

Kellyn Bechtold Talks Chrissy Hofbeck | The Survivor 50 Files
As Survivor 50 brings together legends from across the decades, it’s time to revisit the history that made them icons. In The Survivor 50 Files, host Brandon Donlon dives deep into the castaway archives — exploring the journey of each player in the Survivor 50 cast in the order they originally played.
With insight from former tribemates, behind-the-scenes stories, and a sharp eye for the game’s evolution, Brandon unpacks what made each of these players memorable and why they earned a spot in the biggest season yet.
The Survivor 50 Files are back as Brandon Donlon and guest Kellyn Bechtold dive into Chrissy Hofbeck’s potential return for Survivor 50. They explore Chrissy’s journey from her 16-year application process to her runner-up finish in Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers, and how her experiences might shape her gameplay in a new era of Survivor.
Brandon and Kellyn discuss Chrissy’s unique position as a player who could bridge the gap between old school and new era Survivor. They highlight her corporate-style approach to the game, which could be an asset in the current strategic landscape. Kellyn shares insights from her personal interactions with Chrissy, emphasizing her ability to stay present in the moment – a skill that could prove crucial in adapting to the fast-paced nature of modern Survivor.
Brandon and Kellyn discuss:
– Her ability to maintain composure and strategy under pressure
– The potential impact of her recent health challenges on her gameplay
– Kellyn’s experience with Chrissy on the Road to Reality podcast
– The challenge of balancing strategic gameplay with genuine social connections
As Survivor 50 approaches, the question remains: Will Chrissy’s blend of old school determination and new era adaptability be the key to improving on her runner-up finish?
Topics by timestamp:
00:00 Intros
09:52 Chrissy’s Corporate Survivor Style
19:44 Chrissy’s Personal Growth Journey
29:36 Chrissy’s Unique Health Challenges
39:28 Living in the Present Moment
49:20 Kellen’s Connections to Cast
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[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00] This episode of the Survivor 50 Files is brought to you by our friends over at Manta Sleep. Summertime is officially here. The days are longer, the sun is brighter, and while all of that extra daylight can feel energizing, it can quickly sabotage your sleep. Later sunsets disrupt your body's circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. That's where Manta Sleep comes in. Whether you're blocking out daylight or tuning out the sounds of summer nights, taking control of your sleep environment helps you get deep, restorative
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[00:00:59] [SPEAKER_00] 5-0-F-I-L-E-S. Let's get to the show. What is going on, everybody? Brandon Donland here with another episode of The Survivor 55. And we're talking Chrissy Hoffback from Heroes, Healers, and Hustlers, which is still hard to say. That season came on in 2017. It's still hard to say. I am joined by a great friend of mine, somebody who I've never gotten to do this with, and I'm so thrilled. It's Kellen Bechtel. Kellen, how are you?
[00:01:32] [SPEAKER_01] Hello. Hi, everyone. Hi. It's so fun to be here with you today and get to hang out, talk a little bit Survivor, a little bit of Survivor, a little bit of Rudge Reality maybe, a little bit of all the things. So I'm really excited to be here today and to just get to exchange words with you. I actually put on my Ponderosa shirt. This is the shirt I wore at Ponderosa.
[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_01] And I was just getting in the mood. It's hot. It's 90 degrees. It's summertime. It's Survivor off-season. And it's some Season 50 contestants, maybe Chrissy Hoffback, maybe not, are at Ponderosa right now. So we will see.
[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_00] We'll see. Let me just... So this is the first episode, The Survivor 55, where our guest, Kellen, has not played with Chrissy. They have a good relationship. They talk to each other. And let me tell you, if you're on Heroes, Healers, Hustlers cast, you're so hard to reach. I don't know how, where you are in the world. You know, it is not a group that is involved with the Survivor community, which is so interesting, Colin, because half of your Ghost Island cast is also so removed.
[00:02:36] [SPEAKER_00] And I feel like you guys are the last Survivor cast that are like that, where it's just like everybody's OTG. They're off the grid.
[00:02:44] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah, you know, I have a theory on this, which is not necessarily based on any fact. I'll be interested to see what you're...
[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00] We like those. We like those theories.
[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_01] I'll be interested to see what you're... Because you would have been a fan back in the day. Fan only at the time. And I get the sense that casting... Because this was right before Lynn was ousted, right? So I forget when... Was she ousted like at 40?
[00:03:14] [SPEAKER_00] I think her last season was 38, I believe.
[00:03:17] [SPEAKER_01] Okay. Okay. So I think, this is my theory, that Lynn decided she wanted to go like Love Island casting. Like reality TV, people, not necessarily Survivor fans. And so 35 and 36 were like the peak of that era in casting, which was like people who did not know about Survivor. People who did not watch the show. There were some people who did. Obviously, there are fans. Chrissy being one of them had been applying for years and years and years.
[00:03:47] [SPEAKER_01] But like JP and all these people who... I don't know why I picked him out. But like Jenna Bowman from my season. Like none of these people I don't think were super Survivor fans. And so it makes sense that because they went into it through the casting process of like, let's do reality TV stars. They may or may not were able, may or may not became TV stars after.
[00:04:13] [SPEAKER_01] It makes sense to me that the tie to Survivor doesn't feel as close as some of the later seasons here in the new era where it seems like most people are not recruits. I think that's the word.
[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_00] When you're in the pregame for Ghost Island, can you get like an aura from the people who are the recruits? Can you tell like, I think in my season, most if not all of us had applied for the show. I'm pretty sure all of us. Were you getting a vibe from people that like they maybe did not know as much as you did about the show as a whole?
[00:04:45] [SPEAKER_01] Definitely like you have made up. You like make that up about what you think about who's the recruit. It's so funny, too, because I think some people like lied on whether or not they were recruited because like being recruited was like a bad word back in the day. Like it was a bad thing if you were recruited for the show. And so people weren't even completely forthright on whether or not they applied.
[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_01] But even for the people who did apply, I think it may have just been people who got through who were interested in being on the platform of Survivor, but not necessarily super in love with the game of Survivor. However, I do not get the sense that Chrissy is one of those people.
[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_00] No, Chrissy applying for 16 years. You know, I went back and I watched a few episodes. I watched her as you did also, Colin. You watch her confessional compilation on YouTube, which is very great. You know, she says in a few confessionals over the course of the season, every year for 16 years, she was trying to get on the island. What does it mean for you? Do you think if you can put yourself in Chrissy's shoes, she's trying to run out for 16 years. And now, you know, almost 10 years after that, she's back. She's doing it again.
[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah, I cannot. First of all, I can't imagine the only thing I know because I well, I applied. I essentially when I got the call to talk in person, I made it all the way through casting and on the show. So I applied one year, just got the written thing back, never heard from anybody, applied again a year later and then made it on the show. So I was very lucky that my timing worked out.
[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_01] And so I cannot imagine what it would be like, except for Brendan Shapiro from our season is very much the same as Chrissy had applied that many years, finally gets to go out there. The pressure of that, first and foremost, I think would be beyond like if the dream had been for so long. I think the pressure would feel higher for people who had applied that many times and tried to get through so many times. And then she did it. And then she had this massive experience, did so well on her first season.
[00:06:44] [SPEAKER_01] I would think that. If I were Chrissy, like the dream would have never died for how far she made it for how long she applied. She finally made it on, how close she was, how the end of HHH, blah, blah, blah, ended. I bet she has always kind of felt that. Not that when I talked to her on Road to Reality, I think she felt like she had a really great experience. But I did get the sense that there were some things that were left to be determined.
[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_01] And so I imagine that she feels like she has these final loose ends that she'd really like to tie up this trip back.
[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_00] What's so interesting is the whole season 50 casting process has been now for, what, nine months. And Chrissy was never on my radar to come back. Like it was a passing thought. You know, if she felt like one of the folks who, you know, there's the class of people from season 35, including your season, 239, where they kind of missed the boat in terms of returning season as 40 is all winners. But then Jeff starts doing interviews. He's on a press tour, season 48. He's mentioned in season 50. And he keeps bringing up Chrissy.
[00:07:48] [SPEAKER_01] Really? Chrissy came up in three interviews. Fill me in on the tea.
[00:07:51] [SPEAKER_00] In one of the interviews that I'm remembering, he's doing a, somebody's handing him like note cards and asking survivor questions. And I think the fire making challenge came up. And then he's like, yeah, Chrissy's like, Chrissy's still mad at me for this or something. I'm getting the quote wrong, but he mentions that like, like they've recently had a conversation. And then I'm like, oh my God, I guess they're calling Chrissy. And when you think about Chrissy's archetype, there wasn't anybody that I had super thought was getting that call.
[00:08:17] [SPEAKER_00] So it does make sense that Chrissy's there, but I'm thrilled that Chrissy gets another shot to play survivor. Because Chrissy's unlike really, I think anybody that's played survivor in the last 10 or 15 years where, you know, you have, a Cass who goes in and Cass is, you know, pitched as the mom and then Cass is super lethal. And there's a, there's, I don't know what it is. And I'm curious to hear your thoughts. And like Cass and Chrissy are different.
[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_00] There's a different way that they go about like their lethalness, but I don't know what that is. Do you know what that is?
[00:08:50] [SPEAKER_01] Hmm. Let me think through this here. I think that they're equally calculated. In their strategy, in their strategy, they're equally in there. They're equally calculated in probably like in their profession, like their professional women, corporate women.
[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_01] They come in, they seem equally calculated. I think that Cass, maybe in her, as things get hungrier and things get more out of control. I think Cass probably unwound into more emotional than Chrissy did actually. Even though maybe some people would think that Cass comes across as harder and more direct. Chrissy, to me, as time went on, she really kept her shit together.
[00:09:46] [SPEAKER_01] She really stayed in when things weren't going her way. I just watched like the replay of all of her confessionals. Like there are many things going wrong and stacked against her. And I saw her stay in curiosity and like understanding that things are people relationships versus Cass really wants to crunch the numbers harder. And I think Chrissy wants to get closer to people and understand them better.
[00:10:13] [SPEAKER_01] So Chrissy's drive to be able to understand people to get her strategy complete seems a little bit further than maybe Cass is going to crunch the numbers. I don't know. What's your take on that?
[00:10:25] [SPEAKER_00] No, I agree with all of that. And it's like, it's a testament to Chrissy. They're like, Chrissy enters on her tribe of heroes. You know how actuaries and everybody's here, a firefighter, an actuary, a lifeguard, Alan Ball. Like everybody's a hero, which is awesome. She enters that tribe. She is not feeling great. Ends up on the top of that tribe before the swap. She gets on a swap tribe. She's at the bottom. She's at the top of the swap at the merge.
[00:10:50] [SPEAKER_00] She enters the merge at the bottom and then leaves the game really in one of the top positions and kind of masterminds herself around until like mid game. You know, it becomes kind of a chase to get out Ben and then Ben has an idol every round. You know, this is not, you know, this is a season that I feel like I know the least about. And I don't know why that is because I was so engaged on Ghost Island. I was so engaged in Dave vs. Goliath, even Game Changers. I can kind of, you know, get my way around. And I don't know what it was about heroes, healers, hustlers. Maybe it's the name.
[00:11:20] [SPEAKER_00] During the season where I just felt a little bit more disengaged. But going back and revisiting, it's so interesting to see this person who I think will fit in with new era survivor in a way that the, like more so than the old era survivor.
[00:11:35] [SPEAKER_01] Oh, thousand percent. Like even more, I think even more so than the pace of the game for Colby, Sari, these folks who coach like, which are interesting. I mean, I don't know about Ozzy, but she definitely has the capacity. Like when you hear her speak in confessionals, it is a very new era coded. Moving people around, playing it like a game of chess, seeing what's going to happen, thinking multiple.
[00:12:00] [SPEAKER_01] So I think she even says like, I'm partnering with Ben because he has more of a social, has more social pull than I do. And he's more charming. And I can see the game multiple steps ahead, which is very, to me, new era coded. Also, side note, I think Chrissy's self-awareness was off the charts in her first round of play. And I think that's going to help her out a lot in season 50 as well.
[00:12:24] [SPEAKER_00] Well, people, people, Kellen, and I know you've seen this on Twitter. People call new era survivor like corporate survivor. Everybody's giving corporate. And I think Chrissy's giving corporate. I think Chrissy fits in. Chrissy's corporate. Chrissy's giving corporate because she is literally corporate. She operates herself in a way that is very much like, you know, somebody higher up at your, you know, at your company who then wants to, they want to own the company. And that is how they kind of go about on those stages, whereas.
[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_01] She literally wrote a book, which is actually very, very good called Winning Conditions. How to survive. How to get the best out of what your best is. And how to carry yourself in the world to create winning conditions. To climb the ladder. To get what you want. To create the business you want. To win the interview you want. It's a great read. I love it. And I really hate most corporate books. I think it's a good mix of. I think it's a good mix of that. So, yeah.
[00:13:22] [SPEAKER_01] I think that makes sense. And, yes, I agree that of the old schoolers. If us 30s are now considered. Or whatever we call new era. Whatever we consider. It's like old school, new school. Yeah. Of us new schoolers. I think she has a very good chance of crossing the boundary into new era play.
[00:13:40] [SPEAKER_00] You know, it's funny. We. I just recorded an episode early. Kelly. Now, Bandit and I talked about Dee. And Julie Alley. Who is, you know. Julie Alley and Chrissy know each other. Have communicated. Are friendly. And, you know, on paper. Dee really likes to tag in with that archetype. And if they're on a tribe together. It sounds pretty good. I can see the natural kind of going against each other. I'm sorry. Going with each other.
[00:14:08] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah. I was like, I don't know. I can see Dee and Chrissy really pairing up. So.
[00:14:13] [SPEAKER_00] I'm curious who you think Chrissy will not get along with. Is there anybody that jumps out to you on the list that is like, maybe not.
[00:14:22] [SPEAKER_01] Honestly, I think. And this is why I love Chrissy for this. This season is. I think Chrissy is able to withstand any relationship to get what she wants. Yeah. I think. She is really good at playing the game of. You know how when you're in a boardroom or you're in a meeting or whatever, you're in an interview and you're like.
[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_01] I guess corporate. But like you have that veil of. Oh my gosh. Yes, absolutely. I love that. Oh, you like to sail. I like to sail to like. This willingness to be a chameleon. To meet people where they are. I think puts Chrissy in a great position to go far in this game. Again. I don't think there is anyone that is going to annoy Chrissy out of her strategy. You put Kellen on the beach with coach.
[00:15:21] [SPEAKER_01] I get annoyed out of my strategy. Right? If you put Kellen. I just. If you put me out there with the. With certain people. I am annoyed. Out of my ability to stay in control and stay strategic. I don't think Chrissy's moving in that sense. So I don't know that there is one person who Chrissy cannot. Be willing to chameleon into working with. I think that puts her in a potential space. To control the group of outsiders.
[00:15:49] [SPEAKER_01] If there are any on this season.
[00:15:53] [SPEAKER_00] Yeah. Can I ask you. You don't have to name the name. But did you feel annoyed on Ghost Island? Did people like annoy you?
[00:16:02] [SPEAKER_01] Oh, yes. I think they're very open. Chris Noble annoyed me. Very much. Dom very much annoyed me on. I had to call and apologize to Dom. For the last podcast I did. Because I just. I was mean. And I don't want to be mean about Dom. Dom is my closest friend.
[00:16:20] [SPEAKER_00] He's the best. He's the best guy.
[00:16:22] [SPEAKER_01] So I love Dom. He annoyed me out there for sure. Definitely Chris Noble. I think that's it. I think it was those two. I mean. And like Chris Noble to a T. I mean. Chris Noble patted me on the head. And just. He. His favorite. He. If. If women didn't have to work. We wouldn't need takeout restaurants. Hooters is his favorite restaurant. Because he doesn't only just want to eat the wings. I mean. These kinds of things did not go well. Did not work well with me. Looking back. Going with Chris Noble.
[00:16:50] [SPEAKER_01] And not being annoyed out of my strategic lane. Would have put me in a greater spot. In Ghost Island. There was. You know. At the earliest point for me to defect from the. Navidi strong. Thing would have been to go. With the Chris Noble contingency. No way. I was annoyed out of that. I do not think. I think Chrissy Hoffbeck. Of all people. Especially. I think of all people. Not gendered. Is in the best place. To not be bothered by those sorts of things. If there are any.
[00:17:21] [SPEAKER_00] I think anybody. Who's in that corporate line of work. Like Chrissy is. Like can. You know. Take feedback. And I think that. In her first season. I mean. She gets to the final three. And I think that. There is this. You know. If you read exit press. And you follow the story. Like if she's at the final three. And Ben isn't there. I don't think that she wins. I think it's tight. But I still don't think she wins. It might. It seems like. From what everything I've read. It might be David. But I. But. And every. Exit press. That you can read.
[00:17:51] [SPEAKER_00] Which some of them from that jury. Not super nice. To Chrissy. Like I think that that is feedback. That she is taking. Because I. Yeah. What is it. What is it.
[00:17:58] [SPEAKER_01] What does it say. In the. Can you give me a. For lack of better. Like I mean. Can you give me the highlights. Of what the negative press was. On her. Like what was her cast saying. About her in that exit press.
[00:18:09] [SPEAKER_00] And again. I don't want to get anything. Super incorrect. But I believe there was some sentiment. That. The women of that group. Weren't super thrilled. With. How they felt like. They were being communicated with. By Chrissy. Which I don't think. You know. That is. And again. It's not my. It's not my place to say. Of course. I don't know. If. That's something. That is inherently. Chrissy's personality. Or that is. Situational. That might be something. That. Is something that. You know. If you. If you. So they didn't. They didn't like her. Ultimately. Right.
[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_01] Like. They didn't like her. They didn't feel like. They liked her. I mean. I always say. That survivor. Is a likability contest. We can go into all these. Ifs. What's. Where and for. Is like. Ultimately. The person who wins. Survivor. Is the person who people. Like the most. And that. I would say. Is across the board. Sometimes we look back. And we think. How was. That. Person. The person that they liked. The most. Right. How was that? But in the moment. When they cast the vote. And write down a name. For a million dollars. No one. Is giving that money. To somebody.
[00:19:09] [SPEAKER_01] That they. I mean. 99% of people. Are not giving money. To the people. That they don't like. So. Here's. Here's the thing. With Chrissy. Looking back. And this is more of a. Societal. Like discussion. Confession. I think. But in looking back. And seeing Chrissy's. All of her confessionals. In one spot. One after the other. The way she talks. About people. And the way they show her. Some of the interactions. With people. Is very masculine. Very direct.
[00:19:39] [SPEAKER_01] Very clear. Very masculine. In nature. And so. While she is a chameleon. She is not a. Oh. I'm gonna fold. And do you like me? And she's not someone. Who's out there. Trying to like. Get giggles. And you know. Gifts. That is not. What Chrissy does. Chrissy. Was there. And I think she genuinely. Cares about people. But I don't think. That she was. Doing a very good job. Of. Playing the game. Game of life.
[00:20:09] [SPEAKER_01] As far as friendship. And that sort of thing. Yeah. Ultimately. Do you have to have that. To get a million dollars. In a first season. Yeah. Probably. Now we see Tony. He was kind of an abnormal win. First time around. Second time around. Nobody is seeing Tony. As like a. Oh. Give me hugs. And I love him. And he's so sweet. Right? I think in these. Returnee seasons. There's more of a space. To be rewarded. For your survivor play. And not just for. Being somebody. Who is trying to make everyone. Feel loved and liked.
[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_01] And so I think. That puts Chrissy. In a better position. The second time around. As she goes through. And is more. And she doesn't. You know. In a world. Like can we just leave. Gender behind. Absolutely. But in this like. Energetic. Things that are masculine energy. And feminine energy. Like I just do not see her. As someone who is like. Flipping her hair. And blinking her eyelashes. And like. Oh my god. We should go shopping. And get our nails done. After this. And.
[00:21:10] [SPEAKER_01] Sometimes people don't like that. In women. And so I do think. She has that. Mountain to overcome. Where she. Is not going to present. Like a traditional. Girl's girl. And. But when you look at the women. Who are on this cast. I don't think it's a group of women. Who demand a girly girl. And so I think that will be fun. To watch. Chrissy and the other women. On this season. Play out. When they don't have to. Be in that trope. Of girly girl.
[00:21:38] [SPEAKER_00] Yeah it's interesting. And I wonder if that. Also like. The casting at the time. You know. I think about like. Trey. Pludnicki. Who was on the squid game. And then he goes and does the show. Battle Camp. Which is on Netflix. And Trey was kind of. I want to. Outcasted is maybe the wrong word. But. He's the only one playing with like. High level strategy. On this game of. People from Netflix shows. Where there is no strategy. Entailed. Not to say the people. In here is here. Those hustlers. Did not have strategy. However. I think. Chrissy was maybe operating. Playing the genius.
[00:22:07] [SPEAKER_00] While everybody is playing. Survivor. Which. Sometimes doesn't. Sometimes it works. But. I think. Sometimes. You get a group. That is more. On a different wavelength. But. Good news for Chrissy. Is that she's now. On a group. Where everybody wants. To win. And I think that there's. The theme of doing these podcasts. Is there's so many egos. That are going into this. And I think that. With. Work. Like Chrissy can kind of. You know. Backseat. Hers a little bit.
[00:22:36] [SPEAKER_00] Because she knows that she's smart. Because she is. Right. She knows that she can. Is capable of. Maneuvering votes. Because she. Can and did. In the backseat. Because. They. They view this as like. You know. Their. Time. Whereas. You know. I think. A great survivor skill to have. Is to be able to backseat. And let somebody else drive a vote. Or let somebody else make that decision. Because you know.
[00:23:06] [SPEAKER_00] In two rounds. You're safe. And you can make that decision. Whereas.
[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_01] She does seem like she has an ability to pace. Maybe. For sure. Her ability to pace. Can control her ego. In this mountain of egos.
[00:23:18] [SPEAKER_00] Yes. Oh my god. Ego is not good. To have in Survivor. I think. I think that the lack of ego. I just talked about Mike White. Which hasn't come out yet. Spoilers. We're going to be talking about Mike White. In a couple days. And I think Mike White. Coming in. Multi-millionaire. Coming in. Successful writer. Coming in. You know. With a. Esteemed career. Shows up on this Goliath beach. And it's kind of just. You know. Making jokes about it. Like. Like. He. In his Emmy speech. He talks about how. He wants to lower his threat level. In Hollywood.
[00:23:48] [SPEAKER_00] Because he wants to. Keep playing. If you will. He likens. His creating of a show. To Survivor. And he's like. I want to. I want to keep doing this. I don't want to be the biggest. I just want to. Keep playing. And I think that. Having that skill. Is necessary. When you're in a group of 23 people. Who. And you know this. Is like. There's 700 people. They could have picked. Season 50. You know what I mean. And it's like. We picked 24 of them. And I think your. Your older era. Your Colby's. Your Stephanie's. You're like. Oh this is my. Time. Whereas.
[00:24:17] [SPEAKER_00] As everybody thinks. It's their time. But it's like. People are shot out of a cannon. Because they get so in their head. Of like. Oh this is it. And Chrissy can sit back. And watch it happen.
[00:24:28] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah. I think she has a very. I mean. An actuary right. I've never been an actuary. But I think that it's taking in. All of the data pieces. Like from a 360 degree view. And really having a realistic. Expectation for where you are. How people. Maybe not how people are seeing you. From a social standpoint. But like. Where you sit. In the pecking order. And. Yeah. I just think Chrissy's in a great spot here. I had a really hard time. Choosing between. A Genevieve win. Or Chrissy win. I did ultimately.
[00:24:57] [SPEAKER_01] Make Genevieve my. Winner pick. But Chrissy was right up there with me. Especially because. Like you said. You didn't think about her being on the. I definitely did. Because all of the people. Who I would have brought back. If I got to choose my returning season. Would be so many people in those 30s. Because that's when. Obviously. That's when I was in high school. You know. Not literal high school. That was like. That's like when my. I was in survivor school. That was my crew. So. I definitely had Chrissy. Top of mind. But to me. It's like Chrissy.
[00:25:27] [SPEAKER_01] And Dom. We're. You know. The two. The number one guy. And gal. That I would have wanted to see back. So. It's just going to be really interesting. To see how it plays out. And the likability factor. Is. Totally different. In this returning season. Like you've so eloquently pointed out.
[00:25:45] [SPEAKER_00] Where's Dom. In this group. I'm just having the thought now. Where's he at?
[00:25:51] [SPEAKER_01] I mean. Dom is living a beautiful life. With his amazing kids. And wife. He's just doing amazing. The most. The most beautiful backyard pool. I think I've ever seen. It's like an oasis. Like Dom's. Dom's. Is. Lifing. And the Abate family. Is gorgeous. And fantastic. And doing all the things. Why he is not at the top of this list. Admittedly. I am biased. Closest. But. To literally be the closest. To have never. Won. The closest.
[00:26:21] [SPEAKER_01] Do not win. Like. How did he not get this season 50 slot? I do not know. I think is a total miss. He's great TV. He's hilarious. He's strategic. He has an ability to. Make friends with a lot of people. And to also rub some people. The wrong way. Even though he's a great guy. And so. I don't know. I can't believe it. They totally missed the mark here.
[00:26:43] [SPEAKER_00] It's. You know. He's one of the only people. That I've met. In person. That I feel like has. An aura. Like there's like. There's like. And it's not that he's like. Gaming per se. But he just. He carries. Such a presence. Where in like. I. Like your high school. Like I. I say about the new era. Like every new era person. Is like somebody you went to high school with. It's just like. We're all. Seeing each other. Whatever. But Dom just feels so. Survivor to me. He feels like a guy. Who should be. If I just saw him on the street. I would be like. Oh my god. You gotta go and survive. Like he has.
[00:27:12] [SPEAKER_00] That about him. Is there anybody else. That you were shocked. Is not here. On this cast.
[00:27:21] [SPEAKER_01] Let me think. I don't. I mean. I don't think. Honestly. I just thought he was. I just thought he has been a lock. This whole time. No. I'll have to. I have to come back. Sorry. I don't have anyone off the top of my head. Other than him. Listen.
[00:27:35] [SPEAKER_00] I am excited. As. Chrissy's now returning for. The option. That we all. Voted on. To not have the fire making. Anymore. Which I think. Maybe that's why. Jeff brought her up in that interview. But I do think. The fire making. Controversy. That ultimately like. You know. Brings Ben to the end. And Ben wins over Chrissy. Whatever. Like. I think that's great for Chrissy. I think that's a great story. To set up Chrissy's. Next time. Whereas. If there's not that. And they vote off Ben.
[00:28:06] [SPEAKER_00] And then Chrissy goes to the end. And Chrissy does lose. I don't think it's that same. Story. Or that same fire. For lack of a better word. In Chrissy. To then go back. And play.
[00:28:15] [SPEAKER_01] 35 was the first time they did it. Right?
[00:28:18] [SPEAKER_00] It was the first time they did it. And Chrissy wins the immunity. That then reveals. Yeah. An hour before tribal council. You're going to make fire. Which. Yeah. Still bad. You hate that. You. I know. I. We all hate that. Right? You're not in on that.
[00:28:29] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah. I mean. I. Yeah. We found. So we would have found out about it. That it happened. Right? Because they would have just finished that season. We come into Fiji. Jeff is telling us how it's going to go down. So that's how we learned about fire making. Was at Funderus. So we learned before the game started. That it was going to happen. And that they had done that in the season. Well I don't even think they told us. That they had done that in the season before. Maybe they did. I forget.
[00:28:53] [SPEAKER_00] How much of the merge. Strategy was then dictated by that final four. Was that top of mind for everybody? I don't think so.
[00:29:01] [SPEAKER_01] I don't think so. I mean maybe Dom and Wendell. Who were actually like playing and winning the game. I mean some of it. We talked about it somewhat. But. I didn't make it that far. Let's just say. I put it that way.
[00:29:12] [SPEAKER_00] I really thought. This is something that I've said to now all my friends. When the. When the first initial calls. Went out for Survivor 50. And again. I'm not. I'm not saying anything that isn't public knowledge. I'm like. I know people who got the call. Who were there. I thought for a long time. It was a duos. Season of Survivor. I thought they were calling. Dynamic duos. It's not heroes versus villains. It's not all winners. But it's a fun. Thing for 50. And Dom and Wendell. Would have been. Would have been back out there.
[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_01] One of the most things. I mean. I think Wendell's had his time. Right. Maybe. But. That would have been fun. Dynamic duos.
[00:29:49] [SPEAKER_00] I really thought it. For a while. I was bummed that that wasn't it. But we got a great theme. Right. This theme is cool. That we got. It's just everybody. Everybody's here.
[00:30:00] [SPEAKER_01] I. Don't really love the. I feel like the theme is missing. I feel like there were so many options. To go with. Like you said. Dynamic duos. I feel like there could have been. Pre-merge. Merge. Final tribal. I feel like there could have been. New era. Old school. New school. New era. I think there could have been. So many cool ways. To like set this up. From a place that really. Encompassed. Out loud. What the theme of it.
[00:30:30] [SPEAKER_01] I mean. Take it back to. Heroes. Healers. Hustlers. Right. Like. In some ways. We don't like to say it. But you can remember. Who was on a starting tribe. And who. In new era. I'm sorry. But I can barely remember. Come the merge. Who was on what tribe. Because it's just a color. And a random name. And so. I think. Going back to that. Era. At that time. Of it is. These people. Versus these people. Versus these people. First boots. Or whatever. First boots. Versus. You know. Last out.
[00:30:59] [SPEAKER_01] First out. Versus last. I mean. There's so many ways. We could have. Brought in the game. Of Survivor. So I would give this. An F. On the thing. I feel like. The votes. With the hands of the fans. Was like. Okay. We can talk about it. But who really cares. So I'm pretty. Debbie Downer. On the way it all sorted out. Just because. There was so much gold. That could have happened. That got left on the table.
[00:31:23] [SPEAKER_00] I think. Yeah. That my. And again. You've heard me muse about this. If you're listening. For many. Many weeks. But the. The. In the voting. In the hands of the fans. Is like. I want it right in voting. But like. Let me. Let me like. Tell you what we want. Like. I said this on. Tyson's recap podcast. Which is like. If you know. You have all these people. Across the country. Across the world. Who are watching the show. Who are like. Oh I have an idea. For an advantage. That would be fun. Like let me. Let me write it in. Let me tell somebody. You know what I mean? And let's see. You know. This guy. He's an accountant.
[00:31:52] [SPEAKER_00] And he lives in Des Moines. Like let's see his advantage. That he thought of. Yeah.
[00:31:55] [SPEAKER_01] What did Chris from Des Moines. Think about what this idol could do. Or whatever. Fine. I mean. I still like. I don't love that stuff. So. But yes. I would prefer that over. Race or no rise. Or which immunity necklace. Are we going to use. And blah blah blah.
[00:32:09] [SPEAKER_00] You have done the Road to Reality podcast. On the Rob is a podcast network. For a couple seasons. Wherein you've heard now. So many stories of folks. Who are almost on an all-star season. And then they get clipped at the last second. Or they end up on the all-star season. And then it doesn't go great. What do you think the all-star season. Represent for everybody. Who's played Survivor.
[00:32:31] [SPEAKER_01] Oh my gosh. Wow. It's really interesting. Because it has been so long. Right. It's been. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Sometimes I feel like. I don't even know anything about Survivor. But we had season 40. And now season 50. And there were no repeats in between.
[00:32:49] [SPEAKER_00] Yeah. We had Bruce on my show. Who was out first. And then Bruce. Okay. But otherwise. The Bruce exception. Is that it?
[00:32:56] [SPEAKER_01] So. That is such a long stretch. Which really changed the ball game. In it's own way. I can speak to it in the 30s. Which is when there were. Returnee seasons. Every couple cycles. And. People going back. And I was in the midst of that. I was in the midst of getting calls. I got calls for 38. Right. 38 had a couple of returnees.
[00:33:20] [SPEAKER_00] Yes.
[00:33:21] [SPEAKER_01] Yes. So I got called for 38. And 40. Before it was all. All winners. Obviously. Um. So in that time. When. All. You can. Every single person. Who gets out of Survivor. At least I can say for Ghost Island. And many. Many. Many. Many. People I've talked to since. At that time. It was. You get voted off. You get your torch snuffed. You go to Ponderosa. And immediately. You're like.
[00:33:49] [SPEAKER_01] Jeff said this at Tribal. Matt said this afterwards. Like. This. I'm going to get to play again. Because. X, Y, Z. Like. That is everyone's addiction. There's a few exceptions. But. 75% of people. Are playing out. The scenarios. Of how do I get back. On that island. And get it. I mean. It is so strong. The pull is so strong. And because it was happening. Every few seasons. It really felt like. There was a ton. Of chance. For you to go back. In so many slots.
[00:34:19] [SPEAKER_01] I think that probably. Wore off. Over the last five years. As the. Returnee seasons. Weren't. But the moment. That things picked up. With returnees. Started to get calls. It set fire. And. Thankfully. I. Am. In a place. Where I understood. That that was not. Going to be. Me. And so that really. Allowed me to take a step back. And. I wasn't. In the mix. But I heard. Secondhand.
[00:34:49] [SPEAKER_01] From a lot of people. And a lot of my friends. Who were in the mix. So. The first rumor goes out. The first round of calls. Go out in the first week. And it is like. Putting gasoline. On a fire. And everyone. Was calling each other. No one's calling me. I'm like pretty open. About the fact that. I'm out of the loop there. So it's not me. I get to witness this. And. It just. Turns people. Into crazy. Scarcity mindset. Um.
[00:35:17] Um.
[00:35:18] [SPEAKER_01] The lines are blurred. Between. Are people calling me. Because they want to be my friend. Are people calling me. Because they're pre-gaming. Are people in casting. Are they not in casting. Um. It brings the game. From the island. Into real life. For people. And that really. Sucks. In a lot of ways. I think for people. Because. Especially new people. Come home. They were on seasons. They did well. They didn't do well. And somebody from 46. Is calling. And somebody from 44. Is calling. And they're acting like.
[00:35:47] [SPEAKER_01] They want to be your friend. But really. They're just. And maybe part of it is. You know. It's always a blurred line. And you know this. Part of it is. Wanting human connection. Part of it is. Wanting to build friendships. And community. But then there was always. This underlying thing for me. In the 30s. Of like. Are people just calling me. Because. They're wondering. If I'm in casting. And if I'm going to take their spot. And that proved to be true. For me. And for many. Many people. And I think that. For a lot of people.
[00:36:17] [SPEAKER_01] Was extra painful. Over the last year. In casting.
[00:36:21] [SPEAKER_00] Tell me about the. The 38 calls. So you get home. From 36. Is it right after you get home? Or do you have a couple months. To breathe. And then they call back. And they say. Hey. You know.
[00:36:32] [SPEAKER_01] I had a couple months. To breathe. But because I got back in July. And my season didn't air. Until February. It. The calls came. In between. Playing and airing.
[00:36:43] [SPEAKER_00] Oh. And that's weird. Because that's not. The case for most people. I mean. For the 48 people. If they got called. In. In August. I guess that's the case. And even. Yes. The folks from 47. Yeah. How is that? How do you grapple with the call. When you haven't even known. How you're going to be portrayed?
[00:36:59] [SPEAKER_01] I mean. You've said you've listened to. Road to reality. Yes. And so. We talk about on road. If anyone hasn't listened yet. Road to reality. Is a show. Where I talk to people. Who are on Survivor. About the experience. Of being on Survivor. Before. During and after. Not necessarily. A bunch of game talk. Although sometimes. That comes up. But. About being a human. Who was on Survivor. And going through casting. In reality TV. To get the call. Your question was. What's it like to get the call. When your season hasn't aired yet.
[00:37:27] [SPEAKER_00] Yeah.
[00:37:28] [SPEAKER_01] Like. You're in it. You're in the Survivor. Like my body hasn't fully recovered yet. I have no idea what's going to happen. I'm traveling around with people from my cast. I'm completely. Offline. From the real world. And I am in Survivor mindset. And then here I am. Getting a call. From casting again. And it just is really. Keeping the delusional. Parts. Of myself. Really going. It's like. You're feeding. The drug.
[00:37:56] [SPEAKER_01] You're doing lots of hits. Of. Of the Survivor drug. When you're in casting. Before your first season. Has even aired yet.
[00:38:04] [SPEAKER_00] Yeah. It's a weird. It's a weird thing. And I'm so intrigued. On the folks. Who have now had. Like 20 years. To think about it. And to manifest over it. You've got Chrissy. Who's got nine years. You've got. These people from 49. Kill. They got back a week ago. And they got back on the plane. They didn't clean the plane yet. They didn't do. The vacuum on the plane. It's not.
[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_01] I think what we've realized. Because that's happened to a few people. Like. Michaela. Aubrey. Zeke. Right. There are a few people who have played. Immediately. And I think it's. All of them have publicly spoken. About how. Screwed up that was. And how hard it was for them. Physically and mentally.
[00:38:45] Um.
[00:38:46] [SPEAKER_01] I guess if you're going to do it all. Get it all over. Get it all done at once. Um. But I don't know how deep the. The scars go. I'm sure just. It just depends. I mean for the people who haven't seen themselves play. The first time. And then they're going out and doing again. And then they have to go through. For me. The most traumatic part of survivor. Was the post survivor experience. To have to do that twice. After being out there twice. It's like. I. I cannot express in words. Um. How unsettling and traumatic. That would be for a person.
[00:39:18] [SPEAKER_00] I mean. Even if you go out early. Speaking from experience. There is still. A lot to process. And you would have to imagine. The folks. Who are going back on this next season. They've done okay. Like. They probably were not the first or second out. Um. They have to experience. That processing. Two different times. You know. It's. It's. It's. It's. Having two separate. And we use traumatic. It is. Survivor is traumatic. For many people. Um. We use traumatic. Like. You know. Two separate. Traumatic experiences. Within the span of two months.
[00:39:48] [SPEAKER_00] Is. Is. Is tough for anybody. Um. And I do wonder how that'll manifest. Those people also. And I've said it now. A couple times on this podcast. They always do well. On that second season. Um. They're never the first thought to go out. Um. Just because of. I guess the egos of it all. Everybody wants to gun for each other. And there are extra votes that can be used as such. Um. I think Zeke is the. Lowest placing back-to-back person. At 10th place. Um. Out of 20. And then everybody is. You know. Fourth member or the jury or better. Um.
[00:40:17] [SPEAKER_00] Which is pretty good odds. Um. But something that I think. The meta has caught up. And I think there are people on the island now. Who know that. Um. And that might be a reason why somebody gets.
[00:40:28] Sniped.
[00:40:28] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah. I get that. New people is going to be early to go. Early boot this time. Um. It. They're not going to win. I would bet my life. That neither of these people are going to win season 50. And honestly. For their mental health. I think the earlier they get out the better. But you know. What do I know? What do I know? I'm not a therapist. So. Uh. It'll be interesting to see how they fit in with the whole group.
[00:40:58] [SPEAKER_01] Especially since there's lots of. Um. This like old, old, old school contingency. And then. The. All of the groups. But they will certainly be. Outcasts. Because. Even the 48 people. Will have been able to see their season. Right? Yes. Yes. Um. So they're the only two. That have not seen themselves on the show. Uh. It's going to put them at a disadvantage. This time around.
[00:41:25] [SPEAKER_00] What is your. You play 36. Chrissy is 35. What is your relationship with Chrissy. Chrissy. As it's airing. Or in the years after.
[00:41:34] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah. So I didn't meet Chrissy until. Later. A year later. Uh. After both of our seasons have aired. We were at a fundraiser. Forgive kids the world. In Florida. I think she's. Everyone should go listen to the. Her road to reality episode with me. She was the first episode. And it is a killer interview. If I do say. Let's say so myself. Like. You think you know Chrissy. I thought I knew Chrissy. Because I had watched her season. We were. Literally out on the island. Back to back seasons. Um. We were in the. The thick of it together. And.
[00:42:05] [SPEAKER_01] I learned so much. About her life. About where. What she has gone and done. Sneaking into Cuba. I think. If I remember correctly. All sorts of things. Um. Going on. In Chrissy's life. She has lived a life of adventure. And also. Um. Like. Kind of a quote unquote. Traditional corporate actuary. Uh. Motherhood life. And so. To see the span of Chrissy's experience. In her life. And what Survivor. Uh. How it played. In the midst of it. But. Survivor is one amazing thing.
[00:42:34] [SPEAKER_01] That Chrissy Hoffbeck has done in her life. There are many. Um. I think that's true for all of us. In some ways. But hers are like literally. Literal. Like. Big adventurous. Um. And so. Her insatiable. Desire. For creating adventure. Even in a like. Pretty stable life. Uh. Is so fascinating to me. That dichotomy. Um. My relationship with Chrissy. Has always been extremely friendly. I feel like I could call her. If I needed something. Um. She. I had to reach out to her. When Road to Reality.
[00:43:04] [SPEAKER_01] Didn't exist yet. When I was in. She didn't know. What the. What it was. What it was about. And she used her very precious time. To come and speak with me. To tell her story. Be open to this community. To talk about her childhood. Talk about. Growing up. Everything. And so. That is my experience of Chrissy. Open. Giving. Kind. Gracious. A good listener. Checks in with me. Is a kind person. So I have always had. Very positive experiences. With Chrissy.
[00:43:32] [SPEAKER_00] She is coming into. Season 50. And there are multiple people. Like you have Aubrey. Who has now become a mom. We have. Um. Angelina. Who I think has also become a mom. Um. But. But Chrissy has faced a unique. Set of health challenges. In the past couple years. I think since. Post COVID maybe. So. Relatively recent. Yeah. Um. How do you think that. Is going to shape her. Season 50 appearance. Interference. Um. Not even strategically. Just like from a story perspective. How do you think that. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:43:59] [SPEAKER_01] From a story perspective. So. In her episode of Road to Reality. She talks a lot about how. She used to live her life. Like a lot of us. And I still am guilty of this sometimes. Like what's the next thing. Oh. Once it's summertime. Then X. Or. I can't have to work these next few weeks. But on the next vacation. Like. Kind of waiting for the next big thing. Literally. Going on Survivor. Is the next biggest thing. In Chrissy's life. And what she realized. While she was out there. I can totally relate to this. Was being in the present moment.
[00:44:27] [SPEAKER_01] And appreciating where you are. And loving yourself in the midst of it. In the present moment. Is what life is all about. And so since Survivor was the first time. That Chrissy. Kind of stopped skipping ahead. Constantly in her life. She was like. Wait a second. The moment is now. I am winning these immunity challenges. Now. I am a badass. Now. I don't need to accomplish something else. To arrive to a new place. Living is now. In the present moment. And then she.
[00:44:56] [SPEAKER_01] That played into her life. Between 2017. When we played Survivor. She would have played. And aired in 2017. To now. We're looking. Talking eight years later. She's been living more. In the present. Through her breast cancer diagnosis. And recovery. Now. She has really. Really. Really. From my understanding. Taking life. For what it is right now. And living experience. Wholly. And so. I wonder. If that presence. Going into the game. Knowing she wants to stay present.
[00:45:25] [SPEAKER_01] Keeping eyes wide open. Appreciating the whole experience. Will give her an opportunity. To. Not be trying to play. A thousand steps ahead. Not only strategically. But letting herself. Really appreciate. The experience. And that might turn on. The side of her. That connects to other human beings. In the present moment. And that may course correct. Naturally. The lack of kind of social connection. That we think. She had in her first trip. So I think it all might perfectly.
[00:45:55] [SPEAKER_01] Come together for her here. Starting out. Appreciating the present moment. And that is where you find other people. And that's where you build. Build connections. And as some of you know. The most important thing to me. Is for when people to go on. When people go on Survivor. That they have an experience. Where they get to know themselves. And to love themselves. For however it goes. Whether you're the first one out. Whether you're the hero. Whether you wish you would have done things differently. How can you love yourself even more? And with Chrissy starting out in the present moment. Loving herself more.
[00:46:25] [SPEAKER_01] Loving others more. And building out that full 360 degree experience. With her eyes wide open.
[00:46:32] [SPEAKER_00] Seri has. I forget if it's heroes versus villains. Or game changers. But she has a confessional. Where she's like. I've been here before. Like I've done this. I just want to have fun this time. And I think that is like. So often. Not the perspective. That people go into these all-star seasons with. Where it then becomes like. Wanting to win. Which I understand why. When you get close. And you're. You know whatever. I understand that. Vengeance feels like. There's like a derogatory connotation. With it. But like. There's this. There's this air of like. It needs to work out.
[00:47:01] [SPEAKER_00] It needs to be done correctly. But I feel like. And granted. Seri's. Both of those times. Didn't ultimately end. In a win. But I think that air of like. Just taking it in. You know. Just being there. And taking it in. Because really. Odds are. On one of these returning seasons. You know. 20 out of 24 of the people. Are not just taking it in. And I feel like. That gives you a leg up. When there are people. Who are running. A thousand scenarios. A minute. If you can be that. You know. Cool head in the room. To be like. There's no rooms on Survivor.
[00:47:31] [SPEAKER_00] Contrary to popular. It's all one room. It's outside. But if you're the cool head. In the area. That's like. Let's just. You know. One step at a time here. And having that perspective. I think is. Infinitely valuable. Over somebody who is just. Laser focused on first place. Because really. You know. They say it in every Survivor podcast. But only one person.
[00:47:49] [SPEAKER_01] Only one of 24 people. In this rapid. Crap shoot of a game. And. Just. To sum up. I think what you just said. Which is so key. The people who are coming in. Focused on the past. Trying to correct that. In a future outcome. Are going to be behind. The people who are experiencing it. In the now. And. Correct me where I'm wrong. Chrissy is really set up. Because of her first time. Because of how her life has been. In the last five years.
[00:48:19] [SPEAKER_01] Because of her perspective. To play the game. Hour by hour. Which I think is what you have to do now. And not trying to correct the past. With the future. Just being in the now. And that is why. She could really take this whole thing.
[00:48:31] [SPEAKER_00] Well I had a funny observation. About Chrissy. Just a couple hours ago. I was. You know. Taking my notes. As I do. And I went on her Instagram. And in her Instagram bio. If you're listening to this. Go look at it. She can't change it. She's in Fiji. It says. Runner up is not my destiny. With the little sparkles. That's in there. It's Survivor. 35 castaway. Runner up is not my destiny. What do you think our destiny is? Callan. What's the destiny. On Survivor 50.
[00:48:53] [SPEAKER_01] Oh golly gee. You know. In re-watching her first show. And really thinking about her a lot. Knowing I was going to come in. And do this today. Like I'm just really. Really rooting for her. To have a complete experience. Whatever that means for her.
[00:49:12] [SPEAKER_00] Wow. I like that a lot. That really. That's a great. That's you know. That's all you can ask for. I mean even my friends that are there. I just. I want them to come home. And they had a great time. And it was fun. You know.
[00:49:22] [SPEAKER_01] I hope that everyone gets along. And these are the things. Like after you play. A place forever right. It's like. I hope Ponderosa is good. If they're going on a pre-jury trip. I hope people are. Celebratory. Like Jeff said. They wanted it to be. I hope everybody. Is kind. To each other. And has a really good bonding experience. And that this is a way for people to heal. Through trip two. Instead of just. Reopen wounds. And make new ones. But as you and I know. The chances of that.
[00:49:51] [SPEAKER_00] That's not going to happen.
[00:49:53] [SPEAKER_01] That's not going to happen. But for Chrissy. I really hope it does.
[00:49:57] [SPEAKER_00] I'm going to show you. Con the graphic. For everybody who's playing. Sorry 50. Anybody here. That you have any kind of. Personal anecdote. Or relationship with. Other than Chrissy.
[00:50:08] [SPEAKER_01] So I'm trying to think about. Who I have even met. In person. Angelina. I love Angelina. I was able to have brunch with her. And I have been a huge Angelina fan. It's really interesting. Because I feel like she and I. While we. Our lives are very different. She's a mom. She's opening up a studio. Actually. I am using the same. Her Joy Babe studio. Sember Studios. Was the branding agency. That did Joy Babe. They are now doing the Out Beyond.
[00:50:37] [SPEAKER_01] So we share a branding agency. My stuff hasn't come out yet. Don't judge Sember on my work. So Angelina and I are connected that way. I often play Blood on the Clock Tower. With Christian. Um. And. Let's see. Have I met. Emily also. Blood on the Clock Tower. I'm hoping there's a Blood on the Clock Tower alliance. Happening out there.
[00:50:56] [SPEAKER_00] There certainly will be. From everything I've heard. That seems like it's locked in. Those two.
[00:51:01] [SPEAKER_01] Um. No. Oh my gosh. Q. Q. I have met Q. Q. Two or three times. And every time we meet. He calls me Claire. Um. And so I give him shit for that all the time. He's always like Claire. Claire. Why are you that? Actually I went to play Traders. Uh. A really amazing home game. If anyone ever wants to play Traders. Follow me on Instagram. And message me there. At VKellenB. Because I have access. And I'm going to be on the production team. For next season's Traders. So freaking cool. This is a live game?
[00:51:31] [SPEAKER_01] It's a live game.
[00:51:32] [SPEAKER_00] I want to do that. Where is that?
[00:51:34] [SPEAKER_01] It's insane. It was in the Catoctin Mountains. In uh. Maryland. And uh. Balthazar is the guy who runs it. And it was such a integrity run game. Like so good. I had the time. We can talk about it afterwards. Um. But anyway. I went in to play Traders. This is why my hair turned pink. Because I decided to go play Traders. This live game. As someone else. Not as Kellen who had played Survivor. And I used the name Claire. I told everyone my name was Claire.
[00:52:04] [SPEAKER_01] Inspired by Q. Because that's what he's like. You just look so much like a Claire. So uh. I do know Q from that. I think Q is hilarious in person. Um. It will be just interesting. I can see Q going out in every single place. Um. And that's it. I will say. There's a couple people. Or just one. One specific person. That isn't my cup of tea. Um. And then most people I do not know. So.
[00:52:32] [SPEAKER_00] Can I hear who's not your cup of tea?
[00:52:33] [SPEAKER_01] You can hear after.
[00:52:35] Yeah.
[00:52:36] [SPEAKER_00] After. Patreon. I'm kidding. It's not on Patreon. I do. I'm so.
[00:52:39] [SPEAKER_01] Uh. Venmo me. One thousand dollars. And you two can know.
[00:52:43] [SPEAKER_00] How did Claire do on the Traders?
[00:52:45] [SPEAKER_01] So I was a Trader. Starting from the beginning. And there were. Oh my God. Now I forget how many of us started. 20 or 22. There were three Traders. And I made it to. Sixth. Uh. Oh wow. That's great. Yeah.
[00:53:02] [SPEAKER_00] Would. How much of your Survivor strategy was implemented in Traders? Is there anything you picked up there that. First of all.
[00:53:08] [SPEAKER_01] Playing Traders is. A thousand times harder than playing Survivor. That's what they're saying.
[00:53:13] [SPEAKER_00] Everybody's saying it.
[00:53:14] [SPEAKER_01] Oh my God. I didn't. I don't know. I didn't know other people were saying it. But it is so hard. Like the. Level of stress. That was in there. First of all. To be like. Pretending I'm someone else altogether. Um. And. Just lying. Lying. Lying. Like. It is one thing to play Survivor. You don't have to lie about a bunch of stuff. When you are playing Traders. You have to. You're just. Always lying. Right. Um. Do I use any. I mean. I was. I think I'm a social person.
[00:53:43] [SPEAKER_01] I think I ask people about that. I think I was actually hindered a little bit. In my ability to connect with people. Because I do do that. So genuinely. Usually. And did. While playing Survivor. That because I was lying about who I was. That just put me on edge. So I think that I had to hold back. My number one skill. For playing Survivor. Which is true human connection.
[00:54:04] [SPEAKER_00] This will be the first time. In a long time. That nobody on Survivor. Can lie about details. About their life. Because everybody knows each other. Yeah. All these new era seasons. You got the lawyers. Who aren't actually lawyers. You got Sue. Who's not. I don't know how. She said she was 45. I believe. Sue's not 45. Like. This is. You know. Clean slate for everybody. No. I guess the 49 people. Theoretically could lie. But why would they? I don't think that. I think that just handicaps them. In a game that is not. You know. Going to go their way. To begin with.
[00:54:32] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah. Probably. It would be a lot. I would think. You wouldn't need to lie. Because you're already. An outcast. You know. I don't think there's any. Like job thing. Or age thing. That's going to. Put you out of the group. When you're the 49 people. Going in here.
[00:54:49] [SPEAKER_00] Yeah. Is there anything. That you want to tell people. To check out. Other than road to reality.
[00:54:53] [SPEAKER_01] Definitely listen to road to reality. I get such. The people who take the time. To listen to that. Really love it. So. I'm biased. But I think that it is. Worth a listen. I am. What I do. For work. Is. I am a career coach. Although. I have transitioned. To mostly working with people. Who are running their own business. Or freelancers. Artists. Coaches. Themselves. People who are building a life. Outside of the system. Um. And. I love that work. You can check it out.
[00:55:23] [SPEAKER_01] At the out beyond. Dot com. Um. And. I'm at the Kellen B. On social media. I love to hear from people. Um. No big. No big announcement. Other than just. Really excited. For all of this survivor content. That's coming out. Um. I just did. A survivor. Like 25. Top 25 moments. Recap. If you haven't watched that. With Mike Bloom. I was with Rachel. Rachel. Who's a good friend of mine. Before Survivor. I knew Rachel.
[00:55:52] [SPEAKER_01] Before she got on the show. Um. It remains a very. Very good friend to this day. And Omer. Who I love. Also somebody who I would have loved to see. On 50 Omer. Hilarious. Oh my god. Hilarious person.
[00:56:04] [SPEAKER_00] How did you know Rachel Lamont.
[00:56:06] [SPEAKER_01] Rachel and Lamont. And I were in the same online poker league. Uh.
[00:56:10] [SPEAKER_00] Really?
[00:56:11] [SPEAKER_01] Oh that's so fun. Yeah. So Rachel and I knew that she did all of the casting and everything. She. I didn't. I didn't even see her casting video actually. Um. I mean I talked with her before. Before casting. Before she played. Certainly a lot. Uh. We did a lot of talking before. But uh. She got on the show all on her own. Uh. And so Rachel's an amazing person. And keep an eye out for what she has coming up around the corner. Super cool stuff going on in her world as well. So. That's my pitch. Come follow me on social media. Check out the Out Beyond.
[00:56:41] [SPEAKER_01] If you're somebody who. Wants to work outside the traditional nine to five. That's where to go instead. I think that's it.
[00:56:48] [SPEAKER_00] I have a friend of mine. Who just messaged me about the Out Beyond. And they are working with you. And they said so many nice things. So if you are. A business owner. Go to the Out Beyond.
[00:56:57] [SPEAKER_01] Yeah. Yeah. I think I have a. I have an inkling on who that is. Um. Yes. I. Uh. Yeah. No, no, no. I. I take confidentiality of my clients very seriously. Um. But. Yeah. It's. It's really fun. I cannot believe that I get to do this work. Like this is my life. To help people. Like take their skills. What they love to do. And they have this dream of like. Hey. I love to do X. Pottery.
[00:57:26] [SPEAKER_01] An executive recruiter. An accountant. A film. Uh. Like a person who does film. Uh. An acupuncturist. And they're like. I love to do this thing. And I don't think I know how to build a business. And if I go build a business. That's going to compromise what I want to do. Because business. Business. Business. And my desire is to help people realize. That I do not believe that building your most successful life is hard. Actually believe that on the other side of the most easiest. Most exciting.
[00:57:55] [SPEAKER_01] Most curious things. Are where. Your success. Financial success. Like. Total life satisfaction lies. And so that is what I'm doing with people. Including your friend. Uh. And so yeah. That's what I. That's what I get to do every day. Is to help people. Decide. Like how to prioritize. What they want to do. And how to make money in a way. That. They love to get up every morning. And. There's. Three years ago. I left private equity. And I cannot believe that I'm here. Feel so lucky to do it.
[00:58:25] [SPEAKER_00] Oh my god. Well go check out the Alpion. I want to start a business. You have me riled up to start a business. You know. I'm in a robin's business. I got to do my own thing. Thank you so much. Everybody for listening to this episode of the Survivor 50 Files. Talking Chrissy Hoffbeck. We will be back tomorrow for a new episode. Stay tuned. It'll be a good one. Thank you everybody. Take care. Goodbye. Thank you to our friends at Manta Sleep. for sponsoring this episode of the Survivor 50 Files. You've made it to the end of the podcast. You've been here long enough. Let me show you my sleep mask.
[00:58:55] [SPEAKER_00] The one that I use. And I use every night. Here it is. I've worn this every night for the past couple years. Minus the four nights that I spent on Survivor. The television show. And it sucks to get voted out of Survivor. But. A little bit better. When you know you're going back home. To this. This is a hundred percent. Light blackout for deeper sleep. You put this on. Can't see anything. When I watched the first two episodes of Survivor. 45. I put this guy on. I don't have to relive it. Which is great. It's adjustable. For a personalized fit. You can see I have quite a big head.
[00:59:24] [SPEAKER_00] I don't want to show you the details of. I've kind of worn out the elastic. But. It's durable. This guy hasn't broke. I've worn it every night. For the past couple years. And it's zero pressure. On your eyelids. Or eyelashes. I've converted so many people. To getting this sleep mask. When I wasn't doing this. And I want to convert you. Use promo code 50 files. That's five zero. F-I-L-E-S. On the Mantis Sleep website. To get 10% off your order. That's 50 files. Five zero F-I-L-E-S. We'll see you soon. We'll see you soon.

