From behind the corporate desk to out in the field as a CBS LA Sports Anchor & Reporter, meet Chris Hayre.
Are you a sports fan curious about how to make the leap from a corporate desk to the field, reporting on the games you love?
In this episode of The Career Flipper podcast, host Jenny Dempsey chats with Chris Hayre, a CBS LA Sports anchor and reporter and creator of the Los Angeles Chargers weekly podcast about his transition from corporate marketing with the Los Angeles Lakers to sports media. They dive into the importance of setting clear goals, overcoming obstacles, and having a strong support system. Chris shares his journey of taking risks, building confidence, and discovering joy in the process of career flipping. He also offers insightful advice for anyone thinking about a career change, reminding us to stay connected to our "why" and enjoy the journey!
Connect with Chris
Jenny Dempsey (00:00.246)
I think having kind of those clear established goals in your head, whether or not they've come to fruition yet, like doing the necessary things to make it happen. And when it doesn't happen, not getting discouraged because it's a good chance that may not, you know, I just think you have to, you have to mentally prepare yourself for the fact that not everything is going to work out the way you want it to. Life is not always fair, but showing up and you gotta show up.
Welcome to the Career Flipper, a weekly podcast featuring career change stories from people around the world, from a bunch of different industries about how they get from point A to point B and all the twists and turns in between. I'm Jenny Dempsey, your host and a career flipper myself. I spent over a decade leading customer service and experience at tech startups, teach two Udemy customer service training courses, and speak at business conferences. Then in 2022, I got laid off.
And honestly, despite all my experience, I faced hundreds of job rejections. I started seriously questioning my worth. Like, what do I even do now? Then a friend handed me an old busted table. I saw potential. I went deep into YouTube, TikTok and Instagram tutorials. I learned how to fix it up and I felt this unexpected spark of joy. It just clicked and it turns out I'm pretty good at it. And I was giving something unwanted a fresh start and it felt really personal after feeling unwanted myself.
And that's how I started my business, San Diego Furniture Flipper, where I rescue and restore furniture to keep it out of the landfill. Check out the makeovers over on Instagram and TikTok. I also speak at events to help other career flippers host this podcast and do some small scale customer service consulting on the side. But even after starting all these businesses and doing all this cool stuff, I still felt lost and alone and very imposter syndrome. Like
Who goes from corporate tech to being covered in paint and sawdust in their garage, right? So I posted on LinkedIn to see if I had any friends who flipped their careers too. Turns out there are way more people flipping careers than I thought, even though the stigma around it is pretty negative. But hearing their stories made me realize it's completely okay to switch lanes at any point in life. In doing this podcast, I'm learning a ton from every single conversation. And I thought,
Jenny Dempsey (02:26.006)
If their stories are helping me feel less alone and a little more confident on my path, maybe they will help someone else too, like even one other person. So that's why I created this podcast, to share these incredible stories and offer support to anyone considering going through or having already been through a career flip. Now, let me introduce you to Chris Hayry, an East Coast native now living in Los Angeles, California. He went from the business side of things and marketing and corporate partnerships with the Lakers.
to pivoting his career and launching the Chargers NFL Weekly Podcast, and is now a CBS Sports Anchor and reporter. In this episode, he spills on his journey into sports media and the real struggles he faced chasing that dream. Let's tackle this episode now. What's up, Chris? Thanks for joining today. How you doing? What's up, Jenny? It's such a pleasure to talk to you and be a part of this podcast. I think it's so cool. you know,
when you're in the moment of doing something like this, I don't think you think of other people doing it too. You kind of feel almost alone in that moment. So it's really neat that you're doing this. Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah, I definitely felt alone and was like, maybe there's one other person out there who's kind of, you know, taking this different path. Cause I don't know if it's the same for you, Chris, but like when I was growing up, like
my parents, everyone in my family, you get one job and you do that job forever and you just keep doing it. No one really bounced around. It wasn't really a, I don't know, an encouraged thing in my family. And I think in society, it's kind of the same. I don't know. What do you think? Well, it's interesting. I, I knew I always wanted to work in sports and it was just, you take the path that you're given. And for me, it's always just been a fun ride because there were moments where
You know, I started my career in sports media when I was like a freshman in college and I thought it was like the end all be all job for me. Like I was like, this is the best. This is exactly what I want to be doing. and it was such a blast, but you know, sometimes these things take twists and turns. You graduate and the ideal job you want, maybe not. It's not there at that time and you have to do something else and then maybe go back to it. So it has been kind of this.
Jenny Dempsey (04:45.258)
winding journey for me that is taking so many twists and turns that it's not the conventional path. I tell people where I'm at now, they're like, well, how did you do that? You're at CBS now. Did you take the small market steps and work your way up there? was like, no, completely.
unorthodox. I don't think anybody's really had this exact path to get where I'm at, but that's what makes it so unique. And I think it's what gives people the hope and confidence that they can do it because you don't have to replicate somebody else's path to get to where you want to go. Yeah, true. That's exactly it. You can really create it yourself, even though it might be a little bit harder. You can do it.
Tell everyone a little bit about who you are and where you're from, what you've done, where you're at today. And before we dive into all the good things about the flip. So, okay, perfect. So gosh, I have been out in Los Angeles for 18 years. I grew up in the Northern Virginia area. you know, my parents, I two younger brothers and we grew up in Northern Virginia. I went to George Mason.
University and then transferred to James Madison, got my undergrad there. And as I mentioned, I worked at a sports radio station in D .C. throughout my time in college. I knew I wanted to work in sports when I was a kid. know, I now the Washington commanders, the then Washington Redskins, that was our team growing up. We used to go to every single game every Sunday. It was a family tradition. And I lived for Sundays and I knew I wanted to work in football.
when I was like seven, eight years old. Like I knew that that's what I wanted to do. So I got to work at this radio station, which was the team's partner. So I got to go out to training camp and work with just some legendary figures from John Thompson, the former head coach at Georgetown, to Tony Kornheiser. And like I say, you kind of take the path you're given and there was an opportunity to actually work for the team.
Jenny Dempsey (06:57.614)
So I was in, I was an intern with the Redskins at 04 and I was like, my gosh, this is unbelievable. The team that I grew up going to every single game. And basically I was kind of felt like I manifested as a kid. Like I wanted to work either for the team or in football. And I was able to do that. And that turned into a full -time position a year later. So when you're in your
early 20s, mid 20s. That's you think it's the end all be all. Like I said, I'm going to be here for the rest of my life. I'm going to work for this team forever. And then you quickly realize that it's a business and it's not, you're not a fan, you know, it's, it's, it's a job and you see the ups and downs of what the job is. And I think it gets your wheels turning. So
I told myself after a couple of years there that I wanted to kind of expand my horizons a little bit. I had lived in the DC area my entire life. So I sent my resume to every single NFL team. And in addition to that, a couple of teams that I looked at as being kind of like the premier franchises, right? Like the Chicago Bulls or the Los Angeles Lakers. So, you you send out blind emails.
And you're not going to get responses from everybody. But I did get a few teams that reached out and showed interest. And then one of those teams was the Lakers. And it was, hey, we actually have a position open right now. We want to talk about it. it's just amazing what you can do, what you're capable of. If you put the work in, you send that extra email or that extra note, you never know what's going to happen.
So it was right place, right time. I flew out. Everything happened so quickly. And a couple of weeks later, they offered me a position in Los Angeles. I had never been outside of DC. And it was such a big decision in my life to say, Hey, am I going to do this right now? Am I going to just uproot everything and go to the West coast? And I thought it was the right move. And I said, you know what, I'll do it for a couple of years. I can always go back to the East coast. That's where everybody is.
Jenny Dempsey (09:18.99)
And, and I blink, it was nine years at the Lakers. I was there for nine seasons. I started as a, as an account coordinator, account manager, and, ended as a director of corporate sponsorships for the Lakers. And that was one of the coolest experiences of my life. I got to be a part of, three finals appearances, two NBA championships, nine of Kobe's last 10 seasons, just made lifelong friends.
at the Lakers and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. But at the end of my time at the Lakers, I got that itch to get back to football, to get back to the media side. And then that is why I'm here talking to you because that's when the big career flip happened, Yeah. Wow. Well, first of all, this is amazing. I'm just picturing you as this child who's just like, you know,
a huge fan of football and then suddenly in your early 20s, this happens. And then your mind kind of shifts of like, this is a dream, but it's also business. And being able to like get into the actual day to day grind of all of that is, I think that's really important because a lot of us have these childhood dreams and then when they do happen, you know, because they do a lot of the times, but then it's just that business part. It becomes so real that it is, it's work.
Work is work no matter whether you're doing what you love or not. There's still so much work involved and there's still amazing opportunities nonetheless. I think that's the biggest thing. So I don't know. I love that. And so now you, you know, you've worked with the Lakers and then you're, you've done this nine years. You're in LA now you're across the country. And then you have this like calling it sounds like inside you're like, I want to go back to football and I want to go back to media. So.
How does this all play out? Well, it was interesting because you look at the position I was in, you never take it for granted. I had been with the Lakers for nine years, but I worked in a sponsorship department where one gentleman was there for 38 years. The other one was there for 20 some odd years. Another person there for 20 years. So you're there for nine years, but you're still low personal on the totem pole because ...
Jenny Dempsey (11:41.41)
there's so much staying power. Like why would anybody want to leave the Lakers? Right. Right. but I just, I think maybe some of my past experiences in, taking that leap of faith to go to LA, and it working out, and then just seeing how things had played out in, in my life that I, I just had confidence that it was the right time to do it. I don't know.
When you have supportive friends and family, think that's the biggest thing. Everybody was 100 % behind me in doing it. But I'm sure there was a lot of people that looked at me sideways, like, why would you leave your job as director of corporate sponsorships at the Lakers to start over in a new career this late in your career? And I guess it's a valid question for people on the outside, but...
But for me, I had a game plan. I knew what I wanted to do. I thought the best way for me to kind of reintroduce myself to the sports media world while staying in the sports industry was to leave the Lakers. And first of all, this is what I did. I left the Lakers in August of 2015. I got married in August of 2015. And then the next month I started at Northwestern, a one -year grad program at Northwestern in Chicago.
I wouldn't recommend that many life changes in a span of 30 days. That's a lot. That's what I did. I used, I thought Northwestern, one of my dear friends, Mike Trudell went to Northwestern undergrad. And I talked to him a lot about kind of making that move. And the more I looked into the program and kind of looked at all the advantages
I just, thought that it was the best move for me to go there for a year, immerse myself in all things journalism and come back, hopefully to LA, as a journalist, as somebody who is in the media as opposed to a business executive. So I made the move. went to Chicago for a year. I didn't work. And it was quite the experience. I had not been at school in over a decade, you know, but
Jenny Dempsey (14:09.654)
I just, took it, I took it as serious as you could possibly take it. I was fortunate to get so many opportunities at mid -dill at Northwestern, the journalism school there. Adam Schefter, who is, you know, a senior NFL insider for ESPN went there and one of the first things they did was they paired me up with him and I was able to kind of write notes for him.
on a deadline driven basis for some of his shows that he did over the weekend. So in addition to like the heavy workload of classwork, I also did that. And I spent, you know, overnights like putting together notes to try to impress him and to, you know, try to bring him as many cool nuggets as possible about the NFL. So that's what I say when it goes beyond just the classes, just the education and the people you meet, the experiences that I had.
in Chicago for that year were invaluable to me because it allowed me to really make that transition. But it was still a leap of faith because once you graduate, was an accomplishment. You checked that box. But guess what? Now you got to find a job. And you have to find a job that can support your family in a relatively new field.
I was in a position for several months where I was still kind of searching for that, that perfect gig. And it wasn't necessarily there because when you're trying to get on air, there's a lot of people trying to get on air. There's a lot of, a lot of people trying to get to Los Angeles to be on air. so I, I tried to be a little bit unconventional. I started a podcast that was, that was based, in LA, all things football in LA.
I use some of my contacts to try to identify some of the biggest names in the sport and have that credibility as a guest. I did that for several months. I got a call from the Pac -12 network asking me to do sidelines for a spring game at UCLA so that you get a little break there. I got in with the NFL network on their podcast side to kind of help with their podcast productions. I did that.
Jenny Dempsey (16:27.278)
And then the big break was getting them to chargers in their first year in Los Angeles in 2017. I had emailed them several times and you don't always get an email back. But right before training camp started, I pitched them on a podcast. I had been doing a podcast for six months and I noticed that they didn't have one. So I said, what a better way.
to kind of introduce yourself to Los Angeles and to have a podcast talking about the Chargers during training camp. And they were cool with it. They said, let's see how it goes. I started it throughout camp. It went well. And that podcast is now Chargers Weekly, which has been going on for its eighth season now. Yeah. that was my big in getting
kind of getting into sports, getting back to football with the Chargers. I freelanced with them throughout that 2017 season and that turned into a full -time job. And then that kind of leads, and I feel like I'm rambling and kind of going on and on here, Jenny, I'll let you interject, but yeah, after getting with the Chargers, that kind of helped Parlay getting into CBS in 2019 with an audition and the Chargers and CBS are broadcast partners.
So many things aligned for me to be able to be where I am today. Yeah. Wow. Well, definitely no rambling. This is fascinating. I'm just like, so intrigued about everything. A couple of things stood out for me, Chris, and the first one that stood out was about the support system. You kind of going back to something you mentioned earlier is like, it's one thing to believe in yourself, but to have others around you.
that also believe in you and are cheering you on is such a great foundation for continuing to move forward and all the things that you mentioned, taking those, you know, sending those emails and, you know, pitching ideas and getting really creative. It just goes to show how much of a support, how much a supportive network can really lean into your, your confidence and your ability to put yourself out there in a way that, you know, kind of going back some of those.
Jenny Dempsey (18:47.896)
people that maybe gave you that side eye, like who may not have thought your decisions were like the best. And you took those risks, you took those chances, because people were there to support you and believe in you. And now you were able to create this path that you're like, this is what I wanted to do. And you saw it and it also just sounds like the next part that stood out for me was the reaching out.
You took these risks to send the email, even though you may not hear back right away. You kept emailing or you kept sending your resume or you kept creative ideas pitching, even though you're like, they could say no. They could very well say no. But you took that chance. And I'm curious a little bit behind that because when you're pitching an idea for something that they don't even have, it doesn't exist. You don't even know if their marketing team maybe already has something on deck or you have no idea.
was kind of going through your head at that time when you were pitching that idea of like, I can do this even though like whatever they have going on, like I'm the one who can do this. What was going on in your head? Can you talk a little bit about like how that kind of, what prompted you to send that email? Because a lot of people get imposter syndrome. A lot of people feel self doubt and they're just like, well, I don't know if I can.
And especially when you already had gone through so much change, was there ever a time that that kind of played in? So I'd love to hear just like your thoughts around that. Well, yeah, I don't know about you. I have very rarely ever gotten the job just applying. Yeah. You know, it just doesn't happen that way. And I think I recognize just how competitive this field was and what you needed to do to stand out.
I really, think having confidence in my ability and knowing that whatever it was I was pitching, was going be able to deliver and do a good job. That's why I started a podcast on my own, show, almost like a proof of concept. Like, Hey, I've done this. Like I've interviewed this person, this person, this person, just to show you the amount of guests and kind of the role of X I have to make these things happen. So I, it's almost like.
Jenny Dempsey (21:03.842)
You almost go into sending an email knowing that you probably won't get an email back. You know what I mean? But it's the required work to make sure that you at least get it out there. Because you're not going to be top of mind. People are busy. So I think it's important to follow up, to try to get creative, to do anything you can possibly do to bring value to somebody and also fulfill
a dream and fulfill something you want to accomplish. sending those emails, I think it was a few months ago, I was looking at my inbox and some of the sent emails, was like, my gosh, I sent so many different emails to so many different companies. But I felt like it wasn't like a cookie cutter thing, though. There was passion behind it. There was purpose behind each company that I reached out to. You research what they're doing and you have a plan.
And I think that you have to just take swings. Like if you don't take the swings, you're not going to get any hits. So at least take some cuts. You may get some strikes, you may strike out, but eventually you just need one hit. You need one hit. And that opportunity, when I was at Northwestern, I almost kind of told myself, said, you know what, I'm going to work for the Rams and the Chargers. I'm going to make sure that I get in front of that now. Like when I was at school, the Rams had just...
announced that they were moving to LA and I knew the charges could have been right behind them and sure enough they were. So I think having kind of those clear established goals in your head, whether or not they have come to fruition yet, like doing the necessary things to make it happen. And when it doesn't happen, not getting discouraged because it's a good chance that may not, you know, I just think you have to, you have to mentally prepare yourself for the fact that
Not everything is going to work out the way you want it to. Life is not always fair, but showing up, man, you got to show up. Yeah. So, so true. And a lot of the times I see the things that we try that maybe were unsuccessful or we classify as unsuccessful in our minds end up being breadcrumbs that lead us to that home run hit at some point down the road. Because if we wouldn't be able to get there without taking those chances and putting ourselves out there.
Jenny Dempsey (23:30.136)
So I love that you said that. And so now what does your day to day look like? Like share more about what you're doing now that you are in this role that you wanted to be in. You worked so hard to get here. Yeah, you know, it just, it takes it to another level. You know, I just, remember being that kid wanting to work in football and talk football and I used to write NFL previews and I would do this like,
when I was nine years old and with my dad at the games and what I'm doing now, I could have never even imagined, Jenny. I was able to kind of parlay my opportunity with the Chargers to get an interview or an audition with K -Cal 9 and CBS in 2019. The one thing I would say is you never do this alone.
Like you never do this alone. Like if I didn't have people like Mike Trudell and Ty Now, my buddies at the Lakers, you know, supporting me, John Ireland, the play -by -play guy for the Lakers, he suggested, gave my name to K -Cow as a potential person to audition. And, you know, I was able to get in and, I thought it would be, you know, kind of a fill -in shift and, you know, it turned into more shifts and more shifts and...
You know, it turned out I was being able to do both with the Chargers and CBS. And I've been there for five years now, and it's really been a cool kind of transition and kind of evolution into the job I'm in now. I'm there full time now. We still, the station has a great relationship with the Chargers as broadcast partners. So being able to still be involved with the Chargers through CBS has been awesome.
And you get to work with legends like the legendary Jim Hill, one of the most recognizable sports anchors in the country and a legend, walk of fame. So to be able to work with that caliber of talent and be a part of it and being able to storytell, to be an analyst, to anchor, to do live shots. I I pinch myself every day that I get to
Jenny Dempsey (25:52.622)
do exactly what I wanted to do in maybe the best market in the country for sports, because there's two of everything. So I look back at, it's coming up, I think nine years ago is when I left the Lakers. And I wish I would have been like, right, Chris, make sure you document where you are in 10 years. And the fact that I was able to kind of follow through on this dream and it's
It's just, it's cool. It's cool when you look back at, you know, being a little nervous about if this is the right move or not. And then it turns out it was the only move. Yeah. my gosh. I love that. And like, if you could go back, you know, nine years ago, 10 years ago, and tell yourself a piece of advice, what would you say from where you're at now? Man.
It's a really good question. I think the one piece of advice I would give myself is to not be too hard on myself. I found throughout my time at Northwestern, and especially early starting out, I was so hard on myself. We'll be aiming for perfection in an industry where it's impossible.
to perfect. You can't be perfect. But trying to do everything perfect and thinking that you're going into a new industry, you don't have the requisite experience that maybe other people around you do at that time. And you need to prove yourself. I think you put a lot of pressure on yourself. And I don't know.
what I would exactly do different. think maybe just take the pressure off a little bit and enjoy what you do. There are times where now, like right now, I love what I do and it's natural. But I think when you're trying to make that transition and prove yourself, it can feel stressful. can feel as if...
Jenny Dempsey (28:18.06)
I got to make sure I show people I belong. It takes away the joy of what you're doing and why you got into it in the first place. I think that would be my biggest piece of advice is for anybody that's trying something new is really give yourself some grace and know that if you're making incremental steps each day, you're going to get to where you want to go. Less worrying. Less worrying.
Yeah. That's such good advice. That really resonates with me too. feel like when I was starting this podcast, I mean, I've never hosted a podcast and I was kind of like, you know, I'm not necessarily a career development expert by any means. I just was a person who was having hard You would never know it. You would never know it. You seem like a pretty good podcast host for me. I love it. Thank you. But it's just the same. I was really hard on myself at first. Like this has to be
you know, a certain way this has to be perfect. And if it's not, and I would sit and edit and edit and I'm like, what am I doing? I'm just going to take the messy action and on one, one thing that you said that stood out, have fun with it. Enjoy this experience. And two, let go of the outcome. I'm just going to have this time where this is something that's very personal to me and it's part of my career path of dreams of, you know, kind of still shaping those up, which, you know, talking to people like you is really inspiring to hear. And it's just like,
All right, I'm just gonna do it. I'm just gonna do it. I don't need to be the expert and I don't need to put all this unnecessary pressure on myself because this is fun. And I'm so curious where it's gonna lead. So kind of hearing you talk about that, like that just really stood out because I'm there. I'm in it and some days are easier than others. you know, hearing you where you're at and how it's just, you know, it's the day to day now. It's where you landed. And I'm still kind of in that journey and
figuring it out and having these big dreams and creating this path. And it's okay to be either way, but knowing that there's gonna be a landing place where all this comes to fruition and that is so exciting and that should be enjoyable. It doesn't need to be this perfectionist pressure all the time. You know, Jenny, there's a quote, I'm sure everybody listening to it has probably heard it. Just comparison is the thief of joy. especially if you're trying something new.
Jenny Dempsey (30:44.142)
It's probably very natural to compare yourself to who you're seeing and like, I gotta be like that person. I gotta be like that person. Actually, you don't. You need to just be you. That's what's gonna make you successful is however you come to the table and bring it, right? Because if you're changing careers, you're doing it for a reason, right? You're doing it because you're passionate about something. That passion's gonna shine through. That's gonna be unique to you. And you don't need to compare yourself to...
anybody else that's doing the job. You really don't. I think that that's another piece of advice that maybe is that can kind of work in parallel paths is do not compare yourself to somebody else because that's going to get you in trouble. You you'll try to be like somebody else and that means that you're not being you. And I think that if you have passion in something, that's going to shine through, but you have to do it your way. You have to be your authentic self in everything you do.
And I promise you, if you do that, you are going to be successful because you're going to find somebody that sees that in you, right? And wants you to just be you, you know? And it may not happen right away, but I think people get in trouble sometimes trying to be something that they're not because they think they're supposed to act like that or talk like that or whatever it is. It could be anything in any field, but I think it's applicable.
totally applicable. makes sense. Especially like social media. I feel like you're trying to market your own brand, for example, and people are like, do this, do this, put this reel out, get this amount of impressions, this views. And it's like, you didn't get that many. Maybe you need to this different. And then you're doing things differently. And suddenly it's like, but that's not me. I'm just going to film from my phone and it's going to be totally unprofessional, but it's going to be me. And so that's such a good call out that like just, just do you, just do you the way that you want. And that is
eventually going to bring you to your own success, not someone else's. No doubt. No question. Yeah. Chris, I'm curious, do you have any advice for someone who is like in the middle of that, you know, career flip right now? They're in it, they're thinking about it, you know, they're hearing you say, you don't be so hard on yourself, you know, enjoy the ride. Are there any other pieces of advice?
Jenny Dempsey (33:09.752)
that you could give to someone who's in it right now that may need a little boost of inspiration on their path. Yeah, I think remember why you did it. Remember the reason for why you made your switch and the importance of doing it. Because there's going to be days where, if it was easy, a lot of people would do this. I think that there has to be realization that
what you're doing is hard and every day is not going to be great. know, and self doubt can creep in and you may not be getting the emails back or you may not be exactly where you thought you were going to be, but that doesn't mean it's not going to happen. You know, I think that that's the biggest thing for me is, is, is, you know, I went through a path from upon graduation to finally getting him with the chargers where, you know, it took several months to, to really
identify that opportunity and get it right. So I think not getting too low, not getting too high, realizing why you're doing it and really enjoying the journey. That's it's again, it sounds very cliche, but I think every single day if you're if you're kind of striving towards what you want to do, it's a good day. It is a good day. You know, it's it's and you're going to get there.
And I, that's the biggest thing I think I, I try to tell people that want to get into sports or want to get into television. You're going, if you want to do it, you are going to do it. Right. Because there's nothing's going to stop you. Right. You some people it's easy to give up and be like, you know what? It's just not going to happen for me. You know, if it happens that way, you weren't as passionate about it. your thought maybe. so I think just staying the course.
enjoying it and then just remember why you did it. Because if you remember why you did it, I think that refocuses you a little bit. Yeah, totally does. Absolutely does. That's so true. And just continuing to move forward, even when you're ready to give up and thinking about, okay, well, we started this because of this, like, and this is why we're going forward and giving up is just not an option. If this is really something you want to do, because it's so
Jenny Dempsey (35:38.882)
Yeah, there are some days that are really, really hard, really hard to keep going. And, and, if you just believe in it and make it happen, you can stay on that path and it will eventually happen. So Chris, I, I feel like I got so many nuggets out of the, so many things that you have shared. like, Ooh, I'm taking notes. Like this is, know, I personally, I'll be very transparent. I don't know much about sports at all.
And I've learned a lot from my boyfriend Dave, from Todd, you know, over like the past few years. And so, you know, I, but ultimately I know it's a tough industry to get into. And when you are in it and you're really thriving, people see that and they see you enjoying your work and they see you enjoying the day to day of what you do and what you bring to everybody. So I'd love to have people connect with you. Where can they find you?
Well, Jenny, thank you for having me. You know what? think the easiest ways these aren't on on Twitter X, guess I I almost said Twitter. It's X now, right? Yeah, exit Instagram at Chris Hayry. So I'm pretty active, especially, you know, during the seasons. And yeah, you can find me there and shoot me a note. And again, I, you know, I love that you're doing this. I think that this is such a unique niche that that at some point
in your life, somebody has had a thought of doing something different, right? And it hasn't happened. Maybe it just never happened for somebody. But I think that what you're doing, Jenny, is you're giving people, I think, motivation and encouragement to do it and to have somebody in their corner. Obviously, it's going to take support from family and friends.
to have an outlet like this. think it's definitely a need and you're doing a great job. Thank you. That means so much. Thank you, Chris. You're so incredibly inspiring and so eloquent with your words and just the ability to capture your story and all the ups and downs. So I appreciate your time and being so vulnerable and sharing with me. This has been fantastic. And thank you, Ty. I'm guessing Ty's listening. Thank you for connecting. Shout out to Ty, right?
Jenny Dempsey (37:54.958)
And if anyone wants to know who Ty is, check the show nuts, but linked to his Instagram, but he connected us and so grateful for that. Thank you so much, Chris. I think Ty should maybe be a guest. I think so. know what? Yes. Agreed. All right. Everyone heard it. Ty, you got to do it now. I actually messaged him about that and he was like, I'm not sure. And I was like, I think you should, but now it has to happen. Yeah. Thank you so much, Chris.
You got it.
challenging the stigma and spreading all the good vibes and motivation we need on this journey. If you have a career flip story that you'd like to share on a future episode, email me over at hello at thecareerflipper .com. And if you're looking for a career flipping speaker for an event, want to sponsor the podcast or just want to say hi and tell me what you love about the show, swing over to thecareerflipper .com. I'd love to hear from you. What I love most about doing this podcast is the hope
that it might inspire you to go after what you're dreaming of, even if it feels really scary right now. I know it's hard, I personally know it's hard, to take that first step when the fear of the unknown is holding you back and telling you lot of mean things. But if I could ask one thing of you, one thing, it would just be to put your shoes on, take a deep breath, and take that first step. You never know where it might lead, and I personally believe you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.
So keep on your path, my friend. What's the best that could happen?