Control Freak with Molly Thayer

Michael Hackett and I grew up together in Baton Rouge, LA. Our fathers are both veterinarians and best friends. The best way for me to describe Michael is....one cool cat. Michael got the surprise of his life a year and a half ago when he was diagnosed with colon cancer. His whole life was turned upside down to say the least. What he says about this major life event will surprise and inspire you!

Have you ever seen someone across a room and just known...this person will be my friend? Brian Brister is one of those people for me. He is the biggest breath of fresh air and has lost a whopping 153 pounds. Brian says, "Food is what I did." Growing up in a Southern household...it is just the way things are done, people. Brian is from Mississippi and I am from Louisiana. Trust us...we know. His reason for wanting to lose weight? "I just wanted to be skinny." Little did he know, 50 pounds into his 153 pound weight loss, God would tell him to become a health coach. From that point on, everything has changed for Brian...and I do mean everything. He has built his emotional tool belt to maintain his weight loss and pay it forward. This is one of my favorite conversations about life long food addiction and how it can be conquered. One of the ways to do it: buy your will power at the grocery store.

With all the craziness going on in the world, my pal Jodi Gianfala and I decided we wanted to take you to the movies by discussing some of our favorites and why you should see them. Since the country is basically on lock down and we are all being told to stay home, we wanted to give you a list of must see movies if you need to escape here and there during this trying time.   Jodi has seen...wait for it...65 movies in the theater in the last year. Not kidding. She gives you her recent picks and I give you my old school pics. Such a fun discussion we had.   Please stay home. Wash your hands. Stay well. Love you. Mean it.

I recently moved from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Adios, Nola. It was time to shake things up and stop being a traveling gypsy. Y'all, it was the best decision I have made in a long time. In this episode, I discuss my moving history, my back story, how I ended back in Louisiana after 12 years in Texas, and why having my things back in my world and out of storage has changed my life. Oh-and no more Ambien-and I am convinced it's because of this move!

Happy 2020, y'all! Where have I been? A LOT has been going on in my life. I touch on this and welcome my first returning guest, Kristen Dowd. We have had so many questions since her first appearance, we decided to answer some FAQ about the program we call Our Happy Place. We go deep on some personal issues, discuss how 2019 was one of the worst years I have had in a while, and how our whole lives have changed with one easy decision. Getting healthy has changed everything for us and we debunk it all in this convo. This is not my typical interview where I ask most of the questions. Kristen asks a lot of me this go round. Enjoy. Love y'all. Mean it!

Melisse Campbell and I chat about strategies to minimize stress, and about our lives as entrepreneurs and what it means to be your own boss...the good, the bad, the sometimes ugly. Interestingly enough, we are both somewhat introverted. I know, I know...I host a podcast, so how introverted can I truly be? Well, I am an introverted extrovert and Melisse and I discuss strategies for dealing with this weird oxymoron of a life. We talk planners (we both love paper calendars), hiding in the bathroom at a party (it works), career freedom, and multiple streams of income. Melisse's Control Freak example - ohhh...it's a fabulous one!

Christen Rodgers and I go deep!  First of all, she is one amazing woman, a daring soul who has faced some real adversity. The mental health struggles (and I had no idea what they were until we recorded this episode) that went hand in hand with her gaining 100 pounds are things a lot of people won't talk about. Her honesty is truly refreshing. Christen is a beautiful and kind and unique person. This episode showcases her core values and desire to help others. Listen in for the prayer she prayed for 20 years - and for her advice for making true change in your life!

Do you battle anxiety and/or depression? I get open and honest about my personal struggle with both. I look at how it has manifested in my life (as far back as high school and the physical signs that were there all the way to the 2019 LSU/Florida Tailgate) and how it has changed over the years. So many of my friends are going through hard times at the moment and it's got me thinking about how we deal with these issues. Therapy, medication, friends, family..all good stuff to think and talk about. Join me to dive into it all. If you need help, reach out and get it. No shame in that game. 

All I can say is...wow. Jennifer Hanna opens up and shares her raw, real, and shocking story of betrayal and deception. Her marriage to a famous New Orleans pastry chef caught red handed in the #MeToo movement ended with an anonymous phone call that would change Jennifer’s life forever. Jennifer is a big believer in signs and signals. I am too. Hearing her story is moving and, in a way, scary. She and I are both very trusting souls who don’t expect deception. And, after hearing her final advice at the end of the episode - I am changed, and you will be too!

My new pal, Shannon Perry, has such a unique story. Have you ever met someone with whom you immediately click? Like clicked with to the point that I know we were friends in another life? Shannon has faced so much adversity in her life. The deck was stacked against her - her sole caregiver, a hard working teacher & loving single mother died when she was 13 years old. Now, in her mid 40’s, she has a true understanding for God’s plan in her life. Her tale about catching a 1,000 pound Marlin (ends differently than you would think), her incredible weight loss journey, and her on-air discovery that she might just be a control freak make for a fantastic episode. Oh - and her Control Freak example from a stellar 1980’s John Hughes film turns into an entire cast analysis. Such a fun convo with one amazing woman!

Y’all!!! This is a big moment for me at Control Freak. I had my very first male guest! Mark Berger is a health & fitness entrepreneur and philanthropist in New Orleans. He is a partner in Varsity Sports, a local running store, and has a private yoga, fitness, run coaching, corporate wellness, nutrition, weight-loss, and strength training business called Berger Fitness, Yoga, & Corporate Wellness. He devotes his time outside of fitness to helping businesses become more efficient by making their employees healthier and reducing their health insurance premiums. Listen in to hear his thoughts regarding fitness, what made him reframe his approach to health and wellness, and so much more. Such a cool convo and a cool dude...and ladies, he is single! Follow him at @markbergernola and @soulsquadgoals

Adela Baker joins me to chat about her fascinating career as an ADHD coach. I never even knew such a thing existed. This chat was such incredible information for me personally as I do believe I have a touch of undiagnosed ADD.  Adela is an expert in executive function coaching and collaborates with educators, mental health professionals and families to help turbo thinkers succeed at home, in school and in the workplace. Adela opens up a whole fascinating world and gives such a unique way of looking at and understanding ADHD and how turbo thinkers work.

Dr. Nilong Vyas, a board certified Pediatrician and Sleep Coach, joins me to discuss all things sleep - how it’s a necessity not a luxury, the importance of prioritizing it, and the benefits of starting that healthy habit early. Dr. Vyas owns Sleepless in Nola - a sleep consulting service for any family, in any country, whose children are having difficulties sleeping. Nilong teaches families how to get kids sleeping through the night. Oh, and my Control Freak issues in this category are pretty grea, we don’t just talk about kids in this episode. Surprise - I have never been a napper...ever. My poor parents.

One of my besties, Kay Siniard, joins me to discuss divorce, co-parenting post-divorce, and one of the hardest moments in her life where she had to relinquish control in that situation. This conversation and her insight will help everyone be more sensitive to all going through that very difficult situation. We also chat about complete career change later on life. Kay is a “recovering lawyer” who is now a stylist and health coach. Why she quit practicing law will fascinate you. Her tip about silver linings - it’s a game changer. Enjoy!

This week one of my Baton Rouge hometown friends, Megan Howie, joins me to discuss control in parenting, friendship, and marriage. She is not comfortable being in the spotlight - a fact I never knew about her - and it’s pretty cool to hear why that is. Oh, and I just about cried 3 times! Also, Megan is the connection to this whole podcast thing happening. You'll love this woman!

My health coach, Lenee Rogers, joins me to chitty chat. Y’all, she is a Natchez, MS southern belle who now resides in Dallas, and she is one of the coolest chicks I know. I learned soooo much about her. She is, in fact, the opposite of a control freak...total opposite...except for one aspect of her life. We discuss our path to each other, and how our acquaintanceship has become a true, deep friendship. We get deep about our own food addictions and how we are taking control of them. Also, her control freak movie choice just about brought me to tears.

New Orleans Matchmaker Ann Parnes joins me to chat about all things Control in dating. Does it make someone the ultimate control freak to use a matchmaker, or is it the opposite because the client is giving up all the control to someone else? I have so many questions about how matchmaking works...did you know they have a convention??? Listen in for all the dating tea and matchmaking insights from this former attorney turned matchmaker galore.

New Orleans Psychic Celeste Mott joins me to chat about trying to control the unknown, why people usually come to see her, some insight into how she does what she does, and so much more. Whether you believe in psychics or not, we hit the highlights of many control issues: her (amazing) definition of stress, the power of saying no, and the strength of women’s intuition. Celeste even throws a few cards for me...and it’s very accurate and very interesting.

Kristen Dowd joins me to dish about all things control. We hit the ground running by discussing not feeling body shame, hard truths about food addiction, finally getting healthy, why you should wear pants with a button, and coaching our way to confidence and our happy place!

One of my dearest friends, Diane Hanfling Reed, joins me to discuss the only thing she thinks we can control, the hilarious story of how we met, and how she helped me change my life. Diane is a Certified Life Coach, entrepreneur, and fashion stylist extraordinaire. Listen in for her wisdom and our personal stories about how to get what you want!

Are you a control freak? What do you try to control? Are we in control of anything? Let’s figure it out! There are good and bad control freaks and in this episode I explain why I think so using examples from my favorite medium - film. I will also be discussing how you can change anything in your life at any time, if you take control of what’s holding you back!

Take a sneak peek at what's ahead, and let's begin to take control!