It's Never Too Late: The Power of Betting on Yourself with Comedian Leanne Morgan

*This transcript was auto-generated*

Kim Gravel: Coming up on the Kim Gravel show, the beautiful thing about God too, is that when he gives it to you, he don't just give it to you. He gives it through you to other people as well.

Leanne Morgan: Then I got to thinking as I got older, I thought, am I like one of those kids on American Idol that think they can sing? You know, I hired these young guys.

And I said, I'm going to give you all three months. That's all the money I got. But I, I made the decision. I'm going to invest in myself. And if it doesn't work, that's okay. That'll be God's sign. I'll go work at Target or I'll pop popcorn at a NASCAR track.

Opening Introduction: Let's just go on and spill the tea. This is The Kim Gravel Show. This is one of the realest persons I've ever met in my darn life. You gotta watch this. My mission is to encourage every single woman, we're here to lift y'all up. There's no one more effective than moms. You mess with the bull. You going to get the horns. I need coffee. I need Jesus and I need therapy. If you can bring a smile to people's faces, why would you not? We love our kids. We love our husbands. What a blessing. We're gonna dedicate this to you in finding your superpower. Okay girl. True confidence is knowing who you are and why you're here.

Kim Gravel: Hey y'all, it's the Kim Gravel show and I'm so glad you're here because each and every week we are trying to all come together to level up our lives. And by leveling up, I mean, getting better, learning new things, and just talking the whole thing out, just living this fulfilled called life. And we're going to do it together.

Now this week we have got someone on the show, Zac. Okay. Everybody's Zac is with me today.

Hi everybody.

Zac Miller: Hi. I got energy today, Kim. I'm so excited about our guest.

Kim Gravel: I do too. And listen, I've got my water. So I'm about, but listen, I put a little something, something in it. I got the electrolytes going. My sons have got me going on this electrolyte thing.

Zac Miller: Sorry. When you said you put a little something, something in it, I was a little worried.

 I was like, Kim, you don't drink. So I don't like what, what'd you put in there, Kim?

Kim Gravel: And then I said, my sons are teaching me. I was like, Oh, that don't sound good at all.

Zac Miller: High schoolers, you know, they're bad influence, Kim.

Kim Gravel: You think I trust them as far as I can pick their tails up and throw them?

I do not. But anyway, that's a whole nother show. Let's get back to business. We've had this guest on the show before. We both fell in love with her. I was already in love with her. I'm a big fan. And since then, not to say she came on our show and blew up, but I'm just saying.

I'm just saying, I'm just, I'm kidding you.

She has, her career has just taken off. We had to have her back on the show. Zac, when I tell you this woman is an inspiration and I love it when people are leaders and inspirers and encouragers and at this stage in her life. Okay. You don't want to miss this guest. It's Leanne Morgan, the hilarious comedian.

We'll be right back.

Are you stuck? Are you at a place where You know, there's more for you. You don't know what that is. And you don't even know if you've got the confidence to step out to even figure out what it is. If that is you pick up collecting confidence, my new book, I'm telling you, if you, if you don't have a compass, if you don't have a true North, if you're saying, Kim, I don't know why I'm here and what I'm here for, but I know it's something grab this book and read it.

It's a light. Easy read, but I'm telling you, it'll give you nuggets and, and reveal things about yourself that you didn't even know. It's not only just my story, it's our story. It's that story of struggle to find out what we're called to do and why we're here. Pick up the book and read it. Then let me know how you, you know, hit me up on email and social media and let me know what you thought about it.

But let me just tell you something. You have a calling, you have a purpose and you can walk in the confidence to fully embrace. That call. I love you guys. And remember, walk boldly in your collected competence. Okay, Zac. Hang on, gird your loins, you know, ground yourself to the ground, because we have one of my favorite comedians of all time.

And let me tell you something, that's saying a lot, cause let me just, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but toot toot, but I got comedian friends, y'all. I mean, you come at Steve Harvey and I are like this. I mean, he is the OG, okay? And when I say this woman is one of my favorite comedians of all time, I truly mean it.

She has over 2. 5 million social media followers. Her Netflix special, y'all, you gotta go watch it. I laughed till I peed in my pants. I'm Every Woman is on right now. I gotta just go Netflix and just start streaming, baby, and get ready to laugh. Get your snack and go. She, is on a giant U. S. Tour right now.

Go see it. She's in every city. She just she's starting to write her debut memoir. It's gonna be out next August. It's called What in the World? Question mark. Just fill in the blanks there. She's so relatable. She isn't afraid to be a southern mom who tells it like it is. And y'all, she was just most recently named Forbes 50 over 50 Leanne Morgan.

Welcome to the Kim Gravel Show.

We are super fancy here, woman.

Leanne Morgan: Y'all are? Who sang that?

Kim Gravel: We had to hire somebody just for you.

Leanne Morgan: Oh my lord. Can I have that?

Zac Miller: You can. You can. Here we go.

Kim Gravel: Harmony's everything, honey. We spare no expense here, man.

Leanne Morgan: None. Oh my gosh. Well, I've never had anything like that. Thank you.

Kim Gravel: Girl, I love you so much. Okay. I'm so glad you're here because this podcast is going everywhere and I want everyone to know. About you and just experience you girl. What in the, is God good or what?

Do we need to just talk about that first?

Leanne Morgan: I've done this for 20 something years and you know, barely nobody cared. I would get television deals, but they wouldn't make it. But I, you know, things were really not great. Right. And then this to happen to me at 57 after I've raised my children. I know that was God's timing.

Kim Gravel: But can, can we talk about that a little bit? Because I know you're not shy about your faith and you know I'm not about mine, but there, there's something about his timing that A, is unpredictable and B, is bigger than we ever dreamed. Would you say, can you relate to that?

Leanne Morgan: I can, because I, I knew this. I felt this would happen to me when I was a child, like nine or ten years old.

I feel like God revealed it to me.

Kim Gravel: I was gonna say, did you know that was your calling?

Leanne Morgan: I did. I, well, I thought I would think it and then I think, am I crazy? Nobody else in Adams, Tennessee is talking about being a movie star. Is it just me? Am I alone? Then I got to thinking, as I got older, I thought, am I like one of those kids on American Idol that think they can sing?

You know? And I thought, maybe I'm crazy. And then, but I feel like God always revealed it to me. And just wait, just wait. And through bad times, and when nothing was happening, and bad things were happening, and And I would say, God, why, what, what is this? What? And he would speak to me and say, just hold on, trust me, just hold on.

And it would always be about my, about this happening for me. It was crazy. And then now they tell me something wonderful every day, or I see some darn little woman in the lobby in Des Moines, Iowa, and she tells me, holds on to me and says, you got me through chemo. Oh, wow. You know, I just, I don't know. It's, it's sweeter and more wonderful than anything I could have ever imagined.

And I know God is with me. And I know, I don't either go, I don't know. He uses all of us. And this is what. He put me here for, I guess, I hope I can do it and to the glory of God!

Kim Gravel: You are doing it, honey, don't say you hope you can't. In the name of Jesus! No, I'm serious, like, you are doing it. You are doing it, that's what I'm saying.

And when, why you're doing it, and this is the beauty of The, the mystery of who God is. And when he calls you to do something a, I say it too, you can trace it back to when you were young. I tell everybody, Leanne, you know what you're made to do when you're young. Now, life beats you up and we forget about it.

And we, the whole world is conspiring to rob us from it. The entire, but he, it's never too late. Is it? It's never too late. He's right on time and there's no plan B.

Leanne Morgan: Right. And, and that's why I named the second tour, the Just Getting Started Tour, because I feel like I'm just getting started at 57. And I, and I want women and men to know it's never too late.

Kim Gravel: It's not too late. It's not. Leanne, and why do you think that is? Like, why do you think? Cause I was going to say to you too, you know, we'd probably talk offline, but let's talk right here cause we're here, but it's the beautiful thing about God too is that when he gives it to you, he don't just give it to you.

He gives it through you to other people as well. And to me, that's what you're doing. Like how you say that little woman in, in, Iowa. Kevin said, you got me through chemo. And then how you're inspiring women and men, that are in this age of their life, this time of their life, the season, to get out and do what your dreams and goals are.

Isn't that the truth though? He's, he's so omniscient, omnipotent, whatever that word is. He's so that.

Leanne Morgan: Yes. And just, yes, all of that. You are so smart. You can articulate well,

but yes, he is so big and carries us in the palm of his hand and he knows what, like the things, you know, I've shot a movie with Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. And that came out of nowhere. Well, I know where that was. That was a God thing. And I, and, and yeah, things that are just so much bigger.

They're the right timing and the people he put in my life and put in my path that believed in me and lifted me up. I mean, I could go back and pinpoint that from the time I was nine years old.

Kim Gravel: Now, Leanne, was Reese Witherspoon as Southern as I hope she is?

Leanne Morgan: Yes.

Kim Gravel: Isn't that great?

Leanne Morgan: And darling.

Kim Gravel: So, she knows what butter beans, collard greens, and fried cornbread are.

Leanne Morgan: Yes, she does.

Kim Gravel: Praise God.Okay, then. Uh huh. Okay, so she is a sister, a Southern sister.

Leanne Morgan: She is. It was her little mama was raised in, I believe, Harriman, Tennessee, close to where I've raised my children. And then, and they moved around because her daddy, I think was in the air force, maybe as a physician, but she was raised in Nashville.

And she, yes, is very, I think very Southern and brilliant.

Kim Gravel: Well, that's, that's, of course she is. How could she not be? To put you in a movie, too. It took you so long to get here, though. Okay? You're finally a movie star. You just did your first movie. It took you so long to get here. How did you stick it through, LeAnne, the, during the ups and downs?

Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, cause that's, I mean, it sounds fantastic now, but there were some hard times.

Leanne Morgan: There were really hard times, and there would be times when I, I could not get booked. Nobody cared. And I was doing horrible gangs and, but I always prayed about it and I felt like God would, did not shut that door.

I've always listened to my gut. That's one thing. I've got a lot of flaws and I can't do math and I. There's a lot of things I've got bad wrong, but I listened to my gut and I always felt like I would pray about it and I would say, is this what I'm supposed to be doing? God? I mean, this ain't going well.

Is this what I'm, you know, and he, and I, he never shut that door on me. I felt like I would listen and it would be like, keep going, keep going.

Kim Gravel: Because it's hard to keep going when you're not seeing anything. When you're not, you know, when you're not seeing any breadcrumbs. When you don't know where to go.

And a lot of people are sitting here listening to you right now going, well that can happen for Leanne. It can never happen for me and what I want to do. What would you say to that?

Leanne Morgan: I would say that this is what changed for me. Because I was really getting down. Things were really not going well. I had done a dry bar special.

I had gotten a lot of views like 50 million.

Kim Gravel: About, about when did that happen? When did, when was all that happening in relation to the blowup?

Leanne Morgan: That was in 2018, I believe. I shot that. Okay. Okay. And it, and the dry bar came out and and it got a lot of views and I got some fans, but I could not sell tickets.

Nobody cared. My manager was putting me in. comedy clubs and I was not selling, not many comedy clubs. A lot of people wouldn't book me and and they were saying, we love her. She's sweet. She doesn't get drunk and fight in the parking lot, but we're not going to have her back. She can't sell tickets. And then, I was getting a lot of work.

It was sweet. It was like a lot of churches, women's groups. And I love Those things are easy, fun. You get a bunch of women together and they're selling Mary Kay in the lobby. And there's a taco truck out front. You can get up there and just spin your own purse and they go nuts because women are so fun together.

But I was doing a lot of those kinds of things where they would say, well, we really don't have a big bunch in. And then. We really, we can't pick you up at the airport. So I'd get in an Uber with somebody that I thought was going to murder me. And then, you know, or say to me, I've never felt this way about anybody in my life.

I'm going to need your phone number. I'm in love with you. And you're like, what? So I, it was a year of that, that I was worn down. And I thought if this is, and I remember praying about it and saying, God, if this is what it's going to be. I've had a good time. I've had a good run, but I, you know, I can't do this.

I don't want to be scared. I don't want to be worn down for no money, you know, for very little money. I'm, this is not, I'm okay. I'll go to work at Target.

Kim Gravel: Right. We should get a discount. At least you'd get a discount, girl.

Leanne Morgan: And I love a target, but, last ditch effort, what I started doing as I was, I'd always been a comedy fan and I had been watching, I've always been a Jim Gaffigan fan and I'm good friends with Nate Borghese and Nate Borghese was blowing up and I was watching what he was doing.

And I think this is important in anybody's line of work. If you see somebody successful, that's doing what you want to do, what are they doing, watch them, see what they're doing, learn from somebody. So, I started watching what they were doing, and I said to my manager at the time, I said, they have got social media people, and I'm up here, you know, putting up pictures of bagels and dachshunds,

and I'm doing. And he didn't understand how it worked either, and he goes, I don't know, and I go, I think I need social media people, and he goes, you can't afford it. He like tried to talk me out of it. Yeah, nobody reads the newspaper anymore. Nobody's listening to, I mean, there are radio stations, but it's just a whole different world.

And I realized, and I give myself that credit. I'll give myself a Snoop Dogg pat on the back. There you go. Just saying.

Zac Miller: Brush your shoulder off, Leanne.

Leanne Morgan: Yeah. Cause Snoop Dogg says, you know, sometimes you gotta say, you know what, I think, thank myself for doing that.

Kim Gravel: I want to thank me.

Leanne Morgan: I want to thank me.

I want to thank me for working like a mule. But also I thought I went against my manager and I said, I'm doing, I'm doing this and I know it's expensive, but it was the first time in 20 something years that I had really invested in my career. Like I went years without a website. If I made money. And I'm, you know, I made money through the years, but not a lot, but it was okay.

I would buy my children uniforms. I get their hair cut. That was kind of me and Chuck Morgans. Silent thing. If you're going to do this little thing called comedy, then you can take care of the groceries and the, you know, whatever. So I always, I never put. And the kids textries. And I never put money into a website.

I never saved any money. And then he'd have to pay my taxes and that was a whole other thing. April was a terrible time in our household. But, but he would, but I didn't have a website. I didn't, I had like three headshot in 20 years, which is stupid . And I, and I would get somebody's cousin to take my picture in the yard.

You know?

Kim Gravel: Sure. Been there. I've totally been there.

Leanne Morgan: So I, decided to invest in myself and I thought, and I told, I hired these young guys and I, I said, I'm gonna give y'all three months. That's all the money I got. But I, I made the decision. I'm going to invest in myself and if it doesn't work, that's okay.

That'll be God's sign. I'll go work at Target or I'll pop popcorn at a NASCAR track. I've always thought that would be a fun job too. And, and Badern, if those young guys who were darling put one or two clips, I can't remember, but they, they went viral and it was different than Drybar. Drybar went viral.

For me, but I could not sell tickets. I don't know what the difference was. If people that watch draw bar, a lot of them don't go out. I don't know, but that those clips caught fire, just like somebody sent off a match. And then I think people were like, well, what else does she have? Who is this woman? Right.

I think that's funny. I'll go look at that. And then they started calling comedy clubs all over the United States. We won't land Morgan. And I didn't even have an agent. That agents would pass on me, would not take me and, and I started selling out all over and then that, and then this all happened after that.

Kim Gravel: Well, this is the thing, Leanne. That's what I think you're so, you know, like, I love you're hilarious, but you are very savvy. Let's, let's go ahead and pat you on the back with, you won't do it, I'll do it. Because you always bet on yourself. You're not waiting for someone to notice you are being noticed. You are putting yourself out there.

You even self produced this Netflix special. Did you not?

Leanne Morgan: I did. And I, but I, but let me tell you, I've got an unbelievable team and they advised me, but yes, they said, you want to own that? Children after you're gone. And, and, and really Netflix took a, a big chance on me. I'm the only grandmama honey from Tennessee.

Yeah, but it's been so popular. Thank you, but I, they took a chance on me and my, and so who knows what my next deal will be, but for that, it was for me to lease that to them. I think is how they do it. Anyway, it was, but I think that was also, you know, them taking a chance on me and I'm not a big name, you know, and so they, that's what the deal we ended up making.

But yeah, I was executive producer and, Yeah, I had to pick out the graphics and the everything.

Kim Gravel: Oh, but see, that's what I want to say. Okay, let's, can we just listen to it? I've got a minute clip of it. We've got permission to play it. Can we listen to it, Leanne, just real quick? Okay. Let's listen to it, Zac.

Hit it.

Leanne Morgan: Well, my husband and I met and I was so cute. And I was little. I had on little breeches. And my thyroid was functioning. And I felt good. And he was so enthralled with me, and so in love with me, and pursued me, and bought me presents, and, and vacuumed out my car. And did all kinds of things for me.

And we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this year.

Thank y'all. Thank y'all.

And now, I truly believe he would not pull me out of a burning vehicle.

Kim Gravel: Oh, Lord. I love that.

Leanne Morgan: And I do believe that's the truth.

Kim Gravel: I believe it with my husband, too. And I think that's why the special, and you in particular, have been so... While your career's on fire, I think everybody can relate to you, Leannee. It really is. You're fearless in what you put out there to the public.

And it's so relatable.

Leanne Morgan: Oh, thank you, Kim. Well, let me tell you that, I've always told too much. And my sister is very introverted and quiet. And she would say to me growing up, like, you tell too much. I've always just told everything. And I, and my mama does too, Lucille. And I, I don't know. I've just always...

Put it all out there.

Kim Gravel: It's so nicely in. I think we've lived in such an age of filters and fake and presenting the best thing and putting on the best show and never showing your flaws or your problems or your upset. Like, I said something the other day on air at QVC and I just said I just want to just absolutely knock every teeth out of my out of the mouths of my children.

Cause they're, they're teenagers and all they're doing now is like, wha, wha. I mean, it's just a smart mouth, cocky, little 16 year old. I said, I've brought you in. I'll take you out. I mean, you know, and I saw more tops because I said that it's because it's relatable.

Leanne Morgan: I was in LA working on my new hour for this, just getting started to where this whole new thing separate from Netflix and.

My team, you know, said, Oh, do you want to go to the famous comedy store, which I had been there as a patron and I, and I had loved it and I'm like 30 years ago and I've dreamed of being on that stage and they put me up and they put me up in the, in the belly room, which is the little room, like, where people get to start.

Open mic because it's a big deal to get on that main stage and people like Quentin Tarantino and you know Elon Musk are watching the main stage and they were like, we're not gonna put you on that stage We'll put you in this little hole called the belly room So anyway, I get up there and i'm talking about some of my new material that is very relatable And about my kids and them growing up and I had to follow a guy talking about porn and his girlfriend catching him watching, I don't even know.

And then I go out in the hallway at com at the comedy, I mean, at the comedy store. And they're like, get outta the hallway. You can't even stand in the hallway 'cause you're not anybody. And I go and stand outside. And the young people that had been in the belly room came by and they said, Can I hug you?

And they hugged me and I go, well, yeah, and I think that you're, you're onto something with everybody is sick of it, the world. It seems like it's coming to an end. The world's on fire, , and I think everybody, yeah, and I think everybody is torn up and worried. We got enough to worry about. Right.

That I don't, that I don't think, I think when they hear somebody like me, Who's a mama who talks about something familiar when they were with their mama in a minivan or whatever. It's comfort to them.

Kim Gravel: It's home. It's home.

Leanne Morgan: Yeah. And I think I've hit that niche. But I have raised a bunch of kids and I am a grandmama and I do cook.

And I do like to do people's laundry, but I do, I think, I think people, young people too, need just comfort and not, you're right, a big filter that everybody's not, everybody doesn't have millions of dollars, everybody's not in a bikini, on a yacht, all of that business.

Kim Gravel: And I want to know who those people are that are, because I think it's less than half a percent of the population.

I hadn't been in a bikini ever. I couldn't wear a bikini when I could. You know, it's just one of those things, Leanne, you know what I mean?

Leanne Morgan: Oh, I wish if we could tell every young person in the world, yeah, wear that bikini when you think you are not what you need, the you're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong,

Kim Gravel: you are dead.

Wrong, dead, wrong, wrong. I would kill to be, had that body that I hated back when I was in my twenties. I would, I would absolutely just go and take somebody out to have that back.

Leanne Morgan: I know. And then my little mama says to me, who's 80, who's wise, Leanne, don't, don't be unhappy with this body now.

Cause you're going to dream, you're going to wish you had that body. And this body's been good to me. You know, I could get pregnant like that.

I have eaten white flour and sugar and drank Diet Coke. I've been constipated for 30 years and my body's still working for me.

Kim Gravel: It's a miracle of God. The kidneys are there. It's a miracle. Handle a lot of pain. Had three children. Birth three children through your private parts. That's a miracle.

Leanne Morgan: Well, two through my doings.

One C section, honey. So there was all kinds of stuff going on.

Kim Gravel: Two through my, I've never heard that, two through my doings.

Leanne Morgan: Doings.

Zac Miller: I'm going to have to beep that. I don't know, I'm beeping it.

Kim Gravel: No, you don't beep it. Two through my doings. You have to say that. Cause my doings ain't been doing very much lately.

So I love calling it doings. Travis is going to be getting a doings text. I'm going to say it, my doings.

Zac Miller: Oh my gosh.

Kim Gravel: That's over sharing.

Leanna's always sharing too much. You're sharing too much. You're going an extra mile and I love it. I love it. Okay.

Leanne Morgan: Just another word for private parts.

Kim Gravel: That's it. I love that. You're doing. Thank you. Okay. So how long did it take your kiddos to get comfortable? Were they always comfortable with you being on stage telling all their business?

Leanne Morgan: Yes. Now, in middle school, they said, do not speak my name out of your mouth like Will Smith and Chris Rock. They said, do not.

And I didn't. I was, I had said one thing about Charlie going through puberty on WIBK radio in Knoxville. And I thought, he was at school and I thought, Well, I didn't think I'd seen anything wrong and I, I was just talking about him going through puberty and one of his little friends was going to an orthodontist appointment and heard it.

Oh Lord. And came to school and said, your mom was talking about your puberty and Charlie said, do not ever do that again. And I didn't, I did not. I took it very seriously. And Maggie also said, do not come to this middle school with those yoga pants on. But anyway, I need to write that down. You did write it down.

But then after middle school, they were like, we don't care what you do. Cause they, you know, they didn't even care about me then. Right. And then, but when they were little, Nick at night came to our house and filmed and all that. And they loved all that, but really and truly. And I've heard them say in interviews now has grown.

They said, you know, mom was always our mom first and we knew she did this, but it, it really, I mean, you know, she tried to do it in a way like I would do private corporate things, or, you know, I wouldn't, I would go for one night at a time or maybe a weekend, but, but they said, we just, It wasn't that big. I mean, we knew she did it, but it wasn't this like it is now.

So, we never felt like we took a second.

Kim Gravel: Your career was never, it was important, but they always knew they came first.

Leanne Morgan: They came first. Their daddy was always out. Working like a mule traveling. They, I picked them up from school. I've never had to hire anybody to tend to them. If I, if my parents would help me, my cousin would help me.

So I always put them and I was able to, and I wanted to, they were my. You know, first, cause their daddy was gone trying to make a living. So I had, it was me and I wanted it to be me.

Kim Gravel: But that's the point. That's my whole point is that in anybody listening right now or watching right now, that didn't slow your career down.

It just. It just wasn't the right time. And now I think Leanne, like you said, those kids gave you that hug. Can I just say, and I don't mean to get all serious, but we can, cause you're that deep, but we are in a crisis of confidence. We are in a crisis of comfort where people don't, they need a mama. This world needs a mama to go.

Now, look, don't do that. You're too good for that. I love you too much. Come over and give me a hug and eat my pot roast. Do you know what I'm saying? Don't you think that's what the world needs right now? We don't need all the rough and tumble. We need to be, I don't know, maybe I'm speaking just because I'm a mom too.

I don't know.

Leanne Morgan: I know, I agree with you and I think that there, I did a podcast yesterday where it was young girls talking about, you know, relationships and stuff and all I wanted to say was, Don't be doing that. Right. He's a ding dong. You don't need to wipe your feet on him, you know, or whatever, she or whatever.

I think, yeah, there's right, there's wrong, there's stupid, there's smart. I mean, and I'm at that age where I just have to say it.

Kim Gravel: But I think you've earned it. You've earned it.

Leanne Morgan: Yeah, and there's right way to do things and there's, you know, things that I made a lot of stupid mistakes. I've done horrible, stupid mess and I know now what I would not do again if I could do over and I, and I think young people need to know that and want to know that.

Kim Gravel: Do you have any regrets, Leanne?

Leanne Morgan: No, I mean, I regret things that I did and that happened, but I, but then I think, you know what, they made me who I am. I learned and I, you know, life is that I think that we're, that just happens and I forgive myself, you know, if Jesus can forgive me, you know, I have forgiven myself and I've let and I've forgiven people and I've just let that go.

I can't, you know, live in that and I do think that women, we, we regret, we do, we do, we do and most of the time, yeah, men can just go, well, you know, it happened, it happened, but. I don't much anymore, because I think, oh my gosh, I mean, I was a child, or I was a, you know, 21 years old, or whatever, and my little mama always used to say to me, Lucille, she would say, God does not hold anything against you that you did before the age of 21.

She was like, and I'm like, I don't think it is in scripture, but you know, she's right.

Kim Gravel: She's right. So the social media blow up was, was really that thing that just, like you said, it's caught on fire. How do you handle criticism? from people on social media. And do you get a lot of it? You probably don't get a lot of it.

But if you do, how do you handle it? There's a lot of people out there that, that are jealous or that are, that, that, you know, sit behind a keyboard and can bully. How do you handle criticism?

Leanne Morgan: Well, when Drybar came out, I got more hateful comments than I've ever, and I think we all did on Drybar. There was something about that time and maybe we went into the pandemic and people were just, I don't know what was wrong, but they said horrible things to me, and it got me down.

It got me down. And then my middle child, who is so smart, Maggie, said, you know what, Mom, I was at her apartment in Chattanooga. And she said, I was telling her how it really hurt my feelings, and she goes, you know what, Jimmy Fallon has people on, and they read him, like Jennifer Aniston will read what people have said about her, Blake Shelton.

 I think it was Jimmy Fallon, maybe it was. Yeah, I think so. But anyway, the stars would take that power back by reading the comments and and get so tickled over them because they're crazy and Maggie said, let's do that. Mom. Let me film you. I was sitting on her bed that we bought at Costco and she said, let me film you and and and read some of these crazy comments and we did and we've laughed so hard that we were weak and it was stuff like, I'd rather have an abdominal wound.

Then listen to you. You're so not funny, or you said the word butthole and I cannot listen to comedy innocently anymore. And I mean, just stuff that had worried me to death. And we, then when you read it out loud and you think, Oh my gosh, that is so. Funny. And it really took that. I got my power back. And I thought, you know what?

God loved that little man that would rather have an abdominal wound. God bless him. And they asked me in just for last comedy festival in Montreal in July, I was in part of that. And I was in the varieties top 10 comics to watch. And on that panel, they ask us, what do you do about these people? These haters and these people that comment on stuff and there was a lot of young comedians coming up on that panel and Lord, I was the oldest one and a grandmama and I just said, you know what?

That's sad. That is sad. If somebody's got to sit and have time to do that, God love them, you know, pray for them because that, I mean, I do, I think that's sad.

Kim Gravel: Well, and it's, it's, it's part of this social media and I can say anything I want to situation that we've got going on in this world, which I don't agree with it.

But, but the thing is, there is a confidence in where you're at right now. And I think for everybody listening to us, Leanne, and, and watching your journey, and it's just, you're, like you said, you're just getting started. It's, you've got to have this kind of. Toughness, this kind of confidence, this kind of security, I think in your personal life, as well as your professional life to do what you're doing.

Leanne Morgan: Yes. And I don't think I would have had this at 20, 30. I think I would have crumbled. I think it's me being at my age and in my life and this time in my, with my faith that I think, you know what, if I'm. If God's happy with me, I'm, I just can't worry about everybody else. And I also think it's being tired.

I think you get to a point where you're like, you know what? I'm too tired to be worried about everybody else. This is who I am and like it or not.

Kim Gravel: That's your third book. I'm too tired to care. That's your third book, girl. I'm too tired to care.

Leanne Morgan: I'm too tired to care. You're in the third book, Kim.

Zac Miller: That's funny.

Kim Gravel: Well, she's a walking, like, soundbite.

Leanne Morgan: I know. Honey, you've got unbelievable ideas, Kim.

Kim Gravel: Yeah, well, honey, they're your ideas. I'm just telling them back to you. I'm too tired to care. I ain't got no time to care about what you're thinking about, what all's going on. I'm tired. I'm just trying to lay in bed and watch my Leanne Morgan.

Netflix special. That's all I want to do. In fact, I'm going to do that tonight. I'm going to re watch it.

Leanne Morgan: Oh, you angel, but I don't want to be like, oh, everything's so wonderful and I don't ever worry and I don't ever get nervous because I do. Right. Well, for the most part, I just think it's my maturity in life, my time in life.

I've got these grandbabies. Oh, when you have grandbabies. And you, okay. Oh my gosh. I hope you receive this. I mean, it is a whole, it is a whole nother love. It's, it's not better than your children because I adore my children and I've been in love with them and I'm crazy about them and I'm very close to all of them.

Kim Gravel: Were you crazy about them? I know, but were you crazy? Okay, help me out personally. I'm gonna be selfish here for a second. Were you crazy about them when they were teenagers?

Leanne Morgan: I did a whole bit about Maggie being so hateful when she was 16, it went viral, it had 50 million views. And I think it was because, and people bring teenage girls to my shows, and they'll go, and her, and then, and she'll go.

But my, when Maggie was 16, I think this is what I think happens. I think that they know they're leaving. They have to grow up. They're worried. They feel a tug away from you. They know they've got to go make these decisions. They got to take that darn ACT.

Kim Gravel: I know, the devil, that's the devil.

Leanne Morgan: Awful, and it means nothing, anyway.

Kim Gravel: But you're like, you better get a good grade, but it means nothing, but you better get a Uh

Leanne Morgan: It's gonna affect your future. No it won't, if y'all do what I made on my ACT. I don't know how the University of Tennessee let me in, but I think back then it was just a, they didn't put that much into it. But I, I will go to my grave knowing my ACT score.

My children, when I get the flu and I'm having, and I'm, and I'm like hallucinating and I've got a high fever, they're like, what's your ACT score? We're trying to find it out. And I do not, they'll never know it. You'll take it to the grave, take it to the grave. But I think that God makes them hateful because he knows that you're torn up, you're grieving because they're leaving, they're, they don't want to be depending on you, but they are, but they don't want to be and they're struggling and they're trying.

And all that together, I believe that God allows that and they get so hateful that then you can let them go on to college or wherever they're going to go and it's so much easier because they have been so hateful and you're scared of them, but they come back around, they come back around and they're your very best friend.

Kim Gravel: All right, Leanne, that's where I'm at, honey. I am at the get on up and get your college cup going. It's time. You got a year, baby. You out. Bye, Felicia. I mean, that's where we're at. And then the next night, I'm like, Oh, God, what am I going to do with it? Okay. So I'm an emotional wreck too. That's it. I'm saying God has made them evil so that I want to kick them out.

But they come back around.

Leanne Morgan: But they come back around. Now they'll be in their 20s. It's going to take a long time.

Kim Gravel: Well, I could take a break for a minute. Yeah, I could use a break.

Leanne Morgan: And I think, see, boys are even, I mean, girls are hateful and cut you quick, like, tell you stuff about your hair or something that messes with you.

But boys, like, just start, you know, ignoring you or saying, or rolling, eye rolling. And that's hard because that's your boy. Yes. But, they are really trying to be independent. And they want to go on on their own.

Kim Gravel: And that's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing.

Leanne Morgan: If they were down and wanted to stay up under you, that would be something to worry about.

Kim Gravel: Oh, I'm not, well mine are ready to spread their wings and prepare to fly. Which is good. But the eye rolls and the bra, I mean the, the verbiage they use. I don't even understand. I got to Google it to see what they're saying. And they're talking blah blah blah. So, and I'm like, what did you just say? I don't understand.

So, I was, I mean, they talk like, they don't, they don't enunciate. I know. But you know what? I'm going home tonight. That's actually what I'm doing. I'm putting on the Leanne Morgan special. I'm every woman. And y'all better watch it too. Okay, Leanne, before we let you go, you know we do this every show. We ask rapid fire questions.

Rapid fire questions. I don't want you to think about it. I just want you to say the first thing that comes to your mind. Okay. Alright, when you are popping your popcorn at the NASCAR track, do you like it sweet or salty?

Leanne Morgan: Salty.

Kim Gravel: Okay. If your kids wrote a thank you note about something from their childhood, what would they thank you for?

Leanne Morgan: Being fun.

Kim Gravel: Was your husband not fun?

Leanne Morgan: No. He's not fun. He's not. And he knows it, and he don't want anybody to be fun. and he takes pride in it. I think they would say, thank you mom for being so fun. We had a ball.

Kim Gravel: Okay. If biscuits could talk, what advice would they give?

Leanne Morgan: They would say, you probably shouldn't be eating me girl.

Kim Gravel: If your life was made into a movie, if your life story was made into a movie, what would the title be?

Leanne Morgan: What pops in my mind is jewelry girl. Jewelry girl. Jewelry. Cause I sold jewelry in women's houses like Mary Kay when I got started.

Kim Gravel: I had no idea! Jewelry girl.

Oh my gosh. I can't wait to hear that. I can't wait to read your memoir. Who would play your lead? Who would play you in the movie?

Leanne Morgan: I think, I think little Reese Witherspoon could. I weigh a hundred, probably 200 pounds more than she does.

Kim Gravel: Doesn't matter.

Leanne Morgan: It doesn't matter.

And she comes to my waist, but I, I mean, I think she could do it because she would totally do it.

Kim Gravel: Right. No, I listen, I always say like for me, if anybody ever played, I want, I want my player to play up. I don't want it to be the real me. I want it to, I need. Elevate me on screen. I'm fine with that. I'm fine with that.

Okay. If we peeked inside your fridge, what would we see?

Leanne Morgan: You would see a lot of pickles. I've got a thing about.

Kim Gravel: Ooh, I love pickles. Sweet or so like, butter. Cause people don't know about Bread and butter. That's a very southern thing. Bread and butter. Pickles are huge.

Leanne Morgan: Bread and butter. And relish.

And chuck will say please don't bring any more bread and butter, but I get to the store and I'm like, oh my gosh, do we have any bread and butter? So I buy more. So then there is a bunch of jars.

Kim Gravel: That's mine too. I don't know what it is about the sweet relish. Now, do you make egg salad with sweet relish?

Leanne Morgan: Yes.

Kim Gravel: Okay, so that's a southern thing too. Most people don't do that. Well, that's what I do. Yeah, and like you go up north or they don't make eggs or in California, they don't make egg salad. with, with, Sweet Relish. They don't know what they're missing.

Leanne Morgan: They don't know what they're missing because it's like a big deviled egg.

Kim Gravel: It's a, ooh, ooh, okay, moving on because I'm hungry. If you were ever arrested in high school, what would it have been for?

Leanne Morgan: Making out in people's private property. In cars, making out on people's farms.

Kim Gravel: Okay. Okay. Well, that is, that could have been illegal back then. Now, I'll take just to make it out.

Let's just keep it there. What's your favorite go to karaoke song?

Leanne Morgan: You know, I've never done karaoke a lot, and I know that people talk about that, but I think it would have to be September Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Kim Gravel: Oh, do you remember? Oh! Oh, yes, Okay.

If you had a dinner party, who is one person that you would not leave off the list and have to invite?

Leanne Morgan: I would like for Elvis to be there.

Kim Gravel: Oh, wouldn't you though?

Leanne Morgan: He's been on my mind lately. Let me tell you, this, I just talked to her producer about something, and his little mama grew up next to Elvis in Memphis, and she was 13, and she was his dog sitter.

He had a dog when he started making it and going on the road, and his whole family would go with him, and she said that he was precious, and very good to her, and sweet about that dog. And I don't know, I just, I think being a Tennessee girl, and we always loved our Elvis. He's just been on my mom lately.

Yeah.

Kim Gravel: Oh, yeah, that's a good one. Okay, last question. Well, Celebrity Crush. Let me ask you one. I always ask this. Celebrity Crush.

Leanne Morgan: Matthew McConaughey.

Kim Gravel: I know. I love him. Don't you just want to just sop him up with a biscuit? I love him.

Leanne Morgan: I do too. I think he's pretty, but I also think he looks sweet and down to earth and loves the Lord.

Kim Gravel: And he's got an amazing wife. Oh, I know he loves the Lord now. Don't get me going. Hello. Yeah, that's it. That's like, I got one last question. That's it. We are like, I am obsessed with you. I'm your biggest fan. I'm going to start stalking you. Since. You're just getting started, girl. That's the, that's the next tour, right?

Just getting started. What's next for you?

Leanne Morgan: I really hope to do more movies and television. And I, well, you know, when I got started, I wanted to be a sitcom star. Cause I'm that age where I grew up watching Roseanne and Ray Romano and Tim Allen and all. And that, that's what I really wanted.

I think that's more in my future now, but I loved, I enjoyed shooting a movie and I may be, I think I can do it. I know you can. Not Meryl Streep, but I mean, I think I could do comedy, but that's, I think that's what I'd like to do.

Kim Gravel: I think that's what you're going to do and we're going to just sit back and watch it.

I can't wait to have my appointment TV with Ms. Leanne Morgan. Thank you for coming. I love you dearly.

Leanne Morgan: Thank you, Kim. Thank you, you angel, for lifting me up, you doll. Thank you.

Kim Gravel: Honey, listen. You are one of a kind. And you know what? God don't make no junk or make mistakes. When he told you that at nine, he meant it.

And I am just, I'm your biggest fan. There you go.

Leanne Morgan: Thank you, kim. Thank you. I love you. Thank you. I love you.

Kim Gravel: All right, come back. Come back after the next special so we can promote it too. Okay.

You know what, Zac, I absolutely know why she was Forbes 50 over 50. I think it's because it's, when she said it's just never too late, it was just the right season in her life and her career is blowing up. And it's all based around these relatable stories. I just want to tell everybody out there, don't give up.

Don't give up. She's just getting started. She's 57. She's just getting started. She's 57. And can I tell you she's now got something really good to say Worth listening to. I mean, think about it. You can see, you can get comedy anywhere. You can, you can, a click of a button, you can, you know, do anything now.

Her story and who she is at this season in her life, it doesn't matter how old you are, how young you are. It just matters, are you doing what you're called to do? And she knew it at nine years old. I hope this, that's amazing, Zac. Isn't that amazing? I hope this, yeah, this episode. This episode and this show has encouraged you listening or watching right now, that there's something inside of you that has been inside of you for so very long.

Find out what it is and take the first step and don't have fear about it. Maybe it's not been the right time, and maybe your time is now.

Zac Miller: Right. And keep going. If you got it keep going.

Kim Gravel: Keep going, maybe your time is right now because you're just getting started to. All right. Until next time. We love you. I hope you have a beautiful, beautiful, week.

I hope you've enjoyed the show and Zac. Bye y'all.

Zac Miller: Bye everybody.

Leanne Morgan: Put it all out there. Lord, what was I going to say? I'm 57 and I've lost my train of

Kim Gravel: thought. I do the same thing! We're so relatable.

I'm telling you, I'll go downstairs and forget what the heck I went downstairs for to get. You are amazing.

Leanne Morgan: Kim, you are. Honey, you are. You are the hype girl. I love you. You make me feel like Michael Jackson.

Kim Gravel: Well, You just say bye, Felicia. I got to go. Bye.

The Kim Gravel Show is produced and edited by Zac Miller at Uncommon Audio. Our associate producer is Kathleen Grant, the Brunette Exec. Production help from Emily Bredin and Sara Noto.

Our cover art is designed by Sanaz Huber at Memarian Creative and Mike Kligerman Edits the show and a special thanks to the team at QVC. Head over to kimgravelshow.com and sign up for our mailing list. Again, we can't do this without you, so thank you for listening, and we love you.