Latest / Daily Influence / 539. Breaking Barriers, Owning the Mic: Ruthie Polinsky on Confidence, Connection & Women in Sports Media

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539. Breaking Barriers, Owning the Mic: Ruthie Polinsky on Confidence, Connection & Women in Sports Media · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the daily influence where our mission is to deliver a daily dose of positive influence that can uplift you personally or be shared within your sphere of influence.
• 0:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: While not every episode may directly apply to your unique circumstances, we strive to provide insights and inspiration relevant to most people's daily, weekly, and monthly lives.
• 0:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whether you are tuning in during the morning, noon or night, the daily influence is here for you.
• 0:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Listen, share, and embrace the power of influence in your life.
• 0:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to Daily Influence.
• 0:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm Greg Colino.
• 0:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: Today, we welcome Ruthie Polinski, an Emmy award winning sports journalist and host of the Big Pro Football Show on Chicago Sports Network.
• 0:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: With a dual degree in communication and drama from the University of Michigan, Ruthie has seamlessly blended her passions for storytelling and sports.
• 1:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: Her career spans at NBC six in Miami, WPRI in Rhode Island and NBC sports Chicago covering major events like the Super Bowl World Series and NCAA tournaments.
• 1:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: Beyond her on-screen presence, Ruthie is a dedicated advocate for women in sports media and uses her platform to inspire positive change.
• 1:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: Ruthie, welcome to Daily Influence.
• 1:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for having me.
• 1:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm so honored to be here.
• 1:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: honored to have you.
• 1:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Could you share a bit about your background and what led you to where you are today with our listeners?
• 1:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Sure.
• 1:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: So as you mentioned, I currently work for Chicago Sports Network.
• 1:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I am the host of a daily Monday through Friday.
• 1:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Chicago Bears.
• 1:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thirty minute show.
• 1:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: We talk about the bears.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: January through December.
• 1:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's no offseason in the NFL.
• 1:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: So especially in Chicago where people are just always looking for content and wanting to talk about the Chicago Bears.
• 1:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: So
• 1:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: We are giving that to our viewers on Chicago Sports Network.
• 2:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Pretty much daily, which has been just a blast.
• 2:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: We launched as a new network in October, which has been really interesting for me.
• 2:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Being a part of a new network is something that I'm not used to.
• 2:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: My background is all in local news and working for local news stations, which have been around for
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: decades, it feels like centuries sometimes because of the way that they do things and very much stuck in their ways.
• 2:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's been very cool to be a part of something new where you're opening sort of a box of chocolates and you get to kind of pick which ones you want to try and which ones work and you want to go back to.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we've been having a lot of fun.
• 2:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: I have a great team there and we're just really enjoying kind of getting the word out about this new network.
• 2:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: My background, as I mentioned, is all in local news, so I graduated from the University of Michigan in twenty fifteen.
• 2:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: The first job that I got out of school was a local sports anchor in the town called Wichita Falls, Texas.
• 3:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was, I think the population is just around a hundred thousand people covering mostly high school sports for the most part, high school football, which is huge in Texas.
• 3:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: We were about an hour north of Dallas, an hour south of Oklahoma City, so very northern Texas.
• 3:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I was there for two years as sort of like, okay, can I do this?
• 3:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, can I do sports broadcasting and sort of work my way up?
• 3:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I ended up loving it.
• 3:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, it was a very different experience for me coming from, I grew up in the Midwest, grew up in St.
• 3:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Louis, you know, not too far from Chicago.
• 3:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm a Midwest girl at heart, obviously went to Michigan, a lot of Midwesterners in Michigan too.
• 3:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: So moving to Texas, not knowing a soul and a small town was,
• 3:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: really sort of a dive into the deep end, which I'm really glad I did and I'm proud of myself for doing that when I did it.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I spent two years there ended up getting an opportunity to go to the local, one of the local stations in Providence, Rhode Island, which was a big jump in market size from where I was not to mention being in Rhode Island.
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I had the opportunity to cover all of the New England teams.
• 4:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's not just really, you know, it's not the
• 4:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Boston Patriots.
• 4:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's the New England Patriots.
• 4:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I went from covering high school football on Friday nights to Tom Brady on Sundays.
• 4:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that was one of the most exhilarating most
• 4:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: informational and educational experiences of my career being there for three years covering as you mentioned I got to cover two super bowls I covered a world series with the red socks I covered a Stanley Cup with the Bruins I went to then NCAA tournament multiple times with Providence and with University Rhode Island
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: And had a wonderful time there.
• 4:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I felt like I was sort of ready to graduate from that experience, I had kind of done my time.
• 4:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was ready for a bigger market.
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: I had the opportunity to go to Miami and South Florida.
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I was the main sports anchor for the NBC station in South Florida.
• 5:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not only was I going to a bigger market, but I was kind of going to be leading the sports department there, which was awesome.
• 5:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was there.
• 5:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: right I moved to Miami in February of twenty twenty and March eleven was my first day on the air when the NBA shut down and I was covering the Miami heat and I had to be the lead you know story at eleven o'clock my first day on the air in a major market which was really really crazy I was anchoring news from my living room sort of like we're talking right now and that was a really incredible challenge and transformational time period for me
• 5:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Again, three years go by.
• 5:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Things were sort of back to normal.
• 5:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I had the opportunity to go to Chicago where my husband had an opportunity to be in Chicago.
• 5:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was really excited about finding an opportunity back in the Midwest and timing was perfect.
• 5:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: NBC Chicago was hiring a freelancer for NBC five in Chicago, which was connected to NBC sports Chicago.
• 6:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I was able to kind of do
• 6:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: things back and forth between the local station and also the regional sports network that had the bulls, the black hawks and the white socks, broadcasts where I was able to do some bulls, sideline reporting for the first time in my career sort of being a part of a game broadcast, which has always been a goal of mine.
• 6:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hosted the Bears pre and post a pre and post game show, the football after show for one season before NBC Sports Chicago.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: shut down, which is why Chicago Sports Network launched.
• 6:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: So those three teams went with Chicago Sports Network.
• 6:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: I had an opportunity to host a bare specific show, but I also get to fill in there on some of the bowls pre and post game show.
• 6:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm filling in on the White Fox pre and post game show this Friday as well.
• 6:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: So really just kind of enjoying the ability to kind of spread my wings and do a lot of different things.
• 6:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: And sort of, you know, the local news realm is very
• 7:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was incredible.
• 7:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I loved every minute of it.
• 7:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Being able to be a part of a regional sports network has really pushed my boundaries.
• 7:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I've been able to try a lot of new things and be a part of game broadcast.
• 7:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's a bigger audience.
• 7:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's just been an absolute thrill being in Chicago.
• 7:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I love it here.
• 7:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we're, yeah, we're really lucky and we're having just the best time here.
• 7:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm so fulfilled in my career and loving every minute of it.
• 7:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know you asked about my background.
• 7:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I feel like I'm rambling.
• 7:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm sorry.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can stop me whenever I go.
• 7:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I, you know, I grew up in St.
• 7:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Louis, grew up a die hard Michigan fan.
• 7:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: My parents were my dad did his residency in Ann Arbor.
• 7:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: They lived there for seven years.
• 7:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I grew up loving Michigan, wanted to go to Michigan.
• 7:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: My background is in musical theater.
• 7:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I did not play sports.
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's a famous story of my parents taking me, you know, trying to get me to play soccer when I was, you know,
• 7:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: six years old, and I was doing cartwheels at the other end of the field, just completely disinterested, which is a great story now, because I think sort of my performance and storytelling background really opened a door for me.
• 8:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I loved sports.
• 8:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: I loved watching sports.
• 8:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: I loved being a fan.
• 8:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: My during college, I would come home, and I was a member of Team Fred Bird for the St.
• 8:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Louis Cardinals, where I was basically one of the girls that was on the dugout shooting t-shirts.
• 8:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: you know, out to the fans because I loved the Cardinals so much.
• 8:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: They asked me while I was a part of Team Fred Bird to be one of their innerina hosts.
• 8:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I was on the jumbo tron just part of fan engagement.
• 8:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: It wasn't really reporting.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was more just like being a part of the fan experience.
• 8:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I realized like,
• 8:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, this is my love of storytelling and performance and being a fan.
• 8:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I can combine it all.
• 8:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And maybe I should make a career out of this instead of trying to go be, you know, a starving actress on Broadway.
• 8:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: So instead I was starving in which top false Texas.
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's what I did.
• 9:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it all worked out perfectly.
• 9:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love what I do so much and it's just been so fulfilling and it's I've gotten to live all over the country and meet so many amazing people in this industry and in the field and athletes coaches people that you know are in broadcasting.
• 9:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's just been an absolute thrill and I feel so lucky to be able to do what I love every day.
• 9:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, thank you for sharing that.
• 9:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's really a cool and unique journey.
• 9:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: How is your personal journey influenced your approach to storytelling and connecting with your audience?
• 9:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I try and come from a, I grew up in a home of
• 9:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: empathy, put yourself in other people's shoes and make sure that you approach every interaction with someone with open ears, open eyes, and open mind, and sensitivity.
• 9:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's honestly what has done the most for me in my career.
• 10:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think it's what honestly, I think it sets me apart in ways.
• 10:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think being able to
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: approach every day with sort of the understanding of my background is different from your background and I'm here to learn and to have an open mind and also communicate your story to a viewer with a lot of empathy and
• 10:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: sensitivity.
• 10:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I keep using the same words, but that's really how I feel.
• 10:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that has allowed me to because it's so authentic and it's how I grew up and it's where I came from.
• 10:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think I'm able to truly be myself.
• 10:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it took a while to find that voice on TV.
• 10:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: But oftentimes, one of the best compliments I get is when I meet people out in public and they say, oh, I watch you on NBC or I watch you on Chicago Sports Network.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we start talking a bit.
• 10:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're like, wow, you're exactly like you are on TV.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's like, that is the biggest compliment I can get.
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think just having sort of the background of living all over the country and also growing up in a home where you put yourself in other people's shoes and you don't judge and you try and help people who are less fortunate.
• 11:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that's also a part of, you know,
• 11:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Overcoming adversity is such a huge part of sports.
• 11:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think whether it's in a game, whether it's in your life, and I think that's what I love so much about what I do.
• 11:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Of course, the game itself is a thrill and we love it and we love being a fan and I think it brings people together in so many beautiful ways.
• 11:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I think when you learn these stories of athletes and coaches and other people in the business overcoming adversity, I think that's really where I feel the most fulfillment when I get to be the one communicating that story.
• 11:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because you could watch a game on TV without any sound.
• 11:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it would be fun, it would be entertaining.
• 11:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: But it's the broadcast and the announcers and the storytellers, the reporters who are asking the questions behind the scenes so that they can make you feel even more connected to the story.
• 12:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's truly what I love and I think that's part of who I am and where I come from and it's why I love what I do.
• 12:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: I love that.
• 12:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that can be translated across all media or interpersonal relationships that we have.
• 12:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: Just thinking about everyone we're all humans.
• 12:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: It just happens to be your career and you're telling stories and you're making exciting.
• 12:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Other people can make what they're doing exciting as well.
• 12:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: You've been a strong advocate for women in sports media.
• 12:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: What drives this passion and how do you see the landscape evolving?
• 12:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, it's an honor to be called a strong advocate.
• 12:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think just being who I am is a part of helping support other women in the industry.
• 12:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think there were so many women before me that helped me.
• 13:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: get to where I am and have provided, you know, just so much guidance and support probably without even knowing it.
• 13:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I feel like it's my duty to give back to the other women who are coming up and wanting to do what I do or something similar.
• 13:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think it's just a part of who I am, again, from this place of empathy.
• 13:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: And, you know, I've been in your shoes.
• 13:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've been a senior in college, not knowing what the heck I'm doing and how to get into this industry.
• 13:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so the more guidance and support I can help and provide younger women in the industry or in the business.
• 13:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think or even women who are in the business who are younger and necessarily, but are
• 13:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: are struggling and are, you know, having, you know, maybe doubting themselves, which we've all been there.
• 13:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, we've all sat there and said, oh, can I do this?
• 13:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, can I, can I, can I really make that, you know, achieve my dreams?
• 13:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think being able to just be an open book.
• 14:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: And do, you know, podcasts like these and, you know, panels like the one where we met, I think that those are opportunities that again, it's just sort of off camera behind the scenes, no one has to know that I'm doing it, but it's something that really like fills my cup and
• 14:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's, I always just think of all the women who came before me who have gotten on the phone with me and taken fifteen minutes out of their day to provide some advice or feedback and guidance that, you know, some reassurance like, hey, you're doing okay.
• 14:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like you're doing it, you know, and I think that's really where it comes from is just sort of, you know, the storytellers and the people who have paved the way for me.
• 14:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: I love that so much.
• 14:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm seeing that more and more
• 14:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: of other of women helping other women.
• 14:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: Someone was once describing what it used to be like and still is in some cases like crabs in the barrel.
• 14:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: They were seen crabs in the barrel.
• 14:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're all like stepping each other to get to the top.
• 14:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: But one gets the top and they reach down and pull the other one out and we just help each other get to the top.
• 15:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: It really makes the world a better place.
• 15:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I see a lot of how you're doing that and mentoring and supporting others and how others have paved the way and helped you.
• 15:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think about, you know, the saying and it's so cliche and probably, you know, doesn't make a lot of sense for people who maybe have an experience tip of like arising tight lifts all boats.
• 15:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like I really believe that, you know, one woman going above and beyond to help someone go out of their way to help someone else who's in similar situation.
• 15:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like that's gonna help that woman who's then gonna pay up back another to another young woman.
• 15:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I just, I always try and think about, you know, sort of,
• 15:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: the lineage and the generations that keep going and listen for me as a woman in sports.
• 15:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I like to think that I've had it pretty good.
• 15:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've gotten so lucky because of the women who were the first ones in locker rooms that had to deal with the harassment and from their colleagues and from the athletes and from the media.
• 16:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: I have a very, I'm so lucky that I am where I am in this industry where
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: people want to see more women on TV right now I think and you know it's it's gotten it early on in my career you know ten years ago when I was just starting out there was certainly some some questions especially in a small town in Texas you know and you know
• 16:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: ten years ago, there were some questions about having a woman on TV talking about sports and a lot of angry callers, which I think I sort of like blacked out of my memory.
• 16:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like I almost don't even remember it.
• 16:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I do think about how much harder it was for everyone else.
• 16:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I live my life in a very like glass half full perspective.
• 16:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I just consider myself so lucky every day to be able to do what I love.
• 16:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: And to be with the people who are supporting me, I work with
• 16:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mostly men pretty much all men.
• 17:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm actually trying to think right now of all the honor talent at Chicago Sports Network for the there's only two other women of like maybe a twenty person honor cast of you know of talent.
• 17:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I think you know we help each other and we support each other and I think that's been probably the most
• 17:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: to have all the men around us that are supporting us is also really cool too.
• 17:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: You're such a perfect example of a positive responsible influence.
• 17:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: I love it.
• 17:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: Do you share any challenges you faced in your career and how you overcame them, which shaped the way you positively influenced others, so your work and leadership?
• 17:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, some challenges I faced.
• 17:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, it gets kind of into the nitty gritty, but I think
• 17:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I mentioned there was, it's actually interesting.
• 17:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was a woman when I first started in Texas.
• 17:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was a woman who would call, I hosted a thirty minute sports Sunday show, you know, on the NBC station, most local news stations do a Sunday night sports show and I would host it on Sunday nights.
• 18:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And every night, every Sunday, this woman, old, older woman would call and about how inappropriate it was to have a woman talking about sports on the air, every Sunday.
• 18:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: And at first, you know, I think I was sort of off put by I was I was sad about it, um, concerned like is this how everyone feels here and this is just the one person reaching out, especially coming from another woman who I thought was really, that was really discouraging and I'm like, man, am I qualified?
• 18:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, at that point I'm like, am I even qualified to be doing this?
• 18:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then it was my sports director, my boss at the time, guy who hired me, Tobin McDuff, who I adore and really kind of took me under his wing and kind of threw me to the wolves to be like, okay, you don't have a ton of experience, we're gonna put you on the news and we're gonna see how it goes.
• 18:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he coached me up and gave me so much confidence over the course of those two years in Texas that like,
• 19:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: helped me grow my wings to fly.
• 19:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he answered the phone one night and spoke to this woman and stood up for me and I'll never forget it.
• 19:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll never forget it.
• 19:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that was the moment where I was like, OK, this woman's in a minority.
• 19:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's so many people here who believe in me and I can be able to do that.
• 19:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's one example.
• 19:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: And again, I think that is a moment where you have self-doubt and you think, oh my gosh, can I really do this?
• 19:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: you sort of the positivity around you to fuel you sometimes, which I think is okay, you know, it doesn't always have to come from me.
• 19:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like I think sometimes having other people lift you up is really important too.
• 19:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: and finding yourself a community of people who can do that.
• 19:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And another, I think one of the hardest things for me early on my career, I don't really deal with it as much now, but the criticism of how you look on the air.
• 20:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that is so hard, particularly for women who have to deal with that so much more than men do and what you're wearing and is it appropriate and are you showing too much leg and is it, you know, why are you wearing your hair like that or you should,
• 20:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: dire hair purple like I people say the craziest things one time I got off the air Open my you know social media I think it was Twitter at the time Open it and I had a message from someone being like are you pregnant like congratulations and I was like hmm like no I'm not pregnant and like that was just sort of like How people have no filter so I think sort of coming to your own sort of like
• 20:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: finding yourself confidence in yourself, knowing that the people who are nameless and faceless on social media are, you know, have no grounds to stand on when they send this criticism to you.
• 20:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's hard though.
• 21:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like that's really hard.
• 21:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think there are still times where people send me, you know, random feedback and stuff that will get to me every once in a while, but I'm quicker to get over it now than I used to be able to.
• 21:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: But again, I just think that's part of, you know,
• 21:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: finding your voice, believing in yourself, finding yourself confidence, and using the people around you to fuel you when you have self-doubt.
• 21:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think internalizing that stuff is really hard.
• 21:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I've found that when I talked to other people about some of my challenges, that'll help me sort of like, height myself back up a little bit.
• 21:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: And in those moments of, okay,
• 21:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm feeling terrible about something that happened.
• 21:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you help me get back on my feet?
• 21:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I wish women could do that more.
• 21:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think at those time in our industry, you want to come off is so tough and you're in a male dominated industry and you don't ever want to show any weakness.
• 21:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: But when you do show that weakness to your colleagues and your teammates, more times than not and what I found is like, that's the medicine.
• 22:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's how you heal.
• 22:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so I think that's really kind of, those are some examples of just like little things that, you know, challenges that I've sort of had to learn that have maybe sound little, but like have helped me sort of grow into the confident positive person that I am today when it comes to my on-air performance at least.
• 22:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for sharing that.
• 22:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: Can you tell us about a moment or experience where you felt you made a positive impact on someone's life?
• 22:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, man.
• 22:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Anytime someone messages me and it says, love watching you or, you know, I run into someone on the street and be like, Ruthie Polinski, like those are just moments where you kind of sometimes when you're in a studio and you're talking to a camera five days a week, you forget that people are watching because you're just looking at a camera.
• 23:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so it's those moments where you're like, wow, people are actually like coming to me to
• 23:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: for like a release or like an escape.
• 23:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And like if that's what I can provide for people which is what I think sports should be and can be for everyone.
• 23:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that's those are the moments where I feel like I've touched people the most.
• 23:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've done some really incredible stories where people sort of open up to me and allow me to
• 23:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: share their stories in a way that is very vulnerable and scary.
• 23:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: But if they trust me and if they let me do it, always the feedback I get after it is the best.
• 23:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is always the moment where you feel like that was just really special.
• 23:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I was working in Providence, I had an opportunity to surprise a family who was
• 23:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, someone wrote me a letter.
• 23:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want to recall the details so better than I'm about to, but someone wrote me a letter about how much they love watching me on TV and how I feel like they felt like I would be the person that could help them in this situation.
• 24:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: I believe the story was that it was this woman's godson or nephew, I'm not remembering the details, but he was suffering from ALS and he was a huge Patriots fan wanted to go to a Patriots game and she thought maybe there would be a way I could help.
• 24:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I reached out to the Patriots who I had built a strong relationship with from covering the team and Robert Kraft himself donated the tickets to the family.
• 24:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Got them on the field pregame.
• 24:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Robert Kraft came and met them.
• 24:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I believe players came and met them on the field.
• 24:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it was one of the most fulfilling.
• 24:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was able to basically what I ended up doing.
• 25:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now it's sort of coming to me, but I invited them to the studio for a tour of the studio.
• 25:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: When they were there, I surprised them with the tickets.
• 25:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: At the time, not knowing that they were going to go on the field, it was a really, that was one of those moments where I was like, my platform gives me an opportunity to help people and make people's lives better.
• 25:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that was just, that was just one of those moments that sticks with you and it, I'm still in touch with the family and it was just really cool.
• 25:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: This was now probably
• 25:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: eight years ago, seven, eight years ago, but it was really, those are some of the moments that I think stand out as being a positive influence.
• 25:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: I love that story.
• 25:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much for sharing that.
• 25:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: Wow, you truly are amazing.
• 25:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: What message are words of encouragement?
• 25:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: Would you like to share with our listeners who aspire to make a positive difference in the world?
• 25:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think if you are a person that is aspiring to make a positive difference in the world, the best thing you can do is just be yourself.
• 26:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I know that's advice, that's like...
• 26:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: stuck with me.
• 26:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think has really helped me succeed in my field as being myself on air and being myself, you know, off the air.
• 26:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not trying to be, you know, people always ask me like, who do you want to be?
• 26:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, who's your idol?
• 26:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, who do you want to be?
• 26:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, well, I really look up to Tracy Wilson.
• 26:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: I really look up to Aaron Andrews.
• 26:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, these are women that I watch and I say, wow, it would be really cool to have their job one day.
• 26:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I always say like,
• 26:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want to be Ruthie Polinski.
• 26:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want to be my version of the women that came before me so that women are looking at me as a part of a group of people who they want to.
• 26:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want everyone to be like, wow, I love how Ruthie is herself and I want to be myself to help me get to where I want to be.
• 26:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that's people who want to make a difference.
• 26:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: It goes the same way.
• 26:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think if you feel like you have the passion and the motivation to be someone who can make a positive difference, like being yourself is the best way to do that.
• 27:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: And again, I think just coming from a place of empathy and putting yourself in other people's shoes will get you so much farther than you'll ever anticipate.
• 27:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's really good advice.
• 27:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you, Ruthie, for sharing your insights and experiences with us.
• 27:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: Your journey exemplifies the power of perseverance, authenticity, and positive influence.
• 27:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: If our listeners want to get in touch with you, what's the best way to do so?
• 27:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, that's so sweet.
• 27:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Honestly, Instagram, it's just Ruthie Polinski is a great way to follow sort of what I'm up to.
• 27:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm also on Twitter, X, Ruthie Polinski, where I post a lot of our shows content.
• 27:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: online as well and always email Ruthie Planski at gmail.com, very easy.
• 27:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: And obviously you can watch me on Chicago Sports Network if you're in the Chicago area.
• 27:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we have some exciting things planned for football season, really excited about the direction of the network.
• 28:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: So really looking forward.
• 28:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: I also sometimes will pop on the sports shock radio if there are any sports talk radio fans.
• 28:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm often times filling in for the Mollian Hoshio in the morning, some six, seventy the score.
• 28:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: that show airs from five thirty to ten a.m.
• 28:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, I'm only, I'm only, I only pop on there every once in a while, but um, those are some of the places you can find me and um, obviously I would love to connect with anyone, um, the social media or email as well.
• 28:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: Great.
• 28:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, we'll put that information in the show notes.
• 28:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your stories and advice.
• 28:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm so grateful for you.
• 28:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Greg, thank you so much for having me.
• 28:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: This was such a joy.
• 28:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: For our listeners, thank you for tuning in to Daily Influence.
• 28:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: I hope today's conversation brought you insight and inspiration.
• 28:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: If it's spoke to you, share it with someone who could use a little positivity today.
• 28:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: May read these stories inspire you to lead with purpose and make meaningful impact in your own communities.
• 29:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: Remember small actions create big impact, keep showing up, leading and growing one day to time.
• 29:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: Until next time, stay inspired and keep having a positive responsible influence.
• 29:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: Bye-bye.