Being Your Authentic Self featuring Jeopardy Champion Amy Schneider

about this all day, all week. I can't believe she said yes. And uh, I have so many questions for her. I know you you have answers for her. Yeah, we're just gonna we should do the entire interview and answer format that's very funny, and see if she can come up with the questions that we are giving her the answers to. I bet she can. Yeah. You know, when I first saw Amy on the show, I didn't think about it. I just thought about who is this person

that is winning every single night? I mean, she's literally a human Google. Yeah. She always made that face like she didn't know what she was doing or she didn't know the answer, and she pulled it out how would she know these things? But she did, so you know how I actually got to her is I followed her on Instagram, and as only I would, I DMed her and said can I send you some Jones Road? And she answered me and gave me her address and that was cool. And when she lost it was a shocker.

And you know, I just checked in to see how she was doing, and it's not the same without her. Yeah, I mean, I have to admit I can't watch Jeopardy because it really stresses me out for the combatitors, and also because there's nothing in the world that will make me feel more dumb and watching Jeopardy because I don't think I ever know other questions. I never ever ever know them or the answers. You might know that I'm really good at the popular one ye any like seventy eighties,

you know, television, pop culture music, I'm on those. But everything else, like, I have no idea bridges in India, I don't know how do you know those things? Rivers bridges? Yeah, I might have been to get a couple of those. Yeah, those you can get, you know, I think I can get the Kulaski Skyway or whatever that is that's about it exactly. So stay tuned everyone. Here's our conversation with Amy Snyder. Hi. Amy, it's Bobby, so nice to meet you. Likewise,

I know it's crazy and a Julie have you. This is my co host, a Julie Hill. It is such an honor to meet you. I have so many answers for you. Yeah, not me, I only have questions. But I just wanted to say I was telling these guys earlier that I've I've interviewed so many well known people and so many you know, like just people that you'd be like, wow, you got to talk to them. But I'm overly excited to talk to you. And people cannot believe that I actually connected with you and you're going

to be on this podcast. So I'm really excited. Bobby slid into your d M as the kids would say, yeah I did, I did, and I was you know when when I first like said, can I send you makeup? I mean you must get all these weird d M s. Yeah, I think the weirdest. What I think was that we just got like new tell Us and us something New tell Us and it was just like, you know, fine, happy enough to get it. But like, why did you do that? I mean, that's an awesome gift. I mean,

I know how it works. There's some cool person sitting on the influencers side didn't tell us, said oh, that'd be so cool if Amy you know, shouts it out. So yeah, uh well, I'm it's just first of all, we were also talking about how much fun we're not having watching the show without and I know you've heard that from a lot of people. I certainly have. Yeah, you know, I'm like, come on, everybody, let's give him

a chance. But yeah, I understand. Well, you brought an energy to the show that I think was really missing, and a kindness. I keep reading that and I feel like we all witnessed it, and I think unfortunately in these times, it really stood out how kind of you work. But it was really it was just amazing just to see the graciousness that you connected yourself with over the forty episodes. It was really cool. And also you're just you know everything, But because that's what we don't understand.

I know a lot of really smart people, but it was like you would make this face like you had no idea and you would just answer it, like time and time again, you know that amy face. Yeah, yeah, yeah, No, it was funny. I had no idea that I did that kind of like half smile things so much until I saw myself on TV. I was like, I was like, that looks weird. Is that really what I do? Every But it's like, yeah, it looks great. We love it.

So I was like, Okay, well you were just yourself and I think that, you know, that's kind of the secret, like the more you're yourself. But have you always been a brainiac? Yeah? I, uh, you know, just I was just born with a good memory. I mean that's the main thing, you know, so like when when I learned something, it it tends to stick in my brain more than

it does for most people. Um. And then you know, I was also like raised in a household that like encourage learning and education and all that, so you know, that was definitely then, you know, sort of nurtured and like rewarded and that sort of thing. And how many kids in your family? Like growing up what was your house like? Uh? So I have a younger brother, I have well I also you know, and I always want to make sure I mentioned her, the an older sister

who died. She was born premature and died after a few days. So it was never in my life, but you know, I always want to make sure I acknowledge her. And what did your mom do? Was she like a teacher? She was? She was a math professor? Yeah, math professors. See that now it's coming together, Amy, You're you're making it like I just read a lot as a kid. No. No, And how about dad? He was a computer programmer, a software engineer, was a programmer back when I was a kid.

They call it engineer now. But yeah, And are they both still around? My dad, unfortunately is not. It's about six or seven years ago, passed away. But my mom's still live us. Yeah, And how is she dealing with this new found fame of her daughter. You know, she's she's happy about it. She's you know, she's she's enjoying it. I know she's been enjoying watching the games. I mean, I think you know, she's she's having a tough time

right now. She last summer I had to move into assisted living because she's you know, like it's still like mostly able to get around, but just like not quite enough to still live on her own. And that's you know, that's been hard for her understandably. But yeah, like so it's it's definitely been nice to have this as as something to talk about when when I'm calling home. I would love to understand a little bit about the process.

I know you've talked about it in a ton, but just did a high level even I didn't realize how involved it was that you were taping up to five episodes a day. Is that right? Yep five episodes every day. They take Mondays and Tuesdays and do a week a week of episodes each on each one, so it was generally like a ten eleven hour day. Yeah, And so you're just are you just on a roll at that point or is it just exhausting? I mean, it must

be really tiring. It's really tiring. Yeah. I you know, like I would when I was done for the day, I was just like go back to either my hotel or the airport if I was flying back that night, and just like sit there and like not like not even be thinking, not reading, just like spacing, you know, just letting my mind not do anything for a bit. It was really, you know, just being so focused for for so much of the day. And I mean, you know,

like during the game itself. You know, I didn't really notice it, like you're just it's going too fast and you're just sort of involved in the game. But like every time the cameras stopped, I would be like leaning on the podium and like just feeling exhausted, and I'm like, Okay, let's get back up, you know. And yeah, I mean I feel that we have or back back zoom calls I kind of fashion being like on like that, like if I have to engage that much, that be just

too much. So it's really impressive. Yeah, And I have to say, like, you know, I was always impressed by by Ken Jennings streak, but now that I've been through it, I find it almost unfathomable that he was able to go almost twice as long as I did, which felt like years for me, and even like the last long streak Madamoio, because I was flying back and forth from Oakland, which was a drag, but he was flying back and forth from from New Haven and dealing with the time

shift and so like, I definitely have some more appreciation for how hard this stuff is and what is it like for you now going out in public because you're so recognizable and you've kind of blown up, not even I mean outside of Jeopardy, which will talk about that. But how is it for you? Uh, you know, it's like I'm yeah, definitely recognized, you know, pretty often. Um, but you know, it hasn't been anything too too oppressive

or or anything like that. You know. Just yesterday I was coming in my building and the FedEx guy was there and he was like, oh, hey, you're you were on TV right, And I was like yeah, yeah, and he was like, yeah, I've been telling people I delivered her a package. Yeah, don't tell him my address please. That's really funny. And you have an agent now and you're with a big age. Yeah, yeah, I am. Yeah.

So that's been you know, I've I've said so many times in the last couple of weeks, like you know, I'll check with my agent or you know, send that over to my agent or things like that. Every time I'm like, who am I? This is crazy? You're so fancy. Yeah,

but there's I don't know. I'm someone who's a visionary and I see so much opportunity for people like I see so many different partnerships, like even the clothes on your Instagram, you know, every night you kind of shouted out the clothes and you know, I think it was so amazing And your pearls are you wearing them? Now? I am not? No, you know, like I'm you know,

like I'm here with Genevieve. I I don't need the room ender, but you know there's yeah, yeah, so that's those are just like the things that you put on when you want to feel fancy. Yeah, and you know it's and I mean mostly at that, but they do also like they don't have to be fancy. And that's what I sort of didn't realize about them, and what I like about them is there's almost literally not an outfit you can't wear them with. Well that it became

like a talisman for you too. It was like something that everybody wanted to see every day that will invidrid you with their pearls. Yeah, and you know, just by you being on TV, I have to say, has just done so much for awareness for transgender people and just so like interesting that on our pre conversation both myself and a Julie have nieces and nephews that are transgender.

And you know, growing up I never heard the word yeah. Yeah, so you know, I know you've talked about, you know, your experience, but what could you tell the people that

are listening? Uh? You know, I think that when I transitioned, you know, you you know, I was a scary time and there's a lot of things I was afraid of, um, but you know, one of the big ones was that I was sort of putting myself in this sort of disadvantaged position of of being trans and our society and that you know, like that I was choosing by choosing that I would be closing myself off from other things. And that's just not turned out to be the case

at all. And I think, you know, as as like I've just shown in a like very big public way, but like even beyond that, in you know, my professional life before that and in my personal life and everything else. It just there hasn't been anything I felt unable to do because I'm trans. Uh you know, once once I got into it, and once I'd gotten used to it, it's amazing because I agree. I mean, Bobby and I grew up both in Chicago as that of Chicago for me, and um, I didn't know of anyone who was trans

growing up until I got to New York. And then I feel like you know, close friends or folks that I worked with, um, And it was until my nephew came out. UM, And it's been incredible to see the shift and the acceptance. But obviously it's still really difficult. I mean, even if he lives in a big city and is in a work environment that's super supportive and our family has been really supportive and loving, but it's not. It just breaks my heart whenever I hear the stories

when it's not like that. And I know you you dealt with a lot of online trolls. I would love to hear about how you dealt with that. Yeah, I mean, so like a few things. One of the things that just made it easiest was that I anticipated worse and

I anticipated more. Um, you know, like you know, because to me, like the change in the last five years, ten years is so dramatic, um that like you know, definitely there's you know, stuff out that that worries me and that I'm sad about and all that sort of thing, but like it's so much easier for me to see that, you know, trans people have a position in society that

I would have thought impossible, uh, not that long ago. Um, But yeah, you know, that that doesn't mean that there weren't some people that felt the need to share their opinions with me. Um, And you know, I did my best not to, you know, I mean, not to not to read it too much, not to you know, not to go in the common sections of of anything and that sort of thing. But it's still, you know, that was hard, and it's hard not to take it personally

and be affected by it. I just had to find ways to make peace with it, I guess, and to give myself the permission to filter that out and just just focus on the positive stuff that I was getting. I've heard you talk a little bit just about beauty and how you feel about yourself and how you become more comfortable with yourself. Can you share that with everybody? Yeah?

I mean, you know, one of the biggest fears transitioning is you know, looking ugly, looking like a man in address, you know, all that sort of like dysphori and and discomfort with yourself. And so definitely, at that time, in the immediate aftermath, I didn't try out for Jeopardy and wasn't considering it because I couldn't imagine, you know, wanting

to be on TV in that way. But that phase lasted for a while, um, you know, And I remember like one time in particular, so I was being really like, I can't leave the house without makeup because like that's just part of my arm and part of how I make sure I'm I'm signaling femininity to everyone. And one time I had gone to a spin class with a coworker before work, and you were in the locker room afterwards and I was I was going to put my

makeup on. She was like, Oh, you don't really need it, and I was like oh, And like that moment like maybe kind of look at myself and be like I really don't. I still like I don't dislike the way I look without makeups, So like that was definitely a sort of key moment and starting to like let that all go. And how is it seeing yourself on TV? Were you happy with what you saw? Eventually? It was hard at first? Um it was you know, I'd say, like the first you know, three or four episodes, like

it was it was uncomfortable. Um, you know, I didn't like it, Like, like I said, I thought I I thought I was making a weird phase or just another stuff. And and this is I was anticipating this as well.

I was thinking, you know, I'm not gonna like this at first, but like this is going to like force me through that discomfort and forced me to to come to make peace with this, and so you know, getting used to it, and also just like seeing the you know, the positive response and not hearing that criticism that in that in my mind I was expecting to hear on some level, And so it definitely did really put me into a place about how I feel about myself and

my appearance that that I kind of didn't think i'd ever get to. It's amazing of all the things have come out of this, I think that's been the most unexpected and positive. I mean, yeah, it's honestly. I the secret I tell people all the time being confident is being comfortable in your skin and realizing you are you and you can't look like anyone else, so you might as well, you know, self love and and and enjoy it.

Like how do you practice self love? Yeah, you know, it's uh, it's I feel like more my practice is more like stopping the self hate, you know. Um, And like you know, definitely a key part of that has been years and years of their therapy. I really love my therapist, and she's you know, taking me a long way with that um and so just you know those constant like self doubt, self criticism, imposter syndrome type things,

all that stuff. Just trying to figure out how to tone those voices down, not not give them so much power. That's that's been I think the main thing that that I've been doing for for the last decade or so. And how about any beauty rituals do you you know, do do spa days? Do you you know, treat yourself that way? Uh? Yeah, So I don't really do spa days.

I'm I've done it once or twice. But I like a lot of the beauty rituals that I had to have disappeared since COVID, you know, like not leaving the house and you know, just getting out of the habit. But I definitely used to. One thing I remember is just every morning before work, waking up and lying in bed and like planning out my outfit and really like just enjoying that and like feeling the pleasure I had

and doing that and then putting on on makeup. That's another thing I've I've started to get back into that you know, in the last couple of months, you know, partly just you know, being on TV and stuff like that, and and also seeing myself, you know, with makeup on Jeopardy and just remembering how how much I used to

enjoy it now that I'm out of the habit. On any given morning, it's like, how I could spend that fifteen twenty minutes doing something else, and I like, don't do it, but like every time I do, I'm glad I did. Well. I'm going to teach you how to do it in five minutes, so that that is my goal. So so you know, not that anyone that's listening is going to see it, but I'm really excited about my virtual makeup lesson. I'm going to give Amy and Genevieve

love it. So I'm looking I'm looking forward to that. Oh so am I. So the name of this podcast is the Important Things, because you know, so much has changed during COVID. I know, for me, I've taken everything down and match I used to have a big corporate job, you know, I did, everything was different. So right now the different things that I do is I dressed differently. I certainly, you know, haven't put a pair of high heels on in five years. I'm just curious, like, what

are the important things to you? What has really changed during COVID. Yeah, I mean, you know, I think that I definitely, you know, before the Jeopardy thing, was really feeling, um, like like so many people just like lost and realizing that my job wasn't fulfilling the way it used to be, you know. And so there's you know a couple of parts to that. One is that I need to have of I need to be being creative in some way. Uh. For much of my life that was pretty consistently theater

that I would be. You know, any time I hadn't been in a play for a few months, I would like get itchy and I was like, I gotta got an audition again for something. And then like as I as I got older, that like the time commitment just not became not really manageable for me. Um. And that's why I got into computers in the first place. You know, my my parents were not going to stand for me

majoring in theater or creative writing or something like that. Um. And so I needed to find something that would be you know, secure and like stable and also have something to fulfill that part of me and writing software. You know, it's it's still writing, You're still starting with nothing and making something. And for a long time that was that was sufficient for me. And then for a while I got into managing people and managing you know, small teams

and was able to find fulfillment in that. At that point, that was a new and gratifying thing to be. Like I could see that, you know, when I was doing a good job, I could see that I was making their lives easier, and so I could get that like you know, immediate feedback. But ultimately, like I lost that with COVID, and I also just came to realize that I don't care about computers anymore and there you know,

it just doesn't interest me. And a lot of that has been coming, Like I found out that I'm a much different person than I thought I was since I transitioned. You know, I thought that I was I didn't think I was a social person. I thought I was very

introverted and things like that. When it turns out that you know, all that was just you know, I was suppressing my gender identity and like a bunch of stuff got suppressed with it kind of as collateral damage, and so I, you know, it was definitely struggling with this is not the professional life I want to have anymore. So what's it going to be then? And you know, I've definitely been considering some different options, some career changes.

But you know, it turns out like the ideal thing was to win forty games on Jeopardy and become an actually famous uh, and that that was your pivot, your pivot check. Some people go to business school and he's like, I'm just gonna go win a million dollars on Jeopardy and then figure out what I'm gonna do. That. Yeah,

that's amazing. And so I think the the important things to me and they're linked our creativity, you know, having that as an aspect of my life, and now, um, you know, authenticity, being true to myself, being open and present to the world, open to receiving what the world is giving me, open to giving myself all of myself to the world, having gone so long with not that being so inauthentic, like that's I never want to go back. I want to just keep exploring more of myself and

showing more of myself. It's so beautiful and I think what you've seen. I mean again just with the data set of so I can use that this set of Jeopardy is you know that when you showed up as your authentic self, like, it was received really really well and so people ADOREO and you you know, you just had resonated so deeply with a really wide audience and um and so all about love that you are getting I think is is because you were shut up as

your authentic song. Yeah, and I you know, and I agree, and I'm so there was a part of me that was uncomfortable and deciding how I wanted to kind of be on TV um you know, and I've talked about like one of them being like do I want to try to you know, put myself in a more feminine register in my voice, um or other things like that.

And it wasn't really until like a couple of days before taping that I just like kind of had the like inside of like, no, be it just be natural, be yourself because then even if the reaction, whatever the reaction is, it won't bother me that much. I know that plenty of people will like me because in my personal life, when I'm being myself, people seem to like me, you know, and I don't necessarily have to understand it or or believe it or whatever, but like, that's that's

the experience I've had. So let's let's just keep keep keep with that. I read about the voice. How could you even like change the voice and let go of? I mean, I couldn't even imagine having to stay with a voice while you're doing that, because then you can't be yourself. You wouldn't have won all those times exactly

for forty episodes to keep that going. Yeah, I think that's absolutely true, you know, I mean, and it is like it's it's something you can do with sustained practice, like you know, some trans women in particular like do.

And you know, like I I got some sort of like vocal training at one point on on sort of how to do that, which was you know, I really appreciate it in terms of learning more about you know, beyond just pitch like kind of you know, like sentence, cadence and sort of like how much you're supporting with your your diaphragm and things like that. But I quote this, there's a tweet um from a trans woman I love that was like how to how to do feminine voice training one, try to cry, three, cry a lot more

for give up. And you know, that was pretty much pretty much my experience us with it too, Like it's I know, I can do it like on demand if I want to, but like to sustain it enough to get to the point where it starts to become my actual natural voice. That just wasn't something I was ever. You know, I felt like I just didn't want to do that. And what are you what are your big giant dreams and hopes? Like what what are you hoping?

Because I mean things are probably flying at you every single day, Like what was like one of those things where you're like, oh my god, like you know, the New York Times, Like, what were one of those things in your inbox? Yeah? Um, well, I mean I think the most exciting thing this happened to me was was Podma loached me, like complimenting me on Twitter. I think that that may have been the single biggest like moment um.

But yeah, in terms of like I think that, you know, there's been a lot of like exciting stuff and interesting stuff that's you know, all very preliminary and I don't know about but I've realized that the thing that you know, out of all of that that I'm most excited about is is the one thing that is you know, sort

of farthest along, which is writing a book. Because all this other stuff is is great and it's interesting, but it's all collaborative and I'd just be part of a bunch of people contributing ideas and that's the fun environment

to be in. Like, you know, I've done theater and things like that, but like this book is really a place where it's in my control and I can really you know, I've had I've been I've been thinking my whole life, and I have all these like ideas and thoughts and and I'm going to get the chance to put them out there for for people to read. And that's that I think is going to be you know, if I if I pull it off, I think will be probably the most gratifying thing that I do. Well. Honestly,

I cannot wait to see all the different things. And I know this is just the beginning because you've been how long has it been, you know, since you've been off the show, like a week? Two weeks? Like yeah, a little over a week, I don't even know anymore, But not long, not long by the time this episode airs, it will have been longer, so you'll be Yeah, so we might have to add like you know, some things and now Amy is doing this, but that's also a position that a thing that I'm working with now and

like trying to learn from. Uh, you know, I have no idea what I'm going to be doing this fall, like you know or like I I just don't know what the next few years of my life look like. In a way that like is more true now than it's It's hardly ever been in my life, at least as an adult. Um and so I'm really trying to like keep that feeling as excitement and not fear and

you know, stay stay on top of it. But it's definitely, like you know, it's it's not the most comfortable thing for me, and I'm I'm definitely I'm working with that. And so no, it's so cool, you know, being open, I think is kind of the secret like being Okay, what's gonna what's gonna happen. So it's it's really cool. But I have one final thought that I ask all the guests. I wish I could, you know, give you

the answer and ask you the question. But I didn't think, yeah, I don't know how to do and I didn't think about that, you know. Oh but by the way, I was. I was actually once a question on Jeopardy. Oh I was, I I was. I took a screen it was Celebrity Jeopardy, so it doesn't really count anyways. So the question I have for you, if you could tell someone listening the one thing that could change the course of their life for the better, what could it be? Like one thing

advice from Amy Snyder. Uh, I think it would be curiosity. And you know, appaired with that that that's key is comfort with being wrong. Um, wanting in fact, wanting to be wrong, you know, because like if if I realize I'm wrong, that tells me great, I've learned something. I'm better now. Um. You know, if I look back on my past self, I should think, boy, that that she was an idiot back then or whatever, because otherwise I

haven't learned anything. Um. And I think that that opens up everything else because otherwise you can never advance from where you are if you're not willing to discard old things. That we're either wrong at the time or just wrong for you. Now. You know, I grew up as a conservative Republican and you know boy uh in Ohio and I'm none of those things now and like I had like I had to, you know, like re examine kind of everything in my life at one time or another.

And I think it's been great for me. And it's it's something I recommend. I love that. Wow. Wow that wow. Yes, that's so good. I feel like I want to print that out on a T shirt. It'd be a very large T shirt, but put that on my daughter's wall or something. What a great leathing for all of us to learn. I've loved having you on this podcast. I'm honestly, I I am such a big fan. I hope we keep in touch because I do want to hear everything you're doing. I'll be cheering you on. Yeah, absolutely no,

this is this is really good. This is I enjoyed this. Thank you so much for being here. Amy. I'm gonna slide into your d M S two just like Bobby, but I have no useful skills to offer you nothing. Let's see you like a contract read I could do that, but that's better. Well, we'll just see you never know what's going to come up. You're not kidding, Yeah, yeah, big things I had no doubt ut be fin