According to Calah Jackson, there is one person who can help the rowdy McBee brothers through their “emotional issues.”
Things are changing in The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys, from its new home at Bravo to one person making a huge impact both on-screen and off.
In an exclusive interview with Bravo’s The Daily Dish, Calah Jackson — whose tumultuous relationship with Steven McBee Jr. takes a front seat in the series — described the “challenging” aspects of filming. As she seeks the McBee family’s approval, there have already been some major strains in Season 2’s premiere episode.
Of her relationship with Steven Jr. in the Season 2 premiere, she told producers, “We’ve gone through a lot together, but we love each other, and the only time we’ve had major issues is when other people get involved.”
So, what does that mean now that Steven Jr.’s mother, Kristi McBee, is in the picture this season? Read on to learn what Calah and Kristi herself had to say.
Meet Kristi McBee, Businesswoman and Loving Mom
“It’s kind of exciting that Kristi is in Season 2, just because she’s the polar opposite [and] different than Steve McBee is,” Calah told The Daily Dish. “And, so, it’s cool because you get another insight into their family dynamic and just how different their mom is and how different[ly] she approaches things.”
Kristi, the no-nonsense Mama McBee taking a step forward in Season 2, will help head the McBee brothers now that Steven Jr., the eldest, has taken the reins of the family farm in his father’s absence.
Of course, Jesse McBee, Cole McBee, and Brayden McBee are also part of the picture. Disputes over their business and the stressors of their personal lives have shaped the real-life cowboys’ lives, and there is no one like their mother to help them remember what matters most.
“She’s definitely, like, the mediator [and] peacemaker for the boys, and the one to kind of help them through their emotional issues,” Calah continued. “So, it’s cool that you get to see that side of the family dynamic.”
While Kristi doesn’t make her season debut in the first episode, she’s ready for audiences to meet her — and see a new side to her sons.
Kristi is the President of Lan-Tel Communications, which she told The Daily Dish during Season 2’s filming that she acquired after her divorce from Steve Sr.
“[The business] was maxed out in its line of credit, we were getting shut off from vendors, our reputation was horrible, and so I brought on a partner that I trust completely, and who has the same work ethic and kinda the same goals as I do and we basically spent the first 12 to 15 months digging our self out… We’ve grown the business three times the size it was now.”
And with Steven Jr. working hard to rally his brothers to expand the business, Kristi’s insight is more important than ever before.
Kristi loves the “grind” of her business and is happy to help her sons with the “communication” parts of their day-to-day work, but she clarified that it doesn’t compare to the challenges of being a mom.
“It’s way harder than running a business,” she said.
“They don’t have a good work-life balance, and that’s what worries me … it doesn’t impress me to tell me that you worked 80 hours in a week, you know?” she said. “Impress me by telling me how you made your job more efficient and work smarter, not harder.”