The Layfield Report: Behind The Microphone with WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus
Courtesy The Layfield Report / By Gerry Strauss
Gerry: At what point did you discover and at what point did you begin to love professional wrestling? How did that all come about?
Trish: Well, I have been a fan of wrestling since I was a child. I live in Toronto, so we grew up with Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, and that's of course where much of wrestling was -- it has a rich history in Toronto. So I went to wrestling, I watched wrestling, I happened to be a bit of a tomboy growing up with my cousin. So I wrestled with them… we had tag team matches when we were very young, so wrestling's really always been a part of my life. And then when I grew up a little, we kind of moved away from it, and then it came back into my interest later on. Around the Attitude Era is probably when it came back onto my radar.
And at the time, my husband - he was my boyfriend at the time - we were crazy for wrestling. We would go to wrestling events. We would travel to Florida to go see wrestling… I mean, that was our thing, so its really always been a part of me. It's funny because people tell me that it seems like I learned to wrestle pretty quickly, but I feel like I've thrown a few body slams in my life before I actually learned to properly do it.
Gerry: There's one particular thing I read about you on the internet that I did not know, so you tell me if this is actually true. Were you were involved with co-hosting a wrestling radio show before you embarked on any sort of wrestling career?
Trish: Correct. That's just another part of how much I loved wrestling, it was always part of my life. It's a lot more mainstream now, but back then, watching wrestling wasn't too cool. Luckily, there was a group of guys that I knew who were hosting this radio show… it's called the "LAW" - Live Audio Wrestling. I would listen to the show every week, and there was a point where two things happened:
There was a show we have in Canada… its called TSN's "Off The Record", and it's basically a magazine format show. They would have athletes would come on and discuss current sporting events and issues in sports, and I was one of their favorite guests… I think it was because I was a female who could talk sports, which apparently is a rare thing. So, I was on their shows as one of their guests but they also knew that Trish Stratus had this secret love for wrestling. Anytime there was a wrestling-themed or related show where there was another wrestling guest on the show they had have me on, so I kind of became the go-to chick guest, I guess you could say.
Those producers also worked in the same building as the producer who worked on the LAW, so I kind of got friendly with everyone. And then there was this point in my career where there was this internet rumor that Vince McMahon had spotted me on "Off The Record", and I'd be signing a contract soon. And, of course it was completely false at the time, but there were a number of radio stations and newspapers reaching out to me, saying that they would love to talk to me about WWE contacting me, and of course I had to say, "well, they haven't contacted me yet."
So there was nothing to speak of at the moment but the LAW guys invited me on the show discuss the internet rumors. The internet was kind of a new component to the wrestling world back in ‘99. I went on the show, and said that I hadn't heard anything yet, but gosh, can you imagine? I basically was on the show to promote… I think at the time I was on the cover of MuscleMag Magazine, so I went to promote my magazine…. and then, we were just talking wresting.
We took a few calls, and they were like "wow, this chick knows wresting." So they said that anytime I would like to come on the show, I could. I took that pretty seriously and I came every week to co-host the show. I mean, it was a show that was on at like 1:00 in the morning on this obscure radio station, but we loved it, and we had listeners, and it was a lot of fun.
So it was a great place for me to personally speak with other wrestling fans and likeminded people, and it was actually interesting because I eventually shared the news on the air that I'd started training. I went down to this gym called Sully's Gym where Ron Hutchinson was training [future wrestlers]… he'd trained Edge. So that all kind of unfolded on the radio show, so it's a big part of my beginning for sure.
Gerry: So how did the rumors turn into eventual reality? How and when did you get on the WWE radar for real?
Trish: Well, I just kept seeing stuff on the internet. I had my fitness modeling career before that, so people knew of me, so I'd somehow become the fitness model that had been signed by WWE. Then I'd read updates saying that now the WWE and I were talking, but they're just deciding on her character. I didn't know anything about this.
My motto in my life is to be prepared for opportunity, so I decided that if they're going to call, I should prepare the best possible package for them, and that's when I began to train. I knew I could do it. I knew wrestling, and I could walk the walk and talk the talk, but let me go to wrestling school. So I found the famous Sully's gym where Edge had trained and Christian as well.
So I went down and met [head trainer] Ron Hutchison for the first time. He was pretty straight up with me about the fact that there were no females there. Then he told me that they don't really take it easy either. I was like, "okay".
So I was really well prepared. I started training and I trained for a good four or five months before the WWE actually called, and there's actually a funny story to that. I was on a TV talk show during the time when I was on the cover of MuscleMag Magazine, so they had me on because I had a bit of notoriety in Toronto. They had me on to discuss some issues in sports and the crossover to sports-entertainment. And so, to cover the crossover part, they had WWE Canada President Carl DeMarco on there. So, for me, it was wonderful to meet him and he goes "You know -- we've heard about you." And I said, "Oh, have you? Cool."
Another time, I met with Michael Hayes. WWE happened to be in town and he was also part of the show. In Canada, Michael used to do these segments between commercial breaks and it was kind of giving the Canadian content to the Canadian viewers, and that was being filmed at this particular show.
So he and I met, and he told me to put my stuff together, and they would see what they can do. So I send my stuff. Believe it or not, a name that rarely comes up in my stories so I really should give him more credit because he had a lot to do with me coming into the WWE was Terry Taylor, who took my press kit. I didn't hear anything for a long time, so there was this weird feeling of suspense.
Months went by and I just continued to train, so that was fine. Finally, Terry Taylor called me and he said that he was really sorry about the wait. He said big things were happening at WWE - there was a bunch of people, him and a bunch of other guys were all leaving to work for WCW.
He said he was letting me know that he was leaving, but was leaving my press kit on [then-WWE head of Talent Relations] Jim Ross's desk and told him that if the WWE didn't want to hire her, WCW would. So he left my press kit on JR's desk and JR gave me a call. To be honest, I actually did get a call from WCW as well, and instantly I got a call from [ECW's] Paul Heymen also. Just like that, I had a career, I had offers from all three companies, which was crazy considering I was just the fitness model… but WWE is my love. It was always my love.
So JR called me and flew me into Connecticut. I had my very first meeting with him at the WWE headquarters, and I think it was just a great, long meeting really. And then I went home and I had a contract offer. That was in ‘99 and after some visa issues, I had my debut in 2000.
Gerry: I just want to ask one more question about Ron Hutchison because his name has come up many times in interviews with people whom he's trained, usually in very complimentary fashion. You had mentioned already that there were no other girls training with you, so he trained you the same as all the guys. Looking deeper into his resume, many people know that Gail Kim was also trained under him, as was Traci Brooks, so he definitely has a successful track record in developing female talent Do you attribute that to the fact that he trained you the same as he would men?
Trish: For sure. I think that Ron was really open-minded to having the woman come in as long as they were showing that they had the cajones to do it. He was straight up about what to expect… not only in his gym, but also going out into the world of wrestling.
It wasn't like anybody could just pay a fee and go train with Ron. You had to write an essay, you had to show your love for wrestling and have some understanding about the industry. I think Traci came in and started training a couple of months before I left there, and it was great because we were like a whole family. We could have two girls who were cool and she was awesome. Neither of us minded getting ugly in the ring. We didn't mind getting hurt. We didn't't mind getting roughed up. So Ron was really open-minded to the women as long as they understood what they were getting into. He was really cool with giving people that chance, but he was very selective about who he let into his academy.
But, yeah, Traci and I got to work a little bit together and then, of course, Gail came in. I didn't get a chance to work with her when I was there, but we had good times there. Ron definiutely had a lot to do with all of us getting into where we all are today.
Gerry: Cool. Let's fast forward to the end of your fulltime stint with the WWE in 2006, when you decided to voluntarily retire. What led to that decision?
Trish: Well, having a really robust seven-year career certainly helped me, considering what I had done, what I had crossed off in my bucket list, and who I had worked with. I had achieved everything I'd set out to achieve which was obviously becoming Women's Champion… multiple times at that point, and working with everyone. I had the opportunity to work with Ivory, Jacqueline and Molly.. but then, of course, these were all new people.
We brought in Jazz, I got to work with her. We brought in Victoria, we brought in Mickie James and of course, there was my ongoing feud with Lita. Ashley Massaro came in, Christy Hemme came in, so I really got a chance to mix it up with so many different people and characters and my character was able to go through a lot of twists and turns and and I really had what I'd call a robust seven years. It really was full and rich.
So that helped and… I don't know if it's a known fact, but my mom was diagnosed with cancer during that time when I was deciding if it was time for me to move on. I just knew with that schedule, I would never be able to be by her side to do the chemo, do the therapy and so I made that decision. It was just -- it was like the universe telling me that it was time to go, so that I could be by my mom's side. I was supposed to retire actually in August, but Vince had approached me and asked me to stay on for another month till September. He felt that it would probably be a pretty perfect ending because we were going back to Toronto and potentially we could have my very last match at the pay-per-view there live in Toronto.
I mean, you can't ask for anything better than that… a storybook ending. So he sort of gave me that opportunity to have like an amazing exit. It was just an amazing moment and I'll never forget that that evening.
Gerry: You're pretty well-recognized as one of the greats…in many peoples eyes, the greatest female performer, or perhaps one of the best that either gender has ever had to offer. Knowing that so many newer "Divas" undoubtedly look up to you, have you maintained any relationships with any of them as far as passing on knowledge or mentoring them?
Trish: Nattie [Neidhart] and I speak a lot. Right when I left, I had a lot of girls calling me… you know, you build these wonderful relationships with people, especially when you worked with someone before. For instance, Melina and I had the opportunity to work together and she was sort of the valet and was transitioning into women's wrestling full-time. That was obviously something that I did… I kind of followed that same model going from valet to wrestler, and I just feel that's the best transition to ever make. I feel like that's what's missing nowadays, mind you.
So I always speak to Nattie all the time, just continuing to encourage her. When she was doing the farting gimmick, I just told her that I know sometimes you feel like "why am I doing this?", but know that everything happens for a reason, and maybe they'll show a different side of her personality and try to use it somehow. It's nice to keep in touch with these girls.
You know, I haven't really had a chance to meet the newer girls too much… I mean I've of course met them backstage, like AJ and Kaitlyn. I have watched them, I think they're great and I love both of their personalities. I just hope that we get to see more of them, and we definitely know a lot about AJ now. I would like to see a lot more of Kaitlyn. I know she's quirky and I'm a fan of a quirky girl.
I hope we get to see more of that and get to know that side of her. It's hard because I know when you're struggling up there, you want to show that "I'm going to fight you" side, but you still want to show your quirky personality. You have to find that right time and place to find that balance.
I haven't had much communication with these girls except for the times when I've gone back there. I actually really try to make a point of having a chat with just about everyone, and you know, Alicia Fox…I worked with her sister on Tough Enough which allowed us to get really close.
So I have special interest in Alicia when I watch her to make sure that you know things are going well. I just try to encourage everyone. I know that sometimes they feel like "wow, where's my chance?" But it will come if they just keep doing what they're doing. I think the girls right now are super-talented and I would love to see more of them.
Gerry: Let's switch gears and talk about "Tough Enough". First of all, how did you enjoy the experience? Did you find it fulfilling?
Trish: I loved it. You know, when I retired, I always said I'd make a return, but it has to be for the right thing. It has to make sense and it has to be to create moments in something that's unique and different. When they asked me to come back for "Tough Enough," it was just a perfect opportunity to come into the WWE Universe in that capacity and, like you said earlier, take what I had learned and pass it on to these young up-and-coming trainees… it was awesome.
I was thrilled with it. I thought the show itself is great. All of us - me, Steve [Austin], Booker T, Bill DeMott - we were really looking forward and we thought that this show did so well. We thought for sure there'd be another season. I get that question in just about every interview I do… is another one coming? You let me know if you find out, and I'll let you know if I find out, but I think it was a great experience. I really, really enjoyed it and, yes, I was completely fulfilled by it.
Gerry: Did you feel that the overall focus of the show stayed true to the goal of finding new WWE superstars, or was it more about creating an entertaining TV product?
Trish: Well, it was our job to find that future potential WWE star. It was the producer's job to make the TV show entertaining. That stuff writes itself, so you know that was no problem. I mean, there's always that concern that there wasn't going to be any excitement… these kids were so focused because they had such a desire to want to do this. So maybe there was a time where we're like "oh, they're kind of just here to train".
But of course, you put in the hosts. You put in a little alcohol. You put in whatever and it all works itself out. So that stuff kind of just takes care of itself and we just had to focus on honing their skills and bringing the best out of them.
Gerry: Looking at the current WWE developmental system, WWE has a lot of accomplished ring veterans on staff… both as trainers and on-the-road agents. Do you think that there would be a benefit to having a former Diva or two on that roster or somewhere in that process to specifically work with the current crop of women?
Trish: Oh, 100%. There's no doubt that getting a women's perspective would be beneficial. I have two thoughts on that. Let's just say that I was going to be the Diva's trainer… do I think I would make an impact? Absolutely, because there are things that you know as a woman that I had to figure out because there really weren't any woman for me to really learn from.
So, for a woman, it's a different world. Listen, you're in the same world as the men, but its slightly different because there are tother elements that you need to consider. You're going to find that fine balance of maintaining your sex appeal, but at the same time, its not your focus. I used to say that my sex appeal was like a side dish and my wrestling was my entree.
So I think would help absolutely. I think it would be really beneficial ,and that's of course why Tough Enough could have just been guy trainers and that's why they did bring me in… to do the female side of things. On the flip side, I didn't have a female mentor bringing me up… I had Fit Finlay and we worked together so well. We had the same idea. We were super-hungry. We knew that we were given this opportunity to build a women's division again because, if you recall, Chyna had the title and she left the company, so there was no division.
So they decided to bring the women's division back. They put the title on me, and so it was up to me and Fit to create the division with this amazing roster of women that could work and were great athletes. Fit was really keen on making sure that every single women had their own repertoire, had their own style, and had their own personality. For me personally, I'm just a very big fan of storylines and I tried to bring that aspect of things into focus. Fit and I would watch the matches together and try to relate it to some sort of storyline, even if we weren't given one.
We were just given the match and did what we could to create interest or do a little something extra. I always talk about the "Junk In The Trunk" storyline with Molly Holly. At the time, we were just given one backstage thing where we did the "Junk In The Trunk" thing , and so that was kind of all we were given, and then we had a match. Of course, during the match, we did the granny panty spot and really played up that story. We had this little nugget of something, and it was up to us to its up to take this little thing, and turn it into a story, so the match became more than just a great standalone match between two females.
Now, it's a storyline. People cared. They were chanting "Junk In The Trunk", and people understood and they got behind the characters, so that was something that Fit and I just r collaborated really well on. I would come to him every week and he helped me find my inner fighter. He can look to me and said yeah you got this in you and let's do this. And I just told him that I did't want to fight like a girl and he agreed. I didn't want to do cat fights and hair pull and do all of that stuff.
There's time for that, but I just wanted to fight someone, and slap someone and chop someone. So we did. He was just a huge part of maintaining the integrity of the women's division and each individual character. He fought for us and he stood up for us, and he really, really cared about the women and the women's division.
So to have someone like that have your back, that's what made it. So you asked me if a woman behind-the-scenes would make the difference? In the training camp, yes it would, but also I'd say overall that someone who cares, and is so passionate about how the women's division is going to perceived… that's what they need. It could really be a female or male… as long as it's someone who really cares about what happenes with the women's division.. that's what's needed.
Gerry: You were just speaking about how, largely through your hard work, the women's division was elevated at that time. Fast-forward to the present, and most would agree that its not really there at this point. What kind of power, if any, do you feel that today's WWE Divas might have to push themselves into a more prominent position in the product?
Trish: Listen, it wasn't like the women's division was created and then the powers-that-be were automatically committed to it 100% and high fiving. It wasn't like that. It took a lot of struggle and the women's division wasn't really on their radar a lot of the time, but we made it on their radar.
It was up to us to do that. It was our responsibility as performers to go out and make that three minutes or so the most memorable minutes on the show, or do something that made people stand up and notice that character. Maybe the match was just a match, but there's something that character did in that match that made me sit up and notice, so the next week I'm going to watch again.
That's not to say they're not doing this right now, but sometimes you're only given three minutes, but you have to take that and turn it into something else. I'm not sure how active people are, and I don't know the opportunities they have to pitch their ideas. I didn't just pitch what I wanted to do next week. I would come up with ideas and pitch what I wanted to do, step-by-step, up to the next pay-per-view. I would put weeks and months of storylines together because I understood wrestling from wrestling for so many year. I understood that there were elements of psychology and bringing heel moments and babyface moments for both characters to shine.
It wasn't just like "Well, I want to do this" and "I should fight this guy". There was a storyline, and Fit, the writers and I would discuss how to make something interesting out of it. For instance, someone would say "Here's Victoria. She's new, and this is going to be the new feud. Let's think… what can we do?" "Well, Victoria and I are both fitness models. Let's start with that." Victoria, do you have pictures from your modeling days?" "Yes." "OK, you have your pictures. I have my pictures. Let's propose we bring that into the storyline."
We really just thought about it and tried to create something. It couldn't just be "I don't like because you're another female" because, at the end of the day, it's really difficult to boo a female who is hot.. So its your responsibility to find that reason for them to hate you. Sometimes in these matches, I think we get caught up in trying to make a memorable match, but you also have to build the characters in it, so the fans need that baby face to win.
Or maybe I need that heel to win in this particular match by cheating or being dastardly, so the fans really don't like this girl now. At least next time, they won't cheer you because you're still hot, but now you cheated last time so they're going to boo you. So there's a lot of psychology, and today's girls… the matches have been great, but they're not just getting the storyline development and the character development. I'm sure the girls are fighting for what they want, but I think its up to them to kind of make those moments out there, and I think some of them are.
I know Nattie [Neidhart] does that. I watch her, and she tries to take her moments. You know I think that at the end of the day, it's up to you to make those moments happen and it's just not just the women… it's for the men as well. Everyone is pretty much given the same chance. Its really up to you to figure out how to stand out and how to make your match stand out.
Gerry: Switching to the WWE Hall-Of-Fame, there's always a lot of discussion about exactly what determines who gets to be inducted on a year-to-year basis. How would you define - based on not just yourself, but everyone who has come before you and who is going to be inducted with you - what it means to be a WWE Hall-of-Famer?
Trish: Well, you're being recognized by your peers and your industry that you're one of the best. And of course, everyone sets out to do that… at least, I hope everyone does. I mean, if someone asked me back in the day what I wanted to do in wrestling, I'd have said that I want to be known as the greatest Women's Champion that ever worked at WWE… how about that? So you're always going to set out to do that.
So obviously, part of it is that nod from the industry and, of course, from your peers that you made a difference. You know, you go through years and years of wrestling and you're on the road and there's sacrifices, and there's broken bones,, but its all worth it because you love it and you're passionate about it when you know you've made a difference and left an impact.
Hall-Of-Famers are people who left their mark on the industry, so to be part of that company is quite amazing. I'm still blown away by it, to be honest with you. Plus, I sometimes forget that I have been retired for so long.
I feel sometimes like I'm still in the business because I'm closely connected with the company and I do come back every once in a while, but it has been seven years since I was a full-time wrestler so I'm completely honored. I think that's just what I mean… it's that nod. It's kind of like that nod of approval at the end of the day that tells you that all of your hard work paid off for sure.
Gerry: Who else in the female ranks among your peers, predecsors, or those that came after you do you think should be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the coming years?
Trish: Well, I think an obvious one is Luna Vachon. I know that if I was to look at who would I think would be going in this year before I got the call, who would I pick as a female? Luna Vachon for sure. Hopefully one day, "Macho Man" will be inducted and I'm sure that would mean Miss Elizabeth would be…those are two super important people within the industry. And from my era? Gosh I wouldn't be surprised if every single one of them got in. I mean you know they all deserve it.
The work that I'm being recognized for, so to speak, is the work that we all did. It wasn't just me. It was the storylines we created, and it was the groundbreaking matches. It was the way we perceived women's wrestling as a whole. It wasn't just me…it was all of us. I'm talking about everyone from Jacqueline to Ivory to Lita to Molly Holly to Mickie James to Victoria… those were the girls. We were the ones who busted our butts and tried to really change the way women's wrestling was perceived… so, to me, any one of those women easily fit the bill.
Gerry: One more topic I want to hit on is your current career focus of yoga, an art form that is entirely about calmness and relaxation, and one that you believe was beneficial to you during your WWE days. On the flip side, we've heard so many stories of the lifestyle of the typical WWE wrestler: always traveling, always on the go, always struggling to find that time to just squeeze in workout or a healthy meal. It seems almost like fitting in yoga into a WWE Superstar's lifestyle is the opposite of what they might need…
Trish: Is it? Or, is it exactly what they need?
Gerry: That's pretty much the question…
Trish: Exactly, and it's a ying and yang for sure, right? When I first got into yoga, that was the first thing people said… wrestling and yoga, they just seem like they don't go together. But I believed that it was the yoga in my life that allowed me to endure that crazy schedule and allowed me to be that athlete who went out there four times a week with no weeks off… sometimes on a 10-day tour to Europe followed immediately by another 14-day tour in the United States. Yoga allowed me to be at my best physically and mentally as a performer.
I actually found yoga when I had a herniated disc in my back. which is a fairly common injury in wrestling and could be quite serious. They wanted me to have surgery, but I wanted to see if could find an alternate to having the surgery. I looked into physiotherapy and it didn't help. Then I found yoga and I did it for about two-and-a-half months straight. It was the Hutt yoga that I did at the time, and it completely reversed the damage and allowed me to go back as an entirely different performer… not just because of the recovery, but also the way I was able to deal with the schedule. I had been completely affected by yoga and it was a great influence in my life.
And you know, you're right. There's times where you're so caught in this crazy schedule where you're on the road 300 days a year and you have media interviews and you don't have a minute to sit. The first time I looked into yoga, it was just because I needed a reason to stop for a second. I actually would buy DVDs and do them in my room, and that just made me feel like okay. I got to get a little workout, I got to stretch, and I got to stop, take a breath and disconnect for just about an hour. I needed that.
It let me go internal, let me just look into what I was going to accomplish that evening, and just sort of set my intentions on what I wanted to do maybe that night or that week. So I started to do that once a day and when I found that it healed my back… my god, it was just something that I couldn't live without. It was something that helped me be a better performer.
If you were to watch my style of work after I found yoga, you'd see the difference… the recovery time was better. I could take bumps better. I could jump off better and everything about it was a benefit. When I retired in 2006, I fell in love with it so much that I just jumped into it. I traveled around the world. I studied in different countries with different teachers and different styles and I started to see how versatile it was, so I began showing this to everybody. That's when I decided that my first business venture after my WWE retirement would be to open up a yoga studio. called "Stratusphere".
It was me just wanting to spread the word using the platform of my name or the studio itself to just draw people in and introduce people to this wonderful art that could really make a difference in your life. I started to see that it was not only a great workout, or not only to just to heal my back, but it was something that I could use to really ease jetlag. I could use it to get a yoga booty. Everybody can use yoga, and people come into my studio for many different reasons. Someone's stressed out or somebody just wants a good workout or someone wants to do better at their sports that they are playing and there's – it's so versatile, and it's cool now because when I first opened my business, it wasn't that prominent.
So now, professional athletes do yoga and I'm spreading my word… that's what led to my whole brand. Stratusphere yoga was my first video that I did… I developed my own style after sort of dabbling in all these different styles and realizing that bringing an athlete's twist to yoga was something that hadn't really been done before. Then I did Stratusphere Yoga for Men and that just organically transitioned into a product line which I have in retailers across Canada and in the Stratusphere shop which is on Trishstratus.com.
But it all comes from my passion about something I love to do, and I'm looking at it the same way that I looked at wrestling… the only way I could endure that schedule is because I had a passion for it, and I loved it. Now, I work 15 hours a day, but it's okay because I'm passionate about it. So to answer your question: it is absolutely suitable for a wrestler to do yoga, it makes sense completely. And I encourage many to try to do it.
Gerry: I've got one final question for you. You obviously still have a great passion for the WWE. Your name is still as big, bigger than ever, and you're still young. Has there been any consideration on your part to coming back either as a wrestler or in some other capacity to work for the company on a more consistent basis ever?
Trish: I've always said that you know that the door is never closed. If it's the right opportunity, like when I was totally sitting back and retired, and I got the call to come back and be a trainer on Tough Enough, I'd always consider it. I was able to go into that capacity, and then a call came to work at WrestleMania that year with Michelle McCool and Layla and Snooki. That was me coming back into the mix and going back to RAW for a couple of weeks.
So if it's something that's exciting, something that's new, something where I can work with someone I had never worked with before, then that's always something I'd consider absolutely… even in a backstage capacity. I love the industry and… listen, I'm pretty full-time here. I've got my business that I run all the time, but when Tough Enough called, I had just opened up the studio and I'd just filmed a movie, and I still was happy to get involved. So, as long as I'm available and I can contribute, I'm definitely open-minded to that for sure.
source: layfieldreport.com
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Gerry: At what point did you discover and at what point did you begin to love professional wrestling? How did that all come about?
Trish: Well, I have been a fan of wrestling since I was a child. I live in Toronto, so we grew up with Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, and that's of course where much of wrestling was -- it has a rich history in Toronto. So I went to wrestling, I watched wrestling, I happened to be a bit of a tomboy growing up with my cousin. So I wrestled with them… we had tag team matches when we were very young, so wrestling's really always been a part of my life. And then when I grew up a little, we kind of moved away from it, and then it came back into my interest later on. Around the Attitude Era is probably when it came back onto my radar.
And at the time, my husband - he was my boyfriend at the time - we were crazy for wrestling. We would go to wrestling events. We would travel to Florida to go see wrestling… I mean, that was our thing, so its really always been a part of me. It's funny because people tell me that it seems like I learned to wrestle pretty quickly, but I feel like I've thrown a few body slams in my life before I actually learned to properly do it.
Gerry: There's one particular thing I read about you on the internet that I did not know, so you tell me if this is actually true. Were you were involved with co-hosting a wrestling radio show before you embarked on any sort of wrestling career?
Trish: Correct. That's just another part of how much I loved wrestling, it was always part of my life. It's a lot more mainstream now, but back then, watching wrestling wasn't too cool. Luckily, there was a group of guys that I knew who were hosting this radio show… it's called the "LAW" - Live Audio Wrestling. I would listen to the show every week, and there was a point where two things happened:
There was a show we have in Canada… its called TSN's "Off The Record", and it's basically a magazine format show. They would have athletes would come on and discuss current sporting events and issues in sports, and I was one of their favorite guests… I think it was because I was a female who could talk sports, which apparently is a rare thing. So, I was on their shows as one of their guests but they also knew that Trish Stratus had this secret love for wrestling. Anytime there was a wrestling-themed or related show where there was another wrestling guest on the show they had have me on, so I kind of became the go-to chick guest, I guess you could say.
Those producers also worked in the same building as the producer who worked on the LAW, so I kind of got friendly with everyone. And then there was this point in my career where there was this internet rumor that Vince McMahon had spotted me on "Off The Record", and I'd be signing a contract soon. And, of course it was completely false at the time, but there were a number of radio stations and newspapers reaching out to me, saying that they would love to talk to me about WWE contacting me, and of course I had to say, "well, they haven't contacted me yet."
So there was nothing to speak of at the moment but the LAW guys invited me on the show discuss the internet rumors. The internet was kind of a new component to the wrestling world back in ‘99. I went on the show, and said that I hadn't heard anything yet, but gosh, can you imagine? I basically was on the show to promote… I think at the time I was on the cover of MuscleMag Magazine, so I went to promote my magazine…. and then, we were just talking wresting.
We took a few calls, and they were like "wow, this chick knows wresting." So they said that anytime I would like to come on the show, I could. I took that pretty seriously and I came every week to co-host the show. I mean, it was a show that was on at like 1:00 in the morning on this obscure radio station, but we loved it, and we had listeners, and it was a lot of fun.
So it was a great place for me to personally speak with other wrestling fans and likeminded people, and it was actually interesting because I eventually shared the news on the air that I'd started training. I went down to this gym called Sully's Gym where Ron Hutchinson was training [future wrestlers]… he'd trained Edge. So that all kind of unfolded on the radio show, so it's a big part of my beginning for sure.
Gerry: So how did the rumors turn into eventual reality? How and when did you get on the WWE radar for real?
Trish: Well, I just kept seeing stuff on the internet. I had my fitness modeling career before that, so people knew of me, so I'd somehow become the fitness model that had been signed by WWE. Then I'd read updates saying that now the WWE and I were talking, but they're just deciding on her character. I didn't know anything about this.
My motto in my life is to be prepared for opportunity, so I decided that if they're going to call, I should prepare the best possible package for them, and that's when I began to train. I knew I could do it. I knew wrestling, and I could walk the walk and talk the talk, but let me go to wrestling school. So I found the famous Sully's gym where Edge had trained and Christian as well.
So I went down and met [head trainer] Ron Hutchison for the first time. He was pretty straight up with me about the fact that there were no females there. Then he told me that they don't really take it easy either. I was like, "okay".
So I was really well prepared. I started training and I trained for a good four or five months before the WWE actually called, and there's actually a funny story to that. I was on a TV talk show during the time when I was on the cover of MuscleMag Magazine, so they had me on because I had a bit of notoriety in Toronto. They had me on to discuss some issues in sports and the crossover to sports-entertainment. And so, to cover the crossover part, they had WWE Canada President Carl DeMarco on there. So, for me, it was wonderful to meet him and he goes "You know -- we've heard about you." And I said, "Oh, have you? Cool."
Another time, I met with Michael Hayes. WWE happened to be in town and he was also part of the show. In Canada, Michael used to do these segments between commercial breaks and it was kind of giving the Canadian content to the Canadian viewers, and that was being filmed at this particular show.
So he and I met, and he told me to put my stuff together, and they would see what they can do. So I send my stuff. Believe it or not, a name that rarely comes up in my stories so I really should give him more credit because he had a lot to do with me coming into the WWE was Terry Taylor, who took my press kit. I didn't hear anything for a long time, so there was this weird feeling of suspense.
Months went by and I just continued to train, so that was fine. Finally, Terry Taylor called me and he said that he was really sorry about the wait. He said big things were happening at WWE - there was a bunch of people, him and a bunch of other guys were all leaving to work for WCW.
He said he was letting me know that he was leaving, but was leaving my press kit on [then-WWE head of Talent Relations] Jim Ross's desk and told him that if the WWE didn't want to hire her, WCW would. So he left my press kit on JR's desk and JR gave me a call. To be honest, I actually did get a call from WCW as well, and instantly I got a call from [ECW's] Paul Heymen also. Just like that, I had a career, I had offers from all three companies, which was crazy considering I was just the fitness model… but WWE is my love. It was always my love.
So JR called me and flew me into Connecticut. I had my very first meeting with him at the WWE headquarters, and I think it was just a great, long meeting really. And then I went home and I had a contract offer. That was in ‘99 and after some visa issues, I had my debut in 2000.
Gerry: I just want to ask one more question about Ron Hutchison because his name has come up many times in interviews with people whom he's trained, usually in very complimentary fashion. You had mentioned already that there were no other girls training with you, so he trained you the same as all the guys. Looking deeper into his resume, many people know that Gail Kim was also trained under him, as was Traci Brooks, so he definitely has a successful track record in developing female talent Do you attribute that to the fact that he trained you the same as he would men?
Trish: For sure. I think that Ron was really open-minded to having the woman come in as long as they were showing that they had the cajones to do it. He was straight up about what to expect… not only in his gym, but also going out into the world of wrestling.
It wasn't like anybody could just pay a fee and go train with Ron. You had to write an essay, you had to show your love for wrestling and have some understanding about the industry. I think Traci came in and started training a couple of months before I left there, and it was great because we were like a whole family. We could have two girls who were cool and she was awesome. Neither of us minded getting ugly in the ring. We didn't mind getting hurt. We didn't't mind getting roughed up. So Ron was really open-minded to the women as long as they understood what they were getting into. He was really cool with giving people that chance, but he was very selective about who he let into his academy.
But, yeah, Traci and I got to work a little bit together and then, of course, Gail came in. I didn't get a chance to work with her when I was there, but we had good times there. Ron definiutely had a lot to do with all of us getting into where we all are today.
Gerry: Cool. Let's fast forward to the end of your fulltime stint with the WWE in 2006, when you decided to voluntarily retire. What led to that decision?
Trish: Well, having a really robust seven-year career certainly helped me, considering what I had done, what I had crossed off in my bucket list, and who I had worked with. I had achieved everything I'd set out to achieve which was obviously becoming Women's Champion… multiple times at that point, and working with everyone. I had the opportunity to work with Ivory, Jacqueline and Molly.. but then, of course, these were all new people.
We brought in Jazz, I got to work with her. We brought in Victoria, we brought in Mickie James and of course, there was my ongoing feud with Lita. Ashley Massaro came in, Christy Hemme came in, so I really got a chance to mix it up with so many different people and characters and my character was able to go through a lot of twists and turns and and I really had what I'd call a robust seven years. It really was full and rich.
So that helped and… I don't know if it's a known fact, but my mom was diagnosed with cancer during that time when I was deciding if it was time for me to move on. I just knew with that schedule, I would never be able to be by her side to do the chemo, do the therapy and so I made that decision. It was just -- it was like the universe telling me that it was time to go, so that I could be by my mom's side. I was supposed to retire actually in August, but Vince had approached me and asked me to stay on for another month till September. He felt that it would probably be a pretty perfect ending because we were going back to Toronto and potentially we could have my very last match at the pay-per-view there live in Toronto.
I mean, you can't ask for anything better than that… a storybook ending. So he sort of gave me that opportunity to have like an amazing exit. It was just an amazing moment and I'll never forget that that evening.
Gerry: You're pretty well-recognized as one of the greats…in many peoples eyes, the greatest female performer, or perhaps one of the best that either gender has ever had to offer. Knowing that so many newer "Divas" undoubtedly look up to you, have you maintained any relationships with any of them as far as passing on knowledge or mentoring them?
Trish: Nattie [Neidhart] and I speak a lot. Right when I left, I had a lot of girls calling me… you know, you build these wonderful relationships with people, especially when you worked with someone before. For instance, Melina and I had the opportunity to work together and she was sort of the valet and was transitioning into women's wrestling full-time. That was obviously something that I did… I kind of followed that same model going from valet to wrestler, and I just feel that's the best transition to ever make. I feel like that's what's missing nowadays, mind you.
So I always speak to Nattie all the time, just continuing to encourage her. When she was doing the farting gimmick, I just told her that I know sometimes you feel like "why am I doing this?", but know that everything happens for a reason, and maybe they'll show a different side of her personality and try to use it somehow. It's nice to keep in touch with these girls.
You know, I haven't really had a chance to meet the newer girls too much… I mean I've of course met them backstage, like AJ and Kaitlyn. I have watched them, I think they're great and I love both of their personalities. I just hope that we get to see more of them, and we definitely know a lot about AJ now. I would like to see a lot more of Kaitlyn. I know she's quirky and I'm a fan of a quirky girl.
I hope we get to see more of that and get to know that side of her. It's hard because I know when you're struggling up there, you want to show that "I'm going to fight you" side, but you still want to show your quirky personality. You have to find that right time and place to find that balance.
I haven't had much communication with these girls except for the times when I've gone back there. I actually really try to make a point of having a chat with just about everyone, and you know, Alicia Fox…I worked with her sister on Tough Enough which allowed us to get really close.
So I have special interest in Alicia when I watch her to make sure that you know things are going well. I just try to encourage everyone. I know that sometimes they feel like "wow, where's my chance?" But it will come if they just keep doing what they're doing. I think the girls right now are super-talented and I would love to see more of them.
Gerry: Let's switch gears and talk about "Tough Enough". First of all, how did you enjoy the experience? Did you find it fulfilling?
Trish: I loved it. You know, when I retired, I always said I'd make a return, but it has to be for the right thing. It has to make sense and it has to be to create moments in something that's unique and different. When they asked me to come back for "Tough Enough," it was just a perfect opportunity to come into the WWE Universe in that capacity and, like you said earlier, take what I had learned and pass it on to these young up-and-coming trainees… it was awesome.
I was thrilled with it. I thought the show itself is great. All of us - me, Steve [Austin], Booker T, Bill DeMott - we were really looking forward and we thought that this show did so well. We thought for sure there'd be another season. I get that question in just about every interview I do… is another one coming? You let me know if you find out, and I'll let you know if I find out, but I think it was a great experience. I really, really enjoyed it and, yes, I was completely fulfilled by it.
Gerry: Did you feel that the overall focus of the show stayed true to the goal of finding new WWE superstars, or was it more about creating an entertaining TV product?
Trish: Well, it was our job to find that future potential WWE star. It was the producer's job to make the TV show entertaining. That stuff writes itself, so you know that was no problem. I mean, there's always that concern that there wasn't going to be any excitement… these kids were so focused because they had such a desire to want to do this. So maybe there was a time where we're like "oh, they're kind of just here to train".
But of course, you put in the hosts. You put in a little alcohol. You put in whatever and it all works itself out. So that stuff kind of just takes care of itself and we just had to focus on honing their skills and bringing the best out of them.
Gerry: Looking at the current WWE developmental system, WWE has a lot of accomplished ring veterans on staff… both as trainers and on-the-road agents. Do you think that there would be a benefit to having a former Diva or two on that roster or somewhere in that process to specifically work with the current crop of women?
Trish: Oh, 100%. There's no doubt that getting a women's perspective would be beneficial. I have two thoughts on that. Let's just say that I was going to be the Diva's trainer… do I think I would make an impact? Absolutely, because there are things that you know as a woman that I had to figure out because there really weren't any woman for me to really learn from.
So, for a woman, it's a different world. Listen, you're in the same world as the men, but its slightly different because there are tother elements that you need to consider. You're going to find that fine balance of maintaining your sex appeal, but at the same time, its not your focus. I used to say that my sex appeal was like a side dish and my wrestling was my entree.
So I think would help absolutely. I think it would be really beneficial ,and that's of course why Tough Enough could have just been guy trainers and that's why they did bring me in… to do the female side of things. On the flip side, I didn't have a female mentor bringing me up… I had Fit Finlay and we worked together so well. We had the same idea. We were super-hungry. We knew that we were given this opportunity to build a women's division again because, if you recall, Chyna had the title and she left the company, so there was no division.
So they decided to bring the women's division back. They put the title on me, and so it was up to me and Fit to create the division with this amazing roster of women that could work and were great athletes. Fit was really keen on making sure that every single women had their own repertoire, had their own style, and had their own personality. For me personally, I'm just a very big fan of storylines and I tried to bring that aspect of things into focus. Fit and I would watch the matches together and try to relate it to some sort of storyline, even if we weren't given one.
We were just given the match and did what we could to create interest or do a little something extra. I always talk about the "Junk In The Trunk" storyline with Molly Holly. At the time, we were just given one backstage thing where we did the "Junk In The Trunk" thing , and so that was kind of all we were given, and then we had a match. Of course, during the match, we did the granny panty spot and really played up that story. We had this little nugget of something, and it was up to us to its up to take this little thing, and turn it into a story, so the match became more than just a great standalone match between two females.
Now, it's a storyline. People cared. They were chanting "Junk In The Trunk", and people understood and they got behind the characters, so that was something that Fit and I just r collaborated really well on. I would come to him every week and he helped me find my inner fighter. He can look to me and said yeah you got this in you and let's do this. And I just told him that I did't want to fight like a girl and he agreed. I didn't want to do cat fights and hair pull and do all of that stuff.
There's time for that, but I just wanted to fight someone, and slap someone and chop someone. So we did. He was just a huge part of maintaining the integrity of the women's division and each individual character. He fought for us and he stood up for us, and he really, really cared about the women and the women's division.
So to have someone like that have your back, that's what made it. So you asked me if a woman behind-the-scenes would make the difference? In the training camp, yes it would, but also I'd say overall that someone who cares, and is so passionate about how the women's division is going to perceived… that's what they need. It could really be a female or male… as long as it's someone who really cares about what happenes with the women's division.. that's what's needed.
Gerry: You were just speaking about how, largely through your hard work, the women's division was elevated at that time. Fast-forward to the present, and most would agree that its not really there at this point. What kind of power, if any, do you feel that today's WWE Divas might have to push themselves into a more prominent position in the product?
Trish: Listen, it wasn't like the women's division was created and then the powers-that-be were automatically committed to it 100% and high fiving. It wasn't like that. It took a lot of struggle and the women's division wasn't really on their radar a lot of the time, but we made it on their radar.
It was up to us to do that. It was our responsibility as performers to go out and make that three minutes or so the most memorable minutes on the show, or do something that made people stand up and notice that character. Maybe the match was just a match, but there's something that character did in that match that made me sit up and notice, so the next week I'm going to watch again.
That's not to say they're not doing this right now, but sometimes you're only given three minutes, but you have to take that and turn it into something else. I'm not sure how active people are, and I don't know the opportunities they have to pitch their ideas. I didn't just pitch what I wanted to do next week. I would come up with ideas and pitch what I wanted to do, step-by-step, up to the next pay-per-view. I would put weeks and months of storylines together because I understood wrestling from wrestling for so many year. I understood that there were elements of psychology and bringing heel moments and babyface moments for both characters to shine.
It wasn't just like "Well, I want to do this" and "I should fight this guy". There was a storyline, and Fit, the writers and I would discuss how to make something interesting out of it. For instance, someone would say "Here's Victoria. She's new, and this is going to be the new feud. Let's think… what can we do?" "Well, Victoria and I are both fitness models. Let's start with that." Victoria, do you have pictures from your modeling days?" "Yes." "OK, you have your pictures. I have my pictures. Let's propose we bring that into the storyline."
We really just thought about it and tried to create something. It couldn't just be "I don't like because you're another female" because, at the end of the day, it's really difficult to boo a female who is hot.. So its your responsibility to find that reason for them to hate you. Sometimes in these matches, I think we get caught up in trying to make a memorable match, but you also have to build the characters in it, so the fans need that baby face to win.
Or maybe I need that heel to win in this particular match by cheating or being dastardly, so the fans really don't like this girl now. At least next time, they won't cheer you because you're still hot, but now you cheated last time so they're going to boo you. So there's a lot of psychology, and today's girls… the matches have been great, but they're not just getting the storyline development and the character development. I'm sure the girls are fighting for what they want, but I think its up to them to kind of make those moments out there, and I think some of them are.
I know Nattie [Neidhart] does that. I watch her, and she tries to take her moments. You know I think that at the end of the day, it's up to you to make those moments happen and it's just not just the women… it's for the men as well. Everyone is pretty much given the same chance. Its really up to you to figure out how to stand out and how to make your match stand out.
Gerry: Switching to the WWE Hall-Of-Fame, there's always a lot of discussion about exactly what determines who gets to be inducted on a year-to-year basis. How would you define - based on not just yourself, but everyone who has come before you and who is going to be inducted with you - what it means to be a WWE Hall-of-Famer?
Trish: Well, you're being recognized by your peers and your industry that you're one of the best. And of course, everyone sets out to do that… at least, I hope everyone does. I mean, if someone asked me back in the day what I wanted to do in wrestling, I'd have said that I want to be known as the greatest Women's Champion that ever worked at WWE… how about that? So you're always going to set out to do that.
So obviously, part of it is that nod from the industry and, of course, from your peers that you made a difference. You know, you go through years and years of wrestling and you're on the road and there's sacrifices, and there's broken bones,, but its all worth it because you love it and you're passionate about it when you know you've made a difference and left an impact.
Hall-Of-Famers are people who left their mark on the industry, so to be part of that company is quite amazing. I'm still blown away by it, to be honest with you. Plus, I sometimes forget that I have been retired for so long.
I feel sometimes like I'm still in the business because I'm closely connected with the company and I do come back every once in a while, but it has been seven years since I was a full-time wrestler so I'm completely honored. I think that's just what I mean… it's that nod. It's kind of like that nod of approval at the end of the day that tells you that all of your hard work paid off for sure.
Gerry: Who else in the female ranks among your peers, predecsors, or those that came after you do you think should be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the coming years?
Trish: Well, I think an obvious one is Luna Vachon. I know that if I was to look at who would I think would be going in this year before I got the call, who would I pick as a female? Luna Vachon for sure. Hopefully one day, "Macho Man" will be inducted and I'm sure that would mean Miss Elizabeth would be…those are two super important people within the industry. And from my era? Gosh I wouldn't be surprised if every single one of them got in. I mean you know they all deserve it.
The work that I'm being recognized for, so to speak, is the work that we all did. It wasn't just me. It was the storylines we created, and it was the groundbreaking matches. It was the way we perceived women's wrestling as a whole. It wasn't just me…it was all of us. I'm talking about everyone from Jacqueline to Ivory to Lita to Molly Holly to Mickie James to Victoria… those were the girls. We were the ones who busted our butts and tried to really change the way women's wrestling was perceived… so, to me, any one of those women easily fit the bill.
Gerry: One more topic I want to hit on is your current career focus of yoga, an art form that is entirely about calmness and relaxation, and one that you believe was beneficial to you during your WWE days. On the flip side, we've heard so many stories of the lifestyle of the typical WWE wrestler: always traveling, always on the go, always struggling to find that time to just squeeze in workout or a healthy meal. It seems almost like fitting in yoga into a WWE Superstar's lifestyle is the opposite of what they might need…
Trish: Is it? Or, is it exactly what they need?
Gerry: That's pretty much the question…
Trish: Exactly, and it's a ying and yang for sure, right? When I first got into yoga, that was the first thing people said… wrestling and yoga, they just seem like they don't go together. But I believed that it was the yoga in my life that allowed me to endure that crazy schedule and allowed me to be that athlete who went out there four times a week with no weeks off… sometimes on a 10-day tour to Europe followed immediately by another 14-day tour in the United States. Yoga allowed me to be at my best physically and mentally as a performer.
I actually found yoga when I had a herniated disc in my back. which is a fairly common injury in wrestling and could be quite serious. They wanted me to have surgery, but I wanted to see if could find an alternate to having the surgery. I looked into physiotherapy and it didn't help. Then I found yoga and I did it for about two-and-a-half months straight. It was the Hutt yoga that I did at the time, and it completely reversed the damage and allowed me to go back as an entirely different performer… not just because of the recovery, but also the way I was able to deal with the schedule. I had been completely affected by yoga and it was a great influence in my life.
And you know, you're right. There's times where you're so caught in this crazy schedule where you're on the road 300 days a year and you have media interviews and you don't have a minute to sit. The first time I looked into yoga, it was just because I needed a reason to stop for a second. I actually would buy DVDs and do them in my room, and that just made me feel like okay. I got to get a little workout, I got to stretch, and I got to stop, take a breath and disconnect for just about an hour. I needed that.
It let me go internal, let me just look into what I was going to accomplish that evening, and just sort of set my intentions on what I wanted to do maybe that night or that week. So I started to do that once a day and when I found that it healed my back… my god, it was just something that I couldn't live without. It was something that helped me be a better performer.
If you were to watch my style of work after I found yoga, you'd see the difference… the recovery time was better. I could take bumps better. I could jump off better and everything about it was a benefit. When I retired in 2006, I fell in love with it so much that I just jumped into it. I traveled around the world. I studied in different countries with different teachers and different styles and I started to see how versatile it was, so I began showing this to everybody. That's when I decided that my first business venture after my WWE retirement would be to open up a yoga studio. called "Stratusphere".
It was me just wanting to spread the word using the platform of my name or the studio itself to just draw people in and introduce people to this wonderful art that could really make a difference in your life. I started to see that it was not only a great workout, or not only to just to heal my back, but it was something that I could use to really ease jetlag. I could use it to get a yoga booty. Everybody can use yoga, and people come into my studio for many different reasons. Someone's stressed out or somebody just wants a good workout or someone wants to do better at their sports that they are playing and there's – it's so versatile, and it's cool now because when I first opened my business, it wasn't that prominent.
So now, professional athletes do yoga and I'm spreading my word… that's what led to my whole brand. Stratusphere yoga was my first video that I did… I developed my own style after sort of dabbling in all these different styles and realizing that bringing an athlete's twist to yoga was something that hadn't really been done before. Then I did Stratusphere Yoga for Men and that just organically transitioned into a product line which I have in retailers across Canada and in the Stratusphere shop which is on Trishstratus.com.
But it all comes from my passion about something I love to do, and I'm looking at it the same way that I looked at wrestling… the only way I could endure that schedule is because I had a passion for it, and I loved it. Now, I work 15 hours a day, but it's okay because I'm passionate about it. So to answer your question: it is absolutely suitable for a wrestler to do yoga, it makes sense completely. And I encourage many to try to do it.
Gerry: I've got one final question for you. You obviously still have a great passion for the WWE. Your name is still as big, bigger than ever, and you're still young. Has there been any consideration on your part to coming back either as a wrestler or in some other capacity to work for the company on a more consistent basis ever?
Trish: I've always said that you know that the door is never closed. If it's the right opportunity, like when I was totally sitting back and retired, and I got the call to come back and be a trainer on Tough Enough, I'd always consider it. I was able to go into that capacity, and then a call came to work at WrestleMania that year with Michelle McCool and Layla and Snooki. That was me coming back into the mix and going back to RAW for a couple of weeks.
So if it's something that's exciting, something that's new, something where I can work with someone I had never worked with before, then that's always something I'd consider absolutely… even in a backstage capacity. I love the industry and… listen, I'm pretty full-time here. I've got my business that I run all the time, but when Tough Enough called, I had just opened up the studio and I'd just filmed a movie, and I still was happy to get involved. So, as long as I'm available and I can contribute, I'm definitely open-minded to that for sure.
source: layfieldreport.com
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