Our Uncommon Life

In this episode of Our Uncommon Life, we're diving into the very real tension between ambition and well-being. From Zac's early days pushing himself to the limit with baseball, to diving into intense challenges like 75 Hard and long-distance running—there's always been a drive to test limits and chase extremes. But what happens when your body—and life—start waving the red flags?After a knee injury forced Zac to step back from 75 Hard, we had an honest conversation about what it looks like to listen to those warning signs before burnout hits. This episode isn't just about physical challenges—it's about how we all run ourselves ragged in the name of productivity, hustle, and proving our worth.We talk about:The mental loop of “more is better” and how it sneaks into work, health, and personal goalsZac's lightbulb moment: maybe it's not about pushing harder, but getting smarter with the way we growCreating boundaries that don't feel like limitations, but feel like protectionWhy slowing down might actually be the most productive thing we do this yearIf you've ever found yourself glorifying "busy" or ignoring the whispers to slow down, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale. We get personal, we get honest, and we explore what it could look like to build growth-driven routines that actually nourish us—mind, body, and marriage.

Whew! This is a fun topic today. Whether it's in a marriage or even a friendship, sometimes the season you are in is something you are just clinging to that is not the actual truth. Delving into how the past keeps us comfy and the future gives us all the frills of hope, but all we really have is the here and now. We all change as we grow, some of us choose not to grow, and some people choose to just literally go off the rails. Hopefully this conversation sparks you to look at your own relationships and see what you are holding onto that maybe you need to let go of.

Join Zac and Vena Boddy for a fun and heartfelt catch-up session! In this episode, they share updates on their health journeys, exciting travel plans, and busy lives. Get ready for some laughs, insights, and inspiration as Zac gears up for a marathon and Vena juggles her bustling schedule at The Foundry Workspaces.Topics Discussed:Health Journeys:Zac and Vena open up about their recent health adventures—both the highs and the lows.Upcoming Travel:The dynamic duo is heading out across the US soon. Vena to Chicago and Zac to Minneapolis! Hear about their plans and what they're most excited to explore.Zac's Marathon:Zac shares his journey to marathon readiness, including his training ups and downs.What inspired him to take on this challenge and his goals for the big day.Vena at The Foundry Workspaces:Vena gives us a peek into her busy life at The Foundry Workspaces.Exciting projects she's working on and how she manages to stay on top of it all.Join the Conversation: Don't miss this lively episode where Zac and Vena bring you along on their adventures. Whether you're into health, travel, or just love a good story, there's something here for everyone!

“How do you start?”It's the question we get asked most — whether it's launching a business, setting goals, or designing the way we live and love with intention.In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on our favorite strategy: starting from the end. From dream-chasing in business to planning out our year as a couple, we've built our lives by looking at the vision first, then reverse-engineering the path to get there. We're talking goal setting, checklists, and the frameworks we use to turn big ideas into doable steps — not just in entrepreneurship, but in our marriage too.If you've ever felt stuck at square one, unsure of how to get from where you are to where you want to be, this conversation is your permission slip to begin — backwards.What You'll Hear: • Why we always begin with the end in mind • The way we use these these tools in our marriage communication • How we break down vision into pillars, priorities, and action • Why “starting backwards” isn't backwards at allTune in and let's flip the script on how to start.

We just got back from our Disney trip and man are we tired! Navigating the parks with an 18 year old kid is definitely different than how we usually roam around. This year our Disney Travel came with a few disappointments, a few crazy new rides, and as always delicious food! Listen in as Zac and I chat about the dramatic changes we saw in customer service throughout the parks and what some of our very favorite moments were of the weekend with our nephew.

One of the things that Zac and I are passionate about is healthy, ongoing communication. Making sure we are on the same page helps us stay efficient with our busy schedules. We always say we run our marriage like a business...and here are 4 tips on how to replicate this in your own marriage. From things like weekly meetings to never making assumptions, these tips will help you communicate with your spouse and cut down on arguments in no time.

We always talk about how our schedules are crazy, so on today's episode we wanted to give some real-life examples of what that looks like for both of us. From networking events to baseball practice and everything in between...being a small business owner is BUSY. And being that busy can put a strain on our marriage if we don't plan accordingly for it. That's why we schedule in date nights and vacations, and even time at home to just chill together. If we just let the day to day happen without keeping account of our relationship, things would go south fast!

Welcome back to Our Uncommon Life, where we explore the dynamic journey of marriage, health, entrepreneurship, and communication.Sometimes in marriage, you have to let your partner do their thing and not interject, even when you might think, “Is this really a good idea?” Between Zac's crazy business ideas and Vena's unconventional weight loss methods, we've learned that letting each other figure things out without nagging is a win-win situation. (Of course, if something could cause harm, financial hardship, or other serious issues, please interject—no one wants to end up on a reality TV show for all the wrong reasons!) We believe that asking questions about each other's motivations, doing our own research, and trusting one another is a better way to support each other than immediately shooting down an idea.

Something that is super important in our marriage is living "independently together". Having our own hobbies, our own trips, our own adventures without each other so that we aren't relying on each other for happiness. You can't expect your spouse to be your EVERYTHING. In this week's episode, we talk about our separate trips to Traverse City and to Telluride. From Vena's girls trip filled with games, foodie things, and a snowstorm to Zac's ski trip to Telluride full of adventure, adrenaline, and connection with old friends. Find out what dish made Vena and her friends almost cry and how Zac loved the no pressure group of friends he was with.You can find us on our socials at @our_uncommon_life Traverse City restaurants that we chatted about in this epidsode :https://www.cookshousetc.com/https://mamalustc.com/https://www.goodbowleatery.com/https://www.redspirebrunchhouse.com/https://mawby.wine/And as always please like and subscribe!

In this week's episode, Zac and I get really real. Going down memory lane to explore the times in our pasts that we were the underdogs and just getting by in our situations. We recognize that sometimes you have to just dig in your heels and try to keep your head above water.... because we have both been there. But we also feel like in those moments comes the greatest gifts we have ever received...lessons on how to survive and move forward. From Zac's struggles at home and bad credit, to Vena's divorce and bankruptcy....we have stories, and with those stories comes triumphs. When you are going through it, those lessons are tough to see, but you can waller in your sadness, or pull your bootstraps up and make sure those hard times to become your lifelong identity.

In the spirit of Valentines weekend, this week's episode is all about the little things you can do to let your person know that you love them. From making popcorn to walking in the restaurant first, hear what we still do after 13 years of marriage to keep the love alive. This is also a first for us, as we navigate doing our very first video podcast using Riverside! Find us on Youtube to listen there, and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Zac and I were lucky enough to be interviewed by Mitch Fleming with Visual Creative Company. Not only a longtime friend, but also kickass local business owner, Mitch had some questions on how we dug into our goals at the beginning and end of the year. This conversation highlights how goals setting can be frustrating, how it varies from person to person, and even how it differs from Male VS Female or creative VS analytical. Whichever way you choose to break down how to accomplish big things in your year, know that there is NOT a one size fits all approach to your goals.You can find Mitch at visualcreativecompany.co , providing website design, photography and videography for your business.

Doing a little deeper of a dig on what it really feels like when you are changing/transforming your life, your career, etc... We always want to be realistic when we talk to you, and sometimes, these big changes get huge celebrations and are glamorized.... but what does it honestly feel like? We both have worked hard towards big goals, and we have both thought, "ok what's next ".

New York City at Christmas time? Yes Please!!! This week's episode touches on why we love creating unforgettable experiences. From our members at The Foundry Workspaces, to Zac's clients at Intuitive Technologies and even our nieces and nephews. This time in particular, it's all about our nephew Dylan's 16th birthday trip to the city. Find out where our favorite pancakes were, Zac's super fun expirence of being sick during a whole vacation, and the best hot chocolate we have ever had.

Zac and I finally had our end of the year meeting and chose our words of the year. Find out who broke the word "rules", what these words mean to us this year, and how we feel about the direction that 2025 could head and how it pivots from month to month.

Today we are chatting all about our favorite highlights of 2024, our big accomplishments, things we are proud of, and even how many games of baseball Zac played this year. Just a fun lil episode looking back. In our marriage and businesses, we always love to make time to reflect and celebrate our wins.... even when it doesn't come easily. What is something you were proud of back in 2024?

Happy New Year to all of our listeners! First off, we'd like to take this moment to say thank you for all the love and support over the past 3 years. This was a record-breaking year here at Our Uncommon Life, and we have loved sharing every moment of our marriage, travel, and business development with you. Since it's the new year, we thought we would share our little yearly tradition that we like to implement into our goal setting in leu of resolutions, and that's picking a word to focus on for the year. We have been doing this in our marriage for the past 5 years, and we love how it has been working. Picking a word gives us a guiding light to lead our year by instead of a strict set of do's and dont's. Listen in to hear what words we picked in 2024 and how things went with those words, what our wins and losses were, and how we feel going into 2025.

A fun hodgepodge episode about our dueling trips to New York City and Florida...and even a fun conversation about our favorite/most nostalgic Holiday foods. Find out how Vena felt navigating Manhattan on her own, and about Zac's trip down memory lane when he grabbed some bagels in Boca Raton.

It's that time of year where we both need a little extra push to clean up our eating habits. Zac is embarking on a Paleo Plus journey and Vena is starting a Whole 30. This is just a quick fun chat explaining why every once in a while, you just need to put the brakes on and analyze why you are eating the way you are and how we get back on track. * Disclaimer - we are not medical professionals and anything we say is based on opinion. Please speak to a medical professional before starting any new diets.

It's that time of year.... the craziness of the Holidays is upon us. And in true Zac and Vena fashion, we are BUSY. Since we are going to be completely apart from each other all week, we thought it would be fun to repost an old LIVE meeting from last year. During this crazy time of year, we find it so important to make sure we get our meetings in to keep us sane during the insane Holiday schedules. As a recap our meetings consist of: Agenda, To-Do List, Personal Goals, Date Night, Social Media/Podcast, and Likes/Dislikes/Puzzlements that we have during the week. We hope you enjoy the recap, and if you would like another in depth overview of our meetings, leave a comment in a review!

This week's conversation is all about trust and how you build that trust with two key components: communication and consistency. After being together for 15 years and married for 13, we definitely have learned that being honest with each other, and telling the WHOLE truth, helps build that foundation so that no questions can arise.

Today's podcast is a solo chat with Zac and how he feels identifying your core values is super important in building your relationships. Why making sure you and your "person" are both on the same page with your deep values can help strengthen your companionship. When you identify what is really important to you, you really are identifying what is moving you forward with life. And if you really want to build a relationship that is lasting, finding someone who finds the same things important makes that relationship flow together and seamlessly. Listen in as Zac chats about what HIS core values are, and how that works in our marriage. Like we always say.... you have to know yourself first!

It's finally here! The Foundry Grand Opening happened just a few weeks back and we are super pumped that we didn't hear crickets. Listen is as Vena talks about how she had to push her imposter syndrome down and her CEO Boss attitude up, and how Zac felt on the first full member day. And if you are a small business owner in the Metro Detroit area and in need of some space to hammer away at some projects, please reach out to us at www.thefoundryworkspaces.com

A few weeks back we traveled to L.A for Lewis Howes Summit of Greatness conference, and man....as always we came back READY. This event truly changed the directory of our lives back in 2018 and 2019 and we were so excited to head back this year. Listen in as we talk about our biggest takeaways, our favorite bites, and why you should take the leap and join us next year in L.A for this amazing event.

We are back with another episode of 3R's...Realizations, Reading, and Recommendations. This week Zac talks about his candy coded realization and Vena chats about an amazing new restaurant recommendation in Detroit. Just a fun, light, mini episode to get you thinking this week!

What makes you happy? How do you define happiness? These are some questions we are tolling around in this week's podcast episode. Alot of times people tie happiness to money, but at the end of the day, the happiness comes from the experiences you create with the people you love. With us, comparing a 3 Michelin Star dinner to a hotdog on the street walking in the city, it feels the same in our hearts. This was such a fun, thought provoking episode. Take a listen and leave us a review with your thoughts!!

Well, we haven't done a pure food podcast in quite sometime. Since we went to Chicago a few weeks back and ate our way through the city, we thought it was a great time to do so! Our Chicago episode 3 years ago remains one of our highest downloaded episodes, so here you go....Chicago 2.0. Hear us talk about our first 3 Michelin Star dinner and if it lived up to the hype, our dinner at the rebel 1 Michelin Star Wicker Park gem, and even Zac's favorite Chicago style pizza spot. Restaurants Visited: Alinea Miller's Pub Schwa Dearly Beloved Violet Hour Maple and Ash Girl and the Goat Matchbox Pizzeria Due Dirty Dawg

It's our 13-year wedding anniversary, we can't believe it!! As we grow older together, we have been through so many life changes and personal growth changes. In today's conversation hear us chat all about the way life looks different for us in today's version of our marriage. From finances to more confidence....to Zac eating breakfast finally, we discuss it all!

We are starting a new segment here at Our Uncommon Life, The Three R's : Reading, Recommendations, and Realizations. This will be a fun segment we can come back to time and time again. Letting you guys know what books have made and impact, where we have been dining, and what little life lessons we have incurred lately. Think of this as a bite size version of our main podcast. We are excited to roll this out and would love to hear your feedback!

Well it has been quite a few week now since Vena has retired from the salon and taken on her new role at The Foundry Workspaces. Once the dust settled, she noticed pretty quickly that things had definitely changed shifted. Listen to us chat about things we have both noticed, concerns we have, and how we effectively communicated through some worries that were popping up.

Sometimes you have to make living healthy fun, and the past year we have used Whoop to do just that. Listen is as I talk about what statistic we both watch, what habits effect our sleep/performance, and how sometimes things affect us totally differently. Listening to your body is never a bad idea, and the whoop devices help you take a deep dive into what's really going on inside.

Well, this is the first episode that we feature a guest...and we couldn't be more excited to bring you our conversation with our nephew Dylan. Dylan had a cool idea to talk about family traditions and how to merge traditions when you are in a relationship. It was fun to dig into how different families interact and talk about the importance of setting boundaries within your relationship to make sure that you are staying true to your needs in the relationship. This was such a fun conversation and the cool part....it was all Dylans idea! We do go down a Christmas/holiday rabbit hole so you may be craving a big turkey dinner after you listen in.

It's time to talk about our favorite day of the week...DATE NIGHT! We absolutely love our down time together and always want to make sure it is scheduled in, because really.... if it's not on our calendars, it's not happening! On today's episode we explain why date night is so important to us, what we do for date night, and how it's essential to be present with your partner.

Zac is back in the podcast studio this week and he came with a fun topic in mind....how we view money. We do a fun little dive into what matters to us the most when it comes to money decisions, and what we are trading off when we try and save a buck or two. This is just a different way to look at things and works for us in our marriage and our businesses. So ask yourself, what is your mindset around money? Is it positive, is it scarcity, is it abundent or is it a chore? Believe it or not, the way you think about money is how it shows up in your life.

This week's episode is a solo episode by Vena while Zac is out getting some work done. On top of our crazy schedules, Vena talks about how she got sick and that prompted some interesting conversations. Sometimes you need to just flat out ask your partner for what you need, AND explain what you need clearly. Stepping outside your comfort zone and just being honest with your spouse about your needs...IS OK!!!

Vena is finally back from her trip to Ireland with the work girls! In today's episode, hear her recap her adventures, talk about splitting the G and why you should say yes to big things more often. If you are looking for a private driver/tour, please consider Con Dooley at Dooley Irish Tours for your next trip. They took care of our group and we highly highly recommend them for your needs while in the beautiful country.

In this week's episode, Zac is throwing it down all by his self while Vena is in Ireland. He talks about what he looks forward to most when he is living the "single life", and the little things he misses while Vena is gone. It's a nice reminder to pay attention to the little things that your partner does in your marriage/relationship.

After 13 years of marriage, we are bound to have some annoyances with each other, and that's what we dive into in this week's episode. Marriage is fun and full of love, but sometimes we make each other a bit batty with our quirks...and that's totally normal! Sometimes you just have to not sweat the small stuff, take a deep breath, and realize everyone is different and unique... and that not everyone puts the lids on containers correctly.

This weeks episode is a fun lil chat/recap of all the upcoming trips we have this summer...and how we are so crazy busy right now we have had no time to do the research we usually do for our travels. We are looking for suggestions for things to do in Montreal, and LA. Food, drinks, anything worth seeing (or not seeing) send us your recs.

Oooooo in this week's episode we take a deep dive into all thing's accountability: Self-accountability, accountability groups, and how accountability can actually improve your life. In our marriage, in our business, and just in our lives in general we have learned that if you take accountability for your mistakes.... things actually go a lot smoother, and you can stop conflict in its tracks.

Welp....this episode is allllllll about adulting, and adulting hard. We are diving into those conversations that you shy away from, but really need to just take head on (sooner rather than later) Pre-nups, Trust and Wills, Divorce, Business Partnerships and more! Pretty scary but CRITICAL conversations that are better to have before disaster strikes. Listen, no one wants to talk about crazy possibilities, but it's better to do so when you are calm and collected instead of in the middle of Chaos.

When is the last time you took a big risk, or stepped outside your comfort zone? That is what we cover in this weeks episode. Vena talks about a solo trip to Austin, Tx and how it really pushed her to try new things. It's ok to get uncomfortable, and when you do...OH the things you learn.

One question we always get is, what is our best marriage advice. The answer is always, hands down...Communication. We thought today that we would share some of our favorite communication tips and why they are important to your marriage. We also have a pretty lengthy conversation about tacos. I mean, what more could you want from a podcast episode.

Have you ever been in a restaurant, store or hotel, where you thought...ooooohhh I feel out of place? If so, this episode is for you. This week we are covering feeling uncomfortable when you start showing up in rooms that you never saw yourself in (and that pesky thing called Imposter Syndrome and how it likes to sneak in and play games with your mind). There have been a million instances when we have felt like we stick out like a sore thumb, but we realize every time, that usually it's just all in our minds, or it's our fear of what everyone else is thinking.

In this week's episode, we dig into our morning routines. Except, we don't really have traditional morning routines of journaling, meditating and working out.... nope...our routines and schedules may shock you. You don't actually have to get up at 4am to get 3 hours' worth of self-development in to start your day, nope, it's all a myth (unless that's really your jam, then go for it friends!). What you do need to do is find something that works FOR YOU, that you can be consistent with. That's it. Boring right?!

In this week's episode, we decided to revisit our cute lil love story. How we met, how we knew, and how we have grown. Sometimes in marriage, you need to look back and review how it all started so you can appreciate how you have grown. This conversation is full of love, laughs, 90's dance music and even a bit of Taylor Swift. Zac and I each go through and tell our version of the story and dig into the differences in how we see it unfold. We even take it into a self-development direction and mention how you have to be ready yourself, and willing to follow the lightning strike.

Today's episode is a solo episode from Vena. We get asked all the time how she handles Zac's work load, crazy hours, and busy lifestyle. Listen in as she gives her top 5 tips on how she navigates marriage with a business owner and what has worked for her specifically during their 15 year relationship. Being married to an entrepreneur has its perks, and its challenges, so hopefully you can get some good tools to work with in your own relationships!

We just got home from our quarterly meeting from Maine and had all sorts of ideas for the podcast. One theme that has been coming up lately is how independently we live our lives from each other. So besides talking about lobster rolls for the first 10 minutes, we dig into why leading separate lives really works for Zac and I's personalities and marriage. We touch on what in our past has led us to liking this crazy lifestyle of ours in entrepreneurship, how we manage our time together, and how communication is vital in our marriage. We also discuss what "independence" means to each of us and how we look at it differently, what we do to balance out never seeing each other vs. seeing each other too much, and the differences between being independent vs codependent. And of course, how our weekly meetings really come into play with us both being fierce independents.

Welp, after 24 years in the hair industry, Vena has finally decided to step away to start new adventures. You may need to grab a tissue for this one! Listen in as she recaps her career, what she is going to miss, and what she is excited for in her next steps.

On today's episode we are doing a deep dive into the power of Self Talk. The stories and messages that you are sending to yourself on the daily, and how to flip the script to get them from activating a negative part of your brain, into a positive. Listen in as we discuss: Listening to yourself vs talking to yourself Being careful with the words you are choosing. Fear based voices What type of "coach" you have on your shoulder and why you should speak your mantras and affirmations out loud. This was a super fun episode, and we can't wait to hear your feedback.

OHHHH this is a goodie. On this episode we dig in deep to compromising, settling, and where you have maybe lowered your standards in the past. Get ready to feel the heat and pressure of asking yourself those questions. This conversation was so good, super raw/honest, and well needed. It forces you to stop and think and get a bit uncomfortable with your very own comfort zones. Let go of the security blanket, and take a listen if you dare.