GOOD TO BE HOME

This episode is all about letting go. Just over two years ago, Mika wrote a blog post that struck a chord with a lot of people and ultimately led to the creation of this podcast. Recent changes have inspired her to write another post on her blog that has resonated with people in an entirely different way. In today's podcast, you'll hear why Mika has decided to leave social media completely, how that decision has improved our lives, and why we've decided to close the chapter on Good to Be Home.

We have been recording Good to Be Home for over two years now, and in that time there have been so many unforgettable moments that we have experienced in the process. This week, we thought it would be fun to look back at some of our favorite moments from the first 100 episodes of this podcast. On today's show, you'll hear highlights from some of our most memorable episodes, as well as some fresh perspectives about some of the most popular topics that we've discussed in the past.

Alcohol sales have soared recently, and it should come as no surprise that many people are turning to alcohol right now to help them alleviate stress. For some of us, this can seem totally fine, but it can quickly turn into a slippery slope if we're not careful. Today's episode is all about evaluating your relationship with alcohol, getting to the root of why people choose to drink, and how to take the necessary steps to change that relationship for the better.

A lot of people are stuck at home right now, and feeling the pressure to spend their time in productive ways.  While this can be a great time to implement some new systems into your everyday life, we know that the idea of taking on a big project right now can be overwhelming.  This week's episode is all about the little things that we can do to make some progress toward our goals. These are small projects that can help you get organized, and feel a little bit better about the space that you're in.

The past several weeks have been full of upheaval and uncertainty for so many of us. One thing that we do know for certain is that quarantine and social distancing have brought about a lot of pain for people of all walks of life. With so many of us experiencing some painful circumstances at the moment, we wanted to take some time today to talk about pain. In today's episode, we are talking about the purpose of pain, why we naturally try to avoid it, and how painful experiences can help us grow.

Russ recently published an essay to his mailing list about something he likes to call Intermittent Media Fasting. It's based on the practice of Intermittent Fasting, which is all about reducing your caloric intake to certain parts of the day. In today's episode, you'll hear all about what Intermittent Media Fasting is, why it's important to limit our media consumption, and how you can build your own Intermittent Media Fasting schedule.

When Russ was writing his book, The Sober Entrepreneur, he realized there are essentially two different kinds of habits that we all form, "Additive" habits and "Subtractive" ones. Additive habits can help make you a better person, while subtractive habits can break you down or put you in a bad place. In today's show, we talk about the differences between additive and subtractive habits and how to identify them. You'll also hear some examples of both types of habits from our own past experiences.

Obviously, the COVID-19 outbreak has forced us all to make some rather abrupt changes in our personal and professional lives. In today's episode, we are sharing some of the changes that we've had to make in the past few weeks as we adjust to the "New Normal" of social distancing and shelter in place guidelines. You'll hear specifically how our schedules have changed, tips for people who are managing teams during this crisis, and a whole lot more.

This is obviously a stressful time for all of us, as many of us are suddenly and unexpectedly spending a lot more time at home. It can be especially tough for children, and for the parents out there that are at home with their kids. In today's podcast, Mika is talking about how she has been homeschooling her kids during this national crisis. You'll hear specific tips from a former teacher on how to manage your kids, create routines, and find a sense of calm in your home during this difficult time.

We all have to make decisions in our lives every day. Some of these decisions are small. Others can be big, life-changing decisions that affect a lot of people. It can be hard to tell sometimes when to move quickly and when to take a step back and look things over. In today's episode, we are sharing some thoughts on how to make different kinds of decisions, how our decision-making processes differ, and ways we can improve our decision-making skills.

It can be easy to get overwhelmed when you start an organizing project. After all, there are so many challenges that come with organizing the spaces in our lives, that it can be difficult to know where to start. On today's podcast, Mika is sharing three specific principles that she uses when she approaches every organizing project. These guiding philosophies can help you make sense of your organizing project, and they apply to any space that you want to organize.

Five years ago, Russ started a graphic design company called Design Pickle. Since then, that company has grown to over $14 million dollars in annual revenue, with a team of nearly 500 people. In today's episode, Russ and Mika are sharing six specific lessons that they have learned over the past five years of Design Pickle's growth. You'll hear from Russ' perspective as CEO, as well as Mika's unique viewpoint on how their family has grown as well.

Mika has been publishing a blog on her website, MikaPerry.com since 2016 and in that time, she has learned a lot about creating, maintaining, and growing a personal blog. In today's episode, Mika is sharing a behind-the-scenes look at her blog as well as sharing some practical ideas to help you get started with your own blog. You'll hear tips for creating and growing a blog, tools for content creation and analytics, the different ways that a blog can be monetized, and much more.

Traveling is one of our favorite things to do, but it's not just the act of travel. We love all of the planning and preparation that goes into a great trip as well. A well-planned trip is always a more enjoyable one, and it all starts with what you pack. On today's podcast, we are sharing some of our favorite practical tips for planning, packing, and getting the most out of traveling.

Russ and Mika have been married for nearly 11 years. Over that time, one of the most successful ways that they have found to improve their relationship and connection with each other is by having consistent, weekly date nights.  In today's episode, Russ is laying out his entire strategy for planning their date nights.  You'll hear why these date nights have been so helpful for their marriage, how he plans each weekly date night, and much more. 

It's so easy in today's landscape of social media and instant gratification to set unrealistic expectations for ourselves. We often see others doing or getting the things that we want, but what we don't see is what it takes to achieve those goals. In today's episode we are exploring the hidden costs of getting what you want, and some of the specific costs related to the successes and failures that we've experienced in our own lives.

Our mission in starting this podcast was to help people achieve balance in their everyday lives.  It makes sense then that so many listeners have reached out to us asking about our schedules and routines.  Today we are taking an in-depth look at our weekly schedule. This is all about how we split parenting duties, manage our business and the nitty-gritty details of our everyday routines. You'll hear what do we do on each day of the week, including how we divide responsibilities, fit in workouts, and some specific ideas for how you can structure your week as well.

Russ and Mika are parents to three wonderful daughters, and we know many listeners of this podcast are parents as well. Obviously we all want the best for our children, and we believe that instilling a growth mindset in your kids through habits of reflection, gratitude, and goal setting is the best way to set them up to succeed. On today's podcast, we're talking about why you should be practicing goal setting with your children, some specific ways we teach these habits to our own kids, and much more.

How can you do more to support your spouse in achieving their goals?   This is a topic that is near and dear to Russ and Mika, as supporting each other's goals has been a major part of their shared journey together. It is also something that they have struggled with at times. In today's episode, we are sharing eight practical ways you can do more to support your significant other in pursuing their own goals. 

A few weeks ago we shared a survey, asking you what kind of topics you wanted us to cover on the podcast in 2020. An overwhelming number of you who responded to that survey wanted to hear more about getting organized.  Well, the start of a brand new year is the perfect time to declutter. On today's podcast, Mika is sharing 5 ways you can declutter your life in 2020. These are specific areas of your life that you can organize in the new year, including your home, your vehicle, and even your mindset. 

The end of the year is a time of reflection for us. We get a chance to look back at what we accomplished in the previous year, and to start to plan ahead for what's to come. On today's podcast, we are sharing our own personal "Peaks and Valleys" from 2019. You'll hear about the successes we had in business and life, the specific things that we struggled with, and what we have in store for the year ahead.

We know the holidays can be a difficult time of year for people, so this week we've decided to revisit an episode we recorded last year about stress. In particular, we're talking about how stress can make you feel overwhelmed. When your stress levels build up, everything in life can just feel like too much. On today's podcast, you'll hear the kinds of things that overwhelm us and cause stress in our everyday lives. You'll also hear some tactics and strategies for how we tackle those overwhelming feelings.

This week's episode is all about one of our favorite holidays: Christmas. On today's show, we are offering a glimpse into our own family traditions, as well as sharing some specific insights into how we celebrate the holiday. We'll be taking a chronological look at our holiday plans, which include tips for decorating the home, our holiday meal menus, gift shopping strategies, how we celebrate on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and a whole lot more. *Note to parents: We do talk about Santa and Elf on a Shelf in this episode... so you may want to avoid listening with little ears around!

If you can't tell from the name of this podcast, our home is incredibly important to us. It's no surprise then that the guests on today's podcast had a huge impact on our lives, as they quite literally helped us build our home. Brendan and Jillian Bader are the founders of Modern Nest, a company that designs and builds "timeless homes for the modern family". Jillian and Brendan join us today to talk about why they love to build homes, their startup story, marriage, spirituality, taking chances, and they even share some design tips as well.

We recently reached out to some of our followers on Instagram and asked them if they had any questions for us. On today's podcast, Russ and Mika are answering those questions, and no topics are off-limits. You'll hear candid discussions about marriage, parenting, entrepreneurship, arguments, trust, family, fashion, setting boundaries, workout routines, and more.

We've all found ourselves in a rut at some point in our lives. It's easy to get burned out by the stress of our everyday routines, and it's hard to know what to do when this happens.  On today's podcast, we are sharing specific strategies for how you can get yourself out of a rut, how to address some of the root stressors that might be causing it, and how you can stay motivated to avoid feeling the same way in the future. 

We're very excited to share a conversation with one of our favorite content creators and entrepreneurs on today's podcast. Valerie Woerner is the founder of Val Marie Paper, a company that is dedicated to supporting women in their prayer life and their motherhood with dedicated prayer journals. She is also the author of the fantastic book "Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday". Valerie joins us this week to talk about the origins of her business, the challenges of motherhood, the problem with perfection, and much, much, more.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you could go back in time?  Hindsight is always 20/20, but it's safe to say that there are several things we all wish we could have heard at an earlier point in our lives. On today's podcast, Russ and Mika are sharing several specific pieces of advice that they wish they could give to their 20-year-old selves. You'll hear thoughts about health, finance, sobriety, travel, and a whole lot more. 

You might recall that Dr. Jillian Smithers joined us on this podcast a few months ago to talk about her history with naturopathic medicine. We've invited her back on to the show this week to talk about how naturopathic medicine can help women with their health. We also speak about some of the everyday questions that women have about topics like hormonal imbalances, adrenal fatigue, thyroid health, brain fog, and a whole lot more.

Today's episode is about pizza, but it isn't just about pizza. Every Friday night, Russ and Mika have a family pizza night with their kids. This Friday pizza night has become a family tradition, and it is an important part of their lives.  This week's podcast is all about these types of traditions, why they are important, and how you can create your own family traditions.

Our goal when starting this podcast was to help people achieve balance in their lives. When thinking about the people that we've met who have had success with that, Dan Martell and Renée Warren immediately come to mind. They are loving partners, proud parents, and successful entrepreneurs as well. It wasn't always easy, though. They have had their share of struggles along the way. Dan and Renée join us this week to share how they met, some of the hardships they have faced, and how they have found balance by applying business philosophies to their personal lives.

Russ and Mika started this podcast because they were searching for more balance in their lives. Over the years, they have found that one of the most effective ways to achieve real balance is through practicing meditation and mindfulness. But why meditate? And where do you begin? There are so many different options and opinions that it can be easy to get confused. Today's episode is full of tips and resources to help you get started right now with meditation and mindfulness practices.

Russ has invited his good friend Taylor Pearson on to the podcast today. Taylor is the author of the book The End of Jobs, as well as a phenomenal blog at his website TaylorPearson.me. He was also Russ' very first business coach. In this episode, you'll hear how Russ and Taylor met, why Russ hired him as a coach, what that experience was like, and a whole lot more. You'll also hear about a variety of other topics including decision making, cryptocurrency, and the importance of establishing your own set of values.

Today's podcast is all about accountability.  This is a topic that Russ and Mika are incredibly passionate about, as they have both made immense progress in their lives through the help of structured accountability. On this week's episode, we are talking about the psychology of accountability, the difference between internal and external accountability, the types of accountability structures that they have put in place in our own lives, and some high-level tips for holding yourself more accountable. 

One of Mika's favorite topics to talk about on this show is organizing. Mika worked as a professional home organizer for several years, and many of our listeners write into us asking for tips and hacks to help them organize their own lives. On today's podcast, Mika is going in-depth about one of her favorite techniques that she uses to keep her time, tasks, and thoughts organized. The best part is that this strategy only requires one simple item that most of us already have in our home: Post-It Notes.

Russ and Mika love taking personality tests. Personality tests have become extremely popular in recent years, and they can tell us a lot about ourselves, and the people we interact with on a daily basis. On today's podcast, you'll hear about some of our favorite personality tests that we've taken, why we think they are important, and how we can use these tests to better understand the relationships in our lives.

Today's episode is all about a phrase that Russ and Mika use almost every day: "Know Your Numbers". After all, numbers are a big part of all of our lives. Whether it's in business or in our personal lives, there are so many important numbers that we all need to know. On today's podcast, you'll hear exactly which metrics Russ and Mika keep track of in their lives, why they choose to pay such close attention to these numbers, and what tools they use to track them.

Russ and Mika get a lot of questions from friends and listeners about the resources that have helped them as parents. There is so much information out there for parents that it can get confusing and overwhelming trying to figure out what works. On today's podcast, they are sharing some of their favorite books, websites, and ideas for parents.  This episode is full of the tried-and-true resources that they have used time and again throughout their parenting journey.

Today, Russ and Mika are talking about something you can't live without, especially if you are managing people or running your own business. Email has become a vital part of our everyday lives, but sometimes our email inboxes can overwhelm even the best of us. On this week's podcast, we are sharing some tips on how you can conquer your email inbox as well as some strategies and tools that we use every day to help make email work for us. This episode is all about how to become mindful about the role that email plays in our lives and how you can simplify the process of using email in your own life.

On this week's podcast, Russ and Mika talked all about how to make some wise financial decisions in your life. That doesn't mean that every financial decision they have made was wise, though.  In particular, Russ loves to purchase some outlandish things. This week, we are sharing a short bonus episode where they detail ten of his most ridiculous purchases.   

Russ and Mika have received many requests over the past several months from listeners who want to hear a conversation about finances. This is a topic that people don't always like to talk about. Financial conversations can be incredibly uncomfortable. On this week's podcast, they are diving headfirst into some of those uncomfortable conversations. You'll hear about ways that you can save, budget, and approach your finances with a whole new perspective.

In this bonus episode, Russ breaks down sobriety. For him, alcohol was his addiction, but sobriety could mean breaking patterns around drugs, problem habits or more. He says in order for sobriety to work, you have to change for yourself; not your kids, your wife, your job, etc. Russ will talk about some practical tips on how to start and sustain sobriety and how important building a supportive community is. -- There are a variety of support and community groups dealing with addiction, beyond just Alcoholics Anonymous. For Russ, Celebrate Recovery was the best option. Find more info online: www.celebraterecovery.com

Russ was inspired to record today's episode because his oldest daughter Maddix recently started high school. Maddix was born when Russ was in college, and it was one of the most unexpected moments of his life. It has also been undoubtedly one of the biggest blessings. And yet so many times, when these unexpected moments happen to us, feelings of anxiety or negativity typically follow. Today's podcast is all about how we can persevere through the unexpected challenges, grow from them, and thrive.

Every summer for the past few years, Russ and Mika have taken their family on a long trip overseas. This year, they chose the United Kingdom as their travel destination and so for the past five weeks or so, the Perry family has been living and working in London.  On today's' podcast, you'll hear why they chose to travel to London, as well as all of the details that went into planning a trip of this magnitude. You'll also hear what their life has looked like for the last five weeks, from working remotely from coworking to hiring a nanny. their favorite activities and a whole lot more.

Working out of a co-working space in London this week has reminded Russ and Mika of some of their earlier days as aspiring entrepreneurs. It has also inspired them to revisit a topic that they haven't thought about in quite some time: how to hire someone for the first time. The only way that you can grow your business to the point that you can balance your life successfully is by hiring the right people, and it all starts with that first person. On today's show, they are going to be sharing eight tips for helping you make that first hire.  These tips aren't just for running a business. They can apply to anyone that you are bringing on board to help you with your personal life as well. 

Russ and Mika are planners. As a family, they write down and discuss goals for the year every January on their annual staycations. But last year, the two decided to check-in and start a mid-year planning tradition. Now, this isn't a practice that should be just about looking forward and stressing about what needs to get done - but should be a moment of recap, reflection, and reset for the second half of the year. In this episode, Russ and Mika break down their goals for the rest of 2019, both as a couple and independently. Using the framework of "Body, Being, Balance and Business" (something you might remember from their Core 4 episode), they look at all they have accomplished so far, and re-commit to some promises they may have been slacking on. Everyone's comfort level and goals are going to look different, whether your plans include buying a new car, fixing up the house, or actually following that meditation routine (for real this time.)  As long as you can stay objective in the process, Russ says we can all create great things in a year.

One of Mika's favorite podcasts to listen to is 3 in 30, a 30-minute show for busy moms with 3 clear cut takeaways (or what Mika calls "knowledge bombs") on parenting struggles and strategies. Mika was a guest on Rachel's show not too long ago, and now we are welcoming her to Good To Be Home! What Mika admires most about this show is Rachel's ability and willingness to go deep on topics that may not be tackled on other shows, like what to do when you don't like playing with your kids, how religion can affect your ideas of what a mom should be or how Rachel is happier as a mom when she is still working. An English teacher turned mom turned podcaster, Rachel now has over 80 episodes of 3 in 30 aiming to help moms "manage the madness and maximize the magic of motherhood." Mika and Rachel discuss 3 of Mika's favorite episodes of 3 in 30, how to bring more positivity into your social media feeds, and how to deal with that inner critic that always seems to be nagging inside. --- SIGN UP for Mika and Rachel's one day workshop "Declutter Your Motherhood" on Saturday, September 21st in Phoenix, Arizona! The event is for moms to connect with other moms while working to declutter on the inside and on the outside. Learn how to declutter your schedule, your expectations as a mom, your limiting beliefs and your physical space - leaving room to do add much more joy to your days. www.mikaperry.com/workshop

Welcome to the first Good To Be Home bonus episode! In these quick segments, we will be digging into some topics that we may have covered in previous episodes and want to go deeper into - or questions from listeners!  In this first bonus (and Russ's first solo episode) he picks up the conversation left off in Episode 60, and talks more about his book The Sober Entrepreneur. The book took about a year to write, and if you're interested in the writing process, or are thinking of writing your own book, this episode is for you. You'll hear more about changes he would have made if he could do it all again, his marketing strategies for the book, and how to use Amazon to your advantage.

Fans of the show may or may not know that Russ and Mika are both sober. And in 2017, a few years into his sobriety, Russ published his first book The Sober Entrepreneur,  about his struggles to balance work, life, and combat addiction. Now almost 6 years sober, Russ calls the book not only an obligation to his family, but a resource for those who might be going through a similar situation. Russ says for you to succeed as an entrepreneur you need to be addicted to a belief, a characteristic that if not controlled right, could lead to addiction in other forms. He says the decision to write the book was extremely personal, and in this episode, you'll hear more about the legacy he hopes his story will leave, a few takeaways from other people who have read it, and a bit more about Russ and Mika's decisions to get sober. PLUS if you sign up for the Good To Be Home Podcast newsletter, you'll receive a FREE PDF copy of the book!

Building a home can be difficult, especially if your significant other is a little...less organized than you. In this weeks episode, Mika takes the reigns and talks about encouraging Russ to be more organized, based on questions and comments shes received from listeners on social media. Organizing is not only about putting stuff into labeled boxes but extends to strengthening your relationship and home life in general. Whether you hear yourself in Mika (as the more organized one) or Russ (who needed a bit of help), this episode will show you some easy ways to nudge your loved one into setting up more intentional systems of organization.

Does the idea of planning a family vacation to Disneyland stress you out? Planning the meals, figuring out what rides to hit and navigating the park itself can all seem a bit overwhelming. That's why the Perry's are bringing you this episode, a how-to guide to a stress-free vacation at Disneyland. Based on two of Mika's blog posts, Russ & Mika layout all the tips, strategies and apps that help them enjoy the park with their three girls. What kind of stroller should you bring? How many snacks should you pack? How do you deal with inevitable meltdowns? Mika says its all about letting the little moments outside the rides happen, and with three Disney trips under their belt, Russ & Mika share some of their secret tricks to making this vacation a magical one.