Beautiful Step (Making Together Better)

Habit or addiction? Which one is it? In this week's episode, Kris and Charity discuss the 4 things that can turn a habit into an addiction, and how identifying these things can be a game changer in your relationship.

In this week's episode, Kris and Charity talk about all things self control and explore the idea of your self-discipline being like a muscle.

In this week's episode, Kris and Charity discuss the one thing a man should never do when a woman brings up a problem: try to fix it!

In this week's episode, Charity talks about her revelation of being “too much,” and how her and Kris have navigated her past habit of unintentionally kicking the men in her life in the nuts.

In this week's episode we share the story of when we first met, what happened after that first magical encounter, and talk about the time Charity broke into Kris' trailer.

How important is rest or play in your life? What do you do to feel rejuvenated? In today's episode, Kris and Charity talk about the play/rest/work life balance and the importance of building in time for play/rest in order to live your best, most enjoyable life.

Have you ever wondered why you make money decisions the way you do? After reading Dan Ariely's book Predicably Irrational, Charity reveals some “aha” moments she had while looking inward in regards to friendships and money.

Morals vs. ethics. What is the difference between the two? In this week's episode, Kris and Charity talk about how we all have a limited perspective on things and how it's essential that you know more than just your side in order to have true knowledge.

It's that time of year when we all look for accountability with the hopes, dreams, and goals we've set for the new year. But what if you were told that accountability doesn't work?! In this week's episode, Kris and Charity discuss the thing that will really help you become great…inspiration!

What is your idea of the term “arm candy,” or “a trophy wife/husband?” In this week's episode, Kris and Charity discuss the idea of an “ornamental” partner and encourage you to see yourself (and your partner) less as an art piece and more as an artist.

On the heels of reading the most influential book of her life (Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson), Charity shares her big takeaways and her and Kris discuss the idea that closeness breeds creativity.

In today's episode, Kris and Charity talk about the idea of unknowingly being mothered by your spouse. Also, Kris shares what it was like for him growing up with a single mom and then going right into marriage at the ripe age of 21.

We all know that sleep is a huge aspect to our lives. Especially GOOD sleep! And with good sleep usually comes better decision making. In today's episode, Kris and Charity talk about the dream Kris had that birthed the idea of the sleep committee.

Do you have a vision for your relationship? If so, do you know how to get there? In today's episode, Kris and Charity talk about how to move towards your vision, and also discuss some of the things that might be stopping you from getting to said vision!

In today's episode, Kris and Charity are talking about what it means to meaningfully connect with people and how to go deeper in your relationships via the relationship cycle! This tool will help you identify which phase of the process you're in and know kind of where you need to go.

Is criticism killing your relationship? Are you unknowingly (or knowingly) building contempt towards your partner? Kris and Charity bust out the whiteboard in this episode and give you tools to become a power couple that has the perfect balance between collaboration and confrontation.

Different parenting styles can threaten the wellbeing of your relationship and even impact your kids. In one study, 90% of couples reported to have more disagreements after having a baby. Kris and Charity discuss how they were brought up, their different parenting styles with their own kids, and the importance of creating boundaries together whenever possible. If you have children, you don't want to miss this episode!

Anger is such a powerful force and emotion in our lives, and we all deal with it to some degree. Kris and Charity discuss what their anger looks like, how they receive each other's anger, and how to deal with it knowing that anger is destructive in its nature.

Kris and Charity have a Zoom coffee date talking about their views on gains and losses. They discuss the ideas of hikikomori or the Peter Pan syndrome, which is all about failing to launch. Why have anxieties caused so many to fail to start? How do we view success and more importantly, what is meaningful success? If you are interested in why you or someone you love is having a hard time, this conversation is for you.

In part 2 of this series, Kris and Charity continue the conversation on marriage as ownership. They talk thru the idea of ownership as fear, if they are glad they got married so young, and the new freedom they feel 25+ years into their marriage.

As of this airing, 70% of women take a man's last name when they marry, compared to only 3% of men that take a woman's last name. Have you ever thought about why we take each other's last name in marriage? Kris and Charity talk thru the history of this tradition, the hassle it can be for whoever decides to make the change, and if they would do it again if they could go back.

How much time do you spend resenting people because they aren't doing what you think they should be doing? Whether it's your spouse, your friend, your coworker, etc.…we all do it. Kris and Charity talk thru some of their experiences dealing with resentment and share a surprising new idea regarding resentment from the paragon Brené Brown.

Are you looking to replace your current relationship with a new one? If so, do you know what you want? Are you convinced it would be better? Kris and Charity talk thru the relationships they've seen replaced over the years, and what they would do if the one of them died, or if they got divorced.

Is your relationship more valuable to you than it was before or are you finding that it's losing its edge? Kris and Charity talk through the areas within your life and relationship that you might want to appraise. Are you investing and divesting where you need to?

Finding it hard to let go of past hurt? Let's get to the nitty gritty on how to free yourself with forgiveness. Kris and Charity go through personal examples of reframing that will equip you with handling the unpleasant people and situations in your life.

Is the desire for getting vengeance eating your lunch? Do you spend your time rehearsing all the things you really want to say to the person who hurt you? Kris and Charity discuss the real purpose of forgiveness, and it isn't to make the offending party feel better. In this episode, you will learn valuable tactics for bringing more freedom into your life through tools of empathy and reframing. This is part 1 of 2.

Part 3 of 3 on why autonomy is so essential in your relationship. Do you have a life outside of the time you spend with your partner? Do you argue about one person needing more “away-time” than the other? Do you feel stuck staying home when you don't want to? Talking about which activities you do “together” and what you do “apart” is often avoided but surfaces often. This episode provides you with the skills needed to address this sensitive balance. Part 1 is full of valuable information that will help you understand why you behave the way you do. Part 2 will provide the tools needed to communicate well and come to agreements.

Part 2 of why autonomy is so essential in your relationship. Kris and Charity provide very practical ways to help you value and nurture healthy independence with your partner. Use the tools in this episode to help each other become the happiest versions of yourself. These are the nuggets of wisdom you didn't know you needed until you heard them. Part 1 is full of valuable information that will help you understand why you behave the way you do. Part 2 will provide the tools needed to communicate well and come to agreements. Part 3 is all about how to design the “together” and “separate” areas of your life.

Kris and Charity dive into the biological need for independence within relationships. Have you ever wondered why your partner has a hard time agreeing with your suggestions? Do you want more freedom in your relationship but aren't sure how to achieve it? Are you depressed and don't fully understand why? These questions and many more are discussed in Part 1 of Autonomy is Essential.

Should you lie when she asks if her butt looks bit in those jeans? Join us for a master class in how best to lie to your partner in all the right ways. Kris and Charity analyze the types of deception and how important it is to understand what you are trying to protect when you lie.

Get on the same page and get where you want to go together. Kris and Charity guide you through the top 8 tools for negotiating for what you want with your partner. This is a master class in couples communication.

Kris is fired up after dealing with a jerk. What do you do when someone really pisses you off but you still need something from them? Kris and Charity lay out some great tools for getting what you want without losing your cool.

Having raised their kids into successful adults, Kris and Charity look back and discuss the things they passed along to their kids that they regret. From food and body image to sex education, it's about to get real. Warning, this episode is brutally honest and funny. It may not be appropriate for all ages.

Kris gets triggered going through his stuff while preparing for a garage sale. This episode provides an intimate look into how we often look at our past and make incorrect judgements about the things we have lost. If you or someone you love is processing feelings of failure or loss, this is the episode for you.

The keys to building trust found in this episode are foundational for your relationship happiness. Kris and Charity tell some hysterical stories about how they have learned to build trust with good action over time. They also address how to communicate when trust has been broken or is needing to be built. You do not want to miss this episode!

Coming out of the pandemic, we have the opportunity to put ourselves out there in a new way. In this episode, Kris and Charity go over some simple tools to help you recognize who you are, who you want to be, and who you should link arms with going forward.

Is the straw about to break the camel's back? Kris and Charity get really honest about what annoys them most about each other and go over some time tested relationship tools to help you navigate those landmines.

They say experience is life's great teacher, but what if you haven't had the life experience to learn from yet? How will you know how to handle the struggles of loving each other when you are broke, when your child is sick, when someone you love dies, when one of you is thriving and the other is struggling? Kris and Charity have lived an extreme life as business owners, foster and biological parents, musicians, community activists, and true life partners. They have had many marriages within their 27 year marriage. This podcast tells the incredible story of their journey together and will give you hope that every new season has the capacity for new energy and more love.

If your world is feeling out of control and chaotic, this episode contains some great tools on how to change. Using the Hindu principles of chaos vs. order, Kris and Charity discuss their unique approaches to ordering their lives internally and externally.

Kris and Charity Carmody host a new relationship podcast designed to help you make together better. This podcast is for people who are wanting more from their relationships. The honest admissions you will hear during these episodes come from Kris and Charity's very long and mostly happy marriage, life experience as mentors, counselors, employers, parents and friends. No subject is off-limits and no solution is un-tested in real life. This is the real stuff of relationships. Join us for your next beautiful step.