotta have this kind of
swagger.
Oh, when you know, you guys, wewant you guys to be the white
Joe to see.
And like we were like, whoa.
I mean, there are like lots oflike trying to figure out who
you are.
Yeah.
Yeah.
At this point in my life, I amwho I am.
(39:30):
And I'm um fairly unapologeticabout it at this point, too.
Yeah.
Um, so that's who I am when I gointo a rehearsal process for a
show.
Uh whether it's live theater,I'm I try and be, I try and be a
generous, you know, cast memberwith my fellow actors and try
and be there and be supportiveand and uh you know the work
(39:53):
ethic, uh that's always gonna bea part of it.
Um, but I feel like you know,I'm I'm almost 50 years old and
I at this point.
Oh, you both gramps over here atthis point get your cane out.
At this point, I don't have theenergy to try and to try and be
something I'm not.
SPEAKER_01 (40:10):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (40:11):
Um and so I it's it's just trying to be authentic
as as who you are and how youapproach the story that you're
trying to tell.
And and so I feel like that'sthat's probably the biggest
thing, just being authentic.
SPEAKER_02 (40:22):
Yeah.
You have been with Leah sincehigh school.
Actually, you kind of met youknow a little bit before that,
but we met in the fifth grade.
SPEAKER_00 (40:31):
But yes, yeah, since high school.
SPEAKER_02 (40:34):
Since high school.
Um you've both evolved and asartists and individuals.
How do you balance staying trueto who you were when you first
met versus becoming who you'remeant to be?
Um like your purpose.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (40:52):
Well, I didn't know who I was when we first met.
I mean, I think that's that's uhthat's true for most, you know,
uh teenagers.
Yeah, I mean, and uh and thepressure that they feel now to
have to have it all figured outand pick the right college major
or you know, put the right thingup on social media.
I for the I'm not a fan ofsocial media.
(41:13):
It's a beast.
I I I don't think it's I don'tthink it's helpful in in most in
most uses and for most people.
Uh I think it's actuallydetrimental.
Um so you know, for me at 16when we started dating, I didn't
know who I was.
Um and I feel like that is a bigpart of why we've been able to
(41:34):
stay together is because wefigured out who we were together
and we were supportive of who wewere becoming uh at the same
time.
And and neither of us neither ofus put what we wanted to
accomplish or what we wanted todo ahead of somebody else.
We we were both able to ventureoff on our own paths and find
success on our own, having thesupport of the other person.
(41:57):
Right.
Not being like, oh well, youwhat what what am I gonna do if
you go out on the road?
Or what are you gonna do if Ibook this show?
It was like, go get it, dude.
Live live your life to thefullest, and and I'll be here
for you.
SPEAKER_02 (42:10):
Like, and that's a true partnership, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (42:12):
And we're as we're each other's biggest
cheerleaders to this day.
Um, you know, I think we have amutual lever of artistic
respect, but also just likehuman life respect, um, which I
think is is key to any any goodrelationship, but especially a
happy marriage.
SPEAKER_02 (42:29):
Yeah.
You have two beautiful kids.
If Izzy and Huddy, um who isyour godson?
My godson.
Oh, he doesn't care that he's mygodson.
He's like, hi on Tracy.
SPEAKER_03 (42:44):
He does.
He does.
He does.
SPEAKER_02 (42:45):
I love him.
Um if Izzy and Huddy remembernothing else about your career,
what's the one lesson from yourjourney, the successes and the
setbacks that you hope theycarry forward?
SPEAKER_00 (42:58):
Honestly, I don't I don't care if they remember
anything about my career.
Um I just want them to rememberwho I was when I approached
anything.
Right.
And how I how I try to treat anyproject I worked on, whether I'm
building a a table or whetherI'm going on Broadway.
(43:20):
I I approach any project withthe same work ethic.
Like I want to figure it out.
I want to I want to do I want todo this project with with as
much respect as I can for whatit needs to be.
Um I want to challenge myself.
Um, you know, so it's a it's ait's a very I try to approach
everything with a veryblue-collar work ethic.
(43:41):
Yeah.
Like I will grind and grind andgrind and grind until I till I
figure it out, until I get goodat it.
Um and that's kind of what whatI want them to to remember about
me.
I don't I don't need them toremember dancing with the stars
or that I wanted or you knowrecords or shows or whatever.
I just want them to remember howI approach everything that I did
(44:02):
with a with a appreciation and astrong work ethic.
SPEAKER_02 (44:06):
I love it.
You are expanding into a new umHGTV role.
SPEAKER_00 (44:14):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (44:15):
Um you return to HGTV more than once, you know,
helping people transform theirspace.
What keeps pulling you back tothat work and what can you share
about this new chapter?
SPEAKER_00 (44:28):
Um, so there's I I can't I can't tell a ton yet.
I haven't gotten I haven'tgotten the clearance yet to to
talk too much about it.
Um but I think for me, like thehome design, the home
renovation, there is a there isa a sense of pride that I found
that I got from from doing thatfor our for our homes.
(44:50):
Um that I want to I want to helpshare with other people.
I want other people to be ableto feel that same thing.
And and also it's expensive.
Um not not not everybody cantear down a load-bearing wall
and put in a support beam and doall this thing.
So finding ways that I can helpencourage people um to to
challenge themselves to not bedaunted or intimidated by you
(45:11):
know projects.
Right.
Um, you know, so for me, thereis a a chapter of or or a part
of who I am that feels the mostcomfortable doing those things.
SPEAKER_03 (45:23):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (45:24):
Um, you know, I love working with my hands.
I love seeing the before andafter.
I love having a problem andfixing it.
Um it's rewarding.
Yeah, it is very rewarding.
Um, you know, so for me, youknow, as I go into more of like
the the DIY space and as I'm asI'm venturing more into that
space, that's kind of what Iwant other people to feel is
(45:45):
that sense of accomplishment andpride for tackling a project um
and and just teaching everybodythat they too can drew it
themselves.
SPEAKER_02 (45:54):
Yes.
I love it, I love it, I love it.
You know that we end eachepisode with a quote.
Is there a particular quote thathas helped guide you through
your career or your life ingeneral that you'd like to
share?
SPEAKER_00 (46:08):
Um, so there was a quote that that I had from for
it was on my it was my seniorquote.
SPEAKER_02 (46:13):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (46:13):
Um like on your yearbook?
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
And it's one that that I don'talways live, but it's one that I
try and remind myself uh fairlyregularly of.
And it's um man does not ceaseto play because he grows old.
He grows old because he ceasesto play.
So what I take that to mean isfind the joy and the happiness
(46:38):
in you know, everything that youcan.
Yes.
You know, because the more youdo that, the more you, you know,
more joy you find, the youngeryou're gonna stay, the younger
you're gonna feel, the, themore, the more childish
exuberance and enthusiasm thatyou approach things with, yeah,
it's it's just going to keep youyounger at heart.
Um, and as somebody that canfeel very serious at times and
(47:00):
very, you know, goal-oriented.
And um, you know, I I feel likethat to me, that quote is a good
reminder of how I want to livemy life.
I want to live my life withchildish enthusiasm and the joy
that that you know a little kidhas.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (47:16):
I love it.
Is there anything that I didn'task that you want to share?
SPEAKER_00 (47:22):
I think I I I have a question for you.
SPEAKER_02 (47:24):
Oh.
SPEAKER_00 (47:26):
So as you venture into these different chapters of
your life, yes, and you trythese new things as you know,
someone who has written booksand a creative director and
producer and all these things,what is it that you find that is
the common thread that links allof your different chapters?
SPEAKER_02 (47:44):
You know, and it's funny because I do, I have so
many different things thatexcite me um that I get excited
about.
Uh I I want to say that my withanything that I do, I always
give 110%.
And it reminds me of the uh theadvice and the support that my
(48:08):
mom always gives me.
Um and so that's what I think isthe okay, don't make me cry.
SPEAKER_00 (48:15):
Mama swing was always gonna come up at some
point.
SPEAKER_02 (48:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (48:19):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (48:21):
Wait, God, no.
SPEAKER_00 (48:23):
No, this is you know, there there's like we were
talking about how you're you'reyou're shaped by people, you
know, and how some siblings canhave the same environment, but
you know, they take differentthings out of it.
You know?
So Mama Swain, she yeah, she wasalways she was always around.
She would come to our concerts,she would be there cheering.
(48:46):
She's still there cheering.
Yeah.
You know it.
SPEAKER_02 (48:50):
And see, now I'm mad at him for me.
But um yeah, I think that that'slike the the through line that's
always there, like always give110%.
Um, I remember all the thingsthat she says, like even things
that don't have to do withbusiness, like you choose your
friends, you don't let themchoose you.
(49:11):
And so I just try to, whatever Ido, whether I'm working for
someone else or a project formyself, I always want to give
110%.
So anyway, this is crazy.
Um, so anywho, thank you so muchfor hanging out with me.
SPEAKER_00 (49:33):
My pleasure.
SPEAKER_02 (49:34):
And thank you for being here.
And keep breaking throughbecause we are just getting
started.
And so now I gotta go away mytears.
SPEAKER_00 (49:44):
Wear them with pride, babe.
Wear them with pride.
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