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Growing up in the Bush family, did you consider a career in politics? What made you gravitate towards entertainment? Growing up the son of John and Jody Bush instilled in me a broader sense of life beyond oneself. Public service or service to others is what life is about. The only way to fill up your own cup is to fill up someone else's. Growing up, my father taught tennis at the Boys Club of Harlem and the kids there would come stay with us on the weekends. Kids only learn differences, they don't begin seeing anything different. I never did. He was adamant that life not be insular or focused on oneself. As for politics, as people have often inquired, I would never get involved for my own purposes. It would have to be because I believed I could effect change for others in a clear way. As for entertainment, dad was a song and dance man before jumping ship to enter finance. He lost his desire to weather the ups and downs of "the biz" and wanted something more steady. I love ups and downs and my recent good run is attributed to learning my craft from the grassroots. From WLKZ-FM in Gilford, NH (a 3,000 watt station in an unrated market) to Access Hollywood in L.A. has been a 22 year run. I started at the bottom and worked every job to get here. With "The Billy Bush Show" and "Access Hollywood," you've got a pretty full schedule. What is your way of taking time for yourself? "Access Hollywood" and "AH Live" means an early start every day. 5:30 a.m. wake up call but free by 2 p.m. I work out every afternoon (or most) to settle my brain. No professional endeavor comes close to the challenges and commitment of raising three daughters, however. Now 17, 15 and 11, my girls are going strong, mostly thanks to their awesome mother, my wife of 18 years Sydney but also me. I'm around a lot. I don't live the Hollywood after hours life, I choose the family—always have. That said, all along I have taken the necessary boy's' trip skiing or golfing and couple's getaway to fill the selfish and relationship needs. My mom always said, "Make sure the kids have others (grandparents especially) upon whom they can be dependent. It will help them feel confident and secure and it will allow you a life." Great counsel. Which celebrity has been the most influential to you? Matt Lauer gave me great advice when I was just starting out at Access in New York. He said, "everyone is replaceable." That singular advice ensured I have never coasted, never stopped thinking of good ideas, helping producers plan their segments, bookers land great guests. Never rest on your laurels. To be sure Matt keeps getting better; I try to always be better. Also, Scott Wolf of Party of Five fame taught me that celebs can be normal people too. [Laughs] He is one of my best friends; he is a superb father and a wise and loyal friend. He understands that career absorption is an empty pursuit. When it comes to legacy, I will never be known as the greatest broadcaster or best host, nor do I waste time thinking about it. I want to be a good friend and dad and guy. "Have others benefited personally from their relationship with you?" A good question to ask. What have you learned from your career in entertainment that has helped you accomplish your goals on an entrepreneurial level? Once I achieved a certain degree of success, I began to think about ways I could plant other seeds and exercise my skills in other ways. Entrepreneurship embodies the creative mind, the courage to take calculated risk, the ability to bring people together and persuade them to trust and follow you in a pursuit that will benefit them as well as you. My personality I have surmised includes an ability to mobilize people in a winning way. And it's best to get involved in things you understand. What inspired the inception of Beach Whiskey? What separates it from other whiskies currently on the market? I began Beach Whiskey with my close friend, Andrew McGinnis. Excited and inspired by the success of Casamigos tequila, Tito's and Deep Eddy vodka, we thought about a fun brand of booze that would fill a void in the market. Known to enjoy a cocktail and gifted in the area of party planning and throwing, we saw whiskey gaining popularity but only in the traditional aged, brown form. Millennials wanted to consume it but were struggling. We concluded also that whiskey was a sundown drink. We agreed that making whiskey day drinkable was the next thing. I am more sure than ever that we are correct. Beach Whiskey is clear, flavored, day drinkable and packaged in sea glass bottles. Our competition isn't really other whiskies, it's beer and tequila and anything that can be served in the sunshine. We have built the strongest team behind a new alcohol brand ever assembled since Clooney, Gerber and Mike Meldman began Casamigos a few years ago. In fact, one of those guys invested with us too. VUE ON LIFESTYLE V U E N J . C O M 56

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