← Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce
Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce
Kylie on Ziplining in Stadiums, NFL Group Chats & Egg Freezing Reality with Kaylee Hartung | Ep. 19
00:46:56
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- [00:00]
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- [00:32]
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- [00:59]
Kylie Kelce
I'm not going to lie. We recorded this episode when I was 38 weeks pregnant. So girl, you good? How'd birth go? Did she come out easy? I I don't have the answer. I'm still 38 weeks pregnant. Let's get this podcast started. Welcome back to Not Going to Lie, A wave Original brought to you CoverGirl. I was just doing my mascara naturally right before we started this record because I can't help myself. I love it. Lash splash. CoverGirl. Always the orange Tube. I'm your host, Kylie Kelce, part time Jersey Shore resident, Phillies fan and currently out on maternity leave. That's right. If you're listening to this episode, that means I'm out on maternity leave and Jason and I are probably doing one or a combination of the filling up water bottles, opening bags of snacks, changing a newborn diaper, changing a Benny diaper, feeding the baby, telling Wyatt to please stop yelling, picking up more packs of berries, washing said berries, and arguing with children about how much more berries you can consume in one day. And I'll tell you something, I'm not doing sleeping unless she's a good sleeper. Can you imagine? Should we manifest it? Oh please be doing a good job. Sleeping overnights with a newborn for us typically mean that I'm waking up and doing feeds and Jason is sleeping so that he can man the toddlers during the day. And that's how I like it. This is not like a decision making, oh, let the man sleep. No, he needs sleep to be able to chase toddlers during the day so that I can continue to sit with a child Little baby just attached to me. But I didn't want to leave the real ones. That's right, the real ones hanging while I'm out. So I'm gonna. I'm gonna bridge the gap of maternity leave with this one. You're gonna get to hear my conversation with a woman I really admire in the sports media world. NFL reporter, Today show correspondent, and another person business interviewing Kaylee Hartung. I got a chance to talk to Kaylee about the tragic accident that ultimately made her want to become a reporter, Thursday Night Football, and her fertility journey. We talked about a bunch of other stuff, including something we're trying to manifest, so stay tuned to find out what that is. Kaylee Hartung, everybody. You see her on the sidelines interviewing your favorite players and coaches for Thursday Night Football. She's also a correspondent for the Today show and NBC News. You've watched her cover the Olympics, and you might have seen her interview Jason, Jason and me for the Kelsey documentary. Kaylee Hartung, welcome to not gonna Lie.
- [04:03]
Kaylee Hartung
If anybody has no business being in this setting, it's me. Are you kidding me? Kylie, I'm catching up on your podcast the other day, and it's like, Kate Hudson, Chelsea Handler, Kat Dennings.
- [04:15]
Kylie Kelce
Yes.
- [04:16]
Kaylee Hartung
What? Like the.
- [04:18]
Kylie Kelce
And Kaylee, did you run out of people to ask what's up right now? You know, you are. You know you are high on that list. I love you. I love any opportunity to get to chat with you. Like when I hunt you down on a sideline at the link, when you.
- [04:33]
Kaylee Hartung
Enemy territory, that's when I really like how strong our friendship was. When you came over to the Rams sideline ahead of your damn traditional playoff game to give me a hug, I was like, this is love. This is true friendship. Because.
- [04:47]
Kylie Kelce
Yes.
- [04:48]
Kaylee Hartung
And it, like, it was, like, seconds before we were going on the air, and I was like, the Rams are, like, running out the tunnel. You're like, excuse me. Excuse me.
- [04:55]
Kylie Kelce
Excuse me. Guys, I need you to move. Move. Thanks. We're about to whoop your ass. And also, I need to give this woman a hug. Thank you. You're all not gonna lie, so be honest. How did you think that first interview went when we sat down in our backyard with you and Jason.
- [05:15]
Kaylee Hartung
Oh, my gosh. My personal favorite part was the when we have to shoot what we call the B roll, right? And so we're just, like, walking around the backyard with your giant dogs and the girls and pushing them on the swing, and it was just, like, chaos. I'm trying not to step in dog poop.
- [05:33]
Kylie Kelce
And everywhere, everywhere they were, the, the producers were like, you're just gonna walk straight through the yard. And I was like, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, there's enough dog poop back here to sink a battleship. And you have this poor woman. But it was so walking and talking with us, walking and talking. Let's get into your career a little bit. I want the very beginning. I've heard you talk about what made you want to become a reporter, and I think it's so meaningful. So any, for any of the listeners that don't know your story, can you share a little bit about that?
- [06:07]
Kaylee Hartung
Yeah. So it's, it's, I've become more comfortable sharing this story for a while, I think. It was hard for me to do, but my father died when I was 10 years old and he was, he was a pilot. He flew aerobatics and air shows, like a real life kind of Top Gun character, if you will. And you know, like so many kids growing up, I thought my dad was invincible. And, and he was flying in an air show actually in Louisiana. And so we, we were there and he would fly all over the world and, and it was just a terrible coincidence of sorts that we were actually there that day. But he, he crashed in an air show in, in front of me and my mom and my brother. And, and it was the worst day of my life. No comparison. And so we got home that night and the TV was on for noise more than anything. And you know, the house was filling up with people coming to look after us. And like the whole room stopped at this one point when what I now know to be like a 30 second anchor voiceover of a headline of the day came on cnn. And the report said something to the effect of today in Lafayette, Louisiana, in front of 13,000 people, a plane crashed. And I didn't understand at 10 years old how the death of the most important man. In my world, the death of an amazing man was treated as an event. He wasn't honored in the telling of this very quick story. His death was an event. It wasn't about the man he was and the family he left behind or the, the life he created for himself. You know, coming to the States and he had an incredible life story and he'd accomplished so much. And, and, and I just, I didn't understand how the most personal moment of my life could be talked about without any emotion. And, and so in, in that moment and through that experience, I just thought, I want to tell other people's stories and I want, when I have the privilege of telling someone's story. I want them to feel like justice is done to their story so that when you hear your life being talked about, you feel the connection. You feel that whether it's the best day of your life or the worst day of your life, that that moment is honored. Because to me, it's a privilege. Right? Like, people share their stories with me and trust me to tell them. So I want to. I want to honor that. And, and growing up, the Today show was on the TV every morning as I was getting ready for school. Like, that was how I understood. News was consumed. That was the show. And so, yeah, when I was 10 years old, decided the goal was to be on the Today show. And it's so weird to say out loud, and I feel like at times it feels. I think I'm still in some version of pinch me kind of shock, but, like, it. It's a really incredible thing when you can make a dream come true. And, yeah, so I'm like, living. Living the dream.
- [09:27]
Kylie Kelce
So you, you became a reporter for cnn, ABC, and now NBC, obviously you said with the Today Show. But you've now been there for people on their worst days and been able to give people that honor and that moment to have for their loved one. Was there ever a moment while you were covering tragedies where you sort of thought, like, maybe this is too much, or you've really felt like you're lending your voice to exactly what you thought?
- [10:01]
Kaylee Hartung
I. I would say lending my voice to exactly what I thought. I mean, there have been tough moments, no doubt about that. I mean, when I was at cnn, I spent two years only showing up on the worst days of people's lives. To get on TV at CNN in that time, if you weren't covering politics, which I wasn't, it had to be death, despair, or destruction. I covered mass shootings and natural disasters for two years. I don't think I smiled on TV in that time. And that, in totality, took a toll on me for sure. Where I was just, I came to the realization, like, this is not the right fit for me. It was an incredible learning experience, without a doubt. And that was after having spent five years at espn. And so I felt like I was building a skill set, but needed to find a better professional home for myself in a way that I could show up on not just the worst days, but also the best days and celebrate those moments. Because, like, if balance is like a trigger word, I feel like for a lot of people, and I think balance is really Hard to find. But I'm really proud of the way I feel like I've gotten to a place in my career where there is some balance in the type of stories I get to tell for my own sanity and well being.
- [11:21]
Kylie Kelce
Now I do a tick tock series called I Places Kylie has no business being.
- [11:26]
Kaylee Hartung
Oh, yes.
- [11:27]
Kylie Kelce
One of those places was on set at the Today show.
- [11:31]
Kaylee Hartung
You weren't just on set, you were behind the camera. You were in the control room. I mean, you just ran the whole freaking show.
- [11:37]
Kylie Kelce
Like, I don't know. I don't know why security let me loose, but they did. And I took advantage. The minute they were like, yeah, you could put the headset on behind camera. And I'm like, oh, okay.
- [11:53]
Kaylee Hartung
How did that feel? Like, did you feel the power? Was there, like, power in your fingertips where you like, oh, I can just press buttons.
- [12:00]
Kylie Kelce
And I was, I was this close to being like, can I do the next segment? Can I just leave me here?
- [12:06]
Kaylee Hartung
They probably would have said yes. They probably.
- [12:09]
Kylie Kelce
I mean, I just would have had to pull my, like, video production from college of, like, pan this way. Like, like, I. I have all terms. Yeah, it just would have taken me a minute. I would have needed a refresher course before I felt good enough to go into a segment. But is there a place that you have ever felt in your years of covering news or sports that was like a really big moment for your career to where you were like, do I have business being here?
- [12:38]
Kaylee Hartung
Oh, I mean, it happens all the time. They asked me to fill in co hosting the Today show. Like, that is no business. Let me think about.
- [12:50]
Kylie Kelce
That was last summer, right?
- [12:51]
Kaylee Hartung
Last year.
- [12:52]
Kylie Kelce
I think you. I think you left.
- [12:54]
Kaylee Hartung
Oh, Tahoe.
- [12:55]
Kylie Kelce
I remember you being like, I have to leave because I have to go co host the Today Show. Super casual.
- [13:01]
Kaylee Hartung
I'll be back tomorrow, though. Like, I came back like you did. I was so sad to leave you guys. But yes, that was, that was one of the. That was maybe the second or third time that I got to do it. But yeah, like, if they ask, I'm never saying no. Like, I will move mountains, fly over the mountains of Tahoe to get back to New York. But I mean, yeah, my job puts me in places I have no business being all the time. Like the Oscars or the Grammys. Like, what, how did I get here? That stuff happens regularly. But it's like the trick in all of those situations, you know, people say is, like, act like you've been there and then. But it's really hard sometimes.
- [13:47]
Kylie Kelce
The Real ones already know how big a fan I am of CoverGirl. I've been using their mascara since I was in high school and every single time I sit down to tape an episode of the show, I'm doing my mascara right before we start rolling. That's not a bit. I come at least five minutes late and then I proceed to do my mascara. Now what mascara is it, you ask? Oh, just the CoverGirl lash blast volume mascara designed to max out every single lash. I got this mascara when I finally started purchasing my own mascara and stopped stealing my mom's Starting in high school and going all the way to now, the only thing that I do consistently from my makeup routine has been this mascara. CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara is available in four different shades so you can choose how bold you want to go. Very black, black, black, brown and brown. Also available in three waterproof shades. My personal go to is the very black, not waterproof. It stays on all day, no smudges, no flaking, and it washes off super easy at the end of the day. Lash Blast Volume mascara only from easy, breezy, beautiful CoverGirl. Shop online or buy at your nearest retailer.
- [15:02]
Kaylee Hartung
Now you also McDonald's meets the Minecraft universe with one of six collectibles and your choice of a Big Mac or 10 piece McNuggets with spicy nether Flame sauce. Now available with a Minecraft movie meal at participating McDonald's for a limited time. A Minecraft movie only in theaters.
- [15:18]
Kylie Kelce
Who just wrapped your third season as a sideline reporter for Thursday Night Football? This year when I had Carissa on, your fellow Thursday Night Football teammate, we talked a little bit about the community of women in sports media. Is there like a group chat? What are you guys doing?
- [15:34]
Kaylee Hartung
I mean me, Carissa and Taylor, my Thursday night sisters, we have a group chat. But like, I feel really lucky and I, I really do feel incredibly lucky for the, the group of women that work in that space and who I've been friends with for a long time and, and who we've gotten to like be on the journey together. Like I saw I was at an event for the NBA a couple of days ago. Maria Taylor was hosting. And like when I went to ESPN in 2012, I first met her. She and I were both sideline reporters. And then like Laura Rutledge, you now host NFL Live on espn. She came on maybe a year or two after us. And like we've all just like we've seen each other work our tails off. You know, we've supported each other through so many twists and turns in our careers, and it. You know, it. I think as women, and I don't know, maybe this is true for men, too. But, like, for me, at least in each chapter of my life, you need friends who are in a similar stage as you, right? And, like, I've experienced that to the extent of, like, my best girlfriends from growing up in Louisiana that I made when I was 7 years old are still some of my closest friends, and I'm so grateful that they've been in my life all of these years. But, like. And the same is true for my girlfriends from college and so on and so forth. But, like, as they've had kids and I haven't, you know, you have to. I've had to make new girlfriends, right, who are at a similar stage, who are focused on their career or who, you know, or who haven't had children yet or whatever it may be. And so, like, I feel very lucky that I have these long friendships with women in the sports world where we've just been through it together and then now can just be really excited for each other and also, like, you know, have conversations to compare notes or, you know, whether that be, like, actually literally about a team we're covering. Like, Laura Rutledge, and I feel like the last two years, we both covered the same teams in the. Like, she's had a team in the wildcard, and then I'll have them in the divisional, and then I'll, you know, text her and be like, where did. What was the status of this injury for this player last week? Like, if he's saying this to me now, what was he saying to you last week? You know, like, it.
- [17:55]
Kylie Kelce
We.
- [17:55]
Kaylee Hartung
I think we can help each other be better at our jobs and, like, cheerlead for each other. Like, and you, you know, you started this whole question off with Carissa, and, like, I am so grateful to her. She has been such a wonderful teammate and friend, and we were friends before we were teammates on Thursday night. But, like, you just need. You know, you need. You need your girls at whatever stage.
- [18:17]
Kylie Kelce
In life you're in, when you are sideline reporting. I think that this is one of the most, like, underappreciated roles on the field. I think that. You said it. I'm serious. You said it earlier. You receive these guys, especially post game, whether it's positive or negative. You are, like, the first one really there to help them digest what they just experienced, which is tricky. Yes. I can only imagine. Are there certain coaches or players that you know for a fact that when you talk to them, you're going to get a good sound bite.
- [18:59]
Kaylee Hartung
Oh, yeah.
- [19:00]
Kylie Kelce
Or, like, do you have favorites? Of course.
- [19:04]
Kaylee Hartung
Of course.
- [19:05]
Kylie Kelce
Okay, who are they? I want names.
- [19:09]
Kaylee Hartung
You want names? No, I mean, there are just, like, when it comes to coaches, okay, Coaches, they get put in the worst position and like, I just want to apologize every time I put a microphone in a coach's face at halftime, right? Like, they do not want to talk to me. And I don't take it personally. It's not about me. It's. They don't want to. They want to go call, you know, figure out their adjustments and, you know, if they're winning, losing, whatever, like, it doesn't matter. They don't want to talk to me. But there are definitely coaches who you can just, you know, will. Will give you an answer to the question you ask. And so it's like, for me, in those moments, it's on me. I think of it like, I'm not trying to ask these coaches, like a gotcha question. I'm trying to set them up to actually help us all learn something about their state of mind as they're trying to win a football game. Right? So, like, if I don't get a good answer, I. A lot of times I'm like, well, I asked a bad question. You know, like, that's. That's on me. And sometimes it's like, nope, wasn't on me at all. Didn't matter what I asked. They weren't going to, you know, and that's fine too, right? But I can be probably unnecessarily hard on myself in some of those situations. But all that to say, like, Sean McVeigh is incredible, Kevin O'Connell is fantastic. But, like, these are also guys who, you know, like, they're just, I think once you realize, like, they're real people too, you know, it matters. And as long as you. As they know I do my homework, they treat me with respect because they know I show up as prepared as I can be, I think. But, like, those are two examples of guys that are just. Are great post game with players when you're in this position of, like, they've just had an incredible performance, right? Like, that's why I'm talking to you. You've just won a game and you did something exceptional. So I think it can be such a difficult spot for them so many times to verbalize their emotions, right? Like, that is hard. I mean, you know, somebody like you have your fourth child and somebody puts a microphone in your face. Kylie, how does it feel. How does it feel?
- [21:16]
Kylie Kelce
Like, I'll let you know as soon as I can feel my undercarriage. Thank you. Right.
- [21:20]
Kaylee Hartung
Like, you're like, what that.
- [21:22]
Kylie Kelce
On national television.
- [21:23]
Kaylee Hartung
Right. But, like, it's so, like, they're put in a tough position, too, in a lot of times. But it's. I try to use as few words as possible, if that makes sense, in asking my questions so that I can just set them up and get out of the way. Right. Like, sure. They're the goal. They have the goal.
- [21:42]
Kylie Kelce
I love the idea of you saying that you don't try to get, especially the coaches at halftime on a gotcha question, because I do think that hearing feedback from my husband, hearing feedback from other, like, athletes in the NFL, to know that they can trust someone who's interviewing them to not try and bait them into a situation where they say something that ends up as, like, clickbait or clickbait or a headline or gets them to say something that they probably shouldn't divulge in that moment. Just because they're running off of sheer emotion is, like, such an asset in your role to be able to recognize, like, you want them to say something to help people learn. And that is, like, the best summary I've ever heard of a. Of a halftime coach's question. That's outstanding.
- [22:34]
Kaylee Hartung
I appreciate it. Thank you.
- [22:36]
Kylie Kelce
Earlier this past NFL season, you ziplined across the Falcons stadium.
- [22:42]
Kaylee Hartung
Yes.
- [22:43]
Kylie Kelce
Are you a thrill seeker?
- [22:45]
Kaylee Hartung
I am. Okay. I told you about my dad. I told you about my dad who was a pilot. And, like, I grew up flying, you know, with him in ways that, like, I'd be like, daddy, go faster, you know, and we're, like, in his plane doing barrel rolls and flips in the air. And I don't even know how my mother could watch any of that on the ground. But. But, yes, Like, I. It's in my blood. And that. That is what it is. But it's funny you bring up the zipline. So that was a Today show feature story. And I get an. I get an email from one of our. Our bosses, and it just says, are you afraid of heights? And I said, no. And then she said, okay, cool. We've got a piece for you at the Falcon Stadium. I said, okay, great. Like, I'm just worried about logistics, right? Like, when can I fly down? How quick can I make the trip? When can I get out? You know, when does the piece air? When do I need to be on set? And, like, I asked no questions. I get down there, and they're like, yeah, you're going to zip line across the stadium. Now, when I say. Real quick, when I say zip line, like, I think summer camp, right?
- [23:54]
Kylie Kelce
Like, I know what I'm seeing is you upside down.
- [23:58]
Kaylee Hartung
So then, okay, so they're like the mascot, Freddie the Falcon is going to jump first. So you see what it's like. And there's only one harness. So you'll be on the ground and you'll watch him. I'm sitting down there. Freddie, like, dives head first. And I'm like, what? This is not. This is not what we discussed. Despite the fact I asked no questions before I showed up. This is not what we discussed five minutes ago. And then. So it's like a free fall, a significant freefall, and then a little glide. So he gets down, and I'm just like. So do I have to go head first? Like, what are my options here? Do I have to flip? Like, can I just. What is the easiest?
- [24:50]
Kylie Kelce
So. So I'm assuming, seeing the photo of you, the screenshot of you doing it, that the only option was to flip yourself like the Falcon and go head first. Or was that a personal choice?
- [25:06]
Kaylee Hartung
No. So what I recognized I could do after much deliberation was that you could, like, jump in a seated position. And then, like, you know how anytime you're on an apparatus. Anytime you're on an apparatus like that, you. It, like, catches, right? Like, whether you're skydiving or anything with a harness like that. So I recognized I could, like, jump and sit so that when it caught, I'd be upright at least. And then you wouldn't, like, jerk more than you had to. And then I could go upside down. So, I mean. And then I went upside down because the guy. And Freddy the Falcon was like, but you have to get upside down at some point because, like, it's so fun. And so I. I was upside down as I zipped. I. And it was depressed. Like, I can't get over that.
- [26:04]
Kylie Kelce
This started with an email. Are you afraid of bites? And ended up with you upside down doing the Falcon. Fly through the Falcon. Oh, my God. And so it would not be me. That's all I know.
- [26:19]
Kaylee Hartung
Once I got to the top of that stadium and I'm harnessed in, and then they're like, okay, now climb over this ledge.
- [26:25]
Kylie Kelce
No.
- [26:25]
Kaylee Hartung
And I'm like, absolutely not. Hold on to what? Like. And they're like, and now hold this GoPro in this hand. And I'm like, there's nothing for me to. I'm on a beam above the stadium. I'M like, there's nothing out here for me to hold on to. And then I'm just standing out there. And now I start getting nervous. Like, I couldn't feel my legs. And at that point, the cameras are rolling, like, all the things are happening. And I really was like, well, I can't. Climbing back over this ledge actually right now in this moment when I can't feel my legs would be harder than just jumping. So then this guy starts counting, and it's like, three, two. And I was like. And just like. I mean, like, and there was there. I had no choice of that. Like, I truly had no choice at that point.
- [27:14]
Kylie Kelce
Edit.
- [27:15]
Kaylee Hartung
I actually had a blast.
- [27:16]
Kylie Kelce
I feel like once you're harnessed and over the. Over the railing. Once you're over the railing, you're pot committed.
- [27:22]
Kaylee Hartung
You're.
- [27:23]
Kylie Kelce
You're committed. It's. You're going. It doesn't matter if it takes you an extra 10 to 15 seconds, you're getting off of there.
- [27:30]
Kaylee Hartung
Yeah.
- [27:31]
Kylie Kelce
And the only way down, apparently, upside down, simply.
- [27:36]
Kaylee Hartung
So I do this all. You know, it's taped. We edit it together for a Today show piece. And then I was there for a Thursday night game, like, two weeks later. And there was legitimately a conversation about me doing it live in the broadcast, like, during the game, like right before kickoff or during halftime. And it was like, oh, well, Freddie is doing his performance pre kick, like he always does. And again, there's only one harness, so, like, you can't interfere with Freddie's routine. And then at halftime, like, and I'm just sitting here being like, yo, we wanted done, like, roll the tape. That live in a stadium filled with people.
- [28:15]
Kylie Kelce
What could you imagine?
- [28:17]
Kaylee Hartung
No, like, that's where I pro. I mean, if I'm being honest, I probably.
- [28:20]
Kylie Kelce
That's where you draw the line.
- [28:21]
Kaylee Hartung
I probably would have done. I was about to say that's where I drop the line. Like, I probably would have done it. But you know what I really want to do? Okay. I'm putting this out in the universe. What I really want to do is skydive with, like, the army, the Golden Knights or whatever, where I'm strapped onto them. Like, I don't want to have to pull the chute. I just. I'll be strapped to them and I want to skydive into a stadium pre kick and, like, deliver the game ball. And then have somebody hand me my microphone and be like, do my open report. Like that. That's my next goal. In terms of thrill seeking. Total.
- [28:51]
Kylie Kelce
Tell me this is the US army parachute team.
- [28:53]
Kaylee Hartung
Yeah, yeah. The Golden Knights.
- [28:59]
Kylie Kelce
They're coming to Philadelphia.
- [29:01]
Kaylee Hartung
Stop.
- [29:02]
Kylie Kelce
They're in my DM. So.
- [29:05]
Kaylee Hartung
They're in your DMs.
- [29:07]
Kylie Kelce
Oh, my God. What if we manifest this?
- [29:10]
Kaylee Hartung
What if we manifest, Then you're gonna have to be on the field at the Link waiting for me. When I land, I want you to hand me the microphone.
- [29:17]
Kylie Kelce
That is what we're doing. Should we manifest. Okay, Just to be clear. I want to be clear. Here's.
- [29:24]
Kaylee Hartung
Here's the deal that they sent you.
- [29:27]
Kylie Kelce
Deal. Okay.
- [29:28]
Kaylee Hartung
Okay.
- [29:29]
Kylie Kelce
There is the other podcast. That's what we call them over here. They have a habit of manifesting things, and I feel like we have not manifested enough here. We're a couple months in. I feel like you have now given us the perfect opportunity. You heard it here first, people.
- [29:49]
Kaylee Hartung
We're just cooking up. Cooking up some.
- [29:51]
Kylie Kelce
The Golden Knights. We have a proposal for you. Please.
- [29:57]
Kaylee Hartung
Okay, so wait, the NFL schedule comes out in May.
- [30:01]
Kylie Kelce
This is perfect.
- [30:02]
Kaylee Hartung
Whenever our Thursday night game is. And we feel like we've been to Philadelphia every year. Like, I hope. I love going. I love doing games of the Link. Okay, well, yeah, I mean, let's call Howie. Let's call my bosses. Let's, like, let's.
- [30:14]
Kylie Kelce
Yes, let's. Let's make this happen. We're gonna manifest this. I feel like we might not have to wait until football season, but I'm gonna let you know. We're gonna manifest this. So we'll put together a little proposal package and we'll send it where it needs to go, if you catch my drift.
- [30:32]
Kaylee Hartung
It's the people watching. Like, people ask me all the time about you. Do you get nervous being on tv? And I'm like, yeah, every time. Like, I think nerves are a healthy thing to some degree. Like, it means you care, but.
- [30:43]
Kylie Kelce
Yes, but.
- [30:44]
Kaylee Hartung
But it.
- [30:45]
Kylie Kelce
Jason always said that.
- [30:46]
Kaylee Hartung
Yeah, but, like, it. There's something about a live audience that makes me, like, I am way more nervous going on a stage to moderate a panel than I am to step in front of a camera. That's a black box where you can't see the people. Like, the real time reactions of people is what I think makes me, like, even more.
- [31:07]
Kylie Kelce
Oh, this is great. We're gonna make this happen. Isn't Kayleigh the best? I almost feel bad interrupting our own interview. But then I remember I get to talk to you all again about one of my favorite products. CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara. This is it, actually. While we're here, I'm just going to give myself a little Touch up. I love that this mascara not only has been with me since the beginning of really wearing any makeup, but it also hasn't changed. I love that there are tiny little bristles on the brush because it really helps to lift and separate. I love that it stays on all day long. And I also love that at the end of the day, it's a quick wash and then it's gone. And it's keeping my lashes nice and upright so everyone thinks I'm awake even when I'm not. Kids. Kids are waking me up a lot. I'm okay because CoverGirl's gonna get me through. Lash Blast Volume Mascara only from easy, breezy, beautiful CoverGirl. Shop online or buy at your local retailer today. Something that I think is very important that you touched on was that, like, you don't currently have kids, but some of your friends from earlier phases in life may have been having kids.
- [32:38]
Kaylee Hartung
Literally all of them.
- [32:39]
Kylie Kelce
And I do think that, like, from my own experience, I think it's so important to, like, especially as a mom now and a mom of almost four, I know there are people who would get offended, like, moms who would get offended and be like, what? Like. Like we're still friends like that. Like, me having kids doesn't change it, but, like, it does, because it's a very different life phase that you are in, even though you can still connect on every other level that you've always connected on. Like, your friendship is still your friendship, but, like, you can't help it as a mother but to talk about your kids or to get swallowed up by motherhood or. And then in the same realm, like, you might be focused on your career at the moment, and you might be diving into that wholeheartedly. And, like, a new mother might be like, well, why aren't you calling me as much? And it's like, well, because I have important stuff, too. Just because it's not a child doesn't mean that it's not truly important to me and, like, what I'm doing with my life. And I think it's so important to have that balance of people who are experiencing exactly that and to also not get offended that other people are experiencing life no matter what it is, and that it's not a personal attack and it's not a lack of friendship that it really is just like, that you're. You're doing life right. And part of friendship is respecting and loving that about each other. One of the things that you have discussed, though, is your fertility journey and specifically freezing your eggs. You shared A lot about this process on your Instagram where you shared a photo of yourself on your 27th shot in 12 days.
- [34:34]
Kaylee Hartung
Yeah, that sounds right.
- [34:37]
Kylie Kelce
First of all, thank you for sharing that. Can you talk about the importance of, like, being open with that experience and that journey?
- [34:46]
Kaylee Hartung
Yeah. So when I turned 35, I think that was my most significant birthday as an adult in the sense that my mom was 35 when she was widowed with two kids. And it. I don't know, something about that number and me sort of taking stock of where I'm at in my life struck me. And I recognized, like, we're also in the middle of a pandemic, and I'm not traveling as much as I usually do for work. Like, I wanted to feel like I came out of the pandemic having accomplished something that I wouldn't have been able to do or would have been harder to do otherwise. Right. And so, yeah, I decided I was going to freeze my eggs. And it's such a weird process on so many levels. But it struck me initially that as I started just Googling on the Internet, it was really hard to find resources. And it was like just to. With questions I had. And I didn't think my questions were unusual. I thought they were probably the questions any girl would ask who was exploring the process, but it just was surprisingly hard to find. And then at the time, I was working for ABC News, and Good Morning America thankfully was open to me talking about it and gave me a platform. And I could not believe the reaction I got and the response I got on social media in sharing it, because there were women just like me, as I imagined, who were looking for answers to their questions and who just needed, I think, to see somebody else experiencing it and. And willing to share it. So, yeah, all that being said, like, a box just shows up in my door one day and, you know, dump it out on the ground. And it's just like, needles and bottles, these syringes and the like. And I'm just like, what? This is so intimidating. And I had one of my best girlfriends on the phone with me as I was watching a YouTube tutorial about how to give yourself the shots. And I was having to give myself two or three shots a day. And it's just like the weirdest process. And, you know, there's the one shot where you have to take the liquid out of one vial and put it into the vial with the powder and mix it up, and you're just like, I'm shocked this isn't more foolproof. Like, I Am going to screw this up. And what happens if I screw this up and this is expensive, and if I mess up one shot, is it. Does it ruin the whole process? Like, you're just asking yourself all of these questions, and you just feel like there are all these ways that you're going to mess it up. And then after I got through the. The first night of shots, like, after that, it was just. It was like, bam, bam, bam. Became routine in a way that actually, like, surprised me how easy it became. But what I learned through the process, too, is that, like, every woman's experience with. With egg freezing, or if you turn those into embryos and do ivf, like, that initial process is every woman experiences so differently, right? And for me, through the period where I was giving myself the shots, which was almost two weeks, I was living life as normal. I mean, I was treating my body like I was pregnant in terms of, you know, what I was eating, and, you know, I wasn't drinking any alcohol, all of the things like that. But I. I was working. Like, I interviewed Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, the day before my egg retrieval. And then now, granted, I had on, like, a boxy blazer and I looked like I was three months pregnant, but, like, I went in for my retrieval the next day. And like, to that point, the process has been so easy relative to the fear I had of what it would be like now. There was one day, thankfully it was a Saturday, where I woke up in the middle of that process, and I felt so hungover. And I was like, I don't understand. I haven't had a drink in, like a month. Why do I feel this way? And then I was like, it's the hormones. Like, it. Like, just listen to your body in this. Like, it's. Don't be afraid. Don't be weirded out. Like, it's just. Just your body's taking it, you know, going through this incredible process. And I just laid on the couch all day and watched Grey's Anatomy and cried. And I just let myself, you know, and I didn't get too upset about it beyond just saying I need to cry. Like, the hormones are real. This is all happening. Anyway, fast forward, I do the egg retrieval. And that's when it got difficult for me. My recovery process was really intense. And it was intense in large part because I had a really successful cycle. I was lucky enough to have a lot of eggs. And I've. I've realized in the process of sharing my story, sometimes it's hard for other women to Hear, like, how many. How many eggs I got. You know, knowing that, like, it's hard to get a lot of eggs right. And I didn't realize that when I first shared that. That could be uncomfortable for a lot of women to hear that number. I just thought I was sharing information, and that would be helpful. But I had a really successful retrieval process, and then my body freaked out. Like, if you think about what you're actually doing to it and you're pumping in these hormones to create all of these eggs, get the biggest bang for your buck in this one retrieval that you can, and then they're gone. Like, my body went into sort of shock. It's called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. And I was. So I was down for the count for, like, a week. Like, I had intense nausea for the first three days and was told I needed to cut out all carbs and all sugar or else the pain I would be in would be even worse. But, yeah, it was a definite journey. But I'm so glad I did it. And I have been such a proponent of women who are even thinking about it to do it. I was lucky at 35 to have as successful of a retrieval process as I did. But I still wish I would have done it sooner. I still wish I would have done it younger. And if your insurance covers it, definitely take the money and do it now. Like, don't wait. I. That's sort of my message. Like, my insurance didn't cover it. And I think that's, like, just unbelievable that it was something I had to do on my own in that way. But, yeah. Any. If anybody has any questions, I'm. I really love supporting other women through the journey.
- [41:13]
Kylie Kelce
I think it's so beautiful that not only you're willing to have these conversations, that you're willing to discuss your own journey with it, that you're encouraging other women to explore it themselves. Because I do think that we are in a phase of empowering women who aren't necessarily in a rush to do what we were told to do years ago. Right. Like, before, it was like, oh, you're in your mid-20s. Like, it's. Clock's ticking. You better get married, have kids. Like, there are women who, like yourself, are absolutely crushing it in their careers, who set out to do something when they were 10 years old and have done exactly what they set out to do with a lot of hard work and dedication. And so to empower other women to see. By seeing your journey and then you telling them, like, I did this, and you could do it too. And it doesn't mean that I, I don't have to have a, I have to sacrifice a family. It doesn't mean that I have to make this decision now. But that you took it upon yourself to take matters into your own hands and say, I'm gonna make sure that I have the information that I share. The information that I get because it wasn't easy to find is such an amazing way to support other women. And I really, really appreciate you doing that. That's incredible.
- [42:41]
Kaylee Hartung
Thanks for asking the question. I'm glad to, glad to talk about it. It's, it's weird how I feel like it. Things that are tough to talk about. It's like once you just say some things out loud just to your friends, right. It just becomes easier and then to take ownership over that and, and to be lucky enough to, like, have a platform to share it is like I, it just, it. Yeah. I feel like it's, it's been a. Something I'm very proud to have done and been able to talk about.
- [43:08]
Kylie Kelce
I cannot thank you enough for getting on here today with me. I am so happy that we finally got you on not gonna Lie.
- [43:15]
Kaylee Hartung
I am so grateful for the invitation. I love that we got this time together. That's the best part.
- [43:20]
Kylie Kelce
This is the best. No, thank you so much. And again, thank you for the conversations you're having, the examples you're setting. We love, you know, I love to see some women in sports and I.
- [43:32]
Kaylee Hartung
Love when I get to see you.
- [43:34]
Kylie Kelce
At those sporting events just creeping this, creeping the sidelines at the link. Thank you again and of course, we'll talk soon.
- [43:44]
Kaylee Hartung
Yes, I can't wait. Thank you. Thank you.
- [43:46]
Kylie Kelce
Thank you so much again to my guest, Kaylee Hartung for chatting with me. You can find even more clips from our conversation on my YouTube channel. On more Ship Monday. I love getting to talk to the incredible women that I get to talk to. But there's an added little bonus when it's someone that I know and get to learn even more about. So I'm so, so grateful that Kaylee sat in with us today. And that's a wrap on another episode of Not Gonna Lie. Stay tuned to our social accounts at NGL with Kylie for updates on when I'll officially be back from maternity leave. We already have some great guests lined up and maybe you'll even see me in a brand new set. Queen Emma told me that they call that a tease. In the meantime, the NGL team will be posting all sorts of never before seen clips on more Ship Monday on the YouTube channel as well as our Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. We've got you covered. We're not going to leave you hanging. And by we, I mean the rest of the NGL team because I'm busy healing and trying to keep four tiny humans alive. I think I'm okay. Who knows. Also, they call this a call to action. Send us all your ask me something questions. We may need some fresh ones to answer when I come back. You know, when my brain comes back, I'm probably not going to have a brain that's going to be a disaster. You should ask a lot of questions because sleep deprivation and answering questions could go poorly for me and well, for you. So submit those questions. And now back to this close Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Follow the show on all all social media at NGL with Kylie. Not gonna Lie is a wave Original brought to you by CoverGirl thank you guys again for tuning.