Latest / Brewsers / Brewsers #354- Alex McGee

Transcript

Brewsers #354- Alex McGee · Brewsers

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: What Welcome to Bruisers, a podcast about beer, coffee, booze
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: and bruisers. I am Miro Shrouded John and today we
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: talked to Alex McGhee. We talked about how she got
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: into photography, what she's learned about MMA, and so much more.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Alex is doing absolutely amazing things again when it comes
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: to photography, when it comes to social media, when it
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: comes to MMA, and I can't wait to see what
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: else she's going to get into. So you don't hear
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: from me, you want to hear from her. So without
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: further ado, here is Alex McGhee. So yeah, I love
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: like we were just talking about before I hit record. Here,
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: your shelves have so much soul. I can see behind you.
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: Like you said, you have a new build, but you
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: want to give character to it? So why not go
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: to a thrist store and Goodwill. I want to put
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: this on the podcast because I did work in home
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: construction for a couple of years, and you are right,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: it is very much just you know, copy paste, copy paste,
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: copy paste, and it's like, no, we need like that's
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: why people need to buy older homes and buy like
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: even like flipped homes or whatever. Just because there's more character,
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: more soul in them. We can't have the same thing
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: over and over again. You can't have the same thing
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: all your neighbors have.
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: I totally agree, And it kind of like it hurts
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: my soul a little bit. I love my neighbors so much,
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: and I love my neighborhood, but when I go into
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: like a neighbor's house, I'm.
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: Like, oh, like we have the same exact floor plan,
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: we have the same exact finishes, we have like everything
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: is the same, and it just hurts my heart a
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: little bit.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: So yeah, I made it a point to go literally
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: to just my local goodwill and like one other thrift store,
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: and me and my best friend we just picked out
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: like so many unique pieces that were actually like really cheap.
• 2:16
  Speaker 4: Like way cheaper than going to like create barrel or any.
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: Goods or anything like that.
• 2:23
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and it just made it more special.
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: And it just the memory of us like scavenging for
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: things together that made it more special too.
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: So true. And then sometimes also each piece like you
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: could imagine like where did this come from? Like what
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: was the story behind? Oh yeah, for sure, just because
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: I have it now and starting new memories with it.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: Where memories does it have before that?
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah, And I'm kind of I feel like sometimes I'm
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: too sentimental because I will think about that stuff a
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: little too much and then I'm like relax a little.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: Bit, like they didn't want it because well, welcome to
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: the show. This is Alex McGee. Everyone, and uh as
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: I see where you are. But for those listening kind
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: of paintings the word picture, where are you at and
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: what's going on around you?
• 3:08
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: So I'm in Springfield, Missouri, and I I'm I'm a
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: Midwest early born and raised here in Springfield, and I
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: love it here. It's a Springfield I think is the
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: perfect sized town, not too big, not too small.
• 3:23
  Speaker 4: So yeah, I'm in Missouri.
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: I actually have a friend that lives in I think
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: it's Labanion that she's not too far from leban See.
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: I also, yeah, it's such a weird dame.
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: Yah, it's hard to say. It's not an hour from me.
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, I've known her for years, but I have
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: never met her in person. It's it's amazing.
• 3:44
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that's funny. Maybe I'll have to come out to
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: Missouri sometimes.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: I'm in Faydeville once a month in Arkansas, so it's
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: not terribly far from there, right, that's not far at all.
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: Well there we go.
• 3:55
  Speaker 4: Okay, well then yeah, you can make a trip perfect.
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: Well let's go all the way back in time. What
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: is your earliest memory of art?
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: Oh, my goodness, of art? Okay, I this is so funny.
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: So I've been a photographer for eleven years, okay. And
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: I remember being a little girl and just wanting to create.
• 4:18
  Speaker 4: And do like photo shoots I did.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: I did tons of photo shoots with like my cousins,
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: And I remember being in like the fourth grade and
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: my dream was to be a national geographic photographer. And
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: so I've always I've always loved photography and creating. I
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: was a dancer all growing up, so that's my background.
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: So I've just always had an appreciation for the arts,
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: whether that be photography or you know, theater or dance
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: anything like that. So so really I grew up loving it.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: So what kind of dance did you do?
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: I specialized in like ballet and lyrical contemporary jazz, so
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: just like the main dance.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you never knew that. So how did the photography
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: come into your life? Then?
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: So photography came into my life. I have a cousin
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: who was a very big YouTuber. She was in high school.
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: She was kind of one of the first daily bloggers.
• 5:25
  Speaker 4: Wow, And I mean she was making so.
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: Much money, like we had just we had no idea
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: like the money that could be made from doing social
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: media until she started it. And so I would always
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: help her with like photo shoots or like brand deals,
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: and from there, she like her friends would ask me
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: to do shoots, and then from there just kind of
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: turned into me like shooting for people and then brides
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: when I mad shot their wedding and I was actually
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: I used to be a middle school teacher, and so
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: I did that for a couple of years, and then
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: it didn't really make sense to keep doing both because
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: I was so busy with photography. And then eventually I
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: were shooting about forty weddings a year, well all throughout
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: the week. Yeah, it got a little crazy, So but yeah,
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: that's kind of it started.
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: That forty weddings is a lot, and that's almost one
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: a week. But then we also have to deal with, yeah,
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: so many different kind of characters when it comes to chill, brides, bridezillas,
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: everything in between. Obviously, you know, even when you work
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: Mma show days like they something always goes wrong and
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: not everything goes right, so weddings are even worse. So
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: what how was that experience?
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: I did it for about eight years, about twenty to
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: forty weddings a year, and a lot of times I would.
• 6:51
  Speaker 4: Stack that I've had weddings two in one day.
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: I've done Friday, Saturday, Sunday weddings where I've shot you know,
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: three weddings in a weekend, and it was crazy, which
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: is why I don't really shoot weddings anymore so, but
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: I do think it gave me the experience to be
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: able to shoot under pressure, to deal with any sort
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: of personality.
• 7:13
  Speaker 4: I've been cussed out at at weddings.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: I've dealt with crazy a mother of the brides, mother
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: of the grooms, and you know what, surprisingly the brides
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: were fine to deal with. It was more of the
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: grooms being grumpy about the situation of you know, usually
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: it's like ninety degrees and they're in a suit and
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: tie and they just felt want they're too hot. And
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: so I really think it like I was able to
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: learn so many things and just work under pressure, and
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: I feel like that's only helped me in this industry
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: of media.
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: So right, so you enjoy taking the before wedding pictures
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: so like the engagements and the and then later with
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: the babies and stuff, but maybe the wedding maybe not
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: so much anymore.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I only do select brides now, only like close
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: press and family and that's really it.
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: So that's totally understandable. Well, how did you get into
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: doing it for MMA?
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: So funny enough, I think the most ironic part about
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: me doing media for MMA is that I'm not a
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: part of this world.
• 8:17
  Speaker 4: I really don't know anything about the sport.
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: So I am kind of more petite person and I'm
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: single and I'm by myself a lot.
• 8:28
  Speaker 4: And my parents were like, we just want you to
• 8:31
  Speaker 4: do some sort of like self defense just in case you.
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: I don't know, the world like is getting crazier and
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: I think, I don't know, some crime was happening within
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: the country or something.
• 8:44
  Speaker 4: And my parents, yes all.
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: The time, but they were like, we just were concerned
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: and we want you to do some sort of self defense.
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: And I work out every day and I was kind
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: of getting bored of my workout schedule and so I
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: just made an Instagram story and a Facebook post about
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: any sort of like personal trainer that I could work with.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: And Avery Wilson, who is an MMA fighter. He messaged
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: me and offered me a free session, and I had
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: no idea he was like an MMA fighter.
• 9:20
  Speaker 4: I really didn't know what that meant.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: So yeah, I agreed to doing a free session with him,
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: and we hit it off great. We like instantly became friends,
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: and so he started training me and my best friend.
• 9:36
  Speaker 4: And then I was like, you know, I'm a photographer.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: If you ever need any media done, just let me
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: know and maybe we could do like a trade or something.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: And I started training with him in October and he
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: had a fight like a couple weeks later in Kansas City.
• 9:54
  Speaker 4: So he was like, well, come to one of my pro.
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: Classes and film it and you can just like see
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: you can just kind of get a feel for if
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: you want to do that. And so I went, and
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: I've been doing his media ever since. I took over
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: do like doing all of his media and tripled his
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: at least tripled his views. I think probably tripled is following.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: And I think Avery he's such a big personality.
• 10:22
  Speaker 4: He's a heavyweight fighter. He's such a big, funny personality.
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: So he was just totally willing to do whatever crazy
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: idea that I had, and we just had so much
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: fun with it. So I've been doing his media ever since.
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: And I was very honest with him. I was like,
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: I don't know anything about your sport. I'm a primarily
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: a photographer.
• 10:47
  Speaker 4: I'm not really even a videographer.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: I work with like brands and stuff, and I do
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: like fun content shooting, but I had to learn and
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: study how to film for fighting, and there's a there's
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: death only certain techniques that I had to learn. So
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: there's a lot of studying and a lot of practicing.
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: But it's been the most amazing journey. I've loved every
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: second of it.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: Yeah, anybody who hasn't seen these videos, they're on your
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: Instagram and they are hilarious because, like you said, here's
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: this giant dude, and you get like, especially the one
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: about you Boston around is really funny, and then getting
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: him to dance and do all kinds of things, Like, yes.
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: They're hilarious, yep, he I mean he does what I
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: what I say, So I definitely around.
• 11:30
  Speaker 4: I'm not afraid to boss a heavyweight around.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: No, I mean because he's like three of you. Yeah,
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: pretty much what are there? Things? Are there things that
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: he has said no to?
• 11:46
  Speaker 4: No, he is not.
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: And I do work with other fighters as well, and
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: I can kind of I can gauge energy of like
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: what they're willing to do. I never make him do
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: like anything like in a prod or anything like that,
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: but I pretty much know whenever I'm working with a
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: fighter what their boundaries are and like what they will
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: be willing.
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: To do as far as like goofy stuff.
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: So, yeah, certain trends work on certain people on social
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: media and other people know they're just like no, thank you.
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think we have to keep an open
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: mind as creators that like something's hit and some things
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: don't hit, and you just have to be willing to
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: put out the content. And that's kind of when we started.
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: I was like I I was kind of wondering what
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: direction to go with doing his media because I wanted
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: it to be I wanted a course to be about
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: the training and the fighting, but I didn't want that
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: to be the only thing, because there's so much more
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: to the sport than just that. And so I've I
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: kind of just took on the role of like this
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: is just Avery's like reality TV show and I'm using
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: his personality and what he does, and of course the
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: fighting is just amazing as well.
• 13:05
  Speaker 4: So there, what have you learn?
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: Yeah? Know, as human beings, most of the like ninety
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: something percent are the most amazing, nicest people on the
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: other on the planet.
• 13:15
  Speaker 4: Oh, the kindest people you will ever.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: There are obviously some psychopaths, but you know that that's everywhere.
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: So's everywhere, that's everywhere. What what do you think you
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: learned the most? Now not only your training, but obviously
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: you're documenting what the sport is as well.
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: I I just there's so many different aspects to the industry,
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: and for.
• 13:39
  Speaker 4: Me not knowing anything, I think was an advantage for me.
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: Yeah, because I'm like, what would an audience member want
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: to see that doesn't know anything about this, and how
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: can we get their attention and how how can we
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: make it more relatable? And from that it's been kind
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: of amazing. Just like so many females that reach out
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: to me saying that they want to start boxing because
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: they finally have like worked up the courage to start.
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: It's a very intimidating, intimidating sport and it's hard to
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: get into. So if they see like a normal kind
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: of girly girl like me get into it.
• 14:18
  Speaker 4: They're like, oh, you know, maybe I can also do
• 14:21
  Speaker 4: this as well.
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: And if anything, it's built my confidence up training and
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: it's just been so amazing. I'm super grateful. I I
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: it sounds cheesy, but every time I film a fight night,
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: I get kind of emotional because for for a fighter
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: to get into that cage and be so vulnerable and
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: to just put their whole heart into fighting, it is emotional.
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: Like we had fight Night in Kansas City, Kansas on
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: this last Saturday, and the main card it was like
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: a spiritual experience. It was very emotional and both fighters
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: were just like the kindest humans ever.
• 15:04
  Speaker 4: But you know, of course in the cage that a
• 15:07
  Speaker 4: job is to be done.
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: So it's just been amazing to learn about it, and
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: I'm super thankful.
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: Yeah. I know so many people don't think about the
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: family aspect of it either, because there's so many of
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: them that do have wife and kids or girlfriends and
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: whatever that boyfriends, whatever's happening, Like you just don't know
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: because they're most times there or they can't bear to
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: watch it, let alone on TV, or be their lives,
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: so you know, this person gets done fighting and then
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: they kind of just have their team, but they don't
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: have that love person. So it's you know, there's so
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: many different layers, Like you said, to this whole fight thing,
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: it's not just train, fight, get paid, you know, Rent repeat,
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: there's so many different we're all human as well, like
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: at the.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: End of the day, yes, yeah, And so Synergy is
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: having me interview the fighters and so on Saturday, I
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: interviewed Nick Mackew's That May event and I actually I
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: had his girlfriend and his son come on the interview
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: just to kind of talk about what what how do
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: you what are the feelings and emotions that go into
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: watching your spouse go into the cage and and luckily
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: most spouses that I have talked to are so supportive
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: and and are they're cheering on their.
• 16:25
  Speaker 4: Their significant other. So I just think it's amazing.
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: Have you gone back and watched other fights to kind
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: of find out more about the sport and the little intricacies.
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I've definitely done a lot of studying just to
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: just to learn more about it, and just talking with
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: Avery and the other pro fighters that are at Teenfusion
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: and in Springfield Fight Club here locally, and I think
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: as I train more, I'll just be learning, you know,
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: learning as I go, And I think that's kind of
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: the most important role I can have right now, is
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: just having an open mind of being a sponge really
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: and learning not only about the business aspect of the industry,
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: but also the you know, the fighting part too.
• 17:16
  Speaker 4: There's so many different layers.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: Like you said, yeah, yeah, the business aspect is very wonky.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: I'll say that depending on where you are, and because
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: I mean, these men and women have to not only
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: figure out how they're going to continue to make their
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: money and pay for the training, but then also how
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: do I get sponsors? Does this you know, how do
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: I get more sponsors? How does this company actually allow
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: me to have sponsors? Like little things like that. And
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: then again, most of them don't get paid that well,
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: just by the companies themselves, so they have to continue
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: to try to get bigger and better sponsors so they
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: can hopefully make more money to Actually it's all juggling act.
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: And it's the fact that most of them have to
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: get managers and also get a cut of it as well.
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: So it's so weird, it.
• 18:04
  Speaker 4: Is quite crazy.
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: And that's that's what I tell fighters, especially younger fighters,
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: I'm always very honest, and I say, if you want
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: a future in this sport and you want sponsors, you
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: have to have a social media presence.
• 18:21
  Speaker 4: You have to have good media. It's essential, you know.
• 18:25
  Speaker 4: I feel like our source.
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: Of of media is US is online and non social
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: media TikTok and Instagram and Facebook.
• 18:35
  Speaker 4: It's it's kind of vital to have good media if
• 18:37
  Speaker 4: you if you want to go somewhere in this sport.
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: In my opinion, no, without a doubt. And again like yes,
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: we have regional fighters, but eventually they want to make
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: it up to the UFC or the like we're seeing
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: now the Netflix or even one over in Asia. So
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: I mean there's so many different bigger companies. However, are they,
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: you know, still getting paid the same but if some
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: of them are just reaching fightles and there'll always be
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: regional fighters, yeah for sure. But I mean that's same
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: thing with minor league baseball and the other sport like that.
• 19:07
  Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah, And I think a lot of the fighters.
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: They do it because they love it, yes, and the passion,
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: and I've I've noticed that a lot of them do
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: have like full time jobs and they just you know,
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: train and fight because they love it, which I think
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: is really cool too.
• 19:24
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: I've had UFC fighters on here that still have full
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: time corporate jobs, so it's crazy.
• 19:29
  Speaker 4: I think that is crazy. I think it's great.
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, so what do you think you? I mean,
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: I'm not going to ask if you ever want to
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: have a fight yourself.
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: Because I have been asked that that a lot.
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: No, I was good. What I was going to ask
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: was what aspect of MMA training is one of your favorites?
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: And then what's one that you're like? All right, I'll go,
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: but I hate this day.
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, honestly, I just I love hitting mets with Avery
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: or whoever will hit mets with me.
• 20:04
  Speaker 4: I love it so much.
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: I think the hardest part is probably like the strength
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: and conditioning part.
• 20:10
  Speaker 4: Avery takes my ass. It was good. Yeah, back to
• 20:15
  Speaker 4: this past Saturday.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: He trained me before I filmed twenty Nights and I'm like, why.
• 20:21
  Speaker 4: Did I do that? I was I could barely like
• 20:23
  Speaker 4: hold my camera up?
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: So how are the how is work and live shows?
• 20:31
  Speaker 4: It's amazing? I love every second of it. I feel
• 20:34
  Speaker 4: so thankful.
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: So Synergy reached out to me and they saw what
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: I did with Avery, and they were like, You'll be
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: such a great addition to our team. And really what
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: I was doing with Avery is what they wanted me
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: to be doing with them.
• 20:50
  Speaker 4: So I'm interviewing the fighters.
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: I'm kind of making them do some silly stuff too,
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: just to kind of showcase their personalities more and and
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: a lot of crowd work, so just kind of showing
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: more of not just the fights.
• 21:05
  Speaker 4: I do film the fights.
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: As well, and I edit, you know, like best hits,
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: best takedowns.
• 21:12
  Speaker 4: So yeah, I'm filming the fights, but I'm also like
• 21:14
  Speaker 4: in the crowd, which I absolutely love.
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: And I've gotten to know some really really amazing people
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: and sponsors just from doing that, so it's nice.
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: Well, first for people that haven't heard about Synergy Fights,
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: tell us about them.
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so they're a fight promotion here in the Midwest.
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: They're based out of Pittsburgh, Kansas, and then they do
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: Fight Night in Springfield and then at Kansas City, Kansas,
• 21:40
  Speaker 2: and then I mean they're just growing so much.
• 21:42
  Speaker 4: I'm sure they'll be I'm.
• 21:44
  Speaker 2: Sure they'll be growing and going to different cities. But
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: Chris Gregory and Zach Cummings are the owners and they
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: are just amazing to work for. They're so much fun
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: and they've really given me the freedom of just taking
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: on what I think will.
• 22:02
  Speaker 4: Be best for the role that they've given me.
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: So they gave me like a this is what we
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: want you to do, and we trust that you'll do it.
• 22:11
  Speaker 4: And then they've been really happy and for me, it's
• 22:14
  Speaker 4: nice that they have that confidence in me. So it's
• 22:17
  Speaker 4: been great.
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: Without a doubt that they are like, no, we can
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: see you can handle it. You're good.
• 22:22
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the biggest photoc conference you can get.
• 22:27
  Speaker 4: It is it is great.
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: Well, I mean, speaking of which, tell us more about
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: McGee Creative.
• 22:33
  Speaker 2: So McGee Creative is my I guess you say, like
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: my main business, my bread and butter that I've had
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: for almost twelve years now. I started when i was
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: twenty one, twenty two. I'm thirty two now, So I've
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: I've been doing photography for a very very long time.
• 22:57
  Speaker 4: Uh, and I've I've been.
• 23:00
  Speaker 2: With brands for a long time too, But the last
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: a lot, the last couple of years have really pivoted
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: into me kind of exclusively working with certain brands and
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: kind of being more in front of the camera, modeling
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: and also behind the camera as well, and I feel
• 23:16
  Speaker 2: like that is something that I really love that brands
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: will come to me with like an idea, and then
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: I essentially bring that idea to life. And you know,
• 23:30
  Speaker 2: I plan sets, I plan style shoots, I get the models,
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: I model myself, and then if I need to be
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: behind the camera, I can. But there's a lot of planning,
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: a lot of planning that goes into like style shoots
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: for brands, So it's really fun.
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: How do you enjoy being in front of instead of
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: behind the camera.
• 23:51
  Speaker 2: I think I've pretty much had to just do it,
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: you know. I I've had experience in front of the camera,
• 24:02
  Speaker 2: but really, like I said, like the last year year
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: and a half, it's been way more than I could
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: have ever asked for, and I love it so much.
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: It's just kind of one of those things where you
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: can either turn down opportunities.
• 24:19
  Speaker 4: Because you're scared, or you can just do it and.
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: Be afraid and just put yourself in uncomfortable situations and
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: the payoff is just incredible. So I've had some really
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: really fun experiences.
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: Yeah, there's the quote you can't grow from a comfortable.
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: Place, exactly, and I feel like I've definitely put that.
• 24:42
  Speaker 4: To the test the last year, like okay, and.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: Even now I'm like, I've been presented with a couple
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: of different opportunities of like hosting, and I'm like, I
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: don't know who I'm really qualified with this, but I
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: will have to decide if I want to be uncomfortable.
• 24:58
  Speaker 4: And take the risk.
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: I guess hosting is it's not I think. I mean,
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: if you've done everything else, hosting's easy. Like it's just
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: obviously you're the main focus, but then you get to
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: you know, kind of pass them all to other people
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: and it's fun that way.
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: Yeah, for me, it's like terrifying, but you know, we'll
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: get there some training.
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: What is it about that that's that frightened you.
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: I think just because I've never done it before, and
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: I don't. I just don't have that experience. So I
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: think that's the biggest mentally, I think.
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: Just get the first couple of mistakes out and you'll
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: be fine.
• 25:39
  Speaker 4: Yes, exactly.
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: Well, so like show days and shoot days can be
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: long days. What are some standards you normally have in
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: your bag?
• 25:49
  Speaker 4: What do you like?
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: What are you talking about, like food or drink or
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: change of outfits or.
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so I try to I try to dress as
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: comfortably as possible but still look cute, because that is
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: you know, I want to I want to be looking
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: good for fight night or you know whatever shoot that
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: I have. So I am a small person. I'm only
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: five foot tall, and I don't really consume that much
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: like beforehand, because I want to eat very light. So
• 26:19
  Speaker 2: I'm just I'm not feeling doggy, so I'll have like
• 26:22
  Speaker 2: very lean meal with like you know, chicken and veggies
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: or something light.
• 26:27
  Speaker 4: And then I always have like.
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: A chomp in my bag in case I need to
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: have a little snack. I stay away from like the
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: concession stands.
• 26:38
  Speaker 4: And I'm too busy, like especially fight night.
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: I'm everywhere I'm and I try to drink a lot
• 26:43
  Speaker 2: of water waters and Mustang hydrated is a must.
• 26:46
  Speaker 4: And then I will eat like a lot after after.
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: I'm done, I'm eating a lot.
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: Do you normally grab the fire plate? So I know,
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: wrestling shows afterwards, most of us are normally hungry and
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: we want something to drink, And of course it's late
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: and so we had to figure out what is and
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: what isn't open After Mima shows that way too, where
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: a lot of the fighters are going out together.
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: And okay, yes, and I even got invited.
• 27:16
  Speaker 4: By one of the fighters.
• 27:18
  Speaker 2: He was from Miami and so his whole group invited
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: me and they were so kind, but I was just like,
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: I was so tired, I could barely keep my eyes open.
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: But yes, normally, if I'm you know, in Springfield or
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: you know, well, all the people that I knew in
• 27:34
  Speaker 2: Kansas City, they were like already out partying.
• 27:37
  Speaker 4: So by the time I got done.
• 27:38
  Speaker 2: So I just went through McDonald's and got like a
• 27:40
  Speaker 2: chicken sandwich and was like eating it in my hotel room.
• 27:43
  Speaker 4: But if I am in Springfield, I.
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: Go out with everyone and we have a good time afterwards.
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: Yeah, sometimes fast food is the way to go on
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: the way home. That or a waffle house. You can
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: find one of.
• 27:56
  Speaker 4: Those, right, yes, exactly.
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: Now. I saw also that you're a foster mom and
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: you're you know, uh, I guess regularly your mom multiple ways.
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: I'll say that I am tell us, tell us how
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: that's how that is? Like how long have you been
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: in fostering, because that's amazing.
• 28:14
  Speaker 2: I've been a foster parent for about four years now.
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: It's something that I'm very passionate about, and I think
• 28:21
  Speaker 2: I will always be passionate about it. I think I
• 28:24
  Speaker 2: will always be a foster parent. I always struggled getting pregnant.
• 28:31
  Speaker 2: I've done IVF five times.
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: Whoa yeah, yeah.
• 28:35
  Speaker 4: So to get my son here, it was it was
• 28:39
  Speaker 4: a long journey.
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: And then I actually had to deliver him at twenty
• 28:43
  Speaker 2: five weeks gestation, so he was it.
• 28:46
  Speaker 4: Was about this big. He was one pound of eleven
• 28:50
  Speaker 4: ounces when he was born.
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: Oh so yeah, I've just kind of I think that's
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: kind of how I built my following is I was
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: always very vulnerable with my fertility journey and my journey
• 29:05
  Speaker 2: with being a nick you mom, and I from there,
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: I just I don't know, I've just always had a
• 29:11
  Speaker 2: passion for foster care. I think I think what changed
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: me is that I was in the nick You in
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: Saint Louis and I would see babies laying all day.
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: They would not have any visitors come and their parents
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: like abandoned them. So they would go into the foster
• 29:31
  Speaker 2: care system, but they would have to be released from the.
• 29:35
  Speaker 4: NICKU to get foster care placement.
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: And I think that just really changed me as a
• 29:42
  Speaker 2: person of these kids need love, and I really truly
• 29:48
  Speaker 2: think that if you want to change your community.
• 29:51
  Speaker 4: In a positive way.
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: In the world in a positive way, we have to
• 29:55
  Speaker 2: get involved with foster care and I just I know
• 29:59
  Speaker 2: that so many foster teens would benefit from boxing or MMA,
• 30:06
  Speaker 2: whatever sort of martial arts. So my dream is to
• 30:11
  Speaker 2: kind of incorporate the foster care system teams with the
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: sport of m m A. I just think it would
• 30:18
  Speaker 2: be great, great therapy for them.
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: So that thank you so much for sharing that with us.
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: And I know that that's not easy to because I
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: mean again, you're fostering and then hoping they find a
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: better home and they you know, you still got to
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: you still give your emotion and your time and your
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: energy and then they go.
• 30:39
  Speaker 4: So yeah, it's part of it. It's not easy.
• 30:42
  Speaker 2: It's hard, but the work has to be done by
• 30:47
  Speaker 2: some by humans.
• 30:49
  Speaker 4: So I'll be one of those humans.
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: Well, thank you for being one of those humans. That's
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: that's amazing.
• 30:56
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: And I'm totally with you about I think everybody at
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: some point needs to learn or just take some martial
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: art classes in general, like you said, whether it be
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: for self defense or whether it be for actual you know,
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: some kind of physical fitness, which everybody at some point
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: needs to do something for sure. Yeah, but also you
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: teach you a little bit of discipline as well, because yeah,
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: you can understand and roughly know how to throw a
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: punch and kicks or whatever and maybe defend yourself, but
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: you also have to know when not to do it
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: as well. And so I think a lot of teens unfortunately,
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: well all teens have so much angst in them and
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: so all these hormones and all this energy, so they
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: need to let it out. But again, they need to
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: let it out in a proper way. And there's so
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: many great teachers and coaches out there that I think, Yeah,
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: I love what you're thinking about that.
• 31:50
  Speaker 4: Oh agree, I totally agree.
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: I love that.
• 31:55
  Speaker 2: Well.
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: I have a segment I saw. I call it the
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: five count. It's just five random questions. Number one, what
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: are you nerding out on? Right now?
• 32:03
  Speaker 4: What am I nerding out on?
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah?
• 32:06
  Speaker 4: Oh man, hmmm what am I nerding out on?
• 32:15
  Speaker 2: Like?
• 32:15
  Speaker 4: I don't even know. Literally all I do is edit
• 32:20
  Speaker 4: maybe my edits, I don't know. I have like a
• 32:23
  Speaker 4: million things.
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: I have to edit. What program do you use for writing?
• 32:27
  Speaker 2: I use Final Cut, I use after Effects, I use cap.
• 32:31
  Speaker 4: Cut, I use whatever.
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: Number two, if you owned a liquor company, brewery, winery,
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: coffee shop, or dispensary, which one would you own and
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: what would the name be?
• 32:44
  Speaker 4: Oh hmmm, I don't know. Probably probably a coffee shop.
• 32:58
  Speaker 4: If I don't know what I would name it. Man,
• 33:00
  Speaker 4: you're really hitting me harder.
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: Than these questions.
• 33:04
  Speaker 4: I don't know what I would name it. I have
• 33:07
  Speaker 4: to think about that more, but it would be a
• 33:10
  Speaker 4: coffee shop.
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: I love that. Number three. Who is your first celebrity crush?
• 33:16
  Speaker 4: My first celebrity crush. This is gonna sound so crazy,
• 33:21
  Speaker 4: but Travis Barker.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: I get it.
• 33:26
  Speaker 4: He's still my celebrity crush.
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: He's yeah, he's weirdly. I can see that he's weirdly attracting.
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: Apparently he's the nicest guy, will do anything for his
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: fans too.
• 33:36
  Speaker 4: It's sweet.
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: Number four, Who are what inspires you?
• 33:46
  Speaker 2: I think the person that inspires me the most are
• 33:49
  Speaker 2: my parents, because I became single at age thirty one.
• 33:58
  Speaker 4: And I was like, I'm going to go back to teaching.
• 34:01
  Speaker 2: I need more stability, I you know, I need to
• 34:05
  Speaker 2: you know, have like a safe option. And my parents
• 34:09
  Speaker 2: stapped me down and they were like, you are too
• 34:11
  Speaker 2: creative and too, you've worked too hard to because I
• 34:16
  Speaker 2: was going to like give up photography completely and go
• 34:20
  Speaker 2: back to teaching just so I could have like stability,
• 34:22
  Speaker 2: because it's scary. I don't have any sort of like
• 34:26
  Speaker 2: financial help.
• 34:27
  Speaker 4: At all, and so yeah, it's scary as a single mom.
• 34:32
  Speaker 2: And my parents were like, you are too talented and
• 34:36
  Speaker 2: creative to do that.
• 34:38
  Speaker 4: And they were like, we're not letting you.
• 34:41
  Speaker 2: And they're like we know that you have a future
• 34:44
  Speaker 2: and creating and you just have to follow that passion.
• 34:48
  Speaker 4: And so that I was like on my bedroom floor
• 34:51
  Speaker 4: like crying. I was like I can't. They're like, no,
• 34:54
  Speaker 4: you're going to stick it out and you're going to
• 34:56
  Speaker 4: keep going. And I'm so glad that.
• 34:58
  Speaker 2: I'm so glad that I listened to the because it's
• 35:01
  Speaker 2: led me to so many amazing opportunities and I know
• 35:06
  Speaker 2: that this is just the beginning.
• 35:09
  Speaker 4: I'm excited.
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: Shout out to your parents. That's awesome. And number five,
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: what would you tell your seventeen year old self?
• 35:16
  Speaker 4: I would tell my seventeen year old self.
• 35:22
  Speaker 2: To do.
• 35:25
  Speaker 4: Exactly what your heart is telling you to do.
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: Love that.
• 35:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so I got married at a very young age.
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: I got married at nineteen. It's barely nineteen, wow, And
• 35:40
  Speaker 2: I think that if I were to do it over again,
• 35:43
  Speaker 2: I wouldn't do.
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: That ye needfully developed yet exactly now, if people want
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: to find out more about you, follow you online, support
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: you in any way they can, how can they do so?
• 35:55
  Speaker 2: So I'm on Instagram at Alex McGee, but with four ease,
• 36:00
  Speaker 2: and then Alex Media on TikTok and then Alex Media
• 36:04
  Speaker 2: on Facebook, and.
• 36:05
  Speaker 4: Those three places are really where I post the most.
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: There we go, Alex. Thank you so much for your time,
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: and thank you for being so open about everything. So again,
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: like you said, this is just the beginning and I
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: can't wait to see what the future holds for you.
• 36:18
  Speaker 4: Thank you so much.
• 36:18
  Speaker 2: I appreciate you, and let me know if you're ever
• 36:20
  Speaker 2: in Springfield we can go hang out.
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: I love that. Thank you so much Alex for being
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: on the show again. Definitely make sure to follow her
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: on social media because she's doing absolutely incredible things and
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: I can't wait again to see what the future holds
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: for me, for her, not me. Thank you again, Alex
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: for being on the show, and thank you so much
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: for being so I'll open and honest about everything You've
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: gone through and again you are more than welcome back
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: to the show. I'll come up to Springfield. We'll do
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: it in personal be even better. So while you're following
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: her on social media, definitely go to make sure to
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: follow us on social media. It is bruisers Pod. That
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: is b R E W S C R S p
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: O D on the Instagram, the threads, and the Twitter.
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: If you want to send us an email, it is
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: Bruisespod at gmail dot com. If you want to follow
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: me directly, it is Roddy John. That is R O
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: D I E j O N. Roadie John is the
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: name on Have a Beer Together. So until next time,
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: make sure to enjoy life, drink local, and cheers