WOW! Five years ago today (January 3rd, 2020), we officially launched The Chris & Sandy Show on my late mom’s birthday to honor her memory.
When we started, we went full speed ahead. The show initially focused on up-and-coming country music artists, but just ten months later, it evolved into a full-on entertainment interview platform. We began interviewing artists, actors, authors, athletes, CEOs, and more.
I vividly remember the turning point. Not long after COVID hit, a PR company reached out and offered us six of their clients. That was a game-changer for the show. One of those clients was Ana Cristina Cash, the wife of John Carter Cash. That interview opened doors for us. Soon after, we had Carlene Carter, Georgette Jones, Jenny Gill, and others join us. That solidified our credibility.
Seeing the momentum, we made a bold decision to pursue bigger artists. With live events on hold, many were more open to interviews. To my surprise, some said yes, and the show kept growing from there.
Each guest brought even more credibility, and the whole experience felt surreal.
At that point, we were still audio-only. Sandy was adamant that video wasn’t an option. But by the end of September 2020, she asked if I thought we should try video. By October, The Chris & Sandy Show became a video interview series.
I wanted to kick off the video era with someone high profile, and we found that person in Ally Brooke, formerly of Fifth Harmony. That first video was rough—we were still figuring things out—but we kept going. But Ally was so gracious to us! We appreciated that so much.
Around the same time, we expanded to include actors in our interviews.
Over the years we have featured iconic names like Brian Littrell of The Backstreet Boys, country music legend Sara Evans, beloved actor Ed Asner, actress and TV personality Brooke Burke, country artists Joe Nichols, John Michael Montgomery, and Clay Walker, and the multi-talented John Tesh, among many others.
Some of our more recent highlights include country artist Kaylee Rose, comedian Carlos Mencia, actress Michelle Stafford (Young & the Restless), Lifetime Movies actress Brittany McVicker, and renowned drummer Zoro The Drummer.
That first year, we completed 300 interviews! The second year, we hit 200, and by the third year, we slowed to 100. Losing my dad and Sandy’s mom within 90 days of each other took a toll on us. It was a tough season.
That season of grief was one of the biggest reasons we put the show on hiatus. But now, we’re excited to bring it back. Our first guest of 2025 will be songwriter and author Doak Turner.
We can’t wait to see where the show goes in 2025!
5 Lessons from Our Journey
1) Embrace the Pivot – When the show shifted from country music to full entertainment, we didn’t fight it. Sometimes growth requires flexibility. Be open to evolving your vision.
2) Seize Unexpected Opportunities – The PR company reaching out was unexpected, but we said yes. Often, the biggest breakthroughs come from opportunities you didn’t anticipate.
3) Be Bold and Ask – We never imagined bigger artists would say yes, but they did. Don’t let self-doubt stop you from pursuing what seems out of reach. Ask anyway.
4) Push Through Imperfection – Our first video with Ally Brooke wasn’t perfect, but we kept going. Progress often comes through messy starts. Keep moving forward even when things feel rough.
5) Give Yourself Grace in Hard Seasons – Life hit hard when we lost family members, and we slowed down. It’s okay to pause, reflect, and regroup. The important part is to get back up and keep going.
We hope these lessons inspire you not to quit. The road isn’t always easy, but persistence and faith can lead to incredible opportunities.
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