IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson - IMO Live: Give Your Parents Grace with Quinta Brunson

Episode Date: June 24, 2026

Emmy-award winning actress, producer and writer Quinta Brunson joins Michelle and Craig for a conversation during the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. Quinta talks about her early days in comedy, how she broached the topic of her career with her parents, and reveals the one surprising situation that gives her imposter syndrome. Have a question you want answered? Write to us at ⁠imopod.com⁠.To learn more about the Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund, click ⁠here⁠.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I worked on Key & P. Oh, yeah. It's a PA. I miss that in your book. I don't know if I was in there. I don't know. I did. It was like, it was their first episode actually.

Wow. And I was a PA. And through that, met a producer. PA is a production assistant. And she does a podcast now. She's in the business. Yeah. I'm just, you know, all this lingo P.A.

I was like, you know, production assistant. And then I, uh, that producer. Shut out. This episode of IMO is brought to you by United Airlines and Chase Home Lending. Oh, wow. It's everybody we know. Can we go back out and come in again? I know.

It's like, I'm going to be like, hey, what? Oh, what? You're here, Sandy. What's going on? Well, you guys, welcome to IMO, but this is the very first event that we're holding here in this amazing Auditorium. Isn't it beautiful? And I just would like to thank all of our friends and family who are here. And a special thanks to United Airlines who sponsored in this episode for us.

Shout out to our sponsors. Yeah, but you know, I'm actually a million-mile flyer. I didn't know that. I know you didn't know that. I'm going to try to catch up. There's no way you're going to catch me. Probably not. You can't fly that much commercial anymore.

Probably not. Well, congratulations. She's going to catch up to me. But you guys, we are excited. This is a big week. This is the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. And we thought that it would be a good thing to do. It's to have a wonderful chat.

We've got a room full of amazing young girls who are participating in our girls. And I think we have the perfect guest today who's going to. join us and she is Craig is supposed to do the introduction so she just like always she's trying to take over the whole family and see all my family you know how it goes

and my relatives who are like oh there she goes Mike's over there cracking up because he's like there she goes again taking over sorry well Quinta is a creator writer actor and executive producer of ABC's hit

mockumentary Abbott Elementary Right on And you know The Robinson household We're back to appointment TV now That's a big show I'm glad you're letting the boys watch a little TV

Just happy for them Quintza Brunson is the first Solo black woman to win the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a comedy series and the first to earn three Emmy nominations in a single year for writing, acting, and producing in the comedy category.

So without further ado, let's welcome our... A big Chicago welcome. Our good friend now that we got to meet her in the back. Quinta Brunson. Hi, Mrs. Obama. I know. I told you to call me Michelle, so you're going to have to figure that out. I asked in the back. I said, what do I say, Mrs. Obama?

Do I say me, me? No. Michelle Michelle Michelle Michelle Everybody in this I mean

it is truly full of friends and family they don't know me as Michelle Obama They know me as me Shoshel or Michelle

or Michelle or so you part of the family Hey you Hey you over there Well thank you for being here Thank you for having me

This building is gorgeous It is beautiful Thank you I didn't get to see it being built As I'm sure All the Chicagoans You've been riding past this but it was absolutely breathtaking to me from the outside in the car.

I just, I said, what is this huge piece of art that got installed? I didn't even realize that this was the presidential center. So it's just, it's gorgeous and congratulations. Yeah. Thank you so much. We are so excited to share this space with the community because it's more than just an archive of Barack's presidency. It is really a declaration.

of Hope. It is a community space. There are recording studios here for young people. This auditorium is available for the community. There are gardens here. They're 19 acres of public new park space created. There's a big gymnasium across the street from Hyde Park High School, which is across the street, a full professional-sized basketball court because you know, Craig. Barak had to have basketball. I respect you. Did you say Craig? I did say Craig.

We do that. I call Barack Craig. He calls Kelly Meesh, Leslie Meish. We do all that. So we're very proud of it and happy to share it with the city and with the world. And I know you're going to take a tour before you get out of here, maybe, or you'll come back for a tour? Yes, I was supposed to take a tour before this. But as you know, getting here,

was a truck. There was weather in the Midwest and so I am here on two glorious hours of sleep. Look at it. And you know what? I was tired. I know where I'm coming. I want my energy to come back and everything. And as soon as we got outside and saw that building, there was really, I'm not kidding you guys, like a warmth and positivity. My driver even was, he was so hype about it and he's here from Chicago. He's from Chicago. My security was like, what in the world? It's just, it's really stunning.

And I think there's a good energy radiating out of this place for sure. And seeing these lovely faces bright in my day coming out. Hi, girls. Hi. So, do you spend some time in Chicago? I did. How long ago was it that you spent some significant time here? Oh, man.

It was, so if I do, 15 years? What? Yeah, which is crazy. because I'm like only barely 17s, but you were, you were seven when you came. It was wild, running the Chicago streets. No, I think like 15 years. I started coming out while I was in college. I might be wrong on the math.

I'm a writer, not a mathematician. I don't believe. And I don't think about the past too often. So I'm not sure. But I started coming out when I was in college and I was taking classes at Second City. I had a boyfriend at the time who was going to Columbia College. Tell us more. She didn't wait,

did she? She just go right in. I said, implicitly, I don't want to talk about. She went right in. You brought him up. I did. See, that's the lawyer, and she's pointing out that you brought it up.

That's why I was scared up. Right through the door. Okay, so there was some guy you were visiting. No, he's a significant part of my past, but that's, because you know what? It brought me here. And I came out to visit him once and saw that Second City was just right next.

door. And it was kind of like my dream place. I would go watch. I watch SNL every night and I eventually looked up where all these people how they learned to do this. I started to figure it out. They had to have known each other. They have to have developed

these skills and a lot of those people went to Second City. So I started coming out just to take like a week intensive course. It was all I could afford. I could afford a southwest ticket and a week long course. But you were West Philly.

Yes, so I was in Philly. Yeah. I was like, oh, West Philly in the house? Oh, I'm going to my people. What are you guys doing here? We can't. We'll get into it later. I was in Philly.

I was using my little money. I taught dance classes. You know? We in Chicago, people are going to be involved in this conversation. I love it. We're going to get to the dance classes. I love it. That I taught dance classes for like $25 a class.

Yeah. At a dance school in Philly and I would take my little money and buy a ticket and spend the rest of my little money to go to Second City and take a course. I really had to use my own money because I did not tell my parents. They would think that I was on campus at Temple. Wait, so you were commuting to Chicago. I like the way you put it, not sneaking, but commuting. to Chicago. Thank you, Craig.

Without your parents' knowledge. No. Which don't do that. Don't do that. We'll talk about that later. We will talk about it. But yeah, you know, classic girls sneaking off and doing improv. Wow.

Common story. At least it was something positive. It was something positive. But you were, because you grew up in a pretty strict, I did. Environment. You're one of five. Five. Last of five. Tell us about that little Quinta. And your name, Quinta, number five. Yes, my name means fifth because my parents didn't expect me. And so they just, she was one of those.

Oh, yeah, we meant, yeah, we did. We did. Yep. The, your next oldest is what's the age difference? Eight years. Yeah. Yeah. You were. Yeah. Any, you guys got any, oops, any? No, no. No. No.

We have big generations. Craig has two sets of kids. Okay. Right. So they're big age gaps. Okay. And the cousins are close. Is it just you two?

Just us. That's cool. And a whole bunch of cousins. I love that. Everybody's here. I love cousins. Probably half this audience is a cousin. Really?

Oh, yes. I love that. So, okay, let me. It's about. You. This is about, don't be, don't flip it around. I know. I'm trying to flip it, so I don't have to talk about it. I like how you flip that right to us. Could have been a smooth journalist. But you're one of five. One of five. I was the youngest and yeah, my brother closest to me was eight and eight year different, sorry. And it was cool because I grew up really, really, really cultured. I think that's the best way I can put it. My parents, are in their 70s, I believe they're 73. And my oldest sibling is 53. And my sibling closest to me is 45.

Is that correct? Yeah. And so growing up, my brothers and sisters were already living life and passing down life to me. And my parents as well, I recently was talking about this, but I grew up with my parents' music. So my music was Stevie Wonder and Al Green. And even their oldies, like very old doo-op songs by groups I don't know the names of were...

If they listened to jazz, we were big jazz. Yeah, huge jazz, household. And then my brothers and sisters were taking in so much. I mean, my brother was watching W. So I was this little girl coming to school asking people if they could smell what the rock was cooking. And everyone was like, what is wrong with you? Why are you into that? And then my sisters were into like, you know, they were into Conan and friends and like late night TV.

But also my sister took me to my first concert, which was an Usher concert. She liked me. She pulled me around like a little doll and she was always just taking me with her to things because she liked me, but I was always the youngest kid in the room. So I think... Did you feel like you were trying to keep up?

Or did you like being debated? I liked it. It didn't seem strange to me. And I would get to school and share all the things that I thought were normal with my classmates. And I remember in kindergarten, I was four, everyone else was five. and I remember talking to them about like Luther Vandros and the children.

And they're like... And what would you say? What were you telling the people about Luther? I would talk about music. It's a great music to fall in love to. Yeah. By the sandbox. I was like, yeah, these are the songs, right?

You guys know this song, right? And they're just like talking about smiley face from Nick Jr. And you're like, these babies. Yeah, seriously. But I'm so happy that I got so much culture. And it definitely was the case with television because, you know, my parents had me watching their shows plus their oldies. And my brothers and sisters had me watching everything from Ace Ventura to Kings of Comedy to S&L to Mad TV to live in color.

for every shows like rock but then also shows like the West. I just got so much funneled into me and I'm really grateful for that. So like if I have kids, I kind of want to do the same kind of set up like one really old one, one really young one. Because I think the young one keeps the older ones young too. Yeah. Really good point. Yeah. Really good point.

Really good point. So were you always the show kid? because you were the youngest, were you performing all the time? They made me... Let the baby sing. Oh, yeah. No, they made me like their little jester, for sure.

It was... Quinta, do this line for Martin because they just thought it was funny to see... What was the line? Oh, it's so dumb. There was one... I just saw the episode again recently, and I was like, oh, this is where they came from.

It was a man at the DMV. I was like, it's just... It's very... silly stuff. I don't know, but there was an episode where someone, well, when Martin gets a new job, he's doing a TV show now instead of the radio show.

But one of the irate audience members goes, and where's Oprah? And for some reason, that was something they had me say all the time at three. And where's Oprah? Reciting, you ain't got no job, Tommy.

In living color, they really enjoyed making me do the character Wanda, who Jamie Fox played. So your little seven-year-old impression of Wanda? I mean, I'm talking four. Oh, my God. Just learn to talk

and they are making me, and then they made me do not fun stuff. Like, there were three floors to our house, and this was back in the day you had one remote and it worked, like, all the TVs. Or maybe we had more and we just lost them. That's probably more likely what happened.

So my sister, would make me go all the way to the third floor to get the remote and bring it down. It was just the gopher. Yeah, I was a gopher. Those were the... And then there were fun perks. Like, they forgot to tell me stuff a lot of the times.

I came so late that they... Family stuff, like family secrets. Like, I didn't find out my oldest brother had a different dad until I was 16. Oh, yeah. And it was just because they forgot to tell me. It was just, like, so normalized at that point. I was like...

Quinta, were your parents funny? Because... They are to me. Yeah. I just... You have this natural way, comedic way about you. Why, thank you. And I'm just...

It's a good thing. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we always talk about how our parents were funny. Yeah. They were funny people. Right. But your parents...

I mean, your household sounds like it was just a blast. Beauty and people who are... just dangerously authentic in themselves. And then they're observational people like me who are taking it all in. And, you know, my sister's one of the funniest people in the world to me. She would never get up on a stage

or, you know, even pursue acting. But her natural rhythm is just hilarious because she's so authentic. To a fault, I can't get her to reel it in sometimes. But I appreciate that about her so much. And I think my parents are the same way. My mom is just the funniest little lady And she doesn't see it

We were texting while watching the finals And she was really upset about Wimbanyama pushing Jalen Brunson to the ground And she was like, this lanky man, my goodness. I said, Mom, that's like so funny that you're so mad. This lady's a lanky man. I said, well, they used to bully Wimby. So, you know, now this, she was like, well, it must stop.

She sent the stop emoji. And that was just so funny to me. Where did you get that? A hilarious little lady. But you know, it's funny the first time I met you, Michelle, it feels weird. I want to say Mrs. O'Boh. You're doing just fine. Okay. Yeah, Mrs. Obama.

You cracked me right on up. You really did. What did I say to you? I'm not going to say what you said, but you were just so funny. And I don't know if you remember, but I literally fell off my rocker laughing. I was, you're, so just people's natural. just, I don't know, personhood. Are you sure it was her?

It was her. I was cracking up. I was one thing I'm funny. But your mother was a schoolteacher. Your father managed to parking lots. Yeah. He managed parking lots at a company called Parkway, my Philly people. Okay.

Shout out to Parkway. I mean, it's the bees knees in Philly, you know. And I was what they call a parking princess. And by they, I mean me. called myself that because I could park anywhere in Philly, you know. Parallel parking. I can't parallel parking. No, she's talking about she can park at any parking.

Oh, sorry. Yeah. See, but that's how I think. If you're the princess, that means you can literally park. I'm not good at parking. Oh, well, then you don't get the title. That was a crazy part about it. I don't enjoy driving, but I had like the juice.

My friends would call me and be like, oh, my God, I'm downtown. Do you think your dad can get me in? I'm like, yeah, let me call my dad real quick. It was great. It was so cool. You were living like, what was your neighborhood like? What was school like? My neighborhood, that's a good question.

My family did a really good job of making me feel like I lived in like full house. You know, like, you know, I didn't know that outside my neighborhood was more like the wire. I was in really. That aware. I think everybody here can relate. Something I really love about Chicago and feel a kinship there. We all thought we were rich. And I think that's kind of like a testament to a really good family.

And it wasn't protectiveness. It was your child and you deserve to live in a nice environment. But yeah, one day I was outside and I was like, jumping rope with my girlfriend, double dutch, with my girlfriends. And then there was like a drive-by. Oh, yeah. And that happened. And we just ran behind the, on my porch there was like a little barrier.

We had a, what do you call it, outdoor perch. And then we like stood up. And then this kid I knew came limping down the street and blood dripping from his leg. And I was like, man, that's so crazy that happened to him. And then I was like, wait, could that happen? to me. And then I remember that being a moment of, ooh, my parents were you doing. It was summer. I was outside by my, I probably was about 12, I would say. Yeah, because we moved out of that neighborhood when I was 14. But they did a good job of making me feel like it wasn't

as tough as it was, because it was a rough neighborhood. But did having the older brothers and sisters, were they kind of your protectors? Or were you kind of like, I know you, you knew that you had to be able to throw some hands. I know you right about that. Yes, I knew I needed to know how to fight, and I do know how to fight. I do. I do. Really well.

Just so it happens. You just messed up. Yeah. Thank you. Quint don't mess up some. I think. It's like. I don't like I think.

Right now? Quinn. Right now? Right the second? Okay. That wasn't the look I was going for. I can't take multitudes. I guess that's good.

Yeah. No, yeah, they knew how to fight. We never fought each other. And we weren't fighters, you know? Fighting, I don't want to fight. But you have to if you need to in a city like that. Once again, girls, I'm just, I don't feel like, don't fight. It's not, if you can resolve it in other ways, please do it.

Yeah. That's true. That's true. I've only been in like two physical fights, and I'm very proud of that. Yeah, and a lot of people haven't been in. I feel like, yeah, we can clap up. Somebody's clapping for the fights. That's good.

That's good. I feel like you guys should take the reins now. No, we love this. We love this. This is great. This episode is brought to you in part by United Airlines, Chicago's hometown airline, where good leads the way. So, Mish, I have to ask, when you're on the plane coming back to Chicago and you catch you catch a glimpse of the skyline over Lake Michigan, what comes to your mind? That's my favorite

part of the flight. I mean, I try to make it a point to stop everything that I'm doing and make sure that I'm looking out the window because I don't know about you, but I try to outline where we are. You know, because the beautiful thing about Chicago, it's a grid system and it's an easy, one of the easiest cities to get around in. And you can sort of track. your whole neighborhood, right? So I try to find out where is the house? Do I see mom's house? Do I see where you guys used to live? Even though it's a little bitty dot, it's just exciting. You have an idea. No, I feel that. I feel that same way. Every time I landed O'Hare, there's this specific moment where I just exhale. Like, okay, I'm back. This is where it all started.

And even after traveling the world, I still think Chicago is one of the most beautiful electric cities on the planet. And that feeling never gets old. Do you have any special feelings about the city like that? Oh, my God. It's the exact same thing. I mean, I have traveled the world, and my heart is still in Chicago. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Grant Park. And now Jackson Park is going to be just as beautiful because, you know, shameless plug,

but the Obama Presidential Center is going to be a part of that skyline. The lakefront is amazing. I mean, it's just such a livable city. And when it's not freezing cold, which is the summertime, it's alive with so much going on. Festivals and art museums and great shopping and some of the best food you can have. So, yeah, Chicago is still my favorite city in the country, probably in the world. And United is part of that. They've been part of this city for 90 years, shaped by the same grit and work ethic

Chicago is known for. Mish, what does home mean to you? I've learned that home isn't about the house you're in. It's about the people who are in the house, right? So we've had to learn, you know, leaving Chicago. our hometown to start a new life in Washington and living in the White House, one of my fears was that it wouldn't feel like home. But the best thing I learned was that home is wherever family is.

Well, Chicago is forever our hometown. And as Chicago's hometown airline, United Airlines can connect you to the world with more destinations than any other airline. On more new planes with screens at every seat, Bluetooth connectivity and bigger overhead bins. Book your next flight on the United app or at United.com. Now, your parents were wonderful role models to you. There was a lot of love, but there was a period where you were going through some

contentious times with your mother in particular. Oh, yeah. Can you talk about that? Because I bet there isn't a girl in this room who isn't mad at the their mother, right? You know. Even the 60-year-old. I know.

And, you know, it was in college, really, where I, once again, didn't know what she was trying to protect me from. Yeah. And that's where we started having issues. We were so solid before that. But in college, it just felt like she was holding on for dear life or she didn't trust me,

and I just didn't understand. I was doing, like I said, I was doing improv and I wasn't doing drugs. I was, well, I wasn't, I wasn't doing anything bad. I wasn't doing anything bad. You weren't doing anything illegal technically. Yeah. I wasn't doing anything bad.

I wasn't doing anything bad. I was a really good kid, so I just didn't understand. And my mom and I got into it one day after, when I was getting out of the car, she was driving me off at a friend's house. And I just really, you know, I was never disrespectful. But I asked her like, what, what is going? on? What is your deal? Like, you did this.

You raised me. You made me who I am. Why are you trying to stop? What, you know, is inevitable. And, you know, I wasn't looking at her as a full human being. It's kind of similar where I'm talking about, like, you get to see the full America, therefore you understand it. It's why it's important to learn it. I wasn't seeing the full picture

of my mom. I was just looking at her as a mother, but not as a full human being who had lost two siblings to drugs and alcohol. And you know, was just trying to protect me from a rough world. But I just didn't understand because she was a dancer and everything. And she, like, lived a life.

Because you, you went to temple, but you lived at home. You didn't live in the dorms. I feel my way to live in the dorms. Yeah. Well, you snuck your way. Wait a minute. Wait, explain this. I commuted my way into the dorms.

I like your way. I had a, there was a friend who, the first day of school, her roommate, I guess dropped out. I don't know what happened to that girl. But she never, I hope she's okay. But we never told the, we never told the school, and I just moved in.

Oh, nice. Oh, okay. I always found my way. I was like a couch surfer, hobo, just moved around campus, stayed on friends' couches. I was going to find my independence. Where did your parents think you were? I would tell them that I was staying,

on campus, but there was resistance to that, and I was just like, I'm not doing anything. I was watching, do you know the show Tim and Eric? Are you guys familiar? No. What is it? Show on my age. I was watching... Tim and Eric. I was watching, like, SNL and comedy shows with my friends

on the couch, but they were just were not... My mom in particular was really not happy. We got over that hump, and I'm happy that we did. It took a lot of discussion and communication, because I was determined to have a good relationship with my mother. And she was determined to have a good relationship with me. And I think if two people

are just determined to work it out, it can eventually work. But it took some time. I mean, I think the point you make about seeing your parents' whole people, I remember distinctly when we always had a great relationship with our parents. We were close-knit family, all aunts and uncles and cousins. They believed in talking to us about things. But I think our parents did the opposite they were like, kicked us out. They were like, go try some things. Don't stay so close. You know, they had the same fears, you know.

But you grow up with your parents and all the adults around you as heroes, right? Because they're so wise. But then one day, as you grow up, you realize, oh, man, dad's got some issues, right? Yeah. Yeah. And then you. And the same thing. And she wonders why I was the favorite.

But you also see it happening from your kids when you have kids. Yeah, yeah. When you know you've got to go through that period. Yeah. Where you start growing up. Yes, yes. And then you start realizing what the world has in store. Yeah.

And what your parents are really struggling. Now I'm talking to all you young people here who may be mad or struggling with the, adult figures in your lives. It is hard to see those people as real, whole people with a set of fears and setting challenges and limitations. And a lot of times parents don't talk about the hard things. No, I mean, and they don't want to. You're a kid. But it helps, though.

It does, yeah. It helps. But to the parents' defense, sometimes they're just afraid. Totally. And they're afraid for you because they think you don't know what's coming. And that's where I thought our parents did a really good job because we found out later how really afraid our parents were to let us go on trips with a basketball team when you're 13 years old. Or go out of the country for the country for the first time by herself when she's in high school. or, you know, send you off to a school.

I went to high school right around the corner here at Mount Carmel High School. You know, mostly white school. I've got a couple of friends here who I've been friends with ever since then. You know, they were afraid of all of that. And I, you know, I want some of these young girls and young people in here to just have a, you know, we're always talking about giving people grace. We never give our parents the grace because. Yes.

And sometimes it's too much, right? Like, Mish and I always talk about how parents these days try and curate this perfect existence for their children. Yeah. So there is something in the middle there, right? You can't be too afraid that they can't do anything. And then you can't protect them from everything. Absolutely. There's a good book I'm reading.

It's a tougher read, but I'm getting through it called The Anxious Generation. Oh, yeah. And it speaks to that so, well, it is speaking specifically to technology, social media. But it's true that each generation is going to try to create parameters based on what they experience. My parents, look, they survived. And I mean, they made their way through the crack era, where they were losing friends, through the AIDS era, losing friends, watching people disappear left and right. You know what I mean? So of course they're trying to protect their children from the things that they've seen.

I'm going to try to protect my kids from the things that I've seen. And they're probably going to look at me like I'm crazy because those problems probably still won't. They probably won't exist in the same way. That's right. Or, you know, I hope they won't anyway. I think the internet is our big painful thing that my generation is dealing with. But, you know, to your point, though, you're right. how much they're afraid of

and I realize it more and more as I get older. If you're fortunate enough to get older, you get it. You start to thinking about having kids of your own or having kids of your own, and you're just like, I don't even know how my parents had five children. My mom's a teacher.

I don't know if you guys heard. They don't make that much. And my dad was managing parking lines. It don't make that much. It don't make that much either. He was a king of parking, but still. He was a king. But we're talking about a combined salary of maybe over a little over 100 grand. Yeah.

Five kids. I'm doing all right, I think. And I'm still like, if I have one, I'm like, oh, my God, I can never stop working. I have to. I don't know. How am I going to do it? How am I going to do it? But that's the thing that we constantly have to remind ourselves because we talk to young people like,

I don't know if I'm ever going to have kids. I can't afford it. And, you know, our parents were the same way. My mother didn't work until I went to high school because she wanted to be home. She wanted to be involved in the PTA. She wanted to look out for us. She wanted us to be able to come home for lunch. And so that meant we were living off of one.

My dad was a city worker, right? He was a shift worker. And so what that generation did was that they lived small, right? Yes, ma'am. And then they didn't place. a whole lot of value in the stuff we had. And they didn't feel responsible for us having. So they didn't feel guilty.

Yeah. Right. I mean, one of my father's favorite sayings was never satisfied, never satisfied. If you had something good on your plate and you were looking for the next thing. He was like, see, that's the problem. You know, you got to learn how to be satisfied with what you have. Satisfied and grateful. And social media is kind of putting forward all the things you don't have and should want.

To your point, that my dad, I was on the phone with him two days ago, and he was talking about what his dream was, he dreamed to have a family. That was his dream. And he accomplished it. And then it was keeping that family taken care of no matter what that meant. Working jobs that he didn't want to until he got the one that was good. He was, and that was so special to me because it was so big to him, seemingly small to other people. And then another point to like the internet.

And I feel like we're often trying to impress people who aren't even in our community, who don't even know us. And the way I was brought up, we were, you know, a part of, um, a part of, um, a person. religious community, our neighborhood, our literal neighborhood community. And my dance school was another community. My father was in the Carpenter's Union, and he was a part of a music group. And these were the people we wanted to impress, our actual communities. And I think that made for a healthier environment. But now that we have gotten into the habit of impressing people who don't even know we exist,

it feels like a disconnect between what's really needed at home and what we think we need to show people. And I'm saying this not as a judgment, but as someone who's grown up through that is now trying to actively reject it. And it's hard. I struggle. I have to actively put down this thinking. That's a great point because I was thinking about all the things I wanted to talk to you. about we're not going to get to all of them, but one of them was you got your start on the internet

before folks were like online like that. Yeah. Right. Can you talk about what you were thinking and how that all evolved? Because first of all, I'm too old to know. I didn't really get to know you until I saw Abbott Elementary. And then we started doing the background work.

And I was like, whoa, you've been doing stuff for a very long time. and at a young age, can you talk about how, what was your mindset? How did you say, well, I'm going to do this and then I'm going to put it online. Was that a plan?

Or was it just sort of an outlet? It was an outlet. I talk a lot about the importance of craft. I just was practicing comedy. And the internet, I was actually staunchly against it at first. I had zero respect for YouTubers. I thought I was not on board.

I respected the stage and I respected writing and television, but I did not respect the Internet. And then what happened was Instagram, look, social media, Facebook, how far back do I go? Yeah, really. It's really hard. MySpace was the beginning of it. It's so hard.

MySpace was like really the beginning of it, but we didn't know what was happening to us. I want to be clear about that. We were just kids using the Internet. we didn't know we were basically being indoctrinated into our social lives changing forever, right? So that Biospace happened. And like Facebook happened next.

And Facebook, this is back when you had to have a college email to sign up for it. And that became the second iteration of you living your life online. You know, like it wasn't just your friends in the classroom. It was your friends here. And then when I came to Chicago, actually, I started. having friends on Facebook in Chicago, which expanded my internet living, you know, the beginning of like, I don't know, just a network of people online. And then Facebook had video and I would make really silly videos with my friends for no one. That was the goal. It was just like just for me and my

friends. And then I started a little teeny talk show on Facebook. None of this is big stuff. It just was kids messing around on the internet. And I would interview someone for silly, The first episode of that show is when Barack, he wasn't elected yet. He was about to get elected. I made up a rap. And I said, Barack, Brock, you rock my socks. I don't know what else I said. It was so dumb.

I'll show you. But it was so silly just being in the dorm, being silly. And then it expanded to Chicago because I would come out here and visit my boyfriend and he was in a music group and I interviewed them. And then the series started getting popular on Facebook. And so that was kind of my... first way into like, oh, all right, there's something to creating here. Then Instagram happened. Now, once again, just making silly videos for my friend. This is before you could share.

Yeah. Yeah. Because I feel like some of us in here, remember, it was just for you and your friends. And then I made some silly videos. But then I woke, I went to sleep, woke up, and they were getting a lot of comments from people I didn't know. And looking back, I'm not even sure how because it wasn't easy to share a video then. There was no share link. I'm not even sure you could like copy the URL to paste and send to someone.

So it was complete word of mouth. And that was really interesting to me. Was it scary? Was it exciting? It was exciting. I didn't know to be scared yet because once again didn't really know what was happening. And did your parents know?

No, God, yeah. They didn't even, my parents still to this day don't. I don't know. I remember when Malie and Sasha were starting to ask for stuff and then I was like, I'm supposed to be monitoring this. Yeah. But I don't even know what it is. So I'd get mad.

Like, give me your phone. No. And I'd be like, open it. Now take me to the site. I don't even know what I'm looking for, but I'm going to find it with your help. That is hilarious. See, this is what I mean. That is hilarious. No, they had no idea.

then I started making more of those Instagram videos and they started going viral and then I would put some of them on Vine which no longer exist and people would pick about Exactly. That's the thing everybody's all like oh fine. And it was all just happening and I was I was broke. I was working at Apple but man I was dead broke.

My money went straight to rent. I had no money. Was this when you were in L.A.? Yeah, I had made it to L.A. by that point, yeah. Well, also talk about how you got to L.A. Because eventually you just left. You, like you were secretly staying in the dorms. You secretly took your little self to L.A. to live.

Talk about that. I knew I wasn't going to get away with that. I had to tell my parents, I was soft-launching it to them. So I went out to L.A. I was like, oh, I'm going to go. Some of my friends are out there from Temple. They're doing the Temple, the Temple program. that they have in L.A., I'm going to go, yeah, I'm doing that. Mind you, at this point, I'm flunking out of college.

I had a bad breakup with that, the Chicago boy, and it broke me, okay? Don't do that, don't do that. Do not do that, it broke me. Sorry, boy, break you. Don't do it. I thought I was, like, going back to school, but I was, like, heartbroken. Yeah. It was a very emotional girl and just, like, was devastated. And then I was, like, I'll go back to school. I am going to go back to school, but they didn't know at that point that I was, like, not doing well.

You were undercover flunking. Undercover flunking. You was such a little undercover girl. I know. Not anymore. That was a hard life to live. I didn't. I didn't like that.

And I wasn't a good liar. So it was... Seemed like you were, Quinta. No. I was good at half-truths and living what is called a double life. Oh. So I was never...

I wouldn't say my parents, like, where are you going? I'm going to see some friends from college. I didn't say what college. And I didn't say what friends. So I would get away with it. But then I, yeah, when it came to L.A., I kind of went out to test the waters just for a month, stayed with a friend and to see if I could work.

So I got to work in the business. Yes, to see if it would work out. At that point, I knew Chicago it was going to be like SNL or bust, and I didn't know if that was going to be right for me. and I felt like L.A. had more opportunity. So I worked. I took a second city class and I got a lot of PA jobs. I worked on this show.

Oh, K&Piel. I worked on K&Piel. Oh, yeah. It's a PA. I missed that in your book. How did you were? I don't know. I did.

It was their first episode, actually. Wow. And I was a PA. And through that, met a producer. A production assistant. And she does a podcast now. she's in the business. Yeah.

I'm just, you know, all this lingo, PA. I was like, you know, production assistant. And then I, that producer, that producer got me a job on a music video, which happened to be

Donald Glover's music video, heartbeat. And I was, so that was, I was like, okay, I can do this. I can work out here. The girl I stayed with Brittany. She was a styling assistant

and she couldn't do a job and she gave the job to me for a woman named Samira Nassir who now runs Harper's Bazaar but at the time she was like a traveling stylist so I went back to Philly I said okay I need to get a job and I'm going

to make sure it's a job that can move me to L.A and that's how I started working at Apple because I knew that they had a good transfer program so I worked to Apple for a year to your tech assistant at Apple or what was I don't know if they exist anymore in FRS, a family room special.

I've never been in an Apple store. I know. I'm first lady. Well, you had like a big period of your life where you probably couldn't go places easy. I didn't do normal human things. Yes. That's true. You should go a lovely experience.

I probably. Probably won't. Probably won't. Yeah. And then I transferred to L.A. I did tell my parents at that point. I was like, I am moving. I'm going to move there.

And I just had to present it as a thing of I'm not asking you. I am going, which was really tough for me because I had never really had that experience for my parents before. My mom was an absolute shock. And my dad was only supportive of me in a really unique way. He kind of respected my carrying on. So he would let my mom do the yelling. But he secretly would be, like, proud of me.

You do your thing. Yeah. Did they know you were interested in comedy by then? No. Say that. You're like, I'm going to be... No, at that point I was telling them I'm still planning on going to school. And I was.

I was going to transfer to UCLA. I know. But it was a plan. I was like, I'll go to UCLA. So it was a full... It was a truth. You weren't lying. I wasn't lying.

And then I got to L.A. and worked at Apple. But then those videos started going viral. And I started selling T-shirts with like phrases from the videos on them. I was making more money than I've ever made in my life. And I'm talking... $4,000, okay? I'm bowling. Living like a queen.

I was taking my friends out to dinner and everything. It was immediately crab dinners for everyone. It was so cute. And then the money ran out. For the young people. That's another thing you don't do. Don't do that. Money ran out.

I didn't want to make t-shirts. I was like, I feel like a t-shirt maker. That's my job now. I don't want to be that. And so I'd like, I'd like, Like, I need a job. I started doing stand-up and public appearances, but I didn't want to do public appearances and say my catchphrases on stage.

That didn't feel good. And I didn't stand-up was, I was good at it, but it was not for me. I knew it wasn't. Why not? Yeah. The lifestyle of stand-up wasn't for me. I didn't like being at the comedy store in L.A. until 2 a.m.

I didn't like who I was becoming. like I was starting like smoke cigarettes and stuff just to hang out and and I just, it just wasn't for me. I respect stand-ups and people who are very good at it and that is like their thing. But I felt. But it is a tough life.

Tough life. And I didn't feel like it was my version of storytelling. I always say that. I didn't want to be singular. My personal experiences, I really enjoyed fictional worlds and narrative pieces. So then I. got a job. I said it's time to get a job. So I started working at BuzzFeed at the time.

And that was a lifesaver. It was great pay, a wonderful opportunity for me to expand. Can you talk a bit about BuzzFeed for people who don't? It was this platform that used to exist? It still exists. It still exists. But not like it did in his heyday. I joined at the beginning of his heyday where we were producing videos for the internet that were like, it was relatable content. taste test, etc. I kind of came in and helped build

the narrative department. So scripted videos, that was just like a dream come true. I sold shows. I learned how to sell shows there, how to, it's one thing to make a show.

It's another thing to actually sell it to a platform. And so I learned how to do that. I made incredible relationships. A lot of my friends from BuzzFeed currently work on Abbott, my friend Kate, my friend Justin, my friend Garrett.

Lifelong lessons. And there are a lot of people who did not have good experiences And their experiences are valid I'm not one of those people But I also think I looked at it as for what it was It was a job for me And a lot of those kids were like coming out of college And that was their first job

Right And they didn't You had had bad jobs I had bad jobs I had I worked at Friendlies I worked at American Eagle I worked at a dance

I worked at the YMCA in L.A. And that was a wild experience. It just, I had some jobs. I worked at a call center for my school. I worked at a sex phone center because I was that broke one time. I had pawned all my stuff at a point in L.A. Just to stay there, like everything I had. And so I was like, this is a job.

I get that. Even working at Apple, I understood a job. So for me, it was the best job. Well, that's another thing about, you know, just for kids, like, taking some time to try on some things when it comes to work. Yeah. You got to work to pay rent. You've got to work to, you know.

Yep. So having all these experiences. So by the time you get to BuzzFeed, you're kind of an adult. I'm an adult and super appreciative. I have 401K benefits. Right. By the time I left there, I was making six figures. I never even saw that happening for myself.

I was treated with respect, especially in media. I mean, they let me do stuff that I don't, that nobody was letting no black girl do anywhere else at the time, you know. And when I would even ask them why, it would, they were like, because you're good at it. Yeah. I loved that. That was so, I'm so grateful for that. That was huge for me.

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Terms apply. Was that the first time you felt successful in your path? Yes. Because I asked this because as an athlete and a coach, I find we learn sometimes more from our failures than we do from our wins. And I just want to get a feel for you, D.D. Did you think that all those tribulations you went through, good, bad, was it better to fail and figure out how to do it right? Or if you can avoid failing?

And this is for the young people out here who think that, you know, you just sat here and did boom, boom, boom, and here, I'm at the, I'm at the, you know, award show to picking up my awards. Picking up your third Emmy. Well, you know, I love that question because sports is how I look at everything. Oh, Lord. I know, I'm sorry. Please. I know.

You're one of them. They're two sports fans up here. I am one of them. I like sports. Don't I? I do. And I just. Like, I just watched actually, not save the last dance, sorry.

The last dance again, the Michael Jordan documentary. Yeah. Oh, God. Like, that kind of look at greatness is what I, that's my jam. I, every failure is just motivation and it's just a part of the bigger picture. And so I have not considered anything. I've ever done ever a failure and I never will.

It's not that it wasn't like, you know. Yeah. It's just part of the bigger picture, even when I was folding pants at American Eagle, that was a part of getting me here today. When I had to pawn all my stuff, that would have been a lot of people's down moment. But for me, I'm like, this is just part of the up.

Part of the, part of the, this, I now look back, I had to ride past that place recently. recently where I sold my computer, which that was big. It was all I had. I sold on my clothes at that point for nothing, mind you. I mean, I didn't have, like, good clothes. They were from, like, wet seal.

So I didn't get a lot of money. Oh, yeah. They were. I didn't get anything for them. So that computer was a big deal. And then, but I rode past that place the other day in L.A. It was like, wow. Like, I'm so grateful that I can ride past and that I have that moment to see how far I've come.

So I just think I don't, yeah, I mean, like, I was talking about that documentary because they had that moment where the Bulls lost to the jazz. And that could have been the it. That could have been the end of Michael Jordan as we know it. And it wasn't.

It was, we'll be back next year. And that's part of the journey now. And I'm coming for you. And I think that's how I kind of look at things. And even Abbott, I don't know, there was a point where I was like, I don't know if I'll ever have another good idea after Abbott. Really? I did because it seems so big. It is big.

I wrote this show and then all the sudden, I was like, well, all right. And then as we've gone through it, I was like, oh, this is a piece of a larger puzzle. I don't know quite what's in store. I know some things, but it is part of something big. but somebody else, it's big to us and big to me. There are people who could look at, I know it's crazy to think, having a show on network TV as a, well, I didn't make it HBO show.

I am around people like that every day. It is nuts to me. It's nuts. And so that's- Satisfied. Exactly. And that's where gratitude comes in for me. It's major.

It's huge. Well, that's something to also remember as you ascend, you know, you start realizing that, this constant pursuit of something outside of yourself, for people who haven't figured that out, they're never satisfied. I've probably said it, sat at every powerful table there is, you know,

from grammar school to the G summit, right? You see the same people at the table with the same issues, you know, it doesn't matter how much money they have, how much power they have, you know. If they haven't figured out this piece, you know, they haven't figured out their process, their purpose in life. And it's so hard for kids to believe this, but they're not happy, you know. And some people that are constantly grasping it more, the trillionaire, the, you meet these people.

And they don't know how, they don't know how to build anything else except for wealth. So they're empty, totally. And it's fascinating to see as someone who spent a lot of time working on making sure this was straight to watch some people that everyone knows and loves are hollow. Yeah. Hollow, man. And you talk to them and literally like you feel like you can see right through them. It's like, I don't even know why I'm having a conversation with you. I see what it's just nothing in there.

And I was watching one of my defining decomms, Disney Channel original movies the other day. And so we'll Hold on one second Is that for me? Oh no. When you have old people that I know it's okay I guarantee that somebody old

And they don't know how to turn it off They don't know how to turn it off. And I go, Jesus, we were just talking about social media Hand it to a young person Give the young person the phone. To turn the phone off. But do you guys

remember the movie Brink? The dad in that movie says something that hit me so hard in this Disney Channel which was a movie but he tells Brink who's a skater and all he cares about is skating and shredding and his dad's like you know

skating is what you do it's not who you are you are he says he lost his job the dad in the movie and he was a construction form and he said he used to introduce himself as hey I'm construction form and such and such almost like who he was

was the job first and then he falls off a ladder and hurts him and he had to find himself again. And I really stuck with me because I'm going through that with my career right now. My job is not who I am. It is my work. I do care about it very deeply. But I think it's important.

I mean, I know people who teachers who care about their job very deeply. I know bus drivers who care about that job very deeply. But it's not who I am. Who I am is a good sister, a good daughter, a good friend, you know. just who are you when no one's looking. And these aren't not just words. It's really the truth about life. Yes.

And it's like the sooner that you young people understand that, just sort of believe that truth, then you can start building life from there. Right. We've got to get rid of social media. I don't know what to do. I just, I every, but I, I don't know.

Well, and spoken like somebody who's built your career on. So can you talk about how you're thinking about it? I started to vow to destroy the very thing that created my career. You know what I mean? Times I used to, back before even, you know, Twitter became X, I used to be, I used to have dreams of going to Twitter and pulling the plug out of the headquarters. I'm so serious. Yeah, yeah.

I could feel in real time the negative effects that it was starting to have on my peers, on my people, not to even mention the younger generation, they got a number done on them for real, because I at least lived life before the internet. The internet didn't come into my life as a social platform until I was like 17. But, man, it is a dozy.

I don't know what we're going to do. It's got people thinking that fame is a goal. That, like, I don't even understand. what influence is in the absence of anything behind it. Yeah. You haven't built anything. You're just sort of selling somebody else's stuff. It has its benefits for sure.

Yeah, for sure. I do think the negatives are outweighing the benefits. And so there was a recent case, though, that, you know, was going to be interesting where finally someone got to court and proved, hey, same effects. The cigarettes happening right here. We've got to do something. We can't keep living like this. And I know we all joke about the algorithms,

but it's really not funny that you can... You can manipulate somebody. It's just, yeah, you know. That you're messing with dopamine and people's habits, the notion that a lot of these programs are using the same algorithms that they use in Vegas, you know, to get. people to continue to gamble and use slots as the same sounds and the sights and the noises

and the repetition. It's just important for kids to understand that because it all looks so good because the allure of fame and notoriety. And the allure of community. That's another, I think more than fame, it's been this allure of community that is there, that I think there's issues with that. It's now been scientifically proven that there is an issue with you thinking your community is... People you don't know. Ten thousand people you don't know. And have no connection with in person and even, you know, for children to be growing up in the first people they are talking to are people they don't know. I would tell the girls that when they, they're

started getting into it. I was like, you would make the same point now. They were right up the cusp and they're like you. They are so glad that they were just right on it. Yeah. That it's not like part of their ecosystem. Sasha being the youngest is probably a little more into it. But, you know, you look up and she, you know, she's like, I got a thousand friends.

I was like, I know you don't. I mean, there is, you don't, you don't know. I know these people. And I was like, no, you don't. I said, and the thing you have to understand is like, now you have a thousand people who have access to you. And when you're coming up in our day, when it was black and white TV and we used to walk to school and our bare feet. But in order for you to have people have access to you, they had to call a phone, right? And your mother or parent would answer. And the person calling

you would have to communicate and say hi my name is x is such and such there and by doing that your parent was alerted oh such and such is in my child's life yeah now i am cognizant of who my child is dealing with you might say well who's such and such tell me about that person right now that buffer that is necessary of protection just a parent going somebody is calling my kid now you don't have it And the fun, I'm so sorry. No, no, no. The interesting part about this conversation is a lot of parents of that time, they were trying to protect their kids from outside.

Outside was getting crazy. So it was really safe if you were on the family computer doing something. But they had no clue. They were trying to protect us from the outside. But now we know. And that court case is what they're proving, which is, no, they know what they're doing. They are getting your kid addicted. That's what they had to prove with cigarettes.

Like, no, no, no, no. The marketing, Joe Camel is like a cartoon. That's right. Marketing a kid. Who would have ever thought watching loads of TV would have been better for you? I know. I'm a big, big supporter of television. Yes. So we were TV kids. We were TV kids. Yeah, I was such a TV kid. I mean, I love, I just love TV. I like that you, oh, no, go ahead.

Speaking of TV, can we talk about Abbott Elementary, please? We can. Yes. So we all, we all admit this is a great show. And, you know, I was talking to my wife and my kids about this show. And we all, like, so you got 16-year-old, 14-year-old, and adults all watching TV again, which had stopped to happen. And everybody's sort of binge watching everything. I was dying to ask you, why do you think it's such a great show? Well, I created it with that intention.

I thought you were going to say, because I created it. No. Intention is important, though. Okay. I created it with that intention. I would go back home. And my niece, she's 20, 20, 21. And my mom is 73.

And I'm 36. And we had nothing to watch together. And I really couldn't stand that. You know, I really, I just didn't like that. Because my parents and I grew up watching TV together. Everybody watched the same show. And everything that we were watching was old. You know, I think a big show in our house was later on,

became King of Queens for some reason. and that became a generational show in our house. Cosby show kind of fell off in the house. But that would have been one, I think. That would have been one. A different world was a big one because my niece really liked it and everything. But I was like, there should be more of these. And then after I was visiting my mom the year before she retired,

and I was pushing her to retire, I was visiting her and just walking around the schools. I grew up in schools. They feel like second homes to me. So I do know them well enough to know the rhythms and everything. But visiting it in that way after being out of school for so long, you start to see it in this really clear way.

It's kind of like when you haven't seen your family in a while. And you grew up in this family, but you haven't seen them in a while and you see them again. And then you like see everyone kind of clearly for who they are. That's what it was like when I visited my mom, her new principal.

was so funny in bananas. And my mom's little best friend who Melissa in the show was based off of was so funny to me. And my mom was so... I saw this woman who didn't want to retire because she didn't want to be put out to pasture. I don't know.

Both my parents really... They're workers. They've been working their whole life. They love working. My mom loves teaching. And I could feel that in her And so that was the heart of the show to me right there. And then my mom years ago had this TA, a teaching assistant that was so young and bubbly. And I remembered, even though I was young, I remember that woman getting on my mom's nerves. And I thought that was so funny.

And so all of a sudden, I'm like, I see Janine, I see Barbara, I see Melissa, I see Ava. My good friend from school, Gregory, he became a teacher and we wound up teaching with my mom. And he and I went to school together. We went to these programs together and everything. We went to college together. And I really, watching him become a teacher was so interesting and I was so proud of him

and so proud of what he was doing. He was, it's again what I'm talking about. Like him choosing to be a teacher was him choosing to be a role model for so many young black boys in Philadelphia, something they desperately needed, whether they knew it or not.

And so then Gregory became clear to me. And I had a friend Matt who was teaching in New York, who was the most well-meaning white guy you could find. And I was like, Matt was so funny to me. Just so earnest, nothing can get them down. You know what I mean? And I wanted to so many times to be like, Matt, you're corny as hell. That's everybody on the Obama campaign.

No. Yes. But you know what? That corn is what? help some kids to see another day that corny teacher is necessary. So then I got my Jacob. I was like, I have a show. You do.

I have a show. And then I just like woke up and was like, I'm going to make this. At the time I was in a couple, I was in between some other deals. So I was going to make it as an animated show first. Oh. But I was really, I am very into animation. And so I was like, I'll do it animated. And I hadn't seen an animated mockumentary.

But then things happen, whatever. And got the opportunity to do it live action, which led to the show. And yeah, I just wanted to make a good comedy. I had no idea how it would really shine a light on education. That was not my intention, to be honest. I just thought it was a good show. And I think that's kind of the beauty of being so intentional about one thing. Yeah.

You don't even know the blast radius that could happen. You know, I really wasn't thinking about it. I'm amazed by some of the impact that has come from the show. I was just in Chicago, and let me tell you, the energy in the city was incredible. Everyone was just buzzing with excitement. While I was there, I actually had a bit of downtime, so I booked this Airbnb experience. It was a custom sneaker making workshop. It was seriously so much fun.

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now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E-com slash I-O for free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince.com slash IMO. Well, you did it up, and I love the way you talk about how you weren't necessarily, you don't suffer from imposter's syndrome. No, it's my biggest flaw. I've learned. I was like, maybe I should get some imposter syndrome sometimes.

Yeah, I don't. Can you talk a bit about that? What is that about, especially when so many, there's so much conversation about people not feeling like they belong in their success? I feel like, if I feel like I don't belong somewhere for me, that is assigned to leave. So I always follow that instinct. If I'm somewhere, I'm like, I don't belong here. To me, that doesn't register as imposter syndrome. It registers as I'm not supposed to be here and I'm leaving.

And peace out to the environment. Yeah. Yeah. But if I am somewhere and I feel like I do belong there, I don't let any doubt enter because I'm here. And I look at the feeling of not belonging is more as a defense mechanism for me. Something to keep me safe. But when it comes to my work or comedy or any of this, I don't know.

I don't. And when I do get it, it's for the silliest things. Like, and even then I'm like, you're here, so you belong. And so I had it for a brief second. I think this is what Imposter Syndrome feels like. I was at the game, not the game on Wednesday in Madison Square Garden. And I'm not a Spurs or Nix. I'm not from New York and I'm not from San Antonio.

I'm especially not from New York. And being in Madison, like, being in Madison Square Garden, I was like, oh, man, like, thing. I felt like I felt like a little bit of, ooh, can I root? So I went out and got like an agnostic NBA jacket. Yeah. You know? I just followed the feeling really.

I was like, oh, I'm not, I'm not a, you know, I'm a fan of both teams. I'm just not from there. But I was like, let me get a. So you weren't rooting against the Knicks is what you're saying. This was a series where I truly was, you were neutral. You hope both teams lost. I hoped both teams won. That would have been.

After watching this season of basketball, I thought these were two, I was so happy It was these two teams in the finals And so I just felt like I just, it was just good basketball Which is so fun to watch And so I felt, is that imposter syndrome? I felt that way, but then I went and worked on it

I got myself an agnostic jacket Right. It's like, I'm going to the game. I'm going to the game, I sat down And I had a grand old time, you know, and I was able to lift the spirits of those around me because the New Yorkers around me

threw in the towel. This is when they were down by 30. I was like, hey guys, you got to believe. I don't, I'm just out here. No, I do belong here. There was a man next to me about the croak. He was like 97.

And he was, I was like, sir, you got to believe. You got to believe. You got to believe everyone. And they're like, what is your problem? And I'm like, just having a good time. I belong here. I belong here.

It's my stadium. So that's why I don't let it enter because I think it can block your blessing or the blessing you can be to someone else too. That's great. Yeah. That's great. Well, we have some fun stuff planned at the very end that we want to get to. But before we do that, I want to talk about the field trip fund, the quintet. Can you talk a little bit about that?

I'm so excited about it. Yeah. So I was really sad to hear that my niece and nephew who went to school during COVID did. didn't get to experience that many field trips. I immediately blamed COVID. And they just were like, no auntie. Like field trips just aren't happening anymore. And I was like, excuse me?

You're like, yeah, it's like, there's no money for them. They just aren't that big of a deal anymore. And I was like, not that big of a deal. Field trips changed my life. Yes. Change my life. The first time I went to New York was, New York is only two hours away from Philadelphia,

but so many kids from Philly never go to New York. And it's right there, but, you know, whatever. So, and then we did such fun things. We went to the river and we built boats and whatever. We went to museums. We went to, sometimes it was just to the Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Yeah. And drew the Liberty Bell.

But these things mattered. And so when I learned that, that really upset me. And when I found out the issue was like money, I was like, well, I have something. of that. So I'm going to try to help. And so I started talking about it with, I now have a team of people I work with in philanthropy specifically. And I was just like, what can I do? How can I help? And I went back to that thought of community, right? Yes, I could by myself, like, throw money at the problem. But there was something to the community also being able to care if they were moved to do so. And I felt like when people in Philly heard the information that I heard, which is that

field trips aren't happening anymore, because you're kind of disconnected from that if you don't have kids, that they would feel motivated to. There's not much that we as individuals can do about maybe the school buildings, which are old, or the teacher's salaries, which need to be raised. But here's this main thing we can do. And so we talked about this fund where anyone can donate and you will change the lives of Philadelphia students everywhere. Because field trips don't cost that much, but they do cost money.

And they can go somewhere free, but they need a bus. They need transportation there. We took a lot of my field trips in school on SEPTA. except as the public transit. And, you know, because they were like, we're not paying for no school buses. We are getting tokens and getting these kids on the bus. Yeah.

And we're going to the park today. And so teachers would come out of their pockets for that. And I don't expect, Philly is, I think, maybe the, it's one, maybe like the fifth poorest large country, a large city. And so people are not, they don't have money. Yeah. They don't.

These parents are working multiple jobs. They don't have the extra. They don't. Multiple jobs, just trying to get the kid to school. If we can alleviate one thing for them, it'd be nice. So I launched it and put $20,000 in and just told the public like, hey, if you guys want to donate to this, you can, this is going to be here forever. In only two months, we had over $100,000. I was in disbelief. I thought they were telling me the wrong amount.

Because we didn't do that much press for it. You know what I mean? I kind of announced it once with a video and that was it. But people were so motivated like I was to learn in Philly. And I also just wanted to start small. They were like, do we want to do this nationwide? But I do believe in water in your own garden first. Absolutely.

And I don't know the situations in other cities. So I didn't want to assume that I did. But I know what's going to do. on in Philly. So we, and it just keeps growing. Right now, we're hitting, we would like to hit a marker where at that point, basically over time, this money will continue to be there forever. It will, it will always be there and always grow.

Yeah. For these kids to be able to go. And it'll start next year and teachers will be able, they don't have to apply. They don't have to prove they deserve a field trip is going to be there for them to grab what they need and go. And that's what I wanted to. I don't want to do the thing where you have to add more paperwork. Thank you for that.

Where you have to prove how good a school you are, how good your class is, because that was a thing that was becoming a thing. And I didn't like that either of like prove that your class deserves that. And what, like, what? It's just some kids that need to do something. I used to kind of get on my nerves with like, scholar, I don't know. It was the thing I had too as a kid

where I'm like, why are they better than me? Because they made a better collage. Like, okay, we deserve to go. It would be like sweepstakes where it would be like went a trip to Nickelodeon studios and proved that you're the best class. And it was like, shouldn't all the best class? So I'm so excited about it.

Anyone here can donate basically we are going to reach 200,000, and then it will self-fund, so to speak. I will be continuing to contribute to it for the rest of my life and making sure that these teachers can just pool and these kids can never have to worry about a field trip.

They've got a lot to worry about, but they won't have to worry about being able to get somewhere. And we're not trying to send kids out of the country. We just go to the museum. To the museum. Yeah, to New York. I actually met someone in Philly recently that 30 years old, never been in New York. It's right there.

But that's the importance of being shown you can do it once. It never seems scary again. Yeah. That's the thing. Well, that's beautiful. Thank you. Congratulations. So proud of you.

So we tried something new a couple episodes ago where we had like this rapid fire round. So we would love to do it with you. Are you in charge of rapid fire? Actually, this was my sister's idea. No, no, it wasn't. I think rapid fire is for the staff. It wasn't it. But you're going to do rapid fire.

Let's do it. Okay. So, Philly cheese steak or Chicago deep dish pizza? Philly cheese steak. Yeah, that's a. Well, what about you? Deep dish. I mean, you know, because I just have to.

But certain kind of a deep dish, Gino's East. Gino's East. Not Girodano. It's hard to get into it. It's so the crust is so good. It's really hard. And that sausage layer, ugh, to die for. You just need a sharper knife as well you need. Good to know.

Good to know. Okay. Reality TV or sitcom. The other answer, sitcom. Hate reality TV. Yeah, I mean, as much as I love reality TV, there's nothing like a good. I don't even talk to you about this. I know. What?

Is it a problem? It fascinates me. It is, that's the thing. I would like to have judgments, but I would never judge you on that ever. I consider it part of my major as sociology. It's just a study of people. Fascinating. She's trying to get me because we're doing this podcast into reality TV.

He's got to know more about popular culture. I mean, we're talking about that. He doesn't see anything. I watch Survivor. Yeah, the competition show, yeah, yeah. But still, it's a sitcom. Do you watch Love Island? Yeah, I do.

Yeah. Malia and Fox, that's mother-daughter time. Okay. You know, because, and they're behind. They got me hooked. And I was like, if you started the next season, and they were like, no, we're busy. It's like, oh, you need to.

Okay. You need to get some more free time. I rewatch old reality TV. What's the point of that? I don't know. I'm fascinated by that time. Like the early 2000s reality television was the purest I think it was ever going to be. Yeah.

So every now and then. Yeah. I'm loving this guy clapping in the hat like, like preach. But I rewatch very often, I rewatch Flavor of Love. I love New York. Well, now all those characters are coming back on the new reality. What's her name? Wasn't this supposed to be rapid fire?

I'm sorry. Oh, sorry. Rapid fire. Okay. Well, you just got to keep going. Yes. Because we both talk a lot. Yes, we do.

And no. Wawa or Patillos? Wawa. I don't know what Patillos is. Oh, Patillo. Oh. In Chicago, y'all. Let's be nice to our guest.

Be nice to our guests. So I'm being set up. No, no, no. Portillo's is a locally, regionally famous hot dog. and Italian beef place. It's got everything. Sounds lovely.

I would love to try it. And Wawa, for the Chicago fans, Wawa is like a A magical. A convenience store. See, but that's why I don't think the two. I don't think the two, the Wawa, we had, all they had was sandwiches.

Like, I don't even. Not anymore. Not anymore. It was way back in the day. You can get a, it's a lot there. You can get everything there. Ice tea. Yeah.

I think you get a Pajmina there. Okay. I haven't been a while. more like that ever. Aspirin. Okay, wrap it. Wrap it, wrap it, wrap it, wrap it. One week teaching at Abbott or one week at the White House.

Respectfully? Uh-huh. One week teaching at Abbott. There you go. Respect, right. Yeah. Yeah. All right.

Last one. Tasty cake or Garrett's popcorn? I don't even know what a tasty cake is. So Tasty Cake is like hostess But on the East Coast. But better. No, no, no. Gertz.

Quintz said, but better. It is. Let me just say, I do love Garrett's popcorn. It is. Legalized drugs. Am I? What's your go-to

Garrett's order? The caramel? One of my writers brings me a bucket. You don't do the mix? The caramel. Cheese and carbs? Yes, I do that.

Okay. His name is Garrett. And he brings a bucket. He does. He brings a bucket to the mix. room every year, every time he visits home. And you can't stop eating it. Can't stop eating it. However, I'm going to have to go tasty cake because it is just so good.

I'll bring you one at some point so you can taste it. You would think you didn't go to school on the East Coast. You don't know tasty cake? I don't remember, but I don't remember much, y'all. It's very northeast specific. Yeah. Yeah. It's like hostess.

Yeah. Okay. But I think people on the East Coast feel like it is much better than hostess. Okay. Yeah. That's the reason we feel that way is because it is. We're going to be nice to you because you're our guest. Quenta, thank you so much for being here.

It has been a pleasure. Thank you. Thank you. You really don't seem like you're working on two hours' sleep. So we thank you for that. It was the energy in this room. It really was. Thank you, guys.

I appreciate it. It was so proud of you. Thank you. Keep it going. We are watching everything you do. Thank you. So, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, guys.

You got a couple of you. back and visit us again. I will. Thank you so much. Thank you very much.