Episode 073 - Roots Run Deep with Kenzie Kimbro

Mackenzie Kimbro: I know that it won't be like that forever, and I feel very, very fortunate to have the connections that I do and the opportunities that I do yes, so I'm just taking it in stride and living it the best that I can, and I'll sleep later. And honestly, you're so good at that. Because Hey

Taylor McAdams: everybody, and thanks for listening to another episode of the kick your boots up Podcast. I'm so excited to have one of I think you might be the first one, actually, to be a returning guest on the podcast, McKinsey. So thank you for being on again. Oh my

Mackenzie Kimbro: gosh, yeah, I didn't realize I was the first repeat customer. As they say, that's exciting. I'm really happy to be here. And the first time we did this was over zoom. So it's epic to be in studio with you. It's

Taylor McAdams: so cool. You guys are getting the full effect. You're getting to see the story. And one thing I want to say before we get started is, if you're curious to know the backstory on McKinsey, if you're missing something here, you can always go check out her episode from before. I'll link it in the podcast episode description for you guys to see. But for real, McKinsey, I'm so happy you're here in Fort Worth I am truly honored that you took the time to be on the podcast, because I don't know if you guys have followed McKinsey long, and if you haven't, you're gonna learn very quickly, the woman's busy. She's got some things going. And this weekend, you were here for 30 under 30, among other things. So I'm just truly so happy that you're

Mackenzie Kimbro: here. Thank you. Well, it's an honor to be here, Taylor. I really appreciate it, and I love our friendship, and the whole relationship with the Justin boots brand is something that I hold near and dear to my heart, so I'm happy to be back anytime you'll have me. Well,

Taylor McAdams: thank you. And I think it's worth telling everyone you're the host of the roots run deep podcast, and among other things, she's a sixth generation cattle rancher. I'm gonna let her tell you all about her. But one thing I have to say is we originally connected through a mutual friend back in 2020 when the NFR was here, I was just an intern. You were continuing, but really just beginning your show. So it's so cool to be here. Now, five years later, we've grown up a little bit, but not much, and we still take life just as serious, but also fun. And overall, I'm just so happy to know you, so happy to call you friend. And I think in order to set up the interview, go ahead and tell everyone about yourself because and don't be humble. Don't like this is your chance to brag, because you're honestly the coolest person ever.

Mackenzie Kimbro: Well, thank you. My gosh, that's Yeah, what a hype squad. I need to keep her around at all times. Whenever I'm feeling like I'm not having a great day, I need you to just please be like, All right, Taylor, please do your moment to shine. I need the hype, please. Seriously, I appreciate it. So yeah, like Taylor mentioned, I'm a sixth generation cattle rancher. I work right alongside my family, my mom and my grandpa in southern Arizona, on our ranches down there. We're a cow calf operation, so we raise herds of mama cows and turn calves every year. And it's something that I'm really, really honored to continue the legacy on and in the last couple of years, I say a couple, it's actually almost been 10 years since we started this deal. I've been a Western media entrepreneur, and that just basically means I've been doing social media and television content for Western lifestyle and fashion brands, and the term quote, unquote influencer is thrown in there at some point, because here's what we do on social media, which take that as you will. I don't know. I love sharing our lifestyle and my personal style as well. The fashion stuff is always really fun to throw in there. And then, as you kind of alluded to, I do have a show during the National Finals Rodeo in Vegas, and it's called roots run deep Vegas edition, and we showcase shades of the southwestern lifestyle. We've got guests that are ranchers, rodeo athletes, fashion brands that hold the lifestyle at heart, honestly, people from all walks of the Western way of life. And it's been seven years. This will be our seventh year this December, and we've had so many incredible guests. It's been a heck of a ride so far.

Taylor McAdams: Yeah, and it's really fun for you, I bet, to look back at where you started in your humble beginnings and think about like, oh, look where I'm at now. Because honestly, you're on the big stages in Vegas, like you have your own stage space, your own show. How has that been for you to grow starting, you know, in the very humble beginnings of a social media produced video to then now being on networks, that's probably really cool.

Mackenzie Kimbro: Oh my gosh. It's something that we've worked for, and I want to give huge credit to the crew and the people that help me pull it off every year, because I overwork all of us considerably, and it's a huge production with a very limited number of people with actual hands on it. So big shout out to them, first and foremost. But yeah, we did our first one in 2019 and was super blessed with Group W productions. Had a mutual friend that got that meet for me to have a space on their stage. I was like, it can be first thing in the morning. I don't even need an audience. I just need a sound stage. Because I had always wanted to film the interviews, similar to what you do here. I feel like, if my guests are giving me their time to come on. We're gonna have all the content possible. Yeah, reuse. I love it. Yes, definitely. And so then 2019 was great. We made it through that. 2020 happened, and the NFR moved to Texas, and that was a curveball of its own. Moved the show, did the whole thing, and that's when we met. We did the interview in the stockyards, because you had to do a lot on those. Vacation that year. So learned a lot there. 21 went back to Vegas, and we've moved stages every year. The year before last, we were on the cowboy channel. This last year, we were on the cowgirl channel, and I also had the show produced for rural radio on Sirius XM. So it's been a beautiful ride. I'm, like I said, super blessed to have the team that I have. My mom also huge shout out to her. She is something that I could not do any of it without. She helps keep all the pieces moving. And, yeah, it's just been really great so far.

Taylor McAdams: I'm pretty sure we told the story last time you were on the podcast, but for those that didn't hear it, we have to kind of share. The first time I met your mom, we were trying to find the location of where we were gonna film to be on your show, and I was trying to explain it. And the stockyards in Fort Worth is a one way street. It's confusing. There's people everywhere. I think it might have even questionably been shut down. I don't remember. Anyways, I was like, Oh, you're right here. Let me just jump in with you, and we'll go figure it out together. And I just jumped in the car with you guys, and it was you and I don't there was a bunch of stuff. I think it was just a bunch of equipment, you guys, you and the crew

Mackenzie Kimbro: and assistant was probably

Taylor McAdams: under all the stuff. And I just remember being like, yes, these are my people. Like, this is the type of women that are gonna get it done. They're not gonna let anything stand in their way. And I just like, immediately knew, Okay, McKinsey's good people well, and mom too. Yes,

Mackenzie Kimbro: mom is the best, I will say that. And she was like,

Taylor McAdams: it was so cool just this past Vegas to be there and see you too, because she was making sure, like, did you eat? Did you take a drink of water? Did the guest get a cookbook? Like, it was just like, so kind to have her there. Because, like, Yes, you had your assistant, but your assistant was working too, right? So your assistant couldn't really be like Here, drink, here, hospitality.

Mackenzie Kimbro: Yeah, mom's the best at that. She

Taylor McAdams: really is okay. So I'm sure there's so many people out there that are wondering, and I am too talk us through your busy schedule whenever you're in Vegas, because, holy cowgirl, you get up early, makeup, there's hair, there's everything. And then not only that, you're working most of the day with your show and stuff, and then you still have night events. As an influencer, you still have to do your quote, unquote day job too. So tell us about that, all of it.  

Mackenzie Kimbro: Oh, gosh. So we run on minimal sleep and pure adrenaline. I think we're in Vegas for about 17 days on average. It fluctuates a little bit, but I think the trip gets longer every year as we kind of iron some things out. We get up there. We leave right after Thanksgiving, get up there that weekend before and get things going. Because we also film and talk to a lot of the athletes during the back number ceremony, which is Tuesday night and then Wednesday, try to build the actual set that the stage allows us to have. There's a whole metal backdrop that we bring with us. There's a screen that we hook to. There's a lot of moving parts with the stage production that we work with as well. And so that happens Wednesday, and then Thursday through the final Saturday, all 10 rounds, we produce shows every single morning. They're an hour a piece, they're live on stage, and we're able to film them and air them next day, which is awesome. That's huge, because that gives us the opportunity to really tell people's stories and not say, Okay, we have three minutes, and at the end of it, we're done and and I really that's something that I hold really onto, because that's important to me. If, like I said, people are coming on to give us their time to tell their story, I want to be able to get the full picture of it. We do fashion styling segments, which are always fun. I have a lot of musicians that come on the show too, which has been really great to be able to start being friends with those kinds of people. Yeah, and I joke that it's also one of the only times that I get to see my friends in Vegas. 1,000% that's the only way you and I ever get to see each other, is I asked you to come be on the show. Now it's the catch up session right there. So it's a lot of fun, but those days are sure long. They start at probably five or 530 in the morning. Wow, get up. Have about 45 minutes to pull myself together before hair and makeup comes. Thank God for them. Retweet, yeah, I don't think I could do it without them, and honestly, it sounds so bougie, but they have become part of the team and part of the family. And if I can sit there for about an hour every morning and just know that they will make me look good, that takes a lot of stress off of me, and I can focus on the show itself. I hate to

Taylor McAdams: interrupt you, but I'm genuinely curious. Have you ever just like, fallen asleep while they're doing your hair and makeup? Because that just seems like the dream, just like, make me pretty while I sleep an extra hour, that

Mackenzie Kimbro: was the goal. Originally, I'm not gonna, not gonna sugarcoat that I was, like, if I have to have my eyes closed anyway, while they're like, working on my face, maybe I'll just get a nap. But they are hilarious. They're local to Vegas, and so they do hair and makeup for all kinds of events and all kinds of people. And they're the stories that those two girls can tell are hilarious. So that's a great start to the morning, because every because everybody's having a good time and laughing, and it's relaxing in that kind of a way. So it doesn't help with my sleep count, but it definitely puts me in the right mindset to be able to go and be awake and have a talk show, and we go from hair and makeup to producing the show. Yeah. And that's in one of the major shopping centers. So that's a whole thing to, you know, haul stuff into and everything, and there's a whole back door to get behind and everything. And then after the show wraps for the day, we're probably at about noon ish, after we, you know, get the guests settled and sent off and things. We try to do some afternoon events with brands, and try to see some of my brands that are set up there so that I can partner and kind of showcase what they have going on. A lot of the vendors are good friends of mine too. So try to get to see everybody that I can there's five shopping centers at the finals, and so trying to get around to all of them, I have started having to schedule. We have exactly two hours to knock out this one. We had three hours this year to do the cowboy Christmas at convention center. No, that should be a crime. Oh my gosh, but that's the only way we could do it. And actually, like, get most of everybody's seen. And I told my mom and my assistant, they went with me. I was like, All right, guys, I hate to be this way, but we are on a time crunch, and we are making a grid like this is where we're hitting, and this is the strategy of it. And

Taylor McAdams: we tend to wonder, there's no room for anything else, right? 

Mackenzie Kimbro: Because inevitably, you run into other people that you know, and friends and things along the way, which is great. I love that it is, but that adds to the time. And so if you build it strategically, it seems to work out. Knock on wood, it's gone okay, so far. Bush, yeah, we get through that kind of stuff in the afternoon, and then the evenings, like you said, influencer events, brand events. We every night, non negotiable. Watch the rodeo one way or the other, whether it's on the cowboy channel Plus app on the go or at the rental house as a crew. That's my favorite way to do it. We order food in and we sit down there as a crew. The camera crew has worked all afternoon after the show wraps to get the show produced, because that has to upload more than, I think it's like 15 hours before it airs the following morning. So they are on a time crunch too, and they're texting me like, Hey, do you have B roll, or do you have extra stuff you want us to add to things? So to be able to just sit and relax and watch a rodeo and talk about who's doing what and whatever. At night is great, and then we head back out, either for, you know, concerts or influencer events or whatever. It's a heck of a schedule, but I have tried really hard to stay very present in it, even though it's chaos and it's a lot to handle. I know that it won't be like that forever, and I feel very, very fortunate to have the connections that I do and the opportunities that I do yes, so I'm just taking it in stride and living it the best that I can, and I'll sleep

Taylor McAdams: later. And honestly, you're so good at that, because by the time so you do, I love your style. You do a recap after Yes, and I love that, because everyone's feeds are just flooded with NFR, this, and a far that craziness, and people almost forget, I mean, myself included. Like, when you're there and you're not sleeping and you're not in the craziness, you don't really you click like, or you can't quick, like, a quick comment on something, but then, like, it's out of your mind, just like the way our brains are work. So anyways, it has been so fun. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to read each long post, getting to hear why you wore, what you wore, or why you saw, or who you saw, and I don't know, I just really loved the storytelling side of yourself as

Mackenzie Kimbro: well. Thank you. Yeah, that storytelling, the long windedness, obviously comes pretty easy to me. So if I can make those posts after and actually take people through, this is what happened on this day. Yes, these are who my guests were. We also share all the individual interviews on social after, yeah, so kind of halfway through the year, honestly, just because life is happening and things are busy, but it's fun to be able to kind of bring it back up, relive it, talk about it like you said, people can actually focus on what is being shared. Yes, I miss everybody's outfit posts during Vegas because I barely have any time to look so after I do, like a deep dive, and I'm like, not a creep, but I love you all, so I'm gonna go, like, every post that you've made

Taylor McAdams: right now. Yes, yeah. So

Mackenzie Kimbro: it's been fun. Spring always works out a little better for me. It's usually the Vegas outfit recap. Couple big events happen, and then we get into branding. So there's never a dull moment, Oh, gosh. And

Taylor McAdams: I want to talk about that too, but before we move on too fast, I remember something you mentioned you had even musicians on your show, which I think is a really cool element. It adds something for everyone. There's like the a couple can watch it, and the girl can get fashion advice, and the guy can sit there and enjoy music. And so I had never heard of Josh weathers before he was on your show. And so my parents came with with me to watch and cheer, and that was a fun thing for them. But they're fans, I know for real, like, we cannot, we can sing it and we can't sing it enough, but my parents love Josh weathers now. They are big fans. I'm like, Okay, this is amazing. Yeah, that's awesome, yeah? Little physical moment, yeah,

Mackenzie Kimbro: definitely, yeah. We've had some really cool musicians on and I think this year I really took a chance. Usually, I've tried to reach out to ones that are friends of mine, or they're just starting out, so they might seem more, quote, unquote attainable. Yeah. And this year, as I've kind of grown momentum with the show, I'm like, we have something here. It airs on national television. It's got a reputation that we've built now I can probably reach out. Out to some artists and maybe their management or whatever, and try to get some people on there. And we've had a lot of really cool ones. Josh weathers was a highlight. He answered back himself, wow. And I was like, okay, great, no way. So are we friends now? Or is that is that work? Is that how that works? Definitely how it works. He's amazing. He's so kind, such a great voice, and he has a foundation stuff, so we got to talk about all that on the show, and then he got to perform. And it's just one of those things that I'm like, This is real life. I just got to interview. I get so struck after, because if I do it before, then I'll panic, no, for sure, but after, I'm like, man, well,

Taylor McAdams: that's really cool. That thing that you have going for you, that's really cool too, because, like, a lot of people will go to concerts and see their people because, and they're there for a reason. They want to see that person, but they don't get, I mean, they'll tell some stories on stage, but they don't get, like, the sit down opportunity, yeah? And that's what I love about yours truly. We learned a lot about, yeah, his whole I mean, the fact that he's a devout Christian, and him and his wife have a ministry and the foundation and and, and I'm just like, there is so much more to this person. And you would think that he's seeing some, like, harder, tougher songs. You would think differently, but no, anyways, just a cool guy. So that was a cool highlight. I love everything you do. I'm going over you right now, actually, okay, but branding, that's huge. You guys have. How many had a cattle?

Mackenzie Kimbro: So we're actually in quite the drought at the moment. So our numbers are down, but we have capacity to have between five and 650 depending on, you know, if conditions were perfect and waters were everywhere and feed was good, we'd have a pretty full hand. But we have three ranches, actually. So something that I've been talking to a lot of people on this trip, specifically about, it's been really interesting. It's the most common question this time was, how much space it takes to raise cattle in the American West. A lot of people don't realize, especially in drought conditions, it takes quite a bit of acreage to be able to run cows responsibly, and that's something that we take a lot of pride in. And I know most ranchers do. You know, our love for the land and the livestock is first and foremost, we take a lot of pride in being responsible stewards of the land and responsible stewards of cattle. I think it's a God given gift that we get to live the life that we do, and so being able to do it in somewhere that's kind of tough country is challenging, but it works out. We've got lower numbers right now, like I said, just to responsibly manage some stuff, but everything's good. There's a lot of baby calves on the ground, so we've got some big brandings coming up. Thankful for the college rodeo team. We have a great college rodeo team nearby, and we've got some boys on that team that came from up north that are really good hands. So we get them to come day work for us and stuff, and that's a lot of fun, because they bring horses that they're trying to make into a good ranch horse. And we tell them not to bring the arena horses. We're in really rocky country, and we don't want to cripple anything that's too good right off the bat. But they bring a lot of young colts that need some miles put on them, and we definitely get the job done on them. And I think

Taylor McAdams: that's what's really cool and unique about you, is a lot of ranches have, I mean, every ranch has their own way of doing things, but you grew up watching your mom take the lead, and she followed her parents, you know. And so you are right there along the Cowboys. You're a cowboy with them. And so just talk us through what that's like. Because honestly, I've seen and witnessed so many brandings, but I'm usually the one that's bringing the lunch doing the thing. So tell me about it all.

Mackenzie Kimbro: Yeah, so it's an interesting dynamic, and you're right. I think it's something that a lot of people may not even consider. Yeah, the American cowboy culture is so rich, and it's neat to be able to continue that legacy, but it's also really unique to be able to continue it as women, my grandma and grandpa have never put any restrictions on anything. They never said you can't do this because you're a girl. It was never even mentioned, and it almost wasn't even overcompensated for it was like, well, maybe don't do that because you're a girl. And I think that's why my mom is so incredible, and everything that she does, she is a heck of a hand that woman can do literally anything from roping in a branding pen to fixing pipelines to anything that's required, caring for cattle, caring for people. She is so well rounded. And so I've had really incredible role models to look up to. And I just try to keep that, you know, going on. I I actually get in my own head a little bit sometimes, when we do have all these guys that are helping us brand, I'm right out there with them, right and we're working. We're in the dirt, we're sweating. It's a it's hot days, usually in the spring, and hot and windy, so it's really dusty work. But branding and fall works are my two favorite times of the year, because we really get to be hands on with cattle. It's the most fun days. They're the longest and most grueling days, but they are the most fun of everything that we do, because we get to be, you know, around good help that helps us get the job done, get to be with the cattle, get to do work that is challenging, but is easy compared to things like accounting, which I hate. Yeah, oh gosh. Because that's a facet of, you know, the business, too. But being able to go out and ride out early one morning and gather a big pasture and bring them into a corral by noon and get them branded and stuff is is something that's unmatched. And I really hope that a lot of people can experience that sometime. Because the part that I was going to say that I get in my head a little bit about all these guys are really good hands, and they're young, and they're strong, and they can go flank big calves. And so there's a time in my life where I was the youngest and the strongest, right? So I was out there flanking the big cabs with them. And when we have enough of them, I don't have to, quote, unquote, not great, not that I don't want to, but I don't have to, and so I have to be kind of careful that I don't get in my own head of, man, you're not that good of a hand. You're not even out there doing it. We've got the help to do it. And then in the summer, when they all leave and it's just my mom and I and my grandpa and maybe one or two guys that are local to us, that's when there's no cameras around at that point, and that's when the real hard work begins. So yeah, you're right. We're out there with them. I'm really honored to be able to carry on cowboy traditions and know how to rope in a branding pen and know how to flank a calf, and also know how to be the one that fills the syringes, because that's just as important true, even though not as glamorized, you know. And so it's fun work, it's hard, but it's fun. And I I eat it up.

Taylor McAdams: I can tell that too, and following along on your stories. The times that we're fortunate enough to hear from you, when you're when you're in this auto most of the time, you're like, I'm gonna give you an update later, but right now, this is what I'm looking at. Okay, bye. And I love that. I love I'm like, Okay, I'm on the edge of my seat. But my favorite, I think, is probably something that you don't like. So you're gonna be like, what really my favorite thing I look forward to is, like, your you, you don't wear any makeup whenever you're a cowgirl, but then by the end of the day, you have like, dirt makeup, and you're like, look at UV, protected SCF, 30,

Mackenzie Kimbro: natural glow of sweat stuck to whatever was in here that day.

Taylor McAdams: Yeah, it's so fun to see behind the scenes for you. That's like, the cool. And I think I learned this last time I actually wrote this down because I was so amazed in Arizona, you live on the Mexico border, yes, so very desolate, yeah, country, yeah.

Mackenzie Kimbro: We're super rural, and it's, it's tough, it's a tough landscape. We are privileged to be a little bit higher than what most people think Arizona looks like with a big desert country that doesn't have anything on it and just has soiros and stuff. We're a little bit of a higher desert, so we have a lot of mountains, and it's really good cattle country, if you get the rain for it, but it is rough and it's remote and it's big, and kind of going back to the idea of you need a lot of land to raise a lot of cattle out there. That rings true. But living on the border is its own whole unique idea of life. The actual southern boundary of our headquarters Ranch is the Mexican border. So I've lived on that my entire life, seen the ebbs and flows of all that. And it's interesting to think that this is something so normal, because it's something I've grown up in. But if I'm like, Oh yeah, I was, if I'm on the phone with somebody, we're working cows, or we're driving cattle to, you know, to the corral or whatever, oh, hang on, I have to talk to Border Patrol. They're like, what's wrong? Like, this is just normal. We just, like, pass each other, and we're like, Oh, hey, how's it going? You know, have an update along the way, and that's just part of it. And people are like, you know, that's wild, right? Like, that's not normal, not normal. People don't just talk to Border Patrol while they're like, busy working cows. Oh, okay, I didn't, I didn't realize, I guess, that that was so unique, because it's something so ingrained in our day to day. Yeah, you're like, I don't know any different. No, no, but it's rural, and it's an hour to town one way, on a pretty rough dirt road. And so you'd be, you're strategic about stuff. I try not to go to town maybe more than once a week if I don't have to, just because of, you know, the trek to get it done. But wouldn't trade it for a thing. I don't think I could live closer to a metropolitan area. Honestly, I come on these trips and get my fill of it, and then I get to go home where it's nice and quiet, and I can go out and mind my business.

Taylor McAdams: Oh, yeah. And nobody, honestly, you could turn your phone off, and nobody, you don't have to talk to anyone. Nobody has to look for you, right? What would be? My mind always goes to worst case scenario. So even though I'm a positive person, my mind is always like worst case scenario. What would happen? What would it look like if, and I'm sure this has happened. So I'm sorry if I'm asking a really personal question, but like, what would happen if there was, like, a emergency? Do does, like, are they faster to get there with the helicopter? Or how do you

Mackenzie Kimbro: so funny that you asked? Actually, we've had quite a few emergencies through the last couple of years. Specifically, my grandpa is 89 and he is a phenomena of nature that man, I hope that's genetic, because he is going strong. My mom's mid 60s and is just as tough. And I'm like, Man, I really hope it's genetic. Then don't skip a generation. We've got good momentum on but we've had some really bad wrecks the last couple of years, and most of the time down there you're not in cell phone service. And so I. Yeah, we have had quite a few. Mom got bucked off and run through a tree one year, and it knocked her out. But it also, in the process of knocking her out, lacerated her liver and her spleen. She had internal bleeding. She broke a bunch of ribs, and they were up in mountain country, and I wasn't with them that day, thank goodness, because I was able to be kind of coordinating support out of that. We carry these satellite devices that you can push a button for an SOS and they'll send a helicopter. But it's also cool, because they call your first contact that you have on the list, and that's usually one of us, if we're not all together that day, and so they call and say we received an SOS and unfortunately for us, it's not yet been an accident that we've pushed the SOS button. We've needed help every time my grandpa got bucked off, working on a fence line, hauling a bag of cement over the saddle and had to get air backed out, punctured his lungs. That was a big deal. Mom got air backed on the internal bleeding. One for sure. She also got bucked off, broke her leg, flipped around backwards. She got drug bit on that one, broke her eye socket. Also had to be air backed out. So I mean the helicopters, we have a frequent flyer card, and we have helicopter insurance with the medevac system because of it, because we're rural and things happen. You can be as careful as you want to be. My mom and Grandpa hadn't been air vac until the last 10 years of their lives, and they've lived a lot of life before that, so it's bound to happen eventually, but you'd be as careful as you can, I guess, and have a plan in place to know we pushed the SOS button and that's who will come help. And the other cool part about it is that notifies the local law enforcement too. So Border Patrol, they all know us. If they know that a helicopter is going to get somebody, they know it's probably a rancher, and they try to help get there too. They were instrumental in one of the rescues and stuff. So it's cool to have to know you have backup, even though you can't see them anywhere nearby.

Taylor McAdams: That is the craziest. And that's that you're talking about that like it's normal too. That's something that not a lot of people have to deal with, even rural Americans, yeah, you know, they at least have cell service. They at least have, you know, something like that. And I remember, this reminds me, because we live back home, we live rural America, but nowhere near you, and we always had a an emergency plan, like, if someone were to drive up the driveway. By the time they get to the house, they shouldn't. They know they should not be there, so they're probably not there for a good reason. And I just remember as a kid like, okay, when this happens, I'm gonna grab I'm gonna turn off the TV or whatever I'm doing prove that I'm not home. Run upstairs to the emergency phone, upstairs the landline. You know, you just like, have this thing, so I'm imagining you sure of like, okay, here's our plan. And you it's things you actually have to think of. To think about that. Yeah, I wouldn't even begin to think that you have to think about. So that's so that's so cool. Thank you for sharing. I know it's like a harder, a harder topic to talk about, because that's not something you want to think about. But with, I mean, people like to say, in rodeo, it's not if you get hurt, it's when and how bad. Yep, it's the same thing, if not worse, yeah, in real life ranging.

Mackenzie Kimbro: Yeah, it is. And I I'm really thankful for the responses that we've had through the last couple years of having Rex, because everybody did their job, and they did it well, and could have been worse kind of a thing. And, and that's great. You even think about it down to the point of it's a joke that I over pack when I go on trips. But I also have a mentality of, you know, we pack extra things in our saddle bags with us every day, electricians tape an extra wild rag. Can be a sling. Okay? My grandpa, when my mom broke her leg, broke off a plant stock called a so tall, it's like a really woody stock. Electricians taped it around her leg to splint it, because you can't carry all the medical supplies that you may or may not need one day. But stuff like that, we carry with us all the time, and we've used it all every time. And so just having extra stuff like that, you got to think about it and kind of be prepared. We're kind of teaching some of the college boys, they've started carrying a few extra things in in the pocket of their shops for sure. They're like, Okay, we might need that someday. I see the need. We're not invincible. Got it, but it's part of life, you know, and you just got to take it in stride and do what you can with it,

Taylor McAdams: yeah. Well, this is actually really cool to learn about you, because Tyler and I love this show called alone. I don't know if you've ever seen it. I've heard of it. I don't remember now where you can watch it. I think maybe Netflix, okay. And basically what happens is you enter this contest, and you prepare for it for months, however long, you know it's gonna happen, and then they drop you off in a undisclosed location, and you just have to live off the land. And I think they give you like, 10 items maybe, yeah, but if I ever hear of a casting opportunity, you're the first person I'm either sending it to or nominating.

Mackenzie Kimbro: Oh no, I don't think I'd be, I don't know, a curling iron would actually probably be on my list. So I'd figure out, like a solar powered curling iron or something, along with the electrician statement survival necessities. But that's funny. Thanks for thinking that much of me. You're welcome. I don't know if I can live up to it, but it'd be fun.

Taylor McAdams: No, it would. And going back to your grandpa, a little bit, um. I saw something briefly on Courtney D Hoff story, and then yours as well, about this past weekend. And by the time you're seeing this, this is probably old news, but let's talk about it, since it's so fresh for us, and I haven't gotten to talk to you about it, yeah. Okay, so the National Western Heritage wait the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma has their National Western Heritage Awards. Yep, every year. And this year it happened to be Brooks and Dunn I think Reba was there at some point. Yes, Your grandpa got inducted about that.

Mackenzie Kimbro: Yeah. So they have a special award called the Chester A Reynolds award, and it's a legacy kind of a thing, and it's Chester. Reynolds was one of the guys that helped really start the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the programs that they do. So it's all about honoring people that preserve the cowboy culture for future generations. And that's something that's always been important to our family, and that's been passed down through the generations. That's why I have such a love for it, is because I was taught that by my mom and my grandparents, and so my grandpa Warner is an icon. He's a legend. He's an icon, right? Yeah, he's 89 and still going strong, and has lived such a life of just cowboy to the core. Can do absolutely anything on a ranch. They used to brand, actually at waters remotely. So they didn't even draw drive stuff in to brand and corral. Sometimes they just a new calf would be up, and they'd build a little fire and rope it in the pasture and brand it right there. And I'm like, right there. And I'm like, okay, glad we're at least using corrals now in my generation. But that man can do anything. He's also got a legacy of being a mountain lion Hunter, and so we're in dry ground down there, which is different than lion hunting in the snow, where you can see a track in the snow, to be able to see a lion track down where we are, you've got to find the dirt between the rocks, and it's tough. And scenting conditions are even tougher when it's drier, because the moisture in the ground is not there to hold the scent. So he and my mom are very well known and respected as some of the best of the best in that and so yeah, he's had 18 different careers, I feel like, all at the same time in his life. But he got this award at the Western Heritage Awards this weekend, and I was super lucky to be able to get there in time to see it. People loved him. It was so fun. Of course, we all love him and think he hung the moon. But all these, you know, big time guys that are well known Western actors and influential people in the Western media industry and things like that were just flocking to him because he's such a symbol of the cowboy. He's iconic. And just to be able to see in his acceptance speech, he was very rancher based right he's a man of faith, and so he everything that we do surrounded by the fact that we know God gave us their ability to do it, and it's our responsibility to do a good job for him. And he said, times might be tough, but it'll rain eventually, and you just gotta keep going ahead, like you know that things are gonna get better. And I was

Taylor McAdams: like, Okay, you're like, say it out loud. Say it again. Yep.

Mackenzie Kimbro: Was really glad I had my phone and tripod there so it's filling and not shaky. I was sobbing. Taylor, I live with this man. I work with this man every single day of my life. And of course, I idolize him, right? But to sit there and to see the presentation that they had and the response of like, standing ovation, and like all these people just loved him, I sobbed. And I was so glad I had my phone on a tripod, because there's no way I would not have been shaking profusely. Well, I'll be the barrel racer mom Exactly, exactly like veering off the camera to watch the show that's actually happening. So I'll be sharing that on social media, though, too. So it was a great speech. It's short and sweet and poignant, and a lot of people were like, Man, I wish I could have heard the whole thing because of that little clip that we shared of it as kind of a teaser. So it'll be out there by the time this comes out. They can find it on my

Taylor McAdams: page. That's so good and wow. Okay, having been to the Western Heritage Awards a few times, you always learn something new about someone or someone in the industry that you're like, Whoa. I had no idea this person was that cool. Yep, say, I'm gonna say that right now to your about your grandpa. I'm like, You're so right on the 18 careers to be a you said Mountain Lion, yeah, Hunter, land Hunter, yeah. Okay, that is incredible. Did you ever grow up doing that? Like, did you learn how to

Mackenzie Kimbro: Okay, yeah, okay, yeah. So he and my great grandpa started that early, like, in the 40s and 50s, out of necessity, because where we are, there's a lot of mountain lands, and during calving season, that's kind of a problem, because they come in and they can do some damage on a cow herd. So they started out of necessity. They got some hounds. They learned how to do it. They had it was kind of hard, obviously, to get in connection with other people that knew how to do that back then, and so they learned as they went, and they specialized in it. And passed that down to my mom. She's just as good as they are, and if not maybe even a little better, that female intuition, right? And she can danger get ahead of the dogs, and in some of that country, you've got to and. And to try to get ahead of them, far enough if they're trailing something pretty hot, but might lose it because the weather's getting too hot that day, okay, and try to spot the lion ahead of them, and, you know, follow through on that so they they've done it generationally. I have grown up learning how to do it. I'm not near the level of skill that they are, of course, years and lifetimes of experience ahead of me. I got to remind myself of that sometimes, but we love it, and it's something that is still a necessity, and is something that I hope to be able to help continue on. It's fun to watch those hounds work, and we ride good rock footed mules, and so we can get through some pretty sketchy places in the in the pursuit of something.

Taylor McAdams: Have you ever been I know this is like, this conversation is going everywhere, but I'm so in like, Thrall with your life. Have you ever been on in a position where it is probably worst, worst case scenario? So here I am again, but it might happen on like, the edge of a of a hill or a mountain, where you look over and you're like, there's the edge, but the trails this big and the horse is this big, so we just got to keep

Mackenzie Kimbro: going. Yeah, yeah. There's been some pretty hairy situations and and like I said, it's really important that we ride good mules and horses. We have horses too that we ride when we're working cattle and stuff down there, but we try to usually ride the mules, because they won't panic. Most of the time, a horse will panic if it gets in a situation like a rock slide or something, a mule self preserves so they want to make it out alive. And if you just keep yourself in the middle, or at least keep yourself out of the way of them moving, you'll be all right. And I say that after having just talked about the fact that we've had a lot of wrecks in the last couple of years, but it was all that was all freak accident. And usually when you're trailing a lion, you are going through some country, and there's some narrow spots and some things, but those mules know how to take care of themselves, so if you just trust them and let them have their have a little room to move, they usually get you through it

Taylor McAdams: that is so, honestly, really deep and cool to think about, because as a cowgirl who's only ridden horses and maybe a mechanical bull from time to time. I don't know that I've ever truly ridden a mule, but I feel like I want to start living more like a mule, not the self preservation part, but, but just like being more chill, yeah? Like, we were just gonna learn from camera. You're like, I think I'm making you nervous. I'm like, I know we're feeding off each other, but honestly, you're so right. I know exactly what you're talking about. Like when a horse gets in, when a horse gets in a situation where they they don't know what to do, you almost feel like you are now there. They could step on you too, like they could almost not on purpose, obviously, right? Yeah, they're just trying to figure out life. But, yeah, okay, so that's really cool. I learned something new today. You guys, you learned it with me. That's That's so awesome. We love meals and then, okay, going back to Oklahoma City and the awards. What was it like for you? You've talked about it a little bit, but I want to get your perspective on just the whole event as a whole, because she is so humble, she's not going to tell you that this weekend was supposed to be about her getting inducted into the 2025, class of 30 under 30. But then how special to then turn right around and drive, gosh, the next night to get your grandpa inducted, what was, what was that like? Was it surreal to kind of switch gears? It

Mackenzie Kimbro: was. And I'll say when I when it was first announced that he was getting his award, they didn't have the dates necessarily with that. And so we're like, okay, good, it'll be spring. And then when they announced our class of 30, under 30, they had dates. And I was like, okay, good. And then the dates kind of hit right on top of each other. And I thought, Okay, we're gonna have to figure this one out, because I really don't want to miss this for him. I want to be able to be there and support him. And you're right. I'm I'm probably wouldn't have brought it up myself that I'm part of the class this year, but we had an amazing experience. I will say. The cowgirl magazine team did an incredible job of building this whole thing for us into not only an opportunity to be recognized, but also an opportunity to further develop ourselves. They had panelists, they had so much sponsor support. So we got to do some really cool things with some really cool people, and I'm honored to be a part of the class. Part of the class, because the women in that are from all facets of Western and agriculture, and I think that's something to be respected, and it's neat to have been able to build that community and connection. But man, I'm glad that Gala was on Friday night, because you're right. Saturday morning, we had the end of that event, and took off pretty quick. We had to make some special arrangements, and we're glad to call in some favors on that one. And got up to Oklahoma City, my sister was actually able to go with me. A lot of people don't know I have a half sister, yeah, from dad's first marriage. Yeah, we have a dad together, and she's iconic. Also, this is something that just oh, she's a Chinook helicopter pilot, a lieutenant colonel in the army. She's in the Texas National Guard. I mean, she knows what she's doing too. You both are daddies, yeah. Well, thank you. Just trying to live up to the family at this point. My gosh, yeah, just trying to keep up and not be the one that lets it all fall apart. But, yeah, we were able to. Get up there pretty quick and made it in time to see him and be there for him and see the response that there was to him. There were so many cool people this awards ceremony. Specifically, they have a couple days of events too at the Western Heritage Museum,

Taylor McAdams: cocktail hour and greed and story time. Yeah,

Mackenzie Kimbro: huge museum that takes more than one day to get through. For sure, they've done an incredible job of curating stuff up there, and I have to go back now every year, because now I know what it is, and I don't want to miss out on it, because they just do so many amazing things there. And so to be able to see that, I was getting text updates from my uncle who took Warner, my grandpa up there. He doesn't fly. My grandpa gets super air sick, so they drove from Arizona to Oklahoma. My uncle drove him. It was like, probably 15 or 16 hours, yeah, for an 89 year old in the time, it's a long time, yeah, but he's also not wanting to spend extra days away from the ranch. So it was a straight through on the way and a straight through on the way home, and I'm like, Okay, it's a good thing all three of us couldn't actually make it at that night, where my mom would be there too, because we'd have to left the ranch with somebody else, and he probably would have gotten up at two o'clock the next morning just to make it home by chore time or something. So anyway, it was a really cool experience, and they did an incredible job. It was so cool to see the different kinds of people that were at the Western Heritage Awards. This year, they honor people in art and music and then also acting and, you know, screen and all these different facets. And Warner, he said, I don't know why I'm here, but I'm really glad to be and I was like, Okay, well, we all know why

Taylor McAdams: you're here, but you're the main event? Yeah,

Mackenzie Kimbro: everybody just wanted to talk to him, and I don't blame him. He's pretty dang cool. Well,

Taylor McAdams: that is so cool to hear your perspective of it, too. I am just so, yeah, I am all in all of that, and I can't help but think about and Please don't get mad at me for saying this. Tyler and I are watching 1923 right now. We're like, late to the party a little bit, because in the beginning there was, like, some scenes, and we were like, I don't know, and I actually there's some hesitation, yeah, this is a lot to digest. I can't get into it. So finally, we stopped watching our other show. We, you know, we're like, okay, what are we gonna watch? Okay, fine, we'll watch 1923 and it's, you know, continuing the story. But I'm very much getting those vibes from your family, six generations. There's some stuff that has happened, right? But I've got to ask, Are you the Beth Dutton, or who's the Beth Dutton of your family? Oh, I don't

Mackenzie Kimbro: know. I'd like to think none of us. I'd like to think here's my answer to that. I'd like to think that mom and I both have enough tenacity to pull off the confidence of getting it done good, no matter what it takes, minus the violence of getting it done whatever it takes. Probably not gonna go shoot anybody up, or, you know, make a threat, because I'm a lover, not a fighter. I'm not that strong. But yeah, I think I'd like, I like the spirit of, yeah, we're gonna continue a family legacy here. Don't get in my way. Don't get in my way. Yeah, and we're gonna figure it out, because there's a lot of responsibility and we have a lot of respect for the family. Yeah? You know, we're trying to look out for our people and keep it going because of what they've built and what they've put into it. And so I'd like to think I could carry that part of the best debt and idea, yeah, and maybe some of the fashion I like some of her fur coat Sure. Can't really wear them in Arizona. Yeah, throw them on in the NFR and then yeah, and then hang them in my office, where the air

Taylor McAdams: conditioner is. So no vodka bathtub moments, no, no, probably

Mackenzie Kimbro: not. I'm a whiskey and soda kind of gal, but yeah, probably not quite as dramatic, but I'd take it. I'd take it in stride, probably, yeah,

Taylor McAdams: no, I love that, because you're so right in order to survive, yeah, even though Beth Dutton is like a fictional character, sure, there's got to be a little bit of her in probably every rancher, male or female. Honestly, there's rip, a little rip in all the men, too. So, yeah, that totally makes sense. I was just genuinely curious about that. Oh, sure. And then I'm also curious, now that we're on the same page of like now, continuing it on one day. No pressure, I know. What do you see the future of the ranch whenever you kind of step into that role? Because right now, your mom is kind of the main one running the show, and eventually you're going to need to be that, right? So do you have any plans or dreams or visions about it?

Mackenzie Kimbro: You know, we've been really blessed the last couple of years to add the third ranch and back into the mix. It was actually the place that we originally homesteaded six generations ago, when the family came from Texas to Arizona. It had changed hands through the years, and we were just able to get that back into the family. So huge. It is huge. It's been putting the pieces back together. It connects to the place that my grandpa grew up on, that we still have in ranch, and then we also have the headquarters where he and my grandma bought after they got married. So honestly, we have our hands full right now. So like expansion, quote, unquote, not a priority for me. That was the expansion that we wanted, because it brought all the pieces back to. Together, and that family history has really got that connection there now, and we're able to, you know, modify our grazing plan a little bit, and thank God for it, because the last couple years of drought have been really, really tough. There's always drought, and there's always rain eventually, but when you're in the middle of it, it's, it's brutal, you know, and you don't think you're going to make it out, and you got to sell a bunch of cows, and you don't want to do that, because you spent all these years building a herd of good cows that'll climb out and don't get sore footed in the rocks, and raise a good calf every year. And you're like, you're doing your job for me. I'm just trying to do the best I can for you, so when it's my turn someday, I'm super hopeful. And God, if you're listening, I hope to hope you hear this that I'll have had a long time to have learned from my mom at the helm. Her and my grandpa are kind of sharing that right now and and you know, it's transitioning more to her and more to having her on on her plate, and when it is time, hopefully it's a long time from now before I have to step into the role of legal one actually in charge, but I just kind of hope to do them proud. Who knows? I, you know, I say this all the time. If somebody had asked me five years ago what I'd be doing five years from now, half the stuff I'm doing, I wouldn't have expected. Didn't even know it was a possibility. So as much as ranching generationally is predictable as to like, it's the same ranch and it's the same cows, and that's what you do year after year. So much can change. You just never know. And hopefully by the time that I take charge of the operation, maybe I'm married and have some backup. Because if not, I'm going to need to hire a lot of help, for sure, because we have our hands full right now as it is, and I'm just really honored at the idea of even being able to try

Taylor McAdams: that is. So I kind of have chills Hearing you say that. It's so humbling to hear Yeah, and even think about too that, that you're you're kind of growing into a role that is going to be a new position all the way around, but then also you're a big part of keeping everyone together, and a lot like you have a really good mission right now too. And on top of that, you're super talented in the kitchen. Thanks. You have a cookbook. I just every time that you post something that you've made or something, I just, I can smell it, I can taste it. I know it's good. I know it has that chili in it. I know it's so talk a little bit about that too, because I love to cook, but not at the capacity that you do sure talk about it.

Mackenzie Kimbro: Oh, that's been such a huge part of our lives since the beginning. My grandma and she passed away in 2014 we lost her then, and that was a huge blow to the family. But my got my love for hospitality of people from my grandma and my mom. They were the hostesses with the mostess, and whether it was cowboy crews in a branding pen, while also cowboying. For the day, we had lunch and we had ice chests full of snacks and, and that was even the great grandmas did that. They were always in the kitchen, and they could also go out and bottle feed an orphan calf, or go rope in a Brandon pen, or, you know, go dig a trench for a pipeline. And that's something that I've always really respected, but the kitchen side of it, especially because everybody comes together at the end of a day at a table, and the stories that go around that table, whether it's of the day or of the experience of the generations of hearing older cowboys that we've had, you know, neighbors helping neighbors kind of a thing, hearing their stories and oh, I remember when they're talking To my grandpa Warner, I remember working with your dad and being able to hear stories that were of our family, but from others, that all happens around a kitchen table at a meal, and everybody's guards go down, and you can, you can get a lot done at a kitchen table. We've also had a lot of meetings through the years. I mentioned at the start of this, it's important to us to be responsible stewards of the land, and so a lot of that is working hand in hand with land management agencies. That's just the way the Cody crumbles out there, because a lot of the land isn't private like it is in somewhere like Texas. We have small portions of private and then we have state lease land, forest service lease land, and federal lease land through the BLM. So okay, there's a lot of moving pieces and a lot of agencies that you want to have a good relationship with. My grandma and grandpa were co founders of the malapit Borderlands group, which is a nonprofit organization that was founded in our valley. It's malapai because it was founded in our ranch house, and that ranch is the malapai. It's lava rock all down there. And so that was the Indian word for that. But the premise of it was at a tumultuous time in the early 90s when ranchers and land management agencies weren't necessarily getting along, and conservation was kind of a cuss word, honestly, and they knew they could see, and it's amazing to think that they could have even predicted the future of how it all went so well, but They created a model that has been emulated globally. Actually, we've had visitors from Mongolia and Kenya and South America and everywhere asking, what is how are you guys working with law and government and agencies and these regulatory bodies that we have to work with to be able to use the land, but we also want to be able. To do it as a business. And so all of those conversations also happen at a kitchen table. So when I say, you can get a lot done there, it's a lot of fun. You hear all the stories of the cowboys and the wrecks throughout the years. And then you also get to, you know, bring people together, like I said, Let their guards down and and being the one in the kitchen, in charge of the meal. I take great pride in that,

Taylor McAdams: as you should. Thank you. It's a big deal. It is.

Mackenzie Kimbro: If they're mad at the cook, we've got problems. That's not a good start to anything. So it's been fun to be able to learn how to feed large crowds of people, lots of cowboy crews. We fed crowds up to 80 out of the ranch kitchen at one point, because those meetings would bring so many together that we'd have to cook it all. And I was really fortunate that my mom and my grandma had me right there with them, up on a stool and cutting stuff and cooking right from the very start. And kind of the same as, you know, growing up cowboy, they had me in a harness, little pack and play deal up on a fence and a branding pen. They had me right next to them in a kitchen too. So being able to learn that from them. A lot of the inspiration for the cookbook that you mentioned came from that, because those stories and those recipes are passed down through the generations and and I want to preserve that, and then I also want to be able to add some creativity to it and some of my own ideas. So it's, it's been a lot of fun to be the one in charge of the stovetop. I bet,

Taylor McAdams: yeah. Honestly, yeah. You I 10 out of 10 recommend everyone listening to go follow and wait for her to post something. Because, sure enough, when it comes time for like, calving season or brandings or whatever, there's always something good on there, and sometimes even some, like, steam, and I'm just like, Oh, my mouth is watering. I wish I was there. I mean, the branding and all, that's cool, but the food,

Mackenzie Kimbro: the food is key. I think that's part of why our day workers keep coming back. Part of it's to work with my mom and my grandpa, and then the other part of it's because we feed them. Good. Oh

Taylor McAdams: yeah, no, I believe it. Well, I could sit and talk with you for hours. This has been so good, and it's kind of weird talking to the future like I was telling you this might be out in like two months, sure. So I don't know if we even will still use this word in two months, but it has been good to Yap with you. Yes, good. Yap session was so needed for both of us. We both were joking. When she pulled up here, we were like, okay, the only time we really see each other is when we're both running on fumes. So here it is. Here we are again, yes, but truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for sharing your story and opening up to us. And I really hope everyone out there has gotten to see even a glimpse into your life, but I want them to be able to continue along. So tell everyone where we can find you. Okay,

Mackenzie Kimbro: so as Taylor kind of alluded to, I don't post 100% all the time, so you gotta bear with me on that, but you can follow along with me on Instagram. That's the main platform that I use. My handle is Kenzie k, e n, z, I, E, G, K, weird handle. It's been that way a long time, and I can't change it, so don't ask questions. Don't ask questions, just be there. But I also am on Facebook. Roots run deep. McKenzie Kimbrough is the page there. Everything that's on Instagram usually kind of gets transferred there too. So that's a good backup plan. And then I have a website too. Roots, run deep, az.com is where all of the interviews from Vegas actually are, so people can go back through and watch from the archives. And that's so

Taylor McAdams: fun, too. That's I was going to say, if you guys want to check out some of her shows, because her guests are awesome, you learn a lot, especially if you're going to start prepping for NFR 2026 yes, there's lots of fashion tips. There's lots of you just get an idea and a fill for everything there, and that's what I love about it, too. So thank you guys for tuning in to another episode. Kenzie, it's been so good having you and everyone out there. If you're still looking for 15% [email protected] go ahead and head on over and use code k y, b u 15 at checkout, that's code k y, b u 15. You'll get 15% off your order added to your cart whenever you check out. And as always, I'm thankful that you are watching, and we'll see you the next time you kick your boots up. Thanks for joining us on kick your boots up. I'm your host, Taylor McAdams, and we can't wait to share the next story of the west until then, feel free to like subscribe and leave us a review. Follow us on social media at Justin boots to keep up with our next episode, and we'll see you the next time you kick your boots up.