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Charese Fruge’ (@MCMediaonline) Talks To Beth Troutman
June 7, 2022
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Beth Troutman is the co-host of “Good Morning BT with Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman” during morning drive on WBT/Charlotte, NC. She is a veteran news anchor, multiple Emmy-winning documentarian, television host, and former Congressional candidate. Her work has taken her all over the globe—from Brazil to Haiti, even to remote parts of Pakistan. She is a former evening news anchor for NBC-Charlotte; she was the lead host of the nationally syndicated show, “Right This Minute,” and also hosted the Lifetime Network’s morning show, “The Balancing Act.” Beth has made numerous appearances on “The Today Show,” “Extra,” “HLN,” “Good Day New York,” and “Good Day Chicago.” She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
That’s a heck of a bio! “Good Morning BT with Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman” is a relatively new show. Beth is the latest addition to the long running morning show that Bo started in 2012. “Bo and I were both born and raised in the Charlotte area, which gives us a unique perspective. Also, what are the odds that two homegrown people with the initials “BT” would end up hosting a show together on a 100-year-old station with the call letters WBT??? It kind of feels like it was meant to be.”
Beth started out in television. She worked behind the scenes for four years (2000-2004) on every Baby Boomer, Gen X and Millennial’s favorite show back in the day, “The West Wing.” From 2005-2008 she was also the Host of “Fox News Rising” on WCCB in Charlotte, then from 2009-2011-Host of “The Balancing Act” on Lifetime Television, from 2011-2015 the Lead Host of the nationally syndicated show, “RightThisMinute,” and onto the Evening News anchor role on NBC Charlotte from 2015-2017. Needless to say, the transition to radio was quite a big one. “It was crazy!” says Troutman. “Back in 2016, I was in Rio de Janeiro covering the Olympic Games for NBC, and Bo Thompson, whom I had never met, reached out via Twitter to see if I might do a segment with him for WBT about the Games. I, of course, said yes! After our first segment, we both thought, ‘huh, that went incredibly well!’ We ended up doing a DAILY segment from Rio. Our on-air chemistry was immediate, but, at the time, we didn’t tell each other that we were both thinking the same thing.”
“A few months after the Olympics, I decided to take a step back from traditional television so that I could tell the stories that I thought were missing from the media conversation,” explains Troutman. “I was in various countries all over the world, but Bo and I kept in touch. In 2021, he reached out again. This time, he wanted to know if I might fill in on his morning show on WBT. I was excited to work with him again, but I had no idea just how incredible it would be. Once again, our on-air chemistry was instant. We knew that we were on to something. After a few months of filling in, Bo and the lovely folks at WBT and Radio One invited me to officially join the team, and the brand new morning show was born.”
As you can imagine, Beth’s career has been incredibly exciting so far, and she’s just getting started, having now branched out into radio and the audio business. “I have been incredibly lucky throughout my career to be able to do some really fun and exciting things! I covered the American Idol finale during three of its most popular seasons, I covered the Olympic Games in Rio, I was a recurring guest on the Today Show, and I helped launch and host a nationally syndicated show that lasted for twelve seasons,” she says. “But I think the career choice that was most exciting to me came when I decided to take a considerable risk and leave traditional television so that I could tell the kinds of stories I was passionate about. I’m not going to lie; I was terrified when I made the leap.”
“The first place I chose to travel to was Haiti. It was an experience that altered my perspective and opened up my heart,” says Troutman. “I invited a good friend and brilliant cinematographer to join me on the trip, and together we created a short documentary that won two Emmy awards. There was something so incredibly thrilling about creating my own content while simultaneously NOT knowing if I could REALLY be the kind of storyteller that I WANTED to be. Then, to ultimately be recognized in such an unexpected way for the first work I did out on my own was extraordinary and life-affirming. It taught me that you can follow your heart in this life if you’re just willing to step outside of your comfort zone and into your own light.”
Beth’s incredible success has not come without its challenges. “The biggest challenge I’ve faced so far in my career was when my personal life and my professional life collided forcing an incredibly difficult decision upon me,” she says. “In 2015, I was hosting the syndicated show RightThisMinute, a job that I thoroughly enjoyed. However, my mom was battling ovarian cancer and I was all the way on the other side of the country. So, I made the decision to leave a job that a loved so that I could take care of the woman who unconditionally loved me and helped make me the woman I am. I think there comes a time in everyone’s career when we have to—or maybe GET to-- decide WHO we REALLY are and what really matters to us.”
“I had spent my life up to that point focused on achievements and accomplishments, but I learned that I am the one who ultimately gets to define what success means me,” says Troutman. “In those final weeks of my mother’s life—when I was her caretaker—she looked at me and said, ‘Look at me, Beth. All of this stuff? It’s all junk. The only thing that matters is love.’ I was holding her hand as she passed away just a few days after saying those words. And I was SO grateful that I had made the decision to be there with her. I know it may sound cheesy, but the only way each of us can really change the world is through offering love and kindness when and where we can.”
“So, ultimately the biggest challenge I faced in my career helped me question my version of success, put aside my ego, and learn to be a better, kinder, more loving human,” says Troutman. “I would absolutely make that decision 1000 times over. Although losing my mother crushed me in ways I never could have imagined, I always try to find beauty…even in grief. Choosing love over career brought me back to my hometown and ultimately led me to where I am today. Now, poetically, I am the happiest I have ever been, professionally. It is strange how life works. Sometimes we just have to follow our hearts and see where the ride takes us.”
Beth has great advice for women who want to take that ride in the broadcast/audio business. “The advice I would give is to be unafraid to take up space in this world. As women, our voices and perspectives are incredibly valuable; we just need to make sure that we are part of the conversation!” She says. “We also need to lift each other up, support each other, and celebrate each other’s successes. I often tell women—and everyone in general—to follow their hearts and do what they love. Create a life that is joyful! I also tell people to never have a plan B because they’ll use it! Once you have your sights set on a goal, keep moving toward it! If you have a plan B, you’re already focusing on what happens when you fail. It may not be easy to not have a backup plan, but I promise it’s one heck of a ride!”
Throughout her career, Beth has had the pleasure of working with some amazing characters. “One of my favorite stories is from 2004 when the actor Martin Sheen -whom I had worked with on The West Wing-- actually came to North Carolina to spend three days on the campaign trail as I ran for Congress. I was 27,” she explains. “He rode in a tiny car with me across my district and never complained once! He and I even went into a Wendy’s to grab a burger in rural NC. We got a big kick out of the looks on the faces of the people who were in line. They couldn’t decide if he was REALLY Martin Sheen! But, how selfless of him to do that for me, right? He is a mega-star, and he took time out of his life to help someone who was trying to succeed in the cut-throat world of politics,” says Troutman.
“That’s one of my favorite stories, but in all honesty, though, Bo is the MOST talented, entertaining co-host I have had in my entire broadcasting career! I have never had as much fun in my life as I am having right now hosting this show with him. There are days where we laugh until our sides are cramping, and days where we have such meaningful conversations that we’re left in awe,” she says. “I am constantly amazed by our ability to transition effortlessly between funny pop-culture stories and more serious current event topics. We love making fun of each other (and ourselves), and we love conducting serious conversations that are thought-provoking and important. Just recently, we went from talking about Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Taco Bell Mexican Pizzas to talking with the former White House Chief of Staff about gun control. I can’t think of another person with whom I could do that. This is the best, most interesting, most enjoyable job of my career, and I feel so lucky to have such a skilled, lovely, loyal partner!”
What keeps Beth up at night? “The thing that keeps me up at night is the division within our country,” she says. “People seem to no longer be able talk with one another and have constructive conversations—leaders and citizens alike. Really great conversations require active listening as well as thoughtful communication. I hope through our show, Bo and I can encourage more contemplative, open conversations between people with differing views. That’s the thing that I absolutely love about doing radio with Bo Thompson: we get to have great chats not only with community and thought leaders, but also with our everyday listeners.”
There are a few things you should know about Beth Troutman as we watch her progress in her new role at WBT. First, in 2004, she was the first woman to run for Congress in NC-8. “I also think people might be surprised to learn that I spent nearly a month in Pakistan shooting a documentary,” she says. “It was not a place I ever thought
I’d see or visit, especially as a woman. However, it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Other surprising, random facts? I was in an a cappella group in college (before being in an a capella group was cool). I am also a certified kickboxing instructor!”
“In my spare time, I absolutely LOVE to cook and bake,” Troutman adds. “And I REALLY enjoy reading. I devour books whenever I get the chance. I thoroughly enjoy kickboxing, paddle boarding, and ANY kind of dancing. I also love traveling to places where I don’t know the language.” As far as entertainment goes for Beth, “I am currently binging Season 4 of Stranger Things, The Staircase, Hacks, and Barry. I think Barry is fantastic! I am a BIG fan of Bill Hader. I think he is brilliant and hilarious! My guilty pleasure is binging The Circle on Netflix.”
As you can tell, Beth is excited about her new role with Bo on WBT. After getting to know her a little more, I think we will all be excited to see how things progress for her. “In 2022, I hope you see “Good Morning BT with Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman” reach new levels of success,” she says. “You’ll probably also see some fun podcasts and videos from us in the very near future! The sky’s the limit, and I am SO excited about all the possibilities ahead!”
Follow Beth Troutman on social media: Instagram: @BethTroutman; Twitter: @Beth_Troutman; Facebook: Facebook.com/TheBethTroutman (although my Facebook page inexplicably disappeared a few weeks ago, I’ve been trying to figure out how to get it back! Thanks, Mark Zuckerberg! LOL!)
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