Muse

This is an iHeart Podcast.

Guaranteed human. There's something about the way that Tea Forte elevates even the simplest gathering that feels so intentional and memorable. Tea Forte is known for their signature pyramid tea infusers topped with the iconic leaf, plus premium blends that are served in luxury hotels and restaurants around the world. But honestly, it's also the presentation that makes everything feel so elevated. Their tea chests, curated gift sets, and beautiful packaging make hosting feel effortlessly polished and gifting feel incredibly thoughtful. Whether you're putting together a summer brunch, heading to a dinner party, celebrating a birthday or bridal shower, or just looking for a meaningful thank you gift, T-Forte turns everyday moments into something a little more special. It's the kind of detail that guests notice right away and talk about long after they leave. T-Forte feels elegant, intentional, and effortlessly refined. Shop now at tforte.com or on Amazon. Bohm is a boutique fashion brand that curates effortlessly feminine, trend-forward clothing for women who want to feel confident, stylish, and comfortable without compromising quality or affordability. With Bohm, you'll find outfits that work for every plan on your calendar from day to night. Simple styling, elevated results, and looks you'll reach for again and again and again. Their designs are made to last and won't break the bank. Shop now at bohm.com. That's B-O-H-M-E dot com. Choices, aren't they great? It's why Plan B made over-the-counter emergency contraception legal more than 20 years ago. Because now you have a backup plan and a choice. That's freedom to be. Plan B is the number one OBGYN recommended emergency contraception. It is not an abortion pill. Get it immediately at all major retailers, in-store, or delivery. Use Plan B emergency contraception as directed within 72 hours after unprotected sex.

The sooner you take it, the better it works. Zolaire omelizumab is proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Zolaire 150 mg is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people one year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Zolaire, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Zolaire. Zolaire may cause a severe life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Zolaire should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Zolaire is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches, and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see Zolaire.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Zolaire. This is an advertisement for Zolaire paid for by Genentech

and Novartis. Grainger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building. You're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail, filters ready to clog, HVAC on its last leg? If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering, and 24-7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done.

Hey, everyone. It's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Welcome back to Work in Progress, friends. I am so excited today to sit down with a couple that I, frankly, adore. I have such a good time watching them live out their extraordinary dreams, and my goodness, they have been doing that for quite a time. Today, we're sitting down with Shawn Johnson and Andrew East. You know Shawn from winning Olympic gold, and Andrew from competing at the very highest level of professional football in the NFL. But what inspires me about the two of them is that their defining moments weren't just back on the balance beam or out on the football field. They took place in their quiet daily routines. They've taken place in the life they have found beyond sport, in the marriage they've built between themselves, in the family that they have with their three children. children, and they really have come to share with the world what they know and what we can all do on ordinary days that can be just as meaningful as once-in-a-lifetime milestones. The way they've built their life beyond sport, growing a digital platform, navigating a long-distance relationship and career pivots, and all the rest of it in real time is something that I love to observe. And I know I'm not alone because everyone always asks them what their secret is to their joyful partnership and the way that they live their life. What I appreciate about Sean and Andrew is that they're the first to admit that it takes a lot of work to make it look as effortless as it seems. And now they are putting all of that work down on the page in their new book, Courage to Commit, which is out now. Let's talk all about it with Sean Johnson and Andrew East. Sean, Andrew, I'm so happy to have you on the podcast today. How are you both? great thank you so much for having us we're honored to be here yeah i'm so happy you're here and congrats on all the exciting updates and big news in the family thank you thank you also don't

mind my husband who's dripping sweat i am sweating i was like you're pouring he just uh biked our kids to school and then like beelined it here i need degrees here in nashville so still sweating

oh my goodness did how how do you bike them all are they big enough to ride bikes or is this like

a tow situation okay so my dad rode us to school when we were young we had a tandem bike and we would do like time trials uh with me and my other brothers you could ride the fastest but now we have this setup uh it's a it's a radio flyer bike so they have like a little bench seat on the back

and it's electric like a blanket that they sit in yeah yeah so it's pretty fun and he takes a speaker with them and they're like blasting music. That is so cute. Yeah. Okay. I want to

hear more about both of your childhoods. Sean, I know you grew up in Iowa. Andrew, I know you grew up in Indiana. What were you guys up to when you were little kids, when you were eight or nine?

Honestly, I had a very normal childhood. It sounds crazy to say because I was so young when I competed but around like eight nine i went to public school i did after school playdates with all of my friends um i lived on a cul-de-sac and it was kind of just an iowa midwest thing but everybody in the neighborhood would always have their garage doors open and their garage doors were like an extension of their house living situation so every garage had like a tv and a couch it sounds very strange but all the parents would always like sit in their garages and all the kids would just run wild through the neighborhood so i spent all my time just like playing in our cul-de-sac and truly just being a kid outside of i did probably um three or four days a week of gymnastics training but that was just like my after school activity that i did like you know people would run track or do something else yeah gymnastics yeah how old were you when

you started i started when i was three you were three just like any other little kid would though

like I did mommy and me classes like recreational classes it was never anything serious until um I made I made the USA national team at 12. yeah so that feels a little abnormal um yeah but it felt very normal to me my parents worked really hard to have a very balanced upbringing but that

I was very grateful for yeah and did you start playing sports really young too so yeah while

sean was an only child i was the middle of five kids and all of us did all the sports my parents had us in basketball baseball football swimming all this stuff and we would do it together which was really fun we did boy scouts growing up and we'd take camping trips and go climb mountains but we just did a bunch of group activities and um a bunch of family activities and it was so fun i feel like you know still to this day my brothers and i have like this healthy sense of competition we like to do everything together we like to see what the other's up to learn from each other and uh yeah it was it was a rowdy household but it's fun still is yeah i'm like i'm like one of

five feels like it does something that never quite goes away right never does yeah i agree 11 11 or

12 now well 11 11 grandchildren not us but like our children's generation yeah there's 11 of them under the age of eight and if it's not chaos with you and yourself

it's now chaos with all of like the cousins it's so much fun that is so cool i'm curious it's it's

interesting to hear you say sean that the switch really came you know going into being around 12 like i know nothing about this to be clear you guys like i i grew up playing sports but also So very clearly, I'm like, I'm not tall enough to play any of the sports I really liked. I'm not petite enough to have ever been a gymnast. I have terrible asthma. Like it just was like not in the cards for me. But it's crazy, you know, to love someone who's done some of what you've done. Like it's hard for me to wrap my head around what it really means to go to the Olympics. And then you went like literally in the most impressive way in the world. But when you get recruited so young, you know, like, like my partner was playing up on the U15 team by the time she was 12. And it's like, there's so much I think that is incredible about that, incredible about discipline and the ways that you learn these unbelievable skills. And it's sort of insane to think about the level you were competing at, the number of people you were competing in front of, the pressure. Did it dawn on you then or did it just still feel fun at 12? It honestly still felt fun.

I was very, very blessed to have a coach who he put an emphasis on the fun the whole time. I feel like the only time it wasn't fun was when I was with a national team and it became very serious but he really tried to like balance those scales my whole career which I was very grateful for but for me kind of like anybody would do a hobby or a sport as a child whether you're singing or you know playing violin or whatever it was I just kind of went through the natural progression I wasn't skipping levels I wasn't like exponentially better I was just kind of going through the the system at a pretty steady pace and by the time I kind of came up for air and looked around I was like oh I happen to be in the highest level you know it didn't ever feel like pressure or like a job until I was in the national team setting where they weren't as much about fun they were more about your job yeah I've heard that so yeah so I was I was like balancing that by the time I got to the professional level but I truly was surrounded by people who wanted me to be a kid for the most part. And I was just playing. I remember playing at the Olympics.

Wow. Truly. Wow. That's such a trip. And what an interesting thing too, in this phase of, you know, everybody having young kids, right? You realize that the way you speak to them, the container you create for them is the one they will experience. Like even at this upper echelon of sport you felt like you were playing and it's because the adults in the room made sure to

protect that for you that's where the pressure sets in already as a parent because I'm like that's now our job we had the pleasure of interviewing my parents not too long ago about their strategy and how they went about it and they basically said that they said our job was to protect you the whole time and to make sure you were a kid and it was appropriate and it was you know not too mature and not too much pressure and that got harder as I got farther along but it is hard now as parents to say that is our job and it's hard to now witness it with our own children when they start putting pressure on themselves for little things like how do I protect the

innocence of your your joy it's so interesting that our daughter does ice skating and she loved it and like just the amount of conversations that start happening when there's like oh hey we're gonna put you in the accelerated program and it's part of that you're gonna have to do off-ice training and the off-ice training for you as a five-year-old is going to be cone drills and push-ups and all this stuff and then like you get one step into this and you understand oh my gosh wait all she wants to do is ice skate you know like that's all she wants to do she doesn't care about the accelerated program and so kudos to sean's parents honestly for like understanding that despite conversations of agents or sponsors or whatever like they kind of just did insulate sean uh it seemed really well from all of those uh kind of extra curriculars or the the uh you know the nonsense

besides gymnastics yeah that's amazing i mean it's crazy to think that five or six year olds have somebody analyzing you know their squat thrust so they can get a better vertical you're like they are babies yeah like they're good i don't know if you've experienced this yeah but

like standing on the sidelines of like a three-year-old soccer game to hear some of the conversations it makes me want to run through a brick wall I'm like you need to calm down this is your child's like hobby it's not yours and it's just it's wild to me yeah yeah I heard

a friend of mine um my my godson's already in soccer and he is so sweet and like oh my goodness every once in a while you know you have that moment where you're like run the know the other way that's the other team um and and he thinks it's like so cool that is that you know his godmother's gals he's always like auntie ash auntie ash give me tips and she's like baby boy I have to like be in person with you to put you through some drills you know and it's like I can't imagine being you know watching my best friend as his mom or being a family figure in his life, like not laughing at that, taking that so seriously. And I don't know, you're right. Sometimes I go to his practices and I hear the way parents are talking and I have to bite my tongue. Cause like, you know, again, not the athlete. I really went into the academics. Part of me wants to be like, do you know the statistical probability of your kid making it like to a D1 college, let alone the pros? It's essentially zero. Leave him alone. He's five. but i i don't i keep i keep those thoughts on it no please don't keep those thoughts and you

should share those scream those out because that's what we believe too yeah it's literally lightning striking and yeah i i don't like to like minimize people's achievements or even my own but it truly is it's luck you cannot make it happen and if you try to make it happen i think your probability is actually going to go even farther down yeah because kids are going to like fall out of love with it and not like it. And they're probably going to get injured and they're probably going to change hobbies. And it's just like the only thing that you need to do is love them and celebrate them. Yeah. And then let the rest do it. Yeah. Let them have fun. Let them

score a goal for the other team. It's not that serious. It's fine. You know? Yeah. I'm wondering too, though, because you say, you know, the probability is so low. And then the giggle is you two both reached these insane heights in your career. I mean, you won Olympic gold, Andrew, you were in the NFL. Like, what was it like for you? Because I know for girls who grow up in sport, there is the incredible side of confidence, team building leadership. I mean, 84% of women who sit in C-suites in the corporate world played high school or collegiate sports. and then there's also and i'm sure we'll get to this the really hard side of the body consciousness and and all of that and then i feel like on the flip side for guys it's very social communal cool like if you play football and we've all seen friday night lights you know like it's this it's this sort of rare air space that seems really fun and really popular but also I imagine is really tough what was it like for you to kind of go from having a childhood hobby with your brothers to realizing this was something else wow you just sparked a lot of thoughts and how you

phrase that um I mean it kind of goes in phases a little bit and depending on like you know how how you're performing sometimes affects how you feel about the sport depending on the team that you're on and the guys in the locker room kind of can can can you know change that but uh I did I loved football and that's all I wanted to do my dad played college football at Purdue and I like I just grew up wearing his old helmet and um I honestly loved football all the way through college and then I started getting uh attention from NFL scouts and I was like sweet okay I gotta I can do this for the next 15 years of my life and that would be a dream like I was just happy to make it to college that's all I wanted to do as a little kid was play college football but now we have this NFL opportunity and then very quickly in that situation like I again did all the activities growing up so i never had to focus just solely on football you know i and then in college you're doing you're doing academics you're doing sports you have the social life you have all the clubs and whatever so it's not all football but then in the pros it was like this

singular thing that consumes your entire life and i didn't know anybody else i i started on on the kansas city chiefs and there i am in kansas city didn't know a soul and uh so like i'd only spend time with the football teammates i'd only go to the facility wouldn't go anywhere else and you're just kind of like ruminating on this and then it was like it became almost like a really unhealthy part obsession part like torment of like man I want something else to to like distract me almost um yeah so it's complicated and I remember like you know at points I was super confident I'd be dabbing everybody up in the facility but then with with certain teams in the NFL when you're just trying to make it like oh man I don't want to get cut I hope today's not my day to get cut like you start having these thoughts and so I couldn't even I went from you know being the guy was joking around so I couldn't make eye contact because I was so I don't know like nervous or anxious or uncertain so it kind of goes ebbs and flows and then you kind of just kind of find that pocket of like okay you know what I've I've done everything I can to put myself in the best position am I going to enjoy this or not like I towards the end of my career I started realizing this is like once in a lifetime you know like I'm gonna only be in this locker room for so many years maybe only a few more days who knows but i might as well just like have a good time and like enjoy it and that's that kind of opens up the performance side of things too kind of like it pulls you out of that rumination so complicated to say the least but um but i definitely learned a

lot we'll be back in just a minute but here's a word from our sponsors this is for those who experience allergic reactions from food medicine insects or other allergy triggers about 60 of patients do not consistently carry their epinephrine needle injectors, which scares me. And that's why I wanted to tell you all about our new friends at Nefi. Nefi is the only needle-free epinephrine nasal spray for those who weigh 33 pounds or more. It's used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, which is a big deal. Nefi works as well as a needle injector and it's designed to be safe and easy to use at the first sign of symptoms. So in a high stress moment you can quickly treat an allergic reaction. Neffy is also small and discreet so it's easier to carry as part of your everyday routine. That way you always have it with you if the unexpected happens. You can pay as little as zero dollars for at least four Neffy devices, two packs, through the copay savings program with commercial insurance if eligible. Patients should not pay more than $199 for Neffy. If you have medical conditions or take certain medicines, your condition may worsen. So tell your doctor about nasal, heart, thyroid, or kidney issues, high blood pressure, Parkinson's, diabetes, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, and all medications you take. Side effects include nasal discomfort, headache, runny nose, shakiness, and throat irritation. These are not all side effects. Before you get a new epinephrine prescription, or refill, ask a doctor about Needle-Free Neffy today. Visit neffy.com, that's N-E-F-F-Y.com, or call 1-877-MY-N-E-F-Y to learn more. There's something about the way that Tea Forte elevates even the simplest gathering that feels so intentional and memorable. Tea Forte is known for their signature pyramid tea infusers topped with the iconic leaf, plus premium blends that are served in luxury hotels and restaurants around the world. But honestly, it's also the presentation that makes everything feel so elevated. Their tea chests, curated gift sets, and beautiful packaging make hosting feel effortlessly polished and gifting feel incredibly thoughtful. Whether you're putting together a summer brunch, heading to a dinner party, celebrating a birthday or bridal shower, or just looking for a meaningful thank you gift, T-Forte turns everyday moments into something a little more special. It's the kind of detail that guests notice right away and talk about long after they leave. T-Forte feels elegant, intentional, and effortlessly refined. Shop now at tforte.com or on Amazon. Okay, let's talk summer outfits. If you're constantly saying I have nothing to wear, BOEM is about to become your new favorite

place to shop. From trendy dresses and matching sets to elevated basics and statement pieces, BOEM has everything you need for vacations, concerts, brunch dates, and everything in between. I stocked up on cute summer Bermudas and even a summer suit. I was so excited to change out a button-up vest for a jacket. It's far too hot for that. Trust me, these are the pieces you'll feel grade in. Shop BOEM online or in-store and make this your best dressed summer yet. Shop now at bohm.com. That's b-o-h-m-e.com. It's that time of year, friends. If you didn't get around to a spring cleaning, but you are in the midst of a summer clean out, you are refreshing your house, refreshing your pantry, refreshing your beauty goods. Well, you and me both. I am all about changing up routine in the summer, and sometimes a refresh can be as simple as amplifying your look with clean beauty from Thrive Cosmetics. Every product is 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and made with clean ingredients that work with your skin, not against it. And when we use Thrive Cosmetics, we're helping others shine too. With over $150 million in product and cash donations to more than 600 giving partners, every purchase fuels real impact, and that is beauty with purpose. One of my summertime go-to Thrive products is the Empower Matte Precision Lipstick Crayon. It comes in 18 long-lasting matte shades, so I can go natural, bright, or bold. And it always leaves lips looking luscious and fuller. Another staple is the Brilliant Eye Brightener. It's a waterproof eyeshadow highlighter stick that really keeps you looking refreshed. So amplify your everyday. Go to ThriveCosmetics.com slash progress for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. That's Thrive Cosmetics, C-A-U-S-E-M-E-T-I-C-S dot com slash progress. Choices, aren't they great? It's why Plan B made over-the-counter emergency contraception legal more than 20 years ago. because now you have a backup plan and a choice that's freedom to be plan b is the number one ob-gyn recommended emergency contraception it is not an abortion pill get it immediately at all major retailers in store or delivery use plan b emergency contraception as directed within 72 hours after unprotected sex the sooner you take it the better it works it's so interesting the way you put that because i was just actually writing about this when i was in school and i started doing theater which i thought i would hate i was like i play

volleyball i don't do that like the theater girls yeah my friend does that we're we're not the same yeah um you know she was like a show tune singing like adorable human who by the way still is like you know, now we've been friends for 30 years, but I didn't know that it was something I would love. And then that became my extracurricular, you know, started in middle school, went through high school by my senior year. I was so serious about it. And then I went to college to get a BFA, a bachelor of fine arts and theater. And one of those things where you, you know, you have to audition. It's like, it's like a team tryout. It's so scary. And they, you know, they admit 14 people a year mama and and i got in and i was like oh my god i've made it you know this is my next step yeah i'm moving through the system and i got into that program and i had the experience you're talking about andrew i feel like it made me a basket case yeah because it all i did was eat breathe and sleep theater all i did was focus on scripts all i did was get asked every decision I'd make like in a scene testing something out well why'd you make that choice yeah what was the motivation here and it's not even that the questions were bad they could have been opening a compliment but what it did was make me so self-conscious and I was like well I I don't know why I may I mean it just felt you know and I was reacting to this person and it sort of seemed like we could the scene's a fight but what if they started laughing in the middle like isn't that interesting? And, and no matter what felt natural to me, I worried that I was doing the wrong thing. And what you illuminated for me was that once you've made it on the college team or the pro team or whatever, everyone thinks you've made it. Nobody says, Hey, how are you doing? Hey, do you need any support? And what I realized I had to do my second year of college, I was like, I can't handle this. And I transferred out of that major. I was keeping a theater minor, but I went into the journalism school. And that was the year I started booking auditions like crazy because I'd taken the pressure off. And then suddenly I was just like, oh, this is fun. Like, this is my gymnastics. This is the thing I like to do after school. And I'm actually kind of good at this okay and weirdly it it shifts

did something in me it wasn't something anyone else was doing but when it's too pressurized yeah the thing you love can torment you yeah yeah well said it's so surreal I feel like you

see that in everything that was like if you take the joy away from it and you lose the reason why you started in the first place yeah and you're like forcing it for a different reason whether it's success or money or whatever it like you lose everything if you can't just like have joy

with it, then it's just a whole different ballgame. Yeah. How do you feel like you both chose to prioritize that? Because I think about, I don't know, rewind to like 2012 before maybe the world was also so insane and you're both navigating these crazy high pressure careers. And, and I know you know you've you've written about how success alone wasn't going to provide lasting fulfillment like there had to be more if you think about back then in the height of things how did you start to consider what your wider vision was for your futures

these are great questions oh thanks well i'm curious uh what your perspective on this is i i feel like the deeper you get into anything like the longer your career is uh you know and sports is kind of unique because it's so intense and so consuming and so kind of idolized uh as is your industry um but it's like the transition out of that is super hard and i think john struggled with it you know kind of by choice she retired and then she struggled probably for like three or four years when we were dating and i struggled uh with it by force you know i i was bouncing around from team to team and man if i if i would have had a long and steady job i probably would have kept it but instead it kind of like made me think about other things while i was still getting opportunities in the nfl and so i was like oh i should probably start assembling other parts of my life but it's like it's a really uncomfortable process because when you're in the moment you don't like i did not feel like i had any other translating skills from football that would apply anywhere else i like everyone says sports is so good to teach you all these all these things and i and i see it now you were also an academic yeah i mean let's just acknowledge that yeah and i i guess you know if if i would have stopped for a second i would have realized that there was other things but yeah i i did not feel like i had anything else i could offer the world except for my you know my football skills and now i see that there's so many things i learned from sports but i had to start learning you know i'm gonna i love video editing let me learn this software and actually the cameras are pretty cool too so let me learn the hardware side of it and then now we started a youtube channel and oh my gosh i love this and you start to like slowly kindle this other side of you which like to your point took the pressure off of that old passion i had of football and then um and then both were in a better spot as a result

i will say though i think a huge gift we are both given was the experience of getting to the very top and not feeling fulfilled and i think our world likes to paint this picture of if only you have x y and z more money a title if you climb the top to the top of the ladder you will be happy you will feel fulfilled that'll be the greatest thing in your life yeah and though winning a medal at the olympics is absolutely incredible it did not fulfill me i had more joy training in my gym for 16 years than i did at the olympic competition it was very cool but it wasn't you know the most fulfilling part of my life and i think andrew was the same way he had so much fun in college and then when he got to the nfl and he looked around was like i don't know if this is what it's all talked up to me like this isn't fun i'm not loving this it made us have a humility when we transitioned out though difficult to say let's kind of get rid of what the world is telling us we should go do now and actually go find something that is fun to us and humble ourselves enough to start over and be completely horrible at something but truly fall in love with something again and learn and build which is what we love to do and so we started over and it took us a while to find like our niche and what we liked and what we loved and what we fell in love with but I think it was the gift of athletics and learning that the hard way um that gave us the gift of where we are today

you know when you say you think it's going to fulfill you it's such a universal thing you know you get to the olympics you get to the nfl you get on the show you do the movie you've always wanted to do you you know whatever it may be and then you're still just sleeping in your bed at night yeah like gotta go to the grocery store yeah and i'm curious actually i'm not sure if i think this is what it is but i wonder if part of it is the way things are covered. You know, the story, the news package on the Summer Olympics or, you know, the blockbuster hit for Christmas or whatever it is. You watch that stuff and you go, wow, look at what those people are doing. And it's beautiful. And it is. But it kind of looks like, to your point, the big moment, the big achievement. And then you think, oh when I have that I will feel fill in the blank and then you get whatever your version is and you're like oh this is super weird nobody told me I'd still be anxious and I'd still be like in a fight with my mom or whatever's going on in your world you're like this didn't fix me huh so it's like and I and I think the the transition out of something you know I remember what it felt like, you know, to end nine seasons, 10 years on a TV show, like almost no actors get to do that. And I remember being so surprised because we had all been so ready to be done. We were like, this has been great, but we've literally been locked up like in these four sound stages since we were 21 and now we're 30. Like talk about, you know, what you were saying, you, you leave your life, you move somewhere, you know, no one, you're only insulated with your little group and like sure that's great but also it's insane and I remember leaving and being like oh this is so weird I can't stop crying I didn't think I was sad about this and I realized it was both like I was so happy to go home and I was going to miss the place that had been my home for a decade and I think the the intensity of sport and also the truncated amount of years you get to do it. Like you, you are a phenom and a freak if you make it to 38 or 40 and, you know, playing a sport. Right. And, and so you kind of have to start over, but you're starting over so young. Do you think meeting each other helped you both figure out how to shift out of one world and

into another one? Absolutely. So my like timeline was I retired technically my first time after the 2008 Olympics. I was 16 years old. And that was the absolute hardest transition for me because for three years from the age of 16 to 19, I had to go finish high school. Right after the Olympics. Oh my God. I had to go back to high school. I had the world telling me I was, you know, at the top, on the top of the world and they expected such perfection in any field, but I was also just a child and I didn't, I needed to figure out where I was going to go to college and what I was going to do and what job I was going to go get. And that was, that was really hard for me. So hard that I ended up going back into gymnastics because I felt like that was my safe zone. I didn't necessarily want to, but in my mind, that's all I could kind of compute to be I totally get that so I went back into gymnastics retired a second time at 19 and then that's when we were introduced at um 20 right when I was coming out of my my second go-around yeah and it 100% was the reason I I made it through that transition I remember putting such pressure on myself to be a perfectionist and there's this interesting thing which I'm sure you've experienced too where like people don't care about you they care about your character they care about what they see in the headlines and that's all they want to know about and I remember Andrew it was like the first time I had met someone who actually cared about me as a human and it was very it took me off guard because I was like what do you mean you want to know what I eat for breakfast like as a human and not gymnast and don't you want to know about the Olympics and he's like I don't care about that I want to know you and so he kind of got to hold my hand and walk me through that. And then once I kind of got my feet under me and we had been dating and then married and he retired from the NFL, it was almost like I could return the favor. I could hold his hand through it and say, you got me through mine. Now let me be your anchor and let's walk through this together. But I think it just gives you that emotional support that you need when it seems like everything is up in the air to give you a foundation to lean back on. yes i know that feeling it's also crazy i mean the echo chamber that can happen in your own brain of like i don't know uh just the stories you can start telling yourself that just amplify and you're like to have someone else there who's like whoa just yeah hold on a second just that's not the way i see it nor is it reality and so it just chill out for a second it's really interesting

my my favorite story though it was a low point so i say this humorously now because we've gotten through it but my favorite point was andrew was kind of going through his exit of the nfl and having like an identity crisis where it's like what am i to the world and what am i to myself now and you have a civil engineering undergrad degree from vanderbilt you have an mba from vanderbilt graduated with honors all these things and he signed up to be an uber driver and he's like well this is all i this is all i have to give the world anymore i would still do it i know you still do it and you'd be great and an uber driver is a wonderful job but it was just i was sitting there as his wife and i was like okay this is okay we're gonna you know you can be an uber driver if you would like if that fulfills you but just now that's not all you have yeah we'll be back in just

a minute after a few words from our favorite sponsors this is for those who experience allergic reactions from food, medicine, insects, or other allergy triggers. About 60% of patients do not consistently carry their epinephrine needle injectors, which scares me. And that's why I wanted to tell you all about our new friends at Neffy. Neffy is the only needle-free epinephrine nasal spray for those who weigh 33 pounds or more. It's used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, which is a big deal. Neffy works as well as a needle injector, and it's designed to be safe and easy to use at the first sign of symptoms. So in a high-stress moment, you can quickly treat an allergic reaction. Neffy is also small and discreet, so it's easier to carry as part of your everyday routine. That way, you always have it with you if the unexpected happens. You can pay as little as $0 for at least four Neffy devices, two packs, through the Copay Savings Program with commercial insurance if eligible. Patients should not pay more than $199 for Neffy. If you have medical conditions or take certain medicines, your condition may worsen, so tell your doctor about nasal, heart, thyroid, or kidney issues, high blood pressure, Parkinson's, diabetes, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, and all medications you take. Side effects include nasal discomfort, headache, runny nose, shakiness, and throat irritation. These are not all side effects. Before you get a new epinephrine prescription or refill, ask a doctor about Needle-Free Neffy today. Visit neffy.com, that's N-E-F-F-Y dot com, or call 1-877-MY-N-E-F-Y to learn more. If you want your guests to ask, wait, where is this from? Tea Forte is the perfect place to start. known for their signature pyramid tea infusers topped with the iconic leaf tea forte delivers premium blends served in luxury hotels and restaurants around the world beyond the tea itself the beautifully designed packaging curated gift sets and tea chests make every day feel elevated from brunches to dinner parties birthdays to thank you gifts tea forte turns everyday hosting and gifting into something effortlessly refined memorable and genuinely special. Shop now at tforte.com or on Amazon. Boom is a boutique fashion brand that curates effortlessly feminine, trend-forward clothing for women who want to feel confident, stylish, and comfortable without compromising quality or affordability. With Boom, you'll find outfits that work for every plan on your calendar from day to night. Simple styling, elevated results, and looks you'll reach for again and again and again. Their designs are made to last and won't break the bank. Shop now at bohm.com.

That's B-O-H-M-E dot com. Choices, aren't they great? It's why Plan B made over-the-counter emergency contraception legal more than 20 years ago. Because now you have a backup plan and a choice. That's freedom to be. Plan B is the number one OBGYN-recommended emergency contraception. It is not an abortion pill. Get it immediately at all major retailers, in-store, or delivery. Use Plan B emergency contraception as directed within 72 hours after unprotected sex. The sooner you take it, the better it works.

Zolair omelizumab is proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Zolaire 150 mg is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people one year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Zolaire, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Zolaire. Zolaire may cause a severe life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Zolaire should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Zolaire is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches, and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see Zolaire.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Zolaire. This is an advertisement for Zolaire paid for by Genentech and Novartis.

It's kind of arresting though. When you have anything that happens to you that feels like an explosion, like everything's been sort of flattened finding your way out of that is hard and I think in whatever way that happens like it can really be the thing that saves you or illuminates something for you or to your point quiets those voices and I think there's an an added layer again that you know you're not supposed to talk about if you've made it because you should just be grateful and shut up. But there is the added pressure of an entire digital world talking about you and criticizing you and judging you and assuming they know things about you and it can break you. And I think having someone else with you who knows what that is, is also such a it can offer you so much salvation because you do have someone to say I know that's not true about you I know this is crazy and so I'd imagine that you have like having that version in your own home where you get to be like hey remember who you are remember what is true about you remember how great you are qualified you are talented you are and if you need a break to like have a NTB and drive around downtown. That's also okay. I love you. Like that's, that's a game changer because it, it helps stop you from getting swallowed by a machine that is so much bigger

than any one person. We interviewed someone who, and it has just always stayed with me years ago, who said like the human heart was not meant to digest all these voices that we have access to anymore. And I remember him speaking on, make sure the voices that you truly let in are trusted and small, like a small circle. And I feel like we try really hard to do that. We were both having mental breakdowns last week. It was like, I need you to speak truth into me and you to speak truth back and back. And it's just, it is, there's so, it's the world is so loud now and it's really hard to turn it off yeah and you have to be so conscious about who has the most volume and i think we all struggle with this it's an ebb and flow of well instagram voice has got a little too loud for me today and i'm about to go lock myself in a room yeah and i need someone to truly just

like tell me what which way's up and yeah it's interesting because it goes both ways you know I mean, we, we write, um, in our book about mentorship and having someone who is a trusted voice, who is like a little further down the path than you are wherever you want to be in life. Like, Hey, this is the type of family life I want to have. Like, and that's, this person is my role model in that because they have, you know, whatever kids or the family that, that you kind of envision, uh, wanting. and it's like you know that it's almost you can find any opinion you want online and it's like seeking you will find you know if i want someone to hype me up i can go find someone and like go like yeah this person thinks i'm awesome and that's that can almost be equally as unhealthy as someone finding the voice of dang i am a trash football player i'm i am i lost that game and you can like be unhealthy on both sides where you don't necessarily just want yes men in your life If you don't just want people who are cynics,

and skeptics it's like you want someone who's lovingly honest and it's like Andrew I think it's probably time that like you you consider uh other things in football and here's why I've known you for 20 years I've seen your career I've I've been a part of all these conversations and you've told me about what coaches are saying their feedback and the scouts aren't calling as much and and like that is such a different thing than like Andrew the tweet that you get online Andrew never play football ever again. You know, like you're, you're terrible. Like that, that just doesn't hit the same as someone who actually intimately knows the situation. So I think it's like finding that, that fine balance of, of loving honesty. Yeah. It's like, you have to, you have to figure

out how to build your own filter out of that huge funnel that we were not meant to ever know. And that's, I think that's kind of a task for our peer group as well. Like nobody wrote the handbook for this before us because it didn't exist. And so we, we kind of have to figure it out together. And I think when you, when you are with, you know, your right person and you have a good mirror, and then you have more of those good mirrors in your extended circle, your family, your friendships, like that's what helps you start to do that. And I imagine, because I know you guys celebrate 10 years of marriage this year. Congrats. Thanks. You know, being married for a decade, having three kids, like you've really been through it enough to have, I would think kind of like a routine for how you do things. How do you feel like parenthood maybe made you even better at that stuff? Like, cause it can be hard to be nice to yourself, but you want to be nice to you oh you want to be the nicest person in the world for your kids you know

yeah uh i feel like your spouse partner i mean is like the the best first mirror relationship that you get where it can be very humbling when you have someone so trusted be like you're not being very nice right now and it's like i think you're probably you're a mirror so you're probably I should probably listen to that you know and so I think with us having we were married how many years before two three four three three having been married three years before we had our first kid that was you know an ebb and flow that you really have to get used to and have to you have to find trust there and humility but then you take it up a notch for the child because you want to give them the world you want to be the best version of yourself yeah and it is so difficult being a parent it's so beautiful and i don't mean that in a bad way of being difficult it's just difficult you raising humans is not easy and to see their reflection of you is so pure and there's no judgment and there's no there's no like there's no jadedness to them yet so anything that they say to you like mommy are you having a hard day it's kind of like oh wow I need why do you think that like what am I doing and it's it's just made you it's made us way more selfless and way more self-reflective of what our values are and what we spend time doing and how we are reflecting that to our children and what we're teaching them and they already have so many voices and we are the loudest ones thankfully right now yeah but trying to teach them their filters already for life is is terrifying and we have to make sure we have hours figured out which we don't we're getting better at it uh it's just it's a very humbling experience i think it's also so interesting because you get

to kind of relive your own childhood in ways yeah and go oh i have i have a wound there or oh my god I was made for this moment like this is my area of expertise and it's it's so um beautiful because you learn all this stuff I don't think you'd learn otherwise if you didn't have that little person who is this pure thing mirroring at you and and to just go back to the beginning of your point yes it is the most gorgeous thing and it is so hard and my friends and I are like any any like mom fluencer dad fluencer who just makes it look easy you're a traitor you're a traitor you're a liar like you we have got to be able to to say this is an absolute miracle and also like what are you doing to get through this You crazy phase or this you know struggle development moment like and I think the more we get to normalize that stuff the better for all the parents out there so both and I think there's

something so beautiful about and pure about children and our world that's so just crazy right now it seems like we can all agree we want to raise good humans and we want to protect the pureness in children. So I feel like kind of like you were saying, it's like all the chaos quiets when you have a child around, because you're like, I want to protect you and I want to love you and I want to do my best. And so all of us parents coming together being like, how do we do this? We all want the best for kids. Yeah. Well, I think most of us,

I think it's been a pretty rough time in the world to realize not everybody does. yeah but my hope actually is that the amount of us who as like as we spoke about earlier would literally run into moving traffic for our children yeah i hope we quiet all the other noise and simply focus on how we're going to reorganize the world for them because there are some people who don't have that yeah as their core value and like those are people i wish i could pack into a cannon and shoot out into space i'm like you should be voted off the island and i mean the island of earth absolutely the last couple years have sort of broken my faith in humanity and also made me be like if the moms were in charge this shit would be fixed by lunch yeah you know they would live on mars they would just live on mars exactly exactly i am enjoying this conversation with Sean and Andrew so much, and I hope you are as well. Tune back in for the next special bonus episode where we dive into all the specifics of their incredible new book, Courage to Commit. See you soon.

latte iced coffee espresso your new nespresso virtuo up machine makes the perfect cup for every morning one button press and you can brew any coffee any size your way new virtuo up press to explore shop now at nespresso.com there's something about the way that tea forte elevates

even the simplest gathering that feels so intentional and memorable tea forte is known for their signature pyramid tea infusers topped with the iconic leaf plus premium blends that are served in luxury hotels and restaurants around the world. But honestly, it's also the presentation that makes everything feel so elevated. Their tea chests, curated gift sets, and beautiful packaging make hosting feel effortlessly polished and gifting feel incredibly thoughtful. Whether you're putting together a summer brunch, heading to a dinner party, celebrating a birthday or a bridal shower, or just looking for a meaningful thank you gift, T-Forte turns everyday moments into something a little more special. It's the kind of detail that guests notice right away and talk about long after they leave. T-Forte feels elegant, intentional, and effortlessly refined. Shop now at tforte.com or on Amazon. Choices, aren't they great? It's why Plan B made over-the-counter emergency contraception legal more than 20 years ago because now you have a backup plan and a choice. That's freedom to be. Plan B is the number one OBGYN recommended emergency contraception. It is not an abortion pill. Get it immediately at all major retailers, in-store, or delivery. Use Plan B emergency contraception as directed within 72 hours after unprotected sex. The sooner you take it, the better it works. Bohm is a boutique fashion brand that curates effortlessly feminine, trend-forward clothing for women who want to feel confident, stylish, and comfortable without compromising quality or affordability. With Bohm, you'll find outfits that work for every plan on your calendar from day to night. Simple styling, elevated results, and looks you'll reach for again and again and again. Their designs are made to last and won't break the bank. Shop now at bohm.com.

That's B-O-H-M-E dot com. Zolaire omelizumab is proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Zolaire 150 milligrams is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people one year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Zolaire, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Zolaire. Zolaire may cause a severe life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Zolaire should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. Zolaire is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches, and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see Zolaire.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Zolaire. This is an advertisement for Zolaire paid for by Genentech

and Novartis. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.