Tyler Hubbard on Family, Faith & Finding Balance

Summary

Making Space with Hoda Kotb: Episode Summary

Episode: Tyler Hubbard on Family, Faith & Finding Balance
Host: Hoda Kotb
Release Date: December 11, 2024

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Making Space with Hoda Kotb invites listeners to explore the resilience of the human spirit through intimate conversations with individuals who embody strength and compassion. In this episode, Hoda Kotb sits down with country music sensation Tyler Hubbard to discuss his journey from being part of the duo Florida Georgia Line to establishing a successful solo career, all while navigating personal challenges, family life, and maintaining a balance between faith and professional aspirations.

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1. Introduction to Tyler Hubbard’s Journey

Hoda Kotb opens the conversation by highlighting Tyler Hubbard's impressive career trajectory. From his roots in Florida Georgia Line, known for their chart-topping hits, Tyler has successfully transitioned to a solo artist with his debut album amassing over 100 million streams. His latest album, Strong, has already secured the top spot at country radio.

Notable Quote:

"With 22 number one singles on country radio, countless awards and sold out tours, Tyler has a remarkable career as a songwriter and is one half of the multi platinum duo Florida Georgia Line."
[00:49]

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2. Navigating Personal Challenges and Life Transitions

The discussion delves into the significant changes Tyler faced after the duo's success. He likens the transition to solo artistry to "climbing a mountain" but notes that unlike climbing, he is "reaching the mountaintop." Tyler shares his resurgence in creativity and connection with fans, despite facing personal hardships such as a ruptured Achilles and the complexities of balancing a demanding career with family responsibilities.

Notable Quotes:

"We pushed through, we had a great season, and now we're on the other side and we have a career where I feel really re-energized."
[05:18]

"Life is like riding waves. Sometimes, you're so high on top of the wave and you're looking at the view from up there, and you're like, wow, well, that wave isn't going to last."
[06:18]

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3. The Role of Faith and Family

Tyler emphasizes the importance of faith and family in his life, sharing how these pillars have helped him navigate tumultuous periods. He recounts proposing to his wife, Naili, in a helicopter—a poignant moment that transformed a space of fear into one of joy, symbolizing overcoming past tragedies.

Notable Quote:

"I wanted to shift my memories of being in a helicopter to something a lot happier... I just thought that was a special way to do that."
[10:43]

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4. Support Systems and Early Belief

Both Hoda and Tyler reflect on the crucial role played by early supporters in their careers. Hoda credits her father and industry mentor Seth England for believing in her talents, which catalyzed her success in Nashville. Tyler shares the profound impact of losing his father during college and how it shaped his outlook on life and success.

Notable Quotes:

"Probably my dad... encouraging, he was just like, you know, like, I think that's really cool."
[08:03]

"I found throughout my life, I think I was always looking for an 'atta girl'... I really want to hear him say, I'm proud of you."
[09:01]

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5. Commitment to Personal and Relationship Growth

The conversation shifts to the theme of personal growth and the intentional work required to maintain healthy relationships. Hoda and Tyler discuss their commitment to therapy and continuous self-improvement, emphasizing vulnerability and intentional time investment as keys to sustaining their marriages.

Notable Quotes:

"We're just really happy and in a great place. And I just think that's sort of the wave of life."
[05:36]

"Just actually getting vulnerable, getting real, spending time and being intentional about learning more about yourself."
[14:37]

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6. Parenting Philosophy and Digital Boundaries

Hoda shares her parenting approach, particularly regarding technology. She has set firm boundaries, such as delaying smartphone access until age 16 and providing limited phone functionality for emergencies. This conscious effort aims to cultivate empathy, respect, and a healthy relationship with technology in her children.

Notable Quotes:

"You don't get a smartphone until you're 16... it's like setting the foundation of teaching them about something that we weren't taught."
[21:43]

"They see love. They see what that is."
[25:02]

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7. Balancing Career and Family Life

Looking ahead, Hoda discusses the challenges of balancing a thriving career with family commitments. She articulates her desire to prioritize family time as her children grow older, ensuring that professional endeavors do not overshadow personal relationships. This includes managing her performance schedule and dedicating quality time to her spouse and children.

Notable Quotes:

"It's spending time in the mountains with my family... writing about 50 songs a year, which is about 30 less than I normally write."
[27:20]

"Sometimes if we're not intentional, we just go about life and realize, man, I just worked like 80 hours this week."
[27:20]

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8. Embracing Change and Future Aspirations

Both Hoda and Tyler express optimism about the future, acknowledging that change is a constant part of life. They recognize the necessity of adapting to new circumstances and the importance of setting intentional goals to foster personal and professional growth.

Notable Quotes:

"The excitement of catching the next wave is almost more fun than being on top of the wave."
[07:03]

"It's like finding the balance... how do you set up your life in a way that the people and the time matter the most."
[27:20]

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Conclusion

In this heartfelt episode of Making Space with Hoda Kotb, Tyler Hubbard opens up about his multifaceted life journey. From achieving remarkable success in the music industry to facing personal adversities, his story underscores the importance of resilience, faith, and intentional living. The conversation offers valuable insights into maintaining balance between career aspirations and family life, the significance of supportive relationships, and the power of personal growth. Listeners are left inspired to make space for their own growth and change, drawing strength from Tyler’s experiences and wisdom.

Closing Quote:

"If you like what you heard, and I hope that you do, please give Making Space a five star rating, rating and review on Apple Podcasts and make sure you tell your friends."
[29:15]

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Notable Moments with Timestamps

• Introduction of Tyler Hubbard:
  "With 22 number one singles on country radio..."
  [00:49]

• Life as Waves:
  "Life is like riding waves..."
  [06:18]

• Overcoming Fear with Helicopter Proposal:
  "I wanted to shift my memories of being in a helicopter to something a lot happier."
  [10:43]

• Early Belief and Support:
  "Probably my dad... encouraging, he was just like, you know, like, I think that's really cool."
  [08:03]

• Parenting and Technology Boundaries:
  "You don't get a smartphone until you're 16..."
  [21:43]

• Balancing Career and Family:
  "It's spending time in the mountains with my family..."
  [27:20]

---

Making Space with Hoda Kotb continues to inspire listeners by showcasing stories of perseverance, growth, and the pursuit of a balanced life. This episode with Tyler Hubbard is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the continual journey towards self-discovery and fulfillment.

Transcript

[Hoda Kotb]

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[Tyler Hubbard]

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[Ellie]

Well, you get the point.

[Tyler Hubbard]

Your High Five moment [e-mail] no purchase necessary. Voidware prohibited by law. Must be 21 years or older. Terms and conditions apply. There is absolutely nothing that can lift my mood like a good song. You know, the ones that inspire you, the ones that make you feel so good and they make you want to move. And there is no feeling like hearing your favorite artist perform those songs live. Well, my guest today is someone I've had the absolute joy of seeing perform quite a few times in front of thousands and thousands of screaming fans by the way. So it felt right that he joined me for a very special episode of Making Space live in Austin, Texas. I am talking about Tyler Hubbard. With 22 number one singles on country radio, countless awards and sold out tours, Tyler has a remarkable career as a songwriter and is one half of the multi platinum duo Florida Georgia Line. Last year, Tyler began on a journey of his own, this time as a solo artist. The idea of venturing out on your own after being part of a career defining duo sounds kind of like climbing a mountain. But Tyler isn't just scaling that mountain, he is reaching the mountaintop. His debut solo album has more than 100 million streams and counting with hits like Five Foot Nine and Dancing in the Country. His latest album titled Strong has already reached the top spot at country radio and he is just getting started. And music is just one part of who Tyler is. He's in a beautiful chapter in his life, leaning on faith and family. And like me, he is in a season of repotting. I'm Hoda Kotb. Welcome to a special episode of my podcast, Making Space, live from Austin, Texas. Can we please welcome Tyler Hubbard. Tyler, I just want to let you know I'm five foot nine.

[Ellie]

Perfect. Well, I knew that. I knew that when I was writing that song. Yeah, we.

[Tyler Hubbard]

Let's talk about life, man, for a second, because first of all, I've watched you kind of over the years perform, and you're just an incredible human, but your spirit leads you before you walk in a room. It always from the beginning, and I've known and felt that.

[Ellie]

Thanks, Ellie.

[Tyler Hubbard]

A lot of these women are going through or thinking about or maybe just wondering if a change is in their future. You've gone through a big change.

[Ellie]

Yeah.

[Tyler Hubbard]

I mean, you were part of a duo for a long time. A lot of people have been part of a partnership, a friendship, a marriage, whatever it is, and then have had to figure out what life is like on the other side. So tell me about it for you.

[Ellie]

Well, first of all, thank you for having me. This was awesome that I get to be a part of this. I thought this was just a podcast, but this is an incredible ladies luncheon that I'm getting to be a part of. So. Yeah, I'm not nervous at all. No. But thank you for the kind words and the great introduction and. Yeah, you know, life is funny in that way. I feel like as soon I was just talking to somebody yesterday, they said, I like that you're open minded to letting life pivot you where it needs to pivot you. And I thought, interesting, because I just. Yeah, I just spent some time in the mountains where I feel really happy and where I spent some time with the kids. And I'm in a season where I'll take it back a second 2020 hit. You know, I thought I was on my journey for, like you said, for the. We were riding off into the sunset. You know, it had had a lot of success with fgl and. And life was good, and God had a different plan. You know, pretty quickly I learned that, okay, fgl, the season of being in a band and a duo is coming to an end. I guess God has something different for me, so I tried to embrace it, but it was the year, you know, we were all kind of just figuring out life at the time. What's happening? Will I ever even play shows again? Yeah. Then during that season, we had our third child under Three years old, so we were three under three, so you can imagine. And then. And then not to. I'm just trying to set the stage a bit. Then I ruptured my Achilles and couldn't walk for like eight months. So needless to say, I was really humbled. Changing a lot of diapers, sitting at home, wondering if I was ever going to be on stage again. And so. But yeah, we pushed through, we had a great season, and now we're on the other side and we have. I have a career where I feel really re. Energized, you know, really creative, having a lot of fun. It's kind of brought life back into the music business for me and as a songwriter and as an artist and performer and getting to connect with the fans. So, needless to say, we went through a really hard season and a really unexpected and hard to understand season. But once we got through it and pushed through, me and my wife, we're just really happy and in a great place. And I just think that's sort of the wave of life. You know, at times where it's. It seems like a cycle. You know, you go through a hard time, it puts you in a great place, you go through the great time, sometimes it ends up, you know, it can't stay great forever. So you sort of do the cycle and, you know, let life lead.

[Tyler Hubbard]

I interviewed somebody and he was talking about how life is like riding waves. And sometimes, like, I'm sure you felt as part of Florida Georgia Line, you're so high on top of the wave and you're looking at the view from up there, and you're like, wow, well, that wave isn't going to last. It's going to. It's going to go down just like all waves do. And then you paddle back and you catch another one. It's not gonna be the same. Some are bigger, some are smaller, but it's just about, like realizing that there's rhythm as long as you keep paddling back out.

[Ellie]

That's a great analogy. And honestly, what I've learned through it all is I believe the excitement of catching the next wave is almost more fun than being on top of the wave. Does that make sense?

[Tyler Hubbard]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

Yeah. You know, I mean, I thought we had sort of reached a lot of our goals with fgl and I thought, man, to restart this thing and start from essentially ground zero and go play these clubs and go do the things that you have to do when you're building something, you know, I was like, it was a little scary. But once I dove off into it. I'm like, man, this is actually what made me fall in love with this the first time and is doing it again. And so it's just the excitement of the build the challenge. I've found that that's where I really thrive and enjoy life.

[Tyler Hubbard]

I feel like in the very, very beginning, taking you way, way back. For anybody here who's successful and every is successful in their own right, there was one person who said to you at some point, you got something special. Here's your superpower. You're really good at that. There are a lot of people who can sing, but somebody said to you somewhere along the way, wow, Tyler, you're different. Was there a chorus teacher? Was there a grandma? Was there somebody who believed before everybody else did?

[Ellie]

Probably my dad. You could tell he kind of had a little bit of a. He had a sparkle in his eye when he saw me doing music, and when he saw me and my friends writing songs and he was encouraging, he was just like, you know, like, I think that's really cool. I don't have a musical bone in my body, so you should try to do this. You know, this is really neat that you're doing this. And I think that sparked a little bit of, like, okay, like, dad would be proud of me if I did this. And then, Yeah, I don't know. I think later on, once I moved to Nashville, I was kind of on that Nashville grind. There was one guy in particular that believed in us early on named Seth England, who basically connected me to Craig Wiseman, who was one of my songwriters, who ended up signing me to my first publishing deal and creating opportunities for me as a songwriter. And so I think, you know, those two guys, specifically as early believers, really put me on a course of success and being able to do what I love.

[Tyler Hubbard]

You mentioned your dad, who, when you say his. When you just said your dad, your eyes just did the flicker thing that when there's real love. I know you lost your dad in college, right?

[Ellie]

Yep.

[Tyler Hubbard]

And my dad died suddenly when I was in college. And the jarring way that to lose a parent with no preparation and, you know, and then I found throughout my life, and I don't know if it's the same for you, but I think I was always looking for an atta girl. Like, you know, when you reach a mountaintop, you want an atta girl, and then you realize you're not getting it, so you go for the next mountain and the next one and the next one, and you're exhausted, and you realize somewhere deep Down. You really want to hear him say, I'm proud of you. You did it. Cause he didn't get to see your success.

[Ellie]

Yeah, totally.

[Tyler Hubbard]

How often does he kind of pop into your world?

[Ellie]

Yeah, pretty often. You know, a lot of times. I mean, we grew up really simple, you know, and so sometimes I just step back and look around. I think, man, if dad were here to see what a tour bus is like, like, he would lose his mind, you know? And so there's really a lot of cool moments. And I can feel that he's proud for sure. I know he would be. I've also been really fortunate and blessed to have other people in my life that really give me that. That a boy. You know what I mean? Proud of you people that I want to make proud, you know, and it's. I think it's important, you know, and even if it's friends of mine, people that I want to be like, yeah, proud of what you did there, how you did that. And so that's important. That's been important for me over the years to find those people that I really want to make proud.

[Tyler Hubbard]

You know, your father passed in a helicopter crash, which is so incredibly tragic. And then correct me if I'm wrong, but I was reading about your lovely wife, Naili, that you proposed to her in a helicopter.

[Ellie]

Yeah, I did.

[Tyler Hubbard]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

That's.

[Tyler Hubbard]

Tell me about that.

[Ellie]

You know, I wanted to sort of shift my memories of being in a helicopter or helicopters in general to something a lot happier. And so. And I had a lot of great memories with that in the helicopter. And so anyways, it was just something that I. And also just overcoming that fear and not, you know, just sort of not letting that incident or that accident over, you know, overcome my. My perspective of flying or just that experience in general. And so, yeah, I just wanted to, you know, have that moment with Haley and kind of create another memory that. That brings a lot of joy. And so I just thought that was a special way to do that.

[Tyler Hubbard]

More ahead with Tyler Hubbard. Stay with us.

[Hoda Kotb]

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[Tyler Hubbard]

Every morning, we choose how to begin our day. I think about the people at home. They tune in because they are curious. They care about their world and they.

[Ellie]

Care about each other.

[Tyler Hubbard]

There's always something new to learn, whether a news event or a new recipe. And when we step through the morning together, it makes the rest of the day better. We come here to make the most of today. We are family. We are today.

[Hoda Kotb]

Watch the Today show with Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, weekdays at 7am on NBC.

[Tyler Hubbard]

You're such a, you know, you have such depth. You're just very, like, cool, individual. And I was listening to a podcast you did, you and your wife did with another couple. And, you know, therapy's been one of those things that people are. Some people love and some people roll their eyes and some men, it's hard to get them to go or even if they're interested.

[Ellie]

Well, there's none here. So let's go to therapy.

[Tyler Hubbard]

But you and your wife, you guys work on it. I interviewed a guy on my podcast a while ago. He was a pastor, and he said every seven years, I reintroduce myself to my spouse because I'm different than I was seven years ago. I used to like Applebee's. I don't like to go anymore. But you're like, you always like that. You enjoy that. You're like, I don't like it anymore. So it's trying to remind the person you're with that you have changed and you are different. But some couples don't grow like that. You know, I often think about, you know, how many times have you heard the phrase, where's the girl I married? Well, the girl you're married is older now and smarter and is different and evolving. But I feel like you guys are kind of same track people.

[Ellie]

Yeah, Haley and I. Yeah, yeah, we really enjoy growth. We enjoy doing the work.

[Tyler Hubbard]

What is the work? People always say we're doing the work.

[Ellie]

You know, the work. Just out here doing it, you know. That's a good question, I think. Just actually getting vulnerable, Getting real. Spending time and being intentional about learning more about yourself, learning more about, you know, how you operate in life and through life, and then how you operate with a partner and. And learning more about each other individually as well. Just spending time. Because in our world, I mean, you know, if you're not intentional about it, you'll go a year without actually spending any and, you know, time designated to doing therapeutic work or emotional work or mental work or even physical work. You know, you're just like, oh, a whole year's gone by. We hadn't even invested in our marriage other than a few date nights. We've sort of just been busy with kids and life and music and you name it, you know. And so, yeah, we really try to do the same thing. At least set aside a week, a year or something to go somewhere and just sort of get away.

[Tyler Hubbard]

But it's not like going to the beach and laying out.

[Ellie]

It's actually doing stuff. You know, usually we go to a place which is right outside of Nashville. It's been pretty life changing. They have different programs, and we've gone and done couples therapy, we've gone and done group therapy. And just diving into your story, your life, who you are, how you tick and operate. And it's just been really helpful as we navigate going through life as a couple. You know, it really does take work.

[Tyler Hubbard]

And I bet it's changed your parenting, because I feel like I went to a place similar to this place, and I wanted to be a better mom, a better everything. And I found that sort of place completely transformational. I feel like there are three things that changed my life. Hailey, my oldest daughter, who's 7, Hope, my youngest, who's 5. And going to this place. These kind of places sort of pull up your stuff by the roots and, you know, it's stuff that you think, well, this is how I am. This is how we are in our family. We're all like this. But it does help you. How did it change how you parent it, do you think?

[Ellie]

Yeah, I mean, I think the more you know about yourself, the more you can teach your kids, you know, and how just to just awareness, you know, and just how to show respect and love to yourself, how you speak to yourself, how you, you know, I mean, parenting has taught taught me way more than therapy has, to be honest, because it's just Like a reflection of yourself. And you're like, you know, how am I going to handle this kid? But it's a lot of fun, super challenging. My kids now are five, six and seven.

[Tyler Hubbard]

Wow.

[Ellie]

Oldest is seven. She's a girl. She might as well be 21. She's. We just started homeschooling all of them. So that's, that's been a new challenge. But basically our oldest daughter could just homeschool the boys as well. But. But yeah, so. And we're. We're round the corner about to hit our 10 year anniversary wedding anniversary. So, yeah, we're in that. We're in a fun season of sort of as we plan, we're having like an anniversary party. We're kind of reassessing a little bit our life, what we want the next five years to look like, how we, how fast the first 10 years have gone by. And, you know, like you just said, how do, how do you want to set up your life? How do you want to. Do you still want to grind as hard as you grinded the last 10 years? Or do you want to, you know, take it back 20% and enjoy life with these kids while they're at this kind of really special age? So. So yeah, I'm sort of rambling. I'm not really. I'm not sure if I answered your question or not, Hoda, to be honest, but you got my mind turning. I like it.

[Tyler Hubbard]

No, but I do think it's kind of cool. Cause sometimes there are moments in your life where you reassess. You take a second look at where you are and how your life is unfolding and you say to your. Like, my 50s were my favorite decade ever. Because that was the year that I spoke something out loud that I had not said before because I thought the ship had sailed. You know, I always wanted children, but I couldn't do it. I had a divorce. I went through breast cancer. I had the things that fall in. And I said, just say thank you for your life. Stop asking for more things. And I still remember I was walking with a girlfriend once on the beach, and she said, well, we never wanted kids. And I said, actually, I did. And she goes, well, you never said it. I said, what if I said I didn't say it? Because saying it is like saying something that's totally impossible. And let me tell you something, Tyler. Ever since I spoke the words out loud, all of a sudden everything started falling in front of me. I turned on a show and I saw Sandra Bullock, and they said, sandra Bullock just adopted A baby. So of course I googled, how old is Sandra Bullock? She was my exact age. And I was like, wait, what? So I tried to see if I could get in touch. Cause I didn't know. And I tried to have a conversation. And everywhere I looked, Tyler, it was happening. And all of a sudden, I filled out the paperwork and I was sitting in my office. And, you know, there are some moments that you never forget. I was sitting there and my phone went off and it said, ashley Project. I called it the Project. Cause I didn't want anyone to know what I was doing. And she said, if you ever see my, you pick it up immediately because it's gonna be a very important phone call. And I saw that she said, call me was a text, call me. So I took out a yellow pad And I wrote, 11:57am this is the moment my life changes.

[Ellie]

Wow.

[Tyler Hubbard]

This is the moment that there will be a before and after. I knew it. And I dialed the number and she said two words. She said, she's here.

[Ellie]

Wow.

[Tyler Hubbard]

And I was like, sobbing like a baby. But it was the closest to a birth I had ever witnessed, and it felt like one to me. When your kids came into your life, I mean, tell me what that was, what that was like for you and for Hailey.

[Ellie]

I mean, it was definitely one of the most incredible moments of our life. You know, it's super surreal and just overwhelmed with emotions. I remember trying to tell Buddy, like, bro, I was feeling this and that. And I said, I was feeling everything at one time, bro. I was like crying and laughing, like, weird. I was like, so weird. But. But yes, it's super overwhelming. And even. Even now, you know, the kids are in such a sweet stage where I'm just watching them. And I have a unique perspective because I'm usually on tour, which means three or four days of the week, I'm on the road. So I usually don't see them for three days. And then I see them for four, you know, four days in a row. And you can just see them change every single week. And I'm just like, man, it really is doing what they say. It's like flying by. And so I'm just trying to soak up the moments at this point. And it's almost just emotional watching them. Like little humans being. Turning into real humans. You know, you're just like, it's wild.

[Tyler Hubbard]

Are you having all the phone conversations and what's going on with. Do you don't give your kids phones, do you? Or do you.

[Ellie]

No, no, no. The phone Conversation is pretty simple for me. You don't get a smartphone until you're 16, and that's the end of it. That's the end of it.

[Tyler Hubbard]

I love it.

[Ellie]

Yeah. And that if you happen to be away from me and need to call me, then you can have. Then we'll get you a flip phone that only calls dad.

[Tyler Hubbard]

There you go. And what. Did you guys have a discussion about that? And tell me what went.

[Ellie]

I think me and Haley talked about that probably even before kids. I'm just like, man, like, imagine how addicted I am to my phone. And I'm a grown adult with a little bit of awareness and hopefully a tiny bit of self control. And these kids all have smartphones in their pockets and they're running around and, you know, no judgment to anyone who does. I mean, literally everybody does.

[Tyler Hubbard]

Yeah.

[Ellie]

But for me, I'm just like, for us, I would love to just. I didn't get a phone till I was 16. I survived. I think 16 is a good age to give them a phone and even at that point, maybe have some regulations around it, because this is, you know, thank God I don't even have it on me. It feels really freeing. But. But, yeah, that's something that's just been kind of a cat, you know, sort of a. Definitely a thing in our life and now our culture to be aware of and even work on the relationship between us and our cell phones. So it's actually really interesting. We were in the truck driving. I had all three kids with me, and I was listening to a podcast about smartphones and this and that. And I took that as an opportunity because Liv, I know she's only six. She'll be seven in December, but she literally is so smart that I said, you want me to tell you what I'm learning? And I went into all the details about how this can be a real problem. And sometimes if I let it get out of control, it can, you know, can distract me from life and take my attention away from you guys and this and that. And I said, so when you. And I literally told her right now, I said, so you're not going to get one of these until you're 16. And right now, she's totally cool with it. She's like, great. But it's just kind of setting the stage and setting the foundation of, like, teaching them about something that we weren't taught about when we weren't growing up because we didn't have it. And you learn in college. For me, it was in college where you get your smartphone and have to figure out, oh, this is how to have a relationship with it. But anyway, it's tough. Again, I ramble.

[Tyler Hubbard]

But I do think when it comes to kids, Cause I was having a conversation with a dear friend. I said, you know, I really want my kids to be, you know, incredibly empathetic. I want them to feed the poor. I want them to help with, you know, I was describing all these things. We need to go to soup kitchens. We need to do these things. And she said, relax over here, crazy. She goes, here's. I'm gonna tell you the secret here. She said, you kids are watching you. They're watching you. When you walk by someone who is homeless and you give them money, you don't need to say anything. You just give it and continue walking. If you want your kids to be empathetic, they should be watching how you are caring for your mother. They understand that's what families do. So I think we're often trying to teach our kids all these things and things we want them to know, when in reality, they learn hard work, they learn empathy, they learn love of God, they learn relationships. They learn everything from watching what we're doing day in and day out. It's like we want our kids to be raised up and to be great people. But they're probably watching you and your wife and going, okay, I see love. I see what that is.

[Ellie]

Totally. You're. So you hit the nail on the head. That's exactly what kids do. They just watch and they soak it up. Every single thing. Good, bad, and everything in the middle. So it is a nice form of accountability. You have to become a better person, your best self.

[Tyler Hubbard]

More with Tyler Hubbard when we come back.

[Hoda Kotb]

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[Ellie]

Now.

[Tyler Hubbard]

Terms apply. Cancel anytime through Apple under profile settings. Okay, so I want to hear about that. You said you and your wife often talk about the next chapter, right? When you look down the road, what do you see ahead? Like, how do you imagine the one wild and wonderful life that you get to live?

[Ellie]

Man? Good question. I haven't figured it out exactly. I wish I could lay it out on a platter for you, but it's going to look like a little bit less work and a lot more family time with the kids. Because I know what I'm. What I'm remembering is like, man, in 10 years, which is going to go by as quickly or quicker than the last year, when my kids aren't really going to be interested in hanging out with me as much anymore and think I'm as cool as I am. So. So make the most of it, you know? And I keep telling myself, find the balance. Find the balance. Like, what is the balance? The perfect, you know? And again, it requires a lot of intentionality and a lot of scheduling and having a great team around me to help me balance at all. But it's like I have to play these many shows a year, okay, so how many more am I going to play than that, you know? And then how much time will I dedicate to my spouse, my children? Like you said, the people that you know matter the most, the people, the time that you want to spend with them. You know what I'm saying? And sometimes if we're not intentional, we just go about life and realize, man, I did. I just worked like 80 hours this week. And, you know, and so I think for me, it is. It's spending time in the mountains with my family. It's probably writing about 50 songs a year, which is about 30 less than I normally write, and then probably playing, I don't know, 50 to 60 shows a year is a nice pace where you can just. I still love what I do so much. I'm definitely a workaholic a bit, and so I have to check myself, which I think is a blessing. But it's also one of those things where I have to not let it overtake the rest of the things in my life that I want to invest in.

[Tyler Hubbard]

Well, we should point out as a solo artist, you're crushing it.

[Ellie]

Okay, thank you.

[Tyler Hubbard]

You are hitting number ones all over the place. You're showing who you are. We want to say a big thank you to Tyler Hubbard. Can we play that 5 foot 9 on the way out? Because it's so good.

[Ellie]

It's one of the.

[Tyler Hubbard]

You have so many good ones, but that's definitely one of the top ones. You guys, a big round for Tyler Hubbard.

[Ellie]

Thank you, Hoda. Thanks for having me.

[Tyler Hubbard]

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, 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 Allison Berger and Alexa Casavecchia along with Kate Saunders. Our associate audio engineer is Juliana Mostarilli. Our audio engineer is Katie Lau. Original music by John Estes. Bryson Barnes is our head of audio production. Ms. Tracy Dunlop Parsons is our executive producer. Libby Least is the executive vice president of Today and Lifestyle.

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