Randi Chase is back for another round on the show. The last time we had her on in 2018, we talked about her adventures up and down the radio dial in 7 Canadian markets- she was certainly living a "WKRP in Cincinnati" lifestyle.
She's remained at the same station since 2018, but a few changes have taken place. Firstly, she moved to Red Deer, and her morning show with Vinny Taylor is now simulcast across stations in the Stingray radio group. And yes, you can still find her doing mornings at Real Country 95.5. You can even listen in live on their website if you're not an Alberta native!
In this episode, Randi and I talk about how Alberta has changed since the first time we both moved there. We also explore the project she was working on with Sarah Edmondson, which is a name you might remember from the collection of stories about the NXIVM sex cult stories that came out of Albany, NY. If you want to hear more about that, check out Sarah's podcast, A Little Bit Culty. You can hear some of their latest episode below:
Transcription
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:00:01
The sound off podcast. The podcast about broadcast with Matt Cundill. Starts Now.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:00:10
This week I get back together with Randy Chase from real country 95, five and red deer. We had this epic podcast episode back in 2018. Today she's moved from Sylvan Lake into Red Deer, and her morning show with co host Vinny Taylor appears on stations both country and otherwise on stingray stations across Alberta. Let's dig in. Randy Chase joins me from Red Deer, Alberta. How have you been?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:00:35
I've been really good, actually.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:00:37
Do you remember the last time we spoke?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:00:39
I remember it was a long time. Well, not that we spoke personally, but on this podcast, it was like four years ago.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:00:48
I know. And then I posted up the podcast and was promoting it still. And you wrote back. That was like three years ago.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:00:54
So much has changed.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:00:56
So what has changed in that time? So I wrote down a few things I think have changed, but what has changed in four years for you?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:01:02
I feel like I'm in a better place than I've ever been personally and professionally in the sense like Vinny and I when I first talked to you, we just kind of started the show and it was always great. Like, we always had really good chemistry and got along really well. But now it feels like he's family to me. We've never had a fight, not one fight. And we've been doing mornings for five years in January, so I'm pretty proud of our relationship.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:01:28
Is it something that the two of you work on? Because I think A, both the nicest people I know, b, you have a propensity to get along with everyone, both of you, and it just seems to work between you. Now you're telling me you've never had a TIFF between you?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:01:43
No, we've never had a fight. I mean, obviously we argue and laugh about it, but never anything serious. Never anything that truly made me angry. No, never. And I know that's sometimes hard to believe, like even saying that out loud, would I believe somebody if they said that? But truly, we really get along and we really understand each other. And I think understanding why we are the way we are helps the show so much.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:02:11
I don't want to play psychologists, but I think both of you are very grateful to be working together.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:02:17
Oh, my God. Yes. That's an understatement. I think once you've worked with certain people on a show that are harder to work with or not the best people, I mean, you really appreciate going to work and not getting nervous about it or anxiety ridden or feel this amount of pressure to get along and it's seamless with us. So for me, that's a huge thing. I want to enjoy going to work. I never want to work in a building or with people that I don't like to see every day because there's no frigging point in doing this job. Otherwise we don't do it for the money, that's for sure.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:02:55
It wasn't so long after you guys started working together that Stingray asked you guys to take on a whole bunch more stations. I don't even know how many stations that you work with under the Real Country banner. How many is it?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:03:08
Yeah, we're on 15 other stations besides the local show we do in Red Deer, Alberta. We're on 15 other stations and they're not just country so they're also the Boom network, so Boom Radio. We're on a whole bunch of their stations all around Alberta and it's kind of cool because in Red you we are a country morning show but we have to produce content that is not local so much and not just aimed at country fans because we're on other stations. We have to keep that in mind when we're doing our show.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:03:39
What was it like when they came to you with the idea of you're going to be doing a whole bunch more radio stations? What did you and Vinny have to change about the show you were just doing for Red Deer and then said, well we got to take on all these other markets too?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:03:51
Yeah, well we have to be very mindful of different demographics and where we are broadcasting to. I think we had to figure out still had to do some local things, obviously because we are a big station here locally and people do listen a lot. So we had to make sure that we had a balance of both but still able to be able to cut out some local things that have a break we do to produce that break to other markets. So we're very mindful of how to word certain things so that it could appeal to everybody and people here still feel like we are being local and inclusive so that was definitely challenging. We don't struggle with it as much anymore. But at first it was definitely kind of like a struggle. Every time you open your mouth you're thinking, oh my God, is this going to translate to everybody? And you're second guessing yourself. It's kind of like but now it's more of a natural thing. Definitely. We also had the help of a producer for a long time and we have another producer now but we had the help of a producer to cut out all the stuff that is local that can't go to the other markets.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:04:51
How many of the markets have you visited?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:04:53
Shut up.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:04:57
Well Matt, you don't have to answer the question.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:05:00
I think my shut up answer was very obvious. No, we haven't really been to any of the other markets. I mean we've driven through I did go to Jasper, I don't know a year ago and it was really cool being in Jasper which is like such a touristy cool place and hearing I didn't even realize we were on there. We're on in Edson which is right near at Jasper. So I've been to Essen, which is one of the markets, and it was cool to be in Jasper. And just like Gallivanting, and we were at a pub, my husband and I, and all of a sudden I heard my voice and I was like, that sounds like me. Oh, it is me. Oh, I didn't even know we were on here. And another time I was in Saskatoon, and somebody from another market that listened to us I don't remember what market it was, but she was like, we listen to you all the time, and I didn't even realize we were on there. So that's kind of cool. I would love to visit all the markets, but it's kind of hard.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:05:50
15 other stations I've been to that Edson radio station. I think there's an A and W right near there, and I've eaten at that A and W like, three or four times on my way to Jasper.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:06:00
I mean, and you can never go wrong with A and W. I only.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:06:03
Ask you the question about, have you visited all the markets? Because Queen Victoria did. You know she never visited Canada.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:06:09
I know I'm not very comparable to the Queen, but I think she's busier than I am, so she may have an excuse. No, it's the winter conditions here. I'm not driving to all those markets.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:06:20
I'm in Winnipeg. I don't even want to drive to Safeway.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:06:23
I know walking the dog is bad enough. I have to mentally prepare myself some days to go out and walk him. And yesterday I actually gave up halfway through the walk and went home. I was like, It is too cold.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:06:37
I don't want to date you or give away your age, but I do know that you're brave enough to go on Twitter and say that you love Nickelback and Creed.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:06:45
Oh, yeah, I say my age all the time on the radio. I don't care. I'm 38.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:06:50
Well, you said it also on Twitter, you said you're pushing 40 because you were slamming Instagrammers for all their makeup tips.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:06:55
You know what influencers drive me absolutely nuts? I don't care about your makeup tutorial. You're 24 and you're promoting eye cream and you're like, Look, I have no wrinkles. And I'm like, yeah, that's because you're 24. That's why. Speak to me when you're pushing 40 and you smile and your eyes crack underneath.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:07:14
By the way, congratulations. You are still active on social media. So many people have abandoned little certain parts of it, but you're still rocking the Twitter, which I love. Did you take up TikTok?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:07:26
I have TikTok. Have I tried to be relevant on TikTok? No. I've made a couple of videos here and there when I feel like it, but I feel like social media is draining in itself. We already have so many social media platforms. We have to keep busy. When you're having a public kind of job like this, and don't get me wrong, I like sharing my life and stuff, but I feel like maybe TikTok isn't for me. I like watching videos, though.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:07:52
Yeah, that's the thing. I thought maybe some of the things that go on on TikTok would be something that you might like to consume. But I just sort of look at social media as being the sort of thing where you're either a consumer or you're a creator. And I try my very best to be a creator. And I see people all the time. I was in Montreal a couple of weeks ago and somebody was standing on the Metro and they were just swiping their phone and took a look over and they were swiping through TikToks. And I go, that's weird. Life has passed me by.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:08:17
No, I mean TikTok. I could get lost. And I'm gonna say this and it's embarrassing, but I talked about it on the radio. I was saying I was on TikTok for 3 hours. One 3 hours. And I didn't realize it's been 3 hours. And I felt disgusting. I was like, this is a trap. It's really entertaining, but it's a trap. And I want to live more life than scrolling TikTok for 3 hours. So I feel like people like, we should consume it, of course, because it's great and there's fun ideas for radio especially. I get a lot of info from TikTok, but I also think it's something you could easily get lost in and your brain is fried by the end of the three hour session on TikTok.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:08:57
While I'm happy that you continue your upkeep on social media so I can continue to follow you, I'm still not beyond the odd drunk FaceTime to you.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:09:07
I never drink alcohol.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:09:09
I know you don't, but I do. So I'll like drunk FaceTime you sometimes. And I'm sometimes wondering, what does she think of her phone in this moment when it's like 10:00 at night and the FaceTime goes off and it's randomly? Matt from Winnipeg.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:09:22
Oh, I would love it. I welcome you to Drunk FaceTime me again. The last time you did, you were in Montreal as well. Speaking of Montreal but I mean, how could you go to Montreal and not get drunk?
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:09:32
Yeah, I was in the back of an Uber on my way to dinner and I called you from the back of an Uber.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:09:37
I loved it. I love a good drunk FaceTime.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:09:40
I'm just happy to still take my calls.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:09:43
I love you. I think you're so great. Your podcast is so great. And just as a person, I feel like you're such a solid guy, it's going to turn into a love fest for you. I love your personality and your sarcasm and you have this unique personality I think a lot of people maybe don't know about because you're kind of serious on the podcast sometimes, but you're really sarcastic and funny and you could take a joke. And I like people like that.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:10:10
Yeah, some people, if it's first thing in the morning, they're just not ready for it. So it can come off a little bit edgy and curt. And by the way, the first time a lot of people meet me, they go, what's that guy's problem?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:10:21
That's like Vinny my co host. You would get along with Vinny. I feel like you guys would be best friends.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:10:26
I feel like I know Vinny, although I've never met Vinny because I listened to the show. And so Vinny doesn't know this, but I know Vinny. He's my best friend.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:10:35
Oh, he's going to be so happy. You should invite him on the podcast sometimes because when I said I was coming on your podcast, he was like, oh, you know, I've never been asked. I was like, oh, he'll ask you after this.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:10:46
By the way, Jen Dalen, she's your program director, right?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:10:49
No, Jen Dalen was my program director for a while. She actually got kind of promoted and sent to Cam Loops, where she loves because she's very outdoorsy and she still is very much involved with she's in our company, Stingray still. So we still have calls with her every two weeks. And we have a talent coach named Craig Bruce who's out of Australia, and she's in on those calls. So we get to see her. Her. I miss her. I love that girl. She is so good at what she does.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:11:18
It's funny. I read into Craig at Canadian Music Week in 2018 and I said, oh, I'm going to have you on my podcast. And it could be years before I actually get around to bringing you on the podcast. So I got to reach out to Craig.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:11:29
You need to have Craig on. He is one of the best talent coaches I have ever worked with. And as a person, I'm just such a fan of him. I can't say enough good things about that man. He's changed our show for the better, and his advice is just so easy and minimal to already compliment what we're doing. And I really like Vinny and I really look forward to our talent sessions with him, which is something I don't think a lot of people could say with coaches. Like a lot of people, especially on air people, some of us have egos. We don't want to be told how to do our job better. But I really appreciate him and I think he should have him on the podcast. He's a really interesting guy.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:12:07
I think back to like when you and I worked together in Montreal and he'd finished your show and you really couldn't leave without passing the program director's office and talking about the show or talking about what was coming up. And here you are now with a little Fyfedom of 15 radio stations, the real country brand. But you're also on the boom stations. You've got this whole big radio show that goes across Alberta. Do you get into BC at all, by the way?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:12:34
I don't think so. I know we're not on in BC, but I don't know if the frequency maybe in some spots. I haven't heard that.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:12:41
So here you are with an Alberta wide radio show. You've got your pulse on Alberta. You and I also both lived in Alberta. I in the you in the 2000s for a vet. It feels like the province has changed in strange ways. And I know we'll probably have a little bit of a negative talk here, but we're just going to offer a little perspective. How has the province changed in your view? This is not Ralph Klein's province anymore.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:13:04
No, it's very different. I moved to Alberta when I was in Montreal, so I'm just going to guess the years here. But essentially, probably 2007, I moved to Alberta. I went to go work at the Bounce in Edmonton. I don't know if I was younger. Well, I was younger, but I don't know if it was because I was younger. I didn't really realize the politics and the climate of Alberta, but it did seem like a much simpler place than it is now. I feel now there's so much anger and political talk and people who don't like you if you vote for this person and like you if you vote for this person and if you drive a hybrid car or you're a bad person because you should be supporting oil and gas. It's just like I don't know, I feel like it's definitely changed since I lived I lived in Calgary as well for two years. And yeah, it does feel different. It feels divisive, like we're like now the Quebec of Canada back in the day when Quebec was trying to separate. That's kind of how it feels sometimes here.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:14:05
Well, if you're going to table something called the Sovereignty Act, that's a divisive act unto its own. And yeah, I suppose you're right. That's kind of the thing that drove me out of Quebec the first time was all that sort of divisive nature. And now I sort of take a look at Alberta and I see that going on inside. It makes me want to run for the hills. I don't feel like staying around and fighting any sort of fight like that. Same way with Quebec, I didn't feel like fighting that fight either.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:14:28
And there's more people I know here that are like minded like you and I are. I'm not saying everybody is a certain way, because that's definitely not the case. And I don't want to stereotype. I mean, yes, there's a stereotypical people here, but there's stereotypical. Every province has a stereotypical people that we hear about. So I don't want to say that, but definitely it has changed and I'm not the person that's going to get it back on track. But I don't know what the solution is.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:14:55
Yeah, I just want to finish every sentence with no I don't agree with you, but you don't have to be a dick about it. It's kind of the way I want to finish talking to everyone.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:15:02
Yeah, I just wish everybody just like I don't want to say get along because that sounds so cringe, but I just wish people who are more respectful of people's beliefs here and people's sexual orientation and people I just feel like sometimes it is like the US. In certain aspects and I don't want to generalize the whole United States of America, but the kind of stuff we see on TikTok and stuff like that, where we make fun of people sometimes I feel like it is a little bit like that here. Keep in mind I live in central Alberta. It's not exactly Calgary, which is different than where I live, but I also have never lived somewhere, though, where the community is so generous and so kind and I've met some of the best people I've ever met in my life living here. So there's both aspects to it and yeah, I don't really know what else.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:15:50
To say in just a second. More with Randy, including working on a pretty cool podcast surrounding the Nexium case, you might have heard of Keith Ranieri Nexium and how things got a little bit guilty. Also, Randy has moved to Red Deer and we discussed the Alberta she and I moved to versus the one that exists today. There's more. Including ways to connect to Randy@soundoffpodcast.com.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:16:17
This podcast supports podcasting 20. If you like this show or getting value from it, hit the boost button now. If you don't have a boost button, you can get one.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:16:27
Now@newpodcastapps.com tell us a little bit about Sylvan Lake.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:16:33
I lived in Sylvan Lake the first year when we first did the podcast together. I was living in Sylvan and we bought a house in Red Deer shortly after. So I've been in Red Deer for like four years. Sylvan is only 20 minutes away and I love Sylvan Lake. Anybody that hasn't visited Sylvan Lake needs to go ASAP. It's a cute little community of really giving people with a lakefront and tons of bars and restaurants and it's where everybody in Alberta goes for the summer and it's still affordable. That's such a big thing for me. I love part of living here is like you really could have a home and not be in a million plus debt, which is very appealing. They make it easy to live here and Sylvan Lake is one of the only places with a waterfront and a gorgeous beach that you could buy a home in and live there comfortably.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:17:25
Who do your listeners prefer more, the Oilers or the Flames? Because when you're in Red Deer, it's one or the other.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:17:33
I'm going to say the Oilers. I think the oilers. If you're listening to the podcast right now and you haven't been to Alberta and you don't know much about it, calgary would be kind of the white collar city where Edmonton is very blue collar and where I live in central Alberta. And Red Deer, it's very blue collar as well. So I feel like a lot of people do root for the Oilers. Don't get me wrong. There's tons of flame spans, too, and they hate each other. It's kind of like the Habs and the leafs.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:18:02
How did you spend your pandemic?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:18:05
Depressed. I hated it at first. It was okay because you're like, oh, I don't have to do anything. This is kind of great. I get to cancel all my plans, and as I get older, I've become such a homebody. I love my home. My husband is a homebody through and through. So at first we were like, oh, this is cool. Then it started getting to the point where like, okay, I haven't seen my parents. At that point, it was a year, and then it went to a year and a half, and then it went to two years, and I was like, this is crazy. I started getting sad. I was like, I missed my family. I want to see my niece who's just born. I missed my other nieces. And Alex's family is in Vancouver, so it was hard on us not having anybody around. The pandemic was spent mostly at home. I think I gained, like, £40. I lost, like, 40 or £50, and then I gained it all back during the pandemic. Lost it again, though.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:18:54
Hey, all right.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:18:58
But I think everybody was in the same boat during the pandemic. They just ate and sat at home, and it was blah.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:19:04
What did you eat? I ate a lot of pasta.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:19:07
Yeah, me too. I'm a big pasta lover. Like, I haven't had pasta, a good bowl of pasta in about four months, which I need to have bowl of pasta. But during the pandemic, we ordered every Friday. Alex and I would order this cheesy pasta from this restaurant here and eat it in bed every Friday like gluttonous pigs and watch Netflix. And I'm like, we we have to switch this up. When the pandemic started coming to an end, I'm like, we got to switch this up and get healthy again. And, yeah, we both dropped a lot of weight and started walking more and going out more, and now we're doing fun things in the community again. So I feel like my mood has definitely changed since the pandemic has kind of been I don't want to say over, but restrictions have been lifted.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:19:49
I love the cheesy pasta tips, but what I really want to know, and I think a lot of people would want to hear that if you're going to drop that amount of weight, what sort of commitment did you make to making that change? So you mentioned a little bit of walking. What else is involved?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:20:04
I basically really started just watching what I'm putting in my mouth, and honestly, it's metabolism it's getting older. It's all of that, right? As you get older, your metabolism slows, you can't eat like you used to eat. And I wasn't feeling good in my skin at all. I was just uncomfortable. I didn't like the way I looked. I didn't like the way I felt. I think it was the overall feeling, though, was worse than what I felt like. I looked like it was the overall feeling bloated and uncomfortable and tired. So I just started watching what I ate and prepping healthy meals and eating what I want in moderation. That's just the big key, is just portion control and eating what you want. Because if you give up everything you want, you're just going to gain it all back because you're going to be deprived and mad and binge eat. So I feel like, don't get me wrong, I'm not the poster child for weight loss, but that's all I did. It was just simple. I think simple changes help the most. It's not like a bad diet or like I went keto or any of that, because I tried all that and then I just put the weight back on. So for me, it's just simple changes and slow. Do it slow.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:21:08
I had the same issue. I had some stuff start to pop up, a little bit of blood pressure, and then came the snoring, and that's generally tied to weight loss. So actually, of course, me being sort of a gut person with audio.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:21:28
Is that your snoring?
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:21:29
Yeah.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:21:30
Are you still snoring or has it gotten better?
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:21:32
I got this thing called the snore Lab, and it gives me a score every night to let me know how well or how poorly I performed in my sleep.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:21:41
How are you doing now? How was last night?
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:21:44
I got the score down to 13, but when I started, it was like 65 and 70.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:21:49
Oh, shit. Good for you.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:21:52
So we're seeing somebody for some acupuncture. We're eating better. We're cutting back on. Alcohol is a big thing as well. Some warm liquid before bed with some lemon in it, some little things. It's all small changes, right?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:22:06
Yeah, it's all small. And as far as alcohol goes, I really stopped drinking. I don't mean altogether, like I've had drinks since, but about three and a half years ago. I just decided I don't really like drinking anymore. And it makes me anxious, and I feel depressed after I drink. And I just started going, like, why do I want to feel like that? So I cut it out, and I think I drink probably three times a year on special occasions. And it's always fun when you save it for a special occasion.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:22:36
One of the members of Pearl Jam once told me that they only drink three times a year to remind themselves why they only drink three times a year 100%.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:22:44
You know, every time in the morning, I'm like, See, this is why I don't drink usually. I hate it now I do partake in the weed game. I do love my edibles.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:22:55
Do you have a favorite store in Red Deer that you support?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:22:57
Oh, I support them all equally.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:22:59
Matt of course you do.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:23:02
Yeah, no, I do have one that's my favorite because they are the cheapest. They're called value buds, and they're great. I mean, it's so cheap, and you don't feel like crap, and you don't have a hangover, and you feel relaxed and good, and it's such I don't know why weed was such a big deal for so long, but alcohol is so legal. Like, alcohol is way worse than weed. Have you ever seen a bunch of potheads making a ruckus? No, it's always the drunk people.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:23:27
It's true. Also, alcohol really screws up your liver. It slows everything down. It screws up your metabolism and a bunch of things. I mean, you really need both in moderation. But no, I don't think wheat is nearly the boogeyman that it was made out to be, but whoever made it out to be that did a really good job.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:23:45
Totally. There's still some people who have such a bias and a preconceived notion of what weed is, and they've never tried it. I'm not saying you should be a big pot head. That's not going to do anything for your motivation. But as far as, like, on a weekend, if you want to relax, you smoke a joint, take an edible. It's so chill. You just feel relaxed. And it's so different than getting hammered and making bad choices and feeling like shit. The next day I saw this in.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:24:14
Your social media feed, and that was something involving the people who were involved with nexium.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:24:20
Yeah, I do. Yeah.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:24:22
Who are you friends with in that group?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:24:24
Sarah Edmondson is a friend of mine.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:24:27
So she's from Vancouver, right?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:24:29
Yeah, she is.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:24:30
So did you know her before the Netflix special and the CBC next year podcast and all that? Did you know her from before?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:24:37
No, I didn't know her. I mean, we followed each other on socials, but I didn't know her well at all. I didn't even know her. What happened was I've always been obsessed with true crime and cult stories and kind of the psychological aspect of what's behind people that join cults. And I think people think that, oh, that wouldn't happen to me. I would never join a cult. I would see right through that. And I think they don't understand that. The people that join cults are usually some of the smartest people ever, and they're just trying to better themselves. They're not going into it saying, I'm going to join a cult and be brainwashed. And I always found that interesting. So Sarah is part of the next IAM story, if you want to Google that. I can't explain the whole thing. It's pretty long. But it was a cult, and it was led by a man. Named Keith Reneiri, who's now in prison for life. And Sarah wrote a book and she was on the HBO show The Valve. And I don't remember how it happened, but I think I reached out to her because I heard she was it a podcast. I maybe reached out to her after the story to say how brave she was for writing the book and coming out and talking about it. And then she mentioned that they were going to be starting a podcast. And I said I would love to be a part of the podcast, which is called A Little Bit Culty. And so for the first season, I was a part of the podcast and I helped with research and different stories and guests to bring onto the podcast. I'm not doing that now. I'm busy. And they have like a team of people, but we're still friends and we still talk. And she lives in Atlanta now with her husband Nippy, who is also part of NXIVM. And they're such wonderful people. I'm so happy that they're out of that situation and telling their story. But yeah, google that story. It's really interesting.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:26:19
Google it. And then watch the Netflix special. Then watch the HBO special and HBO, I think they're now into season two and they actually cut back a little bit on the story and they're not really focused as much on Nippy and Sarah and Mark, who were really the bunch that broke the whole thing wide open and flipped it to becoming a criminal case. But I'm like you. I'm fascinated by it and how people do get wound up into cults. And then I realized them in Radio, which has kind of got its own set of dysfunction, but it's got sets of dysfunction that we don't really recognize as dysfunction until like ten years later. Oh my God, that was crazy.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:26:55
It's definitely like a culty environment in the sense that it's hard to leave.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:27:00
Oh, absolutely. I'm still not out. I mean, look at me. I'm out, but I'm not out. I'm still talking about it.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:27:07
Yeah, exactly. I always think, like, if I'm going to leave Radio, what am I going to do with my life? And then I think when the industry is pissing me off or I feel that there's unfair treatment of certain people and I just want to get out, I go, well, what am I going to do? A and B, there's probably this stuff in every industry, and every industry has their issues.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:27:30
I love it. I think I'm caught up.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:27:34
You're caught up with my life.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:27:35
Yeah, pretty much. I just want to know that if I ring you up all tipsy this Christmas that you'll still take my FaceTime call.
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:27:42
Always. I'll always take your friggin FaceTime.
Matt Cundill (Host) 00:27:44
Excellent. I'm so glad you're doing well. And my best to Vinny, okay?
Randi Chase (Guest) 00:27:49
Oh, of course. And you should reach out to Vinny because I feel like you guys are kindred.
Tara Sands (Voiceover) 00:27:49
The Sound Off Podcast is written and hosted by Matt Kundal produced by Evan Surminski social media by Courtney Krebsbach. Another great creation from the sound of media company there's always more at soundoffpodcast.com.