IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson - Share the Shine with Kenan Thompson

Episode Date: October 29, 2025

Actor, comedian, and long-running SNL cast member Kenan Thompson sits down with Michelle and Craig to answer a listener’s question about parenting a daughter who wants to be famous. Kenan shares his own experience as a child actor, how he helps foster a sense of community on SNL, and how he shows up as a father to his two young daughters. Plus, Kenan’s kids make a special guest appearance!Have a question you want answered? Write to us at imopod.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I remember when I auditioned for the Mighty Ducks, like they asked if I could skate. And I was like, yeah, I can roller skate. Couldn't roller skate at all. What were you thinking? But it was just one of those, like, they say put special skills at the bottom of the resume to make it look nicer and make it look more interesting. So I'm like, I've been roller skating, so I'll put that down there.

I remember, like, I used to fall two feet up with roller skating. You know what I mean? Like, real bad falls. Yeah, super duke. You weren't even close to being able to skate. But thank God they taught me. This episode is brought to you by Rivian and Colagard. Hey, you?

Well, Craig Robinson, here you are again. You show back up. I'm going if you keep coming. If you keep coming. Okay, that's a deal. That's a deal. We're having a lot of fun. This is so much fun.

Yeah, loving your color selection. What would you call that? I would call this an olive. and olive green. Yeah. Yeah. Kelly hooked you up again. She did once again. Once again. And you've made it here and put those clothes on just like she told you to. All by myself. So did I hear a rumor that you have driven your Rivian? Driving my Rivian. It was cool. Yeah. Yeah. I've got the, we've got this amazing forest green Rivian. It is beautiful. It just sits in the dry way. beautiful. I love the look of that car. It's a good looking car. It is an elegant car. And it's

bigger than you think once you get in it. It's huge, especially after driving a smaller car. But it was so smooth. And we were on some back roads and some little unpaved things. It didn't feel bumpy. It was the, although I was riding with Malia and she had just gotten into town. Okay. So I'm like, you know, I'm still new driving. New driving. New to an electric car, right? And new, because I don't drive all the time, right? That's right. So this is me and my daughter.

We're in the car, you know, just the two of us got the radio on. And I'm trying to figure out everything and where do you press this. And she's telling me her life because she had just gotten into town. And she's ready to talk about her. And she's talking and I'm trying to drive and work the pedal. And she's like, and then, Mom, you know what happened? And I was like, turn the station down. And she's just going at me, you know.

It's like, she's telling. telling me everything. Important news, too. So I'm trying to drive my Rivian, pay attention to the screen, not hit a deer, you know, but through it all, it was a really smooth ride. It was. Folks have heard us talk about the rivians that we have been gifted by the company to drive. And Kelly and I finally got to do a long ride where you have to charge it when you're away. Oh, yeah, yeah. And because she was nervous about that. She was a little nervous about it. And I was saying they do such a good job in their app of showing you not only where the Rivian charging stations are, but where any charging station is. So you're never really out

out there on your own. And so we drove, I don't know, 400 something miles away, charged it away at a grocery store. And it was way to go. So went in and got something to eat, messed around with the dashboard and still finding stuff out. So it was really good. Yeah. It was really good. And another friend of mine who has a Rivian says that there's a whole camper unit that you can get with it. You can.

Yeah. Which I didn't. I know that Rivian, they are really pushing outdoor life. So the hood is not because there's no engine. You can use it as a cooler. But I didn't realize that you could get other accessories. There's a cooktop and other kind of, you've never told me about that. But that's because I haven't been camping.

Yeah, but still, those are features that are really pretty interesting for the more outdoorsy people who are Rivian users. Yeah. But anyway, so I was thrilled. It's a beautiful car. And when I get back home, I'm going to drive it some more. Yeah. So. We have a guest of all guests.

Yeah. Yeah, one of my favorite people. He doesn't know that. Well, how could he? I don't think he knows that. Yeah, I guess we never met him. But don't you feel like, you know, you should know that? And it feels like not only should we know that we know him, but it feels like he should know us.

He feels like I was telling you, he feels like somebody who went to Mount Carmel High School walking down the hallway. Yeah. Cracking jokes on dudes and dudes going to their locker room shaking their head crying, you know? I mean, just he's that for me. Like, if I look at him and he smirks a little, I will start cracking up. And we're talking about Keenan Thompson, you all. Yes, indeed. Before I get too far ahead of myself.

Well, let's introduce him so we can get him out here. I will. Keenan Thompson is an award-winning actor, comedian, producer, and author. All of that? Yep. Best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, or S&L, as people call it. Is that what they say? Yeah.

And he's recently wrapped his 22nd season. Dag, he looks like he's 27. I know. And I was telling Julia, our producer, that I've been watching that show since it came on. I'm that old. And I remember when he came on. And I was like, man, they hired these young brothers on the Saturday Night Live. Okay, okay.

And he is the show. longest running cast members. So without any further ado, the man who's coming here dressed for the vineyard, Keenan Thompson. Keenan. It's like cousin Kenan.

That's right. What's up? She has a time. You look so fresh. Brother, a man had to get fresh for y'all. Pleasure, pleasure, pleasure. You know, I want to go to the vineyard. Okay, all right.

All right. Get your fairy tuesday. ticket. You know, they have the little ones with the cars. They have the, yeah. Have you ever been to the vineyard? I went for Seth Myers' wedding. I was like the one time I went. Uh-huh. Yeah, it's lovely. It's lovely. I rented this like yellow, I think Camero. Oh, so you were top-bound.

Yellow, you know, kind of oblivious to the fact that people will notice me. But yeah, I was sticking out a little bit on that one. It was fun, though. It's like, is that gay, na, na, no more? I mean, I want to live life, you know? Yeah, you have to live life. You can't live life. You can't live life. Yeah, but that means you have to, like, find some time to have a vacation.

Yeah. It doesn't happen often. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That was a good one. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, welcome. Thank you very much. It's so nice to see the two of you in person. And it's good to see you in person to meet you. I really do feel like I know you. I mean, yes. I'm sure you get that a lot.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. like, man, I feel like we know each other. But I've been in y'all's face for a long time. You have, you have.

At all different levels, too, you know? Because you got the kid audience that grew up with you. Because our kids, Malia and Sasha, by the time they were watching you, I wasn't watching TV with them. Right. You know, you get to that age where it's like, okay, yon yon. Right, that's what you do. But. Yeah.

Enough of that Mickey Mouse in the background. Exactly. But my older kids grew up with you. They're just a little bit younger than you are. But my younger kids only know you from Saturday Night Live. They're 15 and 13. Interesting. Yeah.

And we let them watch a little Saturday Night Live before. And what do they think? Yes, that's a good. I am a surprise. What do they think about the show or about you? Both. Yeah, do you want them watch Saturday Night Live? Well, it's thanks to Malia.

I started letting them watch our rated stuff. So, Malia. They were very strict parental parents in terms of viewing. No PG-13. And their older cousin thought that that was ridiculous and told them that they needed to be doing more sneaking by now. There's always them cousins. She was. She was in the cousins.

Kids influence each other the most. Oh, goodness. Cousins. But that's what cousins are for. That's what she felt. She felt like she needed to inform them that they shouldn't always be. listening to their parents. And thank God it was family,

as opposed to, like, some folks down the street. You know what I mean? But Malia, of all people. Malia? Yeah, but, you know, it's a little honest. I could see if it was Sasha, but Malia. I'm like, but they're 15 and 13.

That's what Malia's point was. It's time. It's about that time. You know, you want them to be street smart. Yeah, we do because they, you know, they've grown up a little differently than we are. Exactly. And we did.

You know, you wanted to give them that as well kind of thing, because you want to give them. want to spoil them, you know, because you work hard. And it's like, I'm working hard to give these things to you. But then you see that they might not be appreciating in it as much. So you got to pull back some. Exactly. But, you know, it's all leading up to those riving times, you know?

Like, you get back to a reunited person and y'all have a conversation. And it's like, look at this fully formed, totally separate, you know, adult human being kind of thing. Or approaching adulthood kind of thing. How old are your daughters now? They are the little one is turning seven. in a couple days, and the big one's 11. Yeah. They can't deal on me.

I don't have babies anymore. I know. But see, that's why you're in that deep parenting mode. You know, I mean, you see how quickly. You see it rolled off his tongue about the accountability. Well, because that's all you were thinking about, right? 24-7 for the last 11 years. Forget Keenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live.

You're just like, look at these two people growing up in front of my face. Absolutely. It's the greatest thing in the way. You know, it's literally witnessing miracles. Yeah. So it's been the best thing I've ever done, in my opinion. You know, other people look at my work on television. But for me, looking outwards always, like, they're the greatest, you know.

Yeah, sweethearts. What's been the hardest part of being a, because you have two girls? Yeah. I think waiting on the turn, you know, like right now they're like very sweet and they're nice to their mom. You've heard about the turn, huh? And I've heard about that turn that could have. it doesn't happen. Sometimes it doesn't. Or sometimes it's quick and they come back around pretty quickly, you know, kind of hoping for that.

Here's the thing. Like, you know, I always say to the minute they show up, right, you're preparing them for the turn, right? And all the other stuff. Like sometimes people as parents, they're like, well, I'll wait until you 20. Right. And I'll start talking to you about the things I'm worried about or I'll start worrying about your attitude. But at all, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it. It's every day. Yeah. What kinds of things are you working on as a father today that's going to think, prepare them? I mean, just telling them and reminding them that they are family.

You know what I mean? They're so competitive with each other, you know, and that's fine to be, have a competitive nature and this and the other. But I want to remind them that this is what you have. This sibling bond that you have is very strong. It's probably the strongest on the planet, you know. But if you don't use it the correct way, if you waste it or if you just, you know, waste the young years and, you know, you don't get to know each other until later, you know, I just don't want them wasting time arguing over who gets to sit where in the car or who gets to press what elevator. But you know what I mean?

I always want to remind them that y'all should love each other. You know, family is a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing to stay connected like that because me and my siblings are close, you know. And it's, I'm a witness to what it's like to be able to live long life with your siblings and have people that support you, you know, no matter what kind of thing. You know, I'm witnessing you too. Like, that's a beautiful thing. How many brothers and sisters do you have? I have one of each.

Uh-huh. Yeah. What was it growing up? Like, where, we're, I'm from Atlanta. Yeah. Yeah. Southern boy. South side.

Yes, indeed. Right by the airport. I grew up with my manners, you know, large extended family, lots of cousins. I grew up with your manners? I grew up with my manners. Oh, well, you look like you're going up with your manners. Call me Michelle. Wait, wait, let's see.

Call Michelle. Michelle. It's tough. It's hard. You should. If you like that, though. I do. We want to call you Madame Obama.

We want to call you empress. We want to call you all kinds of things. You can call me anything after you kneel. Michelle, thank you for the grace to call you. Yeah, yeah. Did I miss the meal? I didn't do the meal. But yeah, no.

It's a beautiful thing. My parents are from small town, Virginia, Lynchburg, if you ever heard of it. And, yeah, all my cousins, extended family from around that area. And spend a lot of summers growing up there. So I have a perspective of, you know, what it's like to maybe not have grown up with a lot of opportunity kind of thing. And at what age? I mean, you guys started so young. When did you feel like, oh, I think I want to do this?

Pretty early. Probably my first paycheck. I started acting when I was five doing theater and stuff like that. And you knew. You wanted to do that. I enjoyed it. But when I was like 11, I did a commercial. I was like a real job.

And then they paid me like $800. And I was like, at 11 years old, that might as well have been a million. Really? So I was like, yeah, I like this. I had cut grass and stuff before and it's 20 bucks a yard and that's a lot of work for $20 if you can actually sign that house up

you know, you gotta walk the neighborhood with your mom hot in Atlanta so like I knew work. Yeah. There's air conditioning on set. Yeah, and treats. And snacks. And treats.

What was the commercial? It was for this fried chicken restaurant called Lee's famous country recipe chicken. Too long. Really? Were you an outlier? I mean, were the kids in your group all, you know, rehearsing and plays, you know,

or were you one of one in your? I mean, my brother and I kind of started together, you know, we both went to, like, Sears to get our headshots down. I remember that. Sears. Sears. The headshots are Sears. The headshots in Sears.

The head shots. Get your tires. And I think this was Sears outlet, which was even further. Oh, yeah. That's right. That's right. But you remember the Sears catalog? Yeah.

Oh, man. Yes. Yes. Yeah, went from this to this. Yeah, to back to. That was bathroom reading. Bathroom reading. Coupons-ish.

Coupons-ish. They kind of just showing you what they got. So hit shots. This is before the internet. Hit shots at Sears. And I think borrowed sweaters. I think we put the sweaters back after the photo shoot. From the rack.

Uh-huh. It's like, we're just trying these on. Babies Thanksgiving. No haircuts. That's gangster. So the first head shots was very spiky little afros. Yeah. Adorable, though.

You know, I thought we were two cute little kids. And then my brother grew up and went to, like, college and became cool, you know. And then I stayed kind of in it. And yeah, that's how it kind of started. But were you able to, like, a normal childhood, were you still playing outside or did, When did it get, when did it change? When did it?

I was, I think, kind of a great version of a child actor story because I didn't really start working, working until I was like 15, you know. So I was kind of already up there as far as knowing who I am as a person. And you just, you know, listen to you. It's, you know, what I mean? Like, I know my values, my manners, just that and the other. And I'm ready to, like, go out in the world and, like, figure out if I can start, you know, working or start towards a career, whatever that might mean.

This segment is presented by progressive insurance because true progress starts when people are empowered with the knowledge and support to take bold steps forward. And, you know, being prepared always made me feel really good. And I think back to the times when I was coaching, whether it was as an assistant coach at Northwestern or a head coach at Brown or Oregon State, whenever my teams were prepared. I always went into the game feeling like we had a more than 80% chance to win the game. And it is amazing how when you hit all the notes in practice, the games are easy. Yeah, that makes it fun. When I realized the importance of preparation in making something hard fun was actually in law school when I had my first moot court competition. Ooh.

And yeah, it was daunting, but I didn't really know what it was. It was for sure everybody had to compete in moot court. And I was, I, for the practice, because you've got an opportunity to practice, and you were actually making a case, a closing argument. It was a criminal case. And I think I was representing the defense. My partner was representing the prosecution, if I have it right. And we had to present our closing arguments to the jury. So instead of preparing, I, didn't have time, so I thought, well, I'll go in and I'll wing it, right? And you were taped. And I got to watch how bad I was taped when I wasn't prepared. And it was probably the most painful experience for me to watch myself on tape, not be prepared. And I think that was probably the first and last time that I decided to wing it. And I understood that, you know, and I also found out that when I did prepare for the actual moot court trial, it was more fun, just like you said, because then you can flow. Same thing with the big speech. When I'm prepared for a big speech, if I know what I'm saying, if I've gone over the process, if I know what it feels like to stand

in front of the podium, to get a feel for how the mic sounds, to get used to the lights and the sounds, then the speech can just flow. So preparation for me has always been a part of not just showing up right, but enjoying the process along the way. Until your brother walks up next to you and says the left prompter is out. Well, yeah, that was our famous story. In the first big speech, national speech I had at the first Democratic National Convention where you introduced me and we had teleprompters and we had practiced. We had practiced. We were prepared. It was great. But one of the prompters went out in the middle of your introduction. So it was time for me to come on stage that the crowd's going wild. I come up to give you a hug. And I think you're going to whisper something inspirational

in my ear. Like, I love you. I'm so proud of you. Instead, you said left prompter out. And then you were gone. And I was like, oh, what? That was strange. But I couldn't react because I was on national TV until I got to the podium and realized, oh, my God, the prompter to the left was out. But Because I was prepared. You were prepared. It didn't mean anything. It didn't matter. It didn't matter.

And even though it doesn't look like it when we're doing this podcast because we're just flowing back and forth, it takes a lot of preparation for us. It takes a little work to show up on camera. It takes a lot of work. But I tell you, there's no blueprint for becoming a homeowner. But the truth is preparation is just part of the path to ownership. Thankfully, Progressive is helping people own that process through helpful resources and educational tools that makes sense of the journey. And thanks to a $7 million commitment

to housing initiatives in 2024, along with this year's new down payment assistance program called the Up Payment, Progressive is helping more people prepare, purchase, and build a foundation for the future. Whether you're just starting to dream about homeownership or already deep in the planning process, Progressive is here to guide you from the first, question to the front door. Visit progressive.com slash open the house to explore tools, guidance,

and support that can help turn your dream into a reality. When you first were famous, was that the, you know, the Nickelodeon years or... Yeah, I think Good Burger kicked it in a high year. I mean, Mighty Ducks was cool,

but that was more so about like the Mighty Ducks. And then like heavyweights was, you know, kind of a, like a, cultural kind of thing, like, you know, a little cult following kind of movie. Yeah. But Good Burger was ours. You know, it started on our show, you know, and it was the first movie that came from our show, you know, and we were both in it, me and Kel. And, like, that was my brother and is my brother.

Yeah. And, you know, we just had such a good time. We're 18 at that time. So we were like, like, yes, bring this all on now, please. Now, where were your parents on all of this? How did they feel? Did you feel like they were watching? Were they engaged as you were going through this process?

Very supportive. Yeah. Yeah. My mom was my main, like, pusher, my main, like, you know, foundational. Because she's the type of person that got a job in my theater school so I could take classes there, you know. So, like, she's that person. And I remember we drove to Charlotte for an audition that I didn't get, you know, came back the same day, and she was like, don't worry about it, you know,

be there on the next one. So shout out to all of them. Parents that are like, you know, really supporting their kids' dreams and endeavors, even if you don't know where it's headed because we didn't know where it was headed. You know, it was just something that I wanted to do on top of everything else. Like, I was still playing sports and like playing music and all kind of stuff, but I didn't have rock star dreams necessarily, you know. I maybe had maybe football dreams, but I was little, you know, still. And everybody else was turning into monsters by like ninth, 10th grade. like we're starting to get real.

Yeah. You know, especially in a good old fed south. You know? It's like, I'm not going in there with them. Yeah, these are real beasts. There's some real dudes down there. Yeah, man. Just kid, kid beasts.

But I always enjoy performing and I just, I couldn't stop it. Did you ever have a point in time before, you know, when you were young in your career, where you did get a little bit of a big head? Oh, yeah. What was that like? Yeah, I was very kind of naively cocky, you know, going into like certain auditions. Like I remember when I audition for the Mighty Ducks, like they asked if I could skate. And I was like, yeah, I can roller skate.

Couldn't roller skate at all, you know? But it was just one of those like, they say put special skills at the bottom of the resume to make it look nicer and make you look more interesting. So I'm like, I've been roller skating, so I'll put that down there. I remember like, I used to fall two feet up to skating. You know what I mean? Like, real bad falls. Yeah, super duper.

You weren't even close to being able to skate. But thank God they taught me, you know, how to play. And I can, you know, skate to this day. But just one of those things that you just got to, you know, kind of try to make yourself a little more appealing, you know, if that's not necessarily the case kind of thing. Yeah, but that's not a bad story. You know, stretches. See what? We know.

Stretching the team. It's not. I mean, that's just that. That's a tactic. But that's easily figured out, though. You know, no, I know. But that does, to me, that doesn't qualify. It could have cost me the job.

But I was willing to take that risk. But if you having a big head, you know, or going, I mean, that means you were hustling. Sorry, back to this, to that part. Yes. When, after Mighty Ducks, I thought I was a movie star, you know? So I was like, after one kid movie where I, like, my character kind of helped save the day. Not necessarily the only, but I'm the hero. You know, I'm the hero of the sequel of the Mighty Ducks.

So that means I'm in the game, you know? So when I audition for all that, it was a different approach to it because I was introduced to the producers as opposed to like being heard it in. So it was like a meeting. You know what I mean? I'm like, it's overweight. You know what I got to meet with me, bro. Like, what we're talking? We might as well just like go on grab lunch or something.

Like, it's over. I got this. And I just was like, what y'all need? Y'all need the Jamaican? Y'all need the old man. I just threw them out there like it was nothing. But I think that confidence was like, you know, something that was appealing to them. You know, like, oh, he's kind of ready to perform.

We don't have to worry about stage fright, I guess, or something like that. So, yeah, I was a little naive on that one. But it helped because I do get very nervous. I still get nervous for every show. Really? Yeah, yeah. Oh, man. And I was like trying to talk to different people about, especially for stand-up.

That's why I don't do stand-up because it stresses me out. Like, if I have a gig, that's all I'm thinking of, the whole day. You can't sleep. You know, like, I'm just, I can't not focus on that. And then, like, if I travel to a town, I ain't going out in the town, you know, I'm just in the hotel, passing around, watching TV, right, and they just wait, ticking the time away, and it just feels so wasteful. So it's not my, that's obviously not my thing.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah, but you have been the longest running cast member of SNL, That's the most terrifying thing. People have asked me to do a lot of things. You see, I've been on talk shows. I've been skits with people. I've done. But S&L, I would never do that.

That's wild. It would be terrifying. Just what you described to me. I wouldn't sleep that week. I'd be worrying. I'd be worrying. I'd be worrying about looking at the camera. I don't know how you all do that week after week.

Yeah. My heart goes out there because I know that feeling, you know. but I just don't have it there. Because I'm very comfortable there. I mean, we did a lot of sketches growing up. And then the live factor doesn't bother me much because it's a large group of people doing it together. You know what I mean?

And there's a lot of people like getting you to where you need to be. And like, all I got to do read the words. I can do that, you know? Like, I can like stay focused enough and like deliver my part of it. And there's so many people helping you get to that point. And you have to write yourself to that point. Yes, that's a number. another tough part of it.

But, like, the actual show once it's at that point, it doesn't stress me, like, going to yuck yucks and having to do 17 minutes. It's all on you. I hate waiting in lines or, you know, what is with these air? The TSA, you know, I just don't make fun of stuff. Go back to you have to write yourself. What does that mean? We write on SNL.

So, like, the best way to, like, make yourself known there is to, write for yourself in the beginning, you know, so you have to, like, for better or for worse, like, put yourself out there so people can kind of see what your sense of humor is or what you'd like to focus on. I was lucky that I was able to balance it more with performance than writing, and I would collab right with a lot of people, but anytime I wrote on my own, it went all over the place. And I have a hard time, like, staying linear or whatever. I'll just be writing based on, like, what's on my mind at the time. And then when I look back at it, I'm like, come on.

That's going to think that this isn't going to. It makes no sense. Martin Luther King talking to Jay-Z. That doesn't happen. When does that happen? And where is it going? You know, and where's the point? Where's going to end?

So when you first got on Saturday Night Live, do you have to go on as a writer? Or how did how do you tell us about the process? There's some people that get hired as either a writer or a cast member. Okay. And when you get hired in the beginning, you are a repertory player, I think. So that's a two-year kind of staging. process and then you become a full player. Okay. If I'm

getting the terms right. When do you get have your face on the opening credits and come popping out of New York? Smoking a cigarette. When do you get to be, as soon as you get hired as a cast member, yeah. So if you get in the cast, you get

a title in the beginning and you get to do your Was that a big deal? Was that like for you when you were? Huge deal. And like, it was hard to comprehend it still being the same show that I grew up watching because now I'm on it. And I'm like, I thought this was serious comedy. So strange. Yeah. And I was 25. So I was, I was young. And, like, I was ready to do kind of whatever. But it was just very surreal. You know, it was, it was hard to see it as the same kind of place. And then I was, like, worried. I'm like, have I changed it forever? Like, am I really worthy of this? You know what I mean? Because, like, I don't. You know what I mean? And I don't know what my sense of humor.

Like, I don't know what my point of view is as opposed, you know, when you approach comedy or whatever. Like, what am I trying to say with my jokes? I don't know. Like, I'm used to, like, playing around in chocolate. You know what I'm saying? Just doing whatever. And, like, now I have to be serious and, like, you know, do college kind of educated material. And I didn't finish college.

But, you know, whatever. You were a bit busy. You were working already. Yeah. You had a job about it. Yeah. That's why people go to college. Yeah, exactly, to try to figure it out.

But, yeah, I had to figure it out, and he was in my way. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, but, yeah, it took me a while to figure out how to write sketches. Did you have a mentor on the show that's sort of like, hey, Keenan, this is how you go about getting to the next level. Is that, is that? Yeah, I mean, because I hear you do that for people. If they ask, I try to be there for people because I remember being very lost in the beginning, yes.

because a lot of people, you know, come from improv houses or they come from stand-up, you know, two big communal worlds, basically, where they're not by themselves. Not a lot of people come from already being an actor or already being a kid's performer or anything and just, you know, just being an actor. You know, most people are like real comics

that, like, wind up getting hired there and are always, like, hyper-focused on it. So they know it very well. They've shared stories or they read the books. You know, like I went into it just blind, based on what I had been watching on TV or whatever, not knowing how small the studio was, not knowing much about Manhattan, you know, and all that kind of stuff.

And it was just like a tornado of learning everything on the fly. And it's like college. Not everybody's just going to pull you aside and teach you how to do it. But Tracy Morgan was a real one from day one. I love him. It's my brother. He was just like in his own kind of way telling us little tidbits, like, don't peek at dress.

What? Oh, don't peek at dress. That is a golden nugget. Yeah. Because, yeah, the live show is what matters. You know what I'm saying? So if you peek at dress, it's like, yeah, you kind of just wasted it a little bit, you know? And like, you don't really have that luxury to do that in your first few years, you know,

because everybody is trying to do their very best, you know, because this is the life-changing job. You know what I'm saying? Like, if you do it well, it can change your life. If you do it bad, you know. It can change your life. Yeah. You know what I mean? So it's a lot of stress.

And I see the stress on newcomers, you know what I'm saying? So I always try to be like a friendly ear or if I see things, you know, when we're rehearsing stuff, I try to suggest, you know, maybe like this shot should be this or maybe like what about this idea? I'm like, I'm always trying to like participate in, you know, helping others, sketches, you know, get as good as they can be, you know, just try to be helpful basically. when you're stressing like that, you're just, you're not thinking clearly. You know what I mean? You're not relaxed enough to be funny almost. Exactly. You know, so how do you, how do you relax to be funny?

You know, what's your tip? I will never do S&L. I would, like if I were going to do S&L. I think you could do it because I think you would recognize the communal push uphill, which is the show. We're all trying to push the show to the top of the hill every single week. And everybody is hyper-focused and committed to the same goal. You know, no matter what their politics might be or whatever, everybody is respectful of the place.

It's almost like a temple, you know what I mean? And like there's nobody trying to make it go left at all. Nobody wants anyone to fail. At all. Yeah. And I think once you settle into that warmth, I think you start to embrace, the only thing that matters is kind of what makes you laugh. You know what I mean? And it's not really about anything else because it's your night. And it's up to us to make your night as special as possible, which is like, I love that.

I grew up very ensemble-minded. So like I'm all about let somebody else have the shine. And I will help that shine be as bright as possible. Like, I love that. You, you like just sitting here for the listeners, the watchers, you're just such a regular dude. Yes. You know. Taurus in a house. Yeah, Tours. Shout out.

Shout out to the. Torres is the real ones. Okay. Enough. The real ones. Enough. Whatever. Man, you're welcome.

You're welcome. Watch yourself over there, Capricorn. It's okay. It's okay. You know, I'm going to take back my compliments. It's okay. This is what I have to deal with since she was four. Remember that y'all love each other.

I love you. You don't remember y'all's siblings. Take it back her compliments. Hey, everybody. Craig Robinson here. And you guys have heard me talk a lot about. how much I love staying in Airbnb's. Well, our family is planning a trip out to the West Coast to visit our daughter. And we were thinking, man, it's going to be hard to roll up in her two-bedroom apartment

with six people. So we decided to get an Airbnb where we could all hang out comfortably. We'll have more bedrooms. We don't have to fight over bathrooms. There'll be a kitchen. We can cook out if we want. So my wife Kelly found the perfect place for us using Airbnb's guest favorites. We're staying close to my daughter's place, which means we can spend more time with her and easily get out into the city. We get a chance to tour L.A., take her to her favorite restaurant, drop by Universal, let the kids play around for a day, or we could go by Griffith Observatory, which is the place I've always wanted to see. If you're starting to think about your next trip, check out Airbnb. guest favorites. Guest favorites are the most loved homes on Airbnb by other guests.

This episode of IMO is brought to you by Coligard, a non-invasive colon cancer screening test. Currently, the American Cancer Society recommends that if you are at average risk, you should begin screening for colon cancer at age 45. There are an estimated 60 million adults age 45 plus in America who are not up to date with their colon. cancer screening. So we need to change that by spreading the word about another option. The Kola Guard test can help you put your health first and feel more in control of your colon cancer screening process. This easy-to-use screening test is delivered right to your door and allows you to collect a sample comfortably at home on your own schedule. The sample is shipped

back to the lab for testing and results are available within 8 to 10 days. It's simple, but the best part about the Kola Guard test is that it allows you to start screening for colon cancer without all the hassle of preparing for a colonoscopy. So you don't have to prep the day before. And by prep, you know I mean fasting and drinking all that liquid. You get to skip the stress of having to request off work. Go under anesthesia. get a ride home, and all the other hassles that come with an invasive procedure. And in addition to its convenience, coliard is also affordable. Most insured patients find they pay nothing out of pocket.

With zero downtime, no special preparation, and a screening test that's delivered right to your door, let's start prioritizing our health. So, if you're 45 or older and at average risk, ask, your health care provider about screening for colon cancer with the Coligard test. You can also request a Coligard prescription today at colagard.com slash podcast. The Coligard test is intended to screen adults 45 and older at average risk for colorectal cancer. Do not use a coliagard test if you have had adenomas, have inflammatory bowel disease, and certain hereditary syndromes, or a personal or family history of colorectal cancer. The Coligard test is not a replacement for a colonoscopy in high-risk

patients. Colagard test performance in adults ages 45 to 49 is estimated based on a large clinical study of patients 50 and older. False positives and false negatives can occur. Colagard is available by prescription only. This episode of IMO is brought to you by Progressive Insurance, who help people move forward and live fully. Owning a home can be one of the most powerful ways to build financial security. But for many, especially first-generation buyers, it can feel out of reach. That's why I appreciate what Progressive is doing. In 2024, they contributed over $7 million to help individuals and families break the cycle of renting by providing support, offering educational resources, and developing tools. to build long-term financial stability through home ownership.

Their work goes beyond just insurance. Their opening doors. Through their newly created up-payment program, Progressive is helping first-generation homebuyers move closer to the dream of home ownership by offering eligible applicants a chance to receive a down-payment assistance grant. You know, owning a home for me made me feel grounded and also set me up for the future.

And as a coach, when your life is dependent on wins and losses, it's really important to have the comfort of a really nice home to come home to, especially for your family. Home ownership is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make, and Progressive wants to help more. Any memorable favorite sketches that, like when people ask you, what are some of your favorite sketches? Mine?

Yes. Absolutely. I mean, Scared Straight was my first love because it was the first, like, idea that I had personally made on the show. And it still goes. I can't believe they picked it for the 50th. It was just a special thing. Eddie and Wilford? Like, crazy.

So that was a very, very special moment because that was like the first, like, the first, like, thing that I loved and I had an idea about that actually was transferable to the show. kind of thing. I had a lot of things before that that just made no sense or they were just a little too obvious or been done before, you know, you know, there's a lot of like lineage there, especially as far as like black culture is concerned, like how many times can you do a person in an Afro? How many times can you do this? So figuring it out was, you know, it took me five years, like Scared Straight didn't come to my fifth season. It took me a while. And then what's up with that, of course. Like, what's up with that? Family Fuge, Black Jep? You know, all the good black stuff.

What's it like having your face in the world? I mean, how do you get about? How do you, how has it, look, I live in a, we live in a bubble. We were raised just like you, me more so. I'm in a bubble, me, my husband. That's not how we were raised. We believe in the same thing that, you know, it's a lot. Every time we moved up somewhere, we brought our community with us.

A lot of it selfishly because it's no fun being in the White House with no friends or to be there with people you didn't really know. They didn't come there with you. They didn't help you get there. You ever think about changing their name? Obama. What would you pick, Keenan? What do you think? The Black House, man.

Just for a little while. Just for a little while. Just for a little while. It hasn't crossed our mind. It hadn't. It hadn't. That's because y'all good. You're right.

You've got nice people. People haven't thought about it. Yeah. But it's, you know, it changes the way you have to live. Yeah. Whether you like it or not. And I'm just wondering what, what have been the hardest changes for you, especially given your poor? I mean, it's invasive.

And it's tougher for me when it's tough on other people that are around me that get affected kind of thing. You know, like, I can, I'm a man out here. I can handle, you know, whatever is coming my way because I feel like I'm putting myself in those positions, but when people get it by default necessarily, just for, you know, being associated, you know, that's when it starts to bother me more so than anything, because, like, I don't want to impede on other people, you know, I don't want to be a burden or, you know, cause strife where strife wasn't necessarily there at first kind of thing. And it's terrible to be the cause of stress, you know, so that bothers me, especially, like,

in public when people come up, you know, and, like, they want to take pictures and blah, blah, blah, I'm usually cordial unless I'm with my little ones. And then I feel like that's their time. That's the only time where I'm a little standoffish or whatever. But even when I see like it's, you know, bothering the intent of the day, like we're trying to go to a museum or whatever. And then I was just like asked for people not to do that

because it's bothering someone else kind of thing. But for me, New York is good for that. You know, I can put my hat on and I can just walk and be amongst the millions. That's true. Some people recognize and, you know, they say what's up, you know, the real ones. Shout out to all the FedEx delivery dues.

You know, but, you know, people like that that are, you know, just feet on the ground. They'll see you and they'll say what's up. But I've never been one of those people that people need to flock towards and start, like, pulling that necessarily. Like, a lot of people just say, hey, and keep it moving. Oh, they said, thank you. Or like, we love you. My family loves you, you know, and they'll keep it moving. But there are other places where, you know, gets excessive, like, you know, certain settings.

Like, Disney World is a setting where families are in the mode to, like, do for their children. So they want to get picked. They want to do, you know, they want to introduce, you know, they're just, they don't care about boundaries of that point. You're like, you hear. Like, we meet Mickey Mouse. You know, right.

And my baby's getting a picture with Mickey Mouse. It's just better to just embrace it in those moments, you know, as opposed to trying to be like, let us have our space. Because then I start feeling bad. Like, I usually walk away from awkward encounters. And I think I live with it more than they do almost, you know, because I think people just, you know, go about their daily lives. I'm always just like, man, are they going to hate me for.

Right. Did I ruin somebody's vacation? In some days you just not in the mood, you know? You're just not in the mood to be famous kind of thing. I just have too much going on to like smile through it kind of stuff. And I just need to process sometimes. And if you run into me on those days, I'm sorry. You know what I'm saying?

But it happened. Yeah. Yeah. And if you allow yourself those days, it's not that hard to like pull the rubber band back the other direction and just like take a deep breath. You can do this. You know what I mean? And just, let's attack the day.

And then, you know, when you are ready and people don't notice, that's when it's like, oh, see, you know what I'm saying? Like, when you're like, you want somebody to say, like, nice outfit, ain't nobody paying attention to you. You know, so be grateful. We were talking about, and with some of the crew, we were talking about how this business just chews up and spits out people in general, but particularly young people who start young, and you've been able to sort of dodge those mind fields. But now we're sitting here talking to you.

It makes perfect sense. Like you have a way about you that you were raised right and continued to live right. So you just stay out of trouble. Yeah. I mean, you know, trouble going to find you. Yeah. If you stay out, if you stay looking for it, trouble going to come your way. Yeah.

No, I mean, I'm relaxed. I'm 47 at this point, so I ain't really out there just running around wild looking for chaos like I was when I was in my proving years of being 19 and 20 and feeling invincible kind of thing. I would much rather Netflix and chill than, you know, turn all the way up. But turning up is fun as well, you know, but I have a good balance now. You know what I'm saying? I understand, you know, what I got to do the next day. You know, I got to check my calendars before I go out now. You know, I used to just go running out the door whenever it was time kind of thing.

But now it's like, oh, man, I got that Zoom. And that Zoom at 10.30 is going to be tough. Yeah, but it's always a Zoom. It's like, you better have some sleep, some water, hydrate. At least I can just be in my shirt for the Zoom. But I got to be in my shirt. I got to actually show up. What is Turn Up Keenan?

Like anybody that grew up in Atlanta, we're standing on top of tables. Yeah, y'all from Chicago, you know. I'm just trying to figure it out. Standing on top of the table. There's sparkles everywhere. It's popping bottles. You know, we're standing on top of us. And there's thousands of us, you know what I mean?

Like, that's just how it is. Like, I grew up in the hip-hop. So it's hip-hop culture, basically. And just in Atlanta, there was a whole lot of standing around, I guess, because it was probably dangerous to just be one of those people that gets, like, noticed necessarily. You become a target or whatever. So mostly holding the wall, which means just standing on the wall and kind of like, you know, people watching. Basically kind of stuff, I'm not a big dancer necessarily.

You're not. I dance in place. You got, you got, like, one. move? I got a few. Okay. But it's in place. It's not like I need to clear the dance floor and show everybody.

It's just, you know, got more in the shoulders. And like, there's one hip dip. Okay. There's a hip dip. There's a hip dip in there. There's a hip dip in there. Well, when you come to the venue, we're going to have to see your hip dip. I mean, I'll show it.

Like, it's just special occasions. But, like, in the club, you know, it's different. Yeah. Usually it's not enough space to even, like, do all of that. Everybody's like, what are you doing? Have you gotten to the point where you, Like, I don't want to stand. Like, I can't.

You don't stand no more? You don't stand in the club. I don't go to the club. Because if I have to stand, and the notion of watching a concert, standing up. Oh, you sit down at the concerts. I have to.

I'm 61. I need a seat. Let us sit down in rest. That's what I feel like. And then you could take it. I still, I have less enjoyment. Here's an IMO. Less enjoyment.

Less enjoyment. Here's an IMO. Yep. No one should stand up through an entire concert. In my opinion, everyone should sit down. Sit down. And then you want to just please sit down. But then people don't get up for the moment.

And now it's like, oh, no or not I got to stand up too. And I was about to say, what do you do when people stand up in front of you? Do you just continue to sit? Or do you ask them to sit down? You have to stand up. You can't ask them to sit down. You have to stand up. And then I want to see.

So now I got it. But I will have a period of trying to sit. There will be a period where I'm going to try and sit. I'm going to see if I can just encourage everyone. Sit for a little bit. If you notice how I'm sitting, can we all just go back to doing this? Does it work? No, it doesn't.

And then I have to get up. Come on. Are you at that stage yet? I do enjoy sitting through most of it. But I think things should have levels. So I'm not just going to stand the whole time. And I'm also worried that people can see. Like, I'm very conscious of that.

A lot of people aren't. You're so considerate. I'm trying to be. He's a tourist. Which is what bothers me so much about, like, traffic. I'd be going crazy in traffic because people can be so inconsiderate. They can. You know?

And, like, when people are standing around, like, I get it. It's a sporting thing. But, like, you know, come on. Come on. So does it take you forever to get everywhere? Or is it pretty quick? In New York. Yeah.

I mean, it doesn't make sense to have a motorcade. New York. I know it sounds, that's a crazy statement. It's almost impossible. But no, it's really, that's what makes New York not so much fun. Because, you know, you're watching people walk faster than you. It's like, I saw him. Yeah. Like, he left two hours before and he beat us there.

Forget about us people on the bikes. That's right. We go everywhere. Oh, you ride in New York. You, Keenan, are on a bike in New York. You, Keenan, are on a bike in New York. That sounds a little dangerous. One of those electric bikes? Are you pedaling like a human being? But I have my own bike, yes.

And we cycle, but there's the bike path. Yes. Well, that's... I'm like, I did the thing through the streets and actually, like, hit somebody and broke my arm years ago. You did? Yeah. Which is actually the same...

Tell us about this. So, it was like, I had a lunch that was like a few blocks away from the studio. So I was like, I just grabbed the bike. Yeah, yeah. This was... With a job. Not too long. This was when the orange man.

hosted last, I think. So it was that week. It was like a Tuesday. So, like, I was like, you know, we got to make our own schedule kind of on Tuesday because riding deadline is Wednesday morning. So, like, got all day. So I'll go to a little lunch and then I'll go to work. And the lunch was like nine blocks, four or five avenues.

I was like, I'll grab a bike, take a bike riding on one of the streets. So in New York, you know, there's not a lot of space when you're on the streets. So the avenues is different. But on the streets, it's like, part of the street. just like parking parking traffic, so there really ain't no space to just be doing it. Yeah. I watched that from my motorcade.

Yeah, I think this looks dangerous. So I'm just like riding down in between, you know, traffic and parked cars or whatever. And of course this guy just came flopping up out of nowhere. And then I hit him with, you know,

one of the handlebars. Like I didn't like crash and flip over necessarily, but I hit him enough to make me fall down. And then like, I was like, ah, man, you know, it hurt whatever, but I could still move my arm. So I was like, all right, I'll just ride to work. It was a little numb.

But, you know, as the time, you know, as the blood started feeling, like, that pain started setting in. And, like, 15-ish, 20-ish minutes later, I was at my desk, kind of. So I made it to work. But, like, then I started, like, not being able to move my arm. And, like, I remembered that feeling because I broke this arm when I was a kid. I broke my wrist. But this was, like, my elbow. And I was like, snap.

And I'm older. There's an old elbow. And we got a show to do. Oh. You know? It's a Tuesday. This episode of IMO is brought to you in part by Acorns. You know, one of the most valuable pieces of money advice I've ever gotten

is that financial wellness isn't about how much you make. It's about making the most of what you have. That's something I've carried with me from my time on Wall Street to today. And that's why I love Acorns. Acorns is a financial wellness app that makes it easy to start saving and investing for your future. You don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you get started with the sports.

spare money you've got right now, even if all you've got is spare change. You don't need to be an expert. Acorns recommends a diversified portfolio that can help you weather all the market's ups and downs. You just need to stick with it. And Acorns makes that easy. Acorns automatically invest your money, giving it a chance to grow with time. The best advice I've gotten was from my father, and that was to pay yourself first. So sign up now and join over 14 million all-time customers who have already saved and invested $25 billion with Acorns. Plus, Acorns will boost your new account with a $20 bonus investment. Offer only available at Acorns.com slash IMO, that's A-C-O-N-S.com slash I-M-O to get your $20 bonus investment today. From Acorns, Mighty Oaks do grow.

Investing doesn't have to be complicated. Acorns makes it easy to invest for your future, plan for tomorrow and spend smarter today. Paid non-client endorsement, compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns. Investing involves risk, Acorns Advisor slash LLC, and SCC registered investment advisor. View important disclosures at acorns.com slash IMO. Hey, gang, Craig Robinson here, talking about Amazon today, has absolutely everything for everyone on your list. And with their early high. holiday deals, you can get a head start no matter who you're shopping for. And let me tell you, I am going to be completely honest with you. I'm the guy who waits until the last minute.

But it's because I've been shopping for these people my whole lives. But with Amazon's early holiday deals, that means I can shop for everybody right now. I mean, my kids, they seem to be growing out of their clothes. They want the latest video games. I can get it on Amazon. My older kids could use stuff for their respective homes. I can get it on Amazon. My wife, my sister, the hardest people for me to shop for. But hey, don't worry, I don't have to guess.

Amazon's got deals on everything. Electronics, toys, fashions, home goods, you name it. So whether it's your mom you're shopping for or your coworker or that neighbor down the street who always shows up with a nice gift for you, you're covered. And listen, shopping early means I'm done before all of the holiday chaos even starts, which if you ask me, is the best gift of all to myself. So everything for everyone on your list, Amazon's got it. Shop Amazon Early Holiday Deals now.

You'll save big. You're perfect for our listener question. Oh, yeah? Yeah. Where is it? It's about parenting. Okay. And are you ready for our listener question?

All right. So Julia, our producer, is going to read the question. Okay, Julia. It comes from Sandy from New Jersey. I'm Michelle and Craig. I have a 12-year-old daughter who's obsessed with YouTube. We try to limit her screen time, especially as she's reaching those vulnerable pre-teen

years and teen years. But one thing she will not let go of is her desire to be an influencer. It's weird for me because it feels like she wants to be famous for famous's sake. I'm hopeful that this is a childhood thing like me wanting to be an astronaut or a TV star as a kid. But still, I'd want her to follow her own intellectual interests or think about how she wants to be an impactful person. How do I talk to my daughter about this? Why do you think so many people want to be famous and what would you tell a kid about what it's really like, Sandy in New Jersey? Wow. Thank you, Sandy in New Jersey.

Yes. See what I mean? Absolutely. Yeah, I'm very familiar with fame, wanted or unwanted because I didn't get into this for fame. I got into it because I enjoyed performing. And I definitely wanted to be successful, but I didn't really understand what being famous really meant, you know? And it took a while for me.

to navigate, you know, what that is based on, you know, being a person, you know, growing, you know, going through people, whatever you're going through, you also have to be, you know, somewhat, you know, courteous to your fans, you know what I mean, regardless of whether you're embracing that, that day or not kind of thing. And it would have been nice to have had someone, like, instruct me in those kinds of ways. It was kind of something I had to figure out on my own, like, how to deal with the fact that I can't go to Chuck a Tee. like that anymore kind of thing without you know being prepared to do this you know what I mean or whatever it would have been nice to have had a fame manual or something like that but it does have its upsides you know like fame can launch you into your profession

early it can be financially beneficial you know so if you use it you know for the betterment of things then yeah it has its perks but it's also very fleeing you know what I mean so if you're attached to being

famous, then that's the most heartbreaking thing when you go to a mall and nobody notices or cares, you know, because at some point you're going to get aged out. You're just going to not be like you're not going to treat Leave it to Beaver like the classic it was because it's not your time. And I would say she's right for being concerned about her daughter just wanting to be famous. Because if that's the goal, then it probably won't last long. And a lot of these like influencer people or whatever, usually come and go pretty quickly from what I've been noticing. So I would focus on like what's the passion behind all that pursuit, you know? If the passion is something that's good for the world, I can get behind that, you know, because TikTok is giving us a lot of information, you know what I mean? So it can be a good tool. You know, it's really interesting that the term fame for fame's sake. Like we didn't grow up with that phrasing right those words were around but that phrasing

Fame for fame's sake and It feels more like to me that these young folks are willing to be famous at any cost or at any expense It just and that feels very unhealthy It's like it's so important to be famous that they're willing to You know how they used to say in the old day sell their souls to the devil, right? And I want to make sure that

we let Sandy know that there's a discussion that should be had with your daughter about, you know, being famous is okay and being not famous is okay, but you shouldn't be at a cost that's detrimental. It's burdensome.

You know, and I don't think you realize what a burden it can really be like, yes, it's nice to, like, go to a restaurant without a reservation or whatever, you know, but at the same time, if you look at most of the famous people in this world, a lot of them haven't done well with that side of it. You know what I mean? A lot of people just want to be able to go to the gas station, you know what I mean, or go to the grocery store without having to like put on brand new Nikes or whatever just because they're a rapper, you know, so it's not anything to necessarily play with it. And I feel like they play with it a lot on social media. You know what I mean? Like how much cash can I show or how much, you know, this challenge or that challenge?

You know what I'm saying? Is that going to like get my likes up for this? You know, let me take a selfie in a dangerous position, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I think artists in creativity, you know what I mean, is a good thing. Yeah. Yeah. I always say there's no way for a young person to understand the value of anonymity. You know, I think the thing that I miss most in life is just the ability to be in the world unobserved.

You know, there's just a beauty to be able to sit on a sidewalk cafe with a cup of coffee. But as a tall person, when was the last time you was able to just know anywhere? Thank you. Thank you, Tina. Thank you. And thank you, because that is, go ahead, finish your point. True, but the point is, is that it's uncomfortable. Whether it's because you're famous or tall or distinguishable to miss out on blending in in the world and just being able to watch it.

Right. I mean, that's a pretty complex concept to try to articulate to a young person, right? That there's value in that. Anyone because it's such a dichotomy. ooh, we're getting deep with the word. Yeah, yeah. It's such a, like, double-edged story because the grass is always greener. Like, the people that are blending in are figuring out how to stand out.

That's right. So it's like, what do you do with what the hand? You play the hand, you're dealt. But I think the point you make about what I would say to Sandy, I would echo what you said, keep your child focused on the passion. And if there's a real passion there, you know, then encourage it. I mean, there's some people who look at some child stars that are getting famous or their parents are encouraging it.

And they're like, ooh, what's going on? What are they trying to do? Well, you know, you don't know that child. Right. You know, they may have. And there are kids out there who have such a deep, deep yearning to make music or to perform that it's really not the parent. It is the child's passion that's speaking. And that can show up at four and five and seven.

and 12. And so it's hard to judge a parent that says, I'm just trying to let my kid explore the gift that they were given. Right. That's a different thing. And now parenting with that gift, that's an art form. 100%. Because you've got to help them learn how to protect themselves as they invest in the gift,

which means that mom and dad and everybody around them, can't want it more than they do. And that would be something I would want to make sure that Sandy is clear on. It's like when it's your kid, you have to be even more clear-headed about their wants, especially when they're entering into dicey territory of fame or social media exposure because, you know, is it you that wants it? You know, are you really looking for their passion? Have you, as a parent, fall and prey to the fame and the money and the, you know.

And we grow, you know, we grow, especially kids. Like, kids might like soccer today and hate it the next day, you know. So we as adults know you got to give yourself space to grow and, like, continue to grow and become your best version of yourself. But if you don't allow that for a child and then you add fame on top of it, it's a pretty toxic mix more than likely. And I think that common denominator of the way. ones that have been able to navigate it is family. It is parents that are like behind you and focus, not necessarily pushing you past your boundaries necessarily, but encouraging, yes. And like you said, it can't just be for them. It can't be like, you know, the crazy momagers,

popagers or whatever that's out there that just want to be living vicariously kind of thing, you know, so. What if your kid said that? I want to be like, you. You know, I want to be like, you. I want to be in. That little, can we bring my daughter in here? That little one, she wants to be on. She's going to be mad if she doesn't get a chance to come in here. She can come in here. Can we get my two little girls? Where is she? Bring them in. They'll take a minute to walk down the hallway. She's a ham and her sisters are ham too. Like they both, they get silly and they have their moments and they want, you know, to be on stuff. We did a Nintendo commercial together. Oh, really? It's the greatest day of my life because. They had their own trailer, you know what I mean?

And they just had their own little world. And we worked together for hours and hours and hours. They were so focused. And my big girl was like, she focuses hard on things. She wants to get everything right. You know, firstborn kids, I think, have a lot of mental responsibility on their minds. So watching her, you know what I mean, like take direction and like take it really serious. I could have cried all day.

You know, it was so sweet. And yeah, that little one, she just, you know, she won't. to be a star. She sings, you know. Wow. She likes attention, so we are watching her. Right. You know what I mean? Because, yeah, we want her to like understand the difference. You know, there's a difference between

enjoying attention and just wanting to be famous kind of thing. You know what I mean? And like, I think enjoying attention can be easily massaged into performance and becoming an artist and stuff like that. When it's like you just want famous, like they feel like you're leaving

the arts out a little bit, you know, which sadder. You know? It's a little sadder. And there they go. Hi. Guys. You say hi.

Hi. Hi. Nice to be a beautiful. How are you? You got to go say hi. How are you? I'm Craig. Oh, what a young lady.

Hi, Georgia. I'm Michelle. How are you, sweetie? Good. Come on over here. Here, you can, I know you're big, but you can sit here so that we can see you in the camera. Sitting in the big seat. Yes.

What grade are you in? Fifth. Fifth, that's a serious grade. Are you going into fifth or did you finish fifth grade? Finish. So you're a sixth grader. Yeah. All right.

Big girl. All right. Sweetheart. And, Gia, how about you? What grade are you going in? I'm going to second grade. Wow. Wow.

Nice. Well, it has been really fun to have. your dad on our podcast. He's kind of a cool guy. Do you think, well, what do you think of your dad? He's a cool guy. He's a cool guy. He's good. I think, I think cool. Cool guy. Cool guy. And this is my brother. So one of the things your dad told us that he wants to make sure you guys always know is that you guys have each other forever. And sometimes you may fight. And as the big sister sometimes she may get on your nerves and your big sister may act like she knows everything and that's annoying. But in the end, you guys really do just have each other. I have two girls too and they used to fight when they were your age. But guess what? They're best friends now.

See? They live together. And so that can happen more than that's the coolest. May not be something you can even envision right now, but staying close. and taking care of you, each other as sisters. That's important. Yes, it is. Because then you can be like me and my brother, that we love each other so much we can do a whole show together. We can work together.

See? How about that? Yeah. How many episodes now? 20 episodes. You see that? They've done 20 shows already. And you're the first kids.

We've had on. We've had on. Woo. All right. All right. I love you both. Bye. It was great to meet you.

All right. See you. Bye. But we'll see out there. All right. Wow, they're gorgeous. Thank you for indulging them. Oh, my gosh.

They're the first kids. Our kids haven't even been on the show. They won't. See, that's what happens. Our kids. No, they won't. They'll be like, well, good. Maybe you'll be, you'll get rid of us.

That's so funny. I love it. Well, yeah, no wonder you're putty. Yeah. You don't have a chance. Nope. Yeah. Shining up these knuckles.

Yeah, you're going to have to get the uncles ready. Yeah, 100%. They don't. that. They've been like, yeah, maybe when you let me know. You do. Well, Kenan, it has been just a delight to spend time with you. Well, it doesn't. Come to the venue.

Come to see us. Okay. All right. But so proud of the man you are, you know, not just your accomplishments, but you are a good man. I try a man. I try, man. Thank you.

You were clearly brought up with your manners. Yes, I was. I got my manners right in my pockets all day long. Yeah. Well, thank you. It is been a pleasure. It's such a pleasure. We'll do part two soon.

We will do part two. Oh, what am I going to wear for part two? Oh, what am I going to wear for part two?