Beyond the Badge: Leadership, Courage & Life Lessons with Margaret "Mimi" McGreal

What does it take to rise to the top in one of the most demanding careers imaginable? This week, Kelly sits down with Margaret "Mimi" McGreal, who spent more than 26 years with the Illinois State Police and became the first female Colonel of the Division of Patrol.

Mimi shares her incredible journey through a male-dominated profession, the leadership lessons she learned along the way, and how she stayed calm while making split-second decisions in high-pressure situations. From unforgettable stories on the job to her surprising stint as a Jerry Springer bouncer, this conversation is equal parts inspiring, insightful, and entertaining.

Whether you're leading a team, navigating challenges at work, or simply looking to build more confidence and resilience, you'll walk away with practical wisdom and a whole new appreciation for the people behind the badge.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

This is Bloombright with Kelly. Real talk, real growth, real glow, inspiring you to bloom into your brightest self one conversation at a time. Welcome, Bloombright listeners, to another episode of Bloombright with Kelly. I am so, so excited for today's guest. This is one of those life stories that makes you think okay, how did you pull that off? From serving as an Illinois State trooper to becoming the first colonel of the Division of Patrol for the Illinois State Police, Margaret Mimi McGreal has built a remarkable career filled with leadership, resilience, and a few stories that sound like they belong in a movie. Over her 26 years with the Illinois State Police, she rose through the ranks, led major operations, mentored future leaders, and helped pave the way for more women to pursue careers in law enforcement. But beyond the badges, titles, and accomplishments, Mimi is also a wife, mom, mentor, and friend who has spent her career navigating high-pressure situations while earning respect in a profession that has traditionally been dominated by men. Today, we're talking about how she got started, the challenges she faced as a woman in law enforcement, the lessons she learned while climbing the ranks, how she stays calm in dangerous and stressful situations, some unbelievable stories from the job, her brief stint as a Jerry Springer bouncer, and the advice she gives to anyone, especially young women considering a career in law enforcement. So without further ado, welcome Mimi. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

Thank you so much for having me today.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

Oh my gosh, I am so glad, glad you're here. And before we start and hear all about your amazing career in life, I want to share with our listeners how we met. So Mimi and I met through our husbands who have been friends forever, since childhood, right? They've known each other, would you say? Yes. All since childhood. Long, long time. So the funny part is Mimi and I usually see each other in at parties, like at social situations, at parties and all that kind of stuff. And I have always wanted to just pull Mimi aside and ask her basically every single question that I'm going to ask her today because I find her job fascinating. I think what she's accomplished is unbelievable. And I'm just so honored to have you here. So today we get to get into everything I've been wanting to ask you for years. So thank you again for being here. Absolutely. Thank you. Okay. So, Mimi, we got to go back to the beginning and we have to hear about how this all started for you. Did you always want to be in law enforcement or did you have another dream as a child? What was your journey from the beginning?

SPEAKER_00 2:27

So when I was young, it was I wanted to be a teacher or a doctor. So I really didn't have my eyes set on becoming a police officer yet. It was probably my teenage years. We were hanging out with a group of, you know, boys we hung out with, and they're one of the kids' dad was a state trooper. And I would always just stare at him because he'd come home with his hat on still, walking into his house. And I always just found that really interesting to learn, you know, to know like what does he exactly do? And that's when I kind of maybe that's where my path is going to take me.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

So then how did it go from your friend's dad and just kind of having like a little bit of an interest in, you know, law enforcement to getting into the official job? Like what was that journey for you?

SPEAKER_00 3:11

So I went to UIC in Chicago, and we had a job fair, and the state troopers were there. And I talked to them and I spoke to them and I was like, ooh, I go, can I fill something out? And they had a card, it was called a pick card at the time, and it was green. And I filled it out by hand and gave it back to him. And that's what started the whole journey.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Wow. So then how long, just for the listeners, I'm actually interested, does it take from filling out the card? You're at the job fair, you fill out the card. Was it like months, like, or did they call you right away, or how does that all transpire?

SPEAKER_00 3:45

It's a longer process. So I would say it was at least a year.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Oh, wow. Yeah at least a year. Start your training.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

Yes. So they do background, you have to pass numerous tests, physical tests, psychological tests, interviews, there's new assessments. You go through numerous steps to make it into the academy.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

So you do all of that before you even actually start day one of training. Yes. Interesting. Well, that's really good to know. But obviously, all the people in law enforcement, I can only imagine. So what is like a mental test that you would do?

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Or like what are an example of these? So they ask you you numerous questions on what you would do in certain situations, not even necessarily police related, just trying to find where your mental state is at and hoping that, and there's a lot, probably close to 500 questions.

SPEAKER_01 4:31

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

And also it brings out the truth that you're answering the questions truthfully. So it's a good test. I mean, it really, it's pretty accurate.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

So would you so some of it you said is like like a written, like multiple choice? Yes. And then some of it is, I'm assuming, if you break go through a certain point, then you go into like in-person interviews.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Yes. Yes. Where you're talking in front of personnel that are currently on the Illinois State Police and they're interviewing you and asking you questions.

SPEAKER_01 4:56

So you were obviously pretty young when you were doing this. Yes. And you were obviously, you know, we're gonna get into the fact that you are probably one of the only women or a small group of women doing this. So nervous when you were that young.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

I know. I mean, I I guess like I wasn't sure what it was all gonna be about. Like I really had no idea. We had no law enforcement in my family. It wasn't like I knew anything about police work. So that was exciting too, just to kind of go in and do something and really not know what it's all about yet. But the process, you know, they guide you through that, and you show up to the academy on that Sunday that everyone who's gone through the six-month academy knows, and you, it's unlike what anyone can ever imagine.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

So this is fascinating. So you had no law enforcement in your family, you go through almost a year process to make it into the academy. Obviously, through the entire year, you still want it. You know, because I'm sure some people just even if they're still chosen, are just thinking, you know what? Because it's too much. Right. It's too much. I've decided to go a different path. So then you make it. So on a Sunday, you make it. So you're saying six months of training. Yes. So what was it like the first day? Walk us through the training.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

The first day, it's it's basically you're at day zero.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

And that's where you walk in and you're given specific directions on what to bring, what to do, where to put things. And you learn on day zero that everything that they've asked you to do has to be done that exact way. Wow. So you've got to be there at a certain time. You can't be late. You have to be exactly what they tell you to wear, you have to wear. You only bring what's on that list. You cannot bring extra. Do not bring snacks, do not bring anything like that.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

So you can't bring any of your own food. No. So you just are at the mercy of whatever they're gonna give you to eat, drink, the whole thing.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Yes. And we've seen where people bring their own stuff, and that's just it's a military training. We it's straight military training where you're paying attention to the details. Like that's what you hear in there. You're paying attention to the details to make sure that you're following exactly what you're asked to do.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

So then it's six months, and for the entire six months, are you away from your family, separated in like a camp, I guess, type situation?

SPEAKER_00 7:11

So it's you get there on Sunday, you get to come home Friday night. Oh. So you're there, you know, Sunday through Friday night, and we stay in barracks. So we have bunk beds. The women stay in their own dorm, the men have several dorms, um, and that's where your living quarters are at. And then you do breakfast at a certain time, you do lunch at a certain time, you do you walk in the hallways behind each other, left, right, left. It's very, very interesting. I can tell you this, it's a very difficult academy to get through. It is the most rewarding thing I've ever had. I ever had to do. Like it is honestly like I actually enjoyed a lot of it because it was so challenging. It's difficult yet challenging. And the way you go in is not the way you come out. And that's a good thing because you're changing for the better. You're adapting, you're learning how to become the best police officer you can. Our Illinois State Police Training is one of the best, I would say, in the world.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

That's amazing. And so, what would you say? I mean, you have obviously been through the training yourself, and then, you know, as being the leader, you know the percentage of people that make it through. How many people make it all the way to the end to actually become an Illinois police?

SPEAKER_00 8:26

I would say I think in our class we had 12 dropout. Out of how many? Out of um, I think we had about 70.

SPEAKER_01 8:34

Oh, wow. So a lot of people do make it through. A lot of people do make it through.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

I feel like each class kind of varies. It depends. So there is like at least 10% I would say don't finish. They either don't make it or they quit. Or they yeah, they quit it. Which is understandable. Yeah, they it's just not for them. You know, it's it's not for everybody.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Well, that's extremely intense. Do you is there any story that you have? I mean, what is something like that they make you do that really like shook you, like that you had to do there that would be, I mean, I can't even imagine.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

So the physical part of it. Yes, the physical. So there's like, I would say that there's the physical part, there's the mental part, and and then there's just the learning part, the academic part. Um, officer safety, all that comes with it. But the physical part of it is pretty, pretty. I mean, you come out and you're the best shape you've ever been in. You're doing, you're running every single day, you're running every morning, you're running, you're doing PT, which is an hour a day. So you're doing all of that, but also the mental part of it, where you're in boot camp. So you're it's not a feely touchy environment. It just isn't. And it they are doing this, everything they do there is for a reason. It's to prepare you for the real life that you're gonna be dealing with out on the street. And it's the best training. I can't even say enough how great the training is because you resort back to that training when you're on the street.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

So, did you become really close with the other people in your training? And are you still friends with someone? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

It's you form a bond unlike any other. Like in your each class has its own cadet class where I was CC95, and whenever we see each other, we yell across wherever CC95, like we know each other, where you become you're part of a team and you pull each other through some of the hardest things at in the academy. Because, you know, there's people in the academy that have families at home. I came in there not married, no kids. It wasn't as hard for me as it was for someone who just had a newborn. I mean, wow, they're having, you know, their wives are having babies while they're in the academy, right? You know, newborn. So it's difficult for some people.

SPEAKER_01 10:37

What is the age range that people start in my class?

SPEAKER_00 10:41

There was a 50-year-old in our class. Really? Yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

A 50-year-old man or woman. Yeah, man. So a 50-year-old man, did he make it through? He made it through. God bless you.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

That's amazing. Yes, he did. And the youngest was 21. So we had to like arrange there is no, there is no, there's no um age limit.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

That is unbelievable. A 50-year-old man. Well, you know what? It just goes to show you can do any age. Yeah, you know, that's unbelievable, though. So cool. Okay, so you obviously graduated, and then tell us how, like, once you graduated, what was the beginning for you? How did the beginning years and how was that journey?

SPEAKER_00 11:15

So once you graduate, you get placed in a district. And I was placed in District Chicago, where I grew up. I grew up in Chicago, born and raised. So I was wanted to come to Chicago because you sign something at the very beginning of the academy that you will go anywhere in the entire state. Wow. That sometimes scares people because they do get pulled out of their hometowns and they're usually shipped to Chicago if the need is there.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

So you were actually wanting Chicago. Oh, yes. But some people want to be, I would think, we're, you know, if they're from Southern Illinois, they want to be in Southern Illinois or whatever. Whatever. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

And but there's no guarantee. There's no guarantee. No, there's no guarantee. So I mean, I could realistically be put in, you could have been put like in a rural area. Wherever the need was, then wherever the need is, yes. And then do you stay within that district or do you get moved around throughout your career? So that's only if you want to. So, like for me, I came to District Chicago. You then go through a 14-week um field training officer program within the district. That's where you're on the street, real life situations. You have somebody with you in the car, teaching you things, the processes, watching you, making sure that you're doing everything you should, making sure that officer safety is number one, that all your off officer safety is good to go. And you know, you go through 14 weeks and then you're set free.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

So then when you're set free, I can't even imagine this being me. I mean, this is just so cool that this is your job and that you've done all of this. So you're set free. And then do you have a partner that is a veteran?

SPEAKER_00 12:41

No, yeah, you're set free on your own. So I can tell you, I remember this like it was yesterday. The day that I started on my own, I was driving down the Dan Ryan at 87th Street, and I just started screaming because I was like, this is so fun. Like I was so excited. You were gonna say, this is so freaking scary. This is what I would be doing. I'm on my own, like here I am. Like I couldn't wait to get out there and do police work. And but I just remember that moment, like being like, holy cow, like here I am. This is like it became like a job that I enjoyed every day of it. It wasn't even didn't even feel like a job because it was I just had an amazing career. This is what you just knew you were meant to do. Yes, I knew I was meant to be there.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

So on your first, you know, I mean, obviously you said you were so excited and it was amazing, but in the beginning, do you remember some moments when you were either afraid or like were just dealing with, I mean, I can't believe you were on your own without a partner. How did you handle that in the beginning? Some of these just, I'm sure, like altercations and I can't even imagine all the different things that you managed on your own.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

So you're the training kicks in. Your training kicks in. Everything that you're doing, your training kicks in from the academy. That's why in the academy, just going back a little bit, you're in a you're in a controlled environment and you're there for five days in a row where you're so focused on what you need to do to bring yourself home each night. And that training kicks in. So, and here's the other thing: the more work you do out there, the more traffic stops you make, the more you interact with people, the better you become. There's no doubt. Like you become a better police officer. Was I afraid? Absolutely. That's part of being human. You're gonna be afraid. But fear can be a good thing. Fair can keep you on your toes. So, yes, it's scary. It is. I'm not gonna lie, it is scary. It's but you work through that. You just push through.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

You push through. I mean, I think the thing that with this podcast and Blooming Bright and teaching people to be comfortable being uncomfortable, I think is so important. But I think in your case, just the personal safety of it is the first time I've had the privilege to talk to someone where you're putting your personal safety at risk. And so, but you're saying it's the training. That's what made you feel confident out in the streets.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

Yes, and knowing too that you have backup. Yeah, you could call, you know, uh, when I was on the midnight shift, there was a ton of like there were 12 of us that came up from the academy. So we were all working together, also, which was nice too. So um so there was a group of you that were put in the Chicago district. Yes, yes. And then like Chicago PD, they're working in Chicago, you get backup right away. So if the need is there that you need backup, you know it's there, which is comforting to know that someone will come and back you up.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

So it sounds like a side note to all of this is that when you're is me going into the city, like this is a pretty, and now I'm gonna swear for a minute, a pretty badass Chicago police force, an Illinois State Police Force. And we have some very, very accomplished people making sure that we're all safe here in Illinois.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

Absolutely. So that's the state. I mean, across the state, I would say up here, Chicago PD, Illinois State Police, Cook County Sheriffs, such a great, great team that they have up here. And all the surrounding suburbs, also. I mean, we're everyone works cohesively together to combat crime, and it works. It works when you work together. Well, that just makes me feel so much better.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

Just in this day and age, just you know, especially with teenage kids and just all of the ups and downs that that presents, challenges and knowing your kids are out, um, you know, just knowing that we have people keeping us safe is so important. So, and again, thank you. I'm gonna probably say it 10 times in this interview, but thank you for your service. Thank you. True. I appreciate that. Now we learned how you got started and all of that, which is amazing. But how did you work up the ranks? Like, give us the journey of how you over 26 years got to the point where you did.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

So I worked midnights for the first 12 years of my career, loved it, absolutely loved midnights. Um, the most craziest things happen on midnights. And again, young, no kids, not married, gave me the ability to work midnights. And, you know, I didn't have, I was able to do that. The flexibility was there. Um, but you know, working hard, I I mean, I I think it comes down to that is um making, you know, traffic stops, doing, doing the police work. People recognize hard work, I guess. You know, the your work ethic, absolutely, and being on teams. I mean, it had such a great, great early, early career. Um, and then you start to test. So what happens is like the sergeant test comes and you get rated. You get rated means you get you basically get, you know, your boss, your sergeant, evaluates you and everything you do, and you get a score. And then the test comes out, then you have to test, and then you have to get interviewed. I mean, there's process. So each process is a little bit different, but still the same of just testing and and being rated is what we call it. Um, and you know, it's also good to have good bosses that are in your corner that will speak up for you and say, you know, good things about you. Um, and so that's pretty much, you know, I had a great mentor on the job. I had several mentors on the job that uh I followed in some of their footsteps because they were great police officers, great people.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

So it was slow and steady work ethic with some amazing mentors. Yes. I don't want to boil it down to that, but there was no magic potion to any of this, just little by little.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

And you just things start to happen. I think sometimes when you try too hard, like you you can set yourself up for disappointment. But when you just are out there doing your job and having fun and doing what you know you should be doing, things start to fall in place. They really do.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

So, from the aspect of you being a woman in this profession, did you ever feel underestimated? Do you ever think being a woman worked for you in certain aspects? How did that play into it? Just because I mean it is a male-dominated profession. So speak on that for a minute.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

So, first of all, so I have three brothers. I'm the second oldest. They never thought I was their sister. They I think they always thought I was a fourth brother, fourth boy in the house. Like they just I grew up around males. My dad never had sisters. So that the the competition was there. I'm very competitive. So everything was always a game. Everything was like, who could do this the farthest? So when you come to police, like I was just very competitive. I mean, you know, playing sports, being a part, being uh on a team, like, you know, playing sports teaches you that too. So I never looked at it like I'm the because there was times where I was the only female on midnights, but I never like I didn't look at that in like a bad way. I looked at it like this is fun, this is kind of like where I'm supposed to be right now. And I just did what I what I was supposed to do. I I remember the guys that I used to work with, they would say, you know, if we need backup, we want you there. Well, that's a huge compliment.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

I was just gonna say, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Yeah, and you know, these are these are guys that do some great police work, and you know, they're dealing with, you know, some of the worst of the worst. So that's always something nice to hear.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

So you didn't really put yourself in the box of I'm a woman, you know, kind of thing. You were you just were a police officer. Well, I was just a police officer, yes, a state troop of the yeah. So then you obviously, near the end of your career, were you were the head of the Illinois State Police, correct? Or the division of patrol. So just, I mean, how was that?

SPEAKER_00 19:58

I mean, just I can imagine Never in a million years did I ever even think that that would ever, ever happen. Like I always said there was a group of us that said, Oh, we want to run our district one day. We want to, you know, be the captain. You're gonna be my lieutenants. You know, we that was like where I was content retiring in District Chicago at the time it was called. It's troop three right now, but I was content on retiring as the captain of Chicago because that's where I came up. The troopers there are just very hardworking, and I just I loved everything about it. That was where I was going to retire. And here's the thing I didn't know a whole lot about the other parts of the state because you were always I only knew what was going on up here because I was, you know, from Chicago and worked here.

SPEAKER_01 20:45

So, how did that work? How did you cross over from being in the Chicago district to having to be in charge of the whole state?

SPEAKER_00 20:51

So I got a call from our director at the time. He's still the same director, and um asked if I would want to be the lieutenant colonel over uh in patrol. So the lieutenant colonel, there's two lieutenant colonels under the colonel. And of course I said yes, and it was great. And I was working on, you know, in a support side, and then people retire, you know, change starts to happen. And um then I was asked to be the colonel by the director. And so again, and I will tell you this every promotion, now now mind you, like I'm married, I have three small children, and every promotion I start to say, How am I gonna do this? When am I gonna see my kids? How am I gonna do this? Am I and I would go to Dan and I'd go, Am I gonna be able to do this? Like, and he's like, Yeah, you're gonna be able to do this. Like, we'll figure it out. And that's so with Colonel, I was like, How am I gonna do this? Because part of my job meant to be in Springfield.

SPEAKER_01 21:50

I was just gonna say the traveling.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

Yes, the traveling. And but you know, you have great support. I have great neighbors. I'm my my mom, my family, my friends, my Husband, like everyone was like, no, we'll figure this out. Like, we'll figure something out. The moms at school, you know, you need the moms at school to help. Oh no, you need the moms. You need a good carpal. You need the carpools. You need the I got, I'll grab her, I'll grab, you know, him. So you need all that. It took everybody.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

So did you travel, like when you were colonel or lieutenant colonel, how much time did you spend in Springfield?

SPEAKER_00 22:22

So twice a week, I had to be in Springfield. Now, the other thing is that being up here, like when I became colonel is right around COVID, so we were a lot of the things happen up here in Chicago area. So I was also able to represent the director at any time because their director was is, you know, Southern. That was the benefit of being up here, also, is that if he needed anything, I was able to step in for him. Um, but the travel, I mean, you just you learn how to live with it. You just learn how to figure it all out. You literally open up your calendar for the week and say, This is what I'm doing. How are we gonna tackle it?

SPEAKER_01 22:58

That's it. And when you were having your kids, because you have your, you have three kids, two girls and a boy, correct? And Riley's yes, your older, older daughter. Um, and so when you were having the babies and everything, just how did you juggle all that? Like that, I mean, the maternity leave, how does that all work? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

Um, I mean, it's I feel like you just figure it out. Like I was a master sergeant when I had the kids, and then I became a lieutenant. I mean, we hired a uh babysitter to come to the house. I was gonna say phenomenal. Takes a village. Yes, it takes a village, and she was there for us helping with the kids. Um, but you figure it out. Like sometimes you don't even think about, you just figure out how am I gonna get this done? Like, there's no other way. I'm gonna get this done no other way. And I think that was one of the biggest takeaways um just going through this journey is like to not let anything stop you. And probably at some point during today, like during our talk, like some sort of advice that maybe I'll save that for later. Like, really what I feel. Like you just push through. You just push through. You didn't overthink it. No excuses, you push through. Is it easy? Hell no. I'm gonna say hell no. Yeah. It is not easy. It's not easy. You sometimes you don't get enough sleep. Sometimes you got to just figure out when you're gonna unwind. It's great to have people on the job and off the job. My, you know, uh best friends growing up with, I mean, my the girls, I mean, those on the job, great support where you're you talk about it, you how you figure it out, and you you're not afraid to say, How do I do it? How am I gonna do it? You just you know I mean like and ask for help, it sounds like help.

SPEAKER_01 24:31

Don't try and be doing it all on your own with all these kids and everything. No, you need help. And you know, that was what I always said helped me through a lot of this. Well, that's amazing. I mean, and when did you retire? I was at your retirement party. I was I was so in awe of just, I mean, it was it was so cool to see all the people there for you and the unbelievable career that you had. I mean, I feel like time goes by so fast. I feel it was longer time ago than I probably remember, right? Maybe three years ago. 4023. Yeah, about three years ago. And how do you feel being retired? Did you feel ready?

SPEAKER_00 25:02

Was it end of a good chapter? Like how was that? I it was time. I mean, it was time I I had the years, I had um like the time, I had everything was there for me to retire. And um, and it was it was time for me to go. I mean, and and you know, you you miss everybody, of course you do. But I couldn't wait to be a mom, like and be there for the kids and be there for in their teenage years when it's so much fun, isn't it? They probably don't want me around, but guess what? I have nothing better to do than to be in your business.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

Well, and honestly, it is such a good time when they're so little, like little kids' little problems. I mean, you know, that this is these are the moments when they're in that middle school teenage years. If there's ever a time if you're able to be involved more, I'm sure this is, you know.

SPEAKER_00 25:51

And it's been great. And I keep in touch with a lot of people still on the state police. And so that's always good too. Like we're still very close.

SPEAKER_01 26:00

Have you ever been part of the training?

SPEAKER_00 26:02

Um, sometimes, but not like, I mean, I still, you know, I still qualify. So, you know, as far as I mean, there's there's times where I'll, you know, how can I say impromptu phone calls I'll get. Oh, okay. You know, as far as like, hey, what what do you think about this? Or what do you think about that? But they're they're in great hands.

SPEAKER_01 26:19

Like sounds like it's a well-oiled machine.

SPEAKER_00 26:21

It is a very well-oiled machine, and something that prior to me, like right when I was retiring, I would say probably about a year, because I, you know, sometimes people don't want to say when they're gonna retire, right?

SPEAKER_01 26:33

And for a variety of reasons. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

I was basically like, I am retiring, and what do we need to do to bring this person up? Oh, that's wonderful. And and so when that happened, that's exactly what we did. When the new colonel took over, he was like a seamless turnover.

SPEAKER_01 26:49

Because you were super transparent about when you were leaving and were able to help him.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

And we had a great team. We had such a great team that everything I knew, the team knew. Everything I was doing, the team was doing that. It was very, very cohesive. It was very, very everyone shares the information so that everyone knows what's going on all the time.

SPEAKER_01 27:06

Communication, I think, just in life is so important, but I can imagine in police work, that's even more of everything.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

The root of every problem is gonna be communication.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

It really is, though, in life, too. If people are not communicating, it is. You it it it gets so it's just really an issue. I've noticed that. I put it all out there. So I but I can see how that could become an issue if you have people that are not communicating. Yes, yeah. So I mean, I just have so many questions now, just about just putting aside your personal career, just about police work in general. So, is there anything that you would say people misunderstand about police work or that would be surprising that people would think in this profession?

SPEAKER_00 27:49

Um, I just think people don't realize that how like we're humans, like we're all police officers are humans. We feel, we cry, we get mad, we get sad, we we have children. We actually care about you. We care about people, we care about getting people safe home at night. The worst thing to ever have to do is to knock on somebody's door and give a death notification. That's not something you know, nobody wants to do that. And and I think too is that the job itself, we get called to everything negative. There's no one's in no one's inviting us to graduation parties, no one's inviting us to say, hey, wow, that's so true. It's all negative, it's all bad news. Everything is negative, and we have to maneuver around that somehow, you know. Now, mind you, there's times where you're saving people's lives, which is a great, which is it started out negative, but it started out negative, right?

SPEAKER_01 28:44

You know what? That's really an interesting way to put it though. So when you, you know, when people are it's a high pressure, you're meeting people in very tense moments.

SPEAKER_00 28:51

Yes. Sometimes it's they're the worst day they've ever had of their life.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

Probably a lot of days for these people. And and you've obviously been trained to handle it. And so, but overall, oh I mean, when you meet people in these moments, what have you learned about human nature through it all? I can't even imagine.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

So being a trooper on the road, making traffic stops, like dealing with people all the time, I was fascinating to me, honestly. Like to really, like I asked a lot, a lot of questions all the time. I was very nosy. And I would say that, hey, I'm very nosy. Like, what you know, what do you do or whatever? Like, I would really like to know about that person because sometimes I feel like when you learn about somebody, you you kind of like realize why sometimes people are in certain situations. And so it's to me, it was always important, but you do learn that police officers see the worst of people, things that the rest of the public will never ever eat, don't even know exists. It's it's like a whole, it's like a front row seat to a really, really crazy world that we are involved in every single day.

SPEAKER_01 29:56

I just watched this show. Um, I don't remember what streaming it's on, but I watched the pit. So it's like a ER show. And some of my friends that are doctors say that it's, you know, if you strung all the bad days together, that's the season. Like every day is like the most high, all of the stuff over my whole career, it was, you know, that's what the pit is. You know, yes, it's realistic, but to a point, right? Because it's they're obviously doing it, you know, for um entertainment purposes. Do you like on an average day, would you say overall average, it's more uneventful, or would you say no, you'd be surprised how eventful every day is in your line of work? I mean, are the traffic stops usually intense or for the most part, you know, average type situations?

SPEAKER_00 30:40

I just think it depends on like the shifter working. Um, but I would say it's more or less like what you see on the news and what you read in the paper, what online, whatever, you're only seeing like I would say 1% of really what goes on out there. Like there's a lot that goes on that you'll never even hear about. Like I remember in Chicago when I was the captain in Chicago. So Chicago was just very, very, very busy. It would be a miracle if I didn't get a call in the middle of the night one like while I was the captain. It was nonstop, nonstop every day of the year. And but the next day we have these things that emerging um reports where you get it every night. You'd get probably 10 to 15 every single day of things that that means that it's something important that the captain wants to know about it. So there's never been a day you don't get one. So numerous, numerous things.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

But you obviously liked the action because you liked working midnights. Yes. Which was, I mean, I'm sure never was there. I mean, I'm sure there were slow nights, but for the most part, you were always busy and always Yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:46

Yeah. So you're constantly on the go, constantly on the go.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

Well, and I'm sure everybody in every job, you know, you want to be busy. But I mean, your busy was probably different.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Different an average person's busy. Different, busy, different adrenaline, different, like it was a crazy busy.

SPEAKER_01 32:01

So when you like an ad like someone like me, that's one thing like I always wonder about, like my own personal safety and stuff like that. What would you tell like average people, like after being in the job that you've had, like about personal safety? Any tips that you have, anything that you think that people are just doing that is really stupid, just I really would like to get into that.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

Just some tips for folks. I see it all the time, but observation, knowing like who is around you, knowing getting in your car, locking the doors and put and starting it, pulling away, not sitting there on your phone and like being so consumed in your phone. I mean, our phone is the target is people who are not paying attention. So if you notice them first before they notice you, probably unlikely that they would ever target you, so to speak. Say, I would say observing and just, you know, we called it in the academy, your head's on a swivel. You're always looking around, you're always, you know, it's pretty interesting, like what you will pick up when you start to really observe what's going on around you. Everybody could do this. And if you just get in your car and you're looking around and you're starting your car, lock your doors, that's good. Even with my kids, when when they were younger, they were probably, I don't know, like six, seven, eight. I would coach them through it. Like we could, I if I walked out of jewel, like say, like it when it was dark out, I would say, okay, in the car, shut the door, let's go. Like, no ping-ponging. That's what I would say, no ping-ponging. And they knew, like, get in, put your seatbelt on, and let's go. Instead of like, you know, taking your time, doing like so, which does make sense.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

So people that are out to do bad things, you know, whatever it may be, they were looking for someone that's not paying attention. Opportunities. Yeah. So they're not, they're not gonna look for someone that's aggressively walking to their car, keys in hand. You gotta be paying attention to what you're doing, but also observing around you.

SPEAKER_00 33:47

Yes. And and eye contact. Like, I mean, eye contact with people. Like that's the other thing. Like you're walking confident, you're walking and you're observing, you're paying attention. So that's your number one tip. That is my number one tip because I think that solves a lot of surprises.

SPEAKER_01 34:04

It does seem so obvious yet so important to repeat because it's true. We're all so distracted.

SPEAKER_00 34:11

Yes. All the time. And if you see something or if something tells you, like, mm-hmm. I had this experience when I with the kids. I was like, I'm not walking out to the car right now because I did not feel comfortable. Like something was going on, and I'm like, I'm just gonna stay in the foyer area of and observe. And the kids are like, what's going on? I'm like, nothing, nothing. And I I knew like my body was just telling me, like, slow down, no need to rush to get out to the car. I let it pass and then I was fine. Like, there's just things that it's a lot of it is awareness, I would say is the number one thing.

SPEAKER_01 34:42

Well, and it sounds like if you're being aware and you're observing, you should then pay attention to your instinct. Don't just like march on. Like in your case, you were like, I need to take a minute.

SPEAKER_00 34:51

And don't be afraid to pay attention to your instincts and to go with it. Like, don't be afraid to say, hey, I'm not gonna walk that way or don't be afraid to do that. No self-defense, too. I would say learning some sort of self-defense is always good. But in self-defense, the number one thing they teach you is observing.

SPEAKER_01 35:09

Un you know, attacked or something. Let's just say something happened. Do you have, I mean, I know it's hard because we're not in a self-defense class. Do you have any tips that you could give a person? Like something's happening to you. You know, you're either kidnapped or you're, you know, being attacked. Is there any tips that you would give in that type of scenario?

SPEAKER_00 35:27

So if it's like you're fighting for your life, I mean, everything is on the table. I always said like people have to see with their eyes if there's any way you can get to somebody's eyes. Like I carry a gun. That's you know, that's different. But if it's like you're just fighting, your eyes sticking a finger in somebody's eye, like honestly, like that will that's just part of the self-defense of getting away. Obviously, you know, screaming, making a scene, all of that stuff comes in handy.

SPEAKER_01 35:53

I always wonder, like you hear when you say to your child, I always tell them to scream, make a scene, you know, get loud. Is there anything that I mean it is sad when you see these videos where you know they're in distress and you see people walking past and not wanting to get involved? Is there anything that you've noticed that makes a difference? Like if people are screaming fire or anything specific that you think can make a difference, or it's just get loud, scream, that's a good one, poking someone in the eye.

SPEAKER_00 36:18

Yeah, I mean, screaming help. I mean, that's yeah, I would say screaming and just, you know, flailing or just somehow making a scene would be the best if you're in that situation and trying to get away too. Like you're also fighting, like that's like where the fight or flight kicks on. Like you've got to fight through it and just kick, scream, punch, grab, gouge, anything that you possibly can do.

SPEAKER_01 36:42

And would you say still most of these perpetrators just want to not have a scene? Like they're looking for people that are not paying attention. They're so will they leave usually?

SPEAKER_00 36:51

I mean, sometimes or yeah, sometimes they will. And you know, it could be a robbery, it could be they want your car or their purse. Here you go, give it to them. I mean, nothing's worth your life, of course. So if it's something that it's like some sort of a robbery, I mean, honestly, like anything else can be replaced. So you don't want to be fighting with somebody when you're outnumbered, number one, if they have a gun to your head or if they're pointing a gun, you don't want to even engage in any type of fight because your life is more important. So you just you give them your car. Like you don't fight through that. Now, if they take you and you're fighting for your life to stay alive, absolutely you got to do whatever you got to do to stay alive.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

Wow. I can't even imagine the situations that you've been in over the years. I'm just taking a minute to just process this. It's really unbelievable. I mean, I'm sending a child off to college. So my question is like personal safety when you're at school. What do you think about the like pepper spray and all that kind of stuff? Do you think that that is good to have?

SPEAKER_00 37:47

I would, yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 37:48

And but but you have to probably have it ready.

SPEAKER_00 37:51

Yeah. Yeah. They also have those alert things where you can pull it off your keychain and it makes a really good noise to noisemakers.

SPEAKER_01 37:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:58

So you know, things like that. Um, I would say is always helpful. Any of those tools.

SPEAKER_01 38:03

But you're right. The noise thing would be very effective because people don't want to draw attention. Correct. So if you don't want to have to get the pepper spray, I mean, that's just something that's easy to be able to have. Yes. Wow. So, you know, all these crazy stories. I mean, is there something? Let's just start with something light. What's one of the funniest things that's happened to you on duty?

SPEAKER_00 38:25

Oh, I mean, I feel like there's so much funny things that do happen. Like people are just funny. I I think one that comes to mind, any of the guys I work with ever listened to this, they would probably think this was one of the more funnier ones. So there was a time where like I'm not fluent in Spanish. I am half Mexican and half Irish, but I'm not fluent. But I would, I did study abroad in college and I do know a lot of Spanish. I shouldn't say a lot because they'll say no, you don't know a lot at all. But I we were on a traffic stop, we were on a team, and I was trying to talk to this guy in Spanish, and I was trying to tell him to, because he was posting bond. Okay. Okay. And I was trying to tell him to keep the money in his pants until we get to the station, and then we can do it at the station. I give him a receipt and all that, and he posts bond. And so I'm explaining, like, I turn and I'm like telling the guys I was with, like, and all of a sudden they're like, hey, hey, hey. And I turn around and he pulls his pants down. He's trying to basically say, Well, I told him to pull his pants down, which I might have, but I didn't, I thought I was saying the right things in Spanish. Oh, that's hilarious. I know is that he does he's a closing himself. Pulling his pants for some reason with his money.

SPEAKER_01 39:37

With his money, yeah. Oh my gosh. So then when you do the that's actually hilarious. And I and I was a Spanish major, and so studied abroad as well. And do think that I am kind of hot, you know, like, oh, I know the Spanish. And my husband is doing Duolingo. So between the two of us, I totally see us in some type of scenario with miscommunication mixed signals regarding the different languages. Yeah, I gosh, that's hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 40:03

Oh, yeah, please. I think yeah. Um, there was another one where um on midnights I ran a plate and you know, my eyes, every now and then I have to get my eyes like my my contacts re-upped at the time. I did end up getting LASIK, but I had to get my contacts re-upped to get a better prescription. So I read this plate, and the plate comes back to like like somebody wanted for like a major felony and you know, red alert. Hey, you're like, oh my god. Those are like, okay, everyone hears it, and everyone starts to come.

SPEAKER_01 40:35

So you get backup immediately for something like that.

SPEAKER_00 40:38

Immediately, like, you know, a bunch of cars come. We shut the whole Dan Ryan down. And as I'm getting out of my car, I look and I'm like, I ran the plate wrong. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 40:48

So now a guy went to the academy with Was he like a total with this person like a total, like non-offender of anything? This poor lady. She had to be 90 years old.

SPEAKER_00 40:58

Oh my God. So again, we're good. We at first get out with our guns drawn because that's what you do. Of course. And and I'm like looking up there, I'm like, oh my goodness, this poor lady. And and so I look, I see it's a very elderly woman, and she's hanging on. She's got these cute little glasses, and she's like, Did I do something wrong? And I'm like, I'm so sorry, ma'am. No, you you go right ahead. Go ahead on your with your night, have be safe. I'm really sorry, didn't mean to pull you over. Oh and I never dared the end of that. I could actually see people like repeating that story. And it was all because I I thought like a five was an S or something. Totally. They'll still bring it up every now and then.

SPEAKER_01 41:36

Well, I mean, I always joke around with my kids. I'm like, I can't hear, I can't see, I have all these issues, I can't even imagine. That's something totally any mom, any anybody in their 45 to 55 age range, like all of us can relate to that. But that's crazy. So they really did shut down the Dan Ryan.

SPEAKER_00 41:51

Oh, yeah, we shut the Dan Ryan. We had everyone there, and even IDAT was shutting down lanes for us. So it was like it was funny.

SPEAKER_01 41:57

And it was an older gal, bless her heart.

SPEAKER_00 42:00

And you're just like, whatever, you know, whatever, whatever you were going, just whatever lady, sorry. We're so sorry. Yeah, it was uh it was quite funny.

SPEAKER_01 42:06

So I think we all, I mean, I think just as an average person, the majority of the things when you're with a police officer or someone from the state patrol, it would be like a traffic stop. I would say majority of that's the contact you would have with someone in your profession. Over the years, would you just say on average, usually people are pretty good? Do people, I mean, do people start crying a lot? Is there a lot of excuses? Like, what's an average traffic stop scenario?

SPEAKER_00 42:34

Yeah, I would say the majority of times it is fine. It's you go on, but then you know, like I remember one one night, like I just said, can I just please get somebody normal on my like every single traffic stop was crazy. Like I just could not get away from the craziness, whether it was, you know, I mean, they take off on you, they don't stop, they um people, you know, give every excuses that you can think of. Um, from, you know, I'm about to have a baby to my wife's having a baby to somebody died. Like, I mean, I'm telling you, like pretty much every excuse.

SPEAKER_01 43:07

Has any of that been true? Like, have you stopped and when with someone speeding and they are having a baby? Has that happened?

SPEAKER_00 43:13

Yes. So there is one, and I remember that like yesterday too, where he was probably doing like 75 miles an hour on the shoulder. Oh, wow. And his wife was having a baby. But guess what? You're gonna like you wanna get like you could you're putting her life in danger and other people, other people yourself. So I had to like keep them there for a minute and call an ambulance. And I mean, the mother was so irate and mad, and she yes, because she's going through labor pains and she's just emotional. Of course, right? Just like it was all part of that because I understood like what she was going through. Like, I yeah, I don't take that personal, but you know, we had to have the ambulance come, shut the expressway down, have them come the wrong way. Or to get her there. Immediately they were there very, very quickly to get her help.

SPEAKER_01 44:02

In a way, I would almost consider that a win that you stop them because then you got the ambulance there faster. I would think.

SPEAKER_00 44:10

And and we were there to help her too. Like troopers have delivered babies on the side of the road. So did she have the baby? She had the baby in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. But it was fast. So like this guy wasn't like because I'm sure there's some people that are some troopers that have delivered babies on the side of the expressway. Yes. So, you know, and that's I've never been on scene for anything like that, but I do know of troopers that have done that. And that's amazing. Like that's unbelievable. That, you know, number one, that you have somebody that's able to do it and keep somebody calm and just help out before the ambulance gets there.

SPEAKER_01 44:42

So so in that case, that person did get a ticket.

SPEAKER_00 44:46

No, I didn't even know. Cause I'm just wondering like this is what fascinates me. I think I was like to him, like, just no, like I was more worried about his safety and her and the mother's safety than anything. Like the last thing was like, Oh, no, I'm gonna I I was not now. Could I have absolutely that's the other thing? Like, you we have discretion. I was just gonna ask, you're discretionary that you have that. Yeah, you have the discretion out there. So, you know, and I knew he was he was excited because she's yelling at him, get to the hospital. You know, it's it's the whole situation.

SPEAKER_01 45:13

So, was it a happy moment when they got in the hospital? Was there like a high five moment at the end? Or absolutely it was all that's exciting, yeah. So, wow, and so all these people, they you just it's all different walks of life. You've just seen it all throughout the years.

SPEAKER_00 45:28

It's crazy. My mom always said I should have like started keeping notes and keeping like a diary of just all the crazy things that could you forget over the you do.

SPEAKER_01 45:38

I was gonna say writing a book could be your next venture. It's so fascinating, just these stories that you're sharing. So you're I mean, I'm just picturing that Dan Ryan. I was just in the city the other day, and it is a bear. I mean, that traffic is the worst. You know, I mean, I'm living in the western suburbs and just driving to the city back and forth. I mean, it's even 290, all of it. It's just awful. And I'm gonna be sending a child to IU. Um, and we're gonna, he's gonna be, you know, spending more time on the highway and stuff. What is is that probably the biggest offense when people go on the shoulder? Do people do it a lot?

SPEAKER_00 46:09

Is that yeah? I mean, people do it a lot just to get ahead of traffic. Uh, I mean, speeding, speeding is your other probably bigger, bigger offense too. I do think that more, a lot more people do wear seatbelts. Well, now because they have the noises. Yes, they make the annoying noises, but like, I mean, I can't stress enough about how many fatal crashes I've seen with no seatbelts. If they had a seatbelt on, they would be alive today. It's crazy. That's why I'm I'm a huge, I mean, we all are proponents of seatbelts to wear a seatbelt.

SPEAKER_01 46:40

For me, I don't even think about it now. It's like automatic. It's automatic mainly just because of that annoying noise. I mean, I I I actually wonder how vigilant I would be if I didn't, I mean, the noise, they say that the that noise only like a serial killer can handle that noise. Like ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. So it is safe. Obviously, those noises are saving lives. Absolutely. 100%. Yes. Seatbelts. So then what would you say? Obviously, you've done this for many years and you did it before, I mean, all of the technology in the texting. What would you say with texting and driving that you've seen? I mean, I'm just interested to hear how that's changed, you know, since when you started and how dangerous you think that is, and how people more distracted.

SPEAKER_00 47:20

Oh, yeah, without a doubt. Like the distraction of texting and even just other things that are going on in the car, whether it's eating or other people in the car, you know, there the distraction, I would say texting is probably a big thing. Um, it's it could be catastrophic. I mean, we, you know, in speed, I mean, that's the other thing. But we we have a trooper right now who is um still in a coma from a from a crash. It'll be almost six years. Wow. And um, and again, you know, he he suffered catastrophic injuries because of speeding and you know, who else knows what was happening? But um, you know, so the the distraction is just it's real. It's definitely real. It's it's real to a point that it can cause a death.

SPEAKER_01 48:07

So well, and you know, it's one thing if you die yourself, you know, and you're distracted or whatever, but you hear about these people that are in a coma, that are paralyzed, that they or the person that's causing the accident gets away scotch-free, and then someone else dies. I mean, it really is. I can't imagine through the years what you've seen. I mean, to walk up to some of those accidents is probably just it's crazy. And do you just kind of like you obviously in the moment you're you're dealing with it, and then you just kind of block it out?

SPEAKER_00 48:38

So I think like over the years, um you not that you block it out, but you you learn how to eventually cope with it. But I also think that sometimes you don't realize like what you've just seen until later. It doesn't hit you because you're in a moment-to-moment, like helping people. You're we get out there and we see what we see and we have a job to do. We have to do our job because who else is gonna do it? Like we're that's what we're there for. We're there and in the academy, they can't teach those real life, like seeing death and seeing the things that we see. They can't teach that because you're in a controlled environment. Once you get out there, you're like, holy cow, like you see a lot. We see things that I can't even talk about because talking about it, it's terrible. It's absolutely terrible. Like, I can't even get the words to come out to even talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 49:33

Well, and that's why, again, I say thank you for your service. And I think it's so important what you said earlier in the episode when you talked about that you're human and that when you see a state trooper or police officer, they are human and they're dealing, they're they're there to help you. At the end of the day, they are there to help you. They're not there, you know, to give you a speeding ticket or because sometimes I think, you know, people get frustrated when they see a police officer. Yes, you know, and obviously, as we talked about, it's in their you know, darkest moments, potentially the worst day of their life. But you're there to help.

SPEAKER_00 50:00

And we're always on like on guard. I feel like we're always on guard. You know, the other day I happened to run into a police officer and he didn't know I was retired, and he was acting just so like on guard. And I get and I understood it, like because he obviously once I told him, like, and then he completely changed, but he's on guard. Yeah, he's on guard because that's we're we're always looking around, we're always on guard.

SPEAKER_01 50:23

Well, Aaron, we're all learning now that to well, I'm learning to be observant. I'm gonna be so much more observant in my everyday life. I'm actually interested to see what I'm gonna see as I'm as I'm more aware of everything that's going on. Okay, so let's switch gears. You have had the unique experience of having another crazy job, which was being part of the Jerry Springer show. So it's just tell me how that all got started, walk me through that. I'm dying to hear about it.

SPEAKER_00 50:49

Yeah. So they wanted to try to do a like have women on the show as bouncers, okay, as uh security guards. And so somebody called me and said, Hey, somebody that I actually know that works a show said, Hey, they're gonna be having females you should come and interview. Now, mind you, I have to get permission from the state police. So you were a state trooper at this point. Okay, got us. So I had to write a bunch of stuff up, send emails, get permission, and they had to sign off that I would be on TV. Now, mind you, no one would know that I was state police, but I it's a secondary. Of course, we still all you had to be legal and everything. So I had to get do all that. So then I interviewed. There was a bunch of us that interviewed, most of us, most were from Chicago PD, and and then they ended up picking three of us and two Chicago police officers and myself. And how long did you do that for? Just for a year. So they only did it for a year. They just did a year, and and it was one of the most wildest, craziest um experiences I've had. And it was good because I work midnight, so I was able to go like get off the midnight shift, sleep for a few hours, go downtown, do the show for I think we did like three to four hour shows and then come back, sleep a little more, and go back out to midnight. So it worked for me.

SPEAKER_01 52:01

So would you do like multiple shows at once? Yes. Like groupings.

SPEAKER_00 52:04

Yes, they were groupings, and you, you, you, yeah, you did like two or three shows when you went there.

SPEAKER_01 52:10

And was it as crazy as I mean, can you tell us a story or anything?

SPEAKER_00 52:15

My first show that I because you know, again, it's like something new. Yeah. So you're kind of trying to figure everybody out, and you know, they provoke like the director, like they have to provoke the producers, that's all part of it. Yeah, provoke. And the next thing I know is I'm like, I get hit in the face with a steak, like a piece of meat raw steak that some lady went to throw at another lady and Mr. And just that's what they loved. Oh, the security guard gets hit by a steak. Like that was like such a great moment. And that was your one of your first shows. That's my first show. Your first show. My first show. Wow. So, you know, they bring out different props. They a lot of it is, you know, people they know each other. So some of it's real, some of it's, you know, kind of preventing.

SPEAKER_01 53:00

Some of the people you would like the guests, they want to be on their episode to be highlighted, so they amp it up on purpose. Yes, yes. Are there some scenarios where people are blindsided?

SPEAKER_00 53:09

Yes. Oh, yeah. To the point where I'm like, like, you know, but then they make up after they get off stage. Where oh yeah, because like they a lot of them know each other, so that's the thing. It's like, but we're there to break up the fights, and you were clearly needed, yes. And so there's like a way to do it, you know, there's a way to break up a fight, which I think I got very good at that. Like I was able to like, you know, to break up fights on what in what you do. And I would say the the other fun part about being on Jerry was that two of the of the secure the male security guards, I actually grew up with. Like we knew each other since we were childhood friends, so we just had fun. Like it was a fun time. I'm sure. How many security guards like were there per episode? I think there was like two, two or three males, and then they would have two females, like we it would always be two of us females together, and they would just enter, like it would be sometimes we'd get off stage and bring somebody else, and it would just, you know, it was like different, like it would vary. How was Jerry? Great, he was a cool guy, the nicest man ever. So funny, so nice, so just like normal, didn't like normal to talk to, very, very nice to everyone that I've seen him interact with. It was he was very kind. So that was a great experience. Yeah, that was a really good experience. So only a year though, only a year. I'm sure that you were you were done. Yeah, they would yell our names too. They'd be like, me, me, me, me, and and oh, so they knew you so the audience knew you. Yes, they knew our names, and they and that was always so funny to me. And then like to come home and watch it and see it on TV. I I just thought that was funny and hell.

SPEAKER_01 54:39

So have your kids watched I want I'm I can tell you what I'm doing after this episode. I'm tuning in to an old episode.

SPEAKER_00 54:46

They uh like it, it was funny. Like it was funny, and it was great about memories. Yeah, it was great while it lasted. I the the other two girls, very great, you know, loved working with them. One of them is actually like we see each other quite often.

SPEAKER_01 54:59

I can't, I mean, you obviously have such a crazy moment in time to share with those people.

SPEAKER_02 55:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:06

Wow. And he's off the air now, right? That's been off for a while, I think. Yes, yes, he's been off the air. Yeah, man. I can't even imagine how that show is ever canceled because I feel like people were addicted to it. I think you could go online. You could go. Oh, I'm sure. Oh, I'm going to, Mimi. I'm gonna Google. Me, me, me, me. I cannot wait. Okay, so just like finishing off, I want to ask you some of my rapid fire questions just to get a little bit of a sense. Um, in your line of work, let's ask start and with this one coffee or energy drink?

SPEAKER_00 55:34

Coffee.

SPEAKER_01 55:35

Really? Always? Always coffee. Okay. And what how do you take your coffee?

SPEAKER_00 55:39

Um, a brown sugar shaken espresso.

SPEAKER_01 55:42

That sounds fabulous. I don't drink coffee, so I'm always fascinated. I'm an energy drink.

SPEAKER_00 55:48

Yep. I love I yep, I love cream and sugar, but but that's what I normally get is my brown sugar oat milk, shake and espresso.

SPEAKER_01 55:54

So then for you, obviously throughout your career, you obviously work midnights, but what would you say you enjoy being on patrol or being on a desk? Patrol. Patrol for sure.

SPEAKER_00 56:03

Day patrol on midnights. And midnights. That's crazy that. Yeah. So we would be able to get to um, like even as the colonel, we would have details up in Chicago and all of us across the state, the captains, the majors, we all would come up to Chicago and we would work the street and we all would work midnights. Like that was fun. Like we would So everyone loved midnights. Yes. I mean, and I wouldn't say everyone loved it. No, not loved it, but it was the action.

SPEAKER_01 56:26

The action is is like crazy action. Yes. That's awesome. So I mean, you just answered that early shift or night shift. I mean, I put these questions before I had you chat, and we heard a million times tonight. Midnights is your is your time to shine. Okay, this I'm dying to get the answer for this one. What is your favorite police movie? The wire. The wire. Oh, it's it really that's the wire.

SPEAKER_00 56:49

That's the show, right? The wire, yes. It's it's like a it's like a season one, two, three. And I am waiting for Netflix or somebody to put it back on, but because it hasn't been on in a while. So then I was talking earlier about the pit.

SPEAKER_01 57:01

How realistic would you say the wire is?

SPEAKER_00 57:03

Very realistic. Really? Very, very realistic. Because it it intertwines like politics and police work and the sum of the stuff with police work and what happens on the street is to the T, the wire. Love the wire.

SPEAKER_01 57:16

So Jerry Springer and the wire, two things that I'm I'm watching after this episode.

SPEAKER_00 57:20

Okay, a skill everyone should learn, like a safety skill, or I think we might have touched on some of it, but um I mean, I would say like probably communication is always a good skill, but like even self-defense, I would say self-defense, like that's a great skill to have. Um, I am a huge, you know, carry a gun. Like I believe in that everyone should be able to carry a gun to keep themselves safe. So I would say learning how to shoot would be something that I personally, you know, coming from the police, like would say. Um, but like self-defense, like I think self-defense is like everyone can learn that and you know, to keep yourself safe, basic self-defense. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 58:03

I remember taking that class when I was younger, and I still remember some of the tips. It is really invaluable to be able to have that, you know, basics, the basics. If you weren't in law enforcement, what career would you have pursued?

SPEAKER_00 58:16

I think I would have been in the military. I would have loved to be like even now, like I, you know, obviously my my path took this way, but I think the military is fascinating. I really do. I think from a female aspect, like I see some great, great leaders in our military. And I just have and I have friends on the job who have spent, you know, tours overseas, both male and female, and just that sacrifice and that the challenge and then you know, patriotic what you're doing for our country. I just have the utmost respect for our military.

SPEAKER_01 58:47

Oh, absolutely. Oh, that's so cool. Okay. And then um, what is your favorite stress reliever?

SPEAKER_00 58:51

Exercise. I do yoga now. You know, now that I'm retired, I do yoga, um, strength training, like that is my stress reliever. And then honestly, uh while I was on the job, I wasn't doing yoga yet, but while I was on the job, lots of crazy stress, you know, some of our like had to go through some of our own troopers getting killed on the job and being injured horribly. Like those days would I'd come back, come home to my kids and be able to spend that. That was a stress reliever for me to be a coach, to coach basketball. Like I always say that was like the time where nothing, I didn't think of anything else except make this basket right now. Like coaching, like you're focused on that. I found that during that time I was coaching, that was the only time that I was not thinking about work, really. And it's that's that's kind of like sad.

SPEAKER_01 59:44

Well, you are in the zone, especially with basketball. I mean, I can relate. I have this on you very into basketball, it's very intense. There's really no time to think about anything else. So I could see that you just you your mind's completely focused on that.

SPEAKER_00 59:54

And you know, yeah, and it was like a stress reliever, but spending time with the family and the kids and do and having friends outside of the job and doing, you know, hanging out with the girls and like that, all that stuff is like helps with stress and talking about things too. Communicating. Yes. Like with my husband also being a police, we could talk about everything because we we know how each other feels.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:19

So then you're in this new season of life. I mean, I've been, you know, it's been about three years. What is making you? I always end with this last question, Mimi. What is making you bloom bright, bright right now in this season of life? What's all the things?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:30

I would say retirement. Like, I love it. I love this feeling. I love being with the kids, being with the family, being able to make everything that they're involved in, driving them all around, even though like some people might be not think that's fun. I have a blast driving all their friends around.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:46

I think being in the car with your kids is you get so much information. Yeah. You I'm I love driving them around. I'll pick you up at 10:30 at night from a party. I mean, it's mind a lot of information's happening. Yeah. At that point.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:58

Being able to plan like a vacation and not have to plan it around, like just being able to plan it when we can, like not just do your thing. It was always and then going there and being able to just vacation and not and say prayers. Because if I I mean, God forbid, something happened to one of our troopers, I would be on a plane drive going home immediately. So I don't have to have that type of retired. I'm like, you're I don't want to say free, I will say it was the best career I could ever imagine. And I would want like everyone to have that experience and to, it's such a great job. It's a great job for for anybody, for male and female. It's a great job.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:42

Well, I remember being at your retirement party, and truly the amount of love that people had for you and the dedication you had to your job, it was truly just amazing to see. I I left, that was three years ago, and I had no interest in doing a podcast. At the time, I was not doing a podcast or anything, and I was just, gosh, I just want to talk to Mimi and ask her so many questions. This has been fascinating. You are amazing. You're so badass. I honestly, I that's when I think of Mimi, I think of just you're just a badass lady boss. Congratulations on all your success. And thank you again for your service. Truly, Mimi. Thank you so much for having me, Kelly. This was fun. It was fascinating. So I stay tuned, listeners, um, for another great episode. This was awesome. And I thank, thank, thank Mimi so much for taking the time to walk us through her amazing career. So thank you, everyone, and goodbye. Bye.