Everyone has been asking questions about my AMAZING ELLEN experience!!
So here goes nothing..I hope I can answer most all questions in one long post!
Tuesday April 2nd I woke up, went to work just like a normal day. I hadn’t talked to anyone from the Ellen show in over 2 months-they called me In January but then i never heard back from them.
Around 12:30, I was in Mt Juliet for a work meeting and I got a phone call ((I have the numbers saved as THE ELLEN SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)) So instantly I answered!!
The producer said they were doing follow up interviews from the birthday show for an online segment, is there anyway you could come to LA?!
DUH. OF COURSE. When?!
Tonight.
Ummmm what???? Yes!!!!!!
(In reality I had no idea if I could, but I was willing to move mountains to make it happen bc when Ellen calls its a big dang deal!)
He said he was so excited and so sorry it’s so last minute but he would call me and let me know the finalized details in a little while, that it could potentially just be a Skype interview from my house.
5 hours went by....FIVE LONG HOURS, I was literally checking my phone every 2.5 seconds. I was determined it wasn’t going to happen.
He called me back at 530 (I was just leaving work) and said your flight leaves at 830 tonight and your hotel is booked! Can you make it to the airport?!!
YESSSSSSS!!!!
Wait, 8 pm like 2 1/2 hours?????!! 😬😬😬
(In all actuality I have no idea how we did it-I was in Hendersonville leaving work, I still had to go home in gallatin, pack, get kids taken care of, get a ride to the airport and through security and pray our flight didn’t leave us)
I had a million questions, and all they would tell me was : just worry about getting to the airport! We will take care of everything else. Just don’t miss your flight!
I don’t know what I was thinking when I was packing, I literally just started throwing stuff in my bag. Nothing matched, nothing made sense. Just random pieces of clothing. 😂😂
Of course Brandon lost his phone at the airport hahaha. luckily we found it, Thanks findmyiphone!!! It fell in between the belt of the security line where you place all of your items to go through the X-ray machine.
We made it to LA around 1130pm- a fancy driver in a fancy car picked us up from the airport holding an iPad with my name on it (Taylor Rowe for the Ellen Degeneres show -how freakin cool!!!)
He asked me about my nonprofit/humanitarian work, and I didn’t think anything of it, but in retrospect I think he knew more of what was going on than I did!!!
We were starving so he took us to In & Out first thing 😂😂
We woke up the next morning and they sent another fancy car and driver to take us to the studio. Except this time I got to go in a difference entrance, I got to go in backstage where Ellen goes in! Her car was parked right beside the entrance & there was much more security to get through.
The producer meets us In the parking lot and takes us to a backstage room. He is still insistent on saying I am being interviewed for an online segment, but Ellen was taping a show today and i might could check it out while i am here. Ummm yes!!!!!
A second producer came in and told me I needed to change for the taping of the show bc my dress was strapless (whoops)
So they gave me an outfit to wear (whattt?! In retrospect I think they were afraid I was going to lose my mind like the first time and a boob might fall out of my dress 😂😬😂😬)
Right after I got changed, they came back and said they had 2 extra seats for us to watch the show! He walked us down, and everyone else was already seated. I got to sit in twitch’s seat!!!!!
Before I knew it, she was saying my name and calling me on stage.
OH. MY. GOSH.
IS THIS REAL LIFE?!!!!!
I am sitting across from my biggest inspiration.
My butt is sitting in the white chair where so many amazing celebrities have sat!!!!!!
My life goal is coming true.
It happened SO fast. I still don’t know that I have entirely processed it. One thing i do know is that I snatched that money out of her hand so fast 😂😂😂
I have rehearsed in my mind 1937383992 things I would want to tell Ellen, and once again my mind went to mush. I did have the opportunity to talk to her during the commercial break, and told her how much of an inspiration she was to me..and y’all ELLEN DEGENERES TOLD ME I WAS AN INSPIRATION TO HER 😭😭😭😭😭
She truly is the kindest soul with the biggest heart. Every holiday my fiancé Brandon asks what I want, and every holiday my answer remains the exact same: TO GO BACK TO ELLEN.
I was given $10,000 and tons of Ellen swag. I decided to put the entire $10,000 into Live Love Nashville and give it all back to people in need. I haven’t decided how I am going to give back yet, but I can assure you that lives will be changed because of Ellen’s generosity!!!!
Can I go back now?!!
Be kind to one another
Love love love
Xoxo
Tay