Insight with Chris Van Vliet - 5 Things I Learned From Interviewing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (9 Times)

Episode Date: June 4, 2021

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is one of the biggest stars on the face of the planet, but it didn't happen by accident. Sure, he's super talented but it takes more than just talent to be at the level that he's on. You've heard me joke about the fact that I've interviewed The Rock on 9 separate occasions and in this episode, I go over the 5 biggest things that I learned from those conversations with him. I hope you enjoy this! We have many more of these type of episodes on the way! Submit your Blue Wire Hustle application here: http://bwhustle.com/join If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests.  For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://chrisvanvliet.com Follow CVV on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, here we go. Welcome back to another audio adventure here on Insight. I'm Chris Van Vle. Thank you so much for being with us. And it's been a while since we did one of these. Actually, it's been more than two months since one of these solo episodes where it's just me. It's just you. It's just us. The last one, if you want to look it up, was episode number 187, the five things you need to know before starting your podcast or YouTube channel. And it was so great hearing from you guys how much you love that episode, how much you love the

info that we packed in there, how it inspired a lot of you guys to start a podcast or to start a YouTube channel. And I just love hearing that. So this is something we're going to be doing more of moving forward. So if you have ideas for any of these types of episodes, things that you want me to talk about, let me know. Shoot me a tweet at Chris Van Vleet or send me a DM on Instagram also at Chris Van Vleet. And while you're doing things on your phone, if you haven't subscribed yet and you're listening right now,

make sure to subscribe on whatever platform it is that you're listening on right now. So I became a wrestling fan like a lot of people during the attitude era. I started watching religiously in 1998 when I was 15.

I was aware of wrestling up until then, but that was when I really dove in. It was the Austin and McMahon feud that really sucked me in And once I was in, I was in. And I have one of those personalities, like one of those passionate personalities that when I like something, I go all the way in. I don't check the depth of the water. I don't check the temperature of the water.

I just dive right in. So I became a massive pro wrestling fan, but I also became a huge fan of the rock. I mean, how could you not be a fan of the rock? In fact, I tell this story all the time, but I used to walk down the halls at my high school. asking people questions just so I could shout, it doesn't matter what you think at them. In college, one year,

I dressed up as the rock for Halloween. So not only was I a huge WWE, WCW, ECW, ECW fan, but I was just a huge rock fan. And when I started working in TV in 2005, right after I graduated from college, I started to begin to interview celebrities a few years later.

And the rock was at the very top of my list. of people that I wanted to interview. He was the bucket list interview for me. And seven years into my career, I had my first interview with The Rock, March 2012. It's on my YouTube channel if you want to go back through the archives and check that out. But the thing that was so cool about it is this wasn't just any interview with The Rock. I got The Rock in the element that I knew him best for. I got him backstage at Raw in Cleveland where I was living at the time. This was at the quick and Lone's Arena, just a few weeks before his match at WrestleMania 28 against John Sina. You know, the once in a lifetime match that for some reason happened twice in a life.

The once in a lifetime match happened twice in a lifetime. Hmm. But if you go back to 2012, think about it. This was right at the cusp of the rock becoming the rock that we know now. Because up until that point, he had movies like the game plan, tooth fairy, race to which mountain, you know, like those kinds of movies. Those were behind him. And 2012 was really when things started to shift for him because he had just done Fast 5. He was just about to do GI Joe retaliation. Then it was going to be painting game. Then Hercules. You get the point. It was definitely shifting. He was starting to become that modern

day action star that he is now. And I joke about this all the time. Yeah, I've interviewed the Rock nine times, not that I'm countering anything. And I don't say that to try to impress you. I say that to try to impress upon you that there's quite a few things that I've learned from Dwayne Johnson. And these are things that he specifically took me aside and said, oh, hey, Chris, I need to teach you these things. These are things I picked up from talking to him and just watching the way that he interacts with everybody when you see him in a room or on a red carpet.

And these are the lessons that he lives in his daily life. I mean, if you follow him on Instagram, I'm sure you've noticed one or two or All of these. And this is what makes The Rock, the rock that we know and love. So here we go. These are the five things that I learned from interviewing The Rock. Number one, kindness. The Rock often recites the famous quote from the renowned investor and philanthropist, John Templeton, that says, it's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice. and I feel like that is at the heart of who the rock is. It's nice to be important, and the rock's pretty important,

but it's important to be nice. Number two, being present. Even though he is one of the busiest guys in Hollywood, if not the busiest guy in Hollywood, he's incredibly present when you speak to him. He looks you right in the eyes. He genuinely listens to what you're saying. I mean, he could be thinking about his,

his next movie that he's starring in and also producing, or one of the companies that he's running, like Taramana or Zoha. Or he could be thinking about his wife and his kids, but no, he is firmly planted in that moment and in that conversation with you. He is incredibly present. Number three, owning the room. Being as big as the rock is, he obviously has a massive presence wherever he goes. And yes, he is just as big in person as he looks in the room. He's just as big in movies or in photos. But he takes it one step further and he owns whatever space it is that he walks into. He doesn't he doesn't own the room in like the hey look at me. I'm the rock and I'm here. He's not like that kind of guy, which is I've seen that with a lot of celebrities. He doesn't do that.

He owns it with a beaming smile and this infectious charisma and a warmness in the way that he interacts with everybody. And it's just so very clear that he's in the position. that he's in because of the way that he treats everybody that he comes into contact with. It's that whole idea of like treating the janitor the same way that you treat the CEO. That's what the Rock does. Number four, don't take yourself or life too seriously. It's okay to laugh. It's okay to laugh, especially yourself sometimes.

And the Rock has one of those big, booming, contagious laughs. But he's also comfortable enough in his own skin that he's not afraid to be the butt of the joke. you know, we're not here for very long. So we might as well enjoy our time. In fact, if you look at the interview that I did with The Rock for Rampage, yeah, I poke a little bit of fun at him. He pokes a little bit of fun at himself. And it's just like, yeah, he gets it. Like he understands that that's what it takes to be at the level that he's at. And finally, number five, which I think is probably the most important one, self-awareness. If we all had just a little bit more self-awareness, the world would be a better place as a whole.

The Rock is a massive star. I mean, you could argue he's the biggest star in the world right now. And they always say that you shouldn't meet your heroes. But if your hero happens to be Dwayne Johnson, you should 100% absolutely try to meet him. Because when you do meet him, he's self-aware enough to know that this is a big moment for you as well. And he turns the moment around and makes you feel like the star.

he totally makes it like a memorable moment for you. He'll do things like, you know, play along with your jokes. Maybe he'll even crack a joke at your expense. But he knows that he wants you to be in on this moment. He wants to create this moment that you will talk about for the rest of your life. Maybe you'll even make a podcast episode about it. And it's the same trait that you see in wildly successful people like Oprah, like Bill Clinton, or like Will Smith. I mean, watch literally any of the nine interviews that I've done with The Rock.

They're all on my YouTube channel. And there's at least one of these moments I'm describing these self-aware moments in every single one of those interviews. If not several moments in every interview. That's just who he is. That's it. That's the Rock. So there you go. That's the five things I learned from interviewing The Rock.

Take a few of these and apply them to your own life. And I think that, boom, you'll start saying. seeing some massive differences very quickly. And I hope you enjoyed this mini episode because there's going to be many more of these episodes coming up, just me, just you, just us hanging out. I like doing these. I like connecting with you one-on-one like this. So shoot me a message on social media at Chris Van Fleet. Let me know what you'd like to hear in the next one of these. Should we do them once a week, once a month, once every two months like we've done right now with really no consistency. I'll leave you with this quote, not from the rock. Although I do like that quote.

It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice. But I'll leave you this with this one from Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, all life is an experiment. The more experiments make you better. Be great. Be grateful. We will see you on the next one for some more insight. Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because I have a job to do. With rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about. You're complaining more than you like to breathe air. It's like you get up in the morning only to complain and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand.

He's the spitfire of sports smack. Take advantage of it. Get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What's your beef? Follow and listen on your favorite platform. You've been warned.