Alison Arngrim played Nellie Oleson for seven years on the hit show, Little House on the Prairie. She is often described as the “acid tongued hellcat” of the show, the small villain with golden ringlets and lovely clothing, and the arch-enemy of Laura Ingalls. Alison and I jumped on the phone for a little over an hour, and all I can say is that it was one of the most fast paced, hilarious, and engaging hours I’ve ever experienced.
Alison shared a good deal about her book, “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch,” and we spent time chatting about her childhood and landing the fabled role of Nellie Oleson. What really stood out in our time together is Alison’s true appreciation and gratitude for the role that Nellie eventually played in her own life. As a shy child, a child that was being sexually and physically abused at home, playing Nellie instantly pushed Alison into a role that changed her, and made her more courageous. Since then, the role has given her a platform, allowed her to help charities that assist abused children and AIDS patients, and more recently, allowed her to start speaking about issues that women face in her lecture “More Than Just Surviving.”
I want thank Alison for her time – speaking with her was an inspiration. I know you’re going to love this episode, and if you do, I encourage you to check out her book Confessions of a Prairie Bitch on Amazon. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it before she and I spoke.
In this episode, Alison shares about:
– making people laugh as a child
– possibly “retiring” from acting at age 11 prior to getting the role of Nellie
– her realization that the role of Nellie was very different than the other hyper-sweet children she often read for
– the instant change of how people reacted to her in public after Little House on the Prairie first aired
– why she thinks Little House on the Prairie is so popular throughout the world
– Michael Landon, and how he created plot lines for the show
– Melissa Gilbert is now running for Congress in Michigan
– her amazing friendship with Melissa Gilbert
– the best way to find a good date
– how she met her husband Bob at the AIDS Project Los Angeles
– the “Pocket Nellie”
– leveraging fame and people’s love of Nellie to help others
– her upcoming line of scented candles and a ceramic pony
– how to sign up for the Nellie Newsletter
– her upcoming lectures with Petersen Productions
– working with Girl Cave in Huntington Beach
– a hint about her second book!
References
Alison Arngrim’s Bonnetheads.com website (sign up for the Nellie Newsletter here)
Alison Arngrim’s Book, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch on Amazon
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![I’m delighted to have Laura Simms of @yourcareerhomecoming joining me for her 4th (!!) visit on the podcast this week. As always, we had an insightful and soulful conversation about meaningful work. You’re going to want to tune in (and share this episode) if you’re looking at making a change in your job in any way.⠀
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What Laura shares in this episode is all about people leaning into careers that are a better fit - and doing so in what she calls “a cross fade.” Instead of quitting or stopping one career to jump into the next, they are building one alongside the job they already have. I loved hearing Laura talk about this:⠀
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“I talk about [the transition of jobs] with my clients in a crossfade, where the old career is fading out and the new career is fading in. So there's not this abrupt stop.. start. But we can build this transition period. ⠀
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And I think this is actually a great time to be working on a crossfade, you know? Not to be just wandering around, trying to figure stuff out, but being able to pursue a targeted goal. Where you know what the target is, and then make a plan to get there.”⠀
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If you want to hear our full conversation, the link is in my profile. Or you can find Jump Start Your Joy on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.⠀
⠀
Thank you so much for joining me this week, Laura! It’s always a treat to have you on the show.⠀
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#careermotivation #careergrowth #careergoals #careeradvice #careeradvancement #careerpath #careerquotes #careersuccess #success #mindset #motivation #truthbomb #truthbetold #laurasimms #lifeofpurpose #jobsearching #careertransition #careertransformation #jumpstartyourjoy #podcast #jobchange](http://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e15/s640x640/97069422_262937524829544_8814810807205765155_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=100&_nc_ohc=eVia4rEAQL8AX8LWm6K&oh=592cc3fb1894411e2fb1d34952f584de&oe=5ED195A3 "I’m delighted to have Laura Simms of @yourcareerhomecoming joining me for her 4th (!!) visit on the podcast this week. As always, we had an insightful and soulful conversation about meaningful work. You’re going to want to tune in (and share this episode) if you’re looking at making a change in your job in any way.⠀
⠀
What Laura shares in this episode is all about people leaning into careers that are a better fit - and doing so in what she calls “a cross fade.” Instead of quitting or stopping one career to jump into the next, they are building one alongside the job they already have. I loved hearing Laura talk about this:⠀
⠀
“I talk about [the transition of jobs] with my clients in a crossfade, where the old career is fading out and the new career is fading in. So there's not this abrupt stop.. start. But we can build this transition period. ⠀
⠀
And I think this is actually a great time to be working on a crossfade, you know? Not to be just wandering around, trying to figure stuff out, but being able to pursue a targeted goal. Where you know what the target is, and then make a plan to get there.”⠀
⠀
If you want to hear our full conversation, the link is in my profile. Or you can find Jump Start Your Joy on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.⠀
⠀
Thank you so much for joining me this week, Laura! It’s always a treat to have you on the show.⠀
⠀
#careermotivation #careergrowth #careergoals #careeradvice #careeradvancement #careerpath #careerquotes #careersuccess #success #mindset #motivation #truthbomb #truthbetold #laurasimms #lifeofpurpose #jobsearching #careertransition #careertransformation #jumpstartyourjoy #podcast #jobchange")
Robin Rue (@massholemommy)
December 15, 2015 at 4:53 pmI have actually never seen that show before, but I love that she sat down and took the time to speak with you. She sounds like an amazing woman.
Sandi (@fearless_dining)
December 15, 2015 at 7:12 pmI haven’t seen the show since I was a kid…you remind me that it would be fun for my kids to watch this show.
Logan Can
December 15, 2015 at 10:51 pmMy little sister loves Little House One The Prairie! I can’t believe you got to talk to er on the phone! How cool! I had no idea she wrote a book. I’ll have to check it out!
Kathryn
December 16, 2015 at 12:02 amThis is awesome! I LOVED little house on the prairie the books and the TV show. For hero day in the third grader I went as Laura Ingalls Wilder. I am definitely going to check this out!
Ana De- Jesus
December 16, 2015 at 12:11 amShe is a true inspiration to us and having the courage to talk about about taboo topics is clearly courageous. Thank you for allowing her voice to be heard.
Cynthia L
December 16, 2015 at 1:59 amI am so glad to hear that she was able to get strong and overcome her hardships.
jenna
December 16, 2015 at 3:21 amGreat addition to your podcast lineup. Little House on the Prairie is such an american staple, it’s interesting to see how a former childhood character feels looking back and what she is up to now as an adult.
Jessica {Swanky Recipes}
December 16, 2015 at 4:28 amTotally grew up watching this show. I am a blood relative of Laura Ingalls and have a few private notes of her work from back in the day. Love seeing how all these characters grew up!
Paula
December 18, 2015 at 6:16 amHow exciting to be related to Laura Ingalls 🙂 and what a special treat to have some private memoirs from her. Thank you for listening, Jessica!
Debra
December 16, 2015 at 4:35 amShe sounds so interesting! I really am going to have to listen to this one!
laura londergan
December 16, 2015 at 5:23 amwhat a great interview and I love her quote as it’s such good inspiration! Sometimes being the bitch does push you and allows you to do things you didn’t think you could do! 😉
tp keane
December 16, 2015 at 2:42 pmWhat a fantastic interview, well done and much luck to Alison on her wonderful work.
Heather
December 16, 2015 at 2:57 pmI love everything about Little House on the Prairie. We are reading the books with the kids right now, and they are loving them. How awesome to have the opportunity to speak with THE Nellie Oleson! Awesome.
Jen K
December 16, 2015 at 3:26 pmAlison Arngrim sounds like a really cool woman. I remember reading the LH books.
MyTeenGuide
December 16, 2015 at 9:28 pmI remember this show when I was young. How exciting that you were able to interview her.
Katie
December 17, 2015 at 4:38 amThat’s so cool you got to talk to her! I have never seen the show, but did catch an interview with her the other day.
Susannah
December 17, 2015 at 5:50 pmWow. I never knew things things about her! She really sounds like an amazing woman! <3
Brittany
December 24, 2015 at 4:34 amWhat an awesome interview!
Kristin
December 24, 2015 at 7:01 amThis is soooo cool. I have seen every single episode of Little House and loved Nellie’s character and story arc!
Paula
December 24, 2015 at 8:50 amI’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kristin 🙂 Thank you for coming by!
Elizabeth
December 27, 2015 at 12:51 amShe sounds so interesting! I’m sad I didn’t know about her before. Thank you for sharing!