The last time Rene Syler was on Mr. Media was a little over five years ago. I remember it clearly because she was a day or two away from anchoring BET’s live coverage of Barack Obama’s first inauguration. First inauguration. I wonder if either of us would have predicted back then that the 44th President of the United States – the nation’s first black president – would have rolled to a second term four years later? RENE SYLER podcast excerpt: "In everywhere you go and every experience you have, you have to soak it all in. Everywhere you go, there you are. And I feel very lucky that I get to travel so much with this job. I'll be in Florida and I'll look up at the night sky and see the stars. Or we're in Sedona and I see the stars. I think, 'Isn't it amazing, I've been to all these places and I see the same stars?' I try to immerse myself in every one of those places and experiences." It was certainly a time of high expectations, that’s for sure. In the years since, Rene has been a busy woman, expanding the Good Enough Mother brand she created with publication of a book of the same name. Her web presence has grown and grown and the TV hosting gigs – less than a sure thing after her departure from the CBS morning show in 2006 and a double mastectomy that followed shortly thereafter. RENE SYLER excerpt: "I'm always at the airport, taking stuff out of my suitcase and putting it in my purse like a pack mule on a plane because I'm over weight in my suitcase. I'm shooting a travel show and I always over-pack! In terms of general planning -- I'm horrible! But I'm going to get better." Her latest gig is as host of “Sweet Retreats,” a new show on the Live Well network. On it, she tackles vacation and vacation budget challenges for couples eager to find the perfect getaway for their time and budget. The show airs Sundays at 7:30 p.m. EST, 6:30 p.m. CST. Rene Syler • • • • • • • •