← Making Space with Hoda Kotb
Making Space with Hoda Kotb
Lainey Wilson on Patience, Perseverance, and Finding Her Voice (July 2024)
00:30:46
Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson is one of country music’s biggest breakout stars, with chart-topping hits like “Heart Like a Truck,” “Watermelon Moonshine” and this year’s Grammy-nominated “Somewhere Over Laredo.” But long before the awards and sold-out shows, Wilson spent years knocking on doors in Nashville, facing rejection, uncertainty, and moments that tested her belief in herself, all while staying true to her voice and her storytelling roots. In this conversation from July 2024, Wilson sits down with Hoda to reflect on her long road to success, the power of patience, and what it really takes to keep going when the dream feels far away.
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- [00:00]
Hoda Kotb
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- [00:51]
Lainey Wilson
Without having to remain on the line.
- [00:53]
Hoda Kotb
To make an appointment.
- [00:54]
Lainey Wilson
Amazon One Medical Healthcare just got less painful.
- [01:05]
Hoda Kotb
Grammy Award winning and multi platinum singer songwriter Lainey Wilson has taken the music industry by storm with hits like Heart Like a Truck and Watermelon Moonshine, making her one of music's most buzzed about artists and solidifying her status as a next generation icon. Laney has broken records and reached her milestones, all without compromising her traditional country sound. In fact, she coined the term Bell Bottom country, which is just the way she describes herself. Country with a flair. And while it may seem like Laney is an overnight sensation, she will be the first one to tell you that like so many good things, her success took time. Laney's journey to stardom started in Louisiana, where she fell in love with music early on. She wrote her first song when she was just nine years old and by 19 she moved to Nashville to chase her dreams. Living in her camper while she worked to make it big, Laney faced years of rejection and heartbreak before finally signing her first record deal in 2021. Laney's breakout hit, Things a Man Ought to Know soared to number one, cementing her name in country music history. Since then, Laney's been on the ride of her life with more than 700 million music streams and seven number singles featuring hits like Wildflowers and Wild Horses. This summer, Laney will release her new album, Whirlwind, which is exactly what the past few years have proven to be for her. And while she is celebrating this milestone moment in her life, she's also helping me mark a Making space milestone. My 50th guest and I could not be more thrilled to mark the occasion with Ms. Lainey Wilson. I'm Hoda Kotmi. Welcome to a very special episode of my podcast, Making space, with my 50th guest, Lainie Wilson. Laney, you've quickly become one of my favorite people, and I think it's because I feel like you are authentically you. So I wanted to get to know where it started. So I love this question because I think it's kind of a window into someone's life. Someone asked me this question once, and I was like, what a good question. So close your eyes. Okay. Now imagine your childhood bedroom that you're looking around, you're standing in it. You see what's on the walls, kind of sheets, what's on your desk, if you have a desk, posters on the wall, whatever. Now open your eyes and tell me what you see.
- [03:51]
Lainey Wilson
First of all, I see a mess. Stuff shoved under the bed. I see a baby blue room with clouds on the walls that my mama tried to paint. I love it because I remember watching the Mary Kate and Ashley movie and they had clouds on their walls, and I thought that was the coolest thing. And I think, too, because I just remember looking up at the sky, even at night, and dreaming. And just like. So I loved. I love clouds. I see a flowery pink bedspread.
- [04:28]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah.
- [04:29]
Lainey Wilson
And lots of zebra print and leopard print. So a little bit of everything everywhere.
- [04:34]
Hoda Kotb
What? Did you share or were you by yourself?
- [04:36]
Lainey Wilson
So I have one sister, and until we were 10 and 11, we shared the same room. So this was my. I'm talking about my bedroom. Once we finally had our own individual rooms. Yeah.
- [04:47]
Hoda Kotb
Did you have anything on the walls? Did you have posters of anybody? Anybody who you.
- [04:52]
Lainey Wilson
Yes, I had a poster of Britney Spears, a poster of Shania Twain, a poster of I Love Lucy when she was in the Chocolate Factory.
- [05:02]
Hoda Kotb
Okay, wait, what? That's like other generation.
- [05:05]
Lainey Wilson
And what's so weird is I actually just bought some property in Nashville, and I was in the shop the other day on the property, and I look up and I see the same exact.
- [05:16]
Hoda Kotb
Stop it.
- [05:17]
Lainey Wilson
I Love Lucy Chocolate Factory poster on the wall.
- [05:20]
Hoda Kotb
There are no accidents in life, man.
- [05:22]
Lainey Wilson
There's not. There's not.
- [05:23]
Hoda Kotb
There's like, full circle. Why did you have that? What was it about that.
- [05:26]
Lainey Wilson
That I love humor. And I've always thought that she just had the cutest personality and she was, like, unapologetically herself. And I love people like that.
- [05:38]
Hoda Kotb
That's who you're attracted to.
- [05:39]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah, I love people like that.
- [05:40]
Hoda Kotb
It seems like all of your people, like Dolly Parton, Lucy, they are originals in your career. I can Imagine, because everybody's looking to create someone into stardom, but as you were going through trying to make it. And I wanna talk about that. But were people trying to change you? Mold you? Fix this. If you just did that, if you only were like this, you'd have a deal for sure.
- [06:06]
Lainey Wilson
And I could have absolutely taken the easy route.
- [06:09]
Hoda Kotb
What did they say? Like, what kinds of things? Were you serious?
- [06:11]
Lainey Wilson
I mean, I remember going around to publishing companies in Nashville, and I'd play them a batch of music, and then I'd play them, like, this one song that was not quite who I am, but was kind of the thing that other people were doing, because I wanted to show them that I could do both.
- [06:27]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah.
- [06:27]
Lainey Wilson
You know, I could write songs for other people. And here's what I do. And I definitely remember people being like, now that one right there, that is the thing that's going to, like, make you cut through and, like, if you could just. Like, the other stuff is not gonna work, but this stuff, it might. And I just knew. I'm like, that goes against who I am. And I'm all about growth. I'm all about, like, taking advice and constructive criticism from people that know what they're talking about. But I have a hard time taking advice from people who aren't where I want to be.
- [07:00]
Hoda Kotb
That's a good benchmark right there.
- [07:02]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah.
- [07:02]
Hoda Kotb
Because I remember and I know you love Dolly, and she's amazing. And I interviewed her once, and she was talking about growing up one of, I think, 12, and she didn't know what other outside influences were out there in music. So she played her way. It wasn't as. Even as if she could have said, like, ooh, let me look at her. Oh, she looks like that. She acts like, let me try. She wasn't original by nature. And also because there weren't other things out there for her to try to be, so she was herself. That's right. But you had influences. You like Britney Spears, you like this. We all like different people. But somehow you stayed the course. When you were being brought up, how did you. How did your parents instill kind of confidence in you?
- [07:47]
Lainey Wilson
Well, first of all, they would kind of put me on the spot everywhere that we would go.
- [07:51]
Hoda Kotb
Like what?
- [07:51]
Lainey Wilson
Like we would be in Walmart. I was the Walmart boy. I was Mason Ramsey. But we didn't have TikTok, you know? And I remember them just being like. We'd run into somebody and they're like, hey, Lainey, play them. Sing them that song that you wrote last night.
- [08:06]
Hoda Kotb
Anywhere Wait, so you just were singing on the spot as a kid, wandering around Walmart?
- [08:10]
Lainey Wilson
100%. I mean, my very first gig was a grand opening of a convenience store in Baskin, my hometown. And the guy who owned the store, he gave me a $20 bill. And I still have the $20 bill. But I just got up there and sang every song that I had written a cappella because I couldn't play guitar at that point. It wasn't until about 11 years old when I picked up the guitar.
- [08:33]
Hoda Kotb
How does music spill out of a 8 year old and 9 year old? How does it come. Is it like a poem? What is it?
- [08:39]
Lainey Wilson
I mean, it's a little bit of. I guess so. But I think it was more about the storytelling aspect of it for me. Because, I mean, when you're from somewhere like Baskin, it's 180something people, I think, and there's not a lot to do except sit around and hear the same old stories you've been hearing for years. But the kind of stories that get better every time you hear them. You hear them from like a different perspective. And if my daddy's telling the story, when he gets thrown off that horse, it's going to be a few extra feet the next time he tells it. But those stories that make you laugh and cry. And I wanted to do that. Yeah, I wanted to tell a story. That's what it was.
- [09:22]
Hoda Kotb
That's it. That's all it was.
- [09:23]
Lainey Wilson
So I was singing about tequila and cigarettes when I was 10 years old.
- [09:28]
Hoda Kotb
Did you the feeling of sing, Lainey? And you did. What feeling came over you as a little girl, if you can put yourself back there?
- [09:36]
Lainey Wilson
I mean, I definitely remember being a little timid. I mean, I was the kid in the grocery store that I would hide behind my mama's legs and kind of peek around the corner. But eventually that wore off because they believed in me. They did. They knew it around the same time that I knew it, that I was really gonna do this. And it was just a weird sense of peace that it just comes from up above. And that's the only thing that we can put our finger on. I mean, the truth is, my daddy is very realistic about things and he's very just. He's type A, you know, and he's. He would normally be the kind of dude that's just like, no, you need to get a job that's nine to five and you need to, you know.
- [10:20]
Hoda Kotb
If you want insurance and all the rest.
- [10:21]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah. But for some weird reason he said, try. He was like, yeah, this is it. That's what you gonna do.
- [10:31]
Hoda Kotb
Okay. That's so big, because every parent probably dreams it, but probably doesn't dare say it because they want their kid. They want to make sure their kid lands gently.
- [10:39]
Lainey Wilson
For sure.
- [10:40]
Hoda Kotb
Your musical influences. When, like, who did you listen to? You said you had Shan posters. Was she somebody who you looked up to and listened to?
- [10:48]
Lainey Wilson
Oh, for sure. I remember watching her music videos and just thinking, man, she's spicy. She's got that. She's got that thing, you know? And I loved the leopard print. I mean, my first pair of bell bottoms, they were leopard print. But, I mean, I grew up definitely listening to a lot of 90s country. I felt like I knew those people. I felt like I knew the voices on the radio because it was. It was more than just a genre of music for me. It was truly a way of life. We lived out those songs.
- [11:17]
Hoda Kotb
How did you go from your small town? Because, you know, there's a sense of security, obviously, that comes from every. You know, like, I remember where I grew up, and I remember what it felt like. I knew every neighbor, every kid knew me. When I went to school. They all knew me. I wasn't the kid with the funny name and the weird hair and the stop sign glasses. They knew me. And when you take yourself up, I call it repotting. Like, you pulled yourself up by the roots from this place, and you're dangling in the air, probably wondering, am I going to make it? Look at me. I feel like I need nourishment. And you start to put your roots down, figuratively, in Nashville, in a camper. Not really. But you were making the. How did you make that transition? And did you feel fish out of water or did you feel. What did you feel like?
- [12:04]
Lainey Wilson
Well, I ended up feeling a lot different than I thought I was going to feel. So I thought. I just heard, you got to be.
- [12:10]
Hoda Kotb
There to do it.
- [12:10]
Lainey Wilson
You got to be there to do it. And I thought, all right, well, then I'm going to be there, and then I'm going to do it.
- [12:14]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah.
- [12:15]
Lainey Wilson
And then I got there, and I realized, okay, now I'm here. I don't know anybody. And I thought I was kind of. I was moving a country music city where people might. Were going to maybe talk like me a little bit, you know? And that was not the truth. I was a little fish in a big pond, and it was like starting over from. From scratch. I mean, of course, the people in my hometown, like, they were my biggest fan, you know, Like, I was Famous in a small town, I guess you could say. And it was starting over, but that's how it's been for me. It's been a lot of, like, gear shifting.
- [12:52]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah.
- [12:52]
Lainey Wilson
Along the way, even year seven of being in Nashville, you have to shift some gears and, like, it's just been a lot of navigating until I found a group of people, like my team of people in Nashville that got it.
- [13:07]
Hoda Kotb
Well, rejections are something you're used to, and you had them for years. You know, they call Nashville. Cause I have a bunch of friends there, too. They do call it the ten year town. Like, after ten years, if you've tried and you haven't made it, you know, probably time to peace out. You didn't peace out. What happened on year 10 when you knew that phrase and you were like, what did you think?
- [13:27]
Lainey Wilson
Oh, it was sneaking up on me.
- [13:28]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah. What'd you think?
- [13:30]
Lainey Wilson
After being in Nashville, at least for, like, three years, I was like, okay, this is gonna look different than I thought it was gonna look. I'm gonna have to, like, really get my 10,000 hours, you know, and even more. And it wasn't until year seven, I got a publishing deal. Year eight, got a record deal. And then once I signed my record deal, that didn't mean anything, right?
- [13:52]
Hoda Kotb
Didn't mean you made money.
- [13:53]
Lainey Wilson
No, that means I had $20 in my account with a record deal, you know.
- [13:57]
Hoda Kotb
Oh, no.
- [13:58]
Lainey Wilson
And my sister was venmoing me for Taco Bell. I mean, holy moly. That wasn.
- [14:05]
Hoda Kotb
And okay, that's crazy right there.
- [14:08]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah. And so then year 10, I had a song at radio. My first song did not do well. And then the pandemic hit, and then we went to radio with this song, Things a Man Ought to Know. And it was like 10 years and a month and a few days when Things a Man Ought to Know went number one.
- [14:29]
Hoda Kotb
Holy moly.
- [14:30]
Lainey Wilson
So they hit the nail on the head.
- [14:31]
Hoda Kotb
They really did.
- [14:32]
Lainey Wilson
They did.
- [14:33]
Hoda Kotb
So, you know, nine years, $20, nothing going on. Was there any point in your heart, even though you knew you loved it? Cause, you know, we've all loved things, and sometimes it's not meant to be. Did you ever think to yourself, okay, God, I'm getting your message here. I've been trying, and I'm broke.
- [14:51]
Lainey Wilson
I should have had that feeling. I should have took my butt to the house. I should have. I'm not gonna lie to you. And I know a lot of people probably thought, man, when's she gonna give this thing up? But I never had that feeling.
- [15:06]
Hoda Kotb
You never did.
- [15:06]
Lainey Wilson
I never had it because I always just felt like, man, it could be right around that corner.
- [15:12]
Hoda Kotb
It's right there.
- [15:13]
Lainey Wilson
It's like that mountain meme, you know, it's just like it could be right there, right there.
- [15:18]
Hoda Kotb
How did your parents keep you on track? Or did they have that feeling of honey, we did encourage you, but you do have to make a living at some point.
- [15:25]
Lainey Wilson
They never had it either.
- [15:26]
Hoda Kotb
My God, I love your parents.
- [15:27]
Lainey Wilson
I've always been able to make a living playing music. Even when I was a little girl ye 8th grade on like I was, I've always been able to support myself with music. Whether that meant I was playing a four or five hour bar gig or whatever, I was making ends meet. And I knew that my parents were there if I needed them and they wanted me to know that. But. And they had to. They've had to help me at times. Like you, you can't do it without. Whether that just means somebody's guidance or at times when you say I can't pay my water bill, can you help me do that? And they were there when I needed them.
- [16:03]
Hoda Kotb
Wow. More with Lanie Wilson after the break. Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now T mobile is in US cellular stores. Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits. Plan features and taxes and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits. Credits stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required. Protein is now at Starbucks and it's never tasted so good. Try our all new caramel protein lattes with up to 31 grams of protein and options with no added sugar. Level up, level up, level up, level up, level up, level up your drink at Starbucks. Amazon One Medical presents painful thoughts. Do they ever actually clean the ball pit at these kids play gyms? Or is my kid just swimming in a vat of bacteria catching whatever cootie.
- [17:14]
Lainey Wilson
Of the day is breeding in there?
- [17:16]
Hoda Kotb
A cootie that'll probably take down our whole family. Luckily, with Amazon One Medical 24. 7 virtual care you can get checked.
- [17:25]
Lainey Wilson
Out for whatever ball pittitis you've contracted. Amazon One Medical Healthcare just got less painful.
- [17:38]
Hoda Kotb
I mean, isn't that so crazy how not having 20 bucks in your pocket to where you sit right now, the timeframe in between those two moments, which is nuts, when you Think about how close the bottom and the top are. It really is insane. It's like a blank. I mean, it's insane. Yeah. And someone was saying to me, like, often your best blessings are on the other side of the jump. If you didn't jump to Nash, like, all your blessings were waiting for you, but if you had stayed, you know, because I think a lot of people think, well, I'll stay here and I'll. When it's time, my time will come.
- [18:08]
Lainey Wilson
That's right.
- [18:09]
Hoda Kotb
Were you ever afraid of jumping into anything? Like, think about your life?
- [18:14]
Lainey Wilson
Of course. I guess I've been scared to jump into things that I didn't know that I would be halfway decent at. You know, even the acting thing.
- [18:25]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah.
- [18:26]
Lainey Wilson
But I have. It's really crazy how the Lord blesses you with people that, like my parents, I have found people in Nashville and my manager and everything, that at times they'll see things in me that maybe I don't even see in myself, and they encourage me to take that step. And I think about Dolly Parton, I think about Reba, and I think about the women that, like, stayed true to themselves, but also they weren't scared to take opportunities. They were like, you damn right I'm gonna do it.
- [18:55]
Hoda Kotb
That's exactly right. I mean, and to have your acting gig to be Yellowstone is like, hello.
- [19:01]
Lainey Wilson
Jumping in.
- [19:02]
Hoda Kotb
I mean, just the. So that started off with a couple of your songs were on Yellowstone, and then someone tapped you and said, hey, why don't you give it a go?
- [19:09]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah. Taylor shared. And he called. We had become friends after he had put a couple of the songs in the show. And I realized just how beneficial it was to have music in that show, because, I mean, people were coming to my show being like, I found you through the Yellowstone soundtrack.
- [19:26]
Hoda Kotb
Oh, you're kid. I wouldn't have thought that. Wow.
- [19:28]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah. And so that it's just been a perfect storm with, like. I think that show's had a lot to do with the Western way of life becoming cool again, of course. And I think timing is everything.
- [19:40]
Hoda Kotb
Wow. And to think about. And who taught you the acting part? Like, how did you learn what to do?
- [19:46]
Lainey Wilson
You know what, Actually? Well, Taylor Sheridan told me, because we were on the phone, he said, I've got an idea. And I'm like, this man is full of crazy ideas. He's crazy. But he said, I want to create a character specifically for you, and I want you to sing your music and kind of be yourself, but go by a musician named Abby. And I said, well, you know, I've never acted a day in my life. And he said, well, most musicians that I work with, they. Without even knowing it, they're actors and actresses. Because at times, you gotta stand up on that stage. Maybe you just lost somebody the night before. Maybe you're going through a breakup, maybe. Who knows? But you've gotta hide all these feelings when you get up on that stage. Cause it's not about you, you know?
- [20:32]
Hoda Kotb
Boy, that's a beautiful sentiment. When you sang on the stage, by the way, with that Make a Wish little girl out here on the plaza, there was something about it. And I've thought about it a lot since you did it. I think it was that you didn't sing with her. You sang to her. And something about. We watched what was between you and that little girl. And I was thinking about how your life has blessed so many people and how you lifted her up. And then I thought, I wonder, like, who lifts Lainey up? Like, what happens, like you just said, when you lose somebody, when you suffer a great loss and you need help, too? Who helps you?
- [21:14]
Lainey Wilson
I got a lot of good people in my life. I really do. And I keep those good people close. Like, the people that know me. Not the artist, but me. So my sister. She's my big sister. She's my best friend. I have an incredible group of girlfriends back in Nashville, and they all kind of, in a way, like, we all kind of do the same thing. My manager's my best friend. My mama is one of my best friends. My boyfriend. I've got a lot of good, good people. I mean, even my team out on the road, they become my family. And so we're there for each other. Because the truth is, stuff happens, and you just gotta keep pushing on and take advantage of the love that people are trying to give you around you.
- [22:05]
Hoda Kotb
I was always the type of person when I had a difficult thing in my life, I would push it and bury it. Because I believed, which I've changed my beliefs now, but I believed certain pain you were meant to carry. Not everything gets talked out. I thought people in life have been through horrible trauma, but yet they're playing tennis or yet they're. So I thought you had to tuck it in deep and just. It was part of you on your journey. But I sort of learned along the way that sometimes you gotta put the backpack down and you gotta find somebody who will be there and hold it gently. Someone who you trust completely.
- [22:40]
Lainey Wilson
And sometimes you just don't even need em to say anything. You just need Em to listen, you know, Like, I'm not really even looking for the answers.
- [22:47]
Hoda Kotb
I just need someone to sit there. I learned that lesson, so clearly. This is so weird you said this. Cause I was just thinking. When I was in college, my dad died suddenly, like, out of the blue, healthy as can be in a. He was actually exercising, and I was marching around college not paying attention. I used to wear glasses. I took my glasses off. I would walk around. I didn't know up was down, down was up. And I remember I was in a class, sitting there, listening to some teacher talk, and they handed out a test. And I looked at the test, and I got up, and I put on my backpack. I'm like, I'm probably gonna flunk out of school. But I took my backpack, and the guy. The teacher was yelling, hey, you're gonna fail my class if you walk out that door. And I just couldn't sit there. I walked out, and my best friend Peggy was sitting behind me, and she walked out of that class. Stop. She walked. I didn't say a word. She walked with me to the duck pond.
- [23:41]
Lainey Wilson
That makes me want to cry.
- [23:42]
Hoda Kotb
She sat next to me and didn't say a word.
- [23:46]
Lainey Wilson
That's what it's about.
- [23:46]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah. When you said that, I was like, that feeling. It's like a warm hand on your heart. And finally I go, are you crazy? And she goes, no, I'm crazy about you. Like, let's. Let's just sit here. Let's talk it out if you want. But I think it's making sure that you have those people and you know that feeling, and you're right. You don't need to talk it all out. You just need to.
- [24:07]
Lainey Wilson
Just need to know that you're not alone. Somebody's there, that you're not alone, which.
- [24:11]
Hoda Kotb
Is, I think, what a lot of what you just did with that young girl on the stage, Suddenly she wasn't by herself anymore. She was seen. She was seen.
- [24:20]
Lainey Wilson
Peyton. Yeah, Peyton from Colorado.
- [24:22]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah.
- [24:22]
Lainey Wilson
She is so cute. She was so cute. They said that she's normally not shy. She's normally, like, over the top. Over the top, but she was speechless. So I'm excited that she got to be on y' all show.
- [24:34]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was a moment. Do you. When you feel depleted, how do you nourish, like, yourself, your soul, your. You know, what do you do?
- [24:43]
Lainey Wilson
Man? I will tell you. I take on a lot of people's energy, and I put a lot of energy out, too. I feel like we're probably pretty similar. Like, that Like I can walk in a room and there's some bad energy. Like I can kind of feel it.
- [24:56]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah.
- [24:58]
Lainey Wilson
And so I'm very. I'm becoming more aware of like when I know that I need to be very intentional about filling my cup. And so it's forcing myself to, to do like my daily devotionals, put my feet in the dirt, doing those things that just what's going to fill me up so I can continue to give more. Because if you continue just to give from a half full glass, that's what.
- [25:25]
Hoda Kotb
I feel like sometimes.
- [25:26]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah, there's like, I want to be able to give a lot of myself and it's not a good feeling when you can't do that, you know? And so I'm trying to pay attention to it now. I'm not gonna lie to you. I don't get it right all the time. And sometimes I'm pouring out of my.
- [25:42]
Hoda Kotb
Empty glass, I'm like, bottoms up, I need a minute. And sometimes it's more than taking a break. You're right. It's finding the places where you feel nourished, the people who fill it up, as opposed to. Cause sometimes I was like, I just need two sleeves of Ritz crackers, some Real Housewives in my bed, and then I'll be fine. But that doesn't really do it. That just gives you a time to kind of blank slate it.
- [26:03]
Lainey Wilson
That's right.
- [26:03]
Hoda Kotb
But to nourish is a whole, whole different thing.
- [26:06]
Lainey Wilson
That'.
- [26:07]
Hoda Kotb
Do you see yourself down the road with a family, with kids? How do you envision, like, you know, you said this was interesting. It's hard to jump when you can't see the other side. Yeah, it's like some people are in bad relationships and they want out, but they can't actually visualize themselves in a good relationship. So when you visualize, you have to be able to see it. Do you see that part of your life, kids and all that stuff?
- [26:34]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah. So it's funny because like, growing up, I didn't dream about walking down the aisle. I didn't dream about, you know, like babies and this and that, but I was dreaming about playing the Grand Ole Opry. I was dreaming about doing what I'm doing now. And I feel like my dreams have kind of like brought other dreams. And yes, I want to, I want to enjoy this, this part with. I want to enjoy this, but I also want to enjoy this one day with a family. You know, I want to be able to raise kids and share the wisdom and knowledge that other people are sharing. With me. And I think I'd be a hell of a mama.
- [27:12]
Hoda Kotb
I do, too. By the way. By the way, you're already, you already have that thing, whatever it is, and I don't. It's like a nurturing, it's an innate nurturing trait. But you're right. But I do think that's interesting. I had the same thing about, like not seeing the actual moment of here's everyone down the aisle, but living that dream. I had kids late in life, you know, I have a seven year old and a five year old and I love that they're the cutest, most amazing. But I do have to say, like, of all, you know, I always think about, like, what are my greatest accomplishments? And man, who knew that all my blessings would come after 50? Like, every single blessing. Best job I've ever had. A family I thought was so far gone, like, not even attainable. So it's funny and I feel like you're getting some of your blessings now. But I have a weird feeling like the boatload is. The boatload's coming. I love that the boatload's coming.
- [28:04]
Lainey Wilson
And two, like, it's just now you have somebody to like, really share it with. It changes everything and do it for them.
- [28:12]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah. Yeah. I don't think I realize that the life, you know, I mean, not to sound selfish, but you're like, you don't see your life beyond. I worry about my mom's health and all those things, but it's like I was seeing backwards but not forwards. More with Lainey Wilson when we come back. This February, Aldous Hodge returns as Alex Cross, your favorite detective on television for season two of the hit show Cross, premiering February 11th exclusively on Prime Video. Fresh off his capture of the infamous serial killer, the fanboy, Cross teams up with the FBI to hunt down a vigilante serial killer targeting corrupt billionaires. As the case unfolds, Kross navigates a moral crossroads where the lines between justice and vengeance are blurred. Catch season two of Cross, with new episodes dropping weekly starting February 11, only on Prime Video. Protein is now at Starbucks and it's never tasted so good. Try our all new caramel protein lattes with up to 31 grams of protein and options with no added sugar. Level up, level up, level up. Level up, level up, level up. Your drink at Starbucks. Well, the holidays have come and gone once again. But if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift, well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the Idea.
- [29:35]
Lainey Wilson
You get it now, you call it.
- [29:36]
Hoda Kotb
An early present for next year.
- [29:38]
Lainey Wilson
What do you have to lose?
- [29:39]
Hoda Kotb
Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch limited time.
- [29:43]
Lainey Wilson
50% off regular price for new customers. Upfront payment required $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for 12 month plan taxes and fees. Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes per month when network is busy. See terms.
- [29:58]
Hoda Kotb
If you have a day, that's all yours, Lainey. Nobody's calling, nobody's coming, nobody's. No one's around. You get to wake up when you want. You get to do what you want. There's nothing on your agenda. You have no PR stuff. You have nothing to do. Okay, your eyes are open. What time do they open?
- [30:17]
Lainey Wilson
Depends on what time I go to bed.
- [30:19]
Hoda Kotb
Okay, fair enough. Fair enough.
- [30:21]
Lainey Wilson
Let's just say I went to bed at midnight.
- [30:23]
Hoda Kotb
Okay.
- [30:23]
Lainey Wilson
I probably get up at. I can sleep.
- [30:26]
Hoda Kotb
Can you? How long?
- [30:27]
Lainey Wilson
I could probably get up about nine. I could get me a good nine hours.
- [30:31]
Hoda Kotb
Is that your best night's sleep, by the way? If you can get nine hours, you feel good?
- [30:34]
Lainey Wilson
Eight. Nine.
- [30:35]
Hoda Kotb
Eight, nine.
- [30:35]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah.
- [30:36]
Hoda Kotb
Okay, that's good. Good, good. I like it.
- [30:38]
Lainey Wilson
I can't imagine how you do. Like, how many hours of sleep would you get?
- [30:41]
Hoda Kotb
Well, I have to. Well, I get up at 3.
- [30:43]
Lainey Wilson
I know.
- [30:43]
Hoda Kotb
So I go to bed. I usually go to bed around 9 or 10, but often I'm bleary eyed. I started like doing a meditation in the morning, which a friend of mine was saying, try this. If you have these weird schedules that you have to be sharp and clear at this hour.
- [31:00]
Lainey Wilson
I need this.
- [31:01]
Hoda Kotb
So I started doing. It's 20 minutes of meditation where you sit and you just repeat something in your head and all of your thoughts kind of empty out. And when you're done, it is kind of. You get like. Cause I have to read the prompter after.
- [31:14]
Lainey Wilson
Yes, you gotta be short.
- [31:15]
Hoda Kotb
I gotta know what's going on. But it has really helped me, like, get some clarity.
- [31:21]
Lainey Wilson
I love that.
- [31:22]
Hoda Kotb
And energy. Weirdly, you think meditation will make you go to sleep, but it kind of perks you up. Okay, I'm sorry. See what you do, you turn it around.
- [31:28]
Lainey Wilson
Okay, back to you.
- [31:29]
Hoda Kotb
Back to you.
- [31:30]
Lainey Wilson
Let's see.
- [31:31]
Hoda Kotb
Okay. Getting up at nine.
- [31:32]
Lainey Wilson
I'd get up about nine.
- [31:33]
Hoda Kotb
First thing you do when you open.
- [31:34]
Lainey Wilson
Your eyes, go to the coffee machine. I gotta have my coffee. How do you take it When I'm trying to be good. Just black.
- [31:42]
Hoda Kotb
Okay, but how about regular?
- [31:43]
Lainey Wilson
But like, if I was doing whatever I wanted to do, I'd be putting me some. Probably some coffee mate.
- [31:48]
Hoda Kotb
Yeah, I love coffee mate. Like, with the powder, the old school.
- [31:52]
Lainey Wilson
No, not even the powder.
- [31:53]
Hoda Kotb
The liquid. Okay. All right.
- [31:55]
Lainey Wilson
It's like a lot of coffee mate with a little bit of coffee.
- [31:57]
Hoda Kotb
That's how I do.
- [31:58]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah. Probably sit on my front porch and listen to the birds out there with my little French bulldog, Hippie Mae Wilson.
- [32:07]
Hoda Kotb
Hippie Mae Wilson.
- [32:08]
Lainey Wilson
She's. She's rotten. She is.
- [32:10]
Hoda Kotb
It's.
- [32:11]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah, it's her life, and I'm living in it. And then, man, maybe walk down to the end of the driveway, check the mail.
- [32:20]
Hoda Kotb
Like, just take it easy.
- [32:22]
Lainey Wilson
And probably stay in my pajamas all day long.
- [32:24]
Hoda Kotb
Don't you just. Sometimes you just need a day that has nothing to do. It's not full of anything or anybody.
- [32:31]
Lainey Wilson
Would you watch a trusty pair of pajamas that I love?
- [32:34]
Hoda Kotb
The ones that are really worn out. Come on. Would you watch tv? Is there anything that's. That's lighting you up right now?
- [32:40]
Lainey Wilson
You know, I would probably binge watch some stuff. I just. I just binge watched Defending Jacob.
- [32:46]
Hoda Kotb
Oh. How was that?
- [32:46]
Lainey Wilson
I really enjoyed it. Yeah, I did. It was. It was crazy. Like, I love things that, like, keep me on my toes.
- [32:52]
Hoda Kotb
And they say Presumed Innocent is like that.
- [32:54]
Lainey Wilson
Okay.
- [32:55]
Hoda Kotb
Jake Gyllenhaal. I haven't seen it yet. Everybody's talking about it.
- [32:57]
Lainey Wilson
Okay, that's the next one.
- [32:59]
Hoda Kotb
Okay.
- [32:59]
Lainey Wilson
But then I love watching crazy stuff like Love is Blind.
- [33:02]
Hoda Kotb
Oh, yeah. I love that.
- [33:04]
Lainey Wilson
I'm like. I get so invested, and then I start talking shit to the camera. I'm like, why?
- [33:09]
Hoda Kotb
Why would you do that? Exactly. So, wow.
- [33:13]
Lainey Wilson
Maybe at nighttime, build a little fire, have a glass of wine. Jalapeno poppers.
- [33:19]
Hoda Kotb
You know what? That sounds like a great day.
- [33:22]
Lainey Wilson
I think so, too.
- [33:23]
Hoda Kotb
Great day. Lainey, you're such a lovely human. I just want to say thank you for hanging out with me for a little.
- [33:28]
Lainey Wilson
Enjoy.
- [33:28]
Hoda Kotb
We'll see you soon.
- [33:32]
Lainey Wilson
That was fun.
- [33:34]
Hoda Kotb
So good. You're such a good human. Such a good human. Back at you. Really good. Producer. Making Space with Hoda Kotfi is produced by Allison Berger and Alexa Casavecchia, along with Kate Saunders and Brittany Bosner. Our associate audio engineer is Juliana Mostarillo. Original music by John Estes. Bryson Barnes is our head of audio production. Missy Dunlop Parsons is our executive producer. Libby Least is the executive vice president of today and lifestyle. Gas, snacks.
- [34:16]
Lainey Wilson
Tolls.
- [34:16]
Hoda Kotb
This trip is draining my wallet.
- [34:18]
Lainey Wilson
Yeah, but we'll be with family.
- [34:21]
Hoda Kotb
You're in a good mood. What's your deal? What's my deal?
- [34:23]
Lainey Wilson
I saved at Metro with no activation fees and I got one line of 5G for just $25 per month.
- [34:29]
Hoda Kotb
Kept the phone I love and a.
- [34:31]
Lainey Wilson
5 year price guarantee on my top.
- [34:32]
Hoda Kotb
Text and data detour to Metro.
- [34:34]
Lainey Wilson
Get that more for your money feeling.
- [34:36]
Hoda Kotb
Only at Metro by T Mobile just bring your number.
- [34:38]
Lainey Wilson
$30 first month at $25 after with.
- [34:40]
Hoda Kotb
Autopay not available if with Metro or T Mobile in the past 180 days.