Tuesday, October 27, 2020

DC ExtraTime: A Challenge Boss Goes Bowling Undercover

BY DC CUEVA                        
■ @DC408DXTR  @ IG/YT/SC/TB

Last week in the latest episode of the rapidly-popular spinoff series The Challenge: Invasion of Other Networks, DCBLOG took a trip back in time to when six-season alum Tyrie Ballard was part of the bartending staff in his native Nebraska's first-ever hookah bar Oasis when it was put under the microscope of Paramount Network's Bar Rescue. Because of the reputation forged by the bar that was exposed by host Jon Taffer, the bar's owner would later admit that asking the show for help actually hurt his business, and after continued troubles Oasis shut its doors for good a few years later.

Twitter @ColieEdison/ViacomCBS
Tyrie is part of the alumni class of The Real World Denver, which recently had it & many other seasons of that show that started MTV's reality story join The Challenge and other MTV shows on CBS All Access, soon to be the Paramount+ streaming service. His fellow Season 18 cast also includes Davis Mallory, who got in a heated argument with Ty that winter, and where as being a musician post-MTV also became one of the first people in America to befriend a then emerging and now superstar British pop singer named Ellie Goulding. And recently another six-season vet, Jenn Grijalva became one of the many Challenge alumni this year to ascend into parenthood as she awaits her first child.

And then, there was what happened just a couple weeks ago: someone who Ty, Davis and Jenn lived with in the Rocky Mountains and then competed alongside with on The Challenge reemerged onto our national television screens... but this time in a totally different scenario than what we featured here days ago. In this case, Colie Edison wasn't just working for the company she works at now, but also in a top level position... and being told to dress up in disguise to see what her fellow employees are up to, in that ultimate of family fun places in the cities & towns you call home: a bowling alley.

In a perfect world - and whenever we finally see complete normalcy being restored everywhere in this country in a post-COVID world, there would be plenty of activities for those like you to choose from on a given weekend. One which has stood the test of time over many decades has been the joy of bringing along families and friends of all ages, paying money to rent a different pair of shoes than what you'd wear normally, and rolling a heavy ball down an alley towards a pyramid of ten pins with the hope that they can all be knocked down for a strike.
   It may be part of a group of games that also includes forms that take place on the lawn and regional variations in the Atlantic states - and whose lineage dates all the way back to ancient Egypt. But it's the sport of ten-pin bowling that's much more well known, and has been engrained as an American pastime for as long as most of us have been alive, played by over 70 million people in the U.S. alone, and played at one time or another by most of us in this country. That figure increases to over 100 million globally when those other, lesser-known forms of the game are accounted for.
   American bowling was born in 1840 when New York City opened the country's first indoor bowling alley, and before the turn of the century the organization that became the United States Bowling Congress began regulating the game in its present form. It wasn't until after World War II that the game caught on overseas when U.S. military bases installed hundreds of lanes during their occupation, and when prohibition was in effect the game was moved away from saloons and into family life as alleys opened coast-to-coast, eventually becoming a multi-billion dollar industry.
   Very few activities have such the wide, wholesome appeal as bowling: anyone from young school kids to seniors and everyone in between can play this game of skill and chance... even those with disabilities with special assistance and equipment. At one time, bowling had a bigger TV audience than most other sports thanks to being the lead-in program to ABC's Wide World of Sports, and where they saw great bowlers from Earl Anthony to Walter Ray Williams, Jr.  And since the Truman administration, a bowling lane has been in place inside the White House, today being located in the North Portico.
   Interest in this timeless game reached its peak during the '60s & '70s, but increasing competition from other forms of entertainment would diminished interest in the years that followed resulting in it not attracting younger players. In 2012, a company of bowling centers owned by bowling powerhouse Brunswick went broke for the second time after league bowling slumped down to just 20% of their business. The next year, they merged with upscale bowling center operator, New York-based Bowlmor AMF, where the person of our interest has worked at after her MTV days were up.

Colie came to The Real World Denver house in 2006 after a most eventful senior year in college, but she spent her childhood & adolescence in East Brunswick, New Jersey, southwest of the Big Apple. Her bio described her as having "the strongest personality in the house" in staying true to her promises, being a go-getter and a free spirit yet also having a heart. That was never more important than during that fourth year at Tulane University, when on that fateful August weekend of the housewarming of the sorority she was president of, Hurricane Katrina hit. Colie spent most of her time away up north in the months after, and she returned to New Orleans with fellow pledges & sisters to help in the early recovery process before graduating in the company of President George Bush at her commencement ceremony.
   Being used to the party atmosphere of the Big Easy and who craved for attention in its Bourbon Street nightclubs, it was no surprise that she found herself getting some action after moving into the RW house, just as she did four years earlier as a college freshman. On Night #1, Colie established a deep attraction to Houston college swimmer Alex Smith and she spent her first night in his bed... and 24 hours later, they did one better: Jenn joined Alex & Colie for a triple kiss. But a wild night of drinking and a bus brawl led Colie to the hospital with a sore throat and a case of mono before joining her roommates at Outward Bound where she became attracted to a co-worker. That was before her ex-boyfriend came for a visit and enjoying each other's company before going in on Alex while on their trip to Thailand.
   As it was for Jenn, Tyrie and Davis, Colie made that plane ride from Colorado to South Africa and straight into being rookies on The Challenge and putting that Outward Bound experience to work on The Inferno III to the halfway point of Season 14 of the show when she Jenn beat her in elimination. Then Colie made her way to the The Island in 2008 when she was eliminated past the halfway mark through being voted off rather than competing in a standard elimination, and she moved onto working for a company she's been at ever since, reappearing just earlier this month across the ViacomCBS way.

CBS' reality slate has consisted of a consistent trifecta ever since it brought this genre to network TV twenty years ago: Survivor and Big Brother both premiered in the summer of 2000, followed a year later by The Amazing Race and last year was joined by the U.S. version of global sensation Love Island. And people from all four shows have made the jump to MTV's The Challenge and Ex On The Beach, with more slated for join TJ Lavin & co. on the former when we join them for Season 36 in the new year.
   Another reality show that's been on the Eye for a long time but perhaps doesn't get as much viral buzz as those above is Undercover Boss, which landed the coveted spot of premiering after the Saints' 2010 Super Bowl win, but it is many ways different than those shows listed above. While not competition-based, the show provides some insight into how many of America's biggest companies operate, and where instead of ordinary people like you being casted, the main figures are high-level executives who are given the task of slipping in anonymously into the rank-and-file of the companies they work at. Each episode focuses on one person chosen to give up their office job for a day and embark on a mission undercover to examine the inner workings of their company and operation.
   The job title that adorns the bottom text beneath Colie's name on her business card is that of Chief Customer Officer for Bowlero Corp, which makes up for a sixth of the American bowling industry's $6 billion in annual revenue. She is tasked with helping to bring the sport into the 21st century and a generation more accustomed to playing video games at home than driving to the alley to play a game their parents played when they were their age. And Colie has enjoyed a rapid ascent from marketing coordinator when she started out twelve years ago, to her current role of making sure any Bowlero guest has an incredible experience.
   The company's goal is to attract not only new players, but also turn the company's 300+ locations into full-on entertainment centers where bowling is still king, but it is also joined by arcades, amusement games, casual dining, a bar and plenty of technology available all around the lanes - something that's a key profit driver. Colie has led the charge in Bowlero's evolution to becoming competitive with malls, miniature golf and other entertainment brands in America's hometowns, while also being one of the handful of women holding a top-level position in a major sports operation. That includes CEO of the Professional Bowlers Association when Bowlero took over as the organization's parent last year.

Any Undercover Boss subject dresses up in a different character to hide any identity of their executive status and be just like any other employee: one of them. In Colie's case, she undergoes a transformation into a lady by the name of Michelle, who just got laid off from working as a court reporter (typing transcripts of testimony from witnesses, the prosecution and the defendant in court cases) and is now looking to the hometown bowling alley as a way to get off the unemployment line. From the look of it, Michelle would look more like a geeky school teacher than a working mom and ex-reality star, but who is selling to her bowling center employees that she's filming a doc on those wanting a second career.
   Colie says of the experience of getting to return for one night only on a reality TV show, "Participating in Undercover Boss gave me the opportunity to step into the shoes of some of our frontline employees and see first-hand how instrumental they are in bringing our brand promise of a world-class experience to life. By going undercover, I was able to get unbiased feedback and gain a unique perspective to help guide the future of our business."


"Michelle" first walks into Fair Lawn Lanes in New Jersey to see how things are near where she grew up, and she meets operations manager Danniel where she works the front desk as the day really gets going after work - something that Colie has never had before of greeting patrons as they walk in the door and Michelle struggles with getting to work Fair Lawn's outdated computer system. Then comes getting to clean up spilled drinks, take out the garbage and working the kitchen in delivering food to customers in between games, something that Michelle would have to deal with later on before bringing food to 
Danniel's dad while listening to them of what they want for his son's future.
   Colie's alter ego then heads up to Milford, Connecticut, where she visits a recently renovated Bowlero location which expanded from primarily hosting local bowling leagues to following the company's expansion to a total entertainment experience. She joins event associate Natasha to help with being a host for an event at her lanes, something that generates over $100 million when it hosts birthday parties, field trips and other functions that brings large numbers of groups through the doors and makes staffers work just as hard. Michelle catches Natasha screwing a patron's group reservation on the phone and sees the backroom fully unorganized, but they do get a kid's birthday party off without a hitch and then proceed to join league bowlers for a 10-frame set.
   The next stop on Michelle's tour is in Georgia, where she meets a facilities manager named Jody who has oversight of his lane's mechanical operations. His duty is making sure that the balls of each bowler are returned in a speedy manner and that the lanes are kept in pristine condition... and that includes the most important component to every alley: the pinsetters that's located behind each lane. For task #3 and like those of anyone who works in a car shop, Colie has to get her hands dirty to work on the pinsetters, which is a harder task than it looks when she has to use nuts & bolts to replace cushions that protect balls from entering the hallway that serves as each alley's backroom. It's an easy job for someone qualified to bowl on the Senior Tour, but hard for a former Challenger but Michelle does hold her own.
   Michelle then treks to the big city and most recent Real World host of Atlanta, where she gets a look at the food & drink portion of the Bowlero experience. Delivering those munchies & beverages to bowlers between games is a key aspect in casual bowling's new normal, and she joins fellow server Hannah to see if her center has lived up to those new standards. Just as it was with her previous tasks, Michelle's frayed nerves show in taking a patron's order, then not giving him his exact order of buffalo wings, and taking his food back to make sure it's exactly what he ordered. But she does correct his mistake with a smile just like what you'd find in a local drive-thru, as Hannah reminds Michelle to stay calm in as much a pressure situation as having to bowl one more strike in the 10th frame to win a game.



But while it's the funny moments of seeing these executives do what most of us will do this weekend of dressing up and being someone other than themselves for Halloween, it's when any featured Undercover Boss subject gets to know those who they work with that a unique aspect of this show comes through. After each task, the execs get to spend some quality time with those who are part of their company and share some aspects about themselves that make them relate to viewers. As Colie is raising her almost 2-year-old kid, for young mom Hannah, she has a 3-year-old daughter who she raises on her own while living out of her car and sleeping in a local shelter, and she tears up telling her story to Michelle.
   While bowling represents a joy and escape for all of us, it's hearing touching stories like this that when Colie also finds it difficult to have it sink in... enough to try and improve not only Bowlero but also those who work in its hundreds of lanes. When she decides to bring her four subjects in for a debrief on their experience working with Michelle, they find out that they've been working on the show... and their reactions are of disbelief that they actually worked alongside a key member of the company hierarchy. But as the boss lady, seeing what happened with Natasha leads Colie to move her from events to being a service coordinator for league bowling in the New Haven area knowing her love for the game.
   When talking to Danieel, Colie makes a multi-million dollar investment to update Bowlero's point of sale user interfaces nationwide after seeing what he had to go through at his lanes. She also offers him a monthly managerial training course while also becoming his mentor, and giving Danny a $50,000 down payment towards realizing his goal of owning his own home. For Jody, him telling Colie of losing his hearing after many years working as a contractor and bowling alleys being as noisy as they are on a given Friday night, the boss gave the 69-year-old a bag of electronic hearing aids while also giving him $30,000 to build on a retirement fund if & when he decides to hang up his uniform one last time.
   And when Hannah's turn comes around, Colie tells her that she was blown away by her personal story of hardship in being a single mom while working only part-time at her Bowlero. Because of that, Bowlero makes a commitment to begin a task force in the company to address situations like Hannah's and she offers her not only a promotion to a full-time server job there in Atlanta, but also gives her $50,000 -- 20k to buy a new car and 30k to pay for rent in a local apartment... understandably, the fellow mom is given plenty of tissues as Hannah tells her, "It totally means so much for me and for Autumn."

One interested viewer in Colie's episode of Undercover Boss when it aired earlier this month is someone who also has MTV roots: two decades ago, Kimberly Pressler served as co-host of Senseless Acts of Video when she and stuntman Troy Hartman reenacted dangerous stunts from music videos. But for many years, the former Miss USA pageant contestant works the lanes as sideline reporter on nationally-televised PBA Tour telecasts, and she tweeted a photo of her watching Boss while the Tour's top players are now into their season-ending playoffs. Pro bowling returned at the same time as their golf and motorsport counterparts earlier this summer, and Colie has been lane-side for each event this summer and fall, including being witness to two 300 perfect games bowled on national television.


Colie knows that bowling is part of the American lifestyle and while she takes pride in what she does, she knows that Bowlero is more than just the experience or it being the country's leading bowling company: it's the thousands of people who work in its 300+ locations there who help to make possible the company's drive to bring this game into the next age. In sharing the below photo of her temporarily transformation while also paying tribute to the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg Colie adds, "Going undercover was incredibly rewarding. Throughout my journey, it became clear that our greatest asset isn't our centers, it's our people, who care deeply about our guests and love the sport of bowling. They are the heart of our organization and their commitment to providing exceptional service and incredible value is at the core of what Bowlero Corp stands for."



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Coming Up: the Invasion of Other Networks continues for MTV Reality alumni, and two more shows are added to the list. Find out which former Ex On The Beach single dazzled Blake, Gwen, Kelly and John Legend in the blind auditions of The Voice in a few days, along with which Real World alum taking his talents to one of television's longest-running series. And while you wait, bookmark DCBLOG for compelling stories like this from the ExtraTime file and Flashbacks to the biggest moments ever during this fall... and if you like it, tell a friend.

- I AM DC @DC408Dxtr
#TheEscapeYouDeserve
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