Sharla McBride - Emmy award winning Journalist and News Anchor

Sharla McBride is an Emmy award winning Journalist currently a co-host at Newsmax and Wake Up America. We dive into her early years growing up in Texas leading up to her interest in studying Broadcasting and majoring in International Affairs and Foreign Policies at the University of Georgia. We unpack her incredible journey from a summer intern at Atlanta's Fox affiliate to now a news anchor in New York City. From how she trained herself to lose her southern accent, stories from interviewing players on the sidelines, and her morning routine, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0zZh_lMTnE

Sharla McBride: I'm meant to be in front of these lights, so, like, let's do it. And I owe it to the people that are watching.

Brian Harbin: You know, 12 years old, there was that spark of, like, that's what I want to do.

Sharla McBride: I was watching a Georgia football game.

Speaker: It's Florida and Georgia, next on CBS Sports.

Sharla McBride: With my dad on a Saturday. And I noticed the broadcaster, so it was right then that I decided that's what I want to do. My professor told me, you're saying words incorrectly. We need to give you a Midwest accent. And he said, you know, if you want to go far, if you want to move out of the south, you got to get rid of the Southern accent.

Speaker: Today, the World Health Organization officially announced that this is a global pandemic.

Sharla McBride: The world shut down because of COVID and sports, as you know, was canceled, affected immediately. So all of a sudden, I was four days into a brand new job in a brand new city, and I had nothing to do.

Brian Harbin: I think that's what people love about live sports is it really draws that out in people. And there's, you know, the stories and the overcoming adversity and all the challenges and everything they had to go through to get to that moment.

Sharla McBride: I've made a few athletes cry, and I… It's not supposed to be a thing of pride. I try a little bit to drag that emotion, try to get them to talk about the human side of things. You're never too big. It doesn't matter if you're the top person at NFL Network or if you're, you know, working in Abilene, Texas.

Brian Harbin: What kind of advice do you typically give young people that want to get into what you're doing?

Speaker: Welcome to the grit.org podcast! In these episodes, they speak to top achievers in athletics and business to understand the habits and mindset they apply in order to build more grit.

[I can. I can. I will. I will. I’m going to. I’m going to.]

Brian Harbin: All right, well, welcome to today's episode of the Grit.org podcast. Thanks for tuning in. Super excited about today's guest show. Sharla McBride. Sharla, super excited to have you. Welcome to the show today!

Sharla McBride: Hi! It's great to be here with you!

Brian Harbin: Yes. So really want to dive in and give you guys a little background on Sharla McBride. She's originally from Austin, Texas, attended University of Georgia, Go Dogs, where she majored in international affairs and foreign policy. And shout out to our mutual friends Chris and Eric that connected us.

She was an intern at Fox affiliate in Abilene, Texas, while she was at University of Georgia, where she covered high school and college sports along with the Cowboys. Then she was at NBC Sports Philadelphia, including Phillies pregame. So involved a lot of sports, was an evening news anchor as well as a News anchor on four different shows, including one of my favorite TV shows, Succession on HBO. Had a cameo there.

And then in October 2023, she started hosting Wake Up America on Newsmax, where she currently still works. Married to Todd Hiller and has a daughter. So before we jump into that first question, Sharla, just wanted to give a shout out to today's sponsor. Today's sponsor is escrow.com. With over 7 billion in protected transactions, escrow is the world's most secure online payment method. From automobiles to electronics to business sales and more, escrow.com makes it easy to confidently conduct business online. Visit escrow.com today to learn more about how you can achieve trust, security, and certainty with every transaction.

So all right, Sharla. So originally from Austin, Texas, and really love to hear about just early life growing up. I know you had a brother as well. I know your dad was in the military, but any, you know, founding principles for you early on were very impactful for you?

Sharla McBride: Yeah, you know, I am just so blessed to come from an amazing family. Shout out to my wonderful parents. They raised my brother and I, you know, right in the heart of Austin. And they're both from Georgia, hence the Bulldog pride. It runs pretty deep.

So they were both raised in the south and then moved to Austin before I was born and raised my brother and I in Austin. And yeah, my dad, as you said, a military man. He's a Vietnam war veteran, and I'm so proud of him. And, you know, him and my mom just… they really instilled hard work and dedication and kind of from the early ages of my life, I just remember them telling me, always, you can do whatever you set your mind to, and we will help you accomplish whatever you want.

And so they always backed my brother and I 110%, whether it was, you know, the sports teams we were playing on or the piano recitals that we did. And then I was about 12 years old, and I was watching a Georgia football game with my dad on a Saturday, and I noticed the broadcasters and I noticed the silent reporters, and I asked, you know, wait, what's that job? And my dad said, well, these people like to talk a lot, and they're pretty good at writing and pretty good at journalism. And I was like, that's me. I like that as well.

So it was right then that I decided that's what I want to do. And you know, they took me seriously. And I appreciate that because, you know, so many 12 year olds probably throw out dreams to their parents and they kind of dismiss them. But you know, they really started focusing on my English and writing skills. And then in high school started focusing more on colleges that were really great with journalism schools and broadcasting. And of course, Georgia was always at the top of the list.

So I just appreciate that they listened to my dreams and then, you know, from an early age they said, okay, what can we do to help you? Whether it's, you know, driving cross country to do that college visit or just whatever I needed, they were there. And I just think that's so important. And I just… I hope that every parent who listens to this, you know, listen to your kids and when they have dreams, don't dismiss them.

Brian Harbin: That's fantastic. And at 12, you know, 12 years old, there was that spark of like, that's what I want to do. And you mentioned, you know, just really focusing on writing. What about over the course of those next four or five years, anything that helped you develop? I know you mentioned playing the piano. Anything else in terms of performing or anything else you think kind of helped prepare you for that?

Sharla McBride: No, I think piano was actually huge. And that was my grandmother. I don't know if you can see. I actually have her piano. It's about 100 years old, and I have it now in my living room. But you know, that discipline from such an early age, and learning how to memorize things and learning how to perform, because we did have those really intense piano recitals, and that I think helped me from an early age really focus on something and set your mind to something.

And I continued to do that all the way through high school as well. Take lessons. You know, you're never too old to learn, right? So I felt like when I was 16, I know everything, I can play anything on that piano. But I still took lessons because you can always learn skills. And I think that kind of goes for everything. So I always felt like there's more to learn, especially in this profession.

So I really caught on with writing and journalism at a young age. But I always would challenge myself and started taking tougher classes and AP classes in school and just challenging myself to be the best that I could be. And then that carried over into storytelling. My mom, a journalism major at the University of Georgia as well. So she's always been good at writing, so she would always help me along the way, too. And I was also very involved in my church. And so I think when you have a good grounding, you know, and raised on great values and morals, and you always learn to thank God because he's the one that's giving you every single gift that you're receiving.

So I think knowing that throughout my life, it just was okay. Just… and if you're too stressed, you know, put it on him and he would help you get through. And so that's always kind of been, you know, my saving grace throughout as well.

Brian Harbin: Yeah, and family and faith. I mean, those two make for a very phenomenal foundation, no doubt. And you really… you've covered a lot of sports over the years. So was that something you felt like you started to learn a lot during that time period as well? Just about learning, you know, I know you covered a lot of football and baseball. Was that something you felt like you had to study up on or just… [crosstalk]

Sharla McBride: In the heart of the Lone Star State? And it's football and baseball, right? Those are the two big sports, especially in high school. You know, I got to go to a great big high school, a 5A school right in the heart of Austin, so kind of got that experience and loved being part of those sports. And then when I was able to then go to the University of Georgia and right away dive right into their broadcasting, and they had a live show called Georgia Game Day when I was there, and it aired every Saturday, and it focused first around football, and they had auditions, you know, week one.

Now, this is when you're a freshman, right? So you don't know anything yet. You haven't really gotten into your classes yet, you know. And they had tryouts, and I was lucky enough to get one of the spots to be a silent reporter for the team. And so diving right in, I got my first chance at, hey, here's a camera, here's a microphone. Go to football practice. Which can be really intimidating, especially for me, who's like five foot nothing with those guys. But coach Mark Richt was the coach at the time and welcomed me with open arms. And he really was a big influence in helping me kind of get out of my shell a little bit.

People that know me now might think there's no way she was shy, but it's easy to be intimidated when you're in that situation. And he would always kind of push me and hey, why don't you ask this guy? Why don't you get this interview? And that was always really helpful, too. But yeah, the school from day one was in my corner. And you know, you work hard for them, they work hard for you. And I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today without the University of Georgia, for sure.

Brian Harbin: And so you must have done that, I guess, freshman year, because I think early on, too, you got an internship at Fox and WGA TV and back in Abilene. So is that… [crosstalk]

Sharla McBride: Abilene was after Atlanta. So yeah, I was able to go back and forth to Atlanta, which made more sense being in Georgia. And so yeah, I was able to get an internship at Fox in Atlanta. And then from there I would actually just travel back and forth, you know, going to Fox on the weekends and then back to Georgia during the weekdays and just putting in the work, you know.

And again, that's what my parents said. Hey, nothing's going to be handed to you. We're going to help you out, you know, if you need things, if you need, you know, roof over your head and clothes on your body and food to eat. But in terms of what your job and your career is going to be, you know, nothing's going to be handed. You have to work really hard. So I always had that vision of, okay, what can I do to go to the next level kind of thing.

Brian Harbin: So was there anything early on when you were getting into internship and you were working more in front of the camera that you kind of identified of like, okay, this is an area that I need to improve. And what were some things that you did to kind of develop as a broadcaster at that time?

Sharla McBride: Oh, my gosh. I have the funniest story. So yes, I was in an early class at Georgia, and I didn't realize that apparently I had a little bit of a Southern accent at the time. You know, raised by two parents from the South. You just think that's how everyone speaks. And quickly my professor told me, you're saying words incorrectly. We need to give you a Midwest accent. And I didn't even know what a Midwest accent was. So he gave me a microphone and a camera, loaned it to me from the school. He said, go home. You're gonna set up this camera and you're gonna read this script that I give you. Going to read it just how you would read it, come back to me, and we're going to watch it together.

So we did. And then he pointed out every single word and every single syllable where I kind of had a hey y’all, like a Southern twang. And he said, you know, if you want to go far, you want to move out of the South, you got to get rid of the Southern accent. So I worked for six months, every single day I would bring home that camera and I taught myself, with his help, to kind of eliminate that Southern accent. Of course I'm proud of my Southern heritage and everything like that. So it wasn't anything about that, but yeah, it was a challenge, something that I never envisioned I would have to do. But yeah, I had to work hard to get… and to this day there are still a few words that I'll say and someone might say, wait, I don't think that's right, Mel. Southern. It's fine.

Brian Harbin: And that's such an interesting take too because it makes a lot of sense where, you know, it kind of limits you in terms of your ability to broadcast outside of the South. Right? So is that a big reason of him kind of pushing you to… kind of expand in that way?

Sharla McBride: Yeah, that's exactly it. And he wrote a letter of recommendation for me, the same professor, when it became time to graduate and get my first job. And back in the day I think they still do this but you know, they would write it on paper and then they would seal the envelope and sign it so you couldn't open it and you couldn't see it. So for years I never saw what he wrote. And I had probably been doing this business for a decade and I was going through stuff and found an extra copy that he'd given me in my stuff.

So I opened it up and it was one of the kindest letters and it was that he had worked at CNN for 30 years and that he saw great potential in me to work at network one day and that I was one of the best people that he had seen go through the university and it was just so complimentary and he was such a hard-nosed guy and he, you know, working with him, you just don't think that your professors think that way of you.

So it was nice that a decade later I found that letter and then I saw why he was so hard on me, you know, and making sure that I, you know, got rid of the accent and I shot everything perfectly. And I always thought, uh oh, he's picking on me. But then I later saw it's because he believed in me and he saw potential, which was really special.

Brian Harbin: I love that. And I'm curious too because I feel like when you are first getting into that, there's this element of the potential freeze, right? You're talking to somebody, you're maybe a little bit starstruck of, like this is him and you've got… or her and you've got all these things that you want to say and then you kind of freeze. How did you kind of work through that or was that anything that ever you struggled with or…

Sharla McBride: Oh, no. I mean, definitely there's times… gosh, you know, especially if you're interviewing, you know, a big time athlete, maybe you're doing a sit down interview where it's a one-on-one. Those would be times where I think you would get more nervous.

Whenever I was live, right after a game or on the sideline, for me, in my head, it was always a quick conversation so it was easier. But it's when sometimes you sit down, you know, kind of like we're doing, but you have the lights and the camera and it's you and then… and they're expecting you to just continuously ask questions. There can't really be any dead air. Thankfully I never got too nervous with them. I would get excited. I grew up. Cal Ripken Jr. is, you know, one of those people that my dad would take me to games and I saw him hit a grand slam once when I was 9 years old and I just thought he's one of the greatest baseball players to play the game that I got to see.

And I was covering a charity event two years ago and he had donated the field for these kids to play. And so he was there, but I didn't know he was going to be there ahead of time. And that was one of the few moments I broke character a little bit and I asked him for a photo. But it's fine, we're not supposed to do that. But he was super nice about it. And then after the photo, gave me a great interview.

So yeah, there's a few times where you get, I think, more excited. And that was more casual. I would have never done it, obviously, if it was in a more professional setting, but we were at a little kid's little league field, so I felt like it would be okay in that moment.

Brian Harbin: And so obviously while you're at University of Georgia getting some phenomenal internships, so how did you kind of figure out what to do next? I mean, was it pretty much going straight into, you know, an offer from one of your interns or how did you figure out what direction to go on graduation?

Sharla McBride: Yeah, so, I mean, your senior year, I realized that this is what I want to do, you know, and their professors prepare you. Hey, you might have to go work in the middle of Iowa for a few years. You might have to go work in Wyoming, you know.

And so at that time we would make a resume reel. And I was… Georgia had just such great facilities. And I was able again to do work with the football team and then later the baseball team and had the opportunity to do a bunch of stories and to create what's called a reel. So kind of a highlight reel. And that's our version of a resume in this business. I know most people have their resume on a piece of paper. Ours is us on TV. So they helped me create that reel. And then this was in the days of VHS.

And so I went and got about 50 VHS tapes, printed out my name and put it on top of there, went down to the UPS store, packaged them up and then I mailed them to probably about 50 local television stations across America. And then you wait to see if you get a call back. And that's what we all kind of did. And now some of us decided… some of my friends decided, it's not for me, I can't do it. I can't leave my family or I don't really want to move across the country. I don't know if I can put in… because I always tell my interns now, the first two years might be rough. You might have to list somewhere you don't live. You might have to get paid nothing in a small town to get to the big city kind of thing. And I think that that is still how it is. So, you know, I was willing to do that.

So yeah, so Abilene, Texas called me back. I had a few other callbacks and visited, but they didn't feel like I could make a home there at least. So yeah, West Texas, home of high school football, you know, Friday Night Lights was filmed there. So yeah, that was a fun first job experience, right? As a 22, 23-year-old covering high school football in kind of the home of high school football.

So it ended up being a great first job. And I always tell the younger generation and my interns now, don't be afraid to take that first job that's in a small town, because that's where you can learn, right? That's where it's okay to make a mistake because maybe only a few thousand people are watching at the time. And if you mess up, you know, you learn from it and that's okay. And most bosses and news directors that I had in those towns were more like teachers. And they were there because they loved helping the younger generation grow and move on to their dream job. So for me, it was a great experience of, you know, starting and grinding in that very low-paying first reporter job.

Brian Harbin: And so when you're doing like a post-game interview, do they tell you what questions to ask or is that kind of where you have free rein? And what is it you feel like in those moments you're trying to draw out of them? Anything that from your perspective, you feel like, I really want to get this perspective from this, in this moment?

Sharla McBride: So yeah, no, that's all me. That's all I…. So yeah, every situation that I've ever been in, whether it's a sit-down interview, whether it's a sideline interview, whether it's a scrum, as we say… I think of NFL training camp and they come off the field real fast and there might be, you know, six or seven reporters kind of crowding around. It's… yeah, it's all you. And that's a big part of when they hire you. They kind of trust you that you're going to represent the network or represent the station well and do your homework, you know, and do your research. And that's a big part of it.

When I first moved to Pennsylvania to cover sports, never been to Pennsylvania in my life, you know, picked up and moved one day after they called. And my very first day, my first live hit was covering hockey. Now being from Texas, hockey wasn't really part of our household. So I stayed up all night the night before. I was memorizing players, I was memorizing stats. I wanted to be ready because a lot of times, like with any sport, you don't know who's going to have a good game, right? So you don't know who you might have to talk to at the end.

So I had faces on a roster that I was memorizing. So just trying to be as prepared as I could be in that moment. And now it's funny, hockey's become one of my favorite sports after covering it for so many years.

So yeah, that's kind of one of the things. You have to put in a lot of research, you know, and always kind of be on the ball. And you have to know, you know, if you're interviewing one player, just knowing the fact that, oh, he… in football, oh, he had a 100-yard game, but last week he had five drops. So this is a big improvement for him. So you're always having to keep up with that as well, which is great, because I feel like it always keeps you on your toes.

Brian Harbin: And do you feel like in those moments, you're trying to draw, like, from them how they feel in that exact moment? Anything of, like, what they're thinking about, what they're appreciative for, what they're grateful for in that moment? What do you feel like you're really trying to extract from them? In most cases?

Sharla McBride: Yeah, definitely. When it's a big game or a big monumental event in their career, my friends and my colleagues always tell me I'm good at getting emotion. I've made a few athletes cry, and I… it's not supposed to be a thing of pride. I try a little bit to drag that emotion, try to get them to talk about the human side of things, because I feel like that relates to the average viewer.

And the average person watching at home can relate to that. You know, they might not play hockey and they might not have scored that goal, but they're watching this player get emotional at that moment. They might think, you know, that means so much to him, and now they care a little more. I had the pleasure of covering Alex Ovechkin for four years in D.C. and was there for his last milestone when he moved into second place all-time, just behind Gretzky, and was there that night and got the first interview with him at his locker.

And you know, he's tough to pull emotion from. But, you know, when he was about to get emotional… when I asked him, what are you going to do to celebrate? And he deflected so that he wouldn't get emotional and said, I'm going to go get some beer and nachos — which is not like him. He was joking and made everyone laugh instead. But I could tell that was his… he's like, no, I'm not going to spend time with that feeling. He had his little kids there and stuff like that.

So I love those moments. I love the milestone moments. You know, been there with quarterbacks making their amazing debuts. And those are the sports moments that I think bring everyone together, you know. And I was watching this past week… OV obviously break the all-time record.

And I felt all of that emotion for him, you know, having spent time with him and his teammates for so many games. And he would always play it off and say, ah, no, it doesn't matter to me. Oh, the milestones don't matter to me. But then he would kind of look and go, well, yeah, they matter a little bit. And you could see that emotion on the ice this past weekend, which was super fun — to see his career come to fruition, I guess, in culmination of that big, big moment.

So yeah, I'm the person that tries to draw out the emotion. Every reporter is different. You know, a lot of men that I have done this with, they stick to the X's and O's. Especially, you know, newspaper print writers, they like to stick to the X's and O's. I try to just get real reaction because again, I'm always thinking, being a female, right… not all females like sports. I do. But I always think, what would my friends want to hear? And you know, they kind of want to hear the human side. That these guys, yeah, they might make millions of dollars, but at the end of the day they're a dad or a husband, and this does mean a lot to them.

Brian Harbin: Yeah, I love that. And from my perspective as a viewer, I don't know all the science behind what you guys do, but what I appreciated about it is because, you know, these players in these moments, like they've worked so hard to get there and there's so much pressure and weight that they feel. And then, you know, what's great about you pulling out that emotion is, you know, it's there and it's when they're talking to you, they kind of feel that gravity drop and they can just let their emotions come out and really experience that. And I think that's what people love about live sports is it really draws that out in people.

And there's, you know, the stories and the overcoming adversity and all the challenges and everything they had to go through to get to that moment. So it's such a valuable add to the end of a sport and being able to hear what that person has to say. So it's so fascinating. And you mentioned too, going to Philadelphia and covered more sports, worked with the Phillies up there. But then you started getting into more of some anchoring, like actually anchoring shows and getting on some of the evening shows. So what was that? How did that transition happen, going from sports to kind of more of the news side?

Sharla McBride: It's a wild story, one that I would have never predicted. If you'd asked my 12-year-old self… So I was working at a local television station, ABC affiliate in Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in the Poconos, and I was their sports anchor. Loved it. Loved doing sports. Life was good. Things were great. We had a longtime news anchor, as many top local stations do, right?

The news anchor that's been there, the evening news, for 30 years. Every city has those. So we had a great one, and she had been there for 30 years and she was retiring. And you know, it didn't even faze me. I thought, you know, we sent her off, gave her the well wishes. And the bosses came to me and said, we'd like you to try for that. I said no. I don't do that. I don't talk about serious death and destruction. No, I'm good. I'll just stick with the sports. You know, I'll head up the… we really want you to try. We really want… we're going to put you on the desk. We want to see how you do. And I was like, okay, it's fine. And I'm thinking this whole time they got a million other people lined up. They had people at the station that were dying to have that job. So I just was like, it's fine, it's fine.

And then they told me after a week that it was mine. And I did not expect it at all. So yeah, I kind of transitioned into… I was not pleased at first. I had to move my desk from cool sports department, you know, out to the newsroom. And I think a lot of people initially weren't sure either and didn't take me seriously. And then that made me take it seriously. It was the fact, well, no, I do belong here.

If I got this job, then I do belong here. I'm going to do this. And it was wonderful. And we had the number one evening news in the country actually for the seven years that I did it. And it was phenomenal. We had a great time. I really loved my co-anchor, and it became such a fun ride. Absolutely. And then it got me to the next level, which I didn’t know was in my plan as well. And then that was Washington, D.C., kind of the home of news and politics.

So with that, that was an interesting transition because I got a phone call from D.C. and they said, well, we know you’ve done news. Now do you want to go back to sports? Like, I guess. Okay, okay, I guess I could go back to sports. So I thought, all right, now it’s time to dive back into sports. So I went to D.C. to actually do sports. I moved there March 9th, 2020. Four days later, the world shut down because of COVID and sports, as you know, was canceled, affected immediately. So all of a sudden I was four days into a brand new job and a brand new city and I had nothing to do.

So then, because COVID was happening and news was happening, they were like, you need to go back on the news desk. We need you back on the news. I was like, well, that was short-lived. That was four days. So then I started doing news for them there in D.C., which really then elevated me essentially to the network level, which is where I am now. So looking back, it all was kind of one big rolling stone that led me to where I am now.

Brian Harbin: I mean, what a journey, right? It's just all kind of part of the process, right? God's plan for sure. And so how did you have to evolve going into more this newscast role? What were some things… because obviously I know you started to, you know, being the avid studier and everything that you are to improve your performance, what were some things you had to work on at that point to adjust to that new role?

Sharla McBride: I actually had to tone down a little bit my sunshine and rainbows persona. So I couldn't… I really had to learn to be part of the story I was reading. So it was more of becoming a better journalist and realizing and understanding the gravity. So, you know, if we were talking about a terrible house fire that claimed the life of a family, you know, you would feel… you had to kind of put yourself in that moment because then I felt like I was a better anchor if I was delivering the news as people would be hearing it in their home. And so it did make me a better journalist. Some days were harder than others.

People think we just read these stories and then we go home. But it did… it definitely took a toll on me. I think more local news did. Sometimes you do hear just terrible stories and terrible tragedies in the world, and we give maybe a 30-second blurb to the viewers at home. And I would be on the other side and I would be reading the entire police report.

So I would know a lot of the details that would kind of bottle up inside. So I had to work through that at the beginning. That was not easy at all. And I know many news anchors and reporters that… they can become really depressed from that or end up just quitting altogether because they don't want to go home sad every night.

So I just had to focus on what I was doing. You know, I couldn't change the bad that had happened, but I could tell people about a situation and then I could tell a greater story. So whether it was a follow-up in a GoFundMe for a family that lost everything or, you know, it was always good if we could maybe turn it to some kind of good and then you feel a little better.

And then to always keep the positive stories. We actually, when I was in Pennsylvania, launched a whole newscast — an hour long — and it was the "Feel Good at Four." And at first everyone kind of laughed it off, but then people loved it because it was, hey, for an hour we promise you're only going to get good news. So I think you have to balance stuff like that.

Brian Harbin: Oh, absolutely. And like you said too, you know, going from covering these sports moments where it's like these peak moments in most cases, to real life events where you have to, like you said, it kind of helped you get more emotionally in tune with the story. And during this time too, I know you had… you called it your side gig — you had been on a number of shows, including Succession and a few others. So how do those opportunities come about and what's that experience working like in kind of more of a scripted role versus live news?

Sharla McBride: Oh my goodness, it is crazy. It is just… it's a whole new world. So again, another wild story. Working in Pennsylvania, ABC affiliate — ABC came out with a brand new show called Quantico. And they needed some real newscasters to play some parts. So they reached out to ABC network and said, you know, we need people that aren't so recognizable. Like they didn't want to go with the people you see on Good Morning America. They said, we need just people that maybe work in the ABC family. And they said, well, we have a top affiliate just about an hour outside New York in Scranton. Why don't you try there? So they reached out to our executive producer.

He said, I could set up a… he's like, I can put a green screen up. You send me some scripts. Did two episodes. They loved it. Then they continued. And then the very next year a show called Designated Survivor with Kiefer Sutherland came out. They needed the same thing. And then I was able to become a regular on that, going through all three seasons. We would shoot it at a green screen in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and then send them the tape, and then you would see it on the show — which is so wild. So it really was just by chance. The show Mr. Robot with Rami Malek also reached out to us.

And then the big one — Succession on HBO — which I won a SAG Award for, which was super exciting. Definitely had a moment of dancing around in my kitchen when I found that out — for Best Ensemble. That show just kind of exploded. And when I went there, you know, didn’t really know what it was going to be about or what it was going to be. And that was a different experience because HBO brought me to New York and stepping on, you know, the Hollywood set was a whole new world. But they’re incredible at what they do, and it really is just… it’s fascinating to watch, even when you’re there.

Brian Harbin: Wow! So being on set for Succession too — now I’ve seen every episode — remind me which…what… [crosstalk]

Sharla McBride: Started in seasons. There’s four seasons and I was seasons two, three and four. And I was cast as… for those who don’t know Succession — Succession is based on a wealthy family and there is the patriarch and he owns a television network. And it’s kind of the line of succession — which one of his kids will take over. They’re a very wealthy New York family.

So I was the newscaster for the network that they owned. So myself and a good friend of mine were kind of used throughout the show to be kind of the news anchor and got to film certain scenes. And it was really exciting to be on set and to watch these people who are incredible at their craft. I watched them do 15-minute scenes in one take, and they are absolutely stellar. It’s the reason why they won every award they could. And the whole cast up and down — and they were very, very kind people too. Yeah. So that was just such a fun, fun experience. Kind of a pinch-me moment to be with them and be part of that cast.

Brian Harbin: Yes. And I loved how each scene was typically in one room for the most part. Which — yes — there’s so much creativity involved in the writing for that.

Sharla McBride: They're just incredible. And like I said, the main crew… there would be a moment where they would say “action,” and they would run through 20 pages of dialogue without skipping a beat by memorization. I still don’t know how they did it. But they are… they're incredible. It’s amazing when you see these people do their craft, you know, in person.

Brian Harbin: Yeah, no kidding. Performing at that level. So okay, so tell us about what you feel like led up to getting Newsmax in 2023, which is where you currently are. So how did all that come about?

Sharla McBride: Yeah, so I was in Washington, D.C., and at that time, sports had returned, so I was able to go back in and do my love of sports as well, but then also continued to do news. So it was a lot of work. I was doing double duty most days. But I'm so glad because, again, the hard work got me there.

And that's how I was noticed by Newsmax — and Newsmax is mostly a political morning show that I host as well. And so there was the appeal from them that I had been in D.C., living in that environment for the last four years, understanding how politics worked as well. And it was… it started as a simple conversation, like a Zoom conversation of, hey, would you be interested in this? And I think it's… it became the perfect job for me because I then got to bring back my personality — that sometimes on evening news you have to hide a little bit.

Morning show is a little different, so I could bring back my personality to a morning show. And I felt like that was the perfect fit, you know, because I'm talking about politics and talking about news, but it's still mornings. So we still have some fun, and we still have some interviews and some parts of our show that we laugh.

And so I think it was a perfect mix for me. And a lot of it is unscripted. We do all of our interviews live. So whether it's interviewing a United States Senator or a governor of a state, most of it is all live. And so I think my skills from doing live sports reporting on the sideline — where you just have to go with the conversation, right, and just… I always had my first question — that's my kind of go-to. I'll have my first question in my head. And then I just listen to what they say and how they respond.

And then that's how I kind of just formulate the interview, because I like my interviews to be more like conversations. So I try to make them feel comfortable. So I feel like this job is exactly where I'm meant to be in the sense that I'm using the skills that I learned in the sports world. I'm able to be my true self with my vibrant personality. And then I was always interested in politics. My father — his entire career was spent in politics.

So I was able to kind of take that from my childhood and now put it all into one job in New York City, which, as you may or may not know, that's in our journalism world, that's Market One. So that's kind of the goal for so many of us that start in college with big dreams — to get to New York City. So definitely a great thing, and I'm so, so grateful. And I feel like it's just the right fit for me. It kind of all worked out.

Brian Harbin: So tell us a day in the life. I mean, morning news — obviously your day starting super early. So just give us kind of a rundown of the day in the life for you.

Sharla McBride: Oh my gosh! So yes, it is early. I usually wake up at 02:30 in the morning.

Brian Harbin: Oh my gosh!

Sharla McBride: I live in the Pocono Mountains because I like living away from the hustle and bustle here. So we just actually built a house, just moved in. And so I commute and it's about an hour twenty in the morning, which is wonderful because it's straight highway and there's no traffic, as you can imagine at that time. So I get in there and you have a wonderful and talented hair and makeup team. So I just have to shower and get myself there, and thankfully they do all the hard work. So that helps me out a lot as I drink a lot of coffee.

 And then I start going over scripts and I'm constantly speaking with our team of producers. And we're bouncing ideas off of each other all morning — hey, I think we should lead with this, or we're interviewing this person, we need to ask them this, let's put in some elements about this. And so, you know, constantly just going off each other until the show starts at 06:30 in the morning. And then it goes live from 06:30 Eastern to 9:00 a.m. Eastern. And then we'll have a kind of post-show meeting of, hey, this was really great about the show, this wasn't. And then just right away look forward to… we basically spend sixty seconds on the past, and then we always look to the future. Like, okay, well, tomorrow's a new day and a new show, you know, let's start brainstorming.

So the job doesn't really… while it might end at 09:00 a.m., I come home, then kind of debrief a little bit, but then diving right back into what's in the newspaper articles and magazines and just kind of seeing the news of the day. Because you have to think — with a morning show, you're going to cover whatever happened the night before or the day before. So always kind of staying up to date on, you know, if something big happened or whatnot. Because I usually go to bed around 07:30. If I'm up past 07:30, then… oh, I don't know. It's tough.

Brian Harbin: So still just a ton of homework and research and knowing about your guest. And I guess with what you're doing too, it's part of it's factual. You're trying to get kind of their opinion drawn out, right, for the show. Is there any particular strategy too that you feel like once you get this information, how do you try and figure out to be able to use that in the moment?

Sharla McBride: Yeah. So yeah, you said research — that's such a big part. I mean, and it sounds too simple, but the first thing I do before… let's say we have a United States Senator on. I know for a fact tomorrow we have Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. So she'll be joining us.

So the first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to Google her name. I do that every time. Because a quick Google search can show you if they made news or if they were in the news, or something drastic happened with them, or maybe they just passed a new bill five minutes ago. Or, you know, stuff like that that I may have missed. I know it's so simple, and I always tell our younger generation — hey, it's so simple, but you'd be amazed at what you can find. Or you might find some tweets that they sent that went viral. You know, little things like that that you can kind of pull about them. And so just to be prepared on, okay, they're really passionate about this topic, they've been all over their Instagram with this topic, or something like that. So I just try to do that first.

And then yeah, I always try to get them to say the opinions. I'm… I like to always still be… even though with political shows and with morning shows opinions can come out, I try to always stay on the journalistic side of things and ask the direct question. You know, this bill is hitting the floor — do you think it will get passed and why? Whereas, you know, I have heard other anchors like to add a few more opinions. And they might say, I think it should get passed.

And I think, you know, I always put my journalism hat on with, you know what, let the guest do the talking. Let the guest tell you. Let the expert tell you. And then you can react to what they say. So that's kind of my take on things, and that's what I try to do, so that they're the expert, as they say, always giving me the answer — and I'm not leading them in any way.

Brian Harbin: Yeah, no, I love that. And interesting fact about Marsha Blackburn — actually, my college summer job in college was selling educational books door to door with this 150-year-old company. That's actually how I met my wife. But Marsha Blackburn did the same internship in college — selling educational books door to door. Yep. So…

Sharla McBride: She's wonderful.

Sharla McBride: I've had her on several times and she's just, again, a ray of sunshine in the mornings. I appreciate her and her energy that she brings… sometimes at 6 a.m.

Brian Harbin: And so for you and the career that you're in, you know, obviously it's a career that can change frequently, right? So how do you stay focused on being your best every single day? And how do you kind of plan ahead on your career and trajectory and what you want to do? Or what's kind of your thought process and mindset with that?

Sharla McBride: Um, yeah, you're right. It is. You know, this industry and this career — it can change so quickly. And I got some great advice from a co-anchor of mine, gosh, probably fifteen years ago, and I never forgot it. And he said, just remember, you might think you're great, but you never know — there's always someone younger, smarter, better that could come along in five seconds and take your job.

So you always have to focus on how to be the best version of yourself… but in not a conceited way and not an overly confident way. You have to stay humble and always realize that you can always do better. You might leave an interview and think, that was the best interview of my life.

But he gave me the advice — watch it back. And I bet you'll find something that you didn't like or didn't do right. And then you can improve on that. And so I think it's that mindset that I take with me every day… of this is not going to be perfect because I'm not Jesus. So it's not going to be the most perfect thing ever. But I'm going to do my best. And if I don't feel like it's my best, I'm going to make sure — absolutely — that the next day it will be even better. Because you're right. In this industry, there's always someone else. Just like any job, right? Someone else can come along and take that… take that job from you.

So I'm always just trying to stay focused on how can I be my best self, but also bring what makes me unique. And I know that's what my bosses and the companies that I've worked for have told me — never just become the cookie-cutter, typical person that you think you should be. Just be you. And in the end, that will work. So far it has. But yeah, I think never being completely complacent with everything and just always trying to work to do better. You know, and that drive — I think that's the American spirit, right? And that goes back to my childhood — my mom saying, listen, keep striving, be the best, do your best, and we will support you. And I think in having that — those family and friends that support you through it all — it really… it really helps.

Brian Harbin: Are there any broadcasters or anchors that you feel like you draw inspiration from? Or any mentors that you feel like you have that you lean on with what you do?

Sharla McBride: Absolutely. So there's two that come to mind. I used to watch sports with my dad on Saturdays, but every single day during the week, I loved the show Entertainment Tonight because my mom would always have it on. She’d be folding laundry, she had Entertainment Tonight on, and I’d be watching it.

Mary Hart was the longtime anchor of the show, and I just thought she was the greatest. I would walk around the house saying, “Well, if I’m not going to be covering football, I’m going to be Mary Hart.” I loved Mary Hart. I thought she was beauty and grace and all of the things, right? Two years ago, I happened to be at a Dodgers game with my best friend, and Mary Hart has had season tickets to the Dodgers forever. Whenever I’d watch a Dodgers game on TV, I would see her right behind home plate—she had those perfect seats. And I always thought, “She’s even cool in life, because she goes to baseball games.” I remember thinking that.

So here I am at the Dodgers game, I round the corner to go to the concession stand—and I ran right into Mary Hart. I’m not going to lie, I’m a very calm, cool, collected person, but I started bawling. She probably thought, “What is wrong with this person?” Thankfully, my friend was able to explain that I’ve looked up to her for 30 years. She took a photo with me, and she was everything I thought she would be. I told her, “I’m doing this now, and I’ve always had you in my mind.” And then the best moment happened—she said, “Oh my gosh, I watch you in D.C. I know exactly who you are.” And I just thought, “That’s it. That’s all I needed in life.” It was the validation I didn’t even know I needed.

She was just gracious and beautiful. It reminded me—because I’ve had people, and not on the same level at all, whether they were high school or college students, interns, or people who shadowed me—I’ve always thought, “I want to be what I saw in Mary Hart,” in terms of being gracious and helpful. You know the saying, “Don’t meet your heroes because they’re not who you expect?” No. Meet your heroes—and hopefully, they’re exactly who you hoped they’d be.

Another one is Kim Jones. She was a sports anchor. She worked for a long time with YES Network and was a sideline reporter for the New York Yankees. She’s worked for NFL Network, she’s done a lot.

And my second job covering sports, I got to go cover the New York Yankees because we had been covering the Triple-A Yankees all year. They were going to the World Series. It was that big champagne celebration, right? I had never experienced that. I was not prepared. I looked around — it was me and a bunch of New York media.

Kim Jones was the only other woman. She came over to me and said, “You’re going to need a poncho.” And I was like, “What do you mean?” She said, “There’s going to be a lot of champagne. You’re gonna be soaking wet.” I told her I didn’t have one. So we went into the locker room and, of course, got covered in champagne. Crazy interviews, crazy celebration. And while we were in there, she could just see I was almost getting trampled. It was craziness in those clubhouses, and I was in over my head. She grabbed my hand and said, “Stand right beside me. I’ll get you in every single interview you need.” And she didn’t even know my name.

I thought, “Thank you. Thank you for being another female in this industry and helping out the 23-year-old who has no idea what she’s doing.” And then on top of that, afterward, she went and got them to give me Yankees clothes — oversized clothes from the stockpile — that I could wear on my trip home because I was soaked in champagne. I never forgot her kindness.

Fast forward 20 years, we were both covering the Washington Commanders — she was working for NFL Network — and we ran into each other in a locker room. I said, “I don’t know if you remember me, but you made my year with your kindness.” And she did remember. She said, “Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re still doing this.” It’s those moments... this business is very, very small, I’ve learned. You think it’s big, but it’s actually very small. But overall, what I’ve learned is that kindness goes a long way.

And I think that applies to any industry. You’re never too big — it doesn’t matter if you’re the top person at NFL Network or working in Abilene, Texas. We’re all human beings. We’re all journalists. We’re all just trying to get our foot in the door. And just being kind to people really goes a long way.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. No, that’s fantastic and so true. What’s been your favorite, most memorable story that you’ve covered up to this point so far?

Sharla McBride: Ooh. Oh, gosh. Oh, man. There’s been so many good ones. I don’t know. Okay...

Brian Harbin: Maybe top...

Sharla McBride: You know, I love the story of... there's a few that come to mind. There’s one that — so in my days, I covered Penn State football for a long time. And there’s a story of Matt M. He was a walk-on quarterback — no scholarship, nothing — came from the west side of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and just gave it his best shot, right? He walked onto the team and ended up being named the starting quarterback.

I went to that game with his family, and his parents, and even an hour before the game, they weren’t sure if he was going to be the starter. So we were there because there was a chance that Joe Paterno was going to name him the starting quarterback — I think it was for Ohio State. Yeah. I mean, it was a big deal.

So we went, and there’s a moment where, in Penn State tradition, they have a little bus that takes the players — similar to the Dawg Walk at Georgia — but they have a bus that takes the players to this walk where they walk into the stadium. And it was tradition under Joe Paterno, when he was coaching, that the first person off the bus would be the starting quarterback for that day.

So we stood there with his family, holding their hands — and we had cameras and everything too — and then when he stepped off the bus first, it was that moment of... like, his parents had worked so hard in life. Blue collar family. Their kid walks on to Penn State football, and now is about to be the starting quarterback.

Sharing his story and following him all the way through — he actually made it to the NFL. And then I was also, fast forward five years later, with his family when he scored his first NFL touchdown. So it was just such a... I think overall, it was a story that spanned five years. And so those kinds of things — seeing the inspiration, seeing all of that — that was probably one of the most memorable. And to see him... so yeah.

And in my small world, my husband is a wedding photographer and ended up shooting his wedding as well. So we became fast friends. So stories like that... you know, a similar story — the quarterback for the Washington Commanders at one time was Taylor Heinecke, a Georgia kid from outside of Atlanta. He had no job. He didn’t make it in the NFL. He was living on his sister’s couch outside of Atlanta, literally right before Christmas, going back to school because he was going to get a math degree and thought, “I guess this is my career. I’m just going to maybe be a math teacher, and that’s fine too.”

And he got a call because all of the quarterbacks — all of them — had been injured. He got a call from then-head coach Ron Rivera and thought he was kidding. And he said, “Nope. Can you be here tomorrow because we’d like to sign you — and you’re going to be our starting quarterback.” And he ended up leading them to the playoffs, where they faced off against Tom Brady. It was just... it was incredible. So that would be another one. And became close with him too.

So I think for me, it’s the stories where I develop the relationships with them. To this day, I still talk with Taylor, and still talk with Matt. And I think it's being there for their biggest moments and trust. They trust you to tell their story, and that's such a big thing. And then one more that I can think of that I did when I was in Washington.

A girl, Adi Bosco, she's one of the top lacrosse players in the country. Her father was killed at 9 in 9/11, when the towers fell. And she wears a wristband and it has initials. And no one ever asked her about it. No one ever thought about it. No one. And there was tape that was wrapped on her stick as well. No one ever thought about it. And, you know, one day I asked, I asked her and then the whole story came out. And then she agreed to do a sit down with me.

And it was one of the first times that she really had talked about her father, and she had never really talked about it before. And it was a really powerful story. And of course, running it on a 9/11 anniversary, about how his death has impacted her and how she plays for him, but then also how her stepdad has really stepped into that role. So it's those... so again, I think you see a theme here, right? It's the emotional connection that I can form with someone, but it's the stories that I think the everyday person can relate to.

So those are my favorite. It's not necessarily that the stats or, oh, this guy got nine touchdowns. That's great. But, you know, I want to hear how you got here and what this, as you said at the beginning, what this moment means to you. And those are the stories that stick with me... is being able to tell the human side of things. And share in those special moments. For sure.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. And it sounds like too, I mean, you're so empathetic with them in those moments too, which I'm sure just kind of helps build that trust and, you know, be a part of that moment. Like you said, what kind of advice do you typically give young people that want to get into what you're doing? Because I know it's not the direct path for everybody. Right? You really have to be able to kind of adjust with the flow. So what kind of advice do you have for, you know, a young person that wants to get into broadcasting and being an anchor?

Sharla McBride: Yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, my first advice, and if I'm talking to someone who's in high school and is still choosing, you know, their college path, really focus on a school that has a good program and is going to have the resources and go to that college, meet with the professors.

You know, you can do that in an official visit and see if it's the right fit and if you feel like you're going to get a lot out of it. Because I see so many people that want to do it and then they kind of, they choose the wrong school in the sense that, you know, maybe that's not for them and they don't have... because not all journalism schools are created equal, you know, and some kind of lap it all into one big thing of communications and journalism.

And I say, you know, really, that's the first step, right? And see if they're going to be on your side and help you and let you carry around a camera and let you take one home and film yourself on, you know, all those little things, they matter in preparation.

And then for those that are already in college, it's, you know, every second you get, write a story, think, go to, if it's sports, you know, go to a random baseball practice, talk to the coach, find out, hey, is there some kid here who's overcome something? Is there, you know, like any kind of extra story that you could tell and you can work on your storytelling skills because that's a huge part of it is how you put together that story. And so it's constantly working.

I can honestly say, my friends at Georgia could vouch for this. There were so many nights where I would be at that journalism school till 9 o'clock at night because I would be focusing on some story that I did with a player and I wanted to get it just right, you know, and they'd be like, come out. Come out. Like, come to dinner. And I was like, no, no, I just want to finish this. And I always just was looking forward to the future and thought, if I can get the perfect story, then that can go on my resume reel. And my reel is what goes out to all these stations. So it's always kind of keeping your eye on the prize. Right?

And so that's the... that's your thing. And then not being afraid to ask for help. I mean, the amount of times that I would just wait till class was over, go up to professor and say, hey, I feel like I'm not getting from point A to point B in the story. I feel like there's something missing in the middle. Can you help me? And 9 times out of 10, they are absolutely thrilled to. So it's that knowing you're not in this alone, right? Lean on your professors. Lean on your classmates, too. There's so many times where I would read a script out and I would say, does that make sense? And they'd be like, no. Oh, okay. Well, thank you. Like, let's try it again.

So, yeah, that would be. And then when you're about to graduate, lastly, if you really want to do this, don't be afraid to move somewhere you've never been. You know, if I was afraid and didn't move, you know, to the places I would... I wouldn't have met my husband, and I wouldn't have my wonderful family. And, you know, I think everything happens for a reason. So, you know, don't be afraid to move somewhere and start fresh and, you know, follow your... your dreams and your career, because it can happen. You know, you just got to put your foot out there, and you can't be fearful and don't quit when it's tough.

There are so many times, you know, during COVID I was anchoring from my living room in Washington, D.C. I mean, they set up a whole studio, and we weren't allowed to leave, and that was hard. Everyone went through that period of time, right? And, you know, there was times where I just thought, I can't do this. I can't. I can't be locked in here. I can't do this. I can't have my house also be my place of work, and how am I going to get through this? And will sports ever return again? And what am I going to do? And we all have those moments. But I just say power through because there's so much good that can come out of this career, and I love it.

And, you know, every time that I thought I would tell my husband, that's it, I'm going to quit. I can't do it. You know, if it was bad that he'd say, what else are you going to do? You love this too much. And I'm like, you know what? You're right. You're right. What else am I going to do?

Brian Harbin: That's fantastic. And I have three more questions, if that's okay. One of them I really wanted to ask you. Okay, so in the reel that you put together of, you know, when you were applying for jobs, was there my clips?

Sharla McBride: Yeah.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. What was your best clip? You felt like that really kind of helped showcase what you did. Anything specific?

Sharla McBride: Oh, that's good. Yeah. So for me, at the time, right, I wanted to be a sports reporter. So it was clips that were live. Live is always good, rather than tape, if you... thankfully, Georgia had that capability that we had that live show once a week. So it was live and it was breaking down. I would break down the Georgia football games, and I would have... I had a segment called what worked and what didn't, and I would bullet points. But I would kind of break it down and explain the game and explain, you know, this guy did well. And he is coming off, you know, a bad week this week. And I think it really helped showcase that I wasn't just a talking head, that I understood what I was talking about.

And I think a lot of people, I see them put reels together, right? And they're like, my hair looks good. My makeup looks good. And that's important, right? You don't want some crazy, you know, whatever hair on your face or whatever, because that is important. But you have to look at the substance, too. And a good boss is going to say, okay, well, that person might look good and look presentable, or if it's a man in a suit, look presentable. But are they... what are they saying?

And you might get past the first round, but on the second round, they're going to listen to what you're saying. And so I would say, choose your best... your best writing. You know, let's say you wrote out the script at a time, and you're like, this was the best thing that I wrote. This was so good. I really brought it together. That should go first. Obviously, you know, you want to look your best. You want to feel like I was having a bad hair day or whatever. But, you know, the substance really does matter.

And I always... I hate I said it for females, but you're always going to be judged a little differently. And there always is that, like, oh, you're a woman. What do you know about sports? So always put something with substance, not just a hi, I'm here on the sideline. Like, they don't... so. And I've seen that, and that's often mistake, you know. And I always be like, no, no, put something where you're saying something really, really intelligent.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. And you were covering David Green. David Pollock, who... I know David Pollock's done some broadcasting over the years now since then, too.

Sharla McBride: Absolutely. Yeah. He's wonderful. And, yeah, yeah, that was the team that I was covering. And gosh, what a team. Right? When I was there, they won two SEC championships. So that was pretty incredible to a great team that I got to cover for those four years. And Coach Richt was top notch, great guy.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. I always love the games they open with David Green going deep to, I think, Fred Gibson. Oh, yeah, that 80 yard bomb. It was like, we need to bring back the 80 yard bomb in the first drive.

Sharla McBride: Yes.

Brian Harbin: Okay, so tell us about your routine. Like, what are some things that you do to kind of help you either recover, you know, stay physically, mentally in shape? I know you mentioned, you know, obviously, Todd, and you've got a daughter as well. What are some things that you do to help kind of keep you sharp outside of work?

Sharla McBride: Oh, that's a good. That's a good question. So, yeah, outside of work, I mean, I will say a lot of times I am constantly reading. Right? You know, I'm constantly reading, whether it's news. And then also I love reading and listening to podcasts and learning from other, you know, journalists out there. Right? And seeing, oh, what. What did they do? And, oh, I like how they did that interview.

But, you know, we love sports, so my decompressor and my just like, huh, like, stay with it. Love going to a good baseball game. My husband's a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan, so we try to go to at least, you know, one series a year, traveling to wherever they are, but we just, we love going to the baseball game. You know, we'll go thankfully, right here we are, you know, northeast. There's quite a few teams to pick from, so there's nothing like a good, you know, sitting there with, like, a hot dog and popcorn. Love a good baseball game. We're a huge sports family. So, yeah, always love to stay active. We love to go on hikes together.

Yeah, our, our daughter is going to be 21 this summer. She is going to. Into her fourth year at Rhode Island studying to be a pharmacist. So, yes, love going to visit her. And she's the most active person. She just ran her first marathon over the weekend. I'm so happy. But, yeah, you know, we just, we love outdoors and to be active and go on hikes and now I get to, to go to games. Right? As a fan, which I thought, you know, the first question I got when I left sports completely was, are you gonna miss it? You know, are you gonna miss the sidelines? I said no. Now I get to sit and relax in the stands and I get to watch at home at my leisure. And I'm not working at 11 o'clock at night after a game. So. So yeah, I get to be a sports fan for a change, which is a nice decompressor sometimes. And then I get all stressed out.

Brian Harbin: Right. And I'm sure even when you're a fan, there's those moments you're like, man, I would just love to ask them this one question.

Sharla McBride: Right. Yes, it was definitely hard watching Alex Ovechkin break that. And I'm knowing, because I'd be like, oh, it would have been right there. So, yes, there are some moments that I miss being. I miss being there with the players in the champagne filled locker room. That is, that is the best part of the job, right? The celebrations. That's…. It's…. Yeah. Yeah.

Brian Harbin: Well, the last question I wanted to ask you. This is a question we ask all of our guests about the 12 parts of the Grit Creed. They're like 12 principles that we instill in young people. And if you didn't have a chance to review it, you already mentioned one of them.

Sharla McBride: Okay.

Brian Harbin: I don't know if you had a chance to look over, but if not, you mentioned being cool. You mentioned being cool, calm, collected, which. That's actually one part of our Grit Creed. And it's obviously very fitting too, for what you do. You know, when you are putting yourself in that mindset of being cool, calm, collected, what are ways that you kind of draw yourself into the moment even though you've got, you know, maybe all these distractions in your mind and schedule and everything else? How do you bring yourself in in those moments to be cool, collected?

Sharla McBride: It's the moment the light comes on. So I, you know, could be having. In now, for example, I could be having a really rough morning. You know, things cannot be going well, but I have this. This mentality of the second that light goes on. This is my….. Not just a job, but it's my career. And, you know, this is, you know, how I get a paycheck to then pay for things with my family. Right?

Like, I think about the entire effect of it, and I take every single moment seriously the second the light turns on. And I….. And maybe it's just training myself over time, but yeah, the second I see that light, it's just a calm focus. Don't think about anything else. You know, phone's off, everything's turned off. And I really am able to kind of distance myself, right? From whatever's happening in personal life or the outside world. And it's just that's. That's kind of my go to.

And so I always tell younger people, find. Find the thing for you. Maybe it's the second that you put a microphone on. Maybe it's, you know, the second that you do step into the building. Right? But for me, it's. It's always been the light and just. And I think it's, you know, it's symbolic too. Right? Like, that light comes on and it's like, wow. Like, this is. I'm here. I'm exactly what I. Where I wanted to be. And I always believe I'm exactly where I'm. I'm meant to be. And in front of these lights.

So, like, let's do it. And I owe it to the people that are watching. I always see that as something almost a public service. You know, if you're taking the time to watch me, I want to give you my best self. And I hope that I can brighten your morning just a little bit or leave you with some information as you go on your work day that maybe you didn't know.

Brian Harbin: Yeah, I love that. So it's like that light coming on is like a trigger for you, for helping get you in that flow state, which. You know, I'm sure when those.

Sharla McBride: Okay. Gotta just push out whatever's happening and, you know, good day or bad, like the light's on. So that. That, for me, that means it's real. Right? That's when the real stuff hits, when the light comes on.

Brian Harbin: Yeah. Love that. Just let it flow. Right? Well, thank you so much, Charlotte. I so appreciate this. This has been incredible. I mean, I love your energy, your enthusiasm. You know, just the foundation of which, you know, everything you've. You've accomplished between family and the. The incredible mentors you've had in your faith and, you know, obviously around good people, we share, you know, a couple friends that we've each had for a couple decades now. And so, just love what you've done and. And so excited to watch your journey. And thank you again for being on! So really appreciate this opportunity.

Sharla McBride: Thank you so much! It's been a pleasure. You asked so such poignant questions, and you really make me think. This is great. I feel like I've just opened up.

Brian Harbin: Well, it's so fascinating to hear your journey and. And all that you've been through to do what you've done. So, thanks again! And that's a wrap for today's episode of the Grit.org podcast. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll see you guys next time!