MORGAN: Was It Love At First Sight? The Story of Morgan & Mr. B with a Dash of Harry Potter ✨

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show: "MORGAN: Was It Love At First Sight? The Story of Morgan & Mr. B with a Dash of Harry Potter ✨"

Host: Morgan Huelsman
Guest: Brayden ("Mr. B")
Release Date: October 5, 2025
Duration (content): ~1:02:27
(Ad breaks and promos omitted)

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Overview

This heartfelt episode marks a milestone for Morgan Huelsman as she publicly introduces her boyfriend, Brayden (whom listeners know as “Mr. B”), sharing the full story of how they met, their whirlwind start, and the deeply personal histories that have shaped them both. With honesty, wit, and unmistakable "new love" energy, Morgan and Brayden invite listeners into the genesis of their relationship, complete with matchmaking friends, cheesy bar snacks, personal challenges, “hat-fishing,” and Harry Potter scars.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Meet-Cute": How Morgan and Brayden Met

• Initial Introduction

  • Setting: Skinny Dennis bar, late March.
  • Intervention: Morgan’s friend Holly (who later became instrumental in their story) aggressively grabs Brayden, declaring, “I got to introduce you to someone.”
  • Brayden had no idea who Holly was and was both bemused and unsure (“There was no communication before it. She just grabbed my arm and said, you're coming with me.” [04:35])
  • First connection: Brayden's shirt ("Drink Beer and Pet Dogs") sparked an immediate conversation about their mutual love of dogs.

• Organic Conversation

  • Spoke for 45 minutes without even knowing each other’s names.
  • Bar-based Bonding: “Literally everything was about dogs. And then there was a country song that came on...” [05:37]
  • Both discuss being “homebodies,” though Morgan teases Brayden for being less of one than he claims.

• Memorable Early Moments

  • Their first dance in a dive bar, Morgan’s quest for mozzarella sticks (“...he was not gonna get between me and getting my favorite bar mozzarella sticks.” [08:50])
  • Lighthearted bar flirting (cheating at darts – “I was flirting with you. Absolutely.” [09:58])
  • Both recall thinking their meeting was a one-night fluke, but deeper conversation and an exchange of numbers set the stage for more.
  • Brayden’s earnestness: “I felt connected to you. Like, it was…this is it for me. Like, instantly right after I met you.” [10:20]

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2. The Next Steps: From Text to "Inseparable"

• Day-After Deep Dive

  • Major phone call the next day ("on the phone for three hours and 20 some minutes" [13:03])
  • Both “Googled” each other—Morgan checked for any criminal history; Brayden discovered Morgan’s "public" persona and that his sister, Ashton, was already following Morgan on Instagram.

• First Real Date & Growing Closeness

  • First official date set up immediately after their phone call.
  • Brayden chooses a vegetarian-friendly restaurant for Morgan and brings sunflowers—her favorite flower ([27:01-27:27]).
  • “From the first date on, we have pretty much been inseparable.” [27:34]

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3. Family, Friends, and Finding Out

• Family Reactions
  • Brayden’s family was instantly supportive and excited, with his mom saying: “Finally, my boy is with someone he should be with, like instantly.” [16:22]
  • His sister Ashton was already a fan (“Oh my gosh. How did I not put this together? She is the sweetest thing. She loves dogs.” [14:49])
  • Morgan’s job and public profile is a topic, but both recount how their initial relationship was rooted in real interaction, not “fame.”

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4. The "Fate" & Life Decisions

• Almost Leaving Nashville
  • Big Reveal: The weekend they met, Brayden had accepted a job in Florida and intended to move back—until meeting Morgan made him reconsider ([31:05-35:48]).
  • “I looked up in the sky and I was like, all right, universe, like, send me a sign if I’m supposed to be in Nashville.” [32:21]
  • After meeting Morgan and a serendipitous sunflower sighting, he turned down the Florida offer and stayed.

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5. Adventures & Animal Love

• Dog/Cat Person?

  • The pair’s shared passion for dogs played a core role (Brayden's “Drink Beer Pet Dogs” shirt, stories about their own pets).
  • When faced with Morgan’s cat Hazel—despite his past anti-cat attitudes (“...it was the one thing on his dating app profile…” [54:31]) Brayden soon became Hazel’s biggest fan, even giving her subcutaneous fluids.

• Travel Trials

  • First joint flight mishaps: split flights, phone charger drama, making airport friends; Morgan’s anxiety about not being on the same plane as Brayden ([37:28-40:38]).
  • Brayden embraces dog-friendly travel, supporting bringing Morgan's dog Remy on vacation: “Everything that we did was better because she was there.” [52:05]

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6. Personal Histories: Brayden’s Resilience & the Harry Potter Scar

• Family Hardship

  • In 2002, Brayden’s family faced a cascade of tragedies:

    • Dad was laid off
    • Younger sister diagnosed with leukemia
    • Older sister had major back surgery
    • Brayden, at age 12, suffered a stroke resulting in the loss of a third of his cerebellum.

  • “Doctors didn’t think I’d ever walk or talk… But I’m very thankful for my stroke. I wouldn’t change that for the world.” [47:41]

• A Harry Potter Twist

  • Brayden’s scar from brain surgery became a source of jokes during his childhood (“…it’s like a lightning bolt, you know.” [48:50]), and both Bond over their love for Harry Potter.

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7. Relationship Dynamics & Appreciations

• On Being Public

  • Brayden appreciates that his relationship with Morgan is rooted in genuine connection, not her public persona. Morgan values Brayden’s openness and kindness.

• Qualities They Love in Each Other ([58:00–64:21])

  • Brayden about Morgan:
    1. Unwavering kindness (“You are kind to a stranger... to everyone” [58:03])
    2. Inspiring work ethic
    3. Brings fun and lightness to everyday life (“...the fun that you can find in life is something that I want to constantly strive for.” [59:22])
  • Morgan about Brayden:
    1. Huge heart and compassionate nature
    2. Consistent and genuine (“You have been the same person since the moment I met you in the best way possible.” [62:14])
    3. Optimism and positivity—always helps her see the brighter side

• Notable Quote (Morgan):

  "So many people would be better off for knowing you. And I just wish there was more of that that existed." [63:32]

• Notable Quote (Brayden):

  “Stop settling. You need the whole package.” [56:57]

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “I felt connected to you. Like… this is it for me.”

  • Brayden’s instant connection [10:20]

• “From the first date on, we have pretty much been inseparable.”

  • Morgan’s take on their fast-bonding [27:34]

• Hat-fishing Anxiety

  • Brayden purposely removed his hat repeatedly to prove he wasn’t bald after learning of “hat-fishing” culture:

    “I bet she is wondering if I have hair. And so I kept taking my hat off just to let you know.” [21:30]

  • Morgan's playful trauma about hats and baldness:

    “Sorry, dad…he has made it difficult for me to date bald men.” [20:15]

• Animal Rescue Compatibility

  • On bringing the dog along vacation:

    “If I thought Remy was annoying, that relationship’s not going to last.” [56:57]

• On Deep Family Struggles

  • Recounting his family's year of struggles:

    “My parents were so strong getting through it, and they would just flip flop between the two rooms…” [47:43]

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Key Timestamps

• 02:37 – Introduction of Brayden (“Mr. B”)
• 03:34 – 09:39 – The story of how they met at the bar, first impressions and the mozzarella stick quest
• 10:09 – 13:57 – Their first night’s end, exchanging numbers, next-day texts, and the three-hour phone call
• 14:19 – 17:47 – Family reactions, discovering Morgan’s identity, and integrating into each other’s worlds
• 25:19 – 27:35 – Their first official date and becoming “inseparable”
• 31:05 – 35:48 – Brayden’s secret: he was about to move to Florida, but fate (and Morgan) changed his plans
• 43:30 – 50:26 – Brayden’s family’s resilience: leukemia, spinal surgery, his stroke, and the “Harry Potter scar”
• 52:05 – 55:05 – Dog travel, pet compatibility, and how Brayden was won over by Morgan’s cat, Hazel
• 58:00 – 63:50 – Sharing their favorite qualities in each other
• 64:21 – End – Outro tease for next week’s Q&A episode

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Final Thoughts

This episode is as much a love letter to serendipity as it is to mutual respect, growth, and second chances. Morgan and Brayden’s story is peppered with humor, vulnerability, and little lessons (like fate working through a “Drink Beer Pet Dogs” t-shirt), making it a perfectly dog-eared chapter for fans of modern romance and real-life resilience.

Next episode: The couple promises to answer specific listener questions about their relationship and life together.

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Follow the series for more stories, Q&As, and behind-the-scenes peeks into life, love, and all the "package deals" along the way.

Transcript

[Morgan Huelsman]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Danielle Robaix]

Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

[Danielle Robaix]

I'm Danielle Robaix and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and iheart Podcasts where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars, and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry, and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Books is the official audiobook and ebook home for Reese's Book Club. Visit Apple Co ReeseAppleBooks to find out more.

[Bridget Armstrong]

I'm Bridget Armstrong, host of the new podcast the Curse of America's Next Top Model. I've been investigating the real story behind that iconic show. I ended up having anorexia issues, bulimia issues, by talking to the models, the producers, and the people who profited from it all.

[Morgan Huelsman]

We basically sold our souls and they got rich. If you were so rooting for her.

[Bridget Armstrong]

And saw her drowning, why don't you help her? Listen to the Curse of America's Next Top model on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podc.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Betrayal Weekly is back for season two with brand new stories. The detective comes driving up fast and just like, screeches right in the parking lot. I swear I'm not crazy, but I think he poisoned me. I feel trapped. My breathing changes.

[Bridget Armstrong]

I realize, wow, like, he is not a mentor. He's pretty much a monster.

[Morgan Huelsman]

But these aren't just stories of destruction. They're stories of survival.

[Bridget Armstrong]

I'm gonna tell my story and I'm gonna hold my head up.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Take this personally with Morgan Huelsman. Are you ready for this?

[Brayden]

I'm ready for this. After a great start.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Well, world, meet my boyfriend. I call him Mr. B. His name is Brayden. Brayden. Welcome to the podcast.

[Brayden]

Thank you.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Welcome to having a name.

[Brayden]

I finally got a name today.

[Morgan Huelsman]

From this moment forward, you can now be known as your name. But up until this moment, you have been known as IRL boyfriend. Just the boyfriend to me. Mr. B. I'm still in your phone.

[Brayden]

As Mr. B. Yeah, I know.

[Morgan Huelsman]

That's never gonna change.

[Brayden]

Love that.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Okay, well, we're gonna do your favorite thing to share to start this off. We're gonna share our story. You love.

[Brayden]

Gosh.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Telling the how we met story.

[Brayden]

You want to tell it with me, rim? Huh? Okay. March 29, 11:30pm I went out with some friends to just grab a beer at Skinny. Dennis and I had a couple beers, and I was getting ready to head home and call it in for the night. And I was walking back from the bathroom, and Holly grabbed me by the arm. She was like, you have to meet. You have to meet somebody.

[Morgan Huelsman]

He didn't know who Holly was at the time. Holly, for context, is one of my good friends. She's also the girl who helped save me in my Vertigo episodes. So new friend in the last two years, but one of my good friends. Please continue.

[Brayden]

So she had pretty aggressively grabbed my arm and just said, I got to introduce you to someone.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And so were you, like, thinking when this happened, were you like, what is this woman doing? Who are you? Did she even introduce herself?

[Brayden]

No, there was no communication before it. She just grabbed my arm and said, you're coming with me. And she led me over to a group of girls.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And were you like, okay, this is about to be awkward?

[Brayden]

Yeah. I was thinking she was gonna introduce me to someone that I wasn't gonna be interested in or, you know, there's a lot of risk that's involved, and you just get grabbed at a bar, and little blonde turned around and was looking up at me. That was the first thing I noticed. Just so small.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I was wearing high heels that night too.

[Brayden]

But, yeah, literally, like, seeing your bright blue eyes, like, it instantly I was connected. And I was wearing a shirt that said, drink beer and pet dogs. And so we instantly just started talking about dogs. I think for the first 45 minutes, you and I were just talking about dogs. I didn't even. We had introduced names so quickly. Neither of us knew each other's names.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah. It wasn't until we went to the bar, 45 minutes into our conversation, you're like, let me get you a drink. And you're like, I'm so sorry. Can you please tell me your name again? I was like, don't worry. I don't remember yours either.

[Brayden]

I was like, oh, gosh, I'm in the clear. No. And it was. And we were just talking. I had just started the Instagram for my little sister's dog, Big Jeff. So I was showing you pictures, and you were telling me about Remy, and you had just you had just helped your foster dog find her forever home, and you were picking up a new foster dog in a couple of days. So you were telling me about all the dogs, and I instantly was just enthralled with everything you were about. Like, you were fun and you were bubbly, and literally everything was about dogs. And then there was a country song that came on, and I remember I couldn't even. I was fumbling over my words. I was like, do you country dance?

[Morgan Huelsman]

It's like, were you nervous?

[Brayden]

I. I was nervous because I wasn't. I didn't go out. I wasn't going out to meet anyone. I wasn't really in the mindset of looking for anyone. I was just really doing me and living life. I'm not usually someone who would go out on a Friday or Saturday night. Like, I. I really. I played volleyball at the time. I have a really good volleyball friend group. So most weekend nights, you would find me playing sand volleyball. So going out and getting drinks was extremely rare for me.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Which is something you also repeatedly told me. You're like, I'm not usually out like this. You kept saying, I don't. I'm not usually out at bars. I don't normally go out or everything. And it kind of became this whole thing throughout the night.

[Brayden]

Well, I didn't want it to seem like I was just some guy going to bars, like, looking to find girls, because that wasn't my M.O. at all. So I was, like, almost a little bit embarrassed that I met you at a bar, because that's not my usual scene. So, yeah, I had explained it a couple times, and I nervously said, I told you I was a homebody. And throughout the night, I kept talking about all the things that I enjoy doing. And, you know, you were like, you're not a homebody. You're constantly doing stuff. It's like. Well, I misused the word because I was a little nervous, but so now.

[Morgan Huelsman]

It'S a joke all the time. I'm like, yeah, there's my homebody. Just out socializing five days a week.

[Brayden]

But what can you do? So we had our first two step.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And dance in the bar that night.

[Brayden]

Yep. And that was. I instantly knew that I was. You were way out of my league with dancing. But I was like, I'm just gonna run with it, you know, twist you around and see how this goes. And your friend group was in town, and they were having a whole lot of fun, and my friends were having fun. And so we kind of combined forces, and we were just bopping around to different bars.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And you don't remember why we were be bopping to another bar. The main reason that I wanted to get mozzarella sticks.

[Brayden]

Yeah, that's on brand for sure now.

[Morgan Huelsman]

That you know me. Yeah. But that night I was very. I had met this cute boy and like, the conversation was great, but he was not gonna get between me and getting my favorite bar. Mozzarella sticks.

[Brayden]

Oh, yeah. And it was all of you guys were talking about them like they were this world renowned mozzarella sticks and they're.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Just a dive bar. Mozzarella sticks. Which side note, they've now changed and I don't want to talk about it.

[Brayden]

Yeah. Now the recipe is different. Fired the chef, and the mott sticks are no good there anymore.

[Morgan Huelsman]

But yeah. So we ended up beboping to another bar because I really wanted these mozzarella sticks. So he got to see very quickly that I love to eat crappy foods. He also learned that I was vegetarian on the first day. Well, first meeting, I should say. And what else? We stayed out until we closed the bar down. We got kicked out of the bar.

[Brayden]

Yeah. We played darts. I kicked your ass and you tickled me every time I threw the dart.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, I won.

[Brayden]

Cheating. That. That is grade A cheating.

[Morgan Huelsman]

But I won. You admit it. I won.

[Brayden]

You did.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I won.

[Brayden]

You did win. I think you're erasing my marks on shock.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I was not. I'm not an actual cheater. I was flirting with you. Absolutely. By that point, I was like, I'm probably never going to see this man again in my life. And this is really fun, so I'm just gonna enjoy this moment.

[Brayden]

And you kept making remarks about, like, I'm never gonna see you again.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Well, by the end of the night, you had asked. You're like, can I please get your number? I was like, sure. You're never gon me, so whatever.

[Brayden]

And I was like, I'm absolutely going to call you. Like, I'm instantly. I felt connected to you. Like, it was. I was like, man, this is. This is it for me. Like, instantly right after I met you. And so I had every intention, like every conversation we had. We got pretty deep pretty quickly. We, like, talked about our past. Like, I was in it from the get go. And it was funny because you went off to the bathroom and your girls were like, all right, so let's get down to it. What are your red flags? When's your last relationship? And so I told them my entire history, but I had already told you. So when you came back from the bathroom. They were like, guess what? And you're like, yeah, we already talked about it. And they, like, looked at me like, oh, so you are open about. You know, and we just. I think from then on, we, like, started gaining a little more trust. And it was feeling really real to me really quickly. And it wasn't like a go out and drink a bunch of beers night. So I had a clear head, and we were having meaningful conversation. And yeah, you just said, I work in radio. And that was it. I work in radio. And I was like, oh, okay.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And you never discovered that until the next night. So when he put me in the Uber, I'm still making the joke of, I'm never gonna hear from you, and sure, we're going on a date, whatever. He puts me in the Uber, closes the door, and it's super cute.

[Brayden]

That sounds aggressive. Puts me.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Okay, sorry. Gently. Nicely open. Was being a gentleman. Open the door for me. I got in by myself. You close the door. Is that better?

[Brayden]

Right? There we go.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And about three minutes go by and I get a text message from Mr. B. Which I hadn't called him that yet. That was something that I learned. The nickname came because he studied special education. That was what he got his degree in. And so when he told me that, all I'm thinking in my head is, what's your nickname gonna be? What am I gonna call you? What's gonna happen? From kind of that moment forward, I referred to him on the Bobby Bones show as IRL guy, because we met in real life. To me, I was calling him Mr. B. And that was where that kind of nickname came from. So the next day, we're still texting at this moment in time, but that next day was a Sunday, and my friends had left that afternoon. And you're like, hey, can I call you? And I was like, oh, I got 15 minutes. I'm busy working, so sure, we can talk for a few minutes.

[Brayden]

Okay.

[Morgan Huelsman]

It ended up happening.

[Brayden]

So I called you. And again, like, the connection on the phone was just because, like, you could meet someone out and then you, like, give them a call, and the connection just wasn't there. Like, instantly we were diving deep, and we were talking, and we were on the phone for three hours and 20 some minutes.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, I did not get work done, and I ended up having to be up very late. And we discovered something on that call. It was really funny. So, of course, naturally, both of us Googled each other. Sunday after meeting, and I Googled him. No records, no prior criminal history. We were good There. But as we're on the phone, he just kind of like, so who are you exactly?

[Brayden]

I was like, you got a lot of fancy pictures on Google. I was so confused, like, because I pulled it up. And, like, at first glance, it, like, looks like you're a country music star. I was like, oh, I work in radio. You know, like, what's going on here? So that was. And then you got to dive in a little bit more.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Well, and we both had a realization in both of our deep dives on each other on the Internet that his sister was following me on Instagram and.

[Brayden]

Has been for quite some time.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, Several years. And I put two and two together when I found his Instagram, and I was like, oh, this is his sister. Oh, she follows me. And I think you're the one who ended up bringing it up on the phone. And you were like, yeah, so also, my sister follows you after I revealed what I did and all of that.

[Brayden]

And Ashton, she was like. She goes, oh, my gosh. How did I not put this together? She is the sweetest thing. She loves dogs. Like, it was that. It was, like, rehashing, like, our first meeting. And I was just like, yes, it already. Like, I'm already feeling like it's going so well.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And then you, when you called Ashton, which is his sister, to tell her about all of this, what was her first initial response?

[Brayden]

She literally couldn't believe it. She was like, who? And I was like, yeah. Remember I told you I met a girl at a bar? I was like, it's Morgan. She's like, wait, Morgan? Like, Morgan number two? I'm like, @ this point, I didn't listen to the Bobby Bones show. I didn't know Morgan number two. And I saw the first few pictures online, and I didn't want to dive in more because I was like, I don't want to get starstruck. I want to get to know you for you. And so it was just kind of this fun. Like, I knew a little bit. And then my sister's geeking out about it. So it was a fun little. Watching that all come together.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And your family is so stinking sweet. I've now officially met all of them, the entire crew. That sister that we're talking about, Ashton, she lives in town, and then another one lives in Colorado, and then your brother lives in Michigan. Your parents are everywhere, but I've officially met all of them. How does the family feel about us dating?

[Brayden]

Oh, gosh, they couldn't be happier. Like, my mom melted when she met you. Absolutely. Like, finally, my boy is with someone he should be with, like, instantly. And then Ashton, she felt like she already knew you a little bit, which is. I know is kind of common with fans, but, like, then getting to know you, it's like, oh, she's a good person, like, not only behind the microphone, but in real life. And so that was really cool.

[Morgan Huelsman]

That's sweet. I didn't know that part.

[Brayden]

Yeah. And Jordan, my older sister. Like, yeah, the first time you guys met, I feel like you connected really well, and we're spending more time with her, and so that's been really great. And then you got to meet Garrett and my little brother, and he's just a goofball.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And what did he say? Something along the lines of, she can give a joke or she can take a joke.

[Brayden]

Yeah, something. It's definitely. I think some of the clapbacks on Instagram and stuff like that are. That's more Garrett style of. Let's be a little more offensive. So that really fired him up for sure. And, yeah, my dad is just, like, thinks you're the biggest sweetheart in the world. And he has a lot of co workers that listen to the Bobby Bones show. So I think he's enjoying it as well because he gets to connect with his co workers. And, oh, did you hear what Morgan said today? And my dad's like, no, I didn't get to listen to the show yet.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And how do you feel that my life is public and that sometimes our relationship gets talked about and it's kind of out there, a lot of things happening.

[Brayden]

That doesn't bother me at all because I think the base of our relationship wasn't focused on anything public or like it. I really, again, like, I got to know you for you, and I wanted to see who you were, not in the spotlight. And I didn't even creep on your Instagram. I didn't even know what you were about. All I learned was from our first date and then moving forward and so being public, that doesn't. It doesn't bother me. It's definitely, like, it's exciting to see you succeed in all the ways that you have and you're able to. You have this platform to really be you and talk about the things that are important to you, but also just have fun with social media. And I think that's really important. You're always really positive, which I love. I think social media can. If you want to bring stuff down, you can. And you always lift stuff up. Human sunshine. That was a first date thing. Yeah. I asked you what you felt was your best quality. And you said, well, one of my friends told me that I'm human sunshine. I was like, oh, gosh, I'm in trouble. This is. This is lining up too good. Too good.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, that's very much it. And you, gosh, your quality that I just noticed almost immediately was just this openness and kindness. Just right off the bat, you just were smiley. Like we. We matched that energy so quickly of just this kindness while also being bubbly. You mentioned me being bubbly, but you were meeting that with that same. We have very similar outgoing personalities while also having this kind of down to earth kindness in ingrained, I guess, in all of that. And I think that was what made it so unrealistic that when I first met you and I kept saying, there's no way he's calling me. There's no way we're going to dance like this. As I'm playing darts with you in my head, I'm like this. Yeah, this is too good to be true. This isn't gonna happen. I wanted to find something wrong with you, which also, this is funny. It happened on the first date. So he was wearing a hat that night.

[Brayden]

Oh, gosh.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And as I have mentioned, I do love a head of hair. Sorry, dad. He has made it difficult for me to date bald men. And so he had a hat on. And all of my friends, like throughout the night, up until kind of the end of the night were like, so does he have hair? Like, what? You know, is that the thing that's going to be wrong, that you're going to be like, oh, gosh, I have to make a decision. And he kept removing his hat throughout the night and, like, messing with his hair. I was like, no, we're confirmed. Has a great head of hair. And I came to find out, like, I don't know, five or six dates in. You're like, yeah, I was doing that on purpose.

[Brayden]

Yeah, I had just learned. So that was Saturday night, and I want to say it was Thursday night that I learned the term hat fishing. I had never heard of hat fishing before and someone was talking about it at volleyball. I was like, what do you mean, hat fishing? And it's like when a guy looks good with a hat on, but you don't know what's underneath. And I learned there's a bigger culture of hat fishing that I ever knew. And so that night in particular, I was like, oh, I bet she is wondering if I have hair. And so I kept taking my hat off just to let you know, let.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Me make sure you know that I'm right. I'm all good.

[Brayden]

Yeah.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And Brayden knows this. I've shared it with him, but I'm not an asshole. I also had a traumatizing experience. There was a guy I dated way back when who would sleep with his hat on. So I'm very traumatized in this wild. The lack of. Of confidence is really where a lot of it comes from. The hat fishing kind of associated with lack of confidence. Like, it's just something I think you should own. I think there's beautiful bald people out there, and people should rock it.

[Brayden]

Shout out your dad.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, my dad is a beautiful, handsome man. It's kind of weird. You want to date your dad, but you don't want to date somebody who looks like your dad.

[Brayden]

Yeah.

[Morgan Huelsman]

You know, like, I want all the qualities and the personality traits, but I don't need you to look like him, because that would be weird. Anyways, off the trail. But that was a funny part of one of ours. Back to originally, what I was saying, though, you just exuded a lot of kindness and happiness, and that was something that I really loved, and you just further confirmed that on our first date.

[Dr. J]

But the humility in knowing that life is this classroom that we should never graduate from is what is going to keep you growing, and that's all that matters. World Mental Health Day is around the corner, and on my podcast, just heal with Dr. J, I dive into what it really means to care for your mind, body and spirit. From breaking generational patterns to building emotional capacity, healing is a journey, and wholeness is the destination.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I'm gonna walk away feeling very healed and feeling like, yes, I'm gonna continue my healing journey and I'm gonna get some keys from you.

[Dr. J]

Listen to just heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever.

[Felicia]

You get your podcasts, Culture Eats strategy.

[Morgan Huelsman]

For breakfast, I would love for you.

[Valisha Butterfield]

To share your breakdown on pivoting.

[Felicia]

We feel sometimes like we're leaving a part of us behind when we enter a new space, but we're just building on.

[Valisha Butterfield]

A recent episode of Culture Raises Us, I was joined by Valisha Butterfield, media founder, political strategist and tech powerhouse, for a powerful conversation on storytelling impact and the intersections of culture and leadership.

[Felicia]

I am a free black woman who worked really hard to be able to say that.

[Valisha Butterfield]

I'd love for you to break down why it was so important for you to do seed.

[Felicia]

You can't win at something you didn't create.

[Valisha Butterfield]

From the Obama White House to Google to the Grammys, Malicious Journey is a masterclass in shifting culture and using your voice to spark change.

[Felicia]

A very fake capital driven environment and society will have a lot of people tell half truths.

[Valisha Butterfield]

I'm telling you, I'm on the energy committee. Like if the energy is not right, we're not doing it whatever that it is. Listen to Culture raises us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danielle Robaix]

Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never for.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I think any good romance. It gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

[Danielle Robaix]

I'm Danielle Robay and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and I Heart Podcasts where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Books is the official audiobook and ebook home for Reese's Book Club. Visit Apple Co ReeseAppleBooks to find out more.

[Morgan Huelsman]

So after the phone call that we had, our first date was the next night. So we met Saturday night. We had a three and a half hour long phone call Sunday, Monday was our first date. This guy wasted zero time in making.

[Brayden]

Sure we went on a date exactly what I wanted and it was one track mind. I was like, all right, here we go. Monday, set up a reservation, came and picked you up.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And he also went to the extent of making sure I was a restaurant that I could eat at because I'm vegetarian. Were you ever turned off by the fact that I was a vegetarian?

[Brayden]

No, not at all. So I was a pescatarian. So I, I ate eggs and fish when I lived in Florida. It was really easy to get sustainable fish and, and good eggs. There's a lot of farms down there and stuff like that. So I was, I didn't eat meat for six years so it was very easy to. It wasn't a foreign thing to me and I don't dislike vegetarians and I don't like, I'm not like super pro meat. It just like I'm doing what's right for me at the time and, and so at that time it felt good to not eat meat and it was really, it started as a challenge to not eat meat, and so no setting up, finding somewhere where you could eat and enjoy. And I made sure that I didn't eat meat that first night to kind of show you that's a possibility. And I know I would assume that most guys would maybe be a little bit turned off by that, but that wasn't something foreign to me. So I was excited about it. I got to be a little bit more creative and find a spot that had a bunch of stuff that I thought you'd like and.

[Morgan Huelsman]

No, we both did. We tried a whole bunch of food together that night.

[Brayden]

We. Way too much food.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah. And we had sake. I don't think I'd ever had sake before that night. We had, like, a sake flight. We were really just trying everything. And that was also a very, very big first impression, date wise, was this guy is going to be up for trying anything, trying new things, and he's going to be supportive of the things that I like. Those are all first impressions that I was having on the first day. And you showed up on with sunflowers, which is my favorite flower. So you were very much listening the first night we met and paid attention to that. And then, literally from the first date on, we have pretty much been inseparable.

[Brayden]

Yes. It was the end of the first date, and it was like, can I see you tomorrow? And then it was like, can I see you tomorrow? Can I see you tomorrow? And it was just like, all we were doing was spending time together, and it was the same for me. Like, is this too good to be true? You know, like, because you're an incredible person and you've set yourself up for success, and you have such a kind heart, and, like, everything about you just exudes happiness and love, and you're absolutely gorgeous, and you're single and you want to hang out with me. And it just, like, it felt crazy to me. And I was like, all right, when does the shoe drop for me? But I remember on the night we met, after the girls were grilling me about my red flags, I was like, all right, so tell me about Morgan. Like, how is she single? And they were like, she just works really hard. And so you have to be okay with someone who's, like, really excels in their career, and they're gonna go out of their way to set their life up for success, and you have to be okay with that. And I was like, all right, that sounds wonderful.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Like, that they were. My friends are very well trained in the capacity of not talking about the show everybody in my life pretty much knows that's not something that I very much advertise, not because I'm ashamed of it, but because I just don't want people to assume that's all I'm trying to put out there. And especially in dating, I want to make sure people are getting to know me for who I am. And so I love that my girls in that situation were very protective over that, and they were trying to tell you why it really hasn't worked out in a lot of scenarios. Is a lot around just my job in general and lacking the confidence to be with someone who has succeeded and has success and is in a position that I'm in. And I love that they were trying to tell you that without telling you the main reason behind that. I didn't know that happened.

[Brayden]

Yeah, yeah. They definitely. They. They had your back.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I. I had no doubts. I knew they would. But that's funny. I didn't know that this whole moment happened. We have seen also since. We haven't seen Carla since, which were kind of the two drivers behind this. So beyond on that first night we met, it was really funny. I didn't ask them to go up to him. So they were on a mission for some reason, to make me meet somebody that weekend. These are some of my childhood best friends, and Holly was just one of my friends here, and they were just, like, on this mission to make it happen. I was like, guys, it's girls weekend. We're hanging out. We're not focused on any of this. Let's just have fun. And Carla spots you and drink beer pet dog shirt. And then Holly hears Carla mentioned this was like, well, I'm just gonna go up to him and bring him over. And I was like, what? No, we're not. I hadn't even seen you. I didn't know what you looked like. I didn't know who they were pointing to because I just kept ignoring them. And so when Holly brings you up, she taps me on the shoulder, and I turn around like, what are you doing? And then I see you, and you say, you melted. I melted. I was just like, ah, crap, he's actually cute.

[Brayden]

The first motion was you shaking your head. It was a head shake. And then we, like, locked eyes. And it was no from there on that moment.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Do you want to share about the Florida side of this and how you were not going to be here much longer?

[Brayden]

Yeah. Yeah. So this was a story that I didn't tell you for a while.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I didn't learn this until when My parents came the day that he was getting to meet my parents because they were coming into town. He had told me this story earlier that morning, and then he told my parents the story later.

[Brayden]

Yeah. Previous to Nashville, I had lived in St. Petersburg, Florida, and I came up here on vacation to visit Ashton, who lives here, and I accidentally got a job here. I decided to stay. So I never planned to live in Nashville. I love the beach. I love Florida life. I love the sand. And. And so I always thought I'd go back to Florida. And part of me thought maybe it was time to go back to Florida. And so I had started entertaining a few different job opportunities down in Florida. And I was talking to some people, and on Friday, I had accepted a job in Florida with my cousin's husband, who had just started a business, and he needed a right hand man.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And this is the Friday before the Saturday that we met.

[Brayden]

Yes. So on Friday, I had accepted a job in Florida. On Saturday morning, we had. Me and all my friends had a volleyball tournament at Sandbar. And one of my friends that I was talking about seeing if there were any other job opportunities in Nashville or, you know, she had some opportunities in Florida, she pulled me aside and she was like, hey, I think there's a job opportunity here in Nashville. And I was like, I'm so sorry, but I just accepted a job down in Florida. And I was like, don't tell anyone yet, but I think I'm moving forward with this. And she was like, oh, Braden, how could you leave this? And we're looking at this amazing friend group, and there were probably 40 of us out there, and we're all really good friends. And she was like, how could you possibly leave what? Like, we've built here? And so she had walked away, and I kind of looked up in the sky and I was like, all right, universe, like, send me a sign if I'm supposed to be in Nashville. Like, I need to know because I'm at this part. Like, my heart's torn. I don't know what to do. And so that was in the morning, and then I decided to go out and get some beers with my now our friend Chris. And yeah, we went to Skinny Dennis and I met you. And it's funny because you. You think of shutting the door to the Uber as like, you're. I'm never gonna see that guy again. And that was like the moment where I looked back up at the sky and I was like, uni, what are you doing? Like, that was crazy. Like, I literally, that morning, asked for a sign. And then I meet you. And it was like, okay, I need to. I'm already crazy about this girl and I need to at least talk to her on the phone. So we got on the phone and then that 15 minute time window we had turned into almost three and a half hours. So I'm getting ready. So right after that phone call is when I set up the reservation at the restaurant. And I was like, something feels really good about this. Like, I feel all in. And we haven't even gone on a date. And there was something just really special about that. And so I go to work and I'm sitting there and I'm just thinking about my life in Nashville and thinking about Florida and thinking about this job opportunity that I was really excited about. And I had gotten you sunflowers and I was driving over to come pick you up and there was a yellow Jeep that kind of cut me off and they had big sunflower tire cover. And it was just like, I'm exactly where I need to be. Like, this is exactly where I need to be. I came to Nashville to meet Morgan, and so I called him right before I got to your house and I told him, unfortunately, I can't take the job. I'm just not finished. I told him verbatim. I said, my time here in Nashville isn't done yet. And he said, I wish you all the best. Definitely bummed. And then we hung up. And I literally. I got out of my truck and I walked up to your door. I had already made a huge life decision knowing what this was going to become. I just knew it. I could feel it.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And how do you feel about making that choice now, six months later?

[Brayden]

I love it. I love it. The universe.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Glad you didn't move.

[Brayden]

Oh, yes, of course. Like, the universe works in the craziest ways. And it comes down to even if you rewind. Ashton, my little sister bought me the Drink beer pet dog shirt. She bought that at a brewery in Colorado. And her husband Justin did a fabulous job on budgeting, right? So they had the set budget. Ashton buying me that T shirt would have gone over her fun money budget for the month. So she had picked up that shirt and she set it back down and she's like, no, that would, you know, I need to be good. And they walked to a different place in Breckenridge and she just kept thinking about that shirt. So she ended up going back and she bought the shirt even though it went over her fun money budget, but she was getting it for me. And if she Would have never gotten me that T shirt. I probably would have been wearing a black T shirt that night.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Well, and don't forget that this shirt is typically your travel shirt. It's not typically a wearing out shirt that you do.

[Brayden]

It's my airport shirt.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, you like to wear it at the airport.

[Brayden]

It's the best conversation starter.

[Morgan Huelsman]

It is. Which I learned because he wore it at the airport on our first trip together. Well, second trip together. The one that we didn't. Road trip, which we'll get into. The first flight we had together, which was my first flight ever with a boyfriend.

[Brayden]

Yeah.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Mind you, it did not go according to plan.

[Brayden]

Tune in for week two. That could be a whole episode.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Oh, my God. So he wears this shirt. We get delayed, Multiple delayed. Like this one flight. We have a direct flight out, and it is just getting delayed, delayed, and then it gets canceled. We didn't book the flight together. Mind you. I've never traveled with a boyfriend before, so I just thought you buy your flight separate. You go together. Whatever.

[Brayden]

Sitting on the couch together. We just booked them.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah.

[Brayden]

On our phones.

[Morgan Huelsman]

We put our information in and we get rebooked on different flights. And I'm about to have an anxiety attack, first of all, because we're going through with everything with Hazel and Remy. And I'm like, maybe this is a sign we shouldn't be going. Whatever. And I'm like, now we're not even on the same flight, and this is gonna be the first flight with my boyfriend that I've ever had in my life. I'm like, what is happening? And so we ended up getting separated. We went through with it. I was like, okay, I'll meet you down in Orlando. Like, I'll see you there. And I'm just getting texts from him. He's made, like eight friends at the airport who he, like, took shot. He bought a guy a shot to borrow his charger because his phone was gonna die. Because I had his charger. We didn't think about the fact we'd be separated.

[Brayden]

Yeah. My phone was dying. We were separated. And I was like, I need to go make a friend that has a charger. Yep.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And you made another friend with a woman who had the koozie with the same thing on it.

[Brayden]

Yeah. So I was. Yep. I was wearing the famous shirt. And she came up to me and she had a koozie that said drink beer and pet dogs from that same brewery in Colorado. And so, yeah, I'd made a friend there. And that was right at the moment where your Plane was leaving, so I like. It was pretty funny. I was making it very dramatic. I was like, my girlfriend's on that plane, but she liked it. So, yeah, I made that friend. And then I went to the bar and sat down and. Yeah. Ended up buying a shot for. He was a music producer from Australia or something.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah. Still don't know who it was. Yeah, he can't remember.

[Brayden]

And so I bought him a shot, and then he ended up giving me his phone charger, but he didn't even have the right charger. So I bought this guy a 16 airport shot, and it didn't even fit my phone. And I had asked one bartender if I could use the charger that I could see right behind the bar. And they're like, no, we don't do that for customers. Then another bartender hears this whole story. The iPhone charger doesn't fit. And he was like, oh, you can just use this one. And I was like, okay. So I just spent $16 on this random guy's shot.

[Morgan Huelsman]

All because we got separated.

[Brayden]

Yep.

[Morgan Huelsman]

For a flight. It was supposed to be our first one. We did. Spoiler alert. Have our first flight together.

[Brayden]

Yeah.

[Morgan Huelsman]

On the way back, it was very exciting, but we were exhausted, so I don't think I enjoyed it as much as.

[Brayden]

And I slept for a good amount of the flight. And you're like, first boyfriend' flight, you're just gonna sleep. I was like, I'm so tired. We were averaging 34,000 steps a day.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I know. I was just excited to have my first boyfriend flight.

[Brayden]

No, well, it was a boyfriend flight. I was just sleeping on you.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, it was. And we had the whole aisle to ourselves, which made it better.

[Dr. J]

But the humility in knowing that life is this classroom that we should never graduate from is what is going to keep you growing, and that's all that matters. World Mental Health Day is around the corner. And on my podcast, just heal with Dr. J, I dive into what it really means to care for your mind, body, and spirit. From breaking generational patterns to building emotional capacity, healing is a journey, and wholeness is the destination.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I'm gonna walk away feeling very healed and feeling like, yes, I'm gonna continue my healing journey. Yeah, I'm gonna get some keys from you.

[Dr. J]

Listen to just heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Felicia]

Culture eats strategy.

[Valisha Butterfield]

For breakfast, I would love for you to share your breakdown on pivoting.

[Felicia]

We feel sometimes like we're leaving a part of us behind when we enter a new space.

[Valisha Butterfield]

But we're just building on a recent episode of Culture Raises Us. I was joined by Valisha Butterfield, media founder, political strategist and tech powerhouse for a powerful conversation on storytelling impact and the intersections of culture and leadership.

[Felicia]

I am a free Black woman who worked really hard to be able to say that.

[Valisha Butterfield]

I'd love for you to break down why it was so important for you to do seed.

[Felicia]

You can't win at something you didn't create.

[Valisha Butterfield]

From the Obama White House to Google to the the Grammys, Felicia's journey is a masterclass in shifting culture and using your voice to spark change.

[Felicia]

A very fake capital driven environment and society will have a lot of people tell half truths.

[Valisha Butterfield]

I'm telling you, I'm on the energy committee. Like if the energy's not right, we're not doing it, whatever that it is. Listen to Culture Raises us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danielle Robaix]

Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with par characters you'll never forget.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

[Danielle Robaix]

I'm Danielle Robaix and this is bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and I Heart Podcasts where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Books is the official audiobook and ebook home for Reese's Book Club. Visit Apple Co ReeseAppleBooks to find out more.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I do want the people to know a little bit more about you, so let's dig in. Not that they haven't already, but your story is super unique and your whole family story is really unique. Oh, you want to take it away from there?

[Brayden]

Yeah. So we had a year, I GUESS it was 2002 where kind of everything went wrong, but everything turned out to make us who we are. So it started in November of 2001. My dad was laid off from a tech company if you will, and so he was a higher up at this tech company and he was laid off the first week of December. My little sister Ashton, who was eight at the time, was diagnosed with leukemia and so she Started going through treatment for that. My older sister had some back issues and they had finally decided that they were going to do surgery. The first week in June, she was scheduled to have two rods and 28 titanium screws put in her back. And the week before she was supposed to have her surgery, I was at a pool party and I ended up having a stroke. A lot of people say, healthy 12 year old boy doesn't have a stroke. Well, I did. I had an old person stroke. It was in my cerebellum and I was playing in the pool. And I got out of the pool and my left side started curling in and I lost color. And the grass that I was walking on all of a sudden just kind of went sideways. And I felt like I was walking really wonky. And I started getting sick and the lifeguards had run over to me and they thought I was having a heat stroke. And parents are calling my parents and trying to figure this out because they realized pretty quickly that it was a pretty extreme case. And so my mom rushed over to the pool, picked me up and took me to the hospital. And they just couldn't figure out what was happening with me. And kind of, long story short, they ended up sending me home. And they said that it was just a really bad migraine. So I spent the next day or so at home basically just sitting in a dark basement with a wet cloth on my face. And my parents were just waiting on me hand and foot. And I ended up going back to Children's Hospital. This was all in Colorado, just outside of Denver. And so I went back to Children's Hospital and they diagnosed that I had a stroke. And so I had to have emergency brain surgery. And I lost about a third of my cerebellum. And doctors didn't think I'd ever walk or talk or be able to move my left side because at this point my left side was still curled in. And so I literally shared a hospital room with Jordan, my older sister, who had back surgery. And Jordan and I were on the third floor while Ashton was up on the fifth floor getting chemotherapy. And then we have my brother at home who is couch hopping and going from family to family and kind of wondering when the shoe was going to drop for him. So we went through it, and my parents were so strong getting through it, and they would just flip flop between the two rooms and check in on whatever family was helping Garrett out. And Ashton had a full recovery and she's been in remission ever since. And my older sister would say she got the good hair twice. She had curly blonde hair, and she lost her hair during chemotherapy, and it came back like this luscious brown, straight hair. And so Jordan says, oh, she got the good hair twice. And Jordan sits up very straight now. You would never know. And then for me, I had this amazing recovery that was a little bit unexpected, but it's definitely led me to places in life where I was already heading but maybe accelerated where I was at. I'm very thankful for my stroke. I wouldn't change that for the world.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And you have a really cool Harry Potter scar.

[Brayden]

Yeah.

[Morgan Huelsman]

On the back of your head.

[Brayden]

I have a scar on the back of my head. It's curvy because hair grows straight. So if my neurologist were to cut a straight line, the hair would separate so you'd always be able to see it. But I like to keep my hair a little bit shorter so you can see it. But if my hair was longer, it would cover up. And. Yeah, something I got made fun of as a kid because Harry Potter was pretty popular when I had my stroke. And I have this squiggly line. You know, the Harry Potter jokes were pretty rich in. In middle school.

[Morgan Huelsman]

It didn't make you hate Harry Potter because you and I both geek out over Harry Potter.

[Brayden]

I loved Harry Potter. And honestly, like, when people would say it, I thought it was cool, you know, it's like a lightning bolt, you know, but just the tone of some of the ways it was brought up, whispered about behind me, because middle schoolers just don't know that even if you're behind someone, you can still. That person can hear you. I really wear it with pride now. I like my scar. And, yeah, just missing a third of my cerebellum, which my family reminds me of all the time, especially my brother.

[Morgan Huelsman]

You do? Their family loves to make a lot of jokes. Now, about this time, I think the first time, when I was around all of them and they were all making the jokes together, and I was like, wait, what's happening? We're making jokes about all of that. Okay. All right.

[Brayden]

We like to remind Ashton that's she has the bad blood in the family. And. And, you know, we make fun of Jordan for being made a metal. And then they like to remind me that I don't have a full brain. And if only I had a full brain, I could have said that or remembered this. So, yeah, we. We're very, very playful with it because you just. Everyone in the family's healthy and not a lot of people get to tell that that part of a story, when you have that many things go wrong in a family. And it's brought us really close. All of us are, you know, my mom, my dad, you know, both my sisters, my brother. We're all so close. And it's really cool that we got to go through hardship at such a young age, but be able to bounce back and everyone's all good, you know.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I love your family so much. They are so much fun, and we hang out with them anytime they're in town, which is quite often, so they.

[Brayden]

Come down quite a bit.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, I love that. Thanks for sharing that part of your story. Does it feel weird that I'm interviewing you?

[Brayden]

No. Yeah, it's weird to be on this side because I've sat in to see a couple of them, but now to be on this side is a little different.

[Morgan Huelsman]

You're doing really good. I'm so proud of you. What else should we hit on before we get out of here? Anything else that you think is pertinent at this moment? We are going to do another episode because there was so many questions that got asked and they're very specific, so we'll get into those. But anything else you want to openly talk about here that we haven't gotten to.

[Brayden]

I won't talk about anything.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I know you will. You're very open.

[Brayden]

You're very good.

[Morgan Huelsman]

You know what? Let's talk about this. Do you love Remy and Hazel?

[Brayden]

I don't know if love covers it. It. Remy, you need to get over here right now.

[Morgan Huelsman]

She's just staring at you.

[Brayden]

That's Remy.

[Morgan Huelsman]

You got a mini tail wag. But it's little girl. The people would like to know. Hey, pay attention to me.

[Brayden]

Oh, here we go.

[Morgan Huelsman]

See, he loves her more than me. Sometimes he pays attention to her more than me. But the people would like to know. That was a very heavily asked question because it got brought up on the show that I brought Ms. Remy on our first vacation together and I shouldn't have, apparently. So how did you feel in all of that?

[Brayden]

I 1000% supported that from the get go. I've always been a dog guy. I've traveled with dogs. I was way more than comfortable bringing her on the vacation I loved. I feel like I was the one that was like, we should take the stroller. We should. Like, she should come with this. Like, sitting on patios with dogs. Like, if you're a dog owner, it's a whole skill and you have to think differently. And you. If you're on a road trip, you can't just stop anywhere for food. And you can't stop somewhere where the dog's going to have to stay inside the car or, you know, whatever. And so it's just a different thought pattern. And it's like, I feel like I think about Remy as much as you think about Remy. And it was never even a question that she was coming. And everything that we did was better because she was there. And the whole time we got like two comments on people that are like, oh, you're pushing a dog in a stroller. And it's like, yeah, it's not affecting you. If it was a baby, you wouldn't have said anything. So whatever. People love their dogs, and dogs deserve love. So that's exactly what I'm gonna give REM and Hazel's a whole nother story.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah. So funny enough. Okay. But just making sure I didn't coerce you to say that you were happy. No, I'm just making Remy's literally on his lap right now. For all of our listeners, if you're not watching this on YouTube for those.

[Brayden]

She's snuggling.

[Morgan Huelsman]

She very much is. I'm pretty sure she loves you just as much as she loves me. I'm getting side eye for some reason right now. Like, this is my man, not yours. But Hazel's a funny story. So I had told him when we first met that I had a cat, and he was like, gosh, I'm not a huge fan of cats. I've had some bad interactions with them. Just not a good situation. You weren't like a hater. You just didn't have good experiences with cats. And I was like, well, wait till you meet mine. He's like, okay, yeah, whatever. So much so that he didn't like cats that it was the one thing on his dating app profile that he said he. He didn't want to date somebody with or like, that was one of his two things. I don't remember what your other thing was.

[Brayden]

Yeah, I tried to be funny with it, but, yeah, cats were definitely involved. I had never met a cat that I felt like a better person after I met. I left with bite marks or they smell bad or they're mean or they shed. Like, I don't like everything that I love about a dog. I had never seen those qualities in a cat. And it's nothing against cats. I just, for some reason, I just met 19 of the worst ones out there. For some reason. I don't know, but.

[Morgan Huelsman]

And now you give sub Q fluids to Hazel. He snuggles her every time he comes in. Sometimes he will come and say hi to her before he ever says hi to me. When he comes over. Yeah, it's like the first thing you'll do. Where's Hazel?

[Brayden]

No, I think it was a couple days ago when I came over and I walked in the kitchen. I think I had a full blown conversation with Remy and then I was snuggling Hazel as she was sitting in her cat bed and we hadn't even communicated. It had been like five minutes. And I like look over and it's like, I love these animals. And you're like, oh, hi. Like, that's not normal.

[Morgan Huelsman]

So has your mind changed on cats because of Hazel?

[Brayden]

I mean, yeah, I'm open to cats now. I didn't know cats like her existed. It's like we go to let Remy out back and you hear the pitter patter of Hazel's paws because she wants to go out back. She's just a dog that's trapped in the Siamese cat body.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Exactly. So all those people who were haters of this man, not wanting my animals around or on vacation or any of the above, you were wrong.

[Brayden]

I just love. I've always loved animals.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, I know. We bonded over that.

[Brayden]

Yeah. And it just. So the fact that people thought that I was upset that you brought Remy on the trip and it was like, no, I was loading her up.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I think some of that was because it was our first vacation together. So does that change your mind at all? Because it was our first one together?

[Brayden]

No, like that's. It's the package deal. And you can't be like, if I thought Remy was annoying, that relationship's not going to last. You need the whole thing. Stop settling. Stop settling. You need the whole package. And Remy's just been nothing but the sweetest little. And I can't get over. Over this haircut that she just got, but she's just been the sweetest little ball of fur and I'm lucky to have her and I'm lucky to have Hazel and I'm extra lucky to have you, for sure.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Are you trying to make me cry?

[Brayden]

No, she'll lick your tears off. She's in a licky mood.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Okay, we're gonna end on this because we're gonna go and answer a bunch of questions.

[Brayden]

But.

[Morgan Huelsman]

But I want us to each share our favorite qualities about each other. Let's go. Top three or top five? You choose. Okay, do you want me to go first? You want to go first?

[Brayden]

I'll go first.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Okay, you go First.

[Brayden]

First quality is kindness. Your kindness. It's an unwavering kindness like you. You are kind to a stranger that we meet at the farmer's market. You are kind to your family members. You are kind to your friends. You're kind to animals. You're. I can't get over how naturally you are just kind to everyone. Your work ethic inspires me to be a better person. You are not afraid to tell me that we can't hang out or we can't do that because you have this to do and you have other plans and you have work. Like, this is. You stay true to yourself. And I just think that's so admirable that you do that. And watching you do that helps me learn how to be a better person. Like, literally. And my third. Gosh, I would say the fun that you have with life. I remember it was. I think it was the second time that we hung out and I played a song in the truck and you were just singing along and you didn't have a care in the world. And this is like, still we're getting to know one another, and you can't be too loosey goosey with, you know who you are, and you can't let the weird out. And you were just like, 100% you. And I just. I was like, all right, that's it. If she's going to be comfortable enough to just open up and sing at the top of her lungs. And you were, like, tapping on your legs and you were just getting it and not looking at me. It wasn't like attention seeking. You were just in your own world. And so, like, the fun that you can find in life is something that I want to constantly strive for. And I think I'm pretty good at it. But there's definitely times where you remind me to come back to just kind of silly fun. Live your life and smile while you're doing it.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Oh, you know, that's really sweet.

[Brayden]

I like you a little bit.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, just a little bit.

[Brayden]

Okay.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Okay. Just a little bit. My, my. Three for you, by the way. Thank you. I'm learning to say thank you. I'm not very good at accepting compliments.

[Brayden]

It usually turns into, like, an awkward twisting. I'm like, oh, my gosh, you look gorgeous. And she's like.

[Morgan Huelsman]

So rude. You don't have to call me out like that.

[Brayden]

We're working on it, though. And you're openly working on it.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah, I'm trying. So thank you.

[Brayden]

You're so welcome.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I want to twist my body so bad. Oh, my goodness. Okay. Your three qualities that I love so much. Okay. You have genuinely one of the biggest hearts I believe, that I have ever met with your friends, with your family, with animals, with everything. You will give your shoes, shirt, and pants off your back to somebody who needs it. You show up in this world just so positive and so optimistic and so believing. Like, if there's ever a moment where I start to go down a little bit of a pessimistic lane, you're like, well, there's this side. I'm like, dang it. He took me back to the other side. You're so good at just existing and exuding in this, like, just kind of bubble of love. And I think it's a lot of the testament of the things that you've been through, and so much of that is where that comes from. My second one would be that you are very consistent. Steadfast is another word. You have been the same person since the moment that I met you in the best way possible. Like, you aren't trying to be somebody else. You're exactly who you are. You don't change for anyone. Any moments where you be a little funny or weird. You don't care what anybody thinks about you. You just have this genuineness to you, and it shows in how consistent you are and showing up in your life and how steadfast you are in our relationship, in your working relationships and your friendships with your family. Gosh, this guy talks on the phone more than I know. I'm pretty sure every time he drives to and from work, he's on the phone call with somebody, catching up with him. And then the other one would be, I think my last one for you. Oh, there's so many.

[Brayden]

I know. It's. It. Well, and it's tough when you're. When you put yourself on the spot, too.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I know. I even knew I was gonna ask these things, and I still don't know which one I was gonna write.

[Brayden]

Anything down?

[Morgan Huelsman]

No, there's nothing on my hands.

[Brayden]

Mine.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I think mine would be that you and it. Maybe it goes too much along with another one, but your compassion. I don't know. You're just a super compassionate human being. You just. The way you interact with the world is something that so many people could learn from and so many people would be better off for knowing you. And I just wish there was more of that that existed. Maybe those are all very similar.

[Brayden]

I don't know.

[Morgan Huelsman]

They're different words, so whatever counts. It's something.

[Brayden]

I'll allow it.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Well, you'll allow it.

[Brayden]

Yeah, that's three.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Okay. You like this. Well, thank you for coming on.

[Brayden]

Thank you so much.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I really look at you accepting compliments so well.

[Brayden]

I usually just ignore it.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Yeah.

[Brayden]

Act like I can't hear.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Like no, not me. Thanks for coming on, Mr. B. Thank you for inviting me and sharing our story. And you're cutie.

[Brayden]

I did not know what was gonna come out.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I didn't really either. Give me a kiss. Yes, you heard that correctly. We are doing another episode next week. So this episode was really just for us to share our story together and I wanted him to share his story and just have a really fun episode without too much pressure. But next week we are answering all of those questions that you all sent in because there was so many we had to do another episode. Now I do know a few of them got answered in this episode but but all those specific ones you guys are asking very nitty gritty details we will be doing next week, so make sure you subscribe. I'm so happy that you're here. Maybe you were giggling, screaming, kicking your feet with me as this episode happened. If that's not the case and you're like love throw up, that's totally fine too. Maybe don't listen to next week's episode. But all the same, I'm just happy you tuned in. I'm happy you're here. Lots of episodes on all kinds of things. If you if this is your first time tuning in, so check it out and you can follow the podcast Instagram page akethispersonally. I can't wait to yap with y' all next week.

[Danielle Robaix]

Just like great shoes, great books take you places through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget.

[Morgan Huelsman]

I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

[Danielle Robaix]

I'm Danielle Robet and this is Book One by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from hello Sunshine and I Heart Podcasts, where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars, and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry, and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Books is the official audiobook and ebook home for Reese's Book Club. Visit Apple Co ReeseAppleBooks to find out more.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Betrayal Weekly is back for season two with brand new stories. The detective comes driving up fast and just, like, screeches right in the parking lot. I swear I'm not crazy, but I think he poisoned me. I feel trapped. My breathing change.

[Bridget Armstrong]

I realize, wow. Like, he is not a mentor. He's pretty much a monster.

[Morgan Huelsman]

But these aren't just stories of destruction. They're stories of survival.

[Bridget Armstrong]

I'm gonna tell my story, and I'm gonna hold my head up.

[Morgan Huelsman]

Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bridget Armstrong]

I'm Bridget Armstrong, host of the new podcast the Curse of America's Next Top Model. I've been investigating the real story story behind that iconic show. I ended up having anorexia issues, bulimia issues. By talking to the models, the producers, and the people who profited from it.

[Morgan Huelsman]

All, we basically sold our souls, and they got rich. If you were so rooting for her.

[Bridget Armstrong]

And saw her drowning, why don't you help her? Listen to the Curse of America's Next Top model on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Morgan Huelsman]

This is an iHeart podcast.