By Samantha McConnell
Nancy O’Dell is… UNSTOPPABLE! Not only is this beauty co-hosting America’s top rated entertainment news programs, she is also mom, step-mom, wife and successful book writer. But despite her demanding career she still manages to make sure her family is put first. In this exclusive interview Nancy tells us all about how she manages to juggle all of her life’s commitments and what led her to become a bestselling writer!
AKA: You are most known for being the co-host for America’s #1 syndicated entertainment news program, Entertainment Tonight. As a mom to a 7 year old daughter step-mom to two teenage boys, do you ever worry how the topics on ET might affect your children?
Nancy: Well, right now, at age 7, my daughter is more interested in watching Spongebob and Disney than my show. However, she does have a few celebrities she likes to hear about. She loves Taylor Swift… Idina Menzel, of course, since she sings “Let it Go”…and Pink, she loves Pink! It was very smart of Pink to make an appearance on Spongebob! (-: But I do often think about my kids or the other kids who may be watching the show. We air at dinner time, so I know there is a great likelihood that children, along with their parents, may be watching. And my Executive Producer oftentimes wants me to incorporate my “mom” opinion about a story. Sometimes what the young celebs do these days scares me and that other kids will want to emulate that. So I’ll throw in a comment about that on the show…that hopefully other kids won’t copy, but rather learn from this young celebrity’s mistake.
AKA: Having only been with ET since 2011, your daughter was very young when you started co-hosting. Was it hard for you to make such a big leap? Do you believe it was the best decision?
Nancy: It was very scary taking on such a big, new job with my daughter so young. Entertainment Tonight is a huge brand and has always been the biggest entertainment show in existence. So there was a lot of pressure knowing I would be accepting that baton from Mary Hart. It felt like a great amount of responsibility and it was unfamiliar territory. I didn’t know exactly what the hours would be or what would be expected of me, so it was a giant leap of faith. But my husband and I both firmly believe that if you are happy in general, you are better at everything you do and that includes being a parent. Looking back, it was definitely the best decision. I am so lucky that I felt right at home at E.T. from the get-go. I am lucky to have great bosses who understand family life and respect the time you want with your family. That is what has made it work.
AKA: Being a journalist can sometimes cause you to work more than you might prefer, keeping you away from your children. Yet, you managed to have that clause inserted in your contract that keeps work from taking away from family too much. Would you say that more moms’ today should try to have similar specifications with their careers?
Nancy: Absolutely! No question about that! I told E.T. going in to the contract how important time with my family and my children is. They respected that and agreed before I accepted the position that I could take my daughter to school most days. I have never missed a school field trip. When I have an important kid event, I simply tell my boss and we figure it out together. My EP and my exec bosses all have kids, so fortunately, they get it. And they also get that if you are happy at your workplace, you are a better employee! Sometimes I think women are afraid to ask for family time because they feel maybe it makes them look weak…but I think it is the opposite. A stronger person, a stronger employee, is one who cares about their family. And that applies to men too, who should not shy away from asking for family time when needed.
AKA: Pregnancy can cause a slew of questions, “What the…?! And “Oh my…” for any expecting mother. Your experiences gave you the idea to put all these unspoken questions and tips into your first book, Full of Life: Mom-to-Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Pregnant, available for purchase on Amazon. Was there an exact moment that you said to yourself, “I have GOT to spread the word about all these random tips!”
Nancy: There were actually hundreds of moments which caused me to write the book! Throughout my pregnancy, I was often saying “Why didn’t y’all tell me that was gonna happen!” My friends didn’t think to warn me about half the things that happened to them during their pregnancies. Something would happen to me and I would panic thinking something was wrong. Even my husband, who had my two stepsons before I came into the picture, failed to tell me about things to expect. When that first moment with him happened, it was probably my biggest “ aha” moment where I said I gotta write a book to help some expectant moms out. I woke up in the middle of the night screaming in pain with my legs cramping. I thought something was terribly wrong….maybe I wasn’t getting the right nutrition…maybe this was those Braxton Hicks things…I had no clue! I woke up my husband, told him, and he calmly said “ Oh yea, that happens,” and rolled over and went right back to sleep. A girl needs to know these things…ahead of time! We need to focus on that little bundle growing inside rather than panicking because we forget a word due to normal “pregnancy brain” or because our boobs are leaking BEFORE giving birth. Yep, that happens too!
AKA: You seemed to love writing books so much that you have released two more! The most recent, Little Ashby Star Reporter: Santa’s Big Premiere (with a portion of proceeds of sales going to the Muscular Dystrophy Association) features little Ashby, modeled after your daughter, on her quest to find the true meaning of Christmas. Where did you get the inspiration for this book?
Nancy: This is certainly what I would call my passion project! People have often heard me say I love my job as a reporter because I am constantly learning. Even if I am interviewing someone for the 50th time, it is at a different location and about a different subject. I want kids to have that same opportunity to travel the world while learning so much in the process. So I have long wanted to do a series of stories about a little reporter who goes on these fantastic assignments with a “FUNtastic” crew”. The stories are fun, yet educational. ASHBY is the smartest, most energetic and resourceful cub reporter you’ll ever meet! She’s the star reporter for the TV show, “Ashby’s Awesome Adventures,” and along with her wacky film crew, travels to the coolest places in the world… and beyond. From the White House to the North Pole, from the bottom of the ocean to the moon, Ashby does and sees it all! Curiosity is what drives her. Ashby has always been asking questions, looking behind the curtain, and searching for answers that don’t even have questions yet. That is her drive and passion – curiosity. And who could have been better to be her first interview than a child’s biggest get-Santa! Not only do kids learn facts, but they learn important lessons about friendship, morals and the importance of compassion. Now that it has been turned into reality for an App and a book, hopefully an animated TV series is next!
AKA: How much does Ashby LOVE having a character modeled after her?
Nancy: Well, when I asked my daughter what I should name the title character, she responded with “Duh…Ashby!” So I really had no other choice (-: and I think it will be something fun for her to show her kids one day. I caught her showing the App to a friend of hers saying “This is me.” Her friend said “No way!” And she said “Uh huh! It’s true! ” My heart melted…adorable!
What has been the most rewarding part about becoming a mom?
Nancy: Everything. It’s like medicine…truly. You come home from a long day at work, the kids run to you and give you a hug and anything stressful or bad that happened during the day, all goes out the window!
AKA: When you aren’t co-hosting ET, writing, parenting or being all around super-woman, you have been known to design a bit of furniture as well as host and produce the show on HGTV, Celebrities at Home. What has been the most memorable experience of your own while designing furniture or being invited into other celebrities homes?
Nancy: I love interior designing, furniture, and anything HGTV! I always say if I weren’t a journalist, I would be a designer becauseI think home decorating is so much fun. My husband teases me that most women could spend 2 hours in a shoe store, but yet I would spend it in a furniture store! The most memorable thing about going into the homes of stars forCelebrities at Home on HGTV was hearing the stories behind their furniture and houses. Homes and furniture have such a history connected to them because they so easily can cause one to conjure up memories. For example., I have this antique chair of my grandfather’s which I have in my house. When I look at it, I so clearly picture my grandfather coming home from work and putting his hat on that chair every day. So, simply looking at the chair brings up those special memories of the times we would go visit my grandparents. Same thing happened when celebrities would tell me their stories behind their homes or furniture. And I designed with that in mind…always thinking how the item would become a part of a person’s home and memories for so long.
AKA: If you could offer one piece of advice for expecting, new, or veteran moms out there, what would it be? In addition of course to what is in your books!
Nancy: Enjoy the moment and really be in the moment. It all goes by too fast. If you have taken time off of work to be with your family, stop thinking about work, because then the moment is is taken away. A simple piece of advice, especially for new moms, is to keep a photo/video camera in about 3 different locations in the house, even if it is a disposable one. There will be so many moments you will want to capture and you won’t have time to run go get a camera. Savor those memories and document them all. It is so much fun to go back and look at a scrapbook or photo album. It bonds you…the memories.
The post Nancy O’Dell: Reporting, Writing, Mom, Oh My! appeared first on AKA Mom Magazine.