Brooke Hogan

today's episode. You know, the whole idea of this show is origin stories and like the things that people had to do to get to the places that they are today, the turmoil that they had to endure. The one thing I always come back to after having these conversations with these extremely successful people is their work ethic. There is no substitute for hard work. There really isn't. I don't know if I've met anybody who just was successful because they were lucky. I think we all want to think

that's the truth, but it's just not. And sometimes you can start out super successful and then things kind of fall off, and then you have to kind of jump back on hustle, hustle, hustle and bring yourself back up to it, which is the case of our guests today. And they were on a TV show when they were a kid. Yeah, their manager as a kid was Lou Perlman, the guy who created the Backstreet Boys, and Aaron Carter and many others. Yeah, they were on a bunch of

hit reality TV shows. Yeah they had a number one single, But in this industry, it's feast for famine. And what I love about this episode today is our guests could be so entitled from who their father is, all the work they've done, it's kind of rested on their laurels. That's not what happened. This one buckled down, reinvented herself and in the meantime didn't ask for a damn thing from her famous but waited tables inside, burn the candle at both ends, and it's back on the come up.

This is a really inspiring story And for those of you out there who are hustling like crazy, this episode will remind you that, dude, we've all been there before. Star of Hogan knows best, the Star of Brooke knows best, The Daughter of Thunder lips himself. That's right. Today on the Welles Cast, it's Brooke Hogan. This is one episode do you are not going to want to miss? Al right back in the Wells Cast. Very excited to have someone who I've watched for a very long time on

reality TV, the one, the only Brooke Hogan. How are you? I'm doing pretty good listen. So you've got a lot of stuff going on. You're like the only person in show biz it's working right now. So congratulations on that. Oh my god, I know a few people that are. But it's definitely been hard with this COVID thing. I mean, man, it's just hard to make a human connection. It's hard to see people play music, you know, meet up with people.

It's it's a completely different world that we live in now. Well, congratulations on your new country single Love People, which is out now. I was listening to it on Spotify and I gotta say I love the sound, but it is a departure from what I know you as God. Back when I was with Lou Pearlman down in Orlando, Florida,

the boy band Mogul. He actually had me doing guitar driven music back then, but nobody ever got to hear that music because he got caught for money laundering and everything got seized and auctioned off and that was the end of that. And then I was just doing some some pop stuff with Larry Rudolph, Britty Spears manager, and I did like a one off show at Mansion in Miami, and Scott Storge just happened to be there and he was like, we're gonna make you our flagship artists. We

want to sign you. So I was like, okay, you know, because I could dance and you know, do the whole thing. Because obviously I came from the boy and camp where they groom you to be a pop sensation, and and because I had a little bit of soul and I was raised on you know, Teddy Pendergrass and Luther the Van Drives and stuff. He was like, we're going to make you an R and B like white Girl, and

you're gonna be like a white Sierra. And I was like, okay, that sounds fun, but you know, you're eighteen years old, You're like, I'm down with that um And it went well. I mean, we did, we did great, but you know, it's kind of hard because I think people box you into one thing, and you don't realize when you're a songwriter. It's like if somebody said, write a song that sounds like Justin Bieber right now, great, write a song for

a girl band, you know, for Disney. You know. It's like you can kind of mold yourself into anything you really need to be. But I think I'm kind of returning back to where my my passion is and where I feel more comfortable. Can we play a little bit of this love People single? Sure? Yeah, all right, let's do it. We do? What do people have to love? People? Even people making promises and that to keep them is a they they would pay. Wouldn't it be away? Safe?

It's strangers? Just say it's stranger. I can never break if you don't give it away. Why do people have to love? Thankfully? I think of all the real love the radio. I feel like this is ah I guess appropriate song for the times we're living in right now? Hell curiously right. It's so funny because we recorded this song and we were like, man, it really fits with this whole you know, pandemic and everything that we're going through.

And then this bomb hit Nashville and it makes even more sense now it's just kind of like I was talking to my friends, I'm like, people want so badly to be connected, and they want to be in love, and they want to love each other, and they want to feel like they're part of a community. But then we self sabotage. We've got these people that are destroying our community and not coming together and doing the opposite. I'm like, can we please just raise the consciousness and

stop being crazy people? And just why can't we all just get along? You know? So, um, you know what, I'm proud of my city. I mean, if one if there's one thing Nashville knows how to do, is they know how to come together and and be strong together. So it's just super unfortunate, you know. And it's like it feels like the world is ending. I'm sure a lot of people feel like that. It's like people are starting to get cabin fever. They're like, when is this going to end? When are we going to have a

cure of vaccine? And this is that's that we can get back to our normal lives. It's just start to drive people in saying, tell me about the songwriting process for this. I mean, you're now living in Nashville, which is the mecca of music row and songwriting. So was this different than some of the other music that you

put out just in terms of like logistics of creating it? Well, so, yeah, actually it really it's very different as far as creating it because being in Nashville, I write everything, and this was a song that we actually stumbled upon and gave us goose bumps. So I had no hand in writing it. But when I heard it, I was like, oh my god,

I have to record that song. It's amazing. And I was lucky enough to be able to get my hands on it, and some of our great friends and songwriters in Nashville wrote it, so it was already felt It already felt like a personal thing because we knew the people that wrote it. But I do try to write most of my stuff, but sometimes if you just stumble upon a great song, it's a great song. There's nothing you can do about it, so except sing it. That's one of the things I kind of love and hate

about Nashville. One. A lot of the songs that come out of Nashville are not very personal to the artist because they didn't actually write it. But that's also kind of goes with pop music. But then what I love about it is it's this industry that pumps out so much money for so many people because a lot of people have hands in writing this, and then it becomes like a very communal aspect yet feeding a lot of families.

But then you have like those kind of bluebird writers in the round thing where you get to like hear the background stories and stuff like that. Yeah, it definitely it's a place where your dream can come true even if it doesn't come to full fruition, Like you can still do your passion. You can still do what you love even if you never make it on the big stage age. You can at least make a living doing what you love, which is so great about Nashville. So

there is no city like Nashville, that's for sure. Yeah, when you say that, it reminds me of this quote that I heard Bill Murray say one time, where he says, everyone wants to be rich and famous, just try to be rich first and see if that's enough, which is very very true. I think a lot of songwriters are like, I don't know if I want to be on tour forty eight weeks out of the year and have to like sign autographs and stuff. I want to get some mailbox money and chill in my house and Belle mead,

It's true. One of my really good friends, Jen Denmark, is a songwriter for HERB and she's like one of their top songwriters and she's so successful and has done so well in songwriting and she gets to enjoy her privacy. And I'm like, I'm so jealous. You didn't have to like go like hold yourself out. But I always always said I never did it for the fame. I'm kind of a little bit more of an introvert. I don't like being around a ton of people. I love being home.

I'm a homebody. Um. I feel silly doing selfies and videoing myself even though that is the way of the world. I feel like, oh my gosh, I have to keep up with these kids, and I feel us and narcissistic. I hate this, um, But yeah, it is a completely different world. You have to stay on the TikTok and the trailer and this and that, and I'm like, there are too many social media platforms. I just need to post to one every couple of weeks and that would

be good for me. But so yeah, you know, but it is cool the one thing I have found, even the fame definitely has I feel, probably more downsides than upsides. One of the upsides is if you do have your head on your shoulders, if you are not a jerk, and you use your fame for good, to influence people in the right ways and to try to help people, then it makes it fulfilling on that aspect of it.

Well yeah, and also you're not you know, I come from the Bachelor world, where so many people go into that I think mainly to get big Instagram follows and sell kind of bo on Instagram, which no judgment to

anything that does that. I do that. But you were thrust into it at a young age where it like, wasn't your prerogative really was like I would assumes your pops prerogative to start this show and make little lecture cash and you were kind of pans prerogative because the Osborne's were on TV and he said, I'm telling you the new way of the world is reality TV. We have to get Brooke a reality show and it will help her music. So we actually did the reality show

to help the music, which it absolutely did. It gives you so much exposure. It's like free advertising for it, well not free, but you know, advertising for thirty minutes every time in episode airs. It's like, you know, people have to pay millions of dollars for that kind of

time slot if it's a commercial. So and we were just kind of pioneers in it because the Osborne's had done it and they were a little bit dirtier and they were cursing and just kind of like fly on the wall, like seeing how raunchy they were, and it was hilarious. But we decided to go down the path of our basis was that old show Father Knows Best, where there's like a moral at the end of the story and this and that, and it kind of fit

the narrative of you know, we're a family unit. You know, you expect Hulk going to be this big, screaming guy like you see in the ring, and really he's this tender, cries at the lion king kind of guy. And I was doing my music and Nick was doing his stuff. So but at the end of our show, it was always a moral at the end of the story, so

we tried to make it positive. So, I mean, after Hogan Knows Best, you did Brooke Knows Best that ran for like six years, which well done on that, and then now I heard there's a new one coming out soon. We've had a couple of different people wanting to I guess the new fad And it's so funny because I just did an interview for kt l A. They were like, it's this new fad of like re upping old brands, and I'm like, who you calling old? But it has been about ten years since since Brooke Knows Best, um,

and I would absolutely love to do that again. Um. Like I said, there's been a couple of people approaching. UM. We were actually pretty close on one deal, but Covid has just really kind of stolen the thunder. But yeah, I would love to do that. There's so many, you know, new things going on with my life too. I mean I'm in Nashville and doing the songwriting and trying to find a husband. I swear I feel like the right show would be going on The Bachelorette. Well, I know,

I know all those producers. If you want to get on that, I can get you on that immediately. I want the simple things in life. I want to you know, picket fence in the family, and the whole thing, you know, because like when you come from such a crazy life and such a crazy background, it's like you really actually

value family and your privacy and stuff like that. So it's just so hard to find in general, people dating in general have a hard time finding people, let alone being whole Coogan's daughter and you know, having your own career and then having your dad's career kind of there in the background. It's like, well, what do you want from me? I assume it's got to be tough to date you, Like, okay, it's like post show you're dating whoever.

I feel bad for my sisters. My dad wasn't you know, a professional wrestler who was like known of like just beating the crap out of people. Was it so scary for you to introduce guys to him? And then also like, were those guys just so terrified to come and meet

your dad? You get like two sets of guys. You get guys that are like, oh, I'm a big boy, I can handle myself, and they come in coffee, and then you get the ones that are really scared and they can't hold their own and you're just like, oh my gosh, um, now it's more like my dad is more protective of me and the music because he knows that we're onto something good with this music and the other stuff that we have is just oh my gosh.

Like we were having a hard time picking which song to come out with, and Love People made sense with the time that we're in, um, but the other music that we have is just equally as good. It's just also awesome. And and he's like, don't let any boy distract you. I'm like, Tad, I'm thirty two years old. Like you met Jen, the lady he's married to right now. I'm like, you met her when she was my age, Like it's time, you know, so, But you know, God has his own plan, so I'm just going with the flow.

I do love Love People. It's a single that came out what in October? Came out in October, I think towards the end of October something like that. And uh, like I said, COVID kind of slow stuff down. We're hitting it hard with radio team and everything January one, So that's exciting. What's following is there an EP and LP is there's an EP? And I argue with my best friend and music manager Drew all the time on

what's going to be the next single. There's one called Boomerang that he's like, you need to perform this at WrestleMania. It's such a badass song, like you just have to like come out and just kill it um. And then my dad's got a favorite called Don't Know It Yet, which is like a very motown love song. He kind of he's a hopeless romantic, so he loves that song.

And then other people love this one that me and Jen Denmark wrote together called boys Trip, which is like a total play on words like and you think it would be like, oh, boys trip, like beerers and golfing and stuff, and it's more like boys trip when they think that I've been getting a little bit bit of too much attention, or when they don't like the kind of looks that I'm getting, like stuff like that. It's

kind of like insecure men. So there's this plethora of music that we're like, we can't really decide what to go with for the next single. So I have a feeling it's going to be somewhere between Boomerang and Boys Trip. Maybe not sure. I was a music director of program director for many years, so if you want to send me over some of the demos. I like the idea. I like that idea. I'm actually going to have to get your number and put you and Drew on a

because Drew loves that. He loves like asking pds for their opinion and which one they would put out next. So we will definitely send you the songs and let you give us your opinion. I would love that. Actually, So is is Brooke knows Nashville? Like just in pause? Like I I read about that there's this reality show that you're going to be filming out in Nashville. So is it just on positive cod cod covid has put

it on pause. There's so many different rules with the city about how many people can be in a room stuff like that. So it's like try having a thirty person camera crew in a twelve by ten room. Not happening. So we're trying to figure out how we can make this happen. I mean, we're gonna have to get creative. So quit break and we come back. We are going to did anyone tell you the basis of this podcast? Um? They said that you talk about where people are, like background,

where people are, okay, cool origin stories. When we come back. We're gonna find out where the hell Brooke Hogan came from and how the hell she got here? Stick around. That's pretty cool, actually, all right back in the Welles cast. I have Brooke Hogan on this show today. This show is an origin story show, and I feel like a lot of people saw your origin story in real time, like you grew up in front of a lot of families. But I want to go back before Hogan knows best

where were you born? You know what I think? First of all, before we can get into that, I think that that's very clever because anytime you do an interview right as a celebrity or somebody that's, you know, have a little bit of fame, people kind of don't really ask you that. They say, oh, what was it like growing up on reality TV? Or how to be cool? Having a datas how Hogan. They never actually asked what

was your experience? Like you know? So I think that's pretty that's pretty interesting because I think there's a lot of things that you're gonna find out that a lot of people don't know. Everyone kind of knows about the person when they got the blue check, but no one knows how the hell and how hard. They had to work to get to that point, you know, being you know me grow up on reality TV. I mean you got to see a twenty three minute episode of something

that was cut to be entertaining. Yeah, it's like we're really seeing like the day to day and stuff. So um but origin I was born ten pounds eleven ounces, huge baby yeah, at camp In General Hospital on May five, Sinco de Mayo. I have the best birthday ever because it's always chips and margaritas at I believe eight o five at night? How many have I have one brother, he was born at eight o five in the morning actually,

which is so funny, but he was July. Are you big on like time that you were born having an effect on the person that you are. I definitely believe in horoscopes to an extent, like astrology and stuff. I do think it is kind of funny how a lot of it does nail certain things on the head and people that don't believe in it when you read or traits, they're like, hm, I guess that's kind of like me. I'm like, see told you it's real. Okay, So you were born in Florida. How long are you there for?

Grew up Clearwater Beach whole life. I think the first time I actually moved away was to film the Miami section of Hogan Knows Best. So we had a second house in l A because my mom's family was from there, so we go visit, But it wasn't ever are like primary place that we lived because we went to school here. So I went to a private Catholic school right down the road called St. Cecilia's that was extremely tough. I

did not like school. I was terrible in American history and geography and anything having to do with the United States geographics, capitals and cities and things like that, and then remembering like Whyene and Christopher Columbus like sailed the ocean blue. I still didn't tell you so, but I can tell you the how you know atoms and cells and math. Things I'm good with, like math and science. So that was my thing. Were you always into entertaining?

Like how did the whole like singing income about? So? On my mom's side of the family and on my dad's, I guess there was music in both. My dad was a studio musician and played bass for a lot of actually like famous songs that are on the radio now, like he put on the x M, you know rock station. He's like, oh, that's me playing bass. I was like that pertinent information you left out, Like that's pretty awesome. Um. But he's a killer bass player. He played frontless bass.

He was in a band back before he did wrestling, which is so funny. He did the band to afford his passion, which was wrestling, and I've done other things to afford my passion, which is music, So it's kind of like backwards. He had a musical background, but my mom's side of the family actually was all piano and guitar. So I grew up playing piano since I was five, and piano lessons every day after school, and I hated it and I could not read notes, still can't to

this day. So I figured out a trick that I would tell the piano teacher her name was Mary Francis, God rest her soul. I think she's dead now. She I would say, can you just play it for me so I can hear what it's gonna say down like, and I would literally have a photographic memory and watch her fingers and lock it in and then pretend like I was reading the notes, but play it back, but I have no idea what I was looking at. Can you still do that? Yeah? So now I can just

listen to something and play it back. But I think it's probably better than reading notes, because then if somebody plays me a song or if I picture something in my head, I can just put it down. Wow, that's insane. Have you ever had your dad play on any of your stuff? Oh? I wish. I've asked him all the time, and he's like one of those people like, oh yeah, well, I'm done with that side of my life now, and

I'm like, daddy daughter bonding. Come on, give me something that I can like have one thing, like just crazy. You know. He's got all of his memorabilia and his thunderlifts, you know, ka hanging up in his beach shop in this that. I'm like, these need to be behind glass doors with locks on them. What's happening? You know? Um? I always told him, I'm like, we need to figure out how to store all this stuff. I'm like, I am never the type that would ever sell any of

his stuff. I would keep it for my kids. I would hold onto it until the day I die because I'm a very mental person. But you know, it's like when somebody when it's like if it was not that anybody wants my clothing. Well, people with fetishes want my shoes and my underwear, which is gross. But you know, it's like it doesn't mean anything to him. A T

shirt that he wore has no meaning to him. But he doesn't realize, like my dad, like change the world, Like I want like the shirt that you ripped, Like I want to have those things, like to remember the greatness of you, and like as your daughter, I want to keep those little keepsakes. But he doesn't care. So it's like I'm done playing bass. I'm like, I literally do music. It would matter so much to me if I can play bass songs. Well maybe one day you'll

get him to do it. I have to bat my eyelashes, please, Gad, so really help get some radio play Dad. So I try to ask him. I really try not to ask him for anything. I really, uh, I'm not one that ever wanted to take his money or take you know, have him do free promotion or anything like that. I mean back in Miami, my label would be like, hey,

can you promote this for Brooke? And I would always feel like so weird because I'm like, I don't want my dad being like, hey, everybody go look at Brooks stuff. It's like, I want to do it on my own. I'm a Taurus. I'm stubborn. I was reading that by the age of thirteen, that's when you sign with Lou Perlman, Right, how does that even come about? Um? Well, actually, to go back to something that you said before, my dream when I was younger was to be a marine biologusts.

I wanted to work with dolphins and do all that kind of stuff. And then I really started, um, kind of enjoying playing piano, and my mom could sing, so she would kind of like sing with me, and then it just became a thing where I was like, you know, I feel like I have something to say to the world and a gift to bring to the world, so maybe I should pursue that. So, um, we were in Tampa. We were like an hour outside of Orlando. So my dad was like, let me just see if I could

make a couple of calls total nepotism. He called Lou and got ahold of them and said, hey, we with my daughter saying this is where nepotism. I always tell people like you can have somebody open the doors, but if you can't walked through them, it doesn't matter, you know. So it's like, great that I got the opportunity. But you know, if if I sucked like I did, um, you know, you get the door slammed in your face.

So the first time I went to Lose office on sand Lake Road, Um, he stood maybe six inches in front of my face and said saying and I was like so nervous. I was like, amazing games, and he's like, you need more work. Go back and you know, do voice lessons for a year, and go back and do this and that and then come back to me. So a year later I came back and did a showcase for him and blew his thoughts up um, and he

signed me. He signed me there when we finally had that showcase, and I kind of brushed up on my stuff. What is that dude like? Because he creates Backstreet boys in sync and O Town got experience with him. I loved him. He was like a teddy bear to me. You know, I just I guess when you're a kid, you just don't realize that you know, adults are doing bad things, you know. But he was always very sweet to me and really really kind to me, and I mean just gave me such a great experience to look

back on in life. Like just god, it was just so fun. It was like a magical compound that you could go to, Like he had one room you could do your vocal lessons, and then you moved to band practice, and then you moved to dance classes and you would literally just spend all day grooming yourself at this location. And it was just so fun because you were just around other kids your age, Oh Town Backstreet Boys and sining Aaron Carter. Everybody's walking through the hallways. You know.

Aaron helped me translate one of my songs to Spanish and was in the studio helping me sing my Spanish version of our first single, and just it was just a really cool mixture of people and and talent and songwriters and producers. It was just, like I said, magical. I will never forget that time in my life. If

I could go back to it, I would. It kind of sounds like famous Kids Camp, Yeah, like here's how to become a baby tiny musical ideas for Yeah, you're singing and dancing and signed the biggest music manager on Earth at that point. How long between that and getting to v H one. So Lou said, we need to get a reality show for Brooke. We need to get a reality show to help Brooks music. You know, let's make a couple of calls. I guess he got in touch with v H one and they said, well, let's

do a special that we have called inside Out. And it was like where they would take celebrities and kind of document the inside view of their life. And we did inside Out Hulk Hogan Stage Dad, which was like this new view of him. You think he's this tough wrestler, but really he is helping his daughter drive to the studio and zipping my costume up and trying to make sure that my in ears are in right and pass

me tea while I'm singing. You know. It was very cute and it ended up being um, that's so funny. The choreographer who was also on Brooklyn was best Len. I met Glen through lou Is calling me right now, his ears must be ringing. It was like this. I think it was the highest rated segment on that show. So VH once that let's do a reality show. So it actually was just one special that we were doing to try to promote the single. It was called Everything

to Me. Um, if you google it, there's a music video and everything, and you'll hear it's like guitar driven stuff. I think even one of the songs had like a fiddle in it and a harmonica. So I'm like, I was doing this before I did pop this less the original music. Um, but yeah, so that was the that's that and so how long does that run? That show? So it had four seasons of Hogan Knows Best and then we moved on to Brookno's Best, and we did two seasons at Brookno's Best, even though we were supposed

to do three more after that. But that's when my brother's accident, my parents divorced, and everything happened, and it was like life imploded, Like nobody wanted to be on camera together. There were so many legal ramifications, like we couldn't talk about what was going on on camera. Um, it was just really, for lack of a better word, a complete ship show. That was just like a really

unfortunate time. And since then, it's you know what, I look back and I'm like, God, we were in like a hundred and ten countries, just hit the ground running when I was fifteen years old with that first episode that we did with v H one, and then it just turned into God, we just never had a break. And then you're twenty two years old and your show is gone. You have a breather, and you're just like spinning out. Like I moved to l A. I moved to Florida again, I moved to Nashville, like I moved

a bunch of places. So just kind of almost you know, arrested development for a minute, because you're just like I started when I was fifteen. I've been busy doing this the whole time, and now who am I? What am I doing? Where am I at? So the last ten years of not being on TV has been very good for me and to just kind of be normal. When you look back at that time in your life, do

you have like a fondest memory of of filming. I think what's so great about it is, even though a lot of the scenarios were helped along, if you will, it is so nice because I can look back on my family being together, you know, the house that we all lived in, um, you know, some of the days were really funny, and it's like watching it it's so cool because it's like you can just go right back to that moment, you know, And sometimes I get lost

in that. But sometimes it's not healthy to do that either, because you spend your life looking backwards. UM. So you know, once in a blue moon, you know, I'll put on a funny episode and be like, god, I remember that day. But it's funny because most of the time, UM, like Glenn and Ashley, who did work knows best with people

say oh my god, remember when we did that? And I had like blacked out for like a year of my life because I think I was just under so much stress and I was never the type to deal with it with like drugs or being crazy. Like I never found out of control and I always felt fine. You know. It's like I was just raised to be that kind of strong person. But when I look back, I'm like, I think my brain was crying out from

stress and just you know, our life imploding. That I was just going through the motions and filming and like, I don't remember certain things from that time that I'm just like, no idea. I think the one thing that a lot of people are surprised by when I talk about nuts and bolts and how the sausage is made when it comes to reality television is the long hours.

It's really long shoot days, and because no one a lot of people aren't union in that situation, they can really kind of push you much much farther and harder than they really should. I'll be doing Paradise and I'll be like, I'm on our nineteen of standing and bartending, you know, like can I get cut now? At some point? When do I wrap here? And so I can totally understand like your situation where it just was like NonStop for years on end, you just it all becomes a

blurrow at some point. Yeah. I remember when we would finish filming and we'd have like maybe two months off. I just remember that first month just sleeping, just feeling like God, I need just endless amounts of sleep because I'm just exhausted. Um and even what you do, you know, being on a mike, having to be on take so much energy out of you. It's just it is amazing.

It's almost like adrenaline, like when women can lift cars off of their kids, like when they're in Like, I didn't get very much sleep last night, but because I had to do kt l A and this, and now it's like you have this like strength and this, your eyes get bright and you just the flip switch off, the switches on and you're just like here I am. But then the moment that I get off of this with you, I'll be like knocked out in the sun. You know, Brooke knows best runs for six years. What

happens after that? Honestly, just ten years of um, I think all of our lives kind of just falling apart. It was actually really um it's it's been a very hard road to go down because my parents have been in constant lawsuits and constant just battling each other. My dad got remarried ten years ago to a super nice lady, Jen, who who is like people say, we look like twins, but personality wise we're born like obviously she's older than I am, but we're like both. Torus is born a

couple of days apart. We have the same personality traits. Um, so we get along, Greade. But it has just been hard. I mean, my dad's been through his own stuff with I mean just every that's come out of the press and then ten back surgeries and just I mean the toll that that even takes on your body is just insane. People think, oh, this is the one misconception, and it just makes me so mad when I try not to recomments.

And I have a lot of really nice followers, but one person, you know, has to be like, oh must be easy being you know, a millionaire and having a rich daddy, And I'm like, you don't know that there were a lot of financial sucks, you know, from our family, with you know, lawsuits and lead. I mean I always tell people like these girls, you know, they're like, oh, you know, I'm dating a guy. He's got money, he's got and I'm like, where does this even come from?

Because you can have millions of dollars and have one thing happened. You know, you can bump somebody in the back with your car and they can own you. I mean, it's just money. It just comes and goes so much. It's like, I think the thing that's attractive about men is if they know how to make it, if they're smart. If you ever lose it, you can make it again.

You're a hustler. But but trying to say that that's the be all end all is like it's so easy to lose and not to mention, you know, I get off TV and to keep Brooke Hogan trademarks and to keep you know, the lawyer fees and this and that. It's like, now that I'm not having TV money coming in, but I'm still also having to keep up with my trademarks and my lawyers and my insurance and all this stuff.

It's like the I gotta stopped with an eighty thousand dollar lawyerville as soon as I was done with Brookner's Best, and that was one of many. And I'm like, you can make a couple hundred thousand dollars and it can be gone in a few months just with you know, it takes money to make money. So um, it's been a very delicate balance. Um. My friend Drew is like, you shouldn't be ashamed of telling people this, and I'm not, because I have no shame in my game. I really

don't care. Um. But I actually ended up cocktail waitressing for a while because I was just like, I'm not gonna ask my doubt for money. He's already under enough stress. I'm not that type of person anyway. And I ended up finding out that it was like stripper money. I was like Hey, I'm how come I didn't do this before? You know? Um? So I actually worked at the J. W. Marriott in Nashville at the rooftop, and I was a cocktail server and I'm telling you what, man, that money

was unfair. It was like, this is like TV money? How did I not ever do this before? You know? And the thing the only thing that sucked was you'd walk up to a table and every single table was like aren't you Propogan? Yeah, what are you doing here? And I would be like, oh, we're Some of those servers would cover for me. They'd be like she's filming an undercover show. I'm like, you guys are so sweet, but you know, um. And then you know, in that whole time, I was like, well I wanna, you know,

try to have it. Like I said, I've never been interested in fame, but I love business. I love being creative. So I actually started an interior design company in Nashville that specializes in airbnbs. So that's like my bread and butter, and that's my my you know, side hustle. But it affords me to do what I really love, which is music. So you know, hopefully, if everything pans out, all of it will take off simultaneously because I do like doing

the design thing. I think that's amazing. You were hustling on both ends of the spectrum. You're hustling with your music, and then you're like, you know, I'm not gonna ask my dad for any money. I'm gonna go make this on my own. It's so funny. I found this when I was out of college because I did the same thing,

just kind of backwards. I was a radio host that didn't really pay the bills, so I would also wait tables and then that moonlight at the radio station, and a lot of the kids that I went to college with, I don't kind of like look down upon me for doing that. It's a weird thing of like a lot of people just assume that they deserve to have the big job out of college and be making six figures and this entitlement thing that a lot of people have.

Now you look at it, and I'm sure a lot of people are like, well, should I should have gone down the route? WELLS went because I make, you know, ten times more money than all those assholes ever did. But I hustled earlier in life, and I think that's awesome that one that you did it, and two that you are telling all of my listeners about it. Because at the end of the day, what this show is is like, what's the blueprint for success? I think a lot of people just assume that famous people are lucky,

and that's just not the case. How much TV and you see these people that you see on red carpets and you expect them to have tons of money, I think to myself, I'm like, God, they probably have side hustles and other stuff they're working on, because it is it takes so much to stay afloat in the entertainment industry and to total side note. I think every and people say this all the time, but it's so true. I think everybody needs to wait tables in their life.

I really think that you do not understand what the service industry goes through. Whether you're on the phone to Southwest Airlines and you're dealing with the representative, whether you're in line, you know, with the cashier, whether you have

a waitress or a waiter. Um. It really is, I would say, mentally, one of the hardest jobs that I've done, because, you know, trying to be on because if you're in the entertainment industry and be friendly and be helpful and courteous and kind, but also just have so many things. I mean, just the orders from the kitchen to they need water, she wants another glass of wine, the steak

was cooked wrong. I mean it just the the to do list in your mind at that moment piles on, Like you really have to be wearing eighteen hats and be able to juggle and just do it all with a smile. And I think it would give people a lot of respect for people in the service industry to eight tables you really understand. So it's a humongous turn off to me if somebody is unkind to somebody in the service industry, because I feel like and what else I think is so amazing too, is those servers might

make more than you do. You know, like they are probably making better money in certain situations they might be, and you're looking down on them like their servants. And it's just like especially bartenders, man, they I should have bartended. That was the way to go. And what's so funny, I actually got that job because Diamond dallas Pages daughter Brittany was bartending at Bourbon Steak and she said, girl, you have got to come work here. She goes, I

just upgraded a bartender from the lounge. You should be a lounge server. And I was like, are you sure. Okay, She's like, yeah, girl, come on in. And I swear to god, we had so much fun. We were just like slinging drinks and making people happy, and we would like we had one guy named Godfrey that was like a total charmer. So instead of us sticking to our layout for our tables that night, if I got a table full of women, I would put Godfrey on them because he would turn the pants off of him. Well

probably not literally, maybe you never know. Um. And then if he got a whole table of men or a football team or something like that, he'd put me on them right. So, and then we would just split tips and go back and forth, and it was. It was a hell of a good time. I still like even I go and eat there to say, hid everybody and just like hang out there for two years and just seeing all the servers and stuff. I'm like, honestly, I

still miss it. I wish I could come back here like two days a week, just for the social aspect and just for like the hustle and bustle it was just such a good experience. Yeah, I was. I was the waiter and bartender at Brick Tops. I don't know if he ever went there. Yeah, and uh probably I probably did, actually, but well I think I was done working there in two thousand nine on West End. Yeah.

But anyways, that the joke that I always said was because I did the morning show on Lightning, which was the show that everyone wanted, and then I did four different formats at my Heart, and the joke was I made more money waiting tables than I ever did on all those radio stations combined. And then when I was a bartender. This is the thing that no one believes that I made more money as a real bartender than

I ever had as a television bartender. On Bachelor and Paradise, which is like the most popular show that runs during the summer, I always killed it much more in terms of just like bottom dollar really doing it than in the entertainment industry, which I just think is funny and kind of going back to your point, so crazy too, like especially in Nashville, like the bartenders and stuff down on Broadway, like even the bar backs come home just

sweet because it's just the amount of people. I mean, this is obviously pre COVID, but man, it is a great industry to be at. Yeah, and especially if you're if you're pursuing your dreams in the entertainment industry, because you can do that at night and then you can go to auditions or whatever during the day. And I don't know, you gotta burn it at both ends. But that's how you become successful as you hustle. And that's

just the end of the story. I'll say, bringing home a lot of cash at the end of the day definitely makes losing sleep rettle easier. Um, well, hey, listen, I'm running out of time with you. I feel like we could we could do this for a while before I let you go. You want to do some rapid fire questions? Sure? Oh, I've never had anybody do this with me. That's so exciting. Rapid fire questions with Brooke Hogan. Number one favorite pizza topic, Ranch, We've never gotten that.

I love that favorite book, Bringers at the Dawn. Who's your first kiss? Damn, that's a good one. What was the first concert you ever went to? Was the first job you've ever had? Waiting tables? Actually? I worked at a breakfast restaurant. What was the first car you ever owned? An expedition? Was your biggest pet? Peeve? Hygiene? If people about hygienett? Who's the most famous person in your phone? If you want a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony or

yeah maybe a whole Coogan? I don't know Jase. Now Dean's like, hell yeah, yeah, if you want an Oscar or a Grammy or a Tony or a sag Who'll be the first person that you think in your speech? Did you have a poster hanging on your bedroom while when you were a kid? Jonathan Taylor, Thomas oh Man J T T. Was the first record cassette or CD you owned? Selena and it was a cassette? Favorite flower? Oh? Why not? What they're called? They're the funeral flower? Us dark?

Oh god? Why is it? It's a really tough little ball of a flower, but they call it the funeral flower. We'll go a funeral flower. One thing it's always in your fridge, one thing on your bucket list being on a Jerry Springer show or going to it and now that's never gonna happen. What animal you wish you could talk to? My dog? Physical trait that you notice about someone you are attracted to their feet? Really yeah, somebody's

got bad feet. I hear that their mouth and there knows something about this area here can be a turn on or turn off. How would you describe your high school self? Very awkward and very shy. Who's your childhood hero? My dad? I told people that he could lift up the whole school, so well, if anyone could do it, it it would be the whole You know. Favorite place to a vacation with your family used to be the Atlantis when we were kids, But yeah, I would say Key

West now probably it's really fun. Who is your celebrity crush John Hamm from Madman? And last, but definitely not least you obviously, Love People is out right now. It's a song everyone should go listen to, download, stream or whatever. If you could write a song with anyone alive or dead, who would be Oh God, Linda Perry, those are some of the best answers we've ever forgotten for rapid fire questions. I love that Broke Cogan. You've been an absolute delight

to talk to and learn your story. I wish you all the success everyone out there. Again, Love People is out now, keep on looking for the EP that to be coming out soon. I hope that Brooke knows Nashville gets back to filming and is airing on TV. Since it sounds awesome, Enjoy the new year. Hopefully it'll be better than the last break. All right, see you dude, Thank you so much. That was an awesome interview. Have a good one. Well, she's just the most lovely lady

in the world, super talented. I love how confident she was about everything. I love that. It was really really cool to hear someone who has been on three television shows had a number one hit. Be like, you know what, things aren't working Well, I gotta go back to sling and drinks. Her dad's whole Cogan not entitled at all. And that's the thing. Comma a dominator for all successful people. Is they not a hustle? You know, girl can hustle.

That was awesome, really really really cool interview. Alright, I'm all out of here, See you guys next week. It's like a show. Please rate and review of the Apple and play stores helps the algorithm. Tweet to me at Wells Adams or Instagram me at Wells Adams. Uh if you like the show and what guests you'd have to hear on here. Cool alright, I am out of here. Subscribe to Wells cast on I Heart Radio, Apple podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts. It's the Internet line.