Encore: Whales, Boats, and Vulnerability w/ Tyler Merritt

For The Love With Jen Hatmaker Podcast

Jen Hatmaker

Relationships, Society & Culture

4.6 • 6.4K Ratings

🗓️ 30 May 2026

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Recorded live from the Oregon coast on the final day of MeCamp, this special two-part conversation between Jen and her partner Tyler Merritt is the perfect blend of hilarity, heart, and honesty. In Part 1, Jen and Tyler share stories from their MeCamp adventures — including a whale-watching excursion that got a little too close for comfort, and a near-death boat ride they’ll never forget. They also reflect on the power of personal storytelling, how vulnerability has shown up in their lives and work, and why telling the truth (even when it’s awkward) can be both healing and hilarious. Discussing the impact of Tyler's viral video "Before You Call the Cops" to Jen's reflections on her upcoming book "Awake," this conversation reveals the transformative potential of embracing vulnerability. Tune in to discover how opening up about our most personal stories can not only heal us but also inspire others to see themselves in our narratives. Tyler talks about the most awkward moment he’s ever had because he opted to be vulnerable and honest instead of protecting his pride He and Jen discuss the hardest truths they’ve ever had to tell themselves And Tyler goes back into the annals to reveal his most embarrassing moment as a performer on stage Thought-provoking Quotes: “The spirit of MeCamp almost got us killed.”– Tyler Merritt “One of the hardest things that I had to deal with telling myself is that it's okay to forgive yourself and to move forward. You deserve things in life, although maybe you haven't been the best person at times.”– Tyler Merritt “I'm aware that it's not every day that most people see a six foot two black man with dreadlocks crying in real life. I have never regretted a single moment in my life of being transparent about how I feel emotionally with somebody. Vulnerability has never kicked back at me in a negative way.”– Tyler Merritt “I think vulnerability begets vulnerability. Because I was saying who I am and I was allowing myself to be open to the world, the world was willing to take that. What it did within the black community is it allowed a lot of other black people to begin making their own videos going, before you call the cops, I just want you to know this about me. So it opened up a door of vulnerability that really allowed that to kind of echo.”– Tyler Merritt Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Depoe Bay, Oregon – https://visittheoregoncoast.com/cities/depoe-bay/ Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker - https://amzn.to/40MYuXs Jen shares the first line from Awake – https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMrDdj4sCaQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=ZzdzZGdvM3h5Mmd6 This Changes Everything: A Surprisingly Funny Story About Race, Cancer, Faith, and Other Things We Don’t Talk About by Tyler Merritt – https://amzn.to/4m135Oj Brené Brown – https://brenebrown.com/ Before You Call The Cops by The Tyler Merritt Project – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGu_xGBekpo I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America by Tyler Merritt – https://amzn.to/47by9Gf Luna Sea Fish House in Yachats, Oregon – https://www.lunaseafishhouse.com/ Buy My Own Drinks by Runaway June – https://open.spotify.com/track/40p6WybX0YvcLdMlLja3oL A Door Made for Me by Tyler Merritt – https://amzn.to/4mv4jBd A Long December by Counting Crows - https://open.spotify.com/track/1tjKIXd7DYNklhVSgBxREi Guest’s Links: Website - https://thetylermerrittproject.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetylermerrittproject/ Twitter - https://x.com/ttmproject Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thetylermerrittproject Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPB48_JfK-VMnYQPTYyMX5Q Connect with Jen!Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmakerJen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmakerJen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Attention all passengers.
0:03.0	The Uber ride for Mark and Jamal's romantic weekend
0:07.0	will depart in four minutes from Platform 6.
0:10.0	Your ride comes with a rolling countryside sunset view
0:14.0	and a table seat, ideal for playing footsie beneath.
0:17.0	Thank you for booking your tickets on Uber.
0:20.0	Trains on Uber.
0:23.1	Trains on Uber.
0:39.4	We are running an encore episode that I loved sharing with you already, and I'm thrilled to bring it back to the top of your pile.
0:47.5	So this is part one of a conversation I had with my boyfriend Tyler Merritt, who you know,
0:51.1	unless you just haven't been around me in the last five years.
1:02.0	So we recorded this in person during me camp last year when I was in Yahats, Oregon,
1:09.1	right on the Pacific Ocean, and he came out to be with me for a few days. So that's already going to tell you a lot about the vibe. All right. I was in full,
1:13.1	like, sabbatical mode. When we sat at this table, we were looking at the ocean. And, I mean,
1:22.9	it was fantastic. We had sweatshirts on, coffee in front of us. We had a whole lot to say
1:30.0	to each other, which we always do. We are four and a half years into our relationship, and we
1:35.1	have never once ran out of words, ever. We always have an absolute abundance. We crack each other
1:43.3	up. One time we were eating and just like leaning in and
1:49.3	just talking and talking and talking and talking just like we do. Back forth, back forth,
1:54.1	back forth. And yeah, like one of our little neighbors gave us a little pat. Like, look at you two cute people who find each other so fascinating.
2:05.0	And we do.
2:05.9	And by the way, this guy of mine who, I hope you already follow him if you don't absolutely correct that right the second.
	...

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