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What if the app you have been wishing existed could actually be built by you, even if you don't know how to code? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Dan Atchison, the creator of Tend+, an iOS app that helps you tend to the relationships already in your phone. You download the app, pick the people you want to keep in touch with, set how often you want to connect, and Tend+ prompts you when it is time to reach out. Carrie has been using it for months. Here's the twist. Dan is not a developer. He vibe coded the entire app himself, starting over Christmas break when he got bored. Dan talks about how he went from idea to App Store, what tools he used, what he learned the hard way, and why every small business owner should know what vibe coding can and cannot do. Dan and Carrie also talk about what Tend+ is really about. Why proximity used to do the work in our relationships and how that has changed. Why we should tend to people instead of managing them. Why the cost of delivery is directly tied to the value of the message. If you have an app idea, or you just want to be a better friend, this conversation has something for you Watch the Full Episode on YouTube ____________________________________________________________________________________ Mentioned in This Episode Tend+ on the Apple App Store Tend+ website Highlands College Claude (AI assistant) Claude Code Anthropic Famous.ai Base44 Lovable Supabase Netlify Vercel GitHub Hattie O'Hara episode of The Localist Dan's Substack: Truth and Wonder _______________________________________________________________________________ Thanks to Our Sponsor, Infomedia The Localist is sponsored by Infomedia, a Birmingham-based web and digital marketing company that helps small businesses get big results online. Contact Infomedia: https://infomedia.com/contact ________________________________________________________________________________ Join Us at Localist Lab Localist Lab is our free live marketing event series for small business owners, held on the third Thursday of most months at Saturn in Avondale. Each session features practical strategies you can use right away, plus free tacos and coffee. See upcoming events and register https://infomedia.com/events ________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to Carrie's Newsletter Get more small business insights, resources and behind-the-scenes updates from Carrie delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for the newsletter: https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c59a060684d71f12f6e495fc&id=98cd3122b9
Learn ancient traditions to promote longevity and healthspan, with Michelle Jungmin Bang, the author of Sun & Ssukgat, The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness, & Longevity. In this fascinating conversation you'll learn about Michelle's East-West training in preventative health and 16 years of living in Asia learning from: deep sea divers (haenyeo) in their 90s, the Buddhist Nuns, and centenarians. You'll also learn concepts, like jeong, which could be the secret to longevity. Tune in to learn what it means, how you can apply it, and how to integrate the other self-care strategies Michelle shares. South Korea is expected to rank #1 in the World for longevity by 2030, whereas in the US, our ranking keeps dropping and is expected to be 66 by 2050. Clearly there is so much to learn from our guest about health and living a long life. This is such a beautiful and empowering interview. Be sure to share it with a friend! KEY TOPICS: Intro Korean Art of Self-Care & Longevity Stats (0:00:07) Michelle's Health Crisis & East–West Healing Roots (0:02:39) Discovering Asia as a Longevity Hub (0:08:34) What "Sugat" Means and Whole-Plant Wellness (0:13:08) Redefining Self-Care & Preventable Chronic Illness (0:15:26) Yak Shik Dongwon: Food Is Medicine (0:17:51) Temple Food & Lessons from Buddhist Nuns (0:22:54) Ferments, Longevity Pantry & Plant Diversity (0:28:21) Savory Breakfast, Empty-Stomach Strategy & Vinegars (0:32:58) Jeju Haenyeo Free Divers & Sea-Based Longevity (0:37:41) Social Bonds as a Longevity Superpower (0:41:58) Walking, Micro-Breaks & Breath for Everyday Longevity (0:45:13) Inside-Out Skin Health & Jjimjilbang Rituals (0:47:18) Book, Translations & Michele's Next Steps (0:49:24) Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelelamoureux Follow + Listen, + Review: APPLE PODCASTS Follow + Listen, + Review: SPOTIFY PODCASTS Join Michele's Newsletter + Get a List of 52-Selfcare Tips Website: https://www.michellebang.com/ Book: Sun & Ssukgat: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness, & Longevity Social: https://www.instagram.com/michelle.jungmin.bang Guest Bio: Michelle Jungmin Bang is an award-winning Korean American eco-entrepreneur, Chivas Venture Social Impact Fellow, and Harvard Business School graduate born into a family of doctors. She is an East-West preventative care expert, speaker, and the author of Sun & Ssukgat: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness & Longevity. She is known for translating research into strategies that promote a radical shift in healthcare that embraces self-care or preventative care, which blends new science and old wisdom. Michelle is passionate about driving social impact and serves as a board director and founding member of various mission-driven organizations, most recently GrowNYC, an environmental non-profit focused on food access, agriculture, and green spaces. She lives with her family in Hong Kong and New York City and has been invited to speak at organizations, including Google.
Email is one of the cheapest and most direct ways to talk to your customers. So why are so many small business owners still ignoring it? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Luke Richey, Director of Content Marketing at Uptick Marketing. Luke and Carrie are both writers, and they both know that good writing can sell services in a way most other marketing simply cannot. They take a deep dive into newsletter email marketing, what it really does for a small business, and why most owners are sleeping on it. Luke and Carrie talk about why newsletters build loyalty better than social media, why your email list is yours in a way your Instagram followers will never be, whether to send from a person or a brand, how to find your voice, why your subject line is the most important sentence you will write, when to use Substack and when not to, what to do with 25 subscribers, and how to keep going when people unsubscribe. If you have a small business and you have been wondering if email marketing is worth it, this episode is a clear and honest guide to getting started. Watch the Full Episode on YouTube ____________________________________________________________________________________ Mentioned in This Episode Carrie's free newsletter and good stuff folder Uptick Marketing Infomedia Mailchimp Constant Contact Substack HubSpot Zapier Canva Marketing Made Simple by Donald Miller StoryBrand _______________________________________________________________________________ Thanks to Our Sponsor, Infomedia The Localist is sponsored by Infomedia, a Birmingham-based web and digital marketing company that helps small businesses get big results online. Contact Infomedia: https://infomedia.com/contact ________________________________________________________________________________ Join Us at Localist Lab Localist Lab is our free live marketing event series for small business owners, held on the third Thursday of most months at Saturn in Avondale. Each session features practical strategies you can use right away, plus free tacos and coffee. See upcoming events and register https://infomedia.com/events ________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to Carrie's Newsletter Get more small business insights, resources and behind-the-scenes updates from Carrie delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for the newsletter: https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c59a060684d71f12f6e495fc&id=98cd3122b9
She is exhausted, overwhelmed, and carrying a running list in her head that never stops. And he has no idea it exists. Not because he does not care. Because nobody ever showed him what it actually is or what it is costing her. Adam Lane Smith, The Attachment Specialist, sits down with Dr. Morgan Cutlip, the world's leading expert on the mental load, to break down exactly what the mental load is, why most men completely miss it, and what it actually takes to fix it without destroying the marriage in the process. This is not a lecture about fairness. It is an attachment science and relationship psychology breakdown of why the invisible labor of home and family life is quietly building resentment in millions of marriages and what both partners can do about it right now. What you will learn in this video: 1- What the mental load actually is and why most men only see one third of what their wife is actually carrying 2- The triple threat of physical mental and emotional labor and why one item on a to do list unpacks into something enormous 3- Why the mental load crowds out the mental real estate required for desire and what that means for your sex life 4- Why men change for pain and consequences not for love and what that means for this conversation 5- Why resentment builds silently for years before it explodes as divorce 6- The exact words a man can say to a wife who has felt dismissed for years that will not blow the whole thing up 7- Why the weekly check-in changes everything and what it actually looks like in practice 8- What women need to get clear on before they can ever communicate what they need 9- Why running your marriage like a business and treating your wife like talent you cannot afford to lose changes the dynamic overnight If she is carrying everything and he does not know where to start, this conversation will show both of you exactly what to do next.
Ever feel like you're stuck in a cycle of second-guessing yourself—at work, at home, everywhere? You're not alone. In this episode, we break down the real reasons self-doubt keeps showing up (especially for women!) and get right into the science of what's really happening in your brain. You'll hear relatable stories, the latest research, and simple, powerful tools you can use TODAY to separate from that nagging inner critic and to build confidence. It's time to stop letting old beliefs run the show. You'll learn how to trust yourself again, take bold action, and finally feel like the most confident version of you. If you're ready to get out of your head and into your life to create your best life—this episode is for you. KEY TOPICS: Unpacking Self-Doubt: The Origins of Big Trust (0:00) Cognitive Load: Why Women Experience Amplified Self-Doubt (7:06) The Four Core Drivers of Self-Doubt (16:06) Cultivating Self-Acceptance: Saying No with a Deeper Yes (21:13) Turning Feedback and Failure into Actionable Growth (37:00) Why Action Precedes Confidence: Building Personal Agency (42:55) Mastering Emotions: From Overwhelm to Grounded Adaptability (50:45) Reclaiming Your Power: Autonomy and Conscious Choice (1:04:34) Empowering Your Journey: Final Insights and Resources (1:10:17) RESOURCES + BOOKS MENTIONED: Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@herstarringrole Follow + Listen, + Review: APPLE PODCASTS Follow + Listen, + Review: SPOTIFY PODCASTS Join Michele's Newsletter + Get a List of 52-Selfcare Tips GUEST INFORMATION Book: Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success Website: https://www.shadezahrai.com/bigtrust IG: https://www.instagram.com/shadezahrai/ If you enjoyed today's show, please share it with a friend. Also, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast player! *The Good Life with Michele Lamoureux podcast and content provided by Michele Lamoureux is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does NOT constitute medical, mental health, professional, personal, or any kind of advice or serve as a substitute for such advice. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. Always consult a qualified healthcare or trusted provider for any decisions regarding your health and wellbeing. This episode may contain affiliate links.
What does it really take to open a bookstore, survive a pandemic in your first year, and then expand twice in six years? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Kristen Iskandrian, co-owner of Thank You Books in Birmingham's Crestwood neighborhood. Thank You Books opened in December 2019, just months before COVID closed everything down. Six years later, they are expanding for the second time and doubling their footprint. Kristen talks about why retail leases matter more than most people realize, how Thank You Books learned what worked by listening to their customers, and why the book business is one of the hardest small businesses to run. They get into sideline items, signed first edition subscriptions, why bookstore margins are so thin, how to host author events that actually pull a crowd, and what it really means to build community around a store. Carrie spent years in bookselling before The Localist. She was co-founder of Church Street Coffee and Books and managed Jonathan Benton Bookseller. This conversation goes deep into the business, the dream and the reality of running an independent bookstore. Watch the full episode on YouTube ____________________________________________________________________________________ Mentioned in This Episode Thank You Books Shop Thank You Books merch at MAKE Birmingham Thank You Books First Edition Subscription Thank You Books on Libro.fm Thank You Books on Bookshop.org MAKE Birmingham (local goods sold at Thank You Books) Hannah Mills (local maker featured at Thank You Books) Crestwood Pharmacy Red Bike Coffee Urban Suburban (Crestwood) Total Joint (Jimmy from Crestwood) Church Street Coffee and Books (Carrie's old shop) Parnassus Books (Nashville) Ingram (book distributor) Paz & Associates Bookselling Bootcamp Co.Starters small business class (Birmingham) Alabama Booksmith Little Professor Book Center Bookmarked Birmingham American Booksellers Association Indie Bookstore Day Winter Institute Birmingham Mountain Radio Square Books (Oxford) Bookshop.org Libro.fm _______________________________________________________________________________ Thanks to Our Sponsor, Infomedia The Localist is sponsored by Infomedia, a Birmingham-based web and digital marketing company that helps small businesses get big results online. Contact Infomedia: https://infomedia.com/contact ________________________________________________________________________________ Join Us at Localist Lab Localist Lab is our free live marketing event series for small business owners, held on the third Thursday of most months at Saturn in Avondale. Each session features practical strategies you can use right away, plus free tacos and coffee. See upcoming events and register https://infomedia.com/events ________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to Carrie's Newsletter Get more small business insights, resources and behind-the-scenes updates from Carrie delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for the newsletter: https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c59a060684d71f12f6e495fc&id=98cd3122b9
Most women have been trying to understand men the same way they understand other women. And it has never worked. Not because men are broken, but because nobody ever showed her how they actually work. Adam Lane Smith, The Attachment Specialist, sits down with Alison Armstrong, one of the world's leading experts on understanding men and the author of The Queen's Code, for a conversation years in the making. Together they break down why men and women keep missing each other, what women get catastrophically wrong about men, and what changes everything when a woman finally learns to see a man for what he actually is. Join the Secure Circle: FREE Community: https://circle.adamlanesmith.com/free-sign-up?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_content=6/4 What you will learn in this video: 1- Why men are actually more naturally committal than women and what is getting in the way of that commitment 2- Why the testosterone soaked brain is built for focus and why interrupting that focus is not just annoying but genuinely disruptive to his peace 3- Why a man working 16 hour days and giving everything he has can still hear that he is not enough 4- Why men concealing things from their partners is not dishonesty and what it actually is 5- Why respect matters more to most men than love and why women resist saying it even when they feel it 6- Why a man cannot commit to something he believes he cannot win at and what that means for marriage 7- Why 95 percent of a woman's happiness depends on herself and not on him and why that is actually good news 8- Why men scan for complementary strengths in a partner and why women compete instead of complement If you have ever felt misunderstood by the man in your life, or if you are a woman who cannot figure out why nothing you try is working, this conversation will show you exactly what has been missing.
What if a few hours of part-time help would change your week? This episode is a live recording from Localist Lab, the free monthly marketing event series for small business owners in Birmingham. Carrie Rollwagen takes the speaker seat this time to walk a live audience through how she hired a virtual assistant, what she actually has her VA do, and where AI tools fit into the mix. Carrie covers what a virtual assistant is, how to find one, how to budget for one, and what to do before they start. She shares the documents she made for her VA, the tools they use together, and the kinds of work she does and does not hand off. She also walks through how she uses AI for tasks like building decks, transcribing meetings, organizing her desktop, and turning one podcast into a dozen reels. If you are a small business owner who keeps thinking you cannot afford help, this episode is a clear and honest look at what part-time help actually looks like in practice. Watch on YouTube ____________________________________________________________________________________ Mentioned in This Episode Virtual Savvy Time Tailored OnePass (password manager) LastPass (password manager) Calendly Otter.ai (voice memo transcription) Carrie's Turn One Post into Ten talk Ohm Jiu Jitsu (Russell Marbut) Alabama Twisters _______________________________________________________________________________ Thanks to Our Sponsor, Infomedia The Localist is sponsored by Infomedia, a Birmingham-based web and digital marketing company that helps small businesses get big results online. Contact Infomedia: https://infomedia.com/contact ________________________________________________________________________________ Join Us at Localist Lab Localist Lab is our free live marketing event series for small business owners, held on the third Thursday of most months at Saturn in Avondale. Each session features practical strategies you can use right away, plus free tacos and coffee. See upcoming events and register https://infomedia.com/events ________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to Carrie's Newsletter Get more small business insights, resources and behind-the-scenes updates from Carrie delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for the newsletter: https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c59a060684d71f12f6e495fc&id=98cd3122b9
Growing a Business Without Losing What Makes It Special | Golden Age Wine In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Brandon Loper and Trent Stewart, co-owners of Golden Age Wine in Birmingham. Last time Brandon and Trent were on the podcast, it was during the pandemic. A lot has changed since then. They still have their original Mountain Brook location, but they also have Golden Age Wine Garden downtown, a national wine club and their own importing company called Vins de Lieu. Brandon and Trent talk about why they chose to scale through importing instead of opening more locations, how they think about pop-ups with local chefs, what makes Birmingham's small business community so supportive, why they hire for hospitality first and wine knowledge second, and how they keep both shops feeling personal even as the business grows. If you own a small business and you have ever wondered what it looks like to grow without losing what makes you special, this conversation is full of honest answers. Watch the Full Episode on YouTube ____________________________________________________________________________________ Mentioned in This Episode Golden Age Wine website Golden Age Wine Club signup Brandon and Trent's first Localist episode (2021) Paramount (Brian) Bandit Patisserie Chez Fonfon Salud David Baker Architects June Coffee Erin Merhar (pizza pop-up) Harper Snell (Golden Age photography and marketing) Rob Culpepper (photographer) _______________________________________________________________________________ Thanks to Our Sponsor, Infomedia The Localist is sponsored by Infomedia, a Birmingham-based web and digital marketing company that helps small businesses get big results online. Contact Infomedia: https://infomedia.com/contact ________________________________________________________________________________ Join Us at Localist Lab Localist Lab is our free live marketing event series for small business owners, held on the third Thursday of most months at Saturn in Avondale. Each session features practical strategies you can use right away, plus free tacos and coffee. See upcoming events and register https://infomedia.com/events ________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to Carrie's Newsletter Get more small business insights, resources and behind-the-scenes updates from Carrie delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for the newsletter: https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9c59a060684d71f12f6e495fc&id=98cd3122b9
Your marriage is a team. Most people are running it like a dysfunctional one and have no idea why nothing is working. Adam Lane Smith, The Attachment Specialist, sits down with Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and one of the world's leading experts on organizational health, to break down what makes teams fall apart, why the same dysfunctions destroying companies are destroying marriages, and what it actually takes to build real trust, real loyalty, and a relationship that functions like a winning team. This is not a business conversation. It is an attachment science and leadership psychology breakdown of why the skills that build great organizations are the exact same ones that build great families. What you will learn in this video: 1- Why trust is the single greatest competitive advantage in business and in marriage and why most people never build it 2- Why vulnerability is not weakness and what it actually unlocks biochemically in the people around you 3- Why the five dysfunctions of a team show up identically in marriage and what to do about each one 4- What Working Genius is and why understanding yours and your partner's changes everything overnight 5- Why your partner may have been loving you in the way God made them and you completely missed it 6- Why couples date nights make disconnected marriages worse not better and what to fix first 7- Why the most bitterly resentful couples usually want the exact same thing and just never knew it 8- How to run a marriage like a business in a way that creates more joy not less 9- Why unhealed wounds always find their way back into the marriage no matter how hard you try to keep them out 10- What secure attachment and organizational health have in common and why both require the same foundation If your marriage feels like a dysfunctional team, this conversation will show you exactly why and what to build instead. An exclusive discount on Working Genius Assessments. Use code IWISHYOUKNEW for 20% off all WG Licenses and Assessments.
Your website traffic might be down. But that doesn't mean your business is. In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Pam Darden, VP of Accounts and Revenue at Infomedia, to answer real audience questions about small business websites in the age of AI. Pam has worked with small business clients for over 10 years. She knows what actually works, and what is quietly costing you customers. They cover why you still need a website even if traffic has dropped, how AI is pulling information about your business from places you never thought to check, what to put on your site so AI includes you in the conversation, how to track sales when analytics no longer tell the full story, and whether vibe coding is ever a good idea for a small business. If you have a website and are not sure if it is working, this episode will show you exactly where to look.
Two thirds of millennials are experiencing depression symptoms from loneliness. Everyone is walking around wishing someone would talk to them. And nobody is starting. Not because they do not want connection. Because they are terrified of looking like they only want something. Adam Lane Smith, The Attachment Specialist, sits down with Jordan Harbinger, one of the world's leading experts on human connection and authentic relationship building, to break down exactly why people stay isolated, what the difference is between networking and genuine bonding, and how to start building real human relationships even if you have no one right now. This is not a social skills video. It is an attachment science and behavioral psychology breakdown of why the loneliest people are often the kindest ones, and what they have been getting wrong without knowing it. What you will learn in this video: 1- Why the nicest people in the room are the ones staying silent and how that is making the loneliness epidemic worse 2- The number one mistake people make when trying to build relationships and why it poisons everything before it starts 3- Why covert contracts are quietly destroying friendships you thought were solid 4- The difference between ABC always be closing and ABG always be generous and why one builds real loyalty and the other destroys it 5- Why 65 percent of adult Americans are running a feelings and services mentality without knowing it 6- How secure attachment and Jordan's abundance networking model are describing the exact same thing from two different fields 7- Why keeping score in relationships is a losing battle even when you think you are being fair 8- How to be interesting if you do not think you are and what the most genuinely magnetic people do instead 9- What to actually do if you are new to a city, isolated, and have no idea where to begin 10- Why the only currency that survives everything is real human relationships and how to start building them today If you have been waiting for someone else to reach out first, this conversation is for you.
Why would a man embrace marriage and fatherhood in 2026? Most men are not asking that question with curiosity. They are asking it with exhaustion. They have heard a thousand reasons why marriage is a trap, why fatherhood is a burden, and why the risk is not worth the reward. And almost nobody is giving them a reason to say yes. Adam Lane Smith, The Attachment Specialist, sits down with Devin Schadt, Executive Director of Fathers of Saint Joseph, for a conversation about what fatherhood actually is, why men are starving for it without knowing it, and why the crisis at the center of every social, financial, and cultural problem in America traces back to one thing: the absence of fathers. What you will learn in this conversation: 1- Why masculinity finds its fulfillment in spiritual fatherhood and what that means for men who have never heard it framed that way 2- What the statistics on fatherless homes actually show and why every major social crisis connects back to this one root 3- Why men are wired for mission and what happens to a man's nervous system when that mission is denied or never given to him 4- Why living in relationship is the hardest and most necessary thing a man can do and why his instinct to solve and complete works against him 5- Why trust in God the Father is the foundation of becoming a father worth trusting and what that looks like in daily life 6- How a man leads his wife in a way that she follows eagerly and why most men have never been shown what that actually looks like 7- Why loneliness precedes depression in men and what the research says about isolation versus solitude 8- The five practical steps for building real brotherhood with other men and why most men's groups fail before they start 9- Why the mission of fatherhood is the one thing that can unite men across every political, cultural, and ideological divide If you are a man wondering whether marriage and fatherhood are worth it, or a father who is already in it and not sure he is doing it right, this conversation is going to give you something the culture has stopped offering: a reason to say yes.
Most men today are doing everything they have been told to do to attract a woman. They are being kind, accommodating, agreeable, and endlessly pleasing. And it is working against them every single time. Adam Lane Smith, The Attachment Specialist, sits down with Marni Kinrys, dating coach and wing girl to men for over 22 years, for one of the most honest and practical conversations about what women actually feel on a date, why nice guys keep finishing last, and what the science says about why the very thing men think is working is exactly what is destroying their chances. What you will learn in this conversation: 1- Why a woman's attraction can completely reverse within minutes of a first impression and what actually changes it 2- The four S's that create attraction in women and why most men are accidentally hitting zero of them 3- Why a nervous man does not just fail to attract a woman but actively makes her feel unsafe and what her nervous system does as a result 4- Why a woman who soothes a nervous man on a first date has already decided she will never sleep with him 5- Why nice guys are training women to see them as employees instead of leaders and what that costs them in every relationship 6- Why avoidant men are not just born that way and how anxious men are actually creating avoidant women without knowing it 7- What vasopressin bonding is why men can only get it from other men and what happens when they never do 8- Why the CEO and COO model of marriage is the only dynamic that actually makes both people happy 9- What Marni's husband finally understood after she sent him ten Instagram posts that changed everything between them If you are a man who has been working hard to make women happy and wondering why it never seems to work, or a woman who wants to finally understand why the men she loves keep getting it wrong, this conversation will give you both the answer and the path forward.
Can a small business in Birmingham actually work with a local influencer? And if so, how do you even start? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Laine White, Marketing Consultant and Innovation Strategist at Uptick Marketing, to answer real audience questions about local influencer marketing. Laine made a semi-viral Instagram post about how small businesses are missing out by not working with local micro influencers, and a massive conversation followed in the comments. Now she is here to break it all down. They cover what makes a business a good fit for influencer marketing, how to reach out without being rude, what follower count matters actually, and what it doesn't, how to think about compensation, the difference between a paid post and an authentic partnership, and how hosting an influencer event can be one of the most cost-effective ways to get started. Plus, an audience Q&A with practical answers to real small-business scenarios. If you have ever seen a local influencer and wondered whether they could help your business, this episode gives you a clear, honest roadmap.
Most young men today have never had a real conversation about relationships with another man who actually knows what he is talking about. This episode is that conversation. Adam Lane Smith, The Attachment Specialist, sits down with Franco Fernandez, a 24 year old Catholic content creator with a large social media following, for one of the most raw and honest coaching sessions the show has ever done. Franco came in thinking he was just anxiously attached. What came out was something much more layered, much more human, and much more relatable than either of them expected. What you will learn in this conversation: 1- Why young men today are trying to reverse engineer something they were never shown from the inside and why that is not their fault 2- How anxious and avoidant tendencies pull in opposite directions at the same time and what that looks like in real dating situations Why performing to make someone like you is the exact thing that prevents real connection from ever forming 4- Why chasing the hardest to get woman is not always confidence and what it might actually be rooted in 5- The difference between a feelings based relationship and a real one and why feelings alone will always leave you in the airport alone 6- Why asking questions with context is the single most powerful tool for building intimacy and how most men never learn to do it 7- What it actually looks like to stop performing and start being a human being with another human being 8- Why the men and women who want the same things keep completely missing each other and what is actually in the way 9- What it means to need proof that people can love you when you are not performing and why almost every young person needs that proof right now If you are a young man trying to figure out how relationships actually work without anyone to show you, this conversation will give you more clarity than years of trying to figure it out alone.
What does it take to build a platform that actually changes the way people see their city? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Hattie O'Hara, the creator behind One Week in Birmingham, a weekly Instagram series that tells the story of life in Birmingham through local businesses, events and community. Over 60 episodes in, Hattie has built one of the most beloved local platforms in the city, and recently launched Your Week in Birmingham, a curated weekly newsletter to help people plan their own weeks in the city. Hattie talks about what inspired the series, how she kept it going when nobody was watching, why she makes decisions based on her own values rather than best practices, how she manages the production process every Sunday entirely on her phone, and how she is beginning to build a real business around the brand she has been quietly creating for years. If you are a small business owner, a content creator or just someone who loves Birmingham, this is a really honest and energizing conversation about doing creative work your own way.
Most people ask if avoidant women even exist. They do. And this conversation is one of the most honest and revealing looks at what avoidant attachment actually looks like from the inside of a woman who lives it every day. Adam Lane Smith, The Attachment Specialist, sits down with Carly Randall, a self-identified avoidant woman and strategic business partner, for a live coaching session that covers everything from two avoidant partners trying to make a relationship work, to avoidant mothering, to why asking if you would still love me if I was a bug is actually one of the healthiest things an avoidant woman has ever said. What you will learn in this conversation: 1- What avoidant attachment actually looks like in a woman and why men so often mistake it for selfishness 2- Why avoidant women lose respect for anxious partners and what that tells you about what they actually need 3- What happens when two avoidant people get together and why it can actually work with the right systems in place 4- Why the black and white switch of I am all in or I am completely done is one of the most dangerous patterns for avoidant women and what to do about it 5- The difference between taking space to regulate and taking space to dodge and how to tell which one you are doing 6- How avoidant mothering shows up in real life and what the biggest risks are for the children of avoidant parents 7- Why telling your kids mommy needs a break without giving them context is one of the most damaging things you can accidentally do 8- Why an avoidant woman suddenly asking for reassurance is not a sign she is becoming anxious but a sign she is finally becoming secure 9- Why the feeling that you do not want to be a burden is actually rooted in adoption and early abandonment and what it is really asking for If you have ever wondered whether avoidant women are real, what they feel, how they parent, and whether they can actually build a deep loving relationship, this is the episode you have been waiting for.
What if the best place to make new friends turned out to be a craft table? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Blakely O'Connor, founder of The Craft Room, a creative reuse store in West Homewood, Birmingham. The Craft Room collects donated arts and craft supplies from the community and resells them at affordable prices, while also serving as a drop-in maker space, workshop venue and private event destination. Blakely talks about why having your hands busy actually makes conversation easier, how she manages inventory she can never predict, why she chose to run The Craft Room as a for-profit small business instead of a nonprofit, what it was like to walk away from a Harvard PhD research career to open a secondhand craft shop, and how making things together is one of the most reliable ways to build real community. Whether you are a small business owner, a crafter or someone who has ever donated a box of forgotten supplies to Goodwill, this episode is warm, honest and full of ideas.
Are you tired of going on endless first dates that go nowhere? Sick of swiping through apps that seem to get more exhausting and less satisfying every year? You are not alone, and this conversation is going to change the way you think about finding a partner entirely. Adam Lane Smith, The Attachment Specialist, sits down with Alessandra Conti, celebrity matchmaker and founder of Matchmakers in the City, for one of the most honest and practical conversations about modern dating you will find anywhere. With nearly 14 years of experience working with celebrities, royals, and high profile clients, Alessandra has seen every pattern, every mistake, and every thing that actually works when it comes to finding the right person. What you will learn in this conversation: 1- Why dating apps are not the problem but the way almost everyone uses them is 2- What matchmaking actually is and why guided courtship has worked for all of human history while modern dating has been failing for 100 years 3- Why building female community before dating men is one of the most important things a single woman can do and why so many women resist it 4- Why no sex until monogamy is not just a values decision but a strategic one that protects your heart, your judgment, and your future 5- How good men actually respond when a woman holds her boundaries and what it tells you immediately about whether he is worth your time 6- The most destructive thing women think they are looking for in a man and what they actually need instead 7- Why men with a plan are the most attractive men in any room and what that means in practice 8- What women should never do on a first date if they actually like the man and the surprising thing they should do if they do not 9- Why both men and women are walking around wanting the same thing and completely failing to find each other and what to do about it If you have ever felt like the modern dating world was designed to keep you single, this conversation will show you exactly why that feeling is right and what the alternative actually looks like.
In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Myres Allen and Stephen Peacock, the hosts of Word of Mouth Podcast, a Birmingham show dedicated to telling the stories of people doing interesting and meaningful things in the city. This is the second half of a podcast swap: Carrie appeared on Word of Mouth first, and now the tables are turned. Myres and Stephen talk about why community, not content, has always been the real mission behind the show, how they think about building connection in an increasingly isolated world, what it is like when strangers know you better than your close friends because they listen every week, how they divide the work behind the scenes, and where they hope Word of Mouth grows as a platform, a brand and maybe eventually a full business. If you are a small business owner, a content creator or just someone who loves Birmingham and wants to understand what it takes to build something from nothing, this conversation is honest, fun and full of ideas.
Most people online will tell you that being feminine means being weak, giving something up, or falling into the background. This conversation is nothing like that. Adam Lane Smith sits down with Gabby Reece, professional volleyball legend, model, author, and host of The Gabby Show, for one of the most grounded and honest conversations about what it actually means to be a feminine woman in the modern world. No performance. No agenda. Just a woman who has spent decades figuring out who she is and is willing to show you exactly what that looks like from the inside. What you'll learn in this conversation: 1- Why femininity looks different for every woman and why trying to copy someone else's version is the wrong starting point 2- How Gabby straddled the worlds of elite sports and modeling at 18 and what that taught her about owning both sides of herself 3- Why the word submissive has been misunderstood and what it actually means when you choose it from a place of strength 5- How Gabby almost divorced Laird Hamilton at 30, what she did instead, and the 25 years of relationship that followed 6- What shiny eyes are and why this one simple habit has kept their relationship alive and exciting for over 30 years 7- Why women are afraid to ask themselves what they actually want and what gets lost when they stop asking 8- How to have hard conversations with a strong man without it turning into a battle 9- Why self care is not selfish and how reframing it changes everything for mothers and partners 10- What strong women should actually be looking for in a man and why values matter far more than status or money If you have ever wondered whether you can be strong, capable, and fully feminine all at the same time, this conversation will show you that not only is it possible, it is the whole point.
In this episode of Her Starring Role, our host Michele Lamoureux explores the concept of being underestimated—and how we can reclaim what's possible. Life is precious and there is too much external pressure distracting us from what we really want. Let's start to ask ourselves what we want and learn to recognize those limiting beliefs that keep us playing small. KEY TOPICS: · How External Voices Limited Childhood Aspirations (0:00) · Identify and Challenge Internal Limiting Beliefs (6:31) · Discover Your Desires and Prioritize Your Needs (10:53) · Create a Ripple Effect by Living Your Most Fulfilled Life (16:36) RESOURCES + BOOKS MENTIONED: Join Michele's Newsletter + Get a List of 52-Selfcare TipsSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@herstarringrole Follow + Listen, + Review: APPLE PODCASTS Follow + Listen, + Review: SPOTIFY PODCASTS Last week's episode on Kindness If you enjoyed today's show, please share it with a friend. Also, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast player! *The Good Life with Michele Lamoureux podcast and content provided by Michele Lamoureux is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does NOT constitute medical, mental health, professional, personal, or any kind of advice or serve as a substitute for such advice. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. Always consult a qualified healthcare or trusted provider for any decisions regarding your health and wellbeing. This episode may contain affiliate links.
Search has changed more in the last two years than in the previous seven combined. Is your small business still getting found? This episode is a live recording from the first ever Localist Lab event, a free live marketing series for small business owners hosted by The Localist. Our speaker is Pam Darden, Director of Account Development at Infomedia, who breaks down exactly how the rise of AI search tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity is changing the way customers find local businesses, and what you can do right now to make sure you are still showing up. Pam covers why getting cited by AI is now just as important as ranking on Google, what the E-E-A-T content guidelines mean for your website, how to structure your content so AI can actually quote you, and why the fundamentals of good SEO have not changed even though the platforms delivering customers to you have. If you own a small business and you want practical, actionable steps you can take to improve your visibility in the age of AI search, this episode is exactly that.
Most couples you see online are either performing for the camera or fighting for the clicks. This conversation is nothing like that. Adam Lane Smith sits down with Tom and Lisa Bilyeu, co-founders of Quest Nutrition and hosts of Impact Theory and Women of Impact, for one of the most honest conversations about marriage you'll find anywhere on the internet. No highlight reel. No performance. Just two people who have been building a life together for 25 years, and are willing to show you exactly what that has looked like, the hard parts included. What you'll learn in this conversation: 1- Why happy couples are invisible online and what that's doing to everyone's idea of what love is supposed to look like 2- How Tom and Lisa met, why they both assumed it wouldn't last, and the moment that changed everything 3- Why Lisa stayed silent for eight years and the one sentence she finally said that pivoted their entire lives 4- The CEO and COO model of marriage and why treating your relationship like a business might actually save it 5- What happened when Lisa became the boss of 40 ex-convicts and accidentally brought that energy home to her husband 6- What Tom actually needed after working 120-hour weeks that Lisa didn't know how to give him and how they figured it out 7- The post-it note system they built so Tom always knows what Lisa needs when she comes to him with a problem 8- Why the most dangerous moment in a marriage is when one partner starts outgrowing the dynamic and what to do before it breaks you 9- What legacy actually means when you strip away the ego and why Tom thinks most people are quietly fooling themselves about being remembered If you've ever wondered what it looks like when two people genuinely love each other, fight for each other, and keep choosing each other through the hard stuff, this is that conversation.
What if the secret to standing out in a tough industry was just treating people the way they deserve to be treated? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Chris Palmer, founder of Green Garage, an auto repair shop in Birmingham's Automotive Historic District. Chris shares how intentionally hiring people with hospitality backgrounds transformed the customer experience at Green Garage, and why simply doing what you say you will do turns out to be better than average in the auto repair industry. Chris also talks about 13 years of building and adapting the business, from starting with hybrid vehicles to adding a licensed locksmith operation, buying his own building to protect against rising downtown rents, and how treating employees like an investment rather than a cost has driven real loyalty and growth. If you own a small business, work in the trades, or are thinking about what kind of business to start, this episode is full of practical, honest insight on customer experience, employee investment and building something that lasts.
Most people online will tell you your partner is a narcissist because he didn't text back fast enough. This conversation is nothing like that. Adam Lane Smith sits down with Dr. Leslie Dobson, forensic psychologist and court-appointed expert who has spent her career inside prisons, jails, and psych hospitals assessing the most dangerous individuals in the system, to give you a reality-based answer to the question so many people are afraid to ask: am I actually in danger? What you'll learn in this conversation: 1- Why true narcissistic personality disorder is rare and why misusing the term puts people at real risk 2- What coercive control actually is, and why a federal judge needed to hear that it's more dangerous than physical violence 3- How to tell the difference between an avoidant partner and an actual predator 4- What narcissists are scanning for in a potential target and why certain attachment wounds make you more visible to them 5- Why the 10% good moments in a toxic relationship are not evidence that things can change 6- How isolation works, why it happens so gradually, and what it takes to reconnect with the people who knew you before 7- What forensic journaling looks like and why it might be the most important thing you do if you're not sure yet 8- Why building community is the only real protection against narcissistic predators and the science behind why 9- If you've been questioning whether your relationship is unhealthy or whether you're overreacting, this episode will give you the clarity you've been looking for. If you've been questioning whether your relationship is unhealthy or whether you're overreacting, this episode will give you the clarity you've been looking for.
Danny Morel is an entrepreneur turned spiritual guide who has helped thousands to achieve true abundance in their finances, relationships and health through deep healing work and spiritual awakenings. He is also a recognized thought leader who is frequently featured in major national media such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Business Insider. In this episode Danny shares how to get back to your most authentic self, how to choose love over fear, and how to attract the abundance you desire. RESOURCES + BOOKS MENTIONED: Join Michele's Newsletter + Get a List of 52-Selfcare Tips Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@herstarringrole Follow + Listen, + Review: APPLE PODCASTS Follow + Listen, + Review: SPOTIFY PODCASTS GUEST INFORMATION Website: https://dannymorel.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/dannymorel Book: Awaken Your Highest Self: The Limiting Beliefs That Keep You Stuck–And the Heart Work That Sets You Free If you enjoyed today's show, please share it with a friend. Also, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast player! *The Good Life with Michele Lamoureux podcast and content provided by Michele Lamoureux is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does NOT constitute medical, mental health, professional, personal, or any kind of advice or serve as a substitute for such advice. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. Always consult a qualified healthcare or trusted provider for any decisions regarding your health and wellbeing. This episode may contain affiliate links.
Tom Schmitt is CEO of Radial, North America's largest third-party fulfillment provider — and a company about to become something bigger. As part of the Bpostgroup's rebranding to Paxon, Radial is merging with its sister companies into a single global logistics brand built on decades of e-commerce infrastructure.The Watson Weekly is sponsored by Avalara. For more information on Avalara, visit - https://avalara.watsonweekly.com/Tom sat down with Rick Watson to talk about what he's actually seeing on the ground as AI enters supply chain — and the answer is more nuanced than most headlines suggest.Three things worth your time from this episode:The trust gap is real and measurable. Radial surveyed 1,000 US consumers: nearly two-thirds are uncomfortable sharing payment information with AI agents. That's not a technology problem — it's a brand problem operators need to solve first.Most AI projects are failing their ROI test right now — and that's expected. Tom's crawl, walk, run framework isn't a hedge; it's a diagnosis. Demand forecasting and pick-path optimization have measurable returns today. Fully autonomous warehouse orchestration does not — yet.Agentic commerce has a data standards problem nobody is talking about. Radial is a founding member of ONX — the Order Network Exchange — an open industry standard for how order, inventory, and fulfillment data moves between systems. Agentic commerce only works if agents read the same language. That work is already underway.Plus: the history of GSI Commerce, how Michael Rubin invented the direct-to-consumer industry, and why Fred Smith's old line about FedEx still tells you everything about where supply chain AI is headed.Subscribe to the Newsletter: Get it at https://www.watsonweekly.com/subscribe
In this episode of Her Starring Role, our host Michele Lamoureux explores the concept of capacity—your day‑to‑day life force, energy, and bandwidth—and how it shifts through different seasons of life. She shares three practical ways to gently expand your capacity so there's more left for you at the end of the day: Carving out 30 minutes daily for something that matters only to you (health, creativity, learning, or connection). Setting boundaries around what you say yes and no to, especially habitual obligations that drain your energy. Prioritizing quality sleep by creating supportive routines and environments that help you truly rest. This episode is an invitation to honor your current season, reclaim your bandwidth, and intentionally add more joy, play, and meaning into your everyday life—without comparison or pressure to "do it all." RESOURCES + BOOKS MENTIONED: Join Michele's Newsletter + Get a List of 52-Selfcare Tips Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@herstarringrole Follow + Listen, + Review: APPLE PODCASTS Follow + Listen, + Review: SPOTIFY PODCASTS If you enjoyed today's show, please share it with a friend. Also, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast player! *The Good Life with Michele Lamoureux podcast and content provided by Michele Lamoureux is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does NOT constitute medical, mental health, professional, personal, or any kind of advice or serve as a substitute for such advice. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. Always consult a qualified healthcare or trusted provider for any decisions regarding your health and wellbeing. This episode may contain affiliate links.
Tuesday, March 10, 2026 In this episode: Seven U.S. service members have been killed and 140 troops have been wounded in the first 10 days of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran; Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted – and then deleted – that the U.S. Navy had "successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz," sending oil prices down nearly 20%; U.S. military destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as Trump warned Tehran to remove any mines “IMMEDIATELY” or face military consequences "at a level never seen before"; the Trump administration told Israel to stop striking Iranian energy infrastructure, saying it was "not happy"; House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to condemn anti-Muslim remarks by Reps. Andy Ogles and Randy Fine, saying instead that he had spoken to them about “our tone and our message”; Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the Supreme Court's use of emergency orders is “not serving the court or our country well”; a federal judge ruled that three Justice Department lawyers jointly leading the New Jersey U.S. attorney's office were unlawfully appointed; and a whistleblower complaint alleges that a former DOGE engineer copied two Social Security databases that contain records for more than 500 million Americans and took them to his new job at a government contractor. Read more: Day 1876: "They have no exit strategy." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Monday, March 9, 2026 In this episode: Trump claimed that fighting in Iran was “very complete, pretty much” and would end “very soon,” but then threatened to strike Iran "at a much, much harder level" if Tehran disrupted oil supplies; Trump demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender" even as a classified U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that even a large-scale military assault was unlikely to lead to regime change in Iran; the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, its third loss in five months, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%; the FBI subpoenaed records from the Arizona Senate's 2021 review of roughly 2.1 million Maricopa County ballots; Trump threatened to not sign any legislation until Congress passes the SAVE America Act; a plaque honoring law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, was installed at 4 a.m. Saturday – three years after Congress required it by law and with no ceremony or announcement; and the Justice Department released three FBI interview summaries it had withheld from the Epstein files, including one by a woman alleging that Trump sexually assaulted her as a minor in the 1980s after Jeffrey Epstein introduced them. Read more: Day 1875: "I have a plan for everything." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Thursday, March 5, 2026 In this episode: Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and replaced her with Sen. Markwayne Mullin; Senate Democrats blocked a Republican bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security for a third time; the House rejected a bipartisan effort to force Trump to seek congressional approval for continued military action in Iran; Trump said he wasn't concerned about rising gasoline prices caused by the Iran war, saying "if they rise, they rise"; two dozen Democratic-led states sued Trump to stop his new 10% global import tariffs; and a Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump was sentenced to life in prison for molesting two children. Read more: Day 1871: "Getting screamed at to find some good news." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Tuesday, March 3, 2026 In this episode: Trump warned that "I guess the worst case" from U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran would be “somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person”; Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the U.S. attacked Iran first because “we knew that there was going to be an Israeli action” and that it would “precipitate an attack against American forces”; Sen. Thom Tillis threatened to block Trump administration nominees and stall committee work unless Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem answers his questions about the Charlotte's Web immigration operation; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed to a voluntary, closed-door House Oversight interview on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein after Justice Department records contradicted his Senate testimony; the Justice Department abruptly reversed itself and will defend Trump's executive orders targeting four law firms, less than 24 hours after telling the same court it wanted to drop the appeals; the Interior Department threatened to hold employees “accountable” after an internal database leaked showing National Park Service staff flagging hundreds of items that could “disparage” Americans for possible revision or removal; the Supreme Court temporarily blocked California from enforcing a 2024 law that limited when educators could tell parents about a student's gender identity or sexual orientation; and voters in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas head to the polls today to kick off the 2026 midterm season. Read more: Day 1869: "A failure of leadership." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 In this episode: The Republican-led House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi for a closed-door deposition about the Justice Department's handling of records tied to Jeffrey Epstein; Senate Republicans rejected a war powers resolution to block Trump from ordering more strikes on Iran; Trump is “actively considering and discussing” America's role in Iran after the war with his advisers and national security team; Texas state Rep. James Talarico won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Texas; Republicans Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton advanced to a May 26 Republican runoff; the Office of Congressional Conduct said it had “substantial reason to believe” Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, had a sexual relationship with a subordinate who later died by suicide; and 54% of voters disapproved of Trump's handling of Iran, and 52% said the U.S. shouldn't have taken military action. Read more: Day 1870: "Why are we doing this?" Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
In this episode of Her Starring Role, host Michele Lamoureux welcomes back Elaine Lin Hering, speaker, facilitator, and author of Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully. Together they explore what it really means for women to unlearn silence—especially in business—and reclaim their "starring role" in work and life. Elaine shares how self-silencing shows up in our careers, relationships, and health, and why it's not a confidence problem but a systemic one. They discuss being sidelined at work, getting credit for your ideas, navigating broken workplace systems, honoring your inner voice, and making intentional choices that align with your values, well-being, and season of life. This is a powerful conversation for any woman who feels overextended, under-recognized, or ready to let her light shine on her own terms. RESOURCES + BOOKS MENTIONED: Join Michele's Newsletter + Get a List of 52-Selfcare Tips Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@herstarringrole Follow + Listen, + Review: APPLE PODCASTS Follow + Listen, + Review: SPOTIFY PODCASTS GUEST INFORMATION LinkedIn Substack Instagram If you enjoyed today's show, please share it with a friend. Also, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast player! *The Good Life with Michele Lamoureux podcast and content provided by Michele Lamoureux is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does NOT constitute medical, mental health, professional, personal, or any kind of advice or serve as a substitute for such advice. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. Always consult a qualified healthcare or trusted provider for any decisions regarding your health and wellbeing. This episode may contain affiliate links.
Monday, March 2, 2026 In this episode: Trump declined to rule out sending U.S. ground troops into Iran “if they were necessary,” saying “whatever it takes” and adding, “I don't have the yips with respect to boots on the ground”; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected the idea of an “endless” war in Iran; the Pentagon acknowledged in closed-door briefings with congressional staff that there was no intelligence suggesting Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the U.S. interests – contradicting Trump's claim that the U.S. was "very nearly under threat" from Iran; a federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration's effort to delay litigation over potential tariff refunds; the Justice Department dropped its defense of Trump's executive orders sanctioning four law firms with ties to Democrats; Trump allies are continuing to press him to declare a national emergency and impose federal election rules without Congress as the SAVE Act's voter ID and proof-of-citizenship mandates has stalled in the Senate; 34% of Americans approved of the U.S. attacks on Iran; and 60% of Americans said they don't trust Trump to make the right decisions on U.S. use of force. Read more: Day 1868: "The yips." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Thursday, February 26, 2026 In this episode: Pro-Trump activists circulated a 17-page draft executive order urging Trump to declare an election emergency and use it to impose federal voting rules, including limits on mail ballots and voting machines; the Trump administration believes "the politics are a lot better if the Israelis" attack Iran first, thinking Tehran's retaliation would build U.S. support for American attacks; the FBI subpoenaed phone “toll records” for Kash Patel and Susie Wiles in 2022 and 2023 during Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigating into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his mishandling of classified documents; Hillary Clinton's closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee's Jeffrey Epstein investigation was briefly paused after an unauthorized photo from inside the room was posted on social media; a federal judge ruled that the IRS violated federal privacy law “approximately 42,695 times” by sharing taxpayer addresses with ICE; the U.S. recorded net negative migration in 2025 for the first time since the Great Depression; 61% of Americans say they support deporting unauthorized immigrants, but 60% say ICE agents have “gone too far"; and 56% of Americans say they don't trust Trump to make the right decisions about using military force overseas. Read more: Day 1864: "The politics are a lot better." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 In this episode: Trump used his first State of the Union of his second term to insist that “our nation is back,” calling it “a turnaround for the ages,” and that “the roaring economy is roaring like never before,” even as 39% of Americans say they approve of Trump's handling of the economy; Trump's nominee for surgeon general, wellness influencer Dr. Casey Means, refused to recommend routine measles and flu vaccines for children during her confirmation hearing; the Justice Department said it's reviewing whether it improperly withheld Epstein-related records listed in evidence logs, including FBI notes and summaries tied to allegations that Trump sexually abused a minor; the Trump administration will not provide Congress with the unredacted intelligence behind a whistleblower complaint involving Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, citing executive privilege; a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting migrants to “third countries” they're not from; and a White House staffer appears to have operated a large anonymous pro-Trump X account that amplified official Trump administration messaging. Read more: Day 1863: "Is the president working for you? We all know the answer is no." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 In this episode: Trump will deliver his first State of the Union of his second term with his approval rating near an all-time low, and polling showing that 55% of Americans disapprove of his job performance; at least 45 congressional Democrats plan to skip Trump's State of the Union; Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democrats response to Trump's State of the Union, putting her “kitchen-table” affordability message at the center of their midterm strategy; Trump's promised 15% “worldwide” tariffs went into effect at 10%; the Justice Department withheld some Epstein files tied to allegations that Trump sexually abused a minor and removed other documents where accusations against Epstein also mentioned Trump; the Pentagon privately warned Trump that a major military strike against Iran could turn into a prolonged campaign that would likely produce U.S. and allied casualties and drain air-defense interceptors; 61% of Americans think Trump has "become erratic with age"; 57% of Trump's critics say his immigration crackdown is the worst thing he's done in his second term; 26% of independents approve of the job Trump is doing as president; and 10% of Americans say things are going well in the country, while 34% say things could be better, and 52% say things are going poorly and major, disruptive change is needed. Read more: Day 1862: "Brink of disaster." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
In this episode, Dr. Ingrid Clayton, licensed clinical psychologist, transpersonal psychology specialist, and author of Fawning joins us to discuss her groundbreaking insights into an often-overlooked trauma response: fawning. Most of us are familiar with the three F's of trauma—fight, flight, or freeze—but there's a fourth response, fawning, that's rarely discussed. Unlike codependency or people-pleasing, fawning is a survival strategy that drives us to seek approval, appease, and draw closer to people who may hurt us—even when it's detrimental to our well-being. If you've ever found yourself apologizing to those who hurt you, obsessing over approval, befriending bullies, or suppressing your voice to maintain peace, this episode is for you. Dr. Clayton offers hope, tools, and compassion for anyone ready to break free from the cycle of chronic fawning and step into their authentic life. RESOURCES + BOOKS MENTIONED: Join Michele's Newsletter + Get a List of 52-Selfcare TipsSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@herstarringrole Follow + Listen, + Review: APPLE PODCASTS Follow + Listen, + Review: SPOTIFY PODCASTS GUEST INFORMATION Website: https://www.ingridclayton.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/ingridclaytonphd/Website/ Book: Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves–and How to Find Our Way Back If you enjoyed today's show, please share it with a friend. Also, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast player! *The Good Life with Michele Lamoureux podcast and content provided by Michele Lamoureux is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does NOT constitute medical, mental health, professional, personal, or any kind of advice or serve as a substitute for such advice. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user's own risk. Always consult a qualified healthcare or trusted provider for any decisions regarding your health and wellbeing. This episode may contain affiliate links.
Monday, February 23, 2026 In this episode: The European Union demanded that the U.S. honor last summer's EU-U.S. trade deal, saying “a deal is a deal,” after the Supreme Court struck down Trump's emergency tariffs and he moved to replace them with new, temporary global levies; U.S. economic growth slowed in the fourth quarter, with real GDP up at a 1.4% annual rate; a federal judge permanently blocked the Justice Department from releasing Volume II of former special counsel Jack Smith's final report on Trump's handling of classified records at Mar-a-Lago; the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal from Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy that could decide whether cities and states can sue fossil fuel companies for climate-damages in state court under state law; 32% of Americans said Trump has had the right priorities, while 68% said he hasn't paid enough attention to the country's most important problems; and 39% of Americans said they approve of Trump's job performance, while 60% said they disapprove. Read more: Day 1861: "Obnoxious." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Thursday, February 19, 2026 In this episode: Trump used the first meeting of his Board of Peace to announce that he'll decide "over the next probably 10 days" whether to continue nuclear talks with Iran or order a U.S. military strike; Trump is reportedly weighing an initial limited strike on Iran, hitting a small set of military or government targets to pressure Tehran into a nuclear deal; the Trump administration ordered ICE to arrest refugees who have been in the U.S. for a year but haven't obtained permanent resident status yet; the FCC opened an investigation into ABC's “The View” over potential violations of the Equal Time Rule after the show booked Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico; and Trump signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to increase domestic production of glyphosate and elemental phosphorus. Read more: Day 1857: "Bad things will happen." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 In this episode: The White House installed a critic of the CDC as the acting director of the CDC; the U.S. and Iran both claimed they've made “progress” in during latest nuclear talks even as the U.S. military is preparing for a possible strike on Iran as early as this weekend; Trump's top economic adviser said New York Federal Reserve staffers should be “disciplined” for a study concluding that Americans paid nearly 90% of the costs of Trump's tariffs; FCC Chair Brendan Carr denied censoring CBS after Stephen Colbert said network lawyers blocked an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico; at least 12 Democrats said they will boycott Trump's State of the Union next week; and 70% of Democrats have a positive view of the Democratic Party – down from 85% in September 2024. Read more: Day 1856: "An embarrassment." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 In this episode: Congressional Democrats sent the White House a new counterproposal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security after the agency's funding lapsed Saturday; an 18-year-old man was arrested near the U.S. Capitol after exiting a white Mercedes SUV and running toward the building carrying a loaded shotgun; Senate Republicans have lined up at least 50 votes for the Trump-backed SAVE America Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and mandate photo ID nationwide; the U.S. military destroyed three small boats in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean, killing all 11 people aboard; Stephen Colbert said CBS lawyers stopped him from airing an interview with Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate; a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore slavery-related exhibits that the National Park Service removed from the site in Philadelphia where George Washington lived as president; Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader who helped define Black political power after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and twice ran for president, died; 39% of Americans approve of Trump's job performance with 56% disapproving; and 38% of Americans approve Trump's immigration policies – the lowest level since his return to the White House and down from 50% from a year ago. Read more: Day 1855: "Dissemble and disassemble historical truths." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 In this episode: Democrats accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of turning the Justice Department "into Trump's instrument of revenge"; a federal grand jury refused to indict six Democratic lawmakers over a video that reminded active-duty military and intelligence personnel they must refuse unlawful orders; the House voted to rescind the national emergency Trump used to impose tariffs on Canada, with six Republicans joining nearly all Democrats in approving the resolution; U.S. employers added 130,000 jobs in January and unemployment fell to 4.3%; the Congressional Budget Office projected a $1.85 trillion deficit this fiscal year, rising past $3 trillion by 2036; and 60% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of border security and immigration. Read more: Day 1849: "Not sustainable." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Thursday, February 12, 2026 In this episode: The Senate failed to advance a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security through Sept. 30, leaving the agency headed for a partial shutdown when funding expires Friday night; the Trump administration said it will end “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota, drawing down thousands of federal immigration agents after a 2-month crackdown that produced mass protests, more than 4,000 arrests, and two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens in Minneapolis; the Justice Department tracked the search histories of lawmakers who reviewed the files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation; the whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard centers on an intelligence intercept that captured two foreign nationals discussing Jared Kushner; the House passed the SAVE America Act; a federal judge blocked the Pentagon from demoting Sen. Mark Kelly's retired Navy rank and cutting his retirement pay over a video advising troops not to follow illegal orders; Trump rescinded the EPA's 2009 “endangerment finding,” removing the legal basis the agency has used to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act for nearly two decades; and 62% of Americans say Trump's “gone too far” by deploying federal immigration agents into major U.S. cities, and 61% say he's gone too far using federal law enforcement at protests. Read more: Day 1850: "Status quo." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 In this episode: The Trump administration will rescind the EPA's 2009 “endangerment finding,” stripping the core legal basis for federal limits on greenhouse gas pollution under the Clean Air Act; a newly unsealed FBI search warrant affidavit showed that the seizure of Fulton County, Georgia's 2020 election ballots and records began with a referral from a Trump-appointed “director of election security and integrity”; acting ICE Director Todd Lyons defended ICE and told the House Homeland Security Committee that he would press ahead with Trump's “mass deportation” campaign; Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna disclosed the “hidden” names of six wealthy men they say are “likely incriminated” by their inclusion in the Jeffrey Epstein files; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told senators he had lunch with Jeffrey Epstein on Epstein's private Caribbean island in 2012; Trump reportedly told the Palm Beach police chief in 2006 that “everyone has known” what Jeffrey Epstein “has been doing”; 59% of Americans said they're optimistic about the future – a record low since Gallup started asking the question two decades ago. Read more: Day 1848: "Now I see what the big deal is." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy
Monday, February 9, 2026 In this episode: Ghislaine Maxwell invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer all questions during a closed-door House Oversight Committee deposition; the top House and Senate party leaders received a heavily redacted May 2025 whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard after an eight-month delay; the White House deleted Trump's racist Truth Social post that depicted Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes; the Trump administration told Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer it would release frozen federal funding for the $16 billion Gateway rail tunnel if Penn Station and Washington Dulles International Airport were renamed after Trump; Trump, a noted athlete, called a U.S. skier at the Winter Olympics “a real loser"; and Trump, a noted pop-culture tastemaker, declared Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime show “one of the worst,” calling the largely Spanish-language performance “absolutely terrible” and that “nobody understands a word.” Read more: Day 1847: "Cover-up mode." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy