Hoda Kotb (3:04)

Okay, so managing editor is a title. How do you manage? Like, when you have a staff, what's your. Some people manage from the back of the boat.

Tom Yamas (3:12)

Yeah.

Hoda Kotb (3:13)

They want to see how everyone's. Some people have to be out front saying, look at me. Some people manage this way or that way. What's your. What's your technique?

Tom Yamas (3:19)

I believe it comes from the top down. So I'm involved in every step, and that's why it takes a lot of time, like, story selection, looking at scripts, talking to reporters, talking to producers, looking for video. Oh, flagging for video. Flagging video. Ooh, get in there. I like to tell people I'm involved in every second of that show. Wow. And you can't do everything but getting pitches. Talking to reporters not only about the job, but also about the business, the career. So. So back up.

Hoda Kotb (3:50)

Explain what you're doing. So you.

Tom Yamas (3:51)

So we're doing Nightly News for the first time ever. We're doing a streaming show right after. So we're doing 60 minutes of top Story. After we hit a switch, the entire studio changes. It's Top Story.

Hoda Kotb (4:01)

Holy moly. I didn't know it would work like that.

Tom Yamas (4:03)

It's crazy. Hoda. And it's also. It's two very different shows. So I go from Nightly, which is a beast, and it takes a lot. And then we're interviewing newsmakers. We have longer pieces, more investigations, just more anchoring in general reading. It's 50 minutes of content compared to, like, 22 minutes of content. So it's a lot. So by the end, I'm. I'm gassed. By the end.

Hoda Kotb (4:22)

How do you keep. Because a cohesive staff is really what makes anything work. We know that from today. You know that from Top Story and all that stuff. So now, whenever kind of a new person steps in, I think everybody kind of wonders, like, okay, what's the vibe going to be? How do you keep that part of it? Because you're asking a lot of the people on staff a lot of hours, a lot of 10.

Tom Yamas (4:42)

And we've asked a lot of the nightly staff because. So you have a new anchor. And, you know, Lester was there. He was so beloved, such a great guy. So I'm coming in, and I'M coming in hot. No, I'm coming. I'm coming. Yeah, you are.

Hoda Kotb (4:52)

I'm coming.

Tom Yamas (4:54)

And we're also bringing up the Top Story staff, too. So we combine the teams.

Hoda Kotb (4:58)

Okay.

Tom Yamas (4:58)

So now everyone's sitting together, which is great. And I wanted to do that because I want to hear ideas. So if Top Story has a great story and maybe it's a good story for Nightly, we don't find out about it when it's too late. You know, we find out about it immediately. That's good. And if Nightly's gonna launch at a new story, Top Story now knows about it and we're all talking to each other.

Hoda Kotb (5:14)

That's good.

Tom Yamas (5:15)

I come from local news like you did, and, like, I love a buzzing newsroom when, like, someone's screaming from the assignment desk, get out the door.

Hoda Kotb (5:21)

And there's.

Tom Yamas (5:21)

And I want to create that environment. And then I'm getting to know the Nightly staff a little more. What I'm doing is I'm meeting with everybody individually and we do this thing where I ask them to bring in some of their work so I can kind of see the stories they like, what they really feel passionate about. And then we play this game, which is five questions, and it's. They can ask me five questions, and I can ask them five questions. Not personal, but you have to answer the question, too.

Hoda Kotb (5:42)

It's like, what kind of question?

Tom Yamas (5:43)

So, like, what is a perfect day for you during the week, though? A work day. What's a perfect work day? Perfect work day. And then I have to say the same thing.

Hoda Kotb (5:50)

Oh, that's good.

Tom Yamas (5:50)

And then it's also like, favorite movie.

Hoda Kotb (5:52)

Okay.

Tom Yamas (5:52)

But there's been these incredible moments where even though it's like half hour meeting, you get to really know people and share some, like, really deep things. And it's been beautiful. I've gotten to know these people. It's great.

Hoda Kotb (6:03)

That's really cool. That was smart, by the way. How did you even think to do that?

Tom Yamas (6:06)

I think it's just from listening to people and interviewing people for so long. Like, we meet people a lot of times, like, on the worst day of their life, and you get to know them and you'll never see them again. And so I thought, I'm going to work with these people, like, for years. I should get to know them pretty quick. So it's a good way to do that. And. And also, I think we live in a time, especially with younger staffers. I'm finding they came in through the pandemic.

Hoda Kotb (6:28)

Yeah.

Tom Yamas (6:28)

And so they were Away.

Hoda Kotb (6:29)

Yeah.

Tom Yamas (6:29)

And it was like working, like, by yourself in your. Your house and, like, not knowing your coworkers or getting to know each other or doing this thing. And so I think little things like that, like, go a long way.

Hoda Kotb (6:40)

Yeah. You know, you stepped into NBC and I remember. I don't know why I remember this, but one of the first things, Christmas or some holiday. You gave every single person a book. Do you remember? It was a book about, like, how to track down a. Whatever.

Tom Yamas (6:54)

No, no, no.

Hoda Kotb (6:55)

What was that book?

Tom Yamas (6:56)

It was the Lion. The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life.

Hoda Kotb (6:59)

The Lion Tracker.

Tom Yamas (7:00)

Did you read that? Why wouldn't you read that?

Hoda Kotb (7:03)

Because I don't know. It's in my. By the way, I actually came across it and I was like, this was the Tom book. So first of all, I didn't know you.

Tom Yamas (7:10)

Yeah.

Hoda Kotb (7:10)

So when you came in, I was like, oh, nice. New guy gave me a book. Cool. Well, I didn't know all this was behind you.

Tom Yamas (7:15)

It's an amazing book.

Hoda Kotb (7:16)

Why was that book such a, like, important part?

Tom Yamas (7:19)

You know why? Because it has this beautiful quote that I by.

Hoda Kotb (7:22)

Yeah.

Tom Yamas (7:22)

Which is always good to kind of remind yourself, which is, I don't know where I'm going, but I know how to get there. And for me, that's kind of like you got to listen to your gut. You got to kind of know what you're doing, play your game, and if you really are focused and you know exactly what you're doing, you'll figure it out. And for the lion trackers, and the book is not really about. It's not about killing lions, it's about finding the line. And these trackers are incredible because they're searching for these tiny little clues of a crease in this grass. And maybe there's a scent over here. And they're relying on these people that have spent their centuries tracking lions. And sometimes you get lost and it's. How do you get back on that trail again? Because that is life. Right. We constantly get lost. And there's this other quote from that book I love, which is too much chaos is unstable. No. Chaos is not living. And I think that's true, too. That is true. That's good. That is true, too. So anyways, read the book. I think you will love it.

Hoda Kotb (8:18)

I'm sure I will.

Tom Yamas (8:19)

It's a little.

Hoda Kotb (8:19)

I liked it. It was small.

Tom Yamas (8:21)

You burnt. It was a little book.

Hoda Kotb (8:23)

So the other thing we noticed about you when you first came to NBC is you're a go getter, man. You want to go like, if there's something happening, you're like, hand is up and you're out the door. I think often the way it is, sometimes people wait a beat, let's decide, let's talk about it before we spend resources and time. And I think your philosophy seemed to be like, just show up. Like, showing up is the key.

Tom Yamas (8:50)

I think showing up is the key. And I think sometimes you can make wrong choices. Yeah, but I don't think you can ever be slow. Yeah, I think if you. If you're slow, that's going to really hurt you. Yeah. And so that's the kind of way I look at those things. But I believe in raising your hand. I believe. I mean, that's what I learned here. It's where I've learned, working in other places, that sometimes if you're the first one to say, hey, send me, that goes a long way. Because a lot of times people don't.

Hoda Kotb (9:12)

Want to go, you know, okay, so I want to go back, back, back. Okay. So your parents.

Tom Yamas (9:18)

Yeah.

Hoda Kotb (9:19)

Came here from Cuba.

Tom Yamas (9:21)

Right.

Hoda Kotb (9:22)

What do you know? Or what were you told about their journey? Like, how does everything.

Tom Yamas (9:26)

I mean, everything. And, like, heard the stories millions of times and talked about it. My mom's family owned a sugar mill, sugar factory, and it was called Narcissa. And so they lived in Havana, and the sugar mill was, like, a little further out. And they lived in Havana, a place called Miramar. And they lived, like, a good life. They were, you know, wealthy, upper middle class, and then when Castro takes over, they have to leave. And, you know, my mom remembers, like, my. My grandfather burning papers and, like, the pool, just because, like, I think you had to, like, they were just worried because they weren't pro Castro, they weren't communist. And even though he wasn't communist at the time, he didn't say he was communist at the time. They weren't supporters of him, so they had to leave. They went to Fort Lauderdale. And my grandfather, it didn't really work out for him here, and he wasn't used to the lifestyle in America. And. And starting from nothing, like, they lost everything. They lost all their money. They. They. They went from a very comfortable, good life to. To nothing.

Hoda Kotb (10:24)

And so how did they make a living?

Tom Yamas (10:26)

My grandmother worked. She just worked. She worked, worked, worked, and she had never worked a day in her life. And then she starts with three children, she starts having to work and have to work multiple jobs. And my uncle, who was the oldest child, delivering papers and delivering anything he could to make money and. And struggling and figuring it out. And then my grandmother met another Cuban man here, and they got married. And he was a construction worker, a developer, a builder, built a great business. They moved to Puerto Rico. They lived for a while. They were there, came back to Miami and just grew up middle class in Miami and, you know, good people, but hard because they lost their country, they lost all their money. And, you know, and my mom's father, like, he. He just. He sort of disappeared. He's out of the picture. And then for my dad, he had a different story. My dad lived in eastern part of Cuba, Oriente, which is more rural, in a place called Bonus, and a small town. And they decided to stay and kind of wait out Castro and see what. What. What it was like. So he had to stay for about six years there. And quickly they realized that. That things were changing and they weren't going to be great for the family. Little things like at school, they were teaching them to read, but they were teaching them to read communist books and communist literature. They were these weird lessons where they would show that Fidel could provide, but God couldn't provide. Like, sort of torturous things they would do to kids. And so my grandfather's like, okay, I think we've had enough of this. They went to Havana, and there was a time when Castro sort of like, he. He devalued all the currency. And so he's like, there's a new currency, so all of your money at this point is gonna be gone. So they spent all the money. They lived in Havana for a month. They obtained passports to go to Mexico, probably fraudulently, they went to Mexico. They hung out there for a while, trying to figure out, because you could still claim political asylum, because they were refugees, they were fleeing communism. They went to the border, and my dad's family, they went with coyotes, essentially, to the Rio Grande. So they crossed, like a lot of way people have crossed over the last 20, 30 years, the Rio Grande. And they went on a raft with a coyote. My dad and my aunt were on one raft. They got sent over and they couldn't see their parents anymore. So they weren't like, what's going on? They came over and then the next raft had my. My grandparents, and they. They made their way from Texas, Matamoros to Miami, and from Matamotos, Mexico, I should say, crossing over to Brownsville and then to Texas, from Texas to Florida. And then they started in Miami and they started, you know, with this government assistance. But what a lot of Cubans will tell you, they remember the moment they came over. And they. They applied for asylum, and they got assistance from the government. But they'll also tell you the day they went back and they said, we don't need assistance anymore. We got our job. And so they started out living in Miami and as immigrants. The immigrant story. And my parents met at the end of high school. My dad studied dentistry and became a dentist. And we lived in Flint, Michigan, for a while. We lived in Little Havana when I was born, and then we moved to Flint for three years. We lived in an immigrant community there of immigrant sort of dentists and doctors that were doing their residency at the hospital in Flint. And then we moved back to Miami, and we grew up in this great place called Coral Gables. It was amazing. Had a great life, and my parents helped me get an education. Wow.

Hoda Kotb (13:37)

How did their experience form your know.

Tom Yamas (13:40)

It was interesting because I grew up in Miami at a time when it was probably 99% Cuban American around me. And so I was taught to always be proud that I was Cuban American. When I would look up at the tv, I would see people who were Cuban American and were reporters. They were anchors, they were elected officials, they were CEOs, they were meeting with presidents. And so I thought, cubans can do anything, because that's what I saw, you know, like, you want to be what you see. And so it's like, we can do anything.

Hoda Kotb (14:05)

We can do anything.

Tom Yamas (14:06)

But I had friends and family that grew up in other parts of the country, and they had a completely different experience because they were the only Cuban. And when you're the only Cuban, it's like, it's completely different. And so maybe you pronounce your name a different way. You know, you don't say yamas, you say llamas, because you don't want to draw attention, you know. And so it was interesting because I think it was sort of a superpower, because I thought, wow, I can speak Spanish. I have this sort of story that my parents told me. Like, they've overcome, and I've seen all these other families in Miami do it. Like, wow. And it was weird because it was such a strange environment because if you didn't speak Spanish, it was odd. Like, everyone spoke both languages, but if you didn't speak Spanish, it was like, wow, you don't know Spanish. It was, like, kind of strange. At the same time, you know, every moment of my life, I was reminded about what was happening in Cuba because we were watching the news there. You know, a call would come from Cuba. Everyone get quiet. My dad would be talking to his Family there. We'd be sending, like, medicines. We'd be sending money, figuring out how to hide the money, figuring out how to hide the medicines, hiding things like Kool Aid packs in greeting cards. Because they would go through everything. They would steal, you know, the government would steal because everyone was so poor there. So you'd have to hide, like, Kool Aid packs. Anything that was high in calories, we would send there because they were just. They needed. They needed food. And then every now and then, we would, like, you know, my dad be like, we're going to go see some family just got out, and it'd be like, we'd go to, like, a motel on Biscayne Boulevard in, like, a bad area of Miami. And it was. Some family had just gotten out. I'll never forget one time my dad had some cousins come in, and they were so skinny. Like, the husband and wife are so skinny. They had three kids. And me and my brother were young at the time. But I want to say the kid, one of the cousins was 7, and he walked up to his mom and she breastfed him. And it was because they. They would breastfeed their children to, like, a very high age because there was no milk. So the mothers were. Yeah, so. So it was always kind of heavy because you were living, like, this sort of comfortable life. But you're also, like, constantly reminded that there was a lot of suffering. Sorry.

Hoda Kotb (16:15)

But that's. You know what, Tom? Quite frankly, that's a lot to carry. It's like you've got a foot in both places in a way. But to watch that horrible suffering and to watch. How did you deal with it as a kid? Or did you.

Tom Yamas (16:31)

I think you just. You were constantly reminded, like, just sort of educate people, make sure people are aware, have open conversations, educate yourself, make sure, you know, like, about issues and topics. And that's what. It's kind of one of the reasons why I got in news, because we were constantly talking about these issues. Like, we would talk about communism, we would talk about democracy, we would talk about news anytime there was a cast. Like, I've been talking about interviews and bias in the media, like, since I was a little kid, because my parents would watch, like, anytime Fidel Castro was interviewed, anytime, like, a Cuban official was interviewed, they'd watch this and they would say, oh, that was. That reporter didn't ask tough questions, or, that reporter was bi. And it was funny because I can remember us as a kid hearing these conversations and understanding that there was like, oh, you have to be down the middle there's fair and unfair. But, like, from a very young age, it's kind of funny. I knew that. Yeah. From a very young age. So we were constantly watching, like, political shows and talking politics. If you talk to any Cuban American, that's very Cuban. And it was, like, around the dinner table, we talk sports and, like, normal things. But politics was a lot because. Because every year. Hold on, every. Imagine this. Every year in my house, we would toast to next year in Cuba. And it's been that way for, like, 1959. And so my parents have never gone back. They probably never will, but there was always this idea, like, oh, Cuba's gonna change. They're gonna have free elections. There'll be a movement. And there have been, but it was always sort of, you know, stopped. And so that was like, my entire growing up. The brafter crisis. It's funny. Phil Alangi, who's former executive here, he was my first boss at NBC.

Hoda Kotb (18:10)

Oh.

Tom Yamas (18:10)

So when I was an intern, he gave me my first internship here. And he hired me in 2000, in part because they had just been covering the Elian story.

Hoda Kotb (18:19)

Oh, yeah.

Tom Yamas (18:20)

And he had become very, very well versed in the cub. So when he interviewed me, we talked a little bit about it, but he just gave me a poster. I invited him to the first broadcast when I did nightly, and he gave me a poster, and it was an Elian poster from that time. And I was like, wow. And it took me back. I was like, oh, my. Remember when Elian dominated the news he was on? He led every day.

Hoda Kotb (18:41)

Every single day.

Tom Yamas (18:42)

So for most of my life, that was always a thing Hood. It was like wet foot, dry foot, the rafters. Clinton. I mean, it was just like. It was always sort of Reagan. It was just like always in my life. Yeah.

Hoda Kotb (18:52)

So was that the through line? You wanted journalism right away because of that, I knew.

Tom Yamas (18:57)

It was. When I told my parents I wanted to do it, we had a guy named Luigi Aguirre, who was an alumnus of my school. He's a great reporter and anchor. He still lives in Miami. And he came and gave a talk at my high school, Belen, and he said, if you like writing, it was a writing class. And I liked writing. He's like, check out TV news. Check out journalism. And I didn't even know that was a career. Yeah. You're like, what? And I went back to my parents. My parents were like, yeah, check it out. And I did an internship at Telemundo when I was 15. They hired me. It was crazy. I hired you at 15? 15. Can you imagine, Hoda? I would go to crime scenes, and I was this child. I would go to, like, press conferences, like, with a mayor, and I, like, there in the background. And, you know, you were trying to just, like, pretend like you're not the kid when you clearly are the kid. And so I've been doing that since I was 15. Yeah. But my parents, I think, were okay with it because they consumed so much news that it was like a rep for. For an immigrant family, because it was like doctor, lawyer, like, pretty much businessman. There's, like, the three jobs. Like, my parents always supported me even to be a journalist. I think it's because they. They were so well read, and they loved the news.

Hoda Kotb (19:49)

Was that your first job ever?

Tom Yamas (19:51)

First job. I was funny. I got a job that same summer, and as a valet parking attendant. And I only lasted one day there because Telemundo called me, and I was like. I told the guy. I was like, I'm so sorry. So I get the job. My good friend who actually got fired two days later because he had points on his license, it's so funny. But when you're 15. But yeah, I did that every summer, so I've been working in newsrooms.

Hoda Kotb (20:09)

Wow. You said you were like, the kid. How did you not feel? Totally out of your league? Totally. Like, what am I doing here? Totally insecure.

Tom Yamas (20:18)

I mean, I'm sure I did. I couldn't even drive the first summer my mom would drop me off. It was also in Spanish was Telemundo. So it was like. It was challenging in itself. But, you know, photographers, local news photographers, all photographers, really. Right. They're the best people. And they. They. A couple took me under their wing, and they're like, all right, here's a tripod. You start by carrying this. Here's how you carry the mic. Here's how you interview so you don't come out. Because if I did the interview, I was supposed to come out. You know, it's like a. It was what you call a voc, where you hear the sound or for a reporter. So this is where you stand, and this is how you hold the mic, and this is how you ask the question. So Since I was 15, I was doing that. But, like, you know, you always want to go to, like, a bigger assignment. You know, like, you always raise your hand. Can I go? Like you're talking about. Why do you always raise your hand? I've always been doing that. And it's funny because when I was that age, I had to sort of tell myself like, you know, pretend like you've been here before, but I literally had not been there before. And so even in our job now, Hoda, there's always instances where, like, you really have never been there before. And it's good sometimes because you get nervous again because we do it for so long that sometimes we don't get nervous. Yeah, but it's good to get like that. But I have been doing that my whole life. Just trying to tell myself, like, act like you've been here before.

Hoda Kotb (21:24)

Back with more from Tom Yamas. Stay with us.

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Hoda Kotb (24:15)

What were you like in high school?

Tom Yamas (24:16)

You know, I went to an all boys school and I was like, you know, I'd love Jokester, you know, played or no. Yeah, I played sports. It's funny. I. I'll tell you the story. It's really funny. I loved baseball growing up. Love baseball and so pretty good baseball player. But being a pretty good baseball player in Miami, Cuban American, like you got to be a really good baseball player. And so in the eighth grade, I got cut from the baseball team. Right? Traumatic. And let me tell you how traumatic. I gave the commencement address a couple years ago, and the teacher who cut me, he was our history teacher. I always tell the story. He hates it. Mr. Martinez, he came up to me, he's like, tom, I mean, I'm so proud of you. Me and my wife, we watch. I go, Mr. Martinez, I can't believe this. I go, guess what? You are in my speech. He goes, me? He goes, I didn't know I had such an impact. I go, oh, you did? And so I'm giving this speech and I'm thanking everybody And I go, Mr. Martinez, oh, geez. You cut me from the eighth grade baseball team. And for that I will never forgive you. Is that what you said? Oh, my God, that's what I said. And everyone lost it. But it's funny, Hoda, because it put me on a different path. I stayed playing sports, but I played football and I wrestled and I was okay. I was like, I wasn't that great. But what I got into because of Louis Aguirre, he's like, if you want to do this. Like, he gave a playbook. He's like. He's like, if you want to be a TV reporter, get an internship, join the speech and debate team or the forensics club. And I signed up, and I didn't even know what that. And my parents. No idea what that was. And so I showed up, and I got really into speech and debate. I got really into forensics, and I started competing, and we got really good, and we traveled the country, and it was like. And speech and debate. What I did was the interp events. It was like, you have 10 minutes. So you come in, you have an introduction, you have 10 minutes, and then you finish, and then you get rated. But it was oda. It gave me so much confidence. It's what we do now. It's essentially what you do now. Live shot, your story, your tag.

Hoda Kotb (26:00)

Yeah.

Tom Yamas (26:01)

And again, I was doing that since I was, like, freshman, sophomore year, and all those things sort of built me up to where I am today. But it's funny, like, stuff like that. Like, I still love sports, but because I got cut back then, it sent me on a completely different track. And then there was a point where I was playing football, and I was like, everyone was way bigger than me. And I'm not a small guy, but the guys were way bigger. I finally told the coach. I was like, listen, man, I'm not gonna play college. And I'm like, probably not gonna play, like, senior year, so I'm gonna go pursue this. I think it's gonna be better for me and that coach. To this day, another coach, he always, like, tells me about that story, by.

Hoda Kotb (26:31)

The way, for you to have that kind of wherewithal to focus on that, because all, you know, when you're in high school, the only thing that matters is, do you play sports? How popular are you? Hanging out, going on dates, hanging out.

Tom Yamas (26:40)

And that was all very popular to me, too. But there was this. This thing in the back of my mind always. And my friends will always tell you this. Like, I just knew that, like, you had to sort of be serious about something. And I think that's. I think it's part of the immigrant mentality. I think I've always had it, like. Like, you couldn't sort of, like, do nothing. Yeah. You know, you couldn't be lazy. You couldn't do nothing. Definitely couldn't be a failure.

Hoda Kotb (27:01)

Yeah.

Tom Yamas (27:01)

And so it was like, that was always in the back of my mind, and I think, like, that sort of was like, okay, internship, freshman year. Way, way ahead. A lot of my friends, but. Yeah, but, like, I had a great time in high school and, like, a lot of fun.

Hoda Kotb (27:13)

So what motivated you to bounce? Because after you graduated college, you go into local news.

Tom Yamas (27:18)

Yeah.

Hoda Kotb (27:18)

What were you going for? Did you have a goal when you were a young reporter?

Tom Yamas (27:22)

I was. When I was a young reporter, I just. I dreamt of being a network correspondent. It was just like, my dream, like, Carrie Sanders was just like, oh, wow. I just want to be like Carrie Sanders. Like, he's so great. And he was based in Florida and I was in Miami. And it was just sometimes we would share stories, you know, like, share interviews. And so that's all I wanted to do. And I was so focused on that, and I wanted to come to the network. And they were like, you're not ready. You're not ready. They kept saying me, you're not ready. I was like, okay, okay. And then they're like, but we think you're ready for local New York, which is like the number one market, wnbc. Okay, fine. Great. Showed up here was way different than when I came from Miami.

Hoda Kotb (27:57)

How was it?

Tom Yamas (27:58)

First of all, there was two. There was two photographers, a photographer and an editor, like, kind of live truck guy in Miami. It was just one guy. There was a lot of rules, union rules, certain things like that. There was. It was a time of transition. So they were going from when they would shoot the story in, feed it in, and somebody else would edit here in New York like we do to editing in the field.

Hoda Kotb (28:18)

Yeah.

Tom Yamas (28:18)

And that was a big change for. And I was coming there as they were just learning. And so I was like, go, go, go. Run, run, run. And everyone's like, just chill. It was a bigger market that you cover three states, so you could be in, you know, Connecticut for the 5 o' clock, and then you're in Long island for the 11. But there were great storytellers, really great journalists, huge market. Sure. And little by little, I started getting on the attention of the network. And so little by little, they were giving me, like, a little bite of the apple. I would come on the Today show, I would do. I did a story, an investigative story on baby monitors. And how if you have the same baby monitor, it's so creepy, you could look at someone else's baby monitor. And so you could drive by a house and listen to, like, what the family's talking about, look at the baby. Oh, my God, it's creepy. Yeah. And the Today show loved it. And so they put me on that. And then There was a couple breaking news stories in Manhattan that they had me front. So little by little, they were giving me chances.

Hoda Kotb (29:13)

How did those feel? I mean, you knew that was what you wanted.

Tom Yamas (29:15)

And you got, I mean, just heart pounding, like, out of my. Yes. Dying out of my chest. I'll never forget the first time I went to the Today Show. I got there, there was a great rock band that was like, warming up for, like, a concert. The. The door opens, it's like Bobby Flay and it's like all these, like, actors in the green room. And then they're like, hey, you're gonna be on. It's just like. Just like, wow. Just like, wow. And it's just a dream. Yeah. And then little by little, I would do stuff for Nightly News and then I would start news reading on the weekends. Yeah. So I was always raising my hand, hey, hey, you need, like, weekends for Christmas weekend. Yeah, I'm here, you know, And I. And a lot of times I would work seven days. I would do my five days at Local and I would do my two weekend days at Weekend Today. And then. So it was my dream to be a network correspondent. They gave me a tryout in Burbank, in la. It was great. Summer only did it a month, but it was good. And then they put me in that network writing class where you're writing. And it was going great. Everything was going great.

Hoda Kotb (30:11)

Yeah.

Tom Yamas (30:11)

But at the same time, WNBC starts asking me to fill an anchor. And I never wanted to be an anchor. I was like, correspondence, what I want to do. I did not want to be an anchor, but I would fill in. And it was like, it was fine, it was fun. Just like, I would fill in on the newsreader on the weekends, but I never thought about it. And then I was taking this network writing workshop and I get a call and it's Elena Nakmanoff who was like the head of talent here. And she's like, we want to offer you a spot in the LA bureau's a correspondent. I was like, oh, my God.

Hoda Kotb (30:37)

I was like, yes, yes, Everything's happening.

Tom Yamas (30:38)

And I swear to you, Hoda, I get a call at the same time and I switch over and it's my boss at wnbc, Susan Sullivan, and she' we're going to relaunch live at 5 at WNBC. We want you to anchor it. Same Holy moly. Same call.

Hoda Kotb (30:52)

What?

Tom Yamas (30:52)

So I said. I said, I got to think about this. And so I clicked over. I was like, let me. Let me just think about this. I'm A million people. And I was in this writing class with ML Flynn and Martin Fletcher, and I was just like, yes, Talking to them, like, what do you think I should do? And they're like, oh, my God, these choices. And so I decided, I said, listen, they're going to work with me because I had no real anchoring experience. They're going to work with me at WNBC and I could still contribute to the network. And I asked them, I was like, can I contribute and correspond? They're like, we'll make it work. And they did, and it was great. And I worked with this grad. To this day, I always say I worked with this great anchor coach. His name was Barry Nash, and he was just wonderful.

Hoda Kotb (31:25)

What tips did he give you? Like, what did you.

Tom Yamas (31:27)

Just being yourself.

Hoda Kotb (31:27)

Yeah, that's important.

Tom Yamas (31:29)

I'm Cuban, so I'm kind of loud, bringing it down, listening. But the best thing he told me, because I was co anchoring, was the best anchors are the people that make the other anchor look better. Yeah, but when it's on your shot, when it's on the single shot, it's you. But when it's that two shot, you better make sure you're building up that other person. And it was little stuff like that, you know, and listening and reacting, and not just the script. I mean, and I was a young. I mean, I was a very young anchor, like, very green when it comes to anchoring. And it's hard. You have to, like, build reps. Yeah, but. But it was good. I'll tell you one quick story about that. So I was a new anchor, and we had these consultants that would come in and they would just. They'd rip apart the newscast. And it was just so hard because, like, everyone was so hard. And they would just say, everything you're doing is terrible. And you know how these things. I mean, they're trying to do good, but it's like, it's. Those meetings are terrible. And we had this consultant. He comes in, it's like our whole five o' clock team. And he's making a point. He goes, and you have this new young anchor. He's talking about me. And he doesn't really have a style, so you have to help him. And it was just like, you must have died. Mortifying, Hoda, mortifying. So it's just like. So like I'm walking in the. In the hallway at 30 Rock. I'm going to go like, shoot a cut. And I'm like, I've just gotten this. You know, he's just Kind of ripped me in front of everybody. And I didn't know Harry Smith, but I see Harry Smith and he goes out of nowhere, and he doesn't know what's going on with me because he goes, hey, whatever you're doing, keep doing it because you're gonna be big. And I was like, harry, I go, you have no idea.

Hoda Kotb (32:55)

Are you serious?

Tom Yamas (32:57)

He's like. He's like, no. He's like, you're doing great. And I was like, you have no idea. Yeah.

Hoda Kotb (33:01)

Oh, that's a crazy, huge moment.

Tom Yamas (33:03)

Same day, timing. Crazy.

Hoda Kotb (33:05)

By the way, your timing in life is crazy. Two calls that moment. So you took what Harry Smith said?

Tom Yamas (33:10)

Yeah, I just kept. I kept at it.

Hoda Kotb (33:11)

So what is your style? How would you describe it?

Tom Yamas (33:14)

I just. I think my style. I don't know what my style is now. I think my style is I'm into every story because I believe if I'm not into it, you're not going to be into it. I'm definitely listening, and I just want to make sure I'm urgent, because if it's on the news, if it's on the news, like, I'm gonna give you a reason to watch. Yeah. You know, I think.

Hoda Kotb (33:34)

I think that's what you do.

Tom Yamas (33:35)

Thanks.

Hoda Kotb (33:35)

Every time you appeared on the Today show, I remember, like, we stopped and listened. You hold an audience, which didn't surprise me when they were figuring out, like, what was gonna happen with Knightley. Now I'm still imagining this kid who just was anchoring the Five and freaking out and, you know, can't believe he's here. It's almost like every time you turn around, you're like, how'd I get here? When you got the call, explain what happened and how you made that leap and got this incredible job at night.

Tom Yamas (34:02)

So I left for a little bit. Yeah, right. I left for a little bit.

Hoda Kotb (34:05)

We remember, okay? We remember.

Tom Yamas (34:08)

It's. It's funny how life goes. I. And it's actually Lester, who was always a mentor to me. I had talked to him about it, and he was weak in nightly, and he was weakened today. And I had this opportunity to go to abc, and he said. I said, what do you think about this? And he goes, listen, man. He goes, I'm not going anywhere. And there was a time when there was. There were some other anchors that were in places that weren't going anywhere either. Nobody was moving. And so he goes, no one's moving here. He's like. He's like, if you have a good opportunity, check it out. And it was a good opportunity at ABC News, and I wanted to get back on the campaign trail. I wanted to try something else, and I wanted to try the next step. And so it was an opportunity to report on the campaign, cover the campaign, and also anchor the weekend's world news. And so it was great. And I gotta tell you, I learned so much there. It was a great experience, because it was a completely different shock. Yeah. Different philosophy, different way to work. And I learned a lot. I met a lot of great producers, a lot of great people still to this day, like, a lot of love and respect and had really good opportunities. I covered Donald Trump's first campaign, and I covered every major breaking story from 2015 to. Till the time I came back here. And it was a great time, and I learned a lot. And it was good because I got. What I always tell people is that I got to learn from the greats from both places.

Hoda Kotb (35:16)

That's good.

Tom Yamas (35:16)

And it is good because you get exposure, and that's what helps you. And, you know, like, life is falling. Somebody said this falling through a bunch of filters. And, like, you kind of grasp a little bit from each filter. That's what it was, you know?

Hoda Kotb (35:27)

Okay, so you left.

Tom Yamas (35:28)

Yeah.

Hoda Kotb (35:28)

And then you came back.

Tom Yamas (35:30)

I came back, yeah.

Hoda Kotb (35:31)

What brought you back?

Tom Yamas (35:32)

So it was a pandemic. During the pandemic, I was on the front lines covering the pandemic here in New York City for ABC News. And I was coming in at hospitals. I was dealing with doctors that were treating patients. And so, like, I was telling my wife, we have three kids. I think. I think you guys should go, because I'm just coming and going. I don't know what I'm bringing in. Also, I think they're gonna ban New Yorkers at some point. Yeah. And Jen's like, my wife changed. Like, that'll never happen. This is America. I was like, watch it. And then that was like, when, like, the Rhode island thing, they started telling people in Florida were like, oh, there's New Yorkers coming in. And so I said, I sent her and the kids away, first to Miami with my family, and then to her family in New Orleans. And then. So I was solo for, like, three months. And I would, like, every four weeks, I would. I would fly and I'd go see them, but I was solo for three months. And it just. I did a lot of thinking, and I was like, what do I want to do with my life? You know, where do I want to go with this business? Like, do I want to constantly. Because as A correspondent. You're on the road a lot. Do I want to do that? Do you want to spend more quality time with my family? And I think a lot of people in the pandemic sort of did some deep thinking, and I did, too. And at the same time, streaming is coming up. My family in New Orleans is, like, totally, like, unscientific. But my family in New Orleans had all cut the cord, and they were doing YouTube TV, and I was like, why? And they're like, it's so much cheaper. It's better. And I was like, wow, Streaming is kind of everything now. And then there was this good opportunity here. They were launching a streaming network. I could do it my own show. There was a little more stability. My kids were getting a little older, and I just wanted. It was the right move at the right time, and I came here, and it was great. And I'll never forget, when I texted you, you FaceTimed me immediately. And that, Hoda, like, little things like that. I mean, I know, you know, but, like, little things like that mean so much, you know, because it was like, you're Hoda Copy. And I was like, hey, I'm back. And you were like, oh, you were so excited. I was like, okay. I was like, hoda's happy. That's.

Hoda Kotb (37:13)

We were. We were so excited because you infused a place. Like, that's just it. Someone comes in with a spark, and you're like, oh, you know, it's just like. You notice that kind of stuff.

Tom Yamas (37:21)

Yeah.

Hoda Kotb (37:24)

More with Tom Yamas in just a moment.

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Seriously.

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Hoda Kotb (39:42)

So you did News now, which was great for a long time. And did you imagine that NIGHTLY would be one of those things or how.

Tom Yamas (39:50)

Did that come get right? And like, like, it's funny because I have some good friends in our business, like people like Craig Melvin, you know, and me and Craig kind of came up together. And you never know where your career is going to take you. And I have other friends, friends from ABC and people who I sort of always been Kristen Welker just had a really great conversation with her because we were coming up at the same time, too. You never know where your career is going to take you. And so I didn't know if NIGHTLY was going to be a thing. I knew if it was available, I would definitely be into it, you know. And it's a dream. I mean, to ME it is NBC's best show at night. And it's like our best journalists, our best teams in the field. And it's I think America's newscast at night. Like, I think when you come home, 6:30 on the East coast, you're gonna watch nightly. And so yeah, it's a dream. And it's like, but Hoda, you know this actually better than me a Lot of this is just luck and timing, you know? And it's like, you could be the best person out there. At least you think you're the best person out there. And there's a lot of great people. It's just timing. And I have mentors of mine who were some of the best people I have. Like, I have mentors of mine that I've seen, like, wow, they were still so amazing. I have still so much to grow and learn. And it's just the timing was different, you know, for them. Timing was different for them. And I think that happened a little bit for you, too, because, like, I mean, watching you and studying your career and it was like, wow. And then it's like, then it happens.

Hoda Kotb (41:06)

Then it happens. Yeah. You can be sitting in a spot forever thinking nothing will. And then all of a sudden, like, the world changes and it changes.

Tom Yamas (41:12)

World changes.

Hoda Kotb (41:12)

It's your turn.

Tom Yamas (41:13)

It's your turn.

Hoda Kotb (41:14)

But, you know, when you cover stories like you do, and I remember watching you, there was like one week where you were at three, like, just terrible stories, and you walked in on the Friday, I think you were fronting something live. And I looked at you and I thought to myself, my God, like, there comes a point where it's heavy and it's difficult. I mean, I'm not over dramatizing what we do. But if you're a human being with blood running through you and you are meeting people who are going through hell, you feel it and you carry some of it, how do you offload? What do you do?

Tom Yamas (41:47)

It's tough, you know, And I'm sure people ask me that all the time, and I'm not. I'm not sure what. I'm not sure how I deal with it. There is a guilt, I think, that comes with a job because you meet people, like I said, sometimes on the. On the worst day of their life. When people that have gone through a traumatic situation and you meet them and you tell their story and you spend time with them, but then you leave, you know, and they stay. But I think that time. That. That week was a particularly tough week because a lot of the stories involved children. And one of them, I. I said, like, I don't. I said, guys, I can't. Like, I was like, I got no more. Like, I've. I have no more in me. Because, you know, when you. When you're coming up, people say, wait till you have kids. Wait till you have kids. You'll. You'll cover stories in a different way. You'll see the world In a different way. And I was like, yeah, yeah, whatever, whatever. And then you have kids, you're like, yeah, you're 100% right.

Hoda Kotb (42:37)

Yeah.

Tom Yamas (42:37)

And any producer will tell you that that's worked with me. I, I. Stories that involve kids, I really don't like to do them. Like, I mean, as far as like putting them in the show, like. Cause it's just too much for me. And so I'm like, we don't have to cover it. We like, we like, like it's not, we're gonna ignore it, but like, there's no need to cover that, you know? And I don't know. I mean, like, I pray a lot, I talk to my wife, I come home, you hug your kids, like a lot tighter. I explain to them to make sure, like, they realize the kind of world that we live in. But how do you, how do you.

Hoda Kotb (43:03)

Do that without scaring them?

Tom Yamas (43:05)

They've watched the news and they've seen me in some particularly scary situations. I have 12, nine and seven. And so the 12 year old, we can share more things, but then sometimes that leads to more questions. The nine and seven year old, sometimes you're obviously not sharing everything with them, but we do have conversations and we do. I think it's important. I think that's the gap. And kind of maybe the way when we came up, our parents, everything they told us versus my parents never would really talk to us about things. But me and my wife, I feel like we talk to our kids about everything. I think it's just making sure they understand because they do get hit with a lot, lot, but making sure they understand. And also to make sure that they're, they're grateful for what they have and not to take things for granted. Even small things that you, you take for granted, you go through something tough, you're like, wow.

Hoda Kotb (43:47)

Yeah.

Tom Yamas (43:47)

I'm like, we're going through something with our family right now. And it's like, I can't believe we would just take this for granted. And it's something so simple. But like, yeah, as soon as it's taken away from you, you're like, whoa, wow. Yeah.

Hoda Kotb (43:57)

Parenting is tricky. And I know that that's obviously one of the reasons that you're doing this job too. I mean, it's nice to be able to have something that's stable. So tell me about how you balance those two things. Parenting and this kind of tricky, difficult job.

Tom Yamas (44:13)

So I think when I'm here, I'm here, you know, and when I'm home, I'm home. And I really try to do that sometimes, you know, like conference calls or reading or watching something. But I just maximize dad time. So, like, weekends, from like 8am until we're going to bed, it's Little League, Jiu jitsu, it's gymnastics, it's jumping in the pool, it's grilling. It's all family stuff.

Hoda Kotb (44:35)

All family stuff. Yeah.

Tom Yamas (44:36)

And, you know, every now and then I'll be. Obviously, Jen and I will. We'll go out with our friends. But it's. I. I lean in. Hardcore, dad. Like, hardcore. Like Sunday, we're going to church and we're going to brunch together as a family. Then we're watching a family movie.

Hoda Kotb (44:47)

Okay.

Tom Yamas (44:47)

You know, like, last night was Billy Madison, which is totally not appropriate, you know? And, like, it's like, I feel like I'm one of the worst parents. But, you know, it's. It's doing everything together.

Hoda Kotb (44:57)

And it's.

Tom Yamas (44:57)

It's. We moved out to the suburbs like you did, because I. I felt like. Not that life was moving too fast and you can't slow things down, but I feel like as a family or life got a little easier in the suburbs just to do family things, it wasn't as complicated. And I think that's true. And it's just. Yeah, we do. I mean, walks everything, like, as a family, and it's nice.

Hoda Kotb (45:14)

What did you take? What parenting advice or manners did you take from your parents? And what did you leave behind and say, we're not doing that with our kids?

Tom Yamas (45:23)

That's funny because, like, you know, like, it's just funny. My parents, I think they're listening to this. They're going to laugh or they're going to cry. You know, I had great parents that always supported me. They provided for me and my brother, help me get an education. Helped me out also when I started in this career. Because when we started, they didn't pay for internships. So, like, they helped me out because, like, you would not get paid at an internship, which is crazy. So I always took that, like, they were. They were dedicated to us, that we were the most important people in their life. Like, I always knew that. Us and their parents. So I always want my kids to know that, like, that they're the most important people in our lives that were totally dedicated to them. That family is always first. I say this kind of joking because, like, they're kids, but I say, like, you mess with one Yamas, you mess with all the Yamas. And so, like, they kind of. They kind of take that to school, which is kind of funny stuff like that. And then I think what's a little different is that, you know, my parents are old school, I would say very traditional old school, and also very opinionated. And it's funny because, like, my parents will just say anything, like anything that's on their mind. And I guess I could too, at a point until I started to realize as you get older, you're like, okay, maybe you don't have to share exactly 100% how you believe. You know, you don't have to be completely. I believe in radical transparency with adults, but with children, you don't to be radically transparent, you know, and like, just to kind of check yourself sometimes, like, do I really need to say this right now? Like, even though it might be kind of funny or. But I think that's one of the things my parents are so dedicated to us, though. Like, I, I, I really took a lot of just really good things from them, like my dad, like, and you don't realize how good your parents are. I, at least my parents, like, my dad ran a dental practice. He's a pediatric dentist, but he would also coach Little League. So, like.

Hoda Kotb (47:05)

Oh, he did?

Tom Yamas (47:05)

Yeah. So he'd, he'd close the practice to go to coach. And so he's losing money and life's, you know, life was fine. But I'm saying, like, he's doing that for us. You don't realize that until you're a.

Hoda Kotb (47:16)

Dad, until you're a grown up fan.

Tom Yamas (47:17)

And you're like, paying your bills and you're doing this. You're like, oh, my God. You know, so I took a lot and I think, like, you know, you're setting examples for your kids. So, like, your kids right now, we'll do some of the same things you do. So just remember that, you know, so make sure you're doing, like, you're doing it right. But, yeah, no, I was lucky to have, like, really good parents.

Hoda Kotb (47:34)

We call this podcast Making Space. And I was asked this at the end. It's sort of like if you had a day that was all yours, Tom, you had literally nothing to do. You open your eyes in the morning, you're like, ooh, my day. All day long. You could fill it any way you wanted, and it could only be for you, like, if you want. And then at the end of the day, you're just gonna close your eyes and go to bed. What time do you wake up? How do you wake the day unfold?

Tom Yamas (47:59)

Okay, and there's like, no, like, this is just Fantasy. There's no okay. Okay. So I wake up and it doesn't matter the time, but it's like one of those wake ups when you just feel like you have slept and you're just like, wow. Like, I feel like my best self. Like, I don't know what those sleeps are, but they happen every now and then. And I'm feeling amazing. I'm gonna go on a walk and I'm gonna. And I'm gonna. It's gonna be a day full of surprises. So, like, I'm gonna listen to a podcast of somebody's life and learn about them and learn something and just. I constantly, like, love, like, learning about people's lives and walk for like an hour, work out, have a good workout or play tennis or something, run. Then I'm gonna hang out and maybe like meditate for a little bit. And it's gonna be quiet.

Hoda Kotb (48:40)

You're a big meditator.

Tom Yamas (48:41)

I like that. Yeah, I'm gonna be quiet. I'm gonna listen to some music. I love music. Listen to like a good album and maybe there's like a song that I didn't remember or like a song that I was like, I didn't know this was on this album. And like, oh, my God, this is such a great. How did I not know this song? You know, Because I just feel like it's just nice to be surprised at this point in my life. And then we're gonna, you know, we're gonna have a great dinner and it's gonna be like, friends and it's gonna be family and it's gonna be like good wine and good food and like, people get lost in the dinner, you know, like, laughing and having a good time. And then, like, I also love, like, when there's live music at dinner, like, you go to somebody and there's like live music and someone just blows you away. You're like, oh, this person's gonna be terrible. They're just like, wow. You're just like. I'm just like, oh, my God. And then going to bed and these are my best days, going to bed and you have exhausted life and you just fall asleep because you've done it all. That, to me is like a great day, by the way.

Hoda Kotb (49:33)

It's a perfect day.

Tom Yamas (49:34)

That's a perfect day, right?

Hoda Kotb (49:35)

Tom, congratulations.

Tom Yamas (49:36)

Thank you. Thanks so much. Yeah, thank you.

Hoda Kotb (49:46)

Hey, guys, thank you so much for listening and for coming on this journey with me. If you like what you heard, and I hope that you do, please give Making Space a five star rating and review. On Apple Podcasts and make sure you tell your friends. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you're listening right now. Making Space with Hoda Kotb is produced by Alison Berger along with Kate Saunders. Our associate audio engineer is Juliana Masterilli. Our audio engineers are Katie Lau and Mark Yoshi Zuma. 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.

Home Depot (50:37)

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