Linsey Davis discusses her meteoric rise to become the Anchor of "ABC Weekend World News Tonight," "ABC News Live Prime," and bestselling author of "The World is Awake," and "One Big Heart."
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Money Making Conversations. It's to show that she
has the secrets of success experience firsthand by marketing and
Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I will know he's giving me
advice to many occasions. In the case you didn't notice,
I'm not broke, you know he'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs,
entrepreneurs and industry decision makers. It's what he likes to do,
it's what he likes to share. Now it's time to
(00:25):
hear from my man, Rashan McDonald money Making Conversations. Here
we come. Welcome to Money Making Conversation. I am your host,
Rashan McDonald. It is important to stop reading other people's
success stories and really start writing your own. Always typically
people to leave with their gifts as meaning to leave
with your passion, your your belief. It's what you want
to do and don't let your age, friends, family or
(00:46):
coworkers stop you from planning or living your dreams. My
interviews I do on Money Making Conversation consists of celebrities, CEOs,
entrepreneurs and industry decision makers. My next guest is Lindsay Davis.
She's a best selling author of the world is Wake
and One Big Heart. In February, Lindsey was tapped to
anchor the weekend broadcast of ABC News World Tonight and
(01:07):
She's All And She also anchors ABC News Lifetime Live Prime,
Excuse Me, the network streaming even newscast. She's also correspondent
for World News Tonight, Good Morning in America, and Nightline.
Please Welcome to Money Making Conversation. The anchor of ABC's
weekend World News Tonight and ABC News Live Prime, Lindsey
Davis Rushan, thank you so much for having me on.
(01:30):
I try to get it all in. I try to
get it all in because you know the thing about
our business business long enough to see faces like yours
that are not normal. They're normal now, but you know
one Pine in his time and his industry, they weren't normal,
especially if a female face being normal. You know, Ed
(01:51):
Bradley was our man at one time, and then so
as you start ascending. That's why I wanted to make
sure people saw the body of your work. And this
is only a small body of your work, but it's
an important body of work. With yours. You as a host,
as an anchor, get to articulate our stories. And I'm
pretty sure in as an African American, as a female,
(02:14):
and some of the stories that were put out there,
how are you able to balance the actual reporting of
the news and then the detachment of what you were reporting? Well,
you know what, Look, it's always about the facts, and
I think that it's also about knowing what you don't know.
And so I think that when you don't have a
lot of variation, a lot of variety of perspectives and
(02:38):
lenses and experiences at the proverbial table, um, then you're
missing some of the nuance to the story, right, and
some of the relevant facts, um, get thrown aside. And
so UM, I don't think that I'm coloring it, if
you will, with with anything except that I do come
(02:59):
with the perspective and the experience of of being a
black woman in America, and so I think that I
may have certain questions that I'm going to ask or
that I'm going to lean into based on my own experience. UM.
And I think of as you talk about how we
haven't had many people who look like me. That was
why it was so important on my first night when
(03:20):
I assumed the chair of Weekend World News Tonight on Sundays,
I had an interview that I did with Carol Simpson,
who was the first black woman to anchor any network
newscast back in the eighties. And you know, I look
forward to the day my son is seven, and I
look forward to when he grows up that we won't
still be talking about, well, this was the first or
(03:40):
the second, right, because hopefully the idea and the ideal
will be that enough people at that point would would
have ascended to various ranks that it just becomes oh,
another person, right, And and so for my son, I
really do look forward to where it becomes so commonplace
that we're not still counting, you know, the first or
(04:01):
or the second. You know, it's really interesting, especially entertainment.
You know, I remember when Steve Harvey, now back way
back in the eighty three, when he had his first opportunity.
ABC offered the first sitcom. I remember, we came to
Mr Rajan, ABC wants me to do a sitcom. I went,
you let up because it was just it was just
so far I could not even fathom. Somebody I knew,
(04:21):
black Man, he was a comedian poplic Commedia was being
offered a TV show on ABC. It was a pilot
at the time, and then I fast forward and as
you're aspiring to these heights, I wanted to be on
the news, wanted to deliver the news, being face of
the news and faced in media. What was that? What
was that journey like in college and your friends and
your peer groups, when you're telling them this is what
(04:42):
you wanted to do. Sure, you know, I think that
I've had the luxury or the benefit of having especially
within my own uh my own home, and so not
just my parents, um, but in the extended family as well,
where there was an expectation that you could do what
you wanted to do. And so I never felt limited
(05:04):
or constrained because of my race or gender, because there
was a mindset that if you want to do it,
if you want to run for president, run for president.
You know, no one was really telling me the likelihood
of success or how it was going to be so
much more difficult or so much harder, or no one
has done this before or whatever. It was just like, hey,
you want to do that, here's some tools. We're gonna
(05:26):
give you, some exposures, some opportunities, and you run with it.
You take it as far as you can. And so
when I decided when I was in college that I
wanted to become a journalist at the time, in particular
a reporter. Um. You know, my parents were just like, Okay,
what do we have to do? What do you have
to do? And so at the time, you still had
to get a college credit for an internship, and I
(05:49):
had missed that opportunity because I was about to graduate.
I was at University of Pregunitay. So then I I
did what I've I've told subsequently that I had my
parents pay fifty thousand dollars so I could get an
internship because I went to n y U for for
grad school to get a master's. You don't need to
have a master's to be a journalist, but at the time,
I needed to get that extra year in order to
get an internship and to get credit for it. Um.
(06:10):
And so I would say that anything that I needed,
my parents were there right along with me, anticipating that
you know, if I wanted to do this, it could
be done. And my friends never batted. And I I mean,
I think that there was just this mindset of if you,
you know, work hard and put your mind to it,
(06:30):
you know you can achieve. And so I'm glad that
I didn't have um the naysayers uh too loudly in
my ear. But they are they are they ever just
reciting some of my experiences. I remember when I left
IBM to pursue a career as a stand up comedian.
Of course it's totally otlers from a news people look
at you're gonna be a comedian. I thought I would
(06:51):
be the next Eddie murphyus, somebody, somebody great like that.
Richard Pryor had it. Nobody could ever be him. He's
like the Michael Jordan of comedy. But then, but you know,
but it was always you know, people I didn't stand
in my way, but they always went okay, okay. But
then you started seeing little little steps well in the way,
little croms of opportunity became a reality. And then people
(07:11):
started realizing, and you started and I started realizing, you know,
I think I can really do this. Because even though
you can dream something, that doesn't mean it's gonna come true.
So as you were starting to go up there, like
you said you did the Intern, you went up to
n y U and you know, got the masters. But
when did you start really starting to fall start to
fall in place? For you, lindsay sure. I mean, you know,
(07:33):
I think that there are a lot of baby steps
and milestones along the way. And I was just a
self starter in a way that I would say, Okay,
I'm going by the time I five, I want to
be in the top market. By the time I'm thirty,
you want to be at the network. And I made
both of those. One the first goal by the skin
of my teeth, because I was just about to turn
twenty five, and I made it to Indianapolis, which was
(07:54):
the market. Um. But then you know, a few months
shy my thirtieth birthday, I made it here to BC
News and I've been here now for about fourteen years. Um.
And I would say when I was local news, I
was able to make a lot of jumps. So I
I started out in Syracuse it was market like eighty one,
and I went to flit in Michigan it was market
sixty four that went to Indianapolis market. And so I
(08:16):
was able to make a lot of those um jumps
based on you know, my own goals that I had set.
And I would say, once I got to the network,
it was a little bit harder to set a milestone
or set a goal and and then achieve it because
you know, a lot of the people who make it
here are very talented, right and in some cases there
(08:36):
are some sharp elbows or in some cases they may
have better relationships, or they may just be better positioned
for you know, opportunity or for growth. And so I
think that that did become a struggle for me kind
of finding my way once I got here to the network.
But I would say when I was given the opportunity
in September two thousand nineteen to be one of the
(08:57):
moderators at the Democratic Debate, that was career changing. That
that moment um. And then I went on to moderate
another debate again with David Neuir and George Stephanopolis in
February of the following year, and uh, in both cases,
you know, people gave very good feedback and reviews of
(09:20):
of my work um sitting there at the as a moderator,
and I think then that was the moment where people thought, oh, wow,
you know, you could really do this. Now that was
many years in right uh, into the game that that
I finally kind of got that recognition that that I
believed that I was capable of. But you know, it
(09:40):
was really kind of waiting for the opportunity. Well, you know,
it's really interesting that we all involved in journeys, and
we all involved in trying to reach those dreams and
then but then then their sacrifice, like you mentioned Indianapolis,
Mrs Syracuse. I remember when I left I I needly
got married and I moved to New York and my
wife was she still in left time. She stayed in Houston,
(10:01):
and so so I'm living in New York. And then
I moved to l A and I lived there and
she still was staying in Houston. So they are sacrifices
we all make. In those sacrifices, a lot of people
might call them selfish, but they're part of the goals.
They're part of the path that you gain. And then
you said, Richard, that was instrumental when you did the debates.
How first of all, how did they how did the
(10:22):
opportunity come to you? And then how did you prepare
for that opportunity because you knew it was big? Yes, Um, well,
I think that in part it was due to the
Democratic National Committee because they had set UH some rules
basically so that to prevent the moderator panels from UH
(10:45):
not being diverse. They they set some prerequisites basically where
you had to have diversity by gender, by race, and
so UM. I think because ABC had already decided that
they were going to have you know, David and George
and at first debate in September that we had for
ABC was going to be at an HBCU, and so
(11:05):
I think that there was probably a feeling. No one
ever told me. I wasn't in the room when the
decision was made that that I would be, you know,
the third moderator, but I would have to imagine that
that both of those played into it. UM. Look, I
would say that I probably never prepared more for anything
in my life than I had for that first debate
(11:26):
in September two thousand nineteen. You know, I I was
kept trying to minimize it in my mind so that
I wouldn't over hype myself and and and the let
the anxiety uh run two wild. Um. But I I
it was September and so August leading into it. I
remember I had a pre planned vacation and I was
(11:46):
on the beach with a big three two three ring binders. UM,
just studying and researching and reading and preparing and UM,
it was a lot, but the benefit of it is
that by the time that date came in September, I
felt prepared. And I think that that preparation gave me
(12:09):
confidence that in prayer I gotta say right but um,
but I felt that I was ready on that day,
and leading up to it, I wasn't so sure. But
I think that there's you know, the preparation was key,
and you know, I couldn't expressed to anyone, you know,
(12:29):
for whatever kind of position you have right, no matter
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there's nothing that beats feeling like you're ready. It's finally
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the Forest dot Org brought to you by the United
States Fourth Service and the ad Council. And we're live
here outside the Perez family home, just waiting for the
And there they go, almost on time. This morning. Mom
is coming out the front door strong with a double
arm kid carry. Looks like dad has the bags. Daughter
is bringing up the rear. Oh but the diaper bag
(14:20):
wasn't closed. Diapers and toys are everywhere. Oh but mom
has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler.
And now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about
nine or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat.
Dad zips the bag clothes and they're off. Ah, but
looks like Mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still
(14:41):
on the roof of the car and there it goes. Ah.
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(15:01):
you by Mezza and the ad Council. I know it's
it's uh. And even when you're ready, there's that fear
that you're not ready and and so and as you
go along and you start building this brand. And let
me step back and just talk about news in general,
because I'm kind of confused as to what is news
and what is commentary, you know, and like what I think,
this is my perception, what I think what I see
(15:23):
on Fox is commentary or and I want you to
educate me too, And it's what I see you do.
What I see, you know, the let's the Holts and
the David Muirs of the world. You're doing news to me?
What I see a lot of times on on CNN
and what I see on Fox is a lot of commentary.
Am I wrong in saying that? Or it's a blend
(15:44):
of news and commentary. You know, I would say, wherever
you're hearing a lot of opinions, then that's more editorialized, right,
that is more commentary. And so that's I guess up
to the viewers to decide, you know, how they want
to hear their news as in it do they want
to just get the facts, ma'am so to speak, or
do you want to hear more of what you already
(16:06):
think you know for that to be reinforced by the
programming that you watch, um And you know, Fox News
for example, has great ratings, and so I think that
in a lot of cases people do want to hear
and get their ideas seconded and get support for you know,
certain arguments, UM that they believe are true, and they
may be true. You know that that's again up up
(16:28):
to the viewers to to really decide. But you know,
my understanding and what I learned in journalism school was
always about just presenting what cannot be debated really right.
And so certain facts of let's say, a house fire,
um cannot be distorted or changed based on your opinion.
(16:50):
You know, it was either a three alarm fire or
was not. It either went up in flames at twelve
o'clock on Brady Avenue or did not. And so there's
certain um uh styles. I guess that that some of
the networks take, especially the cable news outlet's take, but
um but for us, it is very much just what
(17:11):
the facts, the facts of whatever it is that we're presented. Now.
I mentioned two of your children's books at the top
of your intro, and now you have a third one.
It came out stayed this way forever, came out in
February of this year. How how did that develop? How
did you know? I would I gonna just say to
your hard charging news that the facts, ma'am, just the facts, ma'am.
(17:34):
To a children was a popular bestselling author in the
children's genre. How did that come about? So? I again,
I have a son who's seven, and when I was
reading books to him. Early on, I was thinking glad
I could do this, and over time that could became
should I should do this? Because I was having a
hard time finding books that had characters who look like him,
(17:57):
and I felt that that was really important. And while
in general terms, you know, the news industry is very
different from you know, authoring children's books, at the heart,
at my center, I consider myself to be a storyteller,
and so um, I felt like it wouldn't be that
much of a stretch for me to kind of let
my creative juices flow and talk about the good news,
(18:19):
really and uplifting because quite often what I do with news,
which was also kind of part and parcel to this,
because my son would want to see Mommy doing the news,
and I felt like, you know, quite often the subject
matter what we're talking about is just too much for um,
a young person like he is at this at this
young age, and so writing books I felt was something
(18:40):
that I could just share with him one without any
kind of filter or concern about the messaging that was
being you know, instilled in him. But I could use
it as a tool to inspire him, and so um,
initially I really focused on the mirror aspect. There was
an essay while ago that talked about how you need mirrors,
windows and sliding glass doors in all children's books. The
(19:03):
idea of mirrors so kids can see themselves reflected in
the pages of the books, windows so they can perhaps
pure into a world that's unfamiliar to their own, and
if that sliding glass door is to really be effective,
it can serve as a way to transport them into
an unfamiliar world. So with the first book, it was
really a matter of, okay, let me provide more mirrors
for my son. But ultimately it really became about and
(19:25):
this was before George the first book called Racial Reckoning,
was that the was that The One Big Heart or
The World Is Awake? Which one was the was the
first one. The first one was The World Is Awake.
The second one was One Big Heart. And that was
where I really talked about the need for or I
felt the need for windows in the book so that
(19:48):
kids would be able to be exposed to kids who
don't look like them, because I think quite often parents
look at books that have black and brown characters and
they think, oh, they're just for black and brown children,
And that couldn't be further from the truth really, because
it does no benefit to your child if they're only
seeing mirrors all around them, right, and they only see
their own reflection in their books and and their toys
(20:10):
and in their neighborhood and their church and their place
of worship or you know, school or place of worship.
And so I felt like parents can start with books
and with toys that they're looking to expose themselves or
expose their children to more diverse people. And this was
something that you heard, especially during the summer and the
so called racial reckoning, where parents were saying, you know,
(20:30):
what kind of conversations can I have? How can I
raise more empathetic children? And I think you can start
by giving them a book that has a character who
doesn't look like them, right. And my son has such
a diverse book collection that he never talks about the
race of the characters who are in the books. And
I would venture to say that most kids won't. You know,
parents will often say like, oh, kids don't see color.
(20:53):
Kids do absolutely see do see color. They just don't
assign a value to to color. You know. It's adults
who do that. Um. But I think that early on,
if they're all used to and accustomed to seeing a
variety of shades and hair colors and features in their books.
They're they're not going to point out it is being
(21:13):
so far and unusual because they're used to being exposed
to it. So that's now what I kind of shifted from.
In addition to focusing on the mirror, I've found additional
value in the window as well. Now they stay away Forever.
That that's the third book, Stay this way Forever? What
is that? What? What? What lineup communication are you trying
to get out through that book? Yes? So so stay
(21:35):
this Way Forever? Is really any parent I think will
relate Who's ever thought, boy, I wish I could just
freeze this moment in time and press the pause button
and you know, savor these moments that you know are
fleeting right that are gonna uh leave the playground of childhood.
And one thing that I would say, there you know
half the things that you know your kids are gonna outgrow.
(21:57):
But I would also venture to say, there are a
lot of quality these that you hope that they bring
with them into adulthood. So you know, my son's curiosity
or his creativity and his joy, you know, all the
nights that he says, tells me his plans for the
next day, and sometimes I'll say, tomorrow is gonna be
the best day ever. And I hope that he keeps
that with him into an adulthood where he's excited about
the possibilities of of tomorrow. But this was really kind
(22:21):
of a way of journaling all the different moments, because
you never know when it's going to be the last
time and a child, you know, falls asleep in your
lap or reaches for your hand to hold, or a
pitter pattern of feet before they, you know, jump in
bed with you in the morning. And so this was
kind of paying tribute to all the different stages of childhood.
And the theme that has kind of been consistent through
(22:42):
my books is the idea of love. The first book
is basically, know that you're loved by God, the second
one is love each other, you know, love your neighbor,
and this one is no, You're loved by your parents
and your grandparents. And I hope that kids will read
it and not only know that their loved, but just
how much they're cherished and adored and and especially for
the cute little little things that they do at these
(23:02):
various stages of childhood. My daughter, she's twenty three now,
and I always remember, I always tell her my favorite
moment one years old when she was just laying on
my chest. She hadn't yet had the ability to push off.
She just fell aslip so I knew exactly. And listen
as you go through that moment, it just takes me
back to a place where you know, I'm glad my
daughter's grown. But it's always those precious moments of being
(23:26):
able to experience when trying to set her up to
take pictures in the spine wasn't strong enough and you
have your pillows on both sides to get that picture
that you want to that they stay with you forever.
And but I wanted to before I get out of here,
I wanted to say, like, you have a lot of
rhymes in your book. Now, I grew up with the
function function, what's your junk confunction? So what are these rhymes?
(23:47):
And that's that that little flavor there that you that
we can go read out loud, your little raps in
the book. We're gonna one day function come on, now,
come on, let's when we got here, I think these
rymes so you're wrapping up a little growing up the
books that I read, you know, shel Silverstein and Doctor
since they were rhyming books, and so I just wanted
(24:11):
I love it my whole thing. I just wanted to
give my audience a look at you, your your special talent.
Let's let's put that way. And then and how did
you get that? I wanted. I'm glad you are willing
to share a part of that story how you get there,
because so many people just see the end results and
and the end results doesn't really tell the journey. And
like I said, I have a journey, and uh, Steven Smith,
Josey Harvard, so many people that are like Nick Cannon
(24:33):
has a Journey's a great job you did on Solo
Nation with that interview with him, and that I love
seeing you and I want to see more interviews out
of you create and pulling out information and very uncomfortable
information and maintaining a very comfortable environment when you get
in those situations. Telling my audience as we close out
this interview, what are you trying to accomplish the most
when you're doing to sit down one on one interviews.
(24:55):
You know, I'm a very curious person by nature, and
so anybody can go and google somebody and kind of
see a bio or some statements they've made. But I
really want to know what was beyond that. You know,
what motivates you, what caused you to say that, what
caused you to feel that way? Help us to understand
and explain, you know, beyond just the superficial surface stuff
(25:20):
that we see. So I really want to engage. I
want to have in depth conversation UM. I always say
in my personal life, I never know what questions are
appropriate or not, because in my professional work life I'm
able to kind of delve in and ask whatever UM.
But I love having that kind of interaction and and
engagement with with someone just to help us as humans
(25:45):
just get to understand why people think or feel or
say the things that that we do. I think that
it's a benefit to us all when we hear, you know,
the diverse UM perspectives that are out there. Well, I
want to thank you Lindsay for coming on my show,
money making conversation and sharing your story and again the book.
(26:07):
Please tell your people to send me some I got
a weekly newsletter goes out in eighty thousand people every Thursday,
nine am. And I got a little popular social media
following over a million. I'd love to post your book
and your banners just to additionally put out the brand
of you, because you are a great brand, and your
brand that a lot of young ladies like my daughter
look up to. Okay, thank you so much for Sean.
(26:27):
I appreciate you talking with me. If you want to
hear more or see any of my Money Making Conversations interviews,
please go to Money Making Conversation dot com or my
YouTube channel. I'm with Sean McDonald. I am your host.
Thank you. In this season of giving, Cools has gifts
(26:48):
for all your loved ones. For those who like to
keep it cozy, find fleeces, sweaters, loungeware, blankets and throws,
or support minority owned or founded brands by giving gifts
from Human Nation and Shame Moisture, and in the spirit
of giving, Cole's Cares is donating eight million dollars to
local nonprofits nationwide. Give with all your heart this season
(27:09):
with great gifts from Coals or Coals dot Com. Honorary
forest Ranger Bittty White here lending a hand to my
dear friends Smokey Bear because for years he's only said
only you can prevent wildfires, but there's a lot more
to say, like if you brought your car on tall
dry grass. The hoard egshaust pipe can start a wildfire,
(27:31):
so keep the animal safe, especially the cute shirtless swamp.
Go to smokey bear dot com to learn more about
wildfire prevention. Brought to you whether US Forest Service, your
state Forrester and the AD Council. I'm Tanya Sam, host
of the Money Moves podcast powered by Greenwood. This daily
podcast will help give you the keys to the Kingdom
of financial stability, wealth and abundance. The celebrity guests like
(27:53):
Rick Ross, Amanda Sille's, Angela Ye, Roland Martin, JB. Smooth
and Terrell Owens tune in to learn how to turn
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Welcome to Money Making Conversations. It's to show that she
has the secrets of success experience firsthand by marketing and
Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I will know he's giving me
advice to many occasions. In the case you didn't notice,
I'm not broke, you know he'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs,
entrepreneurs and industry decision makers. It's what he likes to do,
it's what he likes to share. Now it's time to
(00:25):
hear from my man, Rashan McDonald money Making Conversations. Here
we come. Welcome to Money Making Conversation. I am your host,
Rashan McDonald. It is important to stop reading other people's
success stories and really start writing your own. Always typically
people to leave with their gifts as meaning to leave
with your passion, your your belief. It's what you want
to do and don't let your age, friends, family or
(00:46):
coworkers stop you from planning or living your dreams. My
interviews I do on Money Making Conversation consists of celebrities, CEOs,
entrepreneurs and industry decision makers. My next guest is Lindsay Davis.
She's a best selling author of the world is Wake
and One Big Heart. In February, Lindsey was tapped to
anchor the weekend broadcast of ABC News World Tonight and
(01:07):
She's All And She also anchors ABC News Lifetime Live Prime,
Excuse Me, the network streaming even newscast. She's also correspondent
for World News Tonight, Good Morning in America, and Nightline.
Please Welcome to Money Making Conversation. The anchor of ABC's
weekend World News Tonight and ABC News Live Prime, Lindsey
Davis Rushan, thank you so much for having me on.
(01:30):
I try to get it all in. I try to
get it all in because you know the thing about
our business business long enough to see faces like yours
that are not normal. They're normal now, but you know
one Pine in his time and his industry, they weren't normal,
especially if a female face being normal. You know, Ed
(01:51):
Bradley was our man at one time, and then so
as you start ascending. That's why I wanted to make
sure people saw the body of your work. And this
is only a small body of your work, but it's
an important body of work. With yours. You as a host,
as an anchor, get to articulate our stories. And I'm
pretty sure in as an African American, as a female,
(02:14):
and some of the stories that were put out there,
how are you able to balance the actual reporting of
the news and then the detachment of what you were reporting? Well,
you know what, Look, it's always about the facts, and
I think that it's also about knowing what you don't know.
And so I think that when you don't have a
lot of variation, a lot of variety of perspectives and
(02:38):
lenses and experiences at the proverbial table, um, then you're
missing some of the nuance to the story, right, and
some of the relevant facts, um, get thrown aside. And
so UM, I don't think that I'm coloring it, if
you will, with with anything except that I do come
(02:59):
with the perspective and the experience of of being a
black woman in America, and so I think that I
may have certain questions that I'm going to ask or
that I'm going to lean into based on my own experience. UM.
And I think of as you talk about how we
haven't had many people who look like me. That was
why it was so important on my first night when
(03:20):
I assumed the chair of Weekend World News Tonight on Sundays,
I had an interview that I did with Carol Simpson,
who was the first black woman to anchor any network
newscast back in the eighties. And you know, I look
forward to the day my son is seven, and I
look forward to when he grows up that we won't
still be talking about, well, this was the first or
(03:40):
the second, right, because hopefully the idea and the ideal
will be that enough people at that point would would
have ascended to various ranks that it just becomes oh,
another person, right, And and so for my son, I
really do look forward to where it becomes so commonplace
that we're not still counting, you know, the first or
(04:01):
or the second. You know, it's really interesting, especially entertainment.
You know, I remember when Steve Harvey, now back way
back in the eighty three, when he had his first opportunity.
ABC offered the first sitcom. I remember, we came to
Mr Rajan, ABC wants me to do a sitcom. I went,
you let up because it was just it was just
so far I could not even fathom. Somebody I knew,
(04:21):
black Man, he was a comedian poplic Commedia was being
offered a TV show on ABC. It was a pilot
at the time, and then I fast forward and as
you're aspiring to these heights, I wanted to be on
the news, wanted to deliver the news, being face of
the news and faced in media. What was that? What
was that journey like in college and your friends and
your peer groups, when you're telling them this is what
(04:42):
you wanted to do. Sure, you know, I think that
I've had the luxury or the benefit of having especially
within my own uh my own home, and so not
just my parents, um, but in the extended family as well,
where there was an expectation that you could do what
you wanted to do. And so I never felt limited
(05:04):
or constrained because of my race or gender, because there
was a mindset that if you want to do it,
if you want to run for president, run for president.
You know, no one was really telling me the likelihood
of success or how it was going to be so
much more difficult or so much harder, or no one
has done this before or whatever. It was just like, hey,
you want to do that, here's some tools. We're gonna
(05:26):
give you, some exposures, some opportunities, and you run with it.
You take it as far as you can. And so
when I decided when I was in college that I
wanted to become a journalist at the time, in particular
a reporter. Um. You know, my parents were just like, Okay,
what do we have to do? What do you have
to do? And so at the time, you still had
to get a college credit for an internship, and I
(05:49):
had missed that opportunity because I was about to graduate.
I was at University of Pregunitay. So then I I
did what I've I've told subsequently that I had my
parents pay fifty thousand dollars so I could get an
internship because I went to n y U for for
grad school to get a master's. You don't need to
have a master's to be a journalist, but at the time,
I needed to get that extra year in order to
get an internship and to get credit for it. Um.
(06:10):
And so I would say that anything that I needed,
my parents were there right along with me, anticipating that
you know, if I wanted to do this, it could
be done. And my friends never batted. And I I mean,
I think that there was just this mindset of if you,
you know, work hard and put your mind to it,
(06:30):
you know you can achieve. And so I'm glad that
I didn't have um the naysayers uh too loudly in
my ear. But they are they are they ever just
reciting some of my experiences. I remember when I left
IBM to pursue a career as a stand up comedian.
Of course it's totally otlers from a news people look
at you're gonna be a comedian. I thought I would
(06:51):
be the next Eddie murphyus, somebody, somebody great like that.
Richard Pryor had it. Nobody could ever be him. He's
like the Michael Jordan of comedy. But then, but you know,
but it was always you know, people I didn't stand
in my way, but they always went okay, okay. But
then you started seeing little little steps well in the way,
little croms of opportunity became a reality. And then people
(07:11):
started realizing, and you started and I started realizing, you know,
I think I can really do this. Because even though
you can dream something, that doesn't mean it's gonna come true.
So as you were starting to go up there, like
you said you did the Intern, you went up to
n y U and you know, got the masters. But
when did you start really starting to fall start to
fall in place? For you, lindsay sure. I mean, you know,
(07:33):
I think that there are a lot of baby steps
and milestones along the way. And I was just a
self starter in a way that I would say, Okay,
I'm going by the time I five, I want to
be in the top market. By the time I'm thirty,
you want to be at the network. And I made
both of those. One the first goal by the skin
of my teeth, because I was just about to turn
twenty five, and I made it to Indianapolis, which was
(07:54):
the market. Um. But then you know, a few months
shy my thirtieth birthday, I made it here to BC
News and I've been here now for about fourteen years. Um.
And I would say when I was local news, I
was able to make a lot of jumps. So I
I started out in Syracuse it was market like eighty one,
and I went to flit in Michigan it was market
sixty four that went to Indianapolis market. And so I
(08:16):
was able to make a lot of those um jumps
based on you know, my own goals that I had set.
And I would say, once I got to the network,
it was a little bit harder to set a milestone
or set a goal and and then achieve it because
you know, a lot of the people who make it
here are very talented, right and in some cases there
(08:36):
are some sharp elbows or in some cases they may
have better relationships, or they may just be better positioned
for you know, opportunity or for growth. And so I
think that that did become a struggle for me kind
of finding my way once I got here to the network.
But I would say when I was given the opportunity
in September two thousand nineteen to be one of the
(08:57):
moderators at the Democratic Debate, that was career changing. That
that moment um. And then I went on to moderate
another debate again with David Neuir and George Stephanopolis in
February of the following year, and uh, in both cases,
you know, people gave very good feedback and reviews of
(09:20):
of my work um sitting there at the as a moderator,
and I think then that was the moment where people thought, oh, wow,
you know, you could really do this. Now that was
many years in right uh, into the game that that
I finally kind of got that recognition that that I
believed that I was capable of. But you know, it
(09:40):
was really kind of waiting for the opportunity. Well, you know,
it's really interesting that we all involved in journeys, and
we all involved in trying to reach those dreams and
then but then then their sacrifice, like you mentioned Indianapolis,
Mrs Syracuse. I remember when I left I I needly
got married and I moved to New York and my
wife was she still in left time. She stayed in Houston,
(10:01):
and so so I'm living in New York. And then
I moved to l A and I lived there and
she still was staying in Houston. So they are sacrifices
we all make. In those sacrifices, a lot of people
might call them selfish, but they're part of the goals.
They're part of the path that you gain. And then
you said, Richard, that was instrumental when you did the debates.
How first of all, how did they how did the
(10:22):
opportunity come to you? And then how did you prepare
for that opportunity because you knew it was big? Yes, Um, well,
I think that in part it was due to the
Democratic National Committee because they had set UH some rules
basically so that to prevent the moderator panels from UH
(10:45):
not being diverse. They they set some prerequisites basically where
you had to have diversity by gender, by race, and
so UM. I think because ABC had already decided that
they were going to have you know, David and George
and at first debate in September that we had for
ABC was going to be at an HBCU, and so
(11:05):
I think that there was probably a feeling. No one
ever told me. I wasn't in the room when the
decision was made that that I would be, you know,
the third moderator, but I would have to imagine that
that both of those played into it. UM. Look, I
would say that I probably never prepared more for anything
in my life than I had for that first debate
(11:26):
in September two thousand nineteen. You know, I I was
kept trying to minimize it in my mind so that
I wouldn't over hype myself and and and the let
the anxiety uh run two wild. Um. But I I
it was September and so August leading into it. I
remember I had a pre planned vacation and I was
(11:46):
on the beach with a big three two three ring binders. UM,
just studying and researching and reading and preparing and UM,
it was a lot, but the benefit of it is
that by the time that date came in September, I
felt prepared. And I think that that preparation gave me
(12:09):
confidence that in prayer I gotta say right but um,
but I felt that I was ready on that day,
and leading up to it, I wasn't so sure. But
I think that there's you know, the preparation was key,
and you know, I couldn't expressed to anyone, you know,
(12:29):
for whatever kind of position you have right, no matter
what kind of feel you're entering into, I think that
there's nothing that beats feeling like you're ready. It's finally
here the season of celebration, and no matter how you
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the Forest dot Org brought to you by the United
States Fourth Service and the ad Council. And we're live
here outside the Perez family home, just waiting for the
And there they go, almost on time. This morning. Mom
is coming out the front door strong with a double
arm kid carry. Looks like dad has the bags. Daughter
is bringing up the rear. Oh but the diaper bag
(14:20):
wasn't closed. Diapers and toys are everywhere. Oh but mom
has just nailed the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler.
And now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about
nine or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat.
Dad zips the bag clothes and they're off. Ah, but
looks like Mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still
(14:41):
on the roof of the car and there it goes. Ah.
That's a shame that mug was a fan favorite. Don't
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(15:01):
you by Mezza and the ad Council. I know it's
it's uh. And even when you're ready, there's that fear
that you're not ready and and so and as you
go along and you start building this brand. And let
me step back and just talk about news in general,
because I'm kind of confused as to what is news
and what is commentary, you know, and like what I think,
this is my perception, what I think what I see
(15:23):
on Fox is commentary or and I want you to
educate me too, And it's what I see you do.
What I see, you know, the let's the Holts and
the David Muirs of the world. You're doing news to me?
What I see a lot of times on on CNN
and what I see on Fox is a lot of commentary.
Am I wrong in saying that? Or it's a blend
(15:44):
of news and commentary. You know, I would say, wherever
you're hearing a lot of opinions, then that's more editorialized, right,
that is more commentary. And so that's I guess up
to the viewers to decide, you know, how they want
to hear their news as in it do they want
to just get the facts, ma'am so to speak, or
do you want to hear more of what you already
(16:06):
think you know for that to be reinforced by the
programming that you watch, um And you know, Fox News
for example, has great ratings, and so I think that
in a lot of cases people do want to hear
and get their ideas seconded and get support for you know,
certain arguments, UM that they believe are true, and they
may be true. You know that that's again up up
(16:28):
to the viewers to to really decide. But you know,
my understanding and what I learned in journalism school was
always about just presenting what cannot be debated really right.
And so certain facts of let's say, a house fire,
um cannot be distorted or changed based on your opinion.
(16:50):
You know, it was either a three alarm fire or
was not. It either went up in flames at twelve
o'clock on Brady Avenue or did not. And so there's
certain um uh styles. I guess that that some of
the networks take, especially the cable news outlet's take, but
um but for us, it is very much just what
(17:11):
the facts, the facts of whatever it is that we're presented. Now.
I mentioned two of your children's books at the top
of your intro, and now you have a third one.
It came out stayed this way forever, came out in
February of this year. How how did that develop? How
did you know? I would I gonna just say to
your hard charging news that the facts, ma'am, just the facts, ma'am.
(17:34):
To a children was a popular bestselling author in the
children's genre. How did that come about? So? I again,
I have a son who's seven, and when I was
reading books to him. Early on, I was thinking glad
I could do this, and over time that could became
should I should do this? Because I was having a
hard time finding books that had characters who look like him,
(17:57):
and I felt that that was really important. And while
in general terms, you know, the news industry is very
different from you know, authoring children's books, at the heart,
at my center, I consider myself to be a storyteller,
and so um, I felt like it wouldn't be that
much of a stretch for me to kind of let
my creative juices flow and talk about the good news,
(18:19):
really and uplifting because quite often what I do with news,
which was also kind of part and parcel to this,
because my son would want to see Mommy doing the news,
and I felt like, you know, quite often the subject
matter what we're talking about is just too much for um,
a young person like he is at this at this
young age, and so writing books I felt was something
(18:40):
that I could just share with him one without any
kind of filter or concern about the messaging that was
being you know, instilled in him. But I could use
it as a tool to inspire him, and so um,
initially I really focused on the mirror aspect. There was
an essay while ago that talked about how you need mirrors,
windows and sliding glass doors in all children's books. The
(19:03):
idea of mirrors so kids can see themselves reflected in
the pages of the books, windows so they can perhaps
pure into a world that's unfamiliar to their own, and
if that sliding glass door is to really be effective,
it can serve as a way to transport them into
an unfamiliar world. So with the first book, it was
really a matter of, okay, let me provide more mirrors
for my son. But ultimately it really became about and
(19:25):
this was before George the first book called Racial Reckoning,
was that the was that The One Big Heart or
The World Is Awake? Which one was the was the
first one. The first one was The World Is Awake.
The second one was One Big Heart. And that was
where I really talked about the need for or I
felt the need for windows in the book so that
(19:48):
kids would be able to be exposed to kids who
don't look like them, because I think quite often parents
look at books that have black and brown characters and
they think, oh, they're just for black and brown children,
And that couldn't be further from the truth really, because
it does no benefit to your child if they're only
seeing mirrors all around them, right, and they only see
their own reflection in their books and and their toys
(20:10):
and in their neighborhood and their church and their place
of worship or you know, school or place of worship.
And so I felt like parents can start with books
and with toys that they're looking to expose themselves or
expose their children to more diverse people. And this was
something that you heard, especially during the summer and the
so called racial reckoning, where parents were saying, you know,
(20:30):
what kind of conversations can I have? How can I
raise more empathetic children? And I think you can start
by giving them a book that has a character who
doesn't look like them, right. And my son has such
a diverse book collection that he never talks about the
race of the characters who are in the books. And
I would venture to say that most kids won't. You know,
parents will often say like, oh, kids don't see color.
(20:53):
Kids do absolutely see do see color. They just don't
assign a value to to color. You know. It's adults
who do that. Um. But I think that early on,
if they're all used to and accustomed to seeing a
variety of shades and hair colors and features in their books.
They're they're not going to point out it is being
(21:13):
so far and unusual because they're used to being exposed
to it. So that's now what I kind of shifted from.
In addition to focusing on the mirror, I've found additional
value in the window as well. Now they stay away Forever.
That that's the third book, Stay this way Forever? What
is that? What? What? What lineup communication are you trying
to get out through that book? Yes? So so stay
(21:35):
this Way Forever? Is really any parent I think will
relate Who's ever thought, boy, I wish I could just
freeze this moment in time and press the pause button
and you know, savor these moments that you know are
fleeting right that are gonna uh leave the playground of childhood.
And one thing that I would say, there you know
half the things that you know your kids are gonna outgrow.
(21:57):
But I would also venture to say, there are a
lot of quality these that you hope that they bring
with them into adulthood. So you know, my son's curiosity
or his creativity and his joy, you know, all the
nights that he says, tells me his plans for the
next day, and sometimes I'll say, tomorrow is gonna be
the best day ever. And I hope that he keeps
that with him into an adulthood where he's excited about
the possibilities of of tomorrow. But this was really kind
(22:21):
of a way of journaling all the different moments, because
you never know when it's going to be the last
time and a child, you know, falls asleep in your
lap or reaches for your hand to hold, or a
pitter pattern of feet before they, you know, jump in
bed with you in the morning. And so this was
kind of paying tribute to all the different stages of childhood.
And the theme that has kind of been consistent through
(22:42):
my books is the idea of love. The first book
is basically, know that you're loved by God, the second
one is love each other, you know, love your neighbor,
and this one is no, You're loved by your parents
and your grandparents. And I hope that kids will read
it and not only know that their loved, but just
how much they're cherished and adored and and especially for
the cute little little things that they do at these
(23:02):
various stages of childhood. My daughter, she's twenty three now,
and I always remember, I always tell her my favorite
moment one years old when she was just laying on
my chest. She hadn't yet had the ability to push off.
She just fell aslip so I knew exactly. And listen
as you go through that moment, it just takes me
back to a place where you know, I'm glad my
daughter's grown. But it's always those precious moments of being
(23:26):
able to experience when trying to set her up to
take pictures in the spine wasn't strong enough and you
have your pillows on both sides to get that picture
that you want to that they stay with you forever.
And but I wanted to before I get out of here,
I wanted to say, like, you have a lot of
rhymes in your book. Now, I grew up with the
function function, what's your junk confunction? So what are these rhymes?
(23:47):
And that's that that little flavor there that you that
we can go read out loud, your little raps in
the book. We're gonna one day function come on, now,
come on, let's when we got here, I think these
rymes so you're wrapping up a little growing up the
books that I read, you know, shel Silverstein and Doctor
since they were rhyming books, and so I just wanted
(24:11):
I love it my whole thing. I just wanted to
give my audience a look at you, your your special talent.
Let's let's put that way. And then and how did
you get that? I wanted. I'm glad you are willing
to share a part of that story how you get there,
because so many people just see the end results and
and the end results doesn't really tell the journey. And
like I said, I have a journey, and uh, Steven Smith,
Josey Harvard, so many people that are like Nick Cannon
(24:33):
has a Journey's a great job you did on Solo
Nation with that interview with him, and that I love
seeing you and I want to see more interviews out
of you create and pulling out information and very uncomfortable
information and maintaining a very comfortable environment when you get
in those situations. Telling my audience as we close out
this interview, what are you trying to accomplish the most
when you're doing to sit down one on one interviews.
(24:55):
You know, I'm a very curious person by nature, and
so anybody can go and google somebody and kind of
see a bio or some statements they've made. But I
really want to know what was beyond that. You know,
what motivates you, what caused you to say that, what
caused you to feel that way? Help us to understand
and explain, you know, beyond just the superficial surface stuff
(25:20):
that we see. So I really want to engage. I
want to have in depth conversation UM. I always say
in my personal life, I never know what questions are
appropriate or not, because in my professional work life I'm
able to kind of delve in and ask whatever UM.
But I love having that kind of interaction and and
engagement with with someone just to help us as humans
(25:45):
just get to understand why people think or feel or
say the things that that we do. I think that
it's a benefit to us all when we hear, you know,
the diverse UM perspectives that are out there. Well, I
want to thank you Lindsay for coming on my show,
money making conversation and sharing your story and again the book.
(26:07):
Please tell your people to send me some I got
a weekly newsletter goes out in eighty thousand people every Thursday,
nine am. And I got a little popular social media
following over a million. I'd love to post your book
and your banners just to additionally put out the brand
of you, because you are a great brand, and your
brand that a lot of young ladies like my daughter
look up to. Okay, thank you so much for Sean.
(26:27):
I appreciate you talking with me. If you want to
hear more or see any of my Money Making Conversations interviews,
please go to Money Making Conversation dot com or my
YouTube channel. I'm with Sean McDonald. I am your host.
Thank you. In this season of giving, Cools has gifts
(26:48):
for all your loved ones. For those who like to
keep it cozy, find fleeces, sweaters, loungeware, blankets and throws,
or support minority owned or founded brands by giving gifts
from Human Nation and Shame Moisture, and in the spirit
of giving, Cole's Cares is donating eight million dollars to
local nonprofits nationwide. Give with all your heart this season
(27:09):
with great gifts from Coals or Coals dot Com. Honorary
forest Ranger Bittty White here lending a hand to my
dear friends Smokey Bear because for years he's only said
only you can prevent wildfires, but there's a lot more
to say, like if you brought your car on tall
dry grass. The hoard egshaust pipe can start a wildfire,
(27:31):
so keep the animal safe, especially the cute shirtless swamp.
Go to smokey bear dot com to learn more about
wildfire prevention. Brought to you whether US Forest Service, your
state Forrester and the AD Council. I'm Tanya Sam, host
of the Money Moves podcast powered by Greenwood. This daily
podcast will help give you the keys to the Kingdom
of financial stability, wealth and abundance. The celebrity guests like
(27:53):
Rick Ross, Amanda Sille's, Angela Ye, Roland Martin, JB. Smooth
and Terrell Owens tune in to learn how to turn
live abilities into assets and make your money moves up
in Paris. Subscribe to the Money Moves Podcast powered by
green One on the I Heart Radio app or wherever
you get your podcasts, and make sure you leave a review.
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