The Jefferson Fisher PodcastStop Giving Your Best To Everyone Else ft. Thomas Rhett
EVERY SPOKEN WORD
60 min read · 12,013 words- 0:00 – 7:50
Growing Up With Thomas Rhett
- TRThomas Rhett
I wanna be known and loved the most by the people that love and know me the most.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Mm. Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
You know what I'm saying?
- JFJefferson Fisher
That's so good.
- TRThomas Rhett
And it's like you're-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... your best self in front of complete strangers.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right.
- TRThomas Rhett
But you're your worst version of yourself in front of the people that admire and respect you the most.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Or my family getting the best version of me, and that's like-
- TRThomas Rhett
Buddy.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Mm.
- TRThomas Rhett
That is the whole, the world loves to talk about work-life balance.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
I don't believe in it.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah. [laughs] Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
I don't.
- JFJefferson Fisher
What do you believe?
- TRThomas Rhett
I believe that you have to sort of be 100% committed where your feet are.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Now, I have to say congratulations.
- TRThomas Rhett
Thank you. For what?
- JFJefferson Fisher
Your, your son.
- TRThomas Rhett
My son.
- JFJefferson Fisher
That's right.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yes.
- JFJefferson Fisher
The biggest thing that could be going on right now. [laughs] Like, the number one thing that could be going on now.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Just like how is it being, uh... have a, have a son now?
- TRThomas Rhett
Dude, it's incredible. I mean, you know, when... I feel like when babies are under six months, it's hard to r- fully tell personality-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, for sure
- 7:50 – 11:40
Getting Into Music
- JFJefferson Fisher
it's okay. Okay.
- TRThomas Rhett
Um, and I just remember being like, "This is awesome," you know?
- JFJefferson Fisher
[laughs] Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
Um, and, uh, and so that kind of morphed into, like, I had a couple little bands, you know, in fifth grade and stuff.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Like Fraggle Flip-Flops, right?
- TRThomas Rhett
We were, like, a, more like a punk rock band. Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Kind of these.
- TRThomas Rhett
And, uh, my dad's, uh, brother was always a pr- production engineer/like front of house guy.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Mm-hmm.
- TRThomas Rhett
And so he recorded, uh, my very first album-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... in my dad's living room. We recorded five songs. Uh, played one show-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Nice
- TRThomas Rhett
... that 10 people attended. And, uh, I knew that I always sort of-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... had that bug. I, I loved to, to just entertain people.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right, right, right.
- TRThomas Rhett
Like, my sister and I would always, you know, uh, make up, like, little skits, and my dad would film them. We'd write scripts out and stuff. And so I always-
- JFJefferson Fisher
You have you and your sister?
- TRThomas Rhett
Huh?
- JFJefferson Fisher
You have ... How many siblings do you have?
- TRThomas Rhett
So I've got a wide range. So my, my sister is four years younger than me.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Okay.
- TRThomas Rhett
Uh, my parents divorced when I was nine.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Okay.
- TRThomas Rhett
Uh, both got remarried. Um, so my mom and my stepdad have a, a brother of mine who's 21 years old.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Okay.
- TRThomas Rhett
Just turned 21. And my dad and my stepmother have a six-year-old son.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Okay.
- TRThomas Rhett
So I, so I have-
- 11:40 – 17:53
High School Sweethearts Since First Grade
- TRThomas Rhett
counseling, counseling deal, and we got married at 22 years old. And, uh, our marriage counselor, my wife graduated from University of Tennessee, uh, with a nursing degree. So-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Were y'all high school sweethearts?
- TRThomas Rhett
Sort of.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Were you-
- TRThomas Rhett
We, we'd known each other since first grade, and we-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Oh, okay. Okay
- TRThomas Rhett
... we dated in high school a little bit, and then we broke up, and then-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Oh, one of those
- TRThomas Rhett
... didn't, didn't get back together until a little bit later. Um-
- JFJefferson Fisher
We were high school sweethearts.
- TRThomas Rhett
Cool.
- JFJefferson Fisher
But it sounds like you, like, wander back and you're like, "It's always been you."
- TRThomas Rhett
It was always her.
- JFJefferson Fisher
It's always, it's always you.
- TRThomas Rhett
It was always her.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
It really was.
- JFJefferson Fisher
There we go.
- TRThomas Rhett
Um-
- JFJefferson Fisher
But y- so we got married at 22, and our marriage counselor advised Lauren to not pursue her, uh, her nursing thing for just one year. She was like, "I think y'all just really need to be together." 'Cause the first year of your touring is an absolute nightmare. Oh, I- You're gone- ... I can imagine. I mean, I think we played 280 shows that year or something. So my wife rode, uh, the bus with me and my seven other band dudes for an entire year. [laughs] And after that year was over, she was like, "I have put my time in." Yeah, yeah. [laughs] "I'm done- Yeah ... with the road." Um, but yeah, so I put two singles out before It Goes Like This that did okay. Um, but It Goes Like This was my first number one. The- And then, uh, man, wildly, like, I'm, like, thinking about it now. W- I think we only had one miss. Right? There, there's only one single I put out to radio. Is that right? What in? During the, in my whole career. Only one that didn't go number one? Correct. That's good. Well, besides the first two, yeah, there was one that I put out in the middle- [laughs] ... of my career that didn't go number one, but it, like, it streamed and sold like it was number one. That's unreal. I remember calling radio stations. Yeah. Being like, "Hey, can you play this song?" "Why aren't you playing this?" Yeah. Oh. [laughs] "What's the deal?" "What's wrong with this?" They were just like, "It's just a little, like, not, doesn't fit the box." And I was like- Yeah ... "All right. That's fair, you know?" Agree to disagree. Agree to disagree. Yeah. [laughs] Um, but that was a lot of the songs in my career, man. I, um, on my second record, dude, I put this song out called Crash and Burn that was just super, just not what country radio was playing at all. Yeah. And when that song went number one and a song called Make Me Wanna, I, it sort of carved this, like, weird unique lane for me- Mm-hmm ... where the songs were sort of so off kilter, but I think people recognized my voice. And so I, I've kinda made a living off of kinda always playing a little bit outside the lane of what, quote-unquote, you know, country radio is. Well, you've definitely, you've definitely found your own- Found the lane. Yeah. Before we keep going, I want to take a moment to tell you about Cozy Earth. One of the reasons I absolutely love Cozy Earth is because everything they make, truly the name holds up, is cozy. And I don't know about you, but I love to wear around-the-house loungewear. I also, you might see me at the grocery store in some loungewear. I just, I like it. I, if I don't have to dress up, that's what I'm going to. Well, Cozy Earth, their stuff is top-notch. It's only, not, it's not only made well, but it also feels really good, and it's something that I can throw on and know if I'm gonna go outside, do something with the kids, it's easy. And you know what helps when you're a busy dad and busy life or busy parent is easy. So you can go to cozyearth.com/jefferson, use the code Jefferson for up to 20% off. Uh, these are their pants. I absolutely love them. Cozyearth.com/jefferson. Use the code Jefferson for up to 20% off. And now let's keep going. I- Sure ... I'm gonna ask you a question that, this is a selfish question. Okay. So in a different life, I would've been a songwriter. Great. I love that, like- You still can be. Uh, this true. We're not done. And I can be a lawyer. There we go. Oh. Yeah. Let's go. We'll just switch. Okay. Switch trades. Uh, so I grew up James Taylor- Yeah ... Jim Croce. Like, that was singer-songwriter era. For sure. How does, when you're in that room for the first time, the, and with your dad and guys- Mm ... is it, like, super nerve-wracking when you're around people who know how to write songs, and you're like, [clears throat] "Actually, I think it might be cool to add in this," and they're like- Totally ... like, how, how did they, how did they politely kinda say no, but no or, like, h- how does that, walk me through that process. Yeah, but it still happens. Like, I was, I mean, I, I don't, I hate ... The, the t- the term professional I hold fully loosely- Yeah, yeah, yeah ... like, as a- Yeah ... singer or an artist. Yeah. [laughs] Um, but, uh- Yeah, walk me through that. What happens? Yeah. I mean, the thing that we do now- Mm ... is if we, if we hear a line from someone who even is a great songwriter- Mm-hmm ... and, and they say something, we're like, "Oh, that's cool," that's it. [laughs] Oh, that's- You know what I mean? That's your, okay. That's, like, the polite way of saying, "That's not the line." Yeah. Um- "Oh, that's cool. That's cool." "That's cool." Yeah. Anyway. [laughs] Uh, you know. Uh- I love that ... but, but when you're an unexperienced writer like I was in that room, even just having the courage to speak is ho- is horrifying. I mean, it's like- It has to be ... it's like stepping on the first tee box at Augusta. [laughs] No, I, I, it has to be. You know what I mean? Like, I think of, like, whenever I see, um, any bluegrass circles. Yeah. You know? And, man, if I was, I might have to jump in on a ... I, I would just be terrified- 100% ... if, like, you're, you're going in there. Like, there's no way. I will say that's more nerve-wracking. If you're just kind of an okay guitar player- Yeah ... hop- hopping in with a bunch of professional bluegrass players- Exactly ... I just wouldn't play. But in a writing room, so it's a, you have a little more, it's, it's different. It's a little bit ... Okay, it's more laid back. There's more grace there. Okay. Yeah, because you just physically can't be as good as- Yeah ... those bluegrass guys. I feel like in, in communication, we say, "Yeah, that's crazy," like, the n- things that aren't crazy, but we don't wanna say- That's, that's, that's useless to me ... most of my conversations with a stranger. You know what I mean? You don't wanna say, like, "That was kinda useless information. I don't know what to do with that." "Whoa, that's crazy." Yeah, yeah, "Oh, that's crazy." That means I could care less what we're saying. Yeah, that is exactly- Yeah ... that's, that's, uh, it's saying thank you for the nothing you just gave me- Uh-huh. Yeah ... is what it really is. Right. [laughs] But it's like [laughs] - Similar. It's very similar, yeah. Thank you for that help, that heaping help of nothing. But I do think with songwriting, everyone has their own unique style. I mean, just like in law, I would imagine- Sure ... not every lawyer goes about the courtroom the exact same way. Like- No ... it's like, and the same with parenting. Like- Right ... your dad definitely parented different than I'm parenting now, but I cannot wait to adopt the way that your dad parented- Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah ... into my children. Um, but in songwriting, dude, everybody just has their own style and their own brand, and unless you're writing with people that have the grace to allow you to say some stupid stuff- Yeah ... you're never gonna, you're never gonna get any better. That's true. You know what I mean? Because if you don't say it, it's definitely not gonna be put in the song. Yeah. So you might as well just say it. So we start off every session by saying, "Hello, there are no dumb ideas in this room." I like that. Yeah. 'Cause you almost have to leave the ego at the door- Yeah ... and come in. You're, you're going to go through a lot of terribleness in every session, I don't care how good you are- Yeah ... to get to something that's like this great. And I feel that's, you know, it's- It's life ... I would say that's life. Yes.
- 17:53 – 22:39
Is This Your Favorite Season of Life
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right? Now, how do, how does ... I wanna pick that up for Here, Here You Are, the son, which hits different than girls, but you love your girls. Yeah. You love your son. You have all your kids. Yeah. For me, I feel like I've lived different lives- In each one, I learn just a little bit more. In each one, I get a little bit more proud of who I am and what I'm doing and how I, I'm showing up.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Do you find, like, in th- th- this season, this stage of your life right now is your, is your favorite?
- TRThomas Rhett
Do I feel like this is my favorite?
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yes. Yeah, I mean, yes. I, I'm, I'm my most true self today than I have ever been.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, I love that.
- TRThomas Rhett
And I think you're, I think you're gonna say that, hopefully-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Always
- TRThomas Rhett
... every decade.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, you don't wanna be like, "Oh, this is all right. Well, it was really good when I was-" [laughs]
- TRThomas Rhett
I was way better, dude, at 25 than I am now.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
I think if, if, if you can't say that every few years, then you really have not, you're not, you're not doing any work-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... on yourself. And I think it's, you have to do, you have to continue to work on yourself. I mean, I told my, my 10-year-old daughter the other night when we got into bed, and, um, she was saying something like, "Why are you..." I'm trying to remember how she phrased this. Like, "Why, why do I get in trouble for things, but, like, but, like, Lennon doesn't?" Our six-year-old.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Mm-hmm.
- TRThomas Rhett
And I'm like, "Baby, un- fortunately and unfortunately-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... you are the oldest."
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right.
- TRThomas Rhett
Right? So with that comes great responsibility. With that comes, you're gonna do things before everybody else gets to do them. On the flip side of that, this is the first time I'm dealing with it.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
You know what I'm saying?
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
I've never had a 10-year-old before.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right.
- TRThomas Rhett
So I'm learning this in real time-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right
- TRThomas Rhett
... with you. You know what I'm saying? Um, y- 'cause you know the whole, like, model of, like, the, the youngest kid always got, like, less.
- 22:39 – 28:46
Everyone Needs an Old Man to Call
- JFJefferson Fisher
you.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
I'm-
- TRThomas Rhett
Which is why I think everyone needs an old friend.
- JFJefferson Fisher
The oldest of friends.
- TRThomas Rhett
Everyone needs an old man. A dude needs an old man, and a woman needs an old woman in their lives-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... that they talk to once a month on the phone.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Hands down.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
I have several. And I-
- TRThomas Rhett
Good.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah. It's, and I've always been, like, an old soul.
- TRThomas Rhett
For sure.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Uh, but that, well, I definitely have some old people that I call up-
- TRThomas Rhett
Yes
- JFJefferson Fisher
... when, when things are going o- I call it, we call it, uh, in my, in my circles of y- having a bucket.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Like, so you'll call a buddy, and you just go, "I need a bucket."
- TRThomas Rhett
Mm-hmm.
- JFJefferson Fisher
And that means just lay it all out there.
- TRThomas Rhett
Oh, dump it all. Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, dump it all out there.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
And then you start to sift it and sort it, and-
- TRThomas Rhett
That's right
- JFJefferson Fisher
... but you gotta hear from people who've been through it.
- TRThomas Rhett
That's right.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Otherwise, you don't... You, you lose it. I always feel of, [chuckles] makes me think of growing up. We would, uh, have our golf tournaments in high school.
- TRThomas Rhett
Mm-hmm.
- 28:46 – 35:27
When the World Sees Your Marriage Differently
- JFJefferson Fisher
upwork.com. Let's keep going. I wanna, um, talk for a moment on the idea of ... You've, you've had a lot of songs about women, marriage, specifically a woman. Yeah. Your wife. Mm-hmm. And you almost in some way become a model for marriage- Mm ... in culture, in, uh, news or whatever celebrity is. W- how hard is that? What's that like- Yeah ... when you feel like, hold up, wait, we're just as normal as everybody else. Sure. And all of a sudden, we're ... People actually care- Uh-huh ... more about our marriage than actually being in it. Yeah. It's a, it's a weird juxtaposition. You know, I was actually having this conversation earlier. Um, but, like, when, you know, being in the limelight, quote-unquote, or being, like, a quote-unquote, like, celebrity- Yeah ... you, you know, the, the world sort of develops this, um, this framework that you, that they pin you under. You know what I'm saying? Like- They decide for you ... they kinda decide for you of just kinda like if you were ... I g- and maybe I'm wrong on this, but I would like to think that if you went out, if you went out in Nashville right now and polled 100 people- Mm-hmm ... be like, "Hey, when, when I say the name Thomas Rhett, what do you think of?" They'd be like, "Oh, his wife." Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Right. Okay, what else? His ki- his beautiful kids. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And they're like, "Okay, what else? Music?" Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Maybe. Is ... Doesn't he sing? Isn't he a thing? Doesn't he sing? Yeah, yeah. Exactly. And so, and maybe I'm wrong on that, but I would, I would like to believe that that is more than likely what people think of when they think of me. And so it's like, it has been this interesting kind of change, especially, like-
- TRThomas Rhett
You know, social media has been around for a minute now, but now it literally is all... Like, podcasts, social media is our way that we, that we project.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
This is the way we, you know, market all the stuff. And so for me, it's been interesting to find this balance of like, okay, well, when I post a picture of, like, my family on Easter Sunday, it's gonna get a she load of engagement.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right.
- TRThomas Rhett
But if I post a picture or a video of a new song, maybe it's not gonna connect as much. And so for me, I have to find this, like, weird balance of, like, but I still do this for a living.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, yeah. [laughs]
- TRThomas Rhett
Like, you know what I'm saying?
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
Um, because I think people have sort of labeled our family, like, I mean, couple goals, uh-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... you know, uh, dream family goals.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right.
- TRThomas Rhett
Um, all, all this kind of stuff. And so when that is your perception, you sort of innately come back in your house, and when things are not going well, you're like, you kind of in your mind go, "But I thought we were the perfect family."
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right.
- TRThomas Rhett
"I thought I was the perfect husband."
- JFJefferson Fisher
Exactly. Exactly.
- TRThomas Rhett
Everybody thinks I am.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everybody says I am.
- TRThomas Rhett
Everybody says I am.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
Um, and so it is fascinating, dude, because there... We live such a normal life. Like, as normal as we can-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... to, to, to, to have done the things that we have gotten to do.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yes.
- TRThomas Rhett
I would like to think that we are very normal. I understand that our, some of our ways of traveling are different.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right.
- TRThomas Rhett
And some of the places we stay-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... are different. Um, but, like, I feel like we are so insanely normal, and my kids think that we are so insanely normal, that when we go places and people wanna take pictures with me and Lar- our kids are just like, "What the frick is happening right now?"
- 35:27 – 39:04
Fans or Family Getting the Best of Me
- TRThomas Rhett
... I wanna be known and loved the most by the people that love and know me the most.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Mm, yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
You know what I'm saying?
- JFJefferson Fisher
That's so good.
- TRThomas Rhett
And it's like you're your-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... best self in front of complete strangers.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right.
- TRThomas Rhett
But you're your worst version of yourself in front of the people that admire and respect you the most.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah. There's a question I always try to ask myself is, is, are my fans or my family getting the best version of me? And that's like-
- TRThomas Rhett
Buddy.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Ooh.
- TRThomas Rhett
That is the whole, the world loves to talk about work-life balance.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
I don't believe in it.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah. [laughs] Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
I don't.
- JFJefferson Fisher
What do you believe?
- TRThomas Rhett
I believe that you have to sort of be 100% committed where your feet are.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
So, if you're at home, you have to be 100% that guy.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right.
- TRThomas Rhett
You know what I mean? Like, I think that it's, it's a, it's a slippery slope to me to be like, oh, I can take a couple phone calls-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... on a Saturday.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, that's hard.
- TRThomas Rhett
While my kids are playing T-ball in the backyard.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Mm-hmm.
- TRThomas Rhett
'Cause those couple calls turn into an all-day thing.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah.
- 39:04 – 43:39
No Such Thing as a Country Music Emergency
- JFJefferson Fisher
Let's keep going. I've heard you speak on kind of this transition of things you didn't do as well- Mm ... in marriage and relationship and family, and now you're at a place where you feel like you do well. So what, what is the thing in your mind you felt like you had to unlearn to be where you are now? Um, I was on the phone ... I hope she's okay with me sharing this, and if it's not, y'all can just- Yeah, we can cut it ... cut it out. Whatever. Yeah. Uh, but I was on the phone with Miranda Lambert the other day. Yeah. She's kind of weirdly always been ... Not weirdly. She's been an amazing friend, uh, ever since I started in this business. Oh, that's cool. Um, I was kind of seven or eight years behind her, so she's always been doing it eight to 10 years longer than me. Yeah. So she's always had a, a 10-year sort of wisdom gap- Mm-hmm ... ahead of me or whatever, and I called her the other day just, just to talk about music, the road, touring. Like, at what point do you, like, not do a 50-show tour? Like, at what point do you decide maybe we can- maybe we can't sell 20,000 tickets? And you know- Yeah, yeah ... we were having this conversation, and just started talking about, man, I just feel like I end up just saying yes always for, for the sake of more. Yeah. And she said, she said, "Let me just remind you that there is no such thing as a country music emergency." That's good. And I lo- I, I freaking love that quote, because it's not just a country music emergency. Yeah. She was like, "You're not a doctor. Like, you're not going in to do a heart transplant tonight. You're got, you're not curing cancer. You're literally deciding should I do this podcast or should I not?" Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. And when you really zoom out 1,000 feet- Right ... and kind of go, oh, that's really not a big deal. Yeah. And more than likely, there will be another opportunity to do something else down the line that matches up better with my schedule. And so I think the thing that I had to unlearn is that if, i- if I said no eight to 10 years ago, which I didn't say no eight to 10 years ago. Right. It was always a yes. Um, I've had to, I've had to unlearn that just because it's a good opportunity doesn't mean it's the best opportunity. Yeah. Um, and so I- I've been very, very fortunate with such an amazing team- Right ... that sort of knows where my rankings are on my, like, family, work- Priorities ... stuff. Mm-hmm. To where it's like they have done a great job of just presenting me with a lot of different options, and being like, "Hey, we believe that this is great. We believe that this is a lot of good exposure. We believe this. We believe this." Mm-hmm. And so they present the options. We get ... And then we haven't done this great, but we have now started trying to do once a month, sitting down, not just with me, but with my wife. Oh, nice. Because I'm not a good communicator. Yeah. [laughs] I'm one of those people that will say- Yeah ... yes to a million things and get super fired up about this thing and super fired up about this, and then I get home, and I'm like, "Oh, I really need to talk to Lauren about this stuff." Oh, my gosh. Dude, yeah. But as you know- Yeah ... when? Yes. When are we gonna do that? Yes. When we get in the bed at 9:00? Y- yeah, yeah, yeah. What's happening? Are we gonna do that or are we trying to watch Silo season three? Right. Yes. You know what I'm saying? [laughs] And it just ends up not getting talked about, and then by the time that whole busy week that we- Yeah ... had planned gets there- Right ... everyone's in shock. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. My wife goes, "When did you plan all this?" Yeah. I'm like, "Oh, um, a couple months ago." Yeah. She's like, "Well, I didn't ... I mean, uh, we don't have, w- we don't have a babysitter." I'm like, I'm like, "Oh, shoot." Yeah, yeah. And then I just scramble, and then I cancel, and then I become this, like, very unreliable person. Right. Does that make sense? Dude, I, I lived that, okay? Okay. [laughs] Okay. I, yeah, like, in, in the last six months, all right? Because what would happen is they would say, of course, my scale, much smaller on ... ... tour and, and everything else of, they'd ask me, "Can you be on this show-
- TRThomas Rhett
Hmm
- JFJefferson Fisher
... podcast, whatever?" And I go, "Yeah, yeah, yeah." And then, or I'd say, "Hold off." And then I'd ask Sierra, and she'd be like, "Oh, well that's Ruby's dance recital."
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
You know, like, or, "This is-
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah
- JFJefferson Fisher
... not a dance recital, but, like, this is a program at school."
- TRThomas Rhett
I'm getting stressed out-
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah
- TRThomas Rhett
... thinking about this.
- JFJefferson Fisher
And, and, and I'm like, I'm like, "Oh, it is? Oh, okay." And then, then I'd have to go tell somebody-
- TRThomas Rhett
Hmm
- JFJefferson Fisher
... that's not a good date, and then they'd have to come back with a different date.
- TRThomas Rhett
Mm-hmm.
- JFJefferson Fisher
And it was like, they'd just put me in a, in a impossible position. And so what we've done is now Sierra is, like, the number one filter-
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah
- JFJefferson Fisher
... of protecting. Her job is chief number one-
- TRThomas Rhett
Mm-hmm
- JFJefferson Fisher
... of, like, uh, any schedule things, any publicity things-
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah
- JFJefferson Fisher
... any of your stuff like that once-a-month meeting or whatever.
- TRThomas Rhett
For sure.
- JFJefferson Fisher
It all runs through her.
- TRThomas Rhett
100%.
- JFJefferson Fisher
And so it's, I, I, don't let me make a scheduling decision because her brain has the capacity-
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah
- JFJefferson Fisher
... to handle all the tabs-
- TRThomas Rhett
For sure
- JFJefferson Fisher
... out in the open. And, and that just makes my life and our life-
- TRThomas Rhett
Mm-hmm
- 43:39 – 48:51
Leaning Into Faith
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah, 100%, man.
- JFJefferson Fisher
I, uh, I do have to tell you this number one song that gets played at my house is your Nothing Else with Forrest Frank.
- TRThomas Rhett
Oh, sick. [laughs]
- JFJefferson Fisher
Dude, my kids love, we all-
- TRThomas Rhett
Buddy
- JFJefferson Fisher
... e- uh, every morning-
- TRThomas Rhett
Same
- JFJefferson Fisher
... every morning is Forrest Frank. Every morning.
- TRThomas Rhett
Same.
- JFJefferson Fisher
And so I, I have to say-
- TRThomas Rhett
There's not much, like, inspiring music out there that feels like you're listening to Fetty Wap at the same time.
- JFJefferson Fisher
[laughs] Yeah.
- TRThomas Rhett
You know what I'm saying?
- JFJefferson Fisher
At the very same time.
- TRThomas Rhett
You can just blast on a Monday morning.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Right, right.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
And, and it's just age appropriate [laughs] for everybody.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yes.
- JFJefferson Fisher
Yeah, exactly.
- TRThomas Rhett
Yeah.
- JFJefferson Fisher
And so we'll, I'll be making eggs just going, man, I'm having a... This, this is-
- TRThomas Rhett
That's right
- JFJefferson Fisher
... this feels like... Yeah. Um, I do have to say I am encouraged and am proud to see what I have seen, and that is more leaning into your faith-
- TRThomas Rhett
Hmm
- JFJefferson Fisher
... and being more, I think just more God focused in your m- message. And I think that's something, as somebody watching from the outside, man, I'm so proud, dude.
- TRThomas Rhett
Thanks, dude.
- JFJefferson Fisher
I think, I think that's just, that's just awesome because that's hard. That's really hard of, like, what, what do you, what if you're not the Thomas Rhett that people fell in love with-
- TRThomas Rhett
Hmm
- JFJefferson Fisher
... 13 years ago-
Episode duration: 48:51
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