Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce - Kylie on Ziplining in Stadiums, NFL Group Chats & Egg Freezing Reality with Kaylee Hartung | Ep. 19

Episode Date: April 17, 2025

Kylie’s back for a brand new episode of Not Gonna Lie presented by CoverGirl! While she may currently be changing diapers, feeding Finn, and not getting much sleep, Kylie couldn’t leave the Real Ones hanging so she recorded a special maternity leave episode just before giving birth. Kylie caught up with her friend and another woman in sports she has no business speaking to, Thursday Night Football reporter and Today Show correspondent Kaylee Hartung (3:03). Kaylee shares the heartbreaking and tragic story that made her ultimately want to become a reporter and how she now balances her sports and news career (5:05). Then, Kylie asks Kaylee about some of the most exciting events she’s been able to cover over the course of her career (10:25), as well as the dynamic among the women in the NFL reporting space (14:30). Kaylee also shares who’s in her NFL group text. Kaylee breaks down her strategy for talking to coaches and players during and after games and who she knows is always good for a great sound bite (17:20). After that, Kylie asks Kaylee about her experience ziplining across the Falcons stadium last season which leads to taking a page out of “the other podcast’s” book and manifesting another huge stunt (27:17). Later, Kylie and Kaylee discuss the importance of finding friends who are in the same phase of life, whether that be a motherhood phase, career-focused or anything else (31:19). Kaylee then delves into her choice to freeze her eggs a few years ago and why she wanted to take control of that aspect of her life and share with others (33:05). Make sure you tune into More Sh*t Monday on the Not Gonna Lie YouTube channel for more exclusive clips from Kylie’s longer conversation with Kaylee! Stay tuned to our NGL social channels for more never-before-seen moments from the show and updates on Kylie’s return from maternity leave! . . . Support the Show:   CoverGirl: Lash Blast Volume Mascara. Only from Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, COVERGIRL. Shop online at https://www.covergirl.com/ or buy at your nearest retailer now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm not going to lie. We recorded this episode when I was 38 weeks pregnant. So, um, girl, you good? How'd birth go? Did she come out easy? Oh, I don't have the answer. I'm still 38 weeks pregnant. Let's get this podcast started. Welcome back to not going to lie. A wave original brought to you by cover girl. Uh, I was just doing my mascara naturally right before we started this record. Cause I can't help myself. I love it. Lash Blash Cover Girl.

Always the orange tube. I'm your host, Kylie Kelsey, part-time Jersey Shore resident, Phillies fan, and currently out on maternity leave. That's right. If you're listening to this episode, that means I'm out on maternity leave and Jason and I are probably doing one or a combination of the following. Filling up water bottles, opening bags of snacks, changing a newborn diaper, changing a Benny diaper, feeding the baby, telling Wyatt to please stop yelling,

picking up more packs of berries, washing said berries and arguing with children about how much more berries you can consume in one day. And I'll tell you something I'm not doing sleeping unless she's a good sleeper. Can you imagine? Should we manifest it? Oh, please be doing a good job sleeping. Uh, overnights with a newborn for us typically mean that I'm waking up and doing feeds and Jason is sleeping so that he can man the toddlers

during the day. And that's how I like it. This is not like a decision making, oh, let the man sleep. No, he needs sleep to be able to chase toddlers during the day so that I can continue to sit with the child. Little baby, just attached to me. But I didn't wanna leave the real ones. That's right, the real ones hanging while I'm out.

So I'm gonna bridge the gap of maternity leave with this one. You're gonna get to hear my conversation with a woman I really admire in the sports media world, NFL reporter, today show correspondent, and another person I have no business interviewing, Kaylee Hartung. I got a chance to talk to Kaylee about the tragic accident that ultimately made her want to become a reporter, Thursday night football, and her fertility journey.

We talked about a bunch of other stuff, including something we're trying to manifest. So stay tuned to find out what that is. Kaylee Hartung, everybody. You see her on the sidelines interviewing your favorite players and coaches for Thursday Night Football. She's also a correspondent for The Today Show and NBC News. You've watched her cover the Olympics

and you might've seen her interview Jason and me for the Kelsey documentary. Kaylee Hartung, welcome to Not Gonna Lie. If anybody has no business being in this setting, it's me. Are you kidding me, Kylie? I'm catching up on your podcast the other day and it's like Kate Hudson, Chelsea Handler, Kat Dennings. Yes. What? Yes.

Did you run out of people to ask? What's up? You stop it right now. You know you are high on that list. I love you. I love any opportunity to chat with you. Like when I hunt you down on a sideline at the link. Oh, when you come over to enemy territory. That's when I really knew like how strong our friendship was. When you came over to the Ram sideline, ahead of the divisional playoff game to give me a hug. I was like, this is love. This is true friendship because it was like seconds before we were going on the air and I was like, the Rams were like running out the tunnel. You're like, excuse me, excuse me.

Excuse me guys. I need you to move. Thanks. We're about to whoop your ass and also I need to give this woman a hug. Thank you. You're all not going to lie. So be honest. How did you think that first interview went when we sat down in our backyard with you and Jason? Oh my gosh. Um, my personal favorite part was the, when we have to shoot what we call the B roll, right? And so we're just like walking around the backyard with you your giant dogs and the girls and pushing them on the swing. And it

was just like, I'm trying not to step in dog poop and everywhere, everywhere. They were the, the producers were like, you're just going to walk straight through the yard. And I was like, oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. There's enough dog poop back here to sink a battleship and you have this poor woman walking and talking with us. Let's get into your career a little bit. I want to start at the very beginning. I've heard you talk about what made you want to become a reporter and I think it's so meaningful.

For any of the listeners that don't know your story, can you share a little bit about that? Yeah. So I've become more comfortable sharing a story. For a while, I think it was hard for me to do. But my father died when I was 10 years old and he was a pilot. He flew aerobatics and air shows,

like a real life kind of top gun character, if you will. And, you know, like so many kids growing up, I thought my dad was invincible and he was flying in an air show, actually in Louisiana. And so we were there and he would fly all over the world. And it was just a terrible coincidence of sorts that we were there and he would fly all over the world. And it was just a terrible coincidence of sorts that we were actually there that day. But he crashed in an air show in front of me and my mom and my brother. And it was the worst day of my life, no comparison.

And so we got home that night and the TV was on for noise more than anything. And, you know, the house was filling up with people coming to look after us. And like the whole room stopped at this one point when what I now know to be like a 30-second anchor voiceover of a headline of the day came on CNN. CNN and the report said something to the effect of today in Lafayette, Louisiana, in front of 13,000 people, a plane crashed. And I didn't understand at 10 years old how the death of the most important man in my world, the death of an amazing man, like was treated as an event. Like he wasn't honored in the telling of this very quick story. His death was an event.

It wasn't about the man he was and the family he left behind or the life he created for himself coming to the States. And he had an incredible life story and he'd accomplished so much. And I just, I didn't understand how the most personal moment of my life could be talked about without any emotion. And so in that moment and through that experience, I just thought, I want to tell other people's

stories. And I want, when I have the privilege of telling someone's story, I want them to feel like justice is done to their story. So that when you hear your life being talked about, you feel the connection. You feel that whether it's the best day of your life or the worst day of your life, that that moment is honored. Because to me, it's a privilege, right?

Like people share their stories with me and trust me to tell them. So I wanna to I want to honor that and and growing up. The today show was on the TV every morning as I was getting ready for school that was how I understood news was consumed that was the show and so you have when I was 10 years old had decided the goal was to be on the today show and it's so weird to say out loud.

And I feel like at times it feels, I think I'm still in some version of pinch me kind of shock, but like it, it's a really incredible thing when you can make a dream come true. And yeah, so I'm like, live in live in the dream. So you, you became a reporter for CNN, ABC and now NBC, obviously, you said with the Today Show, but you've now been there for people on their worst days, and been able to give people that honor and that moment to have for their loved one. Was

there ever a moment while you were covering tragedies where you sort of thought like maybe this is too much or you've really felt like you're lending your voice to exactly what you thought? I would say lending my voice to exactly what I thought. I mean, there have been tough moments. No doubt about that. I mean, when I was at CNN, I spent two years only showing up on the worst days of people's lives to get on TV at CNN in that time.

If you weren't covering politics, which I wasn't, it had to be death, despair or destruction. I covered mass shootings and natural disasters for two years. I don't think I smiled on TV in that time. And that in totality took a toll on me for sure. I came to the realization like this is not the right fit for me. It was an incredible learning experience without a doubt. And that was after having spent five years at ESPN. And so I felt like I was building a skillset,

but needed to find a better professional home for myself in a way that I could show up on not just the worst days, but also the best days and celebrate those moments. Because like if balance is like a trigger word, I feel like for a lot of people and I think balance is really hard to find, but I'm really proud of the way I feel like I've gotten to a place in my career where there is some balance in the type of stories I get to tell for my own sanity and wellbeing. Now I do a TikTok series called I places. Kylie has no business being. Yes. Um, one of those places was on set at the today show. You weren't just on set. You were

behind the camera. You were in the control room. I mean, you just ran the whole fricking show. I don't know. I don't know why security let me loose. Uh, but they did. And I took advantage. The minute they were like, yeah, you could put the headset on behind camera. And I'm like, oh, okay. How did that feel? Like, did you feel the power? Was there like power in your fingertips? Were you like, ooh, I can just press the buttons and.

I was this close to being like, can I do the next segment? Can I just leave it here? Probably would have said yes. They probably, I mean, I just would have had to pull my like video production from college of like pan this way. Like I have all those terms. Yeah. It just would have taken me a minute. I would have needed a refresher course before I felt good enough to go into a segment. But is there a place that you have ever felt in your years of covering news or sports that was like a really big moment for your career to where you were like, do I have business being here? Oh, I mean, it happens all the time. They asked me to fill in co-hosting the Today Show.

Like that is no business. Let me think about it. That was last summer, right? Last year was the first time. Oh, Tahoe. I remember you being like, I have to leave because I have to go co-host the Today Show. Super casual. I'll be back tomorrow though.

Like I came back. You did. I was so sad to leave you guys. But yes, that was maybe the second or third time that I got to do it. But yeah, if they ask, I'm never saying no. I will move mountains, fly over the mountains of Tahoe to get back to New York. But I mean, yeah, my job puts me in places I have no business being all the time. Like the Oscars or the Grammys, like what? How did I get here?

That stuff happens regularly. But it's like the trick in all of those situations, people say is like, act like you've been there. And then, but it's really hard sometimes. The real ones already know how big a fan I am of cover girl. I've been using their mascara since I was in high school and every single time I sit down to tape an episode of the show, I'm doing my mascara right before we start rolling. That's not a bit. I come at least five minutes late and then I proceed to do my mascara. Now what

mascara is it you ask? Oh, just the cover girl lash blast volume mascara designed to max out every single lash. I got this mascara when I finally started purchasing my own mascara and stopped stealing my mom's. Starting in high school and going all the way to now, the only thing that I do consistently from my makeup routine has been this mascara. Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume Mascara is available in four different shades, so you can choose how bold you want to go. Very black, black, black brown, and brown. Also available in three waterproof shades.

My personal go-to is the very black, not waterproof. It stays on all day. No smudges, no flaking, and it washes off super easy at the end of the day. Lash Blast Volume Mascara only from easy, breezy, beautiful cover girl. Shop online or buy at your nearest retailer now. You also just wrapped your third season as a

sideline reporter for Thursday Night Football this year. When I had Carissa on your fellow Thursday Night Football teammate, we talked a little bit about the community of women in sports media. Is there like a group chat? What are you guys doing? I mean, me, Carissa and Taylor, my Thursday Night Sisters, we have a group chat, but like, I mean, me, Carissa and Taylor, my Thursday night sisters, we have a group chat. But I feel really lucky, and I really do feel incredibly lucky for the group of women that work in that space and who I've been friends with

for a long time and who we've gotten to be on the journey together. I was at an event for the NBA a couple of days ago, Maria Taylor was hosting. And like when I went to ESPN in 2012, I first met her. She and I were both sideline reporters. And then like Laura Rutledge, who now hosts NFL live on ESPN, she came on maybe a year or two after us.

And like, we've all just like, we've seen each other work our tails off, you know, we've supported each other through so many twists and turns in our careers and it you know, it I think as women and I don't know maybe this is true for men too, but like for me at least in each like chapter of my life you need friends who are in a similar stage as you, right? And like, I've experienced that to the extent of like, my best girlfriends from growing up in Louisiana

that I made when I was seven years old are still some of my closest friends. And I'm so grateful that they've been in my life all of these years, but like, and the same is true for my girlfriends from college and so on and so forth. But like, as they've had kids and I haven't, you have to, I've had to make new girlfriends, right?

Who are at a similar stage, who are focused on their career or who haven't had children yet or whatever it may be. And so like, I feel very lucky that I have these long friendships with women in the sports world where we've just been through it together. And then now can just be really excited for each other. And also like, you know, have conversations to compare notes or, you know,

whether that be like actually literally about a team we're covering. Like Laura Rutledge and I, I feel like the last two years, we've both covered the same teams in the play. Like she's had a team in the wild card and then I'll have them in the divisional and then I'll, you know, text her and be like, where did what was the status of this injury for this player last week? Like if he's saying this to me now, what was he saying to you last week? You know, like it, we, I think

we can help each other be better at our jobs and, um, like cheerlead for each other. Like, and you, you know, you started this whole question off with Carissa and like, I am so grateful to her. She has been such a wonderful like teammate and friend and we were friends before we were teammates on Thursday night. But like, you just need, you know, you need, you need your girls at whatever stage in life you're in. When you are sideline reporting, I think that this is one of the most underappreciated roles

on the field. I think that you said it, I'm serious. You said it earlier. You receive these guys, especially post game, whether it's positive or negative, you are like the first one really there to help them digest what they just experienced, which is tricky. Yes, I can only imagine. Are there certain coaches or players that you know for a fact that when you talk to them, you're going to get a good sound bite? Oh yeah.

Or do you have favorites? Of course. Of course. Okay. Who are they? I want names. You want names. No, I mean, there are just like when it comes to coaches, okay, coaches, they get put in

the worst position. I just want to apologize every time I put a microphone in a coach's face at halftime, right? Like they do not want to talk to me and I don't take it personally. It's not about me It's just they don't want to they want to go Call, you know figure out their adjustments and you know, they're winning losing whatever like it doesn't matter They don't want wanna talk to me. But there are definitely coaches who you can just, you know, will give you an answer to the question you ask. And so it's like, for me in those moments, it's on me.

I think of it like, I'm not trying to ask these coaches like a gotcha question. I'm trying to set them up to actually help us all learn something about their state of mind as they're trying to win a football game. So if I don't get a good answer, a lot of times I'm like, well, I asked a bad question. That's on me. And sometimes it's like, nope, wasn't on me at all.

Didn't matter what I asked. They weren't going to. And that's fine too. But I can be probably unnecessarily hard on myself in some of those situations. But all that to say, like, Sean McBey is incredible. Kevin O'Connell is fantastic. But like, these are also guys who, you know, like, they're just, I think once you realize, like, they're real people, too, you know, it matters. And as long as you, as they know, I do my homework, they treat me with respect, because they know I show up as prepared as I can they know I do my homework, they treat me with respect because they know I show up

as prepared as I can be, I think. But like those are two examples of guys that are just great. Post game with players, when you're in this position of like, they've just had an incredible performance, right? Like that's why I'm talking to you. You've just won a game and you did something exceptional. So I think it can be such a difficult spot for them so many times to verbalize their emotions, right?

Like that is hard. I mean, you know, somebody like you have your fourth child and somebody puts a microphone in your face. Kylie, how does it feel? Like, I'll let you know as soon as I can feel my undercarriage, thank you. Like what's that on national television? Right. But like it's so like they're put in a tough position too. And a lot of times, but it's, I try to use as few words as possible, if that makes sense in asking my questions so that I can just set them up and get out of the way. Right? Like they're, they're the goal. They have the goal.

I love the idea of you saying that you don't try to get, especially the coaches at halftime on a gotcha question. Cause I do think that hearing feedback from my husband, hearing feedback from other like athletes in the NFL to know that they can trust someone who's interviewing them to not try and bait them into a situation where they say something that ends up as clickbait or a headline or gets them to say something that they probably shouldn't divulge in that moment just because they're running off of sheer emotion is like such an asset in your role to be able to recognize like you want them to say something to help people learn. And that is like the best summary I've ever heard of a of a halftime coaches question. That's outstanding.

I appreciate it. Thank you. Earlier this past NFL season you ziplined across the Falcon Stadium. Yes. Are you a thrill seeker? I am. Okay. I told you about my dad. I told you about my dad who was a pilot and I grew up flying with him in ways that I'd

be like, daddy go faster. And we're in his plane doing barrel rolls and flips in the air. And I don't even know how my mother could watch any of that on the ground. But but yes, like I it's in my blood and that that is what it is. But it's funny you bring up the zip line. So that was a Today Show feature story. And I get it. I get an email from one of our bosses and it just says, are you afraid of heights?

And I said, no. And then she said, okay, cool. We've got a piece for you at the Falcon Stadium. I said, okay, great. I'm just worried about logistics, right? When can I fly down? How quick can I make the trip? When can I get out?

When does the piece air? When do I need to be on set? And I asked no questions. I get down there and they're like, yeah, you're going to zip line across the stadium. Now when I say zip line, I think summer camp, right? What I'm seeing is you upside down. So then, okay. So they're like the mascot, Freddy the Falcon is going to jump first. So you see what it's like and there's only one harness. So you'll be on the ground and you'll watch him. Uh-uh. I'm sitting down there. Freddy like dives head first. And I'm like,

I'm sitting down there, Freddie, like dives head first. And I'm like, what? This is not, this is not what we discussed. Despite the fact I asked no questions before I showed up. This is not what we discussed five minutes ago. And then, so it's like a free fall, a significant free fall. And then a little glide. So he gets down and I'm just like, so do I have to go head first? Like what are my options here? Do I have to flip? Like can I just what is the easiest

least? So I'm assuming seeing the photo of you the screenshot of you doing it, that the only option was to flip yourself like the Falcon and go head first or was that a personal choice? No. So what I recognized I could do after much deliberation was that you could like jump in a seated position and then like, you know how anytime you're on an after anytime you're on an after I was like that, you like catches right? Like whether you're skydiving or anything with a harness like that.

So I recognize I could like jump and sit so that when it caught I'd be upright at least. And then you wouldn't like jerk more than you had to. And then I could go upside down. So I... I mean... And then I went upside down because the guy, Freddie, the Falcon was like,

but you have to get upside down at some point because like, it's so fun. And so I was upside down as I zipped. And it was a blast. I can't get around that this started with an email, are you afraid of heights? And ended up with you upside down doing the Falcon fly through the Falcon Stadium. Oh my God. It would not be me. That's all I know. Once I got to the top of that stadium and I'm harnessed in and then they're like, okay, now climb over this ledge.

No. Absolutely not. Hold on to what? And they're like, and now hold this GoPro in this hand. And I'm like, there's nothing for me to hold. I'm on a beam above the stadium. I'm like, there's nothing out here for me to hold on to. And then I'm just standing out there

and now I start getting nervous. Like I couldn't feel my legs. And at that point, the cameras are rolling, like all the things are happening. And I really was like, well, I can't, climbing back over this ledge, actually right now in this moment when I can't feel my legs,

would be harder than just jumping. So then this guy starts counting and it's like three, two, and I was like, fuck. I had no choice at that. I truly had no choice at that point. I actually had a blast. I feel like once you're harnessed and over the railing, you're pot committed. You're going. It doesn't matter if it takes you an extra 10 to 15 seconds, you're getting off of there. And the only way down is apparently upside down. So I do this all, it's taped. We edit it together for a today show piece. And then I was there for a Thursday night game,

like two weeks later. And there was legitimately a conversation about me doing it live in the broadcast, like during the game, like right before kickoff or during halftime. And it was like, oh, well, Freddie is doing his performance pre-kick like he always does.

And again, there's only one harness. So like you can't interfere with Freddie's routine. And then at halftime, like, and I'm just sitting here being like, yo, we did one and done. Like roll the tape that live in a stadium filled with people. What? Could you imagine? No, like that's where I probably, if I'm being honest, I probably would have done it. That's where you draw the line.

I probably would have done. I was about to say that's where I draw the line. I'm like, I probably would have done it. But you know what I really want to do? Okay, I'm putting this out in the universe. What I really want to do is skydive with like the army, the golden knights or whatever, where I'm strapped onto them. Like I don't want to have to pull the chute.

I just, I'll be strapped to them. And I want to skydive into a stadium pre-kick and like deliver the game ball and then have somebody hand me my microphone and be like, do my open report. Like that, that's my next goal in terms of thrills seeking total. Tell me this is the U S army parachute team. Yeah. Yeah. The golden Knights. They're coming to Philadelphia. Stop.

They're in my DMs. Stop, they're in your DMs? Oh my God, Kylie, tell them right now. What if we manifest this? What if we manifest this? Then you're gonna have to be on the field at the link waiting for me when I land. I want you to hand me the microphone.

That is what we're doing. Should we manifest? Okay, just to be clear, I want to be clear. Here's the deal. Here's the deal. Here's the deal. Here's the deal. Okay. There is the other podcast. That's what we call them over here. They have a habit of manifesting things. And I feel like we have not manifested enough here. We're a couple months in. I feel like you have now given us the perfect opportunity. You heard it here first people. We're just cooking up, cooking up some golden nights. We have a proposal for you.

Okay. So when the NFL schedule comes out in May, um, whenever our Thursday night game is, I mean, we feel like we've been to Philadelphia every year. Like I hope, I love going, I love doing games with the link. Um, okay. Well, yeah. I mean, let's call Howie. Let's call my bosses. Let's like, let's, yes, let's, let's make this happen. We're going to manifest this. I feel like we might not have to wait until football season, but I'm going to let you know, we're going to manifest this. So we'll put together a little proposal package and we'll send it where it needs to go. If you catch my drift. It's the people watching. Like people ask me all the time about you,

do you get nervous being on TV? And I'm like, yeah, every time. Like I think nerves are a healthy thing to some degree. Like it means you care, but it- Jason always said that. Yeah, but like there's something about a live audience that makes me like, I am way more nervous going on a stage to moderate a panel than I am to step in front of a camera that's a black box where you can't see the

people. Like the real time reactions of people is what I think makes me like even more. Oh, this is great. We're going to make this happen. Isn't Kaylee the best? I almost feel bad interrupting our own interview, but then I remember I get to talk to you all again about one of my favorite products, CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara. This is it. Actually, while we're here, I'm just going to give myself a little touch up. I love that this mascara not only has been with me since the beginning of with me since the beginning of really wearing any makeup, but it also hasn't changed. I love that there are tiny little bristles on the brush because it really helps to lift and separate. I love that it stays on all day long.

And I also love that at the end of the day, it's a quick wash and then it's gone. And it's keeping my lashes nice and upright. So everyone thinks I'm awake. Even when I'm not. Kids, kids are waking me up a lot. I'm okay. Cause CoverGirl is going to get me through. Lash Blast Volume Mascara only from Easy Breezy Beautiful Cover Girl. Shop online or buy at your local retailer today. Something that I think is very important that you touched on was that like you don't currently have kids, but some of your friends from earlier phases in life may have been having kids. Literally all of them. Yes.

And I do think that from my own experience, I think it's so important to, especially as a mom now, and a mom of almost four. I know there are people who would get offended, moms who would get offended and be like, we're still friends like that. Like me having kids doesn't change it, but like it does. Because it's a very different life phase that you are in, even though you can still connect on every other level that you've always connected on. Like your friendship is still your friendship, but like you can't help it as a mother, but to talk about your kids or to get swallowed up by motherhood.

And then in the same realm, like you might be focused on your career at the moment and you might be diving into that wholeheartedly and like a new mother might be like, well, why aren't you calling me as much? And it's like, well, because I have important stuff too, just because it's not a child doesn't mean that it's not truly important to me and like what I'm doing with my life. And I think it's so important to have that balance of people who are experiencing exactly that and to also not get offended that other people are experiencing life no matter what it is. And that it's not a personal attack and it's not a lack of friendship, that it really is just like that you're doing life, right?

And part of friendship is respecting and loving that about each other. One of the things that you have discussed though is your fertility journey and specifically freezing your eggs. You shared a lot about this process on your Instagram, where you shared a photo of yourself on your 27th shot in 12 days. Yeah, that sounds right. First of all, thank you for sharing that. Can you talk about the importance of like being open with that experience and that journey? Yeah. So when I turned 35, I think that was my most significant birthday as an adult in the sense that my mom was 35 when she was widowed with two kids. And it, I don't know, something about that number and me sort of taking stock of where I'm at in my life struck me.

And I recognized like we're also in the middle of a pandemic and I'm not traveling as much as I usually do for work. Like I wanted to feel like I came out of the pandemic having accomplished something that I wouldn't have been able to do or would have been harder to do otherwise, right? And so, yeah, I decided I was gonna freeze my eggs and it's such a weird process on so many levels but it struck me initially that as I started just Googling

on the internet, it was really hard to find resources. And it was like just to with questions I had and, and I didn't think my questions were unusual. I thought they're probably the questions any girl would ask it who was exploring the process, but it just was surprisingly hard to find information. And then at the time I was working for ABC News and Good Morning America, thankfully,

was open to me talking about it and gave me a platform. And I could not believe the reaction I got and the response I got on social media in sharing it because there were women just like me, as I imagined, who were looking for answers to their questions and who just needed, I think, to see somebody else experiencing it and and willing to share it. So yeah, all that being said, like a box just shows up in my door one day and you know,

dump it out on the ground and it's just like needles and bottles, these syringes and the like, and I'm just like, what? This is so intimidating. And I had one of my best girlfriends on the phone with me as I was watching a YouTube tutorial about how to give yourself the shots and I was having to give myself two or three shots a day. And it's just like the weirdest process and you know, there's the one shot where you have to take the liquid out of one vial and put it into the vial with the powder and mix it up. And you're just like, I'm shocked this isn't more foolproof.

Like I am gonna screw this up. And what happens if I screw this up and this is expensive? And if I mess up one shot, does it ruin the whole process? Like you're just asking yourself all of these questions and you just feel like there are all these ways that you're gonna mess it up. And then after I got through the first night of shots, like after that it was just, it was like bam, bam, bam became routine in a way that actually like surprised me how easy

it became. But what I learned through the process too, is that like every woman's experience with egg freezing or if you turn those into embryos and do IVF, like that initial process is every woman experiences so differently, right? And for me, through the period where I was giving myself the shots, which was almost two weeks, I was living life as normal.

I mean, I was treating my body like I was pregnant in terms of what I was eating and I wasn't drinking any alcohol, all of the things like that. But I was pregnant in terms of what I was eating and I wasn't drinking any alcohol, all of the things like that. But I was working, I interviewed Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, the day before my egg retrieval. And then, now granted, I had him like a boxy blazer and I looked like I was three months pregnant, but I went in for my retrieval the next day.

And to that point, the process has been so easy relative to the fear I had of what it would be like. Now there was one day, thankfully it was a Saturday where I woke up in the middle of that process and I felt so hung over. And I was like, I don't understand. I haven't had a drink in like a month. Why do I feel this way? And then I was like, it's the hormones.

Like it, like just listen to your body and this like it's, don't be afraid. Don't be weirded out. Like it's just your body's taking it, going through this incredible process. And I just laid on the couch all day and watched Grey's Anatomy and cried. And I just let myself, and I didn't get too upset about it

beyond just saying I need to cry. Like the hormones are real, this is all happening. Anyway, fast forward, I do the egg retrieval and that's when it got difficult for me. My recovery process was really intense and it was intense in large part because I had a really successful cycle. I was lucky enough to have a lot of eggs

and I've realized in the process of sharing my story. Sometimes it's hard for other women to hear like how many how many eggs I got, you know, knowing that like, it's hard to get a lot of eggs, right. And I didn't realize that when I first shared that that could be uncomfortable for a lot of women to hear that number. I just thought I was sharing information and that would be helpful. But I had a really successful retrieval process

and then my body freaked out. Like if you think about what you're actually doing to it and you're pumping in these hormones to create all of these eggs, get the biggest bang for your buck in this one retrieval that you can and then they're gone. Like my body went into a sort of shock.

It's called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and I was so, I was down for the count for like a week. Like I had intense nausea for the first three days and was told I needed to cut out all carbs and all sugar or else the pain I would be in would be even worse. But yeah, it was a definite journey, but I'm so glad I did it. And I have been such a proponent of women

who are even thinking about it to do it. I was lucky at 35 to have a successful of a retrieval process that I did. But I still wish I would have done it sooner. I still wish I would have done it younger. And if your insurance covers it, definitely take the money and do it now. Like don't wait. I that's sort of my message. Like my insurance didn't cover it.

And I think that's like just unbelievable that it was something I had to do on my own in that way. But yeah, if anybody has any questions, I really love supporting other women through the journey. I think it's so beautiful that not only you're willing to have these conversations, that you're willing to discuss your own journey with it, that you're encouraging other women to explore it themselves. Because I do think that we are in a phase of empowering women who aren't necessarily in a rush to do what we were told to do years ago, right? Like before

it was like, oh, you're in your mid-20s, like it's the clock's ticking, you better get married, have kids. Like there are women who, like yourself, are absolutely crushing it in their careers who set out to do something when they were 10 years old and have done exactly what they set out to do with a lot of hard work and dedication. And so to empower other women to see by seeing your journey and then you telling them like, I did this and you could do it too. And it doesn't mean that I don't have to have a, I have to sacrifice a family. It doesn't mean that I have to make this decision now, but that like you took it upon yourself to, um, to take matters into your own hands and say, like, like, I'm going to make sure that I have the information that I share the information

that I get because it wasn't easy to find is such an amazing way to support other women. And I really, really appreciate you doing that. That's incredible. Thanks for asking the question. I'm glad to talk about it. It's weird how I feel like things that are tough to talk about, it's like, once you just say some things out loud, just to your friends, right? It just becomes easier. And then to take ownership over that and to be lucky enough to like have a platform to share it is like, I just, it, yeah, I feel like it's, it's been something

I'm very proud to have done and been able to talk about. I cannot thank you enough for getting on here today with me. I am so happy that we finally got you on, not going to lie. I am so grateful for the invitation. I love that we got this time together. That's the best part. This is the best. No, thank you so much. And again, thank you for the conversations you're having, the examples you're setting. We love, you know, I love to see some women in sports and your crush. And I love when I get to see you at those sporting events. Just creeping this, creeping the sidelines at the link. Thank you again.

And of course we'll talk soon. Yes, I can't wait. Thank you, thank you. Thank you so much again to my guest, Kaylee Hartung for chatting with me. You can find even more clips from our conversation on my YouTube channel on More Shit Monday. I love getting to talk to the incredible women

that I get to talk to, but there's an added little bonus when it's someone that I know and get to learn even more about. So I'm so, so grateful that Kaylee sat in with us today. And that's a wrap on another episode of Not Gonna Lie. Stay tuned to our social accounts at NGL with Kylie for updates on when I'll officially be back from maternity leave. We already have some great guests lined up and maybe you'll even see me in a brand new set. Queen Emma told me that they call that a tease. In the meantime, the NGL team will be posting all sorts of never before seen clips on more ship Monday on the YouTube channel, as well as our Instagram, Tik TOK and Twitter.

We've got you covered. We're not going to leave you hanging. And by we, I mean the rest of the NGL team. Cause I'm busy healing and trying to keep four tiny humans alive. I think I'm okay. Who knows? Also, they call this a call to action. Send us all your ask me something questions. We may need some fresh ones to answer when I come back. You know, when my brain comes back, I'm probably not going to have a brain. That's going to be a disaster. You should ask a lot of questions because sleep deprivation and answering questions could go poorly for me and well for you. So submit those questions and now back to this close. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcast.

Follow the show on all social media at NGO with Kylie. Not going to lie is a wave and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show on all social media at NGL with Kylie. Not going to lie is a wave original brought to you by CoverGirl. Thank you guys again for tuning in.