Cathy Meehan: Have you ever had just the biggest goal, the wildest dream? Well, today’s guest on The Meehan Mission Podcast is Tori Stanley from Survivor Season 42 of Survivor. Yep, the reality TV show Survivor where they put a bunch of people on an island and vote them off. Sounds crazy, but it actually happens. Survivor 50 is about to kick off. Well, I wanted to introduce everyone to Tori where she’s going to share some of the things that she had to go through. I mean, the girl ate a lizard, people. She ate a lizard while she was on this island. I cannot believe she did that, but it takes grit. It takes strength. It takes this mental capacity that most of us don’t have. She’s also going to provide us some of the really great information that she’s learned from, you know, what do you do after you’ve accomplished the biggest goal of your life? How does that reflect into what you do day to day? I hope you enjoy the show. I think you’ll like her. I know I love her. So let’s get started.
Cathy Meehan: Hey everyone, today’s episode of the Meehan Mission podcast, I’m bringing on a special guest that you might be thinking, what? A reality TV star? Well, we’ve got her. It is Tori Stanley from Survivor Season 42. Hey Tori, how are you?
Tori Stanley: Hello, I’m good. Excited to talk all things Survivor.
Cathy Meehan: I think that’s great. Well, because I heard that season 50 is actually coming out this February. So I thought, hey, I can use some of my connections, find somebody that’s been on a Survivor episode before, and just introduce you to the audience. Because, you know, there’s a lot of behind the scenes stuff that happens on Survivor. And, you know, we watch, we think it’s all glamorous and fun and exciting, but so much happens behind the scenes, but I want to start with why in the world did you apply for Survivor in the first place?
Tori Stanley: That’s a good question, because it is crazy. Like it is real what you see too. Like we really are living on a deserted island. Like it’s not a fake reality show. Like we’re doing all those hard things. And there was something about that that was so alluring to me. I think it’s that like ultimate sense of adventure. And I was kind of primed to be a Survivor fan because I come from a whole family of Survivor lovers. So like, I think the first season came out and I actually was able to watch it with my family. It’s now about to be 50 seasons. So I was like, okay, as long as it’s on long enough for me to have a chance to apply. And I ended up applying like over six years multiple times just because I wanted to be on it so bad. And it’s just such a good family show. And I remember every single week, like that is the show that my family was sat in front of the TV. My brothers and sisters, we weren’t fighting with each other as much as usual. And we were actually able to enjoy it. I even remember we would eat meals of like white rice and mandarin oranges because those would symbolize grubs. Cause sometimes you would eat gross things on survivor like grubs. And so really it wasn’t just like my dream, but it really was my family’s dream. In fact, a really fun fact is I’m actually not the first person in my family to audition for survivor. My mom actually auditioned for survivor. It would have now been like 20 years ago. So tell them about it, mom.
Cathy Meehan: Hmm. Well, so everybody, if you haven’t guessed yet, Tori is my daughter. She is the middle of five kiddos and she will talk about being competitive in a minute. But okay, it’s a fact. I did audition for Survivor 20+ years ago. If you’re lucky, you can find the clip somewhere. I don’t know. I hope it’s been like buried deep like a treasure. No!
Tori Stanley: On my YouTube channel.
Cathy Meehan: Okay, this show’s about you, Tori. But yeah, Survivor was a huge part of our family. I mean, and not only that, but let’s talk, Tori, about growing up in the Meehan household and, you know, really what shaped your competitiveness? Because you are, well, all of the kids are competitive, but, you know, you are very competitive and you are very goal-oriented. How’d that happen?
Tori Stanley: Right, right. So it is fun. Like I’m a therapist now, so I love psychoanalyzing myself. And like the stigma for a middle child is often that of like an overachiever. You know, you could also get like the black sheep of the family. There’s also some overachieving. And for me, it is definitely the overachieving. Now I really do not think that that came from me feeling like neglected or overlooked in childhood. Like that’s really not my story as a middle child. But I also do think I have to give credit to my parents who I just always saw like my mom genuinely was super woman. Like she was raising five kids. She is the most patient person I’ve ever met. Like seriously such an, like genuinely the best mom that I’ve ever seen. And I’m not just saying that even though I might be biased. And then like my dad, an amazing doctor, so creative, so intelligent. Like anything that I saw my parents wanting to do. They were able to make it happen. And so I think if you look at me and all my siblings, I mean, I’m really proud of all of us, honestly. There’s no deadbeat in the family. And so I think we just all had this idea growing up, they’re like, okay, if there’s something that I actually wanna do, I’m gonna go after it. Now, like I said, I did audition for six years to be on Survivor, so I couldn’t just keep doing the same thing over and over again. Like if I wasn’t getting a yes, to me, there was a reason. So I would try to be creative and tweak things and strategic. But I do think it came from this underlying belief that I had growing up that if I really want something, if I’m willing to work hard to make it happen and pivot when necessary, then I really do believe I can make anything come true. Like I know it sounds cheesy, but I really believe that and I think it’s because of the people that raised me.
Cathy Meehan: Thank you, sweetheart. Well, you know, and I really want those people who are parents to really embrace that because, you know, if you believe in your child and you encourage them and you just, you know, give them the resources that they need, you will be amazed at what your children can do and what and who they become. And not only that, but now I, you know, I my kids. I love them, love them, love them. So just support them.
Tori Stanley: Who do you love most? Who do you love most? No, I’m kidding. I’m kidding.
Cathy Meehan: Who do I love the most? Hmm, depends on who’s on the other line of the phone at the time I’m talking to them. So that’s it. So, okay. So talking about Survivor, and you said you are a therapist. So how did you use your therapist skills while you were on the island?
Tori Stanley: Well, I did intentionally also go into the game and I wasn’t gonna tell the other people on my tribe that I was a therapist because I know there’s, I get this response in real life. I’ll tell someone I’m a therapist and they’re like, so you’re gonna psychoanalyze me or they’ll say, that’s why you’re good at listening or asking questions. So I didn’t wanna bring that into the island but I definitely was wanting to use my skills and building trust. Mean, that’s really what a therapist is. If you don’t trust your therapist you’re really not gonna get far at all. And so I’ve learned how to create an environment where people do trust me, not even just like with surface level stuff, but with their deepest, darkest secrets and with things they don’t ever tell anyone else. So I wanted to use like my skills, take that to the island to build connections. Granted, it was to ultimately probably like outwit them or strategize against them. So it’s kind of a negative bent in the game, maybe a little bit of manipulation, dare I say, but that’s the game of survivor. But I really did want to use those skills that therapy has taught me, just to use it to my benefit in the game.
Cathy Meehan: Well, that’s good. So while you’re in the game, there was probably sleep deprivation, a lot of hunger deprivation. Does that change the way you think while you’re in the game?
Tori Stanley: Yes, and I really tried to prepare myself as much as I could. So I’m an eating disorder therapist. So I’m very aware of what happens to the brain and body when it is starved. So I was going into it. And what I wanted to do is I wanted to at least try to consistently be eating something, even if it was these tiny seaweed that’s called new a seaweed in Fiji, and it looks like a bunch of tiny, tiny grapes. And so that was a plethora on the ocean. Same with coconuts, but coconuts. Are actually incredibly hard to open. You probably expend more calories opening a coconut than you do actually getting the nutrients from it. But still, I knew that there were ways, or like eating lizards or worms, silly things like gross things like that. To me, I knew, okay, I’m constantly putting something in my body. So that’s at least more than other people who some people just gave up eating coconuts. And then the sleep was also strange because when you have no sources of light other than the sun, It gets dark really early and there’s really nothing you can do. We didn’t have bright spotlights at camp. Like there was one cameraman whenever it was dark time, nighttime darkness. And there wasn’t even lights on his camera that we could use. So you really could not see like this far in front of you. So once the sun goes down, the only thing you can do is sleep. But the problem is you’re sleeping on bamboo that is like this and has so many knots in it and it’s actually very cold. That’s what really surprised me was how cold it was at night. It was a lot, it was exhausting, but I will say the adrenaline that you get when you go to a challenge or to a tribal council, that kind of does supersede any exhaustion that I was feeling. So that definitely carried me.
Cathy Meehan: That’s really good. So let’s talk about, is this a social game? Mean, what type of, did you have to go in with strategy? Was a lot of it just instinctiveness? And how does that play into a survivor’s plan?
Tori Stanley: I will say it’s definitely not a survival show like despite the name being survivor You can go out there and have zero survival instincts or skills and you’ll be fine Because there’s probably people in your tribe who can at least make a fire for you And then what really drew me to survivor is the fact that it is really a social experiment like you take 18 people From all over the country. They are meant to be different. So different religious views political views thoughts They’re all different and then you throw them on this island for a 1 million dollar prize and you kind of see what happens. So that is really initially what always made me so interested in Survivor, especially once I became a therapist and was studying psychology and human behavior. And I would emphasize that is probably the most important part of Survivor is being a social player. Yeah, you also have physical challenges, you have the survival element, but it is a game of social strategy. So that’s did kind of hurt me because it was actually more difficult for me to bond with my tribe than I thought. They’re all weirdos, no I’m kidding. But that, it’s the most important part of the game.
Cathy Meehan: I cannot imagine being on a deserted island just continuously, especially when there’s like somebody that’s like annoying or loud or whatever. I think that would just like, you know, make you want to vote yourself off and just please get me off the island.
Tori Stanley: I know, I know. No. It was a really bad moment, but, and the edit did me so dirty, but it showed after the very first person was voted out of Survivor, which thankfully it wasn’t me. It was between me and one other person, and the other person got sent home. But it showed this interview of me saying, like, I was sad that he got voted out and that it was him, which sounds like I’m being so empathetic, aw. But I was actually saying because a part of me was jealous that he got to sleep in a bed and have food because.
Cathy Meehan: Hahaha
Tori Stanley: Like that showed me how hard the game was that on day three, there was a part of me that was like, dang, this is really hard. I’m kind of jealous that he’s no longer in the game just because he gets those things, which is wild. You know, this is a dream I’ve been trying years and years and years for, but that was very, very difficult, especially when you realize when someone gets voted out, they’re immediately able to eat whatever they want. They’re sleeping on a comfortable bed, but only, it only was a few weeks at most.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah. No, you, you hung in there, Tori. And I just want to let everybody know that when we found out that Tori was accepted, the family had to sign non-disclosure statements. I mean, it was top secret. So give us a little insight on when you found out, how you found out that you were accepted. And you might also throw in a little narrative on the COVID line on what happened for filming. So how’d that work?
Tori Stanley: Yeah. Yes. So even though a longer view of my journey, like I was trying for six years, I didn’t hear anything until maybe year three, I had a producer reach out to me and nothing really came of that. And then still for three more years, I didn’t hear anything until I finally got a call from a casting producer. She said, hey, I’m interested in your video. Let’s make some tweaks. And then I’m pitch it to Jeff. Jeff. You know, the whole casting team. And it was from then that a series of events started unfolding. I’d have interviews with different people on the executive team. I eventually had a Zoom interview with Jeff Probst. And then I got flown out to LA. I’m not sure if they still do it in person because this was all pre-COVID. So they might have made it all online, but it was really fun getting to fly out to LA. We’d do swim tests. We’d meet with doctors, the psychologist. We’d have interviews. Like you would walk in the room with all the biggest executive producers on Survivor, CBS. It was a very, very surreal moment. Even as I’m talking about it, I’m like, did that happen? And that was probably from November to February. I was waiting and I got a call in February and he kind of played me. He was like, I’m really sorry, but you’re gonna have to take a semester off school because you’re gonna be on Survivor. And I remember I was in my bedroom and I got that call and I just started like jumping up and down, freaking out. It’s gonna make me cry. I don’t even remember what happened after that, but I was ready. I’ve been preparing this whole time, right? Like I would train physically with puzzles. I would do swimming. Like I was already banking, fire, yes, I was banking on being on Survivor. You know, I’d binge watch a ton of episodes, taking notes. And so when I finally got the call, I was like, yes, I’m ready. Like there wasn’t really anything new I had to do.
Cathy Meehan: Practicing fire.
Tori Stanley: But then, so that was February of 2020. And I was supposed to fly out in March of 2020. And it was about maybe three to five days before we were supposed to fly out to Fiji to film that I got the call that they’re like, hey, we’re not really sure what’s happening in the world, because we were in the middle of a pandemic or at the start of it. And so they just said, we’re just postponing. And so we didn’t have Survivor that year. And then I had to wait an entire another year. I got shifted to another season. So I was supposed to be on season 41, but they just kind of re-situated cast people. I ended up on 42. So then it was April of 2021 that we flew out to Fiji. I did have to, we all had to quarantine for 14 days in Fiji because people were still very worried about the pandemic. They made us wear masks, but I found my way around that. And I did even find out that people in my tribe, noticed that I was kind of rejecting wearing a mask and they like made mental note. Right. But yeah, so I was just in a hotel room. It was a nice hotel. It was like a Hilton hotel in Fiji for 14 days. You couldn’t have your phone. I just got an old like block Nokia phone and you could have two numbers on it. I chose my husband’s, sorry mom. And then you had like a producer’s number in case of emergencies.
Cathy Meehan: You little disrupter. Yeah. That’s okay.
Tori Stanley: So I was just holed up for 14 days, but I was still, I was training. You would get to go on a walk if you were granted it every day. But other than that, you’re just kind of going stir crazy, like waiting for the dream of survivor to happen. So everyone had to get COVID tested. We brought two alternates just in case someone had to be replaced. Luckily, no one on my season had to get replaced. And then the journey of a lifetime began. And then it aired in 2022. So I kind of had to sit on all my secrets for an entire year.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah, absolutely. Sit on your secrets. We could not tell anyone that you were even cast. And even when the show came out, I remember we did watch parties downtown Tulsa and you wouldn’t even tell us what was happening from episode to episode. So we were literally sitting there on the edge of our seat, especially after the, you know, the first one when you’re up for vote on the first one. We’re like, what in the world? But I had this feeling that you lasted a little bit longer because you were so happy when you came back from Survivor. So, I mean…
Tori Stanley: I would have been, I’m telling you this sounds bad, but I would have been devastated if I was that first person voted out. I already feel like, I wanted to be on longer, but I really did make it farther than I guess I should have. And I think you even said, because I did throw a big premiere party for like episode one. And I think you might’ve thought at one point like, no, did she get voted out first? And that’s why she’s doing such a big thing. Was that you that thought that maybe?
Cathy Meehan: Yeah. Like, well, I mean, it could have gone either way. It could have been like the last hurrah. That was the episode. So we were all there. Or you knew that you didn’t get voted off. And that was, you know, the big celebration there, too. So you never really know which way you’re going on that one. So it worked that way. So did Survivor change you any? I mean, like, what did you learn?
Tori Stanley: Well, you know, it’s I’m gonna get a little deep here. It’s not as like exciting or fun, but No one ever really prepares you for what happens after your biggest dream comes true, right? Like oftentimes as kids were told dream big dreams like go after your dreams and the sad reality is a lot of people don’t actually Actualize their dreams, right? They just remain as these far-off dreams or like wouldn’t that be cool if I could do that? I have the very Interesting experience where I got to live my number one dream. Like that everyone who knows me has always known Survivor was my number one dream and I made it happen at 24 years old. Looking back, I think it might’ve been a little young. I wish I would’ve waited, but I wasn’t gonna wait. Six years was long enough for me. But I think what I learned from that is there’s actually a lot of beauty in just living your normal life, normal life, right? Because like reality TV and like these crazy dreams and adventures. That always sounds so fun and exciting. But when you’re on the other side of your dream come true, it’s kind of like, like, what do I do now? Like, I just accomplished my number one biggest dream. So then my brain, being such a goal oriented competitive person, my brain went to, okay, what’s the next big thing I can accomplish? Right? And then it just started getting bigger and bigger in my brain. But now what I’m really trying to learn is how to love a normal life. Of a life that’s not full of reality TV and watch parties and being on TV, but just a life where you have your local church, your family, your job, things you’re passionate about, and letting that be what excites me, it’s definitely, I’m learning it. But that is something unexpected that I learned from Survivor of what actually happens once your biggest dream comes true.
Cathy Meehan: Wow, that’s so powerful. That’s so powerful. So you’re life after survivor. Life after survivor. I do want to make sure that I mention to everybody what you do on social media, because that has really transformed a lot of people’s lives. So can you explain what you do? On your social media platform, which is your Instagram account.
Tori Stanley: So on my Instagram, and it’s funny because I have about maybe like 375,000 followers on Instagram. A vast majority of them had no idea I was even on Survivor, which was so crazy to me, because I’m like, that’s the coolest thing about me, what? But on social media, this is another example of I had a dream, I had a goal in my mind, and I said, okay, I’m gonna make this happen. I just wanted to be a content creator, which I call myself more of a content creator than like an influencer.
Cathy Meehan: Hahaha.
Tori Stanley: Because I really am passionate about putting creative, thought-provoking content out there. A lot of it’s related to a woman’s relationship with her body, with food, with exercise. And it’s also this idea of normalizing social media and how it’s not all the glitz and the glamour and showing more of my behind the scenes. And so a lot of what I do on social media is just an outflowing of what I’m working through as well. And I’m like, if I’m struggling with this, I’m sure other people are as well. The platform actually skyrocketed probably two years after Survivor. And I’m sure there was a part of me that was like, you know, I wanted to like make it bigger on Survivor. So I’ll become a big name some way else. Like I’m sure that that was a thought process in me. But yeah, it was just something I knew the goal I wanted. I wanted to be able to impact a lot of people. Because as a therapist, I’m really confined to one relationship per hour. I only have so many hours in the day. Like full time for a therapist is around 25 clients a week. And that’s even exhausting. So I just wanted to build a bigger platform to help more people. And my Instagram is at Tori the therapist if anyone wants to kind of explore there. But yeah, it’s been cool to have something kind of totally separate from Survivor, but it did make a lot of fans. Continue to follow my journey because I was kind of portrayed as a bratty, sassy girl on Survivor. And then people follow my Instagram and they’re like, wait, she has depth to her and she’s kind. And it’s like, yes, that’s more of who I am than this version. So that has also been cool to see.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah, I do want to say that we really thought that you would be perceived as America’s sweetheart because those of you who really know Tori, she is so kind. She is loving. She is giving. She would do anything for anyone. And Survivor took you and made you this like
Tori Stanley: He he he. Me too. Me too.
Cathy Meehan: Nasty bratty villain and we were we were shocked about that because that is not who you are that is
Tori Stanley: You It’s like definitely a part like I could see I’m like, yeah, that’s me sometimes like it, for example, it caught me rolling my eyes a lot on camera, like multiple times or like, I thought when you were doing interviews, you’re supposed to be super honest about how you’re feeling about your tribe mates. And I was just like very annoyed with a lot of them. So it was funny that I did come home and I was like, I’m about to be America’s sweetheart. Like I’m talking, they’re gonna show me talking about my faith all the time, winning all these individual immunities, throwing this challenge like constantly. Getting passed getting voted out and then nope that’s that was not my edit.
Cathy Meehan: Nope. No, and you your mom, was like on social, every time a episode would air, I’d get on to, what is it, like Reddit or something like that. My gosh. Yeah. So how did you, and this is really an important thing here. You got a lot of crap on social media, a lot. And you know, I just want to kind of like bring that in because children today, young teens, young adults,
Tori Stanley: Reddit? That’s dangerous.
Cathy Meehan: What they are exposed to on social media can be so cruel. I I mean, and you got those cruel comments because people number one, they don’t know you. They see edits from survivor clips or whatever. What would you say to the young adult, the young kids that are just being, I don’t know if I wanna use the word bullied, but they’re getting
Tori Stanley: Right, right, but like brought down for sure.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah, they’re just getting, you know, negative comments thrown at them or, know, I mean, yeah.
Tori Stanley: That’s why, honestly, a big part of my message is trying to encourage people to go live their life off of social media, because when you are spending so many hours on social media, you are going to find the negativity. Like, if you open yourself up to being vulnerable online, there are going to be people that are keyboard warriors that spend all of their life and all of their free time talking to other people. Like, I would just never say something negative on someone else’s post or page. So, number one, it does say a whole lot more. About that person than you. I definitely was reading all of the Reddit threads and the comments because I was just so interested even though my therapist brain knew I should not go down those rabbit holes. But what I have tried to do and I would encourage people to do is just spend more of your life and time and energy building your own life off of social media. Because social media has made us constantly watch other people live their dreams and find their love stories and do their exciting adventures and travels. And then we have really nourished nothing of our own when we put down our phone. So we’re kind of getting trapped in this cycle where it means so much and that has become our life, which is why a big part of my message, if you look at my page is to go live your life, romanticize your own life, because then that will just take you away from the negativity of social media. I know that there’s some positives of social media, but I’m a firm believer that a larger portion is negative.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah, no, it’s very powerful because, you know, I go in phases of my addiction to social media and then I’ll come across one of your posts and I’ll be like, put down my phone and go outside and live your life.
Tori Stanley: Thank you. Yes. Well, in one other practical thing I would like to add is it was also really important for me to like know who I was even apart from like the edit like that was hard because then all these millions of people know who I am, but they only knew a version. I had to be like, because you know, I remember my little brother too, he would make fun of me all the time for moves I made on Survivor. He was like, Tori, that was so dumb. Or like, why’d you say that? And I was feeling the same way. But I had to, like extrapolate myself and be like, you know what? I am smart though, I am kind, I can get along with people, I am all of these things and I just had to believe that and I really had to dwindle down whose opinion I actually let matter. Sometimes I couldn’t even let my little brother’s opinion matter because it would hurt my feelings. But it’s like my husband, my parents, God, like those really were the three that I let really impact how I see myself versus these people who are seeing a version of myself. So that also helped.
Cathy Meehan: Which is very important to note again, is that it’s the people that you surround yourself with. I I mean, and you really, and no matter what area of your life you are in, just to make sure that you are around people who are going to be positive and support and encourage and do all that. So did you make friends while you were on Survivor? Yeah.
Tori Stanley: Yeah. I did, I didn’t really make friends until after I got voted out though, because after you get voted out, you stay at this place called Ponderosa. It’s kind of like a hotel resort area in Fiji. And it was then that I could actually talk with people and there wasn’t that fear of, they talking to me just for strategy or are they gonna vote me out? Or you could actually get to know people. And then I formed some really good relationships. It was hard on the island because people just wouldn’t really talk to me like. That was annoying and tough just I was painted as untrustworthy because of someone else’s strategy to just paint me as the villain Which it worked good job, but it was afterwards. I got to make friendships and then the winner of Survivor millionaire Mary Ann She’s a very good friend of mine. I was in her wedding. She’s come out to Arkansas I don’t hold like malice towards anyone at all like to me It really is just a game, but I have I’ve gotten to maintain a few really good friendships from that
Cathy Meehan: Can we get a real quick eye roll?
Tori Stanley: Gosh, they’re ready.
Cathy Meehan: Thank you.
Tori Stanley: I haven’t done too many eyeballs recently, so, but I did a lot on the show and they showed them.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah, so yeah, and they showed every single one of your eye rolls. I’m like, you never did eye rolls growing up. I don’t think at all at all. At all. Not at all. Well, so as far as like your life lessons and being on Survivor, would you do it again?
Tori Stanley: You know what I would love? I would love for them to do a blood-worse water and it can be me and my mom. That’s really, right? Right? I think that that would be iconic. And yes, I would. It still does not hit me that I was actually on Survivor. Even when I’m watching, I’ll be like, dang, that looks so fun. I want to do it. And I’m like, no, you’ve already done it. Whoops, sorry. And it feels very surreal. So I would love to go again. Also,
Cathy Meehan: My gosh, you should pitch that. Pitch it. Yeah.
Tori Stanley: Being a little bit older and really understanding the importance of the social relationships, I kind of went into Survivor just thinking, nah, I have friends and family back home. I don’t need to make friends out of these people. I’m gonna use them to get farther. And I think that’s a really bad way to view the game. And I think that ultimately did result in not as strong of social relationships. So yeah, I would love to be able to go again, but I’ve tried to tell myself that you still did that and like let that one time be enough because you did get your ultimate dream. Come true.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah, that was great. So while you were on Survivor, tell us about your immunity necklace wins because you came out so strong, so strong. Were you surprised?
Tori Stanley: Yes, happily. Which I actually, well, the only reason I was surprised was because we had a man, he’s like probably 6’5″, like probably 250 pounds. His name is Jonathan, also known as Goliath Aquaman, you get the visual. He is so much of like a specimen and an athlete that even Jeff Probst himself said that in one of our challenges, it was the most dominating physical performance he’s ever seen of any survivor player ever. So me and everyone on our season were like, okay. We’re kind of screwed when we go into the individual immunity challenges, which is where it’s just one person competing rather than a whole group. And we were just like, my gosh, he is good at everything. He’s gonna blow us all out of the water. But little old me beat him not once, but twice. And I really, that was another thing. I went into Survivor with a crazy goal of like, I wanted to be the first woman in all of Survivor to win five individual immunities. Some men have won five in one season. But the record for women was four. And so I have a weird set of skills and I like practiced a lot of balance. I practiced a lot of stuff for those challenges and I really did believe that I could do it. So it was almost a, it wasn’t so surprising when I did win, but I was honestly a little bit more surprised that I beat the big guy and I was then surprised that like, wow, I actually did what I set out here to do. And then the fact when I won the second one in, Again, and now I realized looking back at the show had I lost either of those I was going to be voted out I didn’t realize the importance of Winning. I was just very competitive and I’m like, let me let me get it I actually did see a stat the other day. I think out of all the women who have ever played survivor I technically have the highest Percentage of immunity challenges one because I competed in three. I won two. So that’s a fun fact. I’m gonna use to the day I die But yeah, that was like having Jeff put
Cathy Meehan: Yeah, use that. Use it.
Tori Stanley: His the necklace on me. Also, whenever I was in the middle of those immunity challenges, I’m gonna cry saying it. But when I was in the middle, I was literally picturing being at home, like watching it back with my family, and like imagining them rooting for me. So emotional. And like that is what was just like encouraging me to keep going because I was just like, especially when it got down to like just me and the big guy and the one where we are balancing on something. And I was just picturing my family all cheering me on. While we were watching and then like how happy they would be when I actually won. So was definitely a huge motivating factor for me.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah, and just a little fun fact that we often while growing up, while the kids were growing up on Christmas Day, we would just stay in our pajamas and watch a whole season of Survivor. I mean, that was like one of our traditions. Mean, we were we were crazy Survivor people, huge fans.
Tori Stanley: Uh-huh. Yes. Huge fans. That also the casting that helped me get cast because they loved when I would talk about how like that was our Christmas tradition. We’d been watching an entire season of Survivor. And they even showed a clip of me being like, of course Jesus is first, but Jeff and Survivor are close second. And that was, yeah, it really was my whole family’s dream coming true, which I love. That made it so much more fun to watch it all back. Cause like you all got it, you know, you weren’t just supporting me in my little dream. Like I really feel like it was our whole family’s dream.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah, it was. I mean, I was so excited when I finally got to tell everybody that Tori was, you know, a matter of fact, so little funny thing. Walked, you know, I work out at the gym and I walked in, um, just, was probably two or three days ago. And one of the trainers comes up to me he’s like, Hey, was your daughter on Survivor? And I was like, yeah, she was. It was so fun. Yeah.
Tori Stanley: That’s so funny. That’s so know it’s so weird when that still happens.
Cathy Meehan: Well, I remember we were in a coffee shop in Arkansas, remember? And a girl came up to you and was like, are you Tori from Survivor? And you’re like, Yeah. Yeah.
Tori Stanley: Yes. I know I’m like, me? Yes I am. Also because on the show I had really blonde hair and even when I would like be at things for my own season, people wouldn’t recognize me. I just really don’t get stopped or recognized a lot, which I always love when people do. It’s fun to me, fun for me.
Cathy Meehan: Yes. Yeah. Yeah, so yeah, so actually let’s talk about season 50, which is at can you believe season 50 and so they’re putting immunity idols in every state right and they just did in Arkansas. So my question did you did you know where it was or did you have to go find it?
Tori Stanley: Yes. Yeah, yeah, right. So they give a clue. They release a clue for each state and the clue will guide you to the location. And the location, it’ll also say the exact day and time to be there. But the clue is something that you still have to kind of solve that riddle. And so I went and the hidden immunity idol, there I say, it’s not necessarily hidden because once you get there, there’s a whole line of survivor people. So multiple people can technically find it. And then you put your name in a raffle to win. Tickets to the live season finale of Survivor 50. But it’s so fun because it’s bringing together like local Survivor fans in every single state. So it was really fun for me to go and be like, dang, so many people in Arkansas also love Survivor because really at heart, I’m just a huge Survivor fan. I just so happened to like my dream came true. But I love stuff like that because it still speaks to that super fan in me.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah. So while you were there, did they recognize you as Tori from Survivor? Yeah.
Tori Stanley: And actually the girl that saw us in the coffee shop, her friend came up and was like, hey, my friend met you in the coffee shop. I was like, yeah, I totally, totally remember. But it was really fun to talk to fans and just kind of be the buzz of the survivor community.
Cathy Meehan: Yeah, so yeah, so my sweet Tori, you have big dreams. I love it. I love it. I love it. What do you say to people who might be a little like discouraged at where they are in life or just, you know, again, trying to live out everybody else’s life on social media? Do you have some great enlightening final words for those people?
Tori Stanley: Yes, thank you. Well, faith is very, very important to me and I am a big believer and it actually came from my mom. This is so fitting. The quote is to work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God. And I have genuinely taken that into every crazy goal I’ve ever done. I’ve said, I’m gonna work at this as if it depends on me, but I’m also gonna leave it in God’s hands and trust that he is gonna ordain my steps. He’s gonna open doors that need to be open. He’s gonna shut doors that need to be shut. And so really getting clear on number one, like what do I actually want? Even going to something like Survivor, like if you’re just wanting it for fame or whatever, you’re not really gonna get that and like what’s point? It needs to be a dream that you genuinely have something you’re passionate about. And then if you actually want it, get after it, right? Like six years is quite a long time. Multiple audition videos, but I just knew in my heart this is something I want. I believe it’s something I can do. So I’m genuinely not gonna stop until I see that happen. Same with social media. I was posting every single day, sometimes twice a day for months and months on end because I just understood the goal and I came up with the plan to get there. But ultimately, whether things open for you or not, it is trusting that God does have a good and pleasing and perfect plan for your life. And really taking Him up on those promises, because He’s never let me down. Even when my dream didn’t seem like exactly what I wanted it to be, there’s still so much beauty and purpose in it.
Cathy Meehan: I love it. Love it. And I love you. I do love you. I love you. Love you. Love you. So to the audience of the Meehan Mission podcast, I am so thankful that you are here joining us. And I’m so glad that you got to meet Tori from season 42 of Survivor. If you haven’t seen it yet, go back and watch it because season 50 is coming out. So I just hope that you all stay bold.
Tori Stanley: Love you.
Cathy Meehan: Stay courageous, go after your dreams, and just learn the lesson of beauty in the doors that are closed and the doors that are opened, and go enjoy your life. And thank you so much, Tori. I love you, honey. Thank you. Bye.
Tori Stanley: Thank you, love you. Bye bye.
